The 14-inch Asus ZenBook 14 UX435EG incorporates the quirky ScreenPad — a very small secondary display screen embedded in the touchpad that supports a vary of takes advantage of, which you won’t come across on laptops from any other maker. The ZenBook range’s common skinny-and-mild establish is existing and right, and when the value of £1,399 (inc. VAT £1,one hundred sixty five.83 ex. VAT) could possibly appear to be a tiny superior you do get an 11th-generation Intel Core processor and discrete Nvidia graphics. This model updates the ZenBook 14 UX434FL, which I reviewed in August 2019.

At its launch Asus proclaimed the ZenBook 14 UX435EG to be “the world’s smallest 14-inch laptop computer with ScreenPad”, which is considerably fewer amazing when you note that Asus is the only laptop computer producer that does ScreenPads. 

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The Asus ZenBook 14 UX435EG runs on eleven-generation Intel Core i5 or i7 processors with discrete Nvidia GeForce MX470 graphics, up to 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of SSD storage. It weighs 1.19kg and is MIL-STD 810G compliant.


Photos: Asus

Still, the ZenBook 14 UX435EG is certainly compact at 31.9cm wide and 19.9cm deep, and also skinny at 1.59cm thick at the front, mounting to 1.79cm at the back again where by it demands to accommodate various ports and connectors. The body weight of 1.19kg tends to make it an great laptop computer for carrying close to, and the establish is impressively strong. The aluminium alloy chassis materials signifies I couldn’t bend the lid in my palms, and it lends loads of solidity to the base far too. Asus says the ZenBook 14 UX435EG meets MIL-STD 810G, but if you you should not want to ding the etching on the outdoors of the lid, you could possibly however want to use a protecting sleeve when carrying or storing this laptop computer. 

Acer can squeeze a 14-inch display screen into a chassis that’s barely bigger than the display screen alone thanks to its negligible-bezel NanoEdge display screen, which delivers a (claimed) ninety two{36a394957233d72e39ae9c6059652940c987f134ee85c6741bc5f1e7246491e6} display screen-to-entire body ratio. Acer provides us two independent measurements for the very small brief-side bezels: 2.6mm measured in between the edge of the non-energetic display screen exhibit place and the inside of edge of the case, and four.4mm measured from the edge of the display screen to the inside of edge of the chassis. For the prime and base bezels, which are thicker, we just get measurements to the edge of the non-energetic display screen: six.1mm for the prime edge and 3.3mm for the base. The fairly deep prime bezel accommodates the IR webcam with Windows Howdy help.  

The exhibit alone is a 14-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,080) LED-backlit IPS touchscreen. It is really vivid, clear and sharp with four hundred nits greatest brightness, but rather reflective. The touch responsiveness on my critique model was exemplary. 

The exceptional display screen is complemented by a Harman Kardon-accredited twin speaker setup that delivers fantastic-top quality seem, although prime quantity could be louder. If you use the built-in audio subsystem for voice or movie calls, the AI-assisted sound-cancelling audio ability may well appear in useful. There are four modes to pick from: Standard, Balance, Single Presenter and Multi-Presenter. 

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The total-sizing keyboard is backlit and sensibly laid out, but some consumers will come across it noisy. The touchpad doubles up as a secondary 5.65-inch exhibit (ScreenPad).


Graphic: Sandra Vogel / ZDNet

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The keyboard manages to be both ‘clacky’ and ‘thunky’. Heavier-handed typists could possibly come across the sound level a tiny annoying, and there is certainly a truthful amount of money of flex. Still, the keys are big and properly spaced, and I was equipped to touch variety at my common velocity. The touchpad is offset a truthful way from the space bar, which took a tiny obtaining used to, but it is fairly big and incredibly responsive.  

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ScreenPad provides utilities that can be moved to the most important display screen as essential, together with shortcuts, controls and a variety pad.


Photos: Sandra Vogel / ZDNet  

The ScreenPad is the most notable function of this laptop computer — and certainly of a expanding variety of Asus laptops. The basic plan is that the touchpad doubles up as a second display screen — a 5.65-inch FHD+ (2160 x 1,080) Tremendous IPS panel that delivers a vary of productivity-boosting shortcuts, controls and utilities. 

So, for example, there is certainly a utility for automating keyboard sequences called Quick Key, a function for launching preferred groups of apps with a few of faucets, and a handwriting recognition utility. You can even swap material in between the most important exhibit and the ScreenPad — although the pad is so compact that it is only simple for a compact variety of features. There’s also a likely handy variety pad.  

Asus offers an API for 3rd parties, so perhaps additional features and even bespoke apps could possibly look in the long term. The ScreenPad is quickly toggled on and off by way of a Fn vital, for those times when you just want to use the basic touchpad options. 

Every single time I’ve reviewed an Asus laptop computer with a ScreenPad I’ve identified it exciting to enjoy close to with, but not an indispensable addition to my day-to-day computing. If it were a long-lasting function of my day-to-day laptop computer I could possibly use it additional, but I cannot be confident. For now, it is an intriguing but unproven Asus-particular function. 

The ZenBook 14 UX435EG is run by an 11th generation Intel Core i7-1165G7 processor with discrete graphics courtesy of Nvidia’s 2GB GeForce MX470 chipset, together with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. This is a incredibly properly-specified ultraportable laptop computer — as a result the value tag. There are other configurations, but these are not presently obtainable in the United kingdom.  

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There are two Thunderbolt four/USB-C ports, one of which is occupied when the laptop computer is charging, a single USB 3.2 port, a total-sizing HDMI port and a 3.5mm headset jack. There’s also a MicroSD card reader.  

On its internet site, Asus simply quotes battery everyday living from the 63Wh battery as ‘outstanding’. About 3 several hours of a regular doing work day during which I generally worked into net apps, browsed, listened to songs and watched movie, the battery went from one hundred{36a394957233d72e39ae9c6059652940c987f134ee85c6741bc5f1e7246491e6} to seventy four{36a394957233d72e39ae9c6059652940c987f134ee85c6741bc5f1e7246491e6}. On that foundation, you need to be equipped to get a day’s operate accomplished on battery electricity, if you’re managing mainstream workloads. 

Conclusions

The Asus ZenBook 14 UX435EG is properly designed and has an up-to-day, superior-close configuration. The keyboard is noisy but incredibly relaxed to use, the 14-inch IPS display screen is exceptional and all-day battery everyday living need to be no difficulty for awareness employees. The ScreenPad may well be an acquired taste, but you won’t know if it suits you until you shell out some time with it.

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