Table of Contents
- Specifications – Asus Zenbook 14 UX3480KA, AMD variant
- Design, build quality, ergonomics
- Keyboard, touchpad
- 14-inch OLED display
- Hardware and performance – AMD Ryzen AI, Krackan Point
- Noise, Heat, Connectivity, speakers, and others
- Battery life
- Price and availability- Asus Zenbook 14 UX3480, AMD variant
- Final thoughts- Asus Zenbook 14 UX3480KA review
We’re going over the AMD version of the 2026 Asus Zenbook 14 refresh in this review: the Asus Zenbook 14 UX3480KA series.
This is a new design for late-2026 and will most likely be offered on Zenbooks over the next 2 years or so. We’ve also discussed the Intel-based Zenbook 14 UX3480AA variant in this article.
The Zenbook 14 is Asus’s most popular lineup of portable mid-range notebooks, and is available in a multitude of configurations and color options. It offers mid-level hardware specs, good inputs and IO, an OLED display, and a big battery, all tucked inside a well-made chassis.
Down below in the review, we’ll discuss the particularities of this refreshed Zenbook 14 lineup, what has changed compared to the previous generations, as well as what to expect from the AMD Krackan Point hardware inside this variant.
Specifications – Asus Zenbook 14 UX3480KA, AMD variant
Asus Zenbook 14 UX3480KA series, 2026 model
Screen
14 inch, OLED, 16:10 aspect ratio, non-touch, glossy,
2K 1920 x 1200 px, 60Hz refresh,
300-nits brightness, 100% DCI-P3 colors
2.8K 120Hz 500-nits panel available as well, either touch or non-touch
Processor
AMD Krackan Point (Ryzen AI 300 series)
Ryzen AI 7 345,
6 Cores (2x P Zen5, 4x E Zen5c)/12 Threads, up to 4.6 GHz
Video
AMD Radeon 840M iGPU,
4x RDNA3.5 Cores, up to 2.9 GHz
Memory
16 GB LPDDR5-8000 (soldered), up to 24 GB
Storage
512 GB M.2 NVMe SSD (Samsung PM91Cb) – single M.2 2280 slot
Connectivity
Wireless 6E (Mediatek MT7922), Bluetooth 5.3
Ports
left: 1x USB-C 4.0, 1x USB-C 3.2, 1x HDMI 2.1 TMDS, mic/headphone
right: 1x USB-A 3.2 gen2
Battery
70 Wh, 68W USB-C charger
50 Wh variant available on some configurations
Size
311 mm or 12.25” (w) x 216 mm or 8.50” (d) x 13.9 to 16.9 mm or 0.55” to .67″(h)
Weight
2.65 lbs (1.2 kg) for this OLED non-touchscreen variant
+ .18 (.4 lbs) for the USB-C charger and cables, US version
Extras
clamshell format with ~150-degree opening angle,
white backlit keyboard, 1.7 mm travel, glass touchpad,
2MPx FHD webcam with IR, no privacy shutter, no fingerprint sensor,
dual speakers,
single-fan single-radiator single-heat-pipe cooling module,
Zabriskie Beige, Komodo Coral (this review unit), or Arctic Blue colors
Design, build quality, ergonomics
This AMD variant is the exact same chassis as the Intel model discussed earlier, so head over to that article for all my indepth impressions on the design and ergonomics.
In fewer words, though, Asus is unifying their design and build between their Zenbook models, and that’s why this mainstream Zenbook 14 generation gets a Ceraluminum lid, and the more minimalist aesthetics that were initially introduced by the Zenbook A14 series, and then carried over to the Zenbook S14 earlier this year, and not onto the Zenbook 14 lineup.
Our model comes in the Komodo Coral color, which is a muted pink, but it will be offered in retail in the other two color variants as well: Arctic Blue and Zabriskie Beige, although the options will vary between regions.
Nonetheless, the laptop is well made and fairly sturdy, and feels nice to the touch. The lid is Ceraluminum with its distinct feel to the touch, while the interior and underside are anodized aluminum with a softer coating. I preffer the feel of this aluminum, but it’s not as tough as the ceramic coating on the lid. The whole thing weighs 1.2 kilos in this variant with a non-touch display and the larger 70 Wh battery. Some entry-level configurations might be offered with a 50 Wh battery, and those are lighter at around 1.1 kg.
