If budget is a top priority, the ASUS Zenbook 14 offers good value and decent performance for everyday tasks and some light creative work. However, the LG Ultra 13, while more expensive, typically boasts better portability due to its lighter design, longer battery life for all-day use without charging, and potentially higher screen quality, which is important for tasks requiring color accuracy. If you perform resource-intensive tasks like 3D modeling, machine learning, or gaming, neither may be optimal as both are likely tailored towards general use and portability over high performance in these areas. Consider your primary activities; if they're general purpose, the ASUS may suffice, but if you prize longevity and display quality in a highly portable package, the LG could be worth the additional investment. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the ASUS Zenbook 14
Good for engineering and design
Very good overall display quality
Good speakers
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the LG Ultra 13
Excellent portability
Very good battery life
Key differences
Engineering and Design
7.2/10
6.6/10
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.7/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS Zenbook 14 is good for engineering and design, while the LG Ultra 13 is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Screen Quality
8.3/10
6.9/10
14.0in
SIZE
13.3in
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
90Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
339.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has a better screen than the LG Ultra 13 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has an impressive screen resolution and brightness which, along with its panel type, offers crisp and vibrant visuals making it ideal for everyday tasks and professional design work where clarity and color accuracy are vital. It stands out for engineering and design use with its superior color gamut coverage, ensuring that designers and engineers see true-to-life colors. However, for gaming and 3D, the Zenbook's lower refresh rate may result in less fluid motion, whereas gamers typically favor laptops with higher refresh rates for smoother gameplay.
Battery
8.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has 8 hours of battery life. The LG Ultra 13 has 10 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Portability
Very Good
Excellent
14.0in
SIZE
13.3in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
2.1 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The LG Ultra 13 has excellent portability, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$300
$529
$100
$200
$300
$400
$500
$600
$700
$800
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has a price of $300 and the LG Ultra 13 costs $529.
The LG Ultra 13 and ASUS Zenbook 14 are both good for general use.
The ASUS Zenbook 14, with its high-resolution OLED screen and decent processor, offers good visuals and performance but has less RAM and a heavier build, affecting its multitasking capabilities and portability compared to the LG Ultra 13, which, despite having a lower resolution IPS display, offers twice the RAM, a lighter design, and longer battery life, making it more efficient and convenient for carrying around and general use.
Gaming and AI
6.1/10
6.1/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
90Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The ASUS Zenbook 14 and LG Ultra 13 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The ASUS Zenbook 14 handles gaming and 3D tasks fairly with its integrated Intel Iris Xe Graphics and a screen that refreshes faster, while the LG Ultra 13 also manages adequately owing to its AMD Vega 7 Graphics but offers a slightly lesser screen refresh rate, both factors being very important for such tasks. Despite the CPU and screen quality being also crucial, both laptops come equipped with competent processors and high-quality displays, with the ASUS touting an OLED screen that could provide more vibrant colors and deeper blacks compared to the IPS screen on the LG, although this is not the primary factor for gaming performance.
Content Creation
7.3/10
7.2/10
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.7/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS Zenbook 14 and LG Ultra 13 are both good for content creation.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
7.2/10
7.2/10
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The LG Ultra 13 and ASUS Zenbook 14 are both good for software development.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Build Quality
7.8/10
7.4/10
The ASUS Zenbook 14 and LG Ultra 13 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the ASUS Zenbook 14 and the LG Ultra 13 compare to other laptops
"Users who travel frequently and are looking for a portable laptop are in the right place with the Asus ZenBook 14. The sleek case is extremely light (1.2 kg) and surprisingly thin (1.5 cm). Outdoor use is also enjoyable thanks to the bright Full HD display, which is something that can rarely be said about laptops with TN or IPS panels. The excellent battery life complements this as well. Longer trips are no problem with the ZenBook 14. Another plus point is the high-performance Ryzen 7 5700U, which often leaves the Intel competition in the dust thanks to its large number of cores."
"The 13.3-inch LG Gram is a fine fit if you need to travel as light as possible for as long as possible without spending a fortune to do it. It might not be particularly sturdy or have an eye-catching design and its webcam is less than ideal, but with its sharp touch display, comfortable backlit keyboard, responsive touchpad and a fingerprint reader for extra security, the Gram makes a respectible everyday laptop for business or school work."
Get a great deal on the ASUS Zenbook 14 or the LG Ultra 13
About ASUS
ASUS, a Taiwanese electronics brand, is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. The majority of their laptops are targeted towards personal use or gaming. Their most popular product lines include the budget-friendly VivoBook, more premium ZenBook, and their TUF and ROG gaming laptops, the latter of which has a reputation for excellent gaming performance.
About LG
LG is a South Korean conglomerate company. While LG is mainly known for various products outside of technology, LG also develops laptops. Within the laptop industry, they are known for their thin-and-light Gram series, as well as their value-oriented Ultra series. LG laptops offer very thin and light laptops with phenomenal battery life, and are often on sale.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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