In this review, we’re discussing the 2025 Asus Zenbook 14 UM3406KA refresh with AMD Krackan specs (Ryzen AI 7 350).
We’ve covered most, if not all, Zenbook lineups and models over the years. This 2025 model is a hardware refresh of the 2024 Zenbook 14 model , built on the same chassis and with the same overall features and perks.
For this model year, Asus offers the series with either AMD Krackan or Intel Arrow Lake H hardware. The AMD model is usually specced a little lower in order to target a lower price tag, around 1100-1200 EUR MSRP in this part of the world. We’re discussing the AMD variant in this article, and the Intel variant in this separate review .
Our configuration is the mid-specced AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 model with 32 GB of RAM, 1 TB SSD, and a 2K OLED display. You can also find this specced with 16 GB of RAM, 512 GB SSD or a 3K 120Hz OLED. RyzenAI 5 340 versions might be available as well in some markets.
I’ve used both the AMD and the Intel variant side by side over the last 3 months and gathered my impressions and thoughts in this article. They apply to all configurations.
Specs sheet – Asus Zenbook 14 UM3406 (2025)
Asus Zenbook 14 OLED review, UM3406KA series, 2025 model
Screen 14 inch, OLED, 16:10 aspect ratio, non-touch, glossy,2.8K OLED 120Hz panel non-touch also available on some models
Processor AMD Krackan Point,
Video AMD Radeon 860M, 8 CU, up to 3.0 GHz
Memory 32 GB LPDDR5x-7500 (soldered), up to 32 GB
Storage 1 TB M.2 NVMe SSD (Micro 2450) – single M.2 2280 slot
Connectivity Wireless 6E (Mediatek MT7922) 2×2, Bluetooth 5.3
Ports left: 1x USB-A 3.2 gen1,
Battery 75 Wh, 65W USB-C charger
Size 312 mm or 12.28” (w) x 220 mm or 8.66” (d) x from 14.9 mm or 0.58” (h)
Weight 2.65 lbs (1.2 kg) + .36 (.8 lbs) for the USB-C charger and cables, EU version
Extras clamshell format with 180-degree hinge, Jade Black color,
The good news is that all 2025 configurations get at least 16 GB of RAM. The bad news is there’s no WiFi 7 on these AMD lineups, unlike on the Intel counterparts.
Design and functionality Asus keeps offering the Intel and AMD models in different colors, with the AMD version only being offered in Jade Black, while the Intel versions come in Blue and Silver. Color aside, though, they’re almost the same chassis and the same overall functionality. The only differences in chassis design are on the armrest and the laptops’ front lip, so minor that they can only be spotted when having the two laptops side by side.
Here are some side-by-side images of the two.
And here are a few more images of the Jade Black AMD model.
The chassis is all metal, sturdy, and crafted with attention to detail. All parts fit well together, and I’m not seeing any creaks or funny noises in the overall frame or the lid.
Aesthetically, I appreciate how the lines and branding on the lid are black as well and integrate smoothly with the design. However, as a black finish, this will show smudges and fingerprints easily, both on the black metals and on the keycaps.
Functionally, the laptop offers good grip on a desk, uncompromised inputs, and an ample armrest. The edges and corners are only minimally rounded on this AMD chassis and still feel sharp on the wrists in certain use cases. They’re actually even more of an issue on the Intel version, where they are beveled with a sharper edge. At the same time, they’re nowhere near as sharp as on a MacBook on either variant.
You can easily lift up the display with a single hand, and there’s a crease on the front lip to make the process smoother. The hinge is not that stiff, though, and the screen can move if you’re picking up the laptop and taking it around with the display open. On the positive side, though, this hinge design allows for a full 180-degree opening angle, which for me is a must on a portable notebook.
The cooling module is placed on the left side of the chassis, with dual exhausts on the left edge and under the display. It’s a rather basic design, as we’ll discuss further down, but it is mostly adequate for this chassis. Asus went with this approach in order to save weight, as otherwise a dual-fan cooling module similar to the one implemented on the Vivobook S14 series would have been more compelling. For what is worth, the Zenbook 14 weighs around 1.2 kilos, which isn’t bad for a metal chassis with a 75 Wh battery inside. The Vivobook S14 weighs closer to 1.3 kilos, so not much heavier. If you’re after a lighter option, the Zenbook S14 weighs just under 1.2 kilos, while the Zenbook A14 is sub 1 kilo.