Now, as far as the ergonomics go, this generation is friendlier on the wrists as the edges are no longer as sharply cut, and also hides smudges and fingerprints much easier than the black case of the previous AMD Zenbook 14 models. On the other hand, the screen no longer opens up flat to 180 degrees, which bothers me on an ultraportable design such as this one.
The IO hasn’t changed, but has been repositioned, as the ports are now mostly on the left edge, while previously they were placed on the right. I preffer having them on the left. There are USB-C 4.0 ports on this device, a full HDMI, a full USB-A, and an audio jack, so pretty much everything you’d expect on a mid-tier ultraportable.
So all in all, this Zenbook 14 2026 iteration is a minimally refined chassis with friendlier edges and corners all around, a more lively color scheme, and a slightly smaller footprint. However, the screen no longer opens flat on this generation. Here’s how the 2026 Zenbook 14 UX3480KA (in pink) looks next to the previous-gen Zenbook 14 UM3406GA (in black) model.
Furthermore, if you’re interested in how this Zenbook 14 refresh looks next to Asus’s Zenbook S14 premium-tier variant or next to the popular MacBook Air 13, you’ll find some pictures in this article.
Keyboard, touchpad
The inputs have been slightly refined for this 2026 Zenbook 14 refresh.
The keyboard is the same standard Zenbook/Vivobook layout, with the smaller directional keys and the power button integrated as a key, but not in the top-right corner, which is reserved for Delete. However, the keys have more ample travel on this iteration, at 1.7 mm, compared to 1.4 mm of the past. And having used these new Zenbooks for a few weeks, these keys are also a little quieter.
The typing experience isn’t different in any notable way. The previous Zenbook 14s were among my favorite typers in this space, and this generation should be about as good for most people. Personally, though, I preffer shallower keyboards on my laptops; hence, it took me a while to get my accuracy in check with this implementation. I even preferred the much shallower keyboard on the ExpertBook A7 that I tested alongside this Zenbook.
I’ll also mention that these keys color match the laptop’s pink chassis, but not to the point, as they are a little darker. That’s actually a good thing, as it helps the contrast from the white backlighting. The LEDs are fairly dim even on their brightest settings, but fine overall for night use. However, a fair bit of light shines out from underneath the keycaps.
Finally, the illumination times out when not used and is brought back to life with a swipe over the touchpad, as on most other Zenbooks and modern laptops of this age.
The touchpad is larger on this generation, with almost no border at the top towards the keyboard and a smaller bezel towards the front lip as well. Palm rejection works fine, at least, but I run into ghost swipes and fake touches from my clothes when using this on the lap.
Furthermore, this surface seems to be made of plastic, and it smudges easily even on this pink color. Surprisingly, it shows finger oil much more easily than the matte glass touchpad of the previous generation.
I’ll also mention that this no longer integrates the NumberPad functionality of the past few Zenbook iterations.
As for biometrics, there’s no finger sensor, but the camera at the top supports IR.
14-inch OLED display
This Zenbook 14 series has a 14-inch 16:10 display, with OLED panels available in touch or non-touch versions.
Our unit is the non-touch variant of the 2K OLED panel. The touch option is also offered and includes an extra glass layer over the panel and a digitizer layer that adds grain, the screen door effect common to touch OLEDs. There’s no grain on this non-touch implementation.
Now, this is an OLED panel with deep blacks and solid contrast, as well as beautiful colors with wide-gamut coverage. However, this panel is dimmer than most other OLED options out there, including the 2K variants implemented on the previous Zenbooks. This tops at about 300 nits, while previous-gen OLEDs go up to 400 nits. Given the glossy finish, the low brightness makes this pretty much unusable in strong-light conditions.
