ASUS’s 14-inch Zenbooks get updated with Intel’s new 13th Gen Core processors (Updated)

ASUS’s 14-inch Zenbooks get updated with Intel’s new 13th Gen Core processors (Updated)

Note: This article was first published on 5 January 2023 and was updated on 7 February with more details, a hands-on video, and availability information.

Intel has just announced its new 13th Gen Core processors and that means notebook makers are going to unveil updated models shortly too. ASUS is one of the first to do so with two new 14-inch Zenbooks. As is the case with most releases at CES, details are quite scarce, but let’s take a quick look at them now.

ASUS Zenbook Pro 14 OLED (UX6404)

The just-announced Zenbook Pro 14 OLED UX6404 is the new flagship of 14-inch Zenbooks. Its chassis measures just 18mm thick and weighs 1.65kg.

It has a 14-inch 120Hz OLED display that has a resolution of 2,880 x 1800 pixels. The display, like many other ASUS OLED notebooks, is validated by Pantone and supports 100% of the DCI-P3 colour space.

Under the hood is Intel’s newest Core i9-13900H processor complemented by 16GB of memory and a fast 2TB PCIe SSD. Users demanding more can spec the system with up to 32GB of memory. Graphics duties are handled by NVIDIA's new GeForce RTX 4070 mobile GPU.

The trackpad is also larger and it features ASUS' DialPad which can be configured to let content creators quickly browse through colour selections and more.

To enable users to take full advantage of all this power on the go, it comes with a large 76Wh battery. 

As for connectivity, you have USB-C Thunderbolt 4, USB-C and USB-A USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, a full-sieze HDMI 2.1 port, and an SD card reader.

ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED (UX3404)

The Zenbook 14X OLED is the more affordable 14-inch Zenbook but it is no less impressive.

To start, it has a slightly larger 14.5-inch display (as opposed to a 14-inch one on the predecessor). The display is still OLED and still has a high refresh rate of 120Hz. It's also Pantone-validated and DisplayHDR TrueBlack 600-certified.

The chassis is quite special because the Sandstone Beige version (it’s also available in Inkwell Gray) has a special eco-friendly plasma electrolytic oxidation coating that creates a finish that is ceramic-like and said to feel like stone.

We had the chance to experience this coating and it really does like stone from certain angles. It also makes the notebook feel like a ceramic tile. Certainly, it's one of the most unique notebook finishes we've experienced.

Powering it is the same Intel Core i9-13900H processor. Users can equip their Zenbook 14X OLED notebooks with up to 32GB of memory and a 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD. It gets discrete graphics too, but in the form of the less powerful GeForce RTX 3050.

This notebook also gets a slightly smaller 70Wh battery, but we hope it doesn't diminish its overall battery uptime. Going by our positive experience on the previous edition, we can't wait to try the new one with quite a formidable processing package in the same from factor.

Connectivity is good with two USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports, a USB-A USB 3.2 Gen 2 port, and a full-size HDMI 2.1 port.

Availability and pricing

ASUS has yet to confirm local pricing but we were told that these notebooks will arrive on our shores sometime between late March and early April.