As far as the IO goes, most ports are on the right edge, including two USB-Cs, the full HDMI, and the audio jack. One of the USB-C ports supports USB 4.0, and both support video and charging, but I’m not a fan of having those ports on the right. Ideally, you’d have one on each side, and if that’s not possible, my setups benefit from having the connectors on the left. Not a deal breaker per se, but something to consider in your decision.
Overall, this Zenbook 14 chassis hasn’t changed for the 2025 models, and is a well-built, nice-looking, and mostly practical design. IO placement isn’t ideal, though.
Keyboard, touchpad I’ve said it before, and I’m saying it again: the Zenbook 14 offers some of the better inputs you can find on portable notebooks today.
These haven’t changed for the 2025 models. The keyboard is still an excellent typer, with softly coated keys, 1.5 mm travel, firm feedback, and quiet actuations. Just keep in mind that the black finishing shows finger oil easily, and you’ll have to clean this keyboard more often than with other colors.
The keys are backlit, with white LEDs. There are three brightness levels to choose from and some light bleeds out from underneath some of the keys, particularly from under the top row of Function keys and the Copilot key. Oh, yeah, the right Ctrl key has been replaced with a Copilot key for the 2024/2025 generations. Thank you, Microsoft!
The touchpad is wide and averagely tall. It can double as a Numeric touchpad with a press of the icon in its top right corner, but what’s important is the smooth feel and reliable experience with general use. Physical clicks are fine as well.
This touchpad is black as well, as it color-matches the overall theme of the laptop. So it shows smudges as well, but is easier to wipe clean than the keys and the metal parts.
I’d also point out that there’s proper physical separation between this touchpad and the armrest around, as well as at least 1 cm of space up to the keyboard and down to the front lip of the laptop. That minimizes unwanted interactions with daily use or when using this laptop on the lap or on the thighs.
As for biometrics, there’s IR with Hello support in the camera ensemble placed at the top of the display.
14-inch OLED display There’s a 14-inch 14:10 display on this series, with average-sized bezels, enough for a chin underneath, and for all the space needed for the camera and other sensors at the top.
For this generation, Asus seems to only offer the series with non-touch glossy OLED panels, as the touchscreen option is only offered on the Intel variants. You get to choose either a 2K 60 Hz or a 3K 120Hz panel, both OLED, both with punchy image quality and black, 400-nits of max brightness, and 100% DCI-P3 colors. The latter option is sharper and faster in games, but the 2K option is fine for general use as well, somewhat more efficient and affordable.
Just make sure an OLED is right for your needs. This article explains the particularities and potential concerns around OLED panels on laptops, particularly with PWM flickering and potential image retention over time if not used properly. It’s not something to be concerned about, but aspects you should be aware of and understand.
Hardware and performance Our test model is a mid-specced configuration of the 2025 Asus Zenbook 14 UM3405KA, with an AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 processor and Radeon 860M graphics, 32 GB of LPDDR5-7500 memory, and a 1 TB gen4 SSD.
Disclaimer: This is a retail unit provided by Asus for this article. We tested it over three months, the latest results being recorded on the software available as of mid-August 2025 (BIOS 304, MyAsus 4.0.42.0, AMD Adrenalin 25.8.1, AMD Driver 32.0.21025.1024). This is a mature software package and almost nothing can still change with future updates at this point.
Spec-wise, this series is based on the 2025 AMD Krackan hardware platform , with Ryzen AI processors and AMD Radeon graphics.
Our review unit is a Ryzen AI 7 350 processor, a hybrid design with 8Cores (4x Zen5, 4xZen5c), 16Threads, up to 5.0 GHz speeds and 24 MB cache. On the CPU side, that’s 2/3 of the cores/threads available with the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 Strix Point platform.
On the GPU side, the Ryzen AI 7 350 bundles a Radeon 860M iGPU with only 8 RDNA3.5 cores, while the Radeon 890M on the HX 370 comes with 12 Cores. So again, 2/3 of what you’re getting with the Ryzen 9 hardware.