Here’s what we got in our tests, with an X-Rite i1 Display Pro sensor:
- Panel HardwareID: Samsung SDC4210 (ATNA40KW01-0);
- Coverage: 100% sRGB, 92.5% Adobe RGB, 100% DCI-P3;
- Type: 2K 1920 x 1200 px, 8-bit, 60 Hz;
- Measured gamma: 2.17;
- Max brightness in the middle of the screen: 291.22 cd/m2 on power;
- Min brightness in the middle of the screen:
- Contrast at max brightness: 1:1;
- White point: 6400 K;
- Black on max brightness: 0 cd/m2;
- PWM: Yes, to be discussed.
This panel also uses PWM at all brightness levels, including at the maximum setting, and at a roughly 500 kHz frequency that makes the flickering noticeable to human eyes. I’m generally not flicker-sensitive, but I found this display tiresome on my eyes, and that rarely happened to me with any other notebooks. The DC dimming brightness adjustment option in the MyAsus app doesn’t help here, since the panel still uses low-frequency PWM at maximum brightness.
Hence, this 2K OLED can be a deal-breaker here, especially if you’re sensitive to flickering and/or plan on using this laptop in brighter spaces, such as bright office/class environments or outdoors.
It’s important to mention that unlike on the Intel-based Zenbook 14 UX3480AA variant, the 2.8K 120Hz 500-nits panel option is not offered for this Zenbook 14 UX3480KA series. That’s a pity, as that is a much better display overall.
Hardware and performance – AMD Ryzen AI, Krackan Point
Our test model is a top-specced configuration of this 2026 Asus Zenbook 14 series, code name UX3480KA, with an AMD Ryzen AI 7 345 processor and AMD Radeon 840M integrated graphics, 16 GB of LPDDR5x-8000 memory, and a middling 512 GB gen4 SSD.
Disclaimer: This is a review unit offered by Asus. The laptop is tested with the software available as of late October 2026 (BIOS 303, MyAsus 4.0.81.0, AMD Adrenalin 26.10.1). This is mature software, so little can change in future updates.
Spec-wise, this series is based on AMD Krackan Point hardware platform, with Ryzen AI 300 processors and Radeon integrated graphics.
The CPU on this review unit is the Ryzen AI 7 345, a hybrid design with 6 Cores (2x Zen5 Performance and 4x Zen5c Efficiency) and 12 Threads. This is a 2025 platform and not the latest Gorgon Point Ryzen AI 7 445, which Asus offer on the Zenbook 14 UX3406GA variant this year, but overall that shouldn’t be a concern, since Gorgon Point is merely a minor refresh for Krackan Point. Furthermore, Asus push up to 40W of sustained power into this hardware, allowing it to perform very well even with heavier use, as we’ll discuss in a bit.
The iGPU is the Radeon 840M with 4x RDNA cores, a lower-tier performer by today’s standards across all available platforms.
Configurations built on a Ryzen AI 5 330 are also available, which is a slower processor with 4 Cores (1x Zen5, 3x Zen5c) and an even slower Radeon 820M iGPU with 2x RDNA cores. I would have expected perhaps some upper-tier configurations to match what Asus offered on the 2024/2025 Zenboo4 14 variants at the time, such as perhaps some Gorgon Point 450 or 465 chips, but we’re far from those specs and capabilities with this generation.
The RAM is onboard, with 16 GB of LPDDR5X-800 on this unit. Configurations with either 8, 16, or 24 GB of RAM are available in retail.
For storage, Asus opted for a mid-range PCIe gen4 Samsung PM91Cb drive here. Not the fastest, especially with sustained transfers, where the speeds dropped a fair bit in our tests. That didn’t happen with the Kioxia drive implemented in the Intel model.
The SSD and the WiFi chip are upgradeable, although the WiFi is not an M.2 format. The SSD is an M.2 2280 standard size. 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, and the bottom-right screw is a retaining pop-up screw that makes the whole process easier than on past 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 three performance/thermal profiles to choose from:
- Performance – 40W sustained TDP in CPU loads, 35-40W sustained in mixed use, with ~40 dBA fan noise at head level;
- Standard – 35W sustained TDP in CPU loads, 28W sustained in mixed use, with ~35 dBA fan noise at head level;
- Whisper – further limits the CPU at ~17-22W, with fan noise of sub 30 dBA.
The power levels are higher on this AMD variant than on the Intel configuration, while the fan-noise levels are about the same. Nonetheless, I’d still use Standard mode all the time, both for casual use and heavier loads, as we’ll explain in a bit.
