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ASUS Zenbook A14 (UX3407) vs Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5x (13-inch or 15-inch)

Researched, not hands-on tested.How we review ›

all judged against laptops at a similar price

The ASUS Zenbook A14 (UX3407) scores 6.1/10 overall, ahead of the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5x (13-inch or 15-inch) at 5.9/10.

The ASUS Zenbook A14 (UX3407) leads on memory and storage, keyboard and build and ports.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5x (13-inch or 15-inch) leads on performance.

They score the same on display, battery life and linux support.

ASUS Zenbook A14 (UX3407)

ASUS Zenbook A14 (UX3407)

6.1/10verdict: good, not the best

The ASUS Zenbook A14 UX3407 is for people who want a light 14-inch Windows laptop with very long battery life and an OLED screen. It suits everyday office, web and admin work where the software runs on Windows on Arm. Developers and homelabbers who need x86 tools, VMs or Linux should look at the limits before buying.

Typically about £649.99 in the UK when we researched itCheck price at Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)

Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5x (13-inch or 15-inch)

5.9/10verdict: good, not the best

The IdeaPad Slim 5x is for people who want a light Windows laptop that lasts a long time away from a socket. It suits everyday work, browsing, documents and remote sessions better than sustained heavy loads. Buyers who need Linux, upgradeable memory or USB4 should look at the limits before choosing it.

Typically about £999 in the UK when we researched itCheck price at Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)

Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details

Scores, criterion by criterion

CriterionWeightASUS Zenbook A14 (UX3407)Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5x (13-inch or 15-inch)
Performance25%4/105/10
Memory and storage20%6/105/10
Display15%7/107/10
Battery life15%9/109/10
Keyboard and build10%7/106/10
Ports10%7/106/10
Linux support5%2/102/10
Overall6.1/105.9/10

Specifications

SpecASUS Zenbook A14 (UX3407)Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5x (13-inch or 15-inch)
CPUVaries by variant: Snapdragon X1-26-100 (8 cores), Snapdragon X Plus X1P 42 100 (8 cores), Snapdragon X Elite X1E 78 100 (12 cores), Snapdragon X2 Elite X2E88100 (18 cores)Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Plus X2P-42-100, 6 cores, max turbo up to 4.0GHz, 23W TDP
Memory16GB or 32GB LPDDR5X, soldered on board (not user-upgradeable)16 GB or 32 GB LPDDR5X, soldered, not upgradable
Storage512GB or 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD; one M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0x4 slot listed on some variants512 GB or 1 TB M.2 2242 PCIe Gen4 QLC SSD
DisplayVaries by variant: 14.0-inch 3K (2880 x 1800) OLED 120Hz; 14.0-inch WUXGA (1920 x 1200) OLED 60Hz; 14.0-inch WUXGA IPS-level non-touch 60Hz; 400 nits typical13-inch: 13.3-inch WUXGA 1920x1200 LCD, 400 nits, 60Hz, touch. 15-inch: 15.3-inch 2.5K OLED 500 nits 165Hz, or WUXGA LCD 400 nits 120Hz
Battery70 Wh (some lower-tier variants 48 Wh); rated up to 32 hours of sustained battery in ASUS 1080p video playback test13-inch 54.7Wh; 15-inch 70Wh or 54.7Wh; rated up to 21.4 hours video playback (MobileMark 2030 basis)
Ports2x USB 4.0 Gen 3 Type-C with display/power delivery (up to 40Gbps), 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 1x 3.5mm combo audio jack, 1x HDMI 2.1 TMDSRight: 1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A (always-on), 1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, microSD, power button. Left: 1x HDMI 2.1, 2x USB-C (DP 1.4 and PD 3.0, 10Gb/s), audio jack. No Ethernet or USB4 listed
Weight2.18 lb (0.99 kg) claimed; PCWorld measured 2.16 lb; sub 2 lb (0.9 kg) on 48Wh battery variants13-inch from about 1.19 kg; 15-inch OLED about 1.41 kg; 15-inch LCD about 1.49 kg
Operating systemWindows 11 Home (ASUS recommends Windows 11 Pro for business)Windows 11 (ARM), Home or Pro

Strengths and weaknesses

ASUS Zenbook A14 (UX3407)

  • + Long rated battery life, praised by several reviewers
  • + Light, sturdy build at a claimed 0.99kg
  • + Two 40Gbps USB4 ports plus HDMI and USB-A
  • − Low-end Snapdragon X chip called slow by reviewers
  • − Windows on Arm limits app compatibility
  • − Memory soldered on board; base OLED panel only 60Hz

Skip it if:

  • Developers and admins who rely on x86-only software or VM images
  • Anyone who wants to run Linux as their main operating system
  • Buyers who need upgradeable memory
Read the full ASUS Zenbook A14 (UX3407) review ›

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5x (13-inch or 15-inch)

  • + Battery life is excellent, with a 27h50 measured video result
  • + 15-inch OLED option is 2.5K, 500 nits and 165Hz
  • + Light: the 13-inch starts at about 1.19 kg
  • − Memory is soldered and cannot be upgraded
  • − Owners report weak performance under heavy load and graphics
  • − No USB4 or Ethernet listed

Skip it if:

  • Buyers who need Linux on the laptop itself
  • People who compile heavily or need strong graphics performance
  • Anyone who wants upgradeable memory or USB4
Read the full Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5x (13-inch or 15-inch) review ›

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