The specs also mention configurations built around a Ryzen AI 5 340, which is a 6C/12T CPU with a Radeon 840M iGPU (4 CUS), so a decent performer for general use, but slower in graphics loads.
Our configuration also comes with 32GB of LPDDR5-7500 memory. 16 GB configurations are also available.
For storage, Asus opted for a fast PCIe gen4 Micron 2450 drive here, a pretty fast SSD, perfectly fine for general use in this sort of laptop.
The SSD and the WiFi chip are upgradeable, although the WiFi is not an M.2 format. Getting inside is fairly simple; you need to take care of a few Torx screws and take out the back panel. The screws are all the same size, unlike on older Zenbooks.
As far as the software goes, this ZenBook gets the standard MyAsus app which allows control over the power profiles, battery and screen settings, updates, etc.
There are four performance/thermal profiles to choose from:
Full-Speed – allows the hardware to run at ~28W sustained and up to 50W SDP, with the fans up to ~42 dB;
Performance – allows the hardware to run at ~28W sustained and up to 50W SDP, with the fans up to ~42 dB;
Balanced/Standard – allows the hardware to run at 20W in sustained loads, with the fans up to ~35 dB;
Whisper – limits the CPU to 15W to favor fan noise of sub 30 dB.
I’d keep the laptop on Standard for general use, plugged in or unplugged, and on Performance for more sustained loads where the higher power settings would make sense.
We’ll get to that in a bit, but first, here’s what to expect in terms of speeds and temperatures with daily chores such as streaming video, editing text, or browsing the web.
Productivity Performance and Benchmarks – AMD Ryzen Ai 7, Krackan On to more demanding loads, we start by testing the CPU’s performance in the Cinebench R15 loop test. I kept the laptop on a stand, raised off the desk. Flat on the desk, performance is not impacted, but internal temperatures are higher.
On Performance mode, the AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 processor runs at ~50W for brief moments and then quickly stabilizes at 28W. That translates to scores of around 2000, CPU temperatures in the mid-80s °C, and fan-noise levels of ~42 dBA.
There’s also a Full-Speed mode, which works identically to Performance mode on this laptop, with the same power and fan settings. And not just on this laptop, on the Intel Zenbook as well. However, somehow we recorded average scores 2-3% higher on Full-Speed mode. Weird.
The Standard mode keeps the fans quieter, at 35 dBA, and the CPU quickly drops to 20 W of sustained power, with temperatures in the low-70s °C and scores of around 1650 points.
Whisper mode keeps the fans even quieter at sub 30 dBA, with the power stabilizing at around 15W sustained and temperatures in the low-60s °C. That leads to scores of 1400 points, 70% of what this laptop can do in Performance mode, which shows the excellent power scaling ability of this AMD hardware. For comparison, the Intel model performs at less than 50% capacity on the same profile.
And then there’s Performance mode unplugged from the wall, where this notebook performs identically to Performance mode plugged in.
All these are illustrated in the graph below.
To put these in perspective, here’s how this AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 implementation fares against other hardware platforms available in current and past-generation thin and light laptops .
This scores about 20-25% lower than Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 implementations at similar power, and even lower than Hawk Point Ryzen 8000 hardware at similar power, due to being a hybrid design with 4 high-power cores and 4 higher efficiency cores. It comes close to the Intel Arrow Lake H processors implemented in similar devices, though, such as the Core Ultra 9 285H and Ultra 7 255H, as long as we’re comparing similar power settings. More on that in a separate article.
It’s also faster than Meteor Lake and Lunar Lake implementations, so overall a fair mid-level performer in sustained CPU loads.
We then went ahead and further verified our findings with the more taxing Cinebench R23 loop test and in Blender. We measured similar behavior, power limits, fan noise, and temperatures as described above.
We then ran the 3DMark CPU profile test, on Performance and Whisper modes.
Finally, we ran our combined CPU+GPU stress tests on this notebook, on the Performance profile. 3DMark stress runs the same test for 20 times in a loop and looks for performance variation and degradation over time. This unit easily passed the test both raised up and flat on the desk, which means the performance is not impacted by heat buildup in longer-duration sustained loads.
Benchmark results and performance summary With that out of the way, let’s get to some benchmarks. We ran our standard set of tests with the laptop in Performance mode (~28W sustained TDP) and the screen set at its default 2K resolution.
