Last year, Asus debuted its 16-inch Zenbook to great acclaim. When I reviewed the Zenbook S 16, I awarded it top marks for all but heat, crowning it as one of the best ultrabooks of the year so far. With the Zenbook S 14, Asus has shifted from Team Red (AMD) to Team Blue (Intel), addressed the heat issue, and once again delivered one of the best premium Windows ultrabooks available today.

The Zenbook S 14 shares a lot of DNA with its larger sibling. It’s clear that they’re both from the same product line as, aesthetically, the only difference is the S 14’s smaller screen. This, in my opinion, is a wholesale win because this year's Zenbooks have been some of the best-looking laptops to release in years. There are a number of changes under the hood, however, that make this a compelling option and, at least in one core way, a significant upgrade over the AMD-bearing S 16.

Starting with the fit and finish, Asus really deserves kudos for the new direction it went with the new Zenbook series. The S 14 has the same Ceraluminum lid as the S 16 and it's just as striking as before. This new lid is a composite of ceramic and aluminum alloy and has a silky-smooth texture that's impressively resistant to fingerprints. It's criss-crossed with diagonal stripes that catch the light and gleam with their glossy finish. It's elegant, eye-catching, and unique, allowing it to stand out from the masses of other gray, black, and silver productivity laptops.