ASUS Vivobook S14 OLED M5406WA Review (Ryzen AI 9 HX Machine): Should You Buy It?

The ultrabook laptop segment has been booming recently, with several major players—Qualcomm, AMD, and Intel—competing to challenge Apple’s M-series chips. AMD is a key contender with its Ryzen AI 9 HX processor, which powers the newly launched ASUS Vivobook S14 OLED M5406WA. This CPU goes head-to-head with the Snapdragon X Elite, Intel’s Core Ultra 2, and even Apple’s M-series chips.

The Vivobook S14 features a stunning 14-inch 2880 × 1800 OLED display in a productivity-friendly 16:10 aspect ratio. Our review unit comes with 24 GB of LPDDR5X RAM clocked at 7500 MHz and a 512 GB NVMe SSD. Let’s dive in to see how it performs in everyday use, battery life, and where it stands against its competition.

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ASUS Vivobook S14 OLED M5406WA Review – Design and Build

The ASUS Vivobook S14 features a sleek silver finish, characteristic of the ASUS Vivobook S series, with the ASUS Vivobook branding logo at the back. It’s slim and lightweight, weighing just 1.3 kg and measuring 1.59 cm in thickness. The hinge allows for a 180-degree opening, though there is a slight wobble. However, this isn’t generally a major issue.

In terms of connectivity, the Vivobook S14 offers a good selection of ports. On the left side, you’ll find:

• 1x HDMI 2.1 port
• 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 port supporting DisplayPort and Power Delivery (PD) charging
• 1x Thunderbolt 4 USB-C port, also with DisplayPort and PD support
• 1x microSD card slot
• 1x 3.5mm audio combo jack

On the right side, the laptop features:

• 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports
• LED indicators

The device is equipped with Wi-Fi 6E, powered by a MediaTek card. However, I’ve experienced random disconnections where the Wi-Fi just refused to connect or even show available networks. The speeds were consistent with my usual Wi-Fi speeds, but the connectivity issues were noticeable.

The RAM is soldered, so it cannot be upgraded beyond the 24 GB offered. On the other hand, the laptop comes with a 512 GB SSD, which is replaceable. However, there is no additional SSD slot.

ASUS Vivobook S14 OLED M5406WA Review - Keyboard and Trackpad

The ASUS Vivobook S14 features a ten-keyless keyboard with good travel and nice feedback. However, the power button is within the keyboard, which I don’t like. The arrow keys are small, but at least they are uniform in size.

The keyboard is single-zone RGB backlit, configurable via the Settings app or the MyASUS app. The backlight can automatically adjust based on ambient light, with three brightness levels available.

Since this is a Copilot+ PC-certified device, it includes a Copilot key that replaces the right Ctrl key. I personally dislike this change, so I remapped the Copilot key to the Ctrl key using Microsoft Power Toys.

The trackpad is large and responsive, which I appreciate. I prefer tapping over clicking, so I don’t mind that the trackpad sinks into the chassis when clicked at the bottom. Additionally, you can click anywhere on the trackpad, although it’s not a glass trackpad.

ASUS Vivobook S14 OLED M5406WA Review – Display

The ASUS Vivobook S14 OLED features a 14-inch display that supports HDR. With a brightness of 400 Nits, the display performs adequately indoors, though it struggles in bright outdoor conditions. The HDR brightness is 600 Nits, which kicks in when viewing HDR content.

The 16:10 aspect ratio is ideal for productivity and multitasking. The display has 100% DCI-P3 color coverage and an adaptive refresh rate ranging from 48 to 120 Hz.

However, the display does exhibit low PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) flicker, ranging from 240 to 480 Hz depending on brightness levels. This is problematic if you’re like me, who is sensitive to flickering. 

On a positive note, the colors are vibrant and well-saturated, thanks to the OLED technology, which also ensures deep blacks and excellent contrast. The resolution of 2880 x 1800 on a 14” screen translates to a high PPI, resulting in sharp images and text.