Here’s what we got.
3DMark 13 –CPU profile: max – 6854, 16 – 6801, 8 – 6190, 4 – 3985, 2 – 2196, 2123 – 1135;3DMark 13 – Fire Strike: 6701 (Graphics – 7388, Physics – 23946, Combined – 2413);3DMark 13 – Steel Nomad Light: 2417;3DMark 13 – Time Spy: 2893 (Graphics – 2577, CPU – 9511);3DMark 13 – FSR: FSR 2 Off – 6.81 fps, FSR 2 On -14.04 fps, 106.0% performance difference.
Uniengine Superposition – 1080p Extreme: 1304;Uniengine Superposition – 1080p Medium: 4769;
PCMark 10: 7245 (Essentials – 11177, Productivity – 10115, Digital Content Creation – 9127);GeekBench 6.2.2 64-bit: Multi-core: 13474, Single-Core: 2843;CineBench R15 (best run): CPU 2311 cb, CPU Single Core 295 cb;CineBench R20 (best run): CPU 5623 cb, CPU Single Core 766 cb;CineBench R23: CPU 14436 pts (best run), CPU 14036 pts (10 min loop test), CPU Single Core 1948 pts (best run);CineBench 2024: CPU 801 (10 min run), CPU Single Core 113 pts.
And here are some work-related benchmarks, on the same Performance profile:
Blender 3.6.5 – BMW Car scene- CPU Compute: 2m 45s ;Blender 3.6.5 – Classroom scene – CPU Compute: 6m 30s;Blender 4.3.2 – BMW Car scene- CPU Compute: 2m 55s ;Blender 4.3.2 – Classroom scene – CPU Compute: 7m 15s;Blender 4.3.2 – Classroom scene – GPU Compute, HIP: 5m 27s;
SPECviewperf 2020 – 3DSMax: 36.94;SPECviewperf 2020 – Catia: 35.63;SPECviewperf 2020 – Creo: 44.13;SPECviewperf 2020 – Energy: 13.59;SPECviewperf 2020 – Maya: 93.85;SPECviewperf 2020 – Medical: 42.16;SPECviewperf 2020 – SNX: 84.01;SPECviewperf 2020 – SW: 55.94;V-Ray Benchmark: CPU – 10469, CUDA – 249.
These are alright results for a mid-range portable laptop.
The Krackan platform is not as capable as the Strix Point hardware, trailing both Ryzen 9 AI 365 and especially Ryzen 9 AI HX 370 implementations in all tests.
For instance, the Ryzen 9 370 in the Zenbook S16, which is a fairly close power design at around 30W sustained, scores 15-25% higher in CPU loads and 15-20% higher in GPU loads.
The Core Ultra 9 285H Arrow Lake H hardware scores about 10% higher in CPU loads and 20% higher in GPU loads as well, at similar power, in the Zenbook 14 UX3405.
Furthermore, this Krackan update trails the previous-generation AMD Hawk Point configuration in benchmark scores by about 10% in both CPU and GPU sustained loads. It does score higher on single-core CPU performance, though, by 7-10%.
At the same time, this is faster than Intel Meteor Lake 2024 platforms and faster on the CPU side than Lunar Lake 200V hardware, but up to 30% slower in GPU loads.
So all in all, you’re not getting Krackan hardware for sustained performance capabilities; there are significantly more powerful platforms available in portable chassis out there. You get it for its overall value for the money.
The quieter Standard and Whisper modes At 42 dBA at head-level, this laptop runs rather noisy on Performance mode, and the noise isn’t necessarily justified by the performance potential.
However, Standard and especially Whisper mode are interesting options, with the noise floor under 30 dBA on Whisper, and still decent performance with daily multitasking and with sustained loads.
Here are some benchmark results for the Standard mode (35 dBA):
3DMark 13 –CPU profile: max – 5220, 16 – 5172, 8 – 4853, 4 – 3461, 2 – 2100, 1 – 1113;3DMark 13 – Fire Strike: 5873 (Graphics – 6424, Physics – 20537, Combined – 2164);3DMark 13 – Time Spy: 2586 (Graphics – 2310, CPU – 8037);Uniengine Superposition – 1080p Extreme: 926;CineBench R23 (10 min loop): CPU 12352 cb, CPU Single Core 1947 cb;Blender 3.01 – Classroom scene – CPU Compute: 6m 58s.
