Are 17 and 15.6 inches too big? Then a 14-inch laptop could be your mobile computer of choice. The comparison reveals which device suits your needs.
How big or small does the laptop have to be? A question that cannot be answered in general. Of course, a large screen is more comfortable to work with than a small one. But if you travel a lot, you quickly learn to appreciate the advantages of smaller laptops. A 17-inch laptop, for example, can hardly be used on the tiny wooden tables of an inter-city express.
In addition, smaller laptops are not only lighter and more manageable than their big brothers, but usually also have longer battery life. Logical, because the screen of a 14-incher consumes less power than that of a 17-incher – assuming the same resolution. But which 14-incher is best for your needs?
1. For work: Acer Swift 3 (SF314-511-53SN)
Well, that largely depends on what you need the laptop for. In 2022, at least four cores, 8 gigabytes (GB) of RAM, 256 GB of internal memory and a display with Full HD resolution will be part of the standard equipment of a laptop that costs around 550 euros.
You shell out a good 200 euros more for the Acer Swift 3. But it also offers future-proof 16 GB of RAM and a 512 large solid-state drive (SSD). Acer uses an Intel Core i5-1135G7 as the processor. The quad-core offers enough performance for the next few years.
In addition, its integrated graphics unit serves as an image accelerator in the laptop. If you want to edit pictures and videos (professionally) on the laptop, its performance is not sufficient. However, the processor and its graphics unit are sufficient for the Microsoft Office suite and private use.
2. 14-Zoll-Laptop: Honor MagicBook 14
You can get away with it a bit cheaper with the Honor MagicBook. Like the Acer SF314-511-53SN, its 14-inch display (35.56 centimeters) has a Full HD resolution. According to the manufacturer, the small laptop offers an impressive battery life of up to ten hours.
Like Acer, Honor uses the Intel Core i5 1135G7 for the processor. Unfortunately, its RAM is only half as large at 8 GB. The internal SSD, on the other hand, measures 512 gigabytes. Except for the RAM, the first two laptops are almost on a par. However, the Acer Swift 3 offers a Thunderbolt port. You miss that with the MagicBook 14.
As a reminder, Thunderbolt lets you charge the laptop while also connecting to a USB-C monitor. Ideal if you know it is at your home office.
3. Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (GA401QC-K2149T)
If you like to play a game on your laptop from time to time, you need a little more power than office workers. Unfortunately, you also have to dig deep into your pocket for this. The manufacturers won’t let you get away with it for less than 1000 euros, and if you want to enjoy gaming, it’s quickly 1500 euros and more that you have to shell out for a laptop.
This also applies to the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (GA401QM-HZ025T). Its display significantly distinguishes it from its competition: It offers a QHD resolution and with a refresh rate of 120 Hz (Hz). In addition, an Nvidia RTX 3050 works in it as a dedicated graphics card. It offers plenty of power to also calculate current game titles on the screen.
Asus uses the AMD Ryzen 7 5800HS for the processor. It has a total of eight cores, which are assisted by a total of 16 GB of RAM. The internal memory with 512 GB SSD is large enough for your favorite titles.
4. Lenovo IdeaPad 3i
With a Lenovo IdeaPad 3i you are significantly more frugal. It is the classic student and leisure laptop. This is mainly due to the Intel Core i3-1115G4 processor. Its two cores are sufficient for surfing the Internet or editing documents in Word and Excel, but nothing more. The tiny processor is accompanied by 8 GB of RAM, which is more than enough for the task of caching.
However, if you’re the type of person who backs up all the photos and videos on their laptop and doesn’t bother with an external hard drive, the IdeaPad 3i’s 256 GB internal storage might be a bit small. Be that as it may: The screen of the notebook also has a Full HD resolution. The device is always sufficient for the Sunday series marathon.
5. Lenovo Yoga Slim 7
Same manufacturer, different model: The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 is one of the more powerful business laptops with a 14-inch screen diagonal. As in the first two computers from Acer and Honor, Lenovo also relies on the Intel Core i5-1135G7 processor. The fact that the Lenevo Yoga Slim is slightly more expensive than the other two laptops with the same processor is probably due to its two Thunderbolt ports.
The Acer Swift 3 only offers one, the Honor MagicBook 14 none at all. As a reminder: Thunderbolt offers slightly higher data transfer rates than USB interfaces. For example, you can connect an external graphics card to the Thunderbolt interface. Otherwise, the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 is of course on par with the competition.