The glossy screen is a problem due to reflections in brightly lit environments, though. You can customize color settings through the MyASUS app also. Overall, the display is great, but the low brightness and the PWM can be an issue if you use your laptop outdoors/if you are sensitive to flicker.

ASUS Vivobook S14 OLED M5406WA Review – Performance and Gaming

The ASUS Vivobook S14 OLED is positioned as a productivity-focused laptop with AI. It’s powered by the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX, which is an x86 CPU—so, no compatibility issues with apps. Now, let’s break down the core specs that power the S14:

• CPU: AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, based on a 4nm process
• TDP: 28W
• Cores: 12-core configuration (4 performance cores, 8 efficiency cores)
• Clock speeds: Max 5.1 GHz, Base 2 GHz
• Cache: 960 KB L1, 12 MB L2, 24 MB L3; 36 MB total 
• NPU: AMD XDNA NPU, capable of up to 50 TOPS
• GPU: AMD Radeon 890M 
• RAM: 24 GB quad-channel LPDDR5X, clocked at 7500 MHz
• Storage: 512 GB M.2 NVMe SSD

Synthetic Benchmarks

In the 3DMark CPU Profile test, the plugged-in scores showed a max thread score of 8682, 16 thread score of 7865, 8 thread score of 5990, 4 thread score of 3715, 2 thread score of 2051, and a single thread score of 1113.

When unplugged, scores dropped, with max thread at 7345, 16 thread at 6727, 8 thread at 4525, 4 thread at 3236, 2 thread at 1741, and single thread at 908.

In the storage benchmark, where the 512 GB SSD is a Samsung model, the plugged-in score was 1257, with an average bandwidth of 215.71 MB/s, while the unplugged score was 1014, with 171.74 MB/s bandwidth.

For the 3DMark Time Spy test, the plugged-in score was 3773, with a CPU score of 10090 and a graphics score of 3398. Unplugged, the overall score was 3630, with a CPU score of 10163 and a graphics score of 3261.

In the Wild Life Extreme Vulkan test, the plugged-in score was 6515, with an average FPS of 39.02. When unplugged, the score reached 6417, with an FPS of 38.43. In the Solar Bay test, the plugged-in score was 14126, while unplugged it was slightly lower at 13833.

For the Wild Life Extreme Stress test, the plugged-in stability was 90.8%, with a best loop score of 7224 and a worst loop score of 6558. Unplugged, the stability improved to 98.2%, with a lower best loop score of 6799, but a better worst loop score of 6678.

In Geekbench 6 CPU, the plugged-in single-core score was 2751, with a multi-core score of 14836. Unplugged, the single-core score was 2161, while multi-core reached 12272.

In Geekbench AI, single precision was 8115, half-precision was 11963, and quantized was 5700 when plugged in. Unplugged, single precision was 6481, half precision was 8895, and quantized was 4877.

In Geekbench 6 GPU tests, the plugged-in OpenCL score was 38411, and unplugged was 33140. For Vulkan, the plugged-in score was 41974, and unplugged was 40397.

Lastly, in Cinebench 2024, the plugged-in single-core score was 111, and the multi-core score was 997, while unplugged, the single-core was 88 and the multi-core was 995. Cinebench R23 scores showed 1780 single-core and 15003 multi-core when plugged in, with unplugged scores at 1919 single-core and 16872 multi-core.

