The Asus All-’Ceraluminum’ Zenbook A14 Is the Lightest Laptop I’ve Ever Held

I’m still getting over the idea that a word like “Ceraluminum” is more than just a marketing gimmick. Asus’ latest Zenbook models have continued to impress me with their ceraluminum covers. Now enter the Zenbook A14, a new laptop that’s all-ceraluminum, from the lid to the frame to the bottom case. The only parts that do not bear that awkward material name are the keycaps and the screen itself.

The $1,100 Asus Zenbook A14 weighs in at 2.2 pounds and is thin enough that I fear I may snap it with my fingers. The Zenbook S 14 from 2024 clocks in at around 2.8 pounds to compare apples to apples. That’s already light. You shouldn’t have any problem frisbee-ing it to your bed from your desktop. The Zenbook A14 is lighter than that by a large degree. Because of its anodized ceramic material with a coarse finish, it doesn’t have any kind of metallic feel to it.

Part of what makes it so light is the CPU. It’s carrying up to the Snapdragon X Elite chip with a 45W TDP. The ARM-based CPUs already do a good job at power efficiency. The laptop carries a 70 Wh battery, but Asus claims it should be able to provide 32 hours of life with video playback. I find those tests much less helpful than daily use battery tests, but we’ll want to test it for ourselves.

It’s packing a 14-inch OLED screen maxing out at 60 Hz, but the best aspect of this PC is still its weight and size. The device has what Asus calls an “easy-lift hinge’ that doesn’t take much effort to lift. Easy hinges may be concerning, but Asus repeatedly told us the device will stay shut. Asus also claims that the material makes the device even more durable. Even with its slim package, it still includes a HDMI port and two Thunderbolt 4 ports. The device supports WiFi 7 as well.

There are two color options, though the $900 “Zabriskie Beige” (a reference to the area in Death Valley, California) will only pack up to the Snapdragon X Plus and 16 GB of RAM. The grey version will be available in January, but you’ll need to wait until late March for the beige version (which is exclusive to Best Buy).

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