But first, here are some logs with daily chores such as streaming video, editing text, or browsing the web.
Productivity Performance and Benchmarks
On to more demanding loads, we start by testing the CPU’s performance in the Cinebench R15 loop test.
On Performance mode, the Ryzen AI 7 345 processor runs at 40W sustained, with temperatures in the mid to high-70s °C and fan levels of 40 dBA. The Cinebench scores average about 1700 points.
Compared to the previous Zenbook 14 generation built on the Ryzen AI 7 445 platform, this unit runs at higher power (40W here vs. 28W on the previous gen) and scores about 100 points higher. Thermals are about the same, though, despite the higher TDP.
On Standard, the fan doesn’t go over 35 dBA, and the power stabilizes at 35W, with temperatures in the high 60s °C. The scores are about on par with Performance mode, which means the platform doesn’t quite need more than 35W of power to run at full blast. Hence, Standard mode is perfectly adequate for sustained CPU loads on this device.
Then, Whisper mode keeps the fan even quieter at sub 30 dBA, but the TDP drops towards 20W and under. The scores average about 1450 points, which is about 90% of Performance mode. The AMD platform scales very well even at this lower power level.
Finally, our sample performed very well on battery, stabilizing at 40W of power in Performance mode. That’s on par with the plugged-in Performance profile.
To put these in perspective, here’s how this Ryzen AI 7 345 implementation fares against other hardware platforms available in current and past-generation thin and light laptops.
This is faster than the Intel platforms available in this space, either the latest Panther Lake Core Ultra 7 355 or the previous-gen Lunar Lake 200V. However, Intel Core H implementations score north of 2200 points, so they are potentially 25-30% faster in this sort of load. Snapdragon and Apple implementations are significantly faster as well.
Nonetheless, this AMD platform is a fair performer in this sort of device, and the way it scales down in power on the Standard and Whisper modes make it especially interesting for general use and heavier multitasking with reduced fan noise.
We then went ahead and further verified our findings with the more taxing Cinebench R23 loop test and in Blender. We measured somewhat lower sustained power levels in these longer-duration loads: 35W for Performance, 28W for Standard, and under 20W for Whisper mode. These are on par with other Zenbooks tested over the years, and cause a slight performance difference when dropping to the Standard profile, which wasn’t noticeable in the shorter Cinebench R15 loop test.
We then ran the 3DMark CPU profile test.
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 passes the test both when kept flat on the desk or when raised on a stand. More on that in the gaming section.
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 on Performance mode (35-40W sustained TDP) and the screen set at its default 2K resolution.
Here’s what we got.
- 3DMark 13 –CPU profile: max – 5569, 16 – 5507, 8 – 5149, 4 – 3527, 2 – 2113, 1 – 1068;
- 3DMark 13 – Fire Strike: 4314 (Graphics – 4881, Physics – 21323, Combined – 1407);
- 3DMark 13 – Solar Bay: 5109;
- 3DMark 13 – Steel Nomad Light: 1223;
- 3DMark 13 – Time Spy: 1560 (Graphics – 1372, CPU – 6988);
- 3DMark 13 – FSR: FSR 2 Off – 3.88 fps, FSR 2 On – 7.70 fps, 98.6% performance difference.
- Uniengine Superposition – 1080p Extreme: 784;
- Uniengine Superposition – 1080p Medium: 3043;
- Aida64 Extreme, memory test: -;
- PCMark 10: 7534 (Essentials – 10056, Productivity – 14127, Digital Content Creation – 8116);
- GeekBench 6.6.0: Multi-core: 10032, Single-Core: 2600;
- GeekBench 7.1.0: Multi-core: 10285, Single-Core: 2327;
- GeekBench AI 1.7.0 (ONNX, CPU): Single: 1527, Multi: 2618, Quantized: 6095;
- Cinebench R15 (best run): CPU 1688 cb, CPU Single Core 274 cb;
- Cinebench R23: CPU 12057 pts (best run), CPU 10939 pts (10 min loop test), CPU Single Core 1834 pts (best run);
- Cinebench 2024: CPU 607 (10 min run), CPU Single Core 105 pts;
- Cinebench 2026: CPU multiple threads: 2561 (10 min run), CPU single thread: 435 pts.
