Apple - MacBook Air 13 M4 vs ASUS - Zenbook S 14 UX5406
Between the MacBook Air 13 M4 and Zenbook S 14 UX5406, the MacBook Air 13 M4 comes out ahead in cpu cores / claimed battery life, while the Zenbook S 14 UX5406 wins on storage / ram. Overall, the MacBook Air 13 M4 scores 52.8 and the Zenbook S 14 UX5406 scores 64.2 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The Zenbook S 14 UX5406 is the clear pick on raw spec strength, leading by 11.4 points on the Mars Score. The margin is wide enough that the underdog only makes sense if its individual strengths line up with what you specifically need.
Pick the MacBook Air 13 M4 if your top frustration with your current device is running out of charge before the day ends — endurance is the lead spec here. The biggest gaps in its favor are cpu cores, claimed battery life.
Pick the Zenbook S 14 UX5406 if the display is what you stare at all day — refresh rate, brightness, or sharpness is where the difference will be most visible. Its strongest claims are storage, ram, refresh rate, among others.
Both ship with comparable thunderbolt ports, backlit keyboard, so those specs do not separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the Zenbook S 14 UX5406 is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Why Apple - MacBook Air 13 M4 wins
- ▲CPU cores — 25.00% more. 10 vs 8.
- ▲Claimed battery life — 12.50% more. 18 h vs 16 h.
Why ASUS - Zenbook S 14 UX5406 wins
- ▲Storage — 300.00% more. 1024 GB vs 256 GB.
- ▲RAM — 100.00% more. 32 GB vs 16 GB.
- ▲Refresh rate — 100.00% more. 120 Hz vs 60 Hz.
- ▲Battery — 35.85% more. 72 Wh vs 53 Wh.
- ▲Screen size — 2.94% more. 14 " vs 13.6 ".
- ▲Panel type: OLED (vs IPS).
- ▲Weight — 0.04 kg less. 1.20 vs 1.24.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Apple - MacBook Air 13 M4 | ASUS - Zenbook S 14 UX5406 |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 1.24 kg | 1.20 kglead |
| Thickness | 11.3 mmlead | 11.9 mm |
| Build material | aluminum | ceraluminum |
| Backlit keyboard | true | true |
| Fingerprint reader | true | true |
Display
| Spec | Apple - MacBook Air 13 M4 | ASUS - Zenbook S 14 UX5406 |
|---|---|---|
| Screen sizeⓘ | 13.6 " | 14 "lead |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 60 Hz | 120 Hzlead |
| Panel typeⓘ | IPS | OLEDlead |
Performance
| Spec | Apple - MacBook Air 13 M4 | ASUS - Zenbook S 14 UX5406 |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Apple M4 | Intel Core Ultra 7 258V |
| CPU cores | 10lead | 8 |
| GPUⓘ | Apple M4 10-core GPU | Intel Arc 140V |
| RAMⓘ | 16 GB | 32 GBlead |
| Storageⓘ | 256 GB | 1024 GBlead |
| Storage typeⓘ | SSD | SSD |
Battery & Ports
| Spec | Apple - MacBook Air 13 M4 | ASUS - Zenbook S 14 UX5406 |
|---|---|---|
| Batteryⓘ | 53 Wh | 72 Whlead |
| Claimed battery life | 18 hlead | 16 h |
| USB-C ports | 2 | 2 |
| Thunderbolt portsⓘ | 2 | 2 |
| HDMI | false | truelead |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery life, MacBook Air 13 M4 or Zenbook S 14 UX5406?+
MacBook Air 13 M4 claims up to 18 hours — 18h vs 16h.
Which is lighter, MacBook Air 13 M4 or Zenbook S 14 UX5406?+
Zenbook S 14 UX5406 is lighter at 1.20 kg vs 1.24 kg.
Which has more RAM, MacBook Air 13 M4 or Zenbook S 14 UX5406?+
Zenbook S 14 UX5406 offers 32GB of RAM.
Which has an OLED display, MacBook Air 13 M4 or Zenbook S 14 UX5406?+
Zenbook S 14 UX5406 has an OLED display; MacBook Air 13 M4 uses IPS.
Spec-level deep dives
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