Its 512GB of internal storage isn’t great, but it’s enough for most office documents and a few photos. The main memory is in the middle with 8 GB. The same applies to the Full HD display. The infrared camera integrated in the webcam, which supports Windows Hello, is nice. The laptop recognizes your face and unlocks itself automatically. It’s hardly safer.
6. Asus VivoBook 14 D415UA-EK088T
The Asus VivoBook 14 D415UA-EK088T offers a really interesting mix of price and performance. The reason for this is its processor: Asus uses an AMD Ryzen 5 5500U here. The processor has a total of six cores and of course also offers an integrated graphics unit. Games are possible with it, but gamers should not expect many frames per second.
What makes the VivoBook special is its touchpad. If necessary, you can have a numpad (number block) mapped to it. Ideal for people who like to work with numbers a lot. Of course, the display of the 14-inch laptop also offers a Full HD resolution. A 512 GB SSD acts as internal storage and 8 GB of RAM assists the processor at work. Too bad: Unfortunately, the notebook does not have a Thunderbolt port.
7. Asus ZenBook 14 (UM425UA-KI156R)
Same manufacturer, different product range: VivoBook becomes ZenBook. To be more precise, the Asus ZenBook 14 (UM425UA-KI156R), in which an AMD Ryzen 5-5500U processor also does its job. Why the price is almost twice as high for the same size?
Well, compared to the VivoBook, Asus has given its ZenBook twice the amount of working memory. A total of 16 GB of RAM is available to the processor as temporary storage. Unfortunately, the 512 GB of internal storage is the same as that of the VivoBook. In addition, the ZenBook camera has an infrared sensor with face recognition function to unlock the PC. If required, the touchpad also displays a numeric keypad here.
Compared to the VivoBook, the ZenBook also offers one more USB-C port, which you can also use to share display signals and charge the laptop. The USB-C port on the VivoBook does not offer either. In addition, the ZenBook is about a kilogram lighter.
8. Huawei MateBook D 14
The Huawei MateBook D 14 is a 14-inch laptop from the slightly older generation. It still uses the Intel Core i5-10210U processor, which has been on the market since the end of 2019. In terms of price, however, the laptop is still in the upper midfield. You have to be careful here, because you can get current devices with newer processors for a similar price.
Otherwise, the MateBook D14 offers everything that a buyer could wish for from a 14-inch business: The integrated SSD memory is large enough at 512 GB to save a lot of documents on it. Unfortunately, Huawei only gives the laptop a USB-C port.
The 8 GB of RAM is okay and the display naturally has a Full HD resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels). Compared to the competition, Huawei does not use an infrared sensor in the camera as a biometric security. A fingerprint sensor is used in the MateBook 14.
9. Gigabyte U4 UD
Attention: The Gigabyte U4 UD is often sold without an operating system. An investment in the laptop only makes sense if you have a key for Windows 10 and know how to install the operating system from a bootable USB stick.
But then you get an extremely powerful 14-incher under 1000 euros, in which an Intel Core i7-1195G7 does its job. It has four cores that can clock up to a whopping 5 gigahertz in turbo mode. The processor is accompanied by 16 GB of RAM. Save photos, images and documents on the 512 GB SSD.
Nice: The laptop has a Thunderbolt 4 port. If you own a Wifi 6 router, the laptop is also a pleasure: the Gigabyte U4 UD tunes into the current radio standard without any problems.
10. Acer Aspire 1 (A114-61-S58J)
The conclusion is a particularly cheap and stylish laptop. The Acer Aspire 1 (A114-61-S58J) is wrapped in a high-gloss white robe and costs less than 300 euros. The reason for this is probably the unusual selection of the processor. Acer relies on a Qualcomm Snapdragon SC7180. Qualcomm is actually a manufacturer of smartphone and tablet processors. ARM processors work in the mobile minicomputers, which work with a different command structure than is the case with Intel and AMD processors.
They are still so-called x86 processors. ARM processor? Something rings. Right! Apple also relies on the newer command processing structure for its new iMacs and MacBooks with the M1 chip. But there is one problem: Many programs for Windows are optimized for the x86 command structure. Problems can still arise here.
Anyway, the Aspire 1 (A114-61-S58J) is a cute laptop for on the go. Its mini memory of 64 gigabytes is less suitable for working on it. The same applies to the RAM of 4 GB. You could also say that the device is a better smartphone in the guise of a 14-inch laptop. That’s enough for surfing and streaming. But nothing more. Unfortunately, the Aspire 1 (A114-61-S58J) does not offer an HDMI input. So you can’t connect it to the TV.
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