After a period of anticipation, Intel has officially entered the AI-driven PC ecosystem, completing a trio alongside Qualcomm and AMD. While Qualcomm enjoyed an initial period of exclusivity, and AMD followed with their AI-optimized chips, Intel has now made its mark with the launch of the Core Ultra 7 258V chip. Asus, a brand known for pushing the envelope in 2024 with its laptop line-up, is the first to unveil a device powered by Intel’s AI-enhanced chip—the Zenbook S14. With the battle of AI chips heating up, Intel’s entry sparks curiosity about how it stacks up against its competitors. The results? A mixed yet largely impressive performance.
The Power of Intel’s Core Ultra 7: Efficiency and Performance
The Intel Core Ultra 7 258V chip, part of Intel’s “Lunar Lake” family, is touted as the most efficient chip Intel has ever produced. Testing the Zenbook S14 equipped with this chip, the battery life clocked in at an impressive 16 hours and 20 minutes on a single charge. This was achieved under regular office and home usage, with brightness settings adjusting to ambient light and heavy multi-tasking drawing on power. For comparison, the AMD Ryzen AI-powered Zenbook S16 offered around 14 hours of battery life under similar conditions, making Intel’s chip a notable contender in terms of energy efficiency.
However, Intel’s competitors have also delivered impressive results. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite chip in the HP Elite Ultra G1q offered a staggering 25-hour battery life when used consistently over three days. On the other hand, Asus’s VivoBook S15—one of the first devices powered by Qualcomm’s chip—only managed 13 hours. While display size and technology play a role in these variances, Asus’ reliance on OLED screens ensures consistency in display quality across models.
Display and Build Quality: A Visual Treat
The Zenbook S14 is equipped with a 14-inch ‘Lumina’ OLED display, continuing Asus’s trend of offering vibrant, high-quality screens. The OLED technology provides deep blacks, vivid colors, and superior clarity, making it a pleasure for both casual media consumption and professional photo editing. The display is bright enough for outdoor usage, though reflections may still be noticeable in some conditions.
When it comes to build quality, the Zenbook S14 stands out with its unique blend of ceramic and aluminum, a combination Asus refers to as “Ceraluminum.” This gives the laptop a distinct and durable feel, setting it apart from the usual polycarbonate or all-metal designs commonly found in the market. However, some might argue that the design closely mirrors previous Zenbook models, like the Zenbook S16, making it harder to differentiate between Intel-powered devices and their AMD counterparts.
AI-Driven Performance: The Core Ultra 7 Experience
Performance-wise, the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V chip positions itself in the upper mid-range category. The laptop responds snappily, whether opening apps or switching between tasks, and while it is an improvement, it’s not drastically different from the previous generation of Intel chips. What sets the Core Ultra 7 apart is its AI-processing capability, with the chip capable of 47 TOPS (trillions of operations per second). While the full potential of on-device AI may not be immediately noticeable, it is expected to become more relevant as AI applications become more integrated into everyday computing.
Intel’s AI chip competes well against AMD and Qualcomm’s AI-driven solutions, and its seamless compatibility with a wide range of software gives it an edge over Qualcomm’s ARM architecture, which can sometimes face software compatibility challenges.
Future-Proof Specifications at a Competitive Price
Priced starting at ₹1,42,990, the Zenbook S14 fits squarely into the growing market of AI-enhanced PCs. The laptop comes with future-proof specifications, including 16GB of RAM, with an option to upgrade to 32GB, and a 512GB SSD (expandable to 1TB with the higher RAM configuration). These specs are more than enough for the average user and provide room for more demanding AI-based applications in the near future.
The AI PC Era: A New Standard in Computing
As Intel joins the AI PC race, consumers now have more options than ever when it comes to choosing between AI-powered laptops. However, the question remains: are users buying laptops today specifically for their AI capabilities? While AI may not be the primary factor for most consumers right now, the industry is shifting towards more AI-integrated experiences, particularly with Microsoft’s growing interest in bringing AI layers to Windows. As this trend continues, laptops like the Zenbook S14—powered by Intel’s Core Ultra 7—are well-positioned to meet the evolving needs of users in the AI-driven era.