And here are some work-related benchmarks, on the same Performance profile:
- Blender 5.1.2 – Classroom scene – CPU Compute: 7m 47s;
- SPECviewperf 2020 – 3DSMax 07: -;
- SPECviewperf 2020 – Catia 06: 26.32;
- SPECviewperf 2020 – Creo 03: 41.36;
- SPECviewperf 2020 – Energy 03: 11.66;
- SPECviewperf 2020 – Maya 06: 79.86;
- SPECviewperf 2020 – Medical 03: 22.29;
- SPECviewperf 2020 – SNX 04: 82.06;
- SPECviewperf 2020 – Solidworks 07: 43.00;
This is a rather unbalanced platform, fairly capable on the CPU side, but not competitive on the GPU end. That means this is fine for general use, multitasking, and streaming, but not an ideal choice if you care about playing games and editing video content on this sort of device.
On the CPU side, this is about 20% faster than the Intel Panther Lake Core Ultra 7 355 in multi-threaded tests, and at the same time about 20% slower than a Panther Lake Core Ultra 7/9 300H model (Ultra 7 356H, Ultra 9 386H) or an older-gen Arrow Lake Ultra 7/9 200H implemented in 2024/2025 generation of the Zenbook 14 UX3405 series. It’s also 10-20% slower than the Ryzen AI 7 350 platform implemented in the 2025 Zenbook 14 UM3406 model, which was a similar Krackan Point platform, but with extra CPU/GPU Cores.
On the GPU side, the Radeon 840M scores even lower here than on the Ryzen AI 7 445 implementation tested a while ago, and is about half the performance of even the Intel Panther Lake iGPU in the Ultra 7 355 Zenbook 14.
All in all, this generation of the AMD Zenbook 14 is no longer the powerhouse that it used to be in previous years. Things would have looked way differently with a Ryzen AI 9 465 inside.
Ryzen AI 7 345 vs. Ryzen AI 7 445, Panther Lake Core 7 355, Lunar Lake Core Ultra 7 258V
Here’s how this Ryzen AI 7 345 implementation compares against the Core Ultra 7 355 model and a few alternatives available in similar devices of this generation, as well as previous-gen iterations of the Zenbook 14 lineup.
This table better showcases what we discussed in the previous paragraphs.
Zenbook 14 UX3480,
Ryzen AI 7 345 + 840M,
35W Performance mode
Zenbook 14 UX3480,
Core Ultra 7 355 + Intel,
28W Performance mode
Zenbook S14 UX5406,
Core Ultra 9 386H + Intel,
28W Performance mode
Zenbook S14 UX5406,
Core Ultra 7 258V + Arc 140V,
24W Performance mode
Zenbook 14 UM3406,
Ryzen AI 7 445 + 840M,
28W Performance mode
3DMark – Fire Strike
4314 (G – 4881, P – 21323, C – 1407)
6469 (G – 7119, P – 22104, C – 2357)
6576 (G – 7195, P – 27882, C – 2356)
8993 (G – 9984, P – 21713, C – 3429)
5027 (G – 5350, P – 12169, C – 1937)
3DMark – Time Spy
1560 (Graphics – 1372, CPU – 6988)
3094 (Graphics – 2787, CPU – 8258)
3478 (Graphics – 3095, CPU – 11684)
4443 (Graphics – 4155, CPU – 7323)
1998 (Graphics – 1771, CPU – 7305)
Uniengine Superposition – 1080p Extreme
784
1577
1677
2108
835
CineBench R23 (best run)
12057 cb – multi core,
1834 cb – single core
10565 cb – multi core,
2015 cb – single core
16758 cb – multi core,
2045 cb – single core
9930 cb – multi core,
1855 cb – single core
11201 cb – multi core,
1831 cb – single core
Blender 5.1.2 – CPU, Classroom
7m 47s
8m 21s
6m 05s
–
8m 13s
SPECviewperf 2020 – 3DSMax:
–
15.84
18.67
23.69
27.45
SPECviewperf 2020 – Catia:
26.32
14.49
17.66
18.94
29.66
SPECviewperf 2020 – Maya:
79.86
85.10
89.91
98.87
85.51
Standard modes, quieter at 35dBA
Here’s how this laptop performs on Standard mode, with quieter fan noise of under 35 dBA and somewhat lower sustained power levels around 28W TDP:
- 3DMark 13 –CPU profile: max – 5390, 16 – 5347, 8 – 4919, 4 – 3422, 2 – 2071, 1 – 1059;
- 3DMark 13 – Fire Strike: 4307 (Graphics – 5089, Physics – 20998, Combined – 1288);
- 3DMark 13 – Time Spy: 1512 (Graphics – 1329, CPU – 6997);
- Uniengine Superposition – 1080p Extreme: 731;
- Blender 5.1.2 – Classroom scene – CPU Compute: 7m 55s;
These scores are 95+% of Performance mode, which makes this Standard mode the ideal profile to use on this Zenbook 14 AMD Ryzen AI 7 configuration, as it delivers roughly the same performance of the higher-tier profile, with quieter fan noise and lower thermals.