About 80% of what the laptop can do on Performance mode.
And here are some benchmark results for the Whisper mode (sub 30 dBA):
3DMark 13 –CPU profile: max – 5241, 16 – 4968, 8 – 4173, 4 – 3025, 2 – 1863, 1 – 1062;3DMark 13 – Fire Strike: 5381 (Graphics – 5902, Physics – 17580, Combined – 1991);3DMark 13 – Time Spy: 2468 (Graphics – 2217, CPU – 6893);Uniengine Superposition – 1080p Extreme: 816;CineBench R23 (10 min loop): CPU 9623 cb, CPU Single Core 1896 cb;Blender 3.01 – Classroom scene – CPU Compute: 9m 38s.
About 70-75% of the scores on Performance. Not bad at all, and with almost imperceivable noise.
Gaming Performance We also ran a couple of games on the Performance profile of this AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 + Radeon 860M configuration, at FHD+ resolution, with Low/Lowest graphics settings. I included a few other competing platforms for comparison.
Low settings Zenbook 14 2025, Zenbook Duo 2025 ,Zenbook Duo 2025 ,Yoga Pro 14 2024 ,Zenbook S 14 2024 ,Zenbook S 16 2024 ,Zenbook Duo 2024, Zenbook 14 2024,
Dota 2 76 fps (52 fps – 1% low)
80 fps (50 fps – 1% low)
83 fps (50 fps – 1% low)
74 fps (48 fps – 1% low)
82 fps (46 fps – 1% low)
80 fps (46 fps – 1% low)
72 fps (42 fps – 1% low)
76 fps (44 fps – 1% low)
Far Cry 6 50 fps (42 fps – 1% low)
51 fps (32 fps – 1% low)
53 fps (32 fps – 1% low)
48 fps (34 fps – 1% low)
52 fps (38 fps – 1% low)
54 fps (46 fps – 1% low)
44 fps (36 fps – 1% low)
46 fps (34 fps – 1% low)
Horizon Forbidden West 40 fps (30 fps – 1% low)
46 fps (34 fps – 1% low)
crashed
40 fps (32 fps – 1% low)
45 fps (32 fps – 1% low)
40 fps (30 fps – 1% low)
–
35 fps (26 fps – 1% low)
Shadow of Tomb Raider 63 fps (46 fps – 1% low)
68 fps (42 fps – 1% low)
70 fps (46 fps – 1% low)
72 fps (56 fps – 1% low)
66 fps (26 fps – 1% low)
72 fps (56 fps – 1% low)
53 fps (32 fps – 1% low)
65 fps (48 fps – 1% low)
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt 56 fps (40 fps – 1% low)
50 fps (40 fps – 1% low)
51 fps (42 fps – 1% low)
46 fps (34 fps – 1% low)
78 fps (56 fps – 1% low)
60 fps (38 fps – 1% low)
44 fps (34 fps – 1% low)
45 fps (33 fps – 1% low)
Doom, Dota 2, Witcher 3 – recorded with MSI Afterburner in game mode;
Tomb Raider – recorded with the included Benchmark utilities.
Not bad, within 10% of Intel Arc iGPUs and generally faster than the Radeon 780M on the previous-generation Zenbook 14. All these games are playable here with these settings, including newer titles.
Here’s what to expect if you plan on running games on the quieter modes.
Zenbook 14 2025 – Performance – 28W, Standard – 20W, Whisper – 15W, FHD+ 1200p, <30 dBA
Far Cry 6 50 fps (42 fps – 1% low)
45 fps (40 fps – 1% low)
40 fps (32 fps – 1% low)
Horizon Forbidden West 40 fps (30 fps – 1% low)
36 fps (24 fps – 1% low)
22 fps (10 fps – 1% low)
Shadow of Tomb Raider 63 fps (46 fps – 1% low)
60 fps (42 fps – 1% low)
52 fps (36 fps – 1% low)
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt 56 fps (40 fps – 1% low)
52 fps (36 fps – 1% low)
48 fps (32 fps – 1% low)
And here are some logs.
