First real tests of Intel Core Ultra 7 258V Lunar Lake in ASUS Zenbook S14 - best tonnage, average performance

The first reviews and tests of laptops featuring the new Intel Core Ultra 200V Lunar Lake processors have appeared. Almost all evaluations were conducted using the ASUS Zenbook S14 as the reference model.

Tom's Hardware notes that the ASUS Zenbook S14 boasts significantly better battery life compared to previous models. However, the improvement isn't substantial nor does it set any records. Equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 7 258V processor, a 72 Wh battery, a 14″ touchscreen display at 2880×1800 with a refresh rate of 120 Hz, and priced at $1500, the laptop lasted around 14 hours on a single charge. In contrast, last year's Zenbook 14 with the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (Meteor Lake) managed 12 hours and 21 minutes.

This is a commendable outcome, as the Zenbook S14 outperformed the Microsoft Surface Pro with Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite (12 hours and 17 minutes) and the ASUS Zenbook S16 with AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 (11 hours and 35 minutes). However, it lagged behind Dell's XPS 13 with Snapdragon X Elite (19 hours and 31 minutes) and the Apple MacBook Air M3 (15 hours and 3 minutes). Interestingly, Dell's laptop has a smaller battery (55 Wh), although its display resolution is 1080p.

The Intel Core Ultra 7 258V processor, featuring four performance cores and four efficiency cores, reaches a maximum clock speed of 4.8 GHz and 3.7 GHz, respectively. When compared to the laptops mentioned above, the ASUS Zenbook S14 exhibited the lowest performance, receiving the fewest points in GeekBench. Its only advantage was slightly better single-core performance over the Core Ultra 7 155H.

The laptop performed least effectively in video encoding using Handbrake, taking 8 minutes and 28 seconds to complete the test. This is approximately two minutes longer than the MacBook Air (6:30) and the Meteor Lake processor (6:17). The Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite in the Dell XPS 13 (9345) emerged as the fastest, achieving a time of 4 minutes and 47 seconds.

The website Notebookcheck tested the laptop's gaming performance. The ASUS Zenbook S14, equipped with Intel Arc 140V integrated graphics, does not impress much in standard mode and sometimes shows better performance in the performance mode. In most tests, the Radeon 890M from the latest AMD processors took the lead.

More reviews and tests can be found via the following links:

• Club386 (ASUS Zenbook S14)
• ComputerBase (ASUS Zenbook S14)
• El Chapuzas Informatico (ASUS Zenbook S14)
• ETA Prime (ASUS Zenbook S14)
• Hardware Canucks (ASUS Zenbook S14, LENOVO Slim 7i)
• HardwareLuxx (ASUS Zenbook S14)
• Noticias3D (ASUS Zenbook S14)
• PC Games Hardware (ASUS Zenbook S 14)
• PCWorld (ASUS Zenbook S14, DELL XPS 13 9350)
• Professional Review (ASUS Zenbook S14)
• The Phawx (ASUS Zenbook S14)

In conclusion, the ASUS Zenbook S14 with the new Intel Core Ultra 7 258V processor showcased noticeable battery life improvements but delivered mediocre performance in computations and gaming. For those looking to play games at minimal settings on a premium laptop, considering AMD Ryzen AI 300 might be a better option. It’s possible that updated drivers may enhance Lunar Lake's performance, as indicated by another Tom's Hardware test that suggests current drivers are limiting the graphics core.