With the Asus ZenBook 14 UM431DA, buyers get a laptop with a great design and that is easy to transport for a comparatively low price. The case looks very high-quality, and various decorative elements give the impression of it being more expensive. Added to this there's the feature of the integrated number pad, which turned out to be a useful addition to the keyboard. The port configuration is solid, and while Wi-Fi 5 isn't a big leap, wireless connections are still fast and up-to-date.

The ZenBook 14 is a solid laptop with an appealing design. Unfortunately, it can only exploit the power of its CPU moderately.

However, prospective buyers should not limit themselves to this model with the Ryzen 7 3700U but can confidently reach for the next weaker CPU. Since the cooling system can only support full performance very briefly, the long-term performance is well below the expectations we set for this processor. Because the memory can't be upgraded, its size also needs to be taken into account in the determination of a suitable model before purchasing. If you're mostly interested in the design and bare numbers, and not necessarily in the actual performance, you can still buy this laptop without hesitation.