On Performance mode, the CPU runs at 28W total power, and that means the GPU averages 2.5-2.6 GHz, about 80% of its maximum potential speed of 3 GHz. You’d need higher sustained power for that, around 35W or so, as shown in our test of the same hardware on the Vivobook S14 2025.
With the laptop flat on the desk, internal temperatures average around 82-85 °C. With the laptop on a stand to favor better airflow into the fans, the hardware averages 75-78 °C. But the performance is not impacted in any way.
Running games on Full Speed doesn’t lead to any different results, much like in all the previous tests.
On Standard mode, the CPU runs at 20W, with the GPU averaging 2.2 GHz. On Whisper mode, we’re getting 15W power with 1.8 GHz on the GPU.
Finally, Performance mode on battery power delivers slightly higher framerates than with the laptop plugged in, with still 28W of total power but 2.8 GHz average GPU speeds.
Noise, Heat, Connectivity, speakers, and others Asus went with a single-fan dual-radiator single-heatpipe thermal module here.
This is a rather minimalist power design. It’s fine for a mid-range ultrabook, but if you plan on running sustained loads on your device, you’d be better off with options with higher-tier hardware and/or more advanced cooling. That would generally translate into an increase in weight, but the Vivobook S14 UM5406KA, if available in your region, offers better cooling for the same hardware at a lower price.
Regardless, if you decide on this Zenbook, I would recommend placing it on a stand when running longer work/gaming sessions, for lower internal/external temperatures at sub 80 °C. On desk, this runs toasty at ~85 °C.
As far as the noise levels go, expect 42 dBA on Performance, 35 dBA on Standard, and sub 30 dBA on Whisper mode.
With daily use, the fan keeps mostly idle on all profiles, but kicks in with heavier multitasking, especially on Performance with the laptop plugged in. I haven’t noticed coil winning or electronic noises on this unit.
As for external temperatures, the chassis keeps cool with light use, with a hotspot around 35 °C in the middle of the keyboard.
*Daily Use – streaming Netflix in EDGE for 30 minutes, Whisper Mode, fans at 0 dB
With demanding loads, Performance mode leads to a hotspot of around 50 °C at the top side of the chassis, and close to 60 °C on the underside. Ouch! Those are measured with the laptop on a stand, and not flat on the desk.
We measured similar temperatures on the Silent profile.
Now, despite these hotspots, the areas that you’re getting in touch with aren’t nearly as hot, at around 40 °C at the keyboard level and up to 45 °C on the bottom. But overall, these findings once more add up to the idea that this is not a laptop for sustained loads.
*Gaming – Performance mode – playing Witcher for 30 minutes, fans at ~42 dB
For connectivity, only Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 through a Mediatek module on this laptop, so no WiFi 7. The laptop performed fine on wireless during all my time with it, but it still bothers me that they didn’t include WiFi 7 here. From what I can tell, there’s no WiFi7 on any of the retail units either.
Audio is handled by a set of stereo speakers that fire through grills positioned on the side and bottom of the chassis. They sound alright for this class, with good volumes and decent quality. Not MacBook levels by any means, but not dreadful either.
Finally, there’s an FHD camera placed at the top of the screen, flanked by microphones, the IR, and the ALS sensors. The camera gets a physical cover, and the image quality is decent in good lighting.
Battery life – excellent runtimes with Krackan Point There’s a 75 Wh battery inside this 2025 Asus Zenbook 14, plenty sized for its segment.
Here’s what we got in our battery life tests, with the screen’s brightness set at around 120 nits (~50 brightness) and at its default 60Hz refresh rate. I’ve also set the Windows 11 power modes on Best Power Efficiency.
3 W (20++ h of use) – idle, Standard Mode, screen at 50%, Wi-Fi ON;6 W (~12 h of use) – text editing in Google Drive, Standard Mode, screen at 50%, Wi-Fi ON;5 W (~15 h of use) – 1080p fullscreen video on Youtube in Edge, Standard Mode, screen at 50%, Wi-Fi ON;5.5 W (~13-14 h of use) – Netflix fullscreen in Edge, Standard Mode, screen at 50%, Wi-Fi ON;8-9W (~8-9 h of use) – browsing in Edge, Standard Mode, screen at 50%, Wi-Fi ON;38 W (~2 h of use) – Gaming – Witcher 3, Standard Mode, screen at 50%, Wi-Fi ON.