Gaming Performance
We also ran a couple of games on the Performance profile of this Ryzen AI 7 345 + Radeon 840M configuration, at FHD+ resolution, with Low/Lowest graphics settings. I added a few other platforms for comparison.
Low settings
Zenbook 14 2026,
Ryzen 7 345, 840M,
Perf – 35W, FHD+ 1200p
Zenbook 14 2026,
Ultra 7 355, Intel,
Perf – 28W, FHD+ 1200p
Zenbook S14 2026,
Ultra 9 386H, Intel,
Perf – 28W, FHD+ 1200p
Zenbook S14 2024,
Ultra 7 258V, Arc 140V,
Full – 28W, FHD+ 1200p
Zenbook 14 2026,
Ryzen 7 445, 840M,
Perf – 28W, FHD+ 1200p
Zenbook 14 2025,
Ultra 9 285H, Arc 140T,
Perf – 30W, FHD+ 1200p
Zenbook 14 2025,
Ryzen 7 350, 860M,
Perf – 28W, FHD+ 1200p
Cyberpunk 2077
(DX12, Low Preset)
18 fps (12 fps – 1% low)
27 fps (20 fps – 1% low)
24 fps (12 fps – 1% low)
–
–
–
–
Cyberpunk 2077
(DX12, Low Preset, XeSS/FSR, FG)
24 fps (16 fps – 1% low)
60 fps (28 fps – 1% low)
56 fps (26 fps – 1% low)
–
–
–
–
Far Cry 6
(DX11, Low Preset, TAA)
32 fps (26 f6s – 1% low)
42 fps (34 fps – 1% low)
46 fps (38 fps – 1% low)
52 fps (38 fps – 1% low)
36 fps (32 fps – 1% low)
52 fps (36 fps – 1% low)
50 fps (42 fps – 1% low)
Horizon Forbidden West
(DX12, Very Low Preset,
TAA, Upscale Off)
24 fps (16 fps – 1% low)
38 fps (30 fps – 1% low)
48 fps (40 fps – 1% low)
45 fps (32 fps – 1% low)
27 fps (18 fps – 1% low)
44 fps (30 fps – 1% low)
40 fps (30 fps – 1% low)
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (v4.04)
(DX 12, Low Preset, FXAA)
26 fps (20 fps – 1% low)
78 fps (62 fps – 1% low)
77 fps (53 fps – 1% low)
78 fps (56 fps – 1% low)
48 fps (32 fps – 1% low)
66 fps (54 fps – 1% low)
56 fps (40 fps – 1% low)
These results pretty much showcase the platform’s limited capabilities when it comes to gaming. Somehow, this performed even noticeably slower than the Ryzen AI 7 445 Zenbook 14 model tested earlier in the year, and is especialyl not a match for any of the Intel options that benefit from XeSS as well in most recent games. So don’t get this if you plan to run games on it, there are better options out there.
Here are some logs.
