The ASUS Zenbook S 13 OLED is an ultra-thin, exceptionally light new productivity laptop. Sporting an Intel Core Ultra 7 Processor, 16GB PLDDR5X RAM and 1 TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD, the Zenbook S 13 OLED is a powerhouse with a sleek, compact form factor. Designed to be the lightest and thinnest Ultrabook, the Zenbook S 13 offers a lot in its 1kg package.
The Zenbook S 13 offers an elegant design. Measuring in at an impressive 1cm (with its thinnest point a mere 3.5mm), the S 13 still manages to feel quite sturdy when held in hand. These measurements are achieved by reducing the number of circuit boards needed while also increasing the number of wires per board. The result is an ultra-thin, great-looking laptop.
Despite its exceptionally thin profile, the Zenbook S 13 still manages to include some solid I/O options. Two Thunderbolt 4 ports with display and power support, along with an HDMI 2.1 port, are conveniently located on the left side of the base. On the right side, users have access to a single USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A port and a 2.3mm combo audio port.
Even more impressive is the inclusion of an FHD camera with IR functionality that still manages to sit at the top center of the incredibly thin bezel. With full support for Windows Hello, this 1080p camera can handle video relatively well, even in low light. The Zenbook S 13 also has a pair of Harman/Kardon speakers on the bottom of the base. They are impressively loud while still maintaining fairly clean audio. While the bass isn’t overly powerful, the overall audio levels and clarity are impressive.
The display is comprised of an exceptionally thin OLED panel that presents a bright, beautiful 3K (2880 x 1800) resolution. With a 60Hz refresh rate, video playback and productivity applications look great. Thanks to the 600nits peak brightness, images appear crisp and clear. This is further aided by the inclusion of HDR support as well as 1.07 billion colour capacity. When considering that the display is only 3.5mm thin, this is an exceptionally impressive feat of engineering.
The Zenbook S 13 includes full 180° hinge support. This allows the S 13 to lay completely flat while open. This feature ensures that the hinges aren’t over-stressed from excessive applied pressure, further increasing the longevity and durability of the ultrabook. This is one more way that ASUS is working to create a thin, light and durable laptop.
Another way this is being achieved is thanks to the Zenbook S 13’s inclusion of what ASUS calls plasma ceramic aluminum. An aluminum unique to ASUS, this material is designed for increased wear and tear as well as better thermal dissipation. While it doesn’t necessarily feel any different texturally, the Zenbook S 13 does feel surprisingly sturdy when holding the corner in one hand.
“The Zenbook S 13 includes full 180° hinge support, ensuring longevity and durability of the ultrabook.”
On the note of thermal dissipation, this was another area where the Zenbook S 13 stood out. Even while putting the system through several performance tests, the S 13 was whisper quiet. Despite the lack of fan operation, the passive heat dissipation was quite impressive. While the top center of the keyboard did become slightly warm to the touch, the overall casing temperature never felt hot to the touch.
As for performance, the inclusion of a Core Ultra 7 155U processor has no problem handling any productivity tasks thrown its way. In fact, with 12 cores, 14 threads, and the ability to boost up to 4.8 GHz, the Core Ultra 7 is an impressive powerhouse for this exceptionally thin laptop. Powered by Intel AI Boost NPU, the overall processing power is more than enough for productivity tasks.
In testing, the Zenbook S 13 handled everyday work tasks such as email, video streaming, and data processing with ease. Multi-tasking, likewise, was smooth, with no noticeable lag when swapping between applications. While no dedicated GPU means video editing isn’t ideal, the S 13 handled audio editing with Reaper exceptionally well. Even streaming in 4K was a beautiful experience thanks to both the processing power and OLED display.
On the note of streaming, the S 13 comes equipped with Wi-Fi 6E as well as Bluetooth 5.3. Connecting to and maintaining connection was not an issue with this latest Zenbook. The Wi-Fi range, likewise, is impressive with the Zenbook S 13 still managing to maintain a full signal strength at 70 ft away from the wireless modem.
While the Zenbook S 13 only supports standard Intel Graphics, it nonetheless handled lighter titles such as Ori, Dead Cell, Tunic and Quake 2 with ease. While you won’t be playing Cyberpunk 2077, the S 13 can easily handle lighter or older titles quite well.
“Designed to be the lightest and thinnest Ultrabook, the Zenbook S 13 offers a lot in its 1kg package.”
Battery life is another area where the Zenbook S 13 shines. The included 63WHrs battery is rated for 16 hrs of streaming. In testing, I found that it easily handled a workday with plenty of battery life to spar, getting me through a couple of days of work before charging. On that note, the S 13 includes fast charging thanks to the Type-C 56W AC Adapter, which has no problem bringing the laptop from 0 to 70% in about 50 minutes. This was exceptionally useful when tested at work, allowing me to easily charge at lunch after a couple of days of use without plugging it in.
As with all ASUS laptops, the S 13 comes packed with a host of useful software like MyASUS. From here, you can easily access many device settings, system stats and updates. The software is easy to use and navigate and helps the user accomplish tasks that would typically be buried in the OS settings. It’s one of the better system management software suites on the market.
The Zenbook S 13 OLED is an impressive piece of hardware. ASUS has developed one of the thinnest Ultrabooks in existence while still managing to offer a solid productivity machine. Its thin form factor doesn’t negate its durable build quality, and its specs and battery life allow it to keep up with your busy life with ease. If you’re in the market for a sleek, thin Ultrabook with lots of power to manage your busy work life, the Zenbook S 13 OLED is worth considering.
- The world’s thinnest ultraportable OLED laptop — 2.2 lb and 0.46”
- New AI-powered Intel Core Ultra series — Intel Core Ultra 7 Processor 155U 1.7 GHz (12MB Cache, up to 4.8 GHz, 12 cores, 14 Threads) and Intel Graphics. With 1TB SSD storage and 32GB LPDDR5x RAM, explore with more speed, more seamlessly.