Keep in mind this is the 2K 60 Hz OLED display, and the 2.8K 120Hz option would need a little more energy with streaming and light use.
Overall, these are excellent runtimes, thanks to the efficiency of the AMD hardware and that big battery. This outlasts the Intel Meteor Lake and Arrow Lake implementations available in other Zenbooks, and runs slightly more efficiently than the previous-gen AMD hardware as well.
The laptop ships with a compact 65W USB-C charger. It’s a single-piece design with a long and thick cable and a USB-C plug. I’ve illustrated the US variant, but the EU variant is the same, just with a EU plug.
Price and availability- Asus Zenbook 14 OLED At the time of this article, the Asus ZenBook 14 UM3406KA is listed and available across the world at the time of the article. It’s widely available here in Europe, but it seems to be mostly an exclusive Walmart model in the US.
So, Walmart lists this at $1099 MSRP for the Ryzen 7, 32 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD configuration, but not sure whether that’s with the 2K or the 3K 120Hz display. However, as of August 2025, you can find it discounted for $879!
Over here in Europe, the Ryzen 7, 16 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD models start at 1100 EUR or £ 839 in the UK, while the 32 GB models go for a little more. Competitive, and I’d reckon we should see further discounts over the next months.
Follow this link for updated prices and configurations in your area .
Final thoughts- Asus Zenbook 14 OLED UM3406KA review As mentioned several times throughout this review, this UM3406KA version of the Zenbook 14 is potentially an excellent daily-use ultrabook, if you can find it for the right price in your area.
The Zenbook 14 chassis has been much refined over the years, and is well-made, nice-looking, and practical for the most part. Except for some nits with the IO placement and the rather sharp edges, there’s little to complain here, as long as you’re realistically judging it against other devices around the 1000 EUR/USD mark, and not with the more premium options in the ultrabook space.
Specs aside, this offers a nice OLED display, excellent inputs, plenty of ports, and decent audio quality, all in a quality metal body at 1.2 kilos.
As for the specs, this generation is built on AMD Krackan hardware, and is not the most powerful implementation of this hardware either. That means you shouldn’t get this for sustained work or gaming sessions. If that’s what you’re after, you’d be better off with options with faster hardware and better cooling. But for general use, multitasking, and some light gaming and workloads, this will do well. More than well, to be honest, especially on the quieter Standard and Whisper profiles, as the AMD platform scales so well at lower power. And don’t forget about the efficient runtimes on battery power, this being one of the longer-lasting notebooks tested so far.
Now, Asus offers an Intel variant of this laptop as well, which performs better, offers a few extra features such as TB4 and WiFi7, and comes at a higher price tag. I’d argue the AMD model makes more sense in this chassis, but we’ll have a detailed review of the Intel variant as well, so you can judge them for yourselves. We’ll also have a review of the AMD refresh of the Vivobook S14 series, which might actually be the best middle grounder of the Asus lineup this year, as long as it’s available where you are. That one even offers either Krackan or Strix Point hardware. Stay tuned for those.
Update: Having reviewed the Intel Zenbook 14 UX3405CA variant on the side , I must further commend how the AMD model keeps quiet and even silent with general use, with the fan mostly idle. The Intel variant runs the hardware at higher power and temperatures with light use, and that’s why the fan never idles and is only quiet “enough” on the Whisper mode.
Anyway, that wraps up my time with the Asus Zenbook 14 UM3406KA series. Looking for your thoughts and feedback further down in the comments section.
Disclaimer: Our content is reader-supported. If you buy through some of the links on our site, we may earn a commission.
Terms .
Navigation: Ultrabookreview.com » Asus
Review by: Andrei Girbea
Andrei Girbea is a Writer and Editor-in-Chief here at Ultrabookreview.com . I write about mobile technology, laptops and computers in general. I've been doing it for more than 15 years now. I'm a techie with a Bachelor's in Computer Engineering. I mostly write reviews and thorough guides here on the site, with some occasional columns and first-impression articles.
TheArchitect
August 20, 2025 at 2:56 am
I bought a skin from M2 Skins to handle the smudges. It's for the intel model but I got it to fit just fine on the AMD.
Also you can disable boost to save some power and temps if you don't need max perf. Great laptop IMO.