The GPU runs at its full capacity in both Performance and Standard modes, but the system allocates lower power to the CPU on Standard. That means the overall thermals are lower on Standard mode, despite the quieter fan. Here’s a summary of what to expect:
- Performance mode, raised off the desk: 35W system TDP, 2.8+ GHz GPU, 72-74 °C, 40 dBA fan noise;
- Performance mode, flat on the desk: 35W system TDP, 2.8+ GHz GPU, 80 °C, 40 dBA fan noise;
- Standard mode, raised off the desk: 28W system TDP, 2.8+ GHz GPU, 65 °C,
- Whisper mode, raised off the desk: 17W system TDP, 2.3+ GHz GPU, 55 °C,
The internals heat up when keeping the laptop flat on the desk, and Standard mode is the go ti profile even when running games.
Noise, Heat, Connectivity, speakers, and others
Asus went with a minimalist thermal module on this laptop, with a single fan, single radiator, and single heatpipe.
For comparison, here’s the cooling module on the Intel-based configuration of the same Zenbook 14 UX3480 series. It’s indentical.
And here’s the cooling on the previous-generation Zenbook 14 series, which implemented a longer heat pipe with an extra heatsink, but a smaller fan.
Nonetheless, this thermal module is adequate for this Krackan Point implementation, despite the hardware running at high power levels. The AMD Ryzen AI 7 CPU runs even cooler than the Intel Panther Lake Core Ultra 7 at similar power levels and fan settings.
As far as the noise levels go, expect 40 dBA on Performance, 35 dBA on Standard, and sub 30 dBA on Whisper mode. This 2026 model is slightly quieter on the Performance and Standard modes than the past Zenbook 14 iterations.
With light daily use, the fan stays mostly idle on all profiles, both when having the laptop plugged in or using it on battery power. It eventually kicks in with multitasking, but it still stays barely audible as long as you’re not setting the laptop to Performance mode.
As for external temperatures, the chassis stays cool with light use, with most areas under 30 °C. These are about on par with the Intel configuration. However, the warmer part on this AMD part is around the WER keys, so lower than on the Panther Lake model.
*Daily Use – streaming Netflix in EDGE for 30 minutes, Whisper Mode, fan at 0 dB
With demanding loads, the right half of the laptop runs warmer than the left, since this uses an asymmetrical cooling design with the hardware on one side and the fan on the other.
The hottest part around the QW and 12 keys doesn’t go over 40 degrees °C, which is a perfectly acceptable level for this sort of laptop. Overall, this AMD variant heats up a little more than the Intel variant on this Performance profile, but the overall chassis temperatures are actually a little lower on the Standard mode, which brings the two variants to an even playing field.
*Gaming – Performance mode – playing Witcher for 30 minutes, fan at ~40 dB
For connectivity, there’s Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 through a MediaTek module on this AMD variant, while the Intel model came with WiFi 7 out of the box. Nonetheless, I didn’t run into any hiccups with the connection during my weeks with this laptop.
Audio is handled by a set of dual speakers that fire through the cuts on the bottom of the chassis. These speakers are pretty beefy, so they offer punchy volume and decent sound quality. Overall, the audio on this update is a slight improvement over the previous Zenbook 14 generations.
Finally, there’s a 2MP camera placed at the top of the screen. It gets a wide-angle lens, but it’s still a rather lousy-looking camera overall. It lacks a physical privacy cover, but it supports IR for Windows Hello.
Battery life
This 2026 Asus Zenbook 14 refresh comes with a 70 Wh battery inside, fairly sized for a compact notebook, but slightly smaller than the 75 Wh battery in previous Zenbook 14 generations.
However, some of the base-tier configurations are offered with a smaller 50Wh battery, so double-check the battery size before buying.
Here’s what we got in our battery life tests, with the screen’s brightness set at around 120 nits (~70 brightness). I’ve also set the Windows 11 power mode to Best Power Efficiency.
- 3 W (20+ h of use) – idle, Whisper Mode, screen at 70%, Wi-Fi ON;
- 5-6 W (~12-14 h of use) – text editing in Google Drive, Whisper Mode, screen at 70%, Wi-Fi ON;
- 4 W (15+ h of use) – 1080p fullscreen video on Youtube in Edge, Whisper Mode, screen at 70%, Wi-Fi ON;
- 4 W (15+ h of use) – Netflix fullscreen in Edge, Whisper Mode, screen at 70%, Wi-Fi ON;
- 5-8 W (~9-14 h of use) – browsing in Edge, Standard Mode, screen at 70%, Wi-Fi ON;
- 40 W (~1.5 h of use) – Gaming – Witcher 3, Performance Mode, screen at 70%, Wi-Fi ON.
Excellent runtimes overall, and on par with the Panther Lake Core 7 355 configuration of this same laptop tested earlier. The 2K display has a role in these results, of course.
For comparison, here are our battery life results on the Panther Lake Zenbook 14 variant.
- 2 W (30+ h of use) – idle, Whisper Mode, screen at 10%, Wi-Fi ON;
- 5-6 W (~12-14 h of use) – text editing in Google Drive, Whisper Mode, screen at 70%, Wi-Fi ON;
- 4 W (15+ h of use) – 1080p fullscreen video on Youtube in Edge, Whisper Mode, screen at 70%, Wi-Fi ON;
- 4 W (15+ h of use) – Netflix fullscreen in Edge, Whisper Mode, screen at 70%, Wi-Fi ON;
- 6-8 W (~9-12 h of use) – browsing in Edge, Standard Mode, screen at 70%, Wi-Fi ON;
- 40 W (~1.5 h of use) – Gaming – Witcher 3, Performance Mode, screen at 70%, Wi-Fi ON.
The laptop ships with a 68W USB-C charger, a compact format with a non-detachable cable. However, you’ll most likely get the laptop without a charger in the EU region, so you’ll have to buy one separately.
Price and availability- Asus Zenbook 14 UX3480, AMD variant
At the time of this article, this Asus Zenbook 14 UX3480KA series is available in some regions, but not yet everywhere.
Follow this link for updated prices and configurations in your area.
Over here in Europe, the reviewed unit with the AMD Ryzen AI 7 345 specs, 16 GB of RAM, 512 GB SSD, and the 2K display retails for around 1300 MSRP in Germany and 1200 GBP in the UK. I couldn’t find it in the US, though, at least for now.
For comparison, this AMD unit is generally about 100 EUR/GBP cheaper than the Intel Panther Lake Core Ultra 7 355 variant with similar RAM/SSD specs. That’s not quite enough to justify getting it today.
However, what you can get in some regions is the Ryzen AI 9 465 configuration of the Zenbook 14 UM3406GA, available for around 1000 USD in the US at the time of this article. That’s a far more interesting option at that level, but it’s not that widely available in this part of the world (and not as competitively priced where available).
Follow this link for updated prices and configurations in your area. And follow this link for more details on the Zenbook 14 UM3406GA variant.
Final thoughts- Asus Zenbook 14 UX3480KA review
The Zenbook 14 UX3480 refines the previous Zenbook 14 UX3405 (Intel) and UM3406 (AMD) designs with cleaner aesthetics and a somewhat tougher build in a slightly more compact chassis. However, the differences in practicality and features are minor between generations, and I could even argue they are a step back in some aspects, particularly with the more limited screen opening angle, the dimmer OLED display, or the oversized touchpad, which is more prone to ghost touches in some instances.
Furthermore, this AMD model is offered with lower-tier specs and an entry-tier 2K OLED panel, with limited brightness and noticeable PWM flickering across the entire brightness range, including at max. For comparison, you could get the Intel model with more capable Intel Core Ultra 9 specs and the 2.8K 120HZ OLED panel, although the availability of these configurations is still rather limited.
All in all, at the current pricing levels, this AMD version of the Zenbook 14 UX3480KA is not that competitive. It comes at about 100 EUR less than a Panther Lake Core Ultra 7 355 model, and I’d rather get that Intel model at that level; that’s if you’re set on a Zenbook of this generation, of course.
I do expect both to drop in price over the next months, though, especially with the competition from arguably better-rounded devices available out there, such as the MacBook Air or the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7. In the past, Zenbooks had competitive pricing on their side, and that made them excellent-value offers in the mid-range ultrabook segment; right now, this refreshed UX3480 AMD variant needs to get that competitive pricing back on its side.
Anyway, that’s about it for now. Let me know what you think about this Zenbook 14 UM3406KA series down below in the comment section.
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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.