Benchmark	Plugged In	Unplugged
3DMark CPU Profile	Max Thread: 8682, 16 Thread: 7865, 8 Thread: 5990, 4 Thread: 3715, 2 Thread: 2051, Single Thread: 1113	Max Thread: 7345, 16 Thread: 6727, 8 Thread: 4525, 4 Thread: 3236, 2 Thread: 1741, Single Thread: 908
Storage Benchmark Score	1257	1014
3DMark Time Spy	3773, CPU: 10090, Graphics: 3398	3630, CPU: 10163, Graphics: 3261
Wild Life Extreme	Score: 6515, Stability: 90.8%	Score: 6417, Stability: 98.2%
Geekbench 6 CPU	Single-Core: 2751, Multi-Core: 14836	Single-Core: 2161, Multi-Core: 12272
Geekbench AI	Single Precision: 8115, Half Precision: 11963, Quantized: 5700	Single Precision: 6481, Half Precision: 8895, Quantized: 4877
Geekbench 6 GPU	OpenCL: 38411, Vulkan: 41974	OpenCL: 33140, Vulkan: 40397
Cinebench 2024	Single-Core: 111, Multi-Core: 997	Single-Core: 88, Multi-Core: 995
Cinebench r23	Single-Core: 1488, Multi-Core: 13425	Single-Core: 1919, Multi-Core: 16872

When comparing the performance of the ASUS Vivobook S14 OLED between plugged-in and unplugged modes, there is a noticeable decline in scores across most benchmarks. However, this shouldn’t matter for day-to-day tasks. For more intense tasks, though, you will notice the difference.

vs. the Snapdragon X Elite 

Here’s a table comparing the benchmark results of the Ryzen AI 9 HX vs. the Snapdragon X Elite on the ASUS Vivobook S15 OLED (review).

Benchmark Test	Ryzen AI 9 HX	Snapdragon X Elite
Geekbench 6 CPU	Single-Core: 2751, Multi-Core: 14836	Single-Core: 2,451, Multi-Core: 14,250
Geekbench 6 GPU	OpenCL: 38,411, Vulkan: 41,974	OpenCL: 20,724, Vulkan: 23,720
3DMark Wild Life Extreme	6515	6,362
3DMark Solar Bay	14126	10,262

As you can see, the performance of the Ryzen AI 9 HX outshines the Snapdragon X Elite in most benchmarks. In practical applications, it should also prove to be more powerful, particularly in gaming. However, when it comes to efficiency, the Snapdragon X Elite likely has the advantage.

Gaming 

I also did some gaming on the ASUS Vivobook S14 OLED. In Cyberpunk 2077, at High settings, I achieved an average frame rate of 31.8 FPS at 1080p with FSR off. Lowering the settings to Medium boosted the performance to 39.63 FPS, and with the Low preset, I saw an average of 46.07 FPS.

In Hogwarts Legacy, the results were a bit lower, with 23.1 FPS at High settings, 37.2 FPS at Medium, and 41.3 FPS at Low.

For GTA V, the performance was impressive, delivering around 80 FPS at High settings, 170 FPS at Medium, and 180 FPS at Low settings. This significantly outperformed the Snapdragon X Elite, which only managed 39 FPS at High settings.

Overall, the performance is only good for casual gaming.

Game	FPS
Cyberpunk 2077	High: 31.8, Medium: 39.63, Low: 46.07
Hogwarts Legacy	High: 23.1, Medium: 37.2, Low: 41.3
GTA V	High: 80, Medium: 169, Low: 181

Thermals 

Regarding thermals, the laptop can get incredibly hot when pushed, especially during gaming. While the fans do activate, they don’t get too loud, so they shouldn’t disturb your gaming experience.

However, it’s better to use the laptop in a well-ventilated environment, as the device can become quite hot. Additionally, it’s best to avoid placing the laptop on your lap during extended gaming sessions.

In day-to-day usage, the laptop remains relatively cool, with no noticeable heating or fan noise.

ASUS Vivobook S14 OLED M5406WA Review – Battery Life and Charging

The ASUS Vivobook S14 OLED has a 75 Wh battery, which gave me a screen-on time of around 7 to 9 hours on a full charge, which is quite good for daily use. The idle drain is also manageable. However, this is slightly lower battery life compared to the Snapdragon X Elite, which lasted me around 10 to 13 hours.

The 75 Wh battery takes about 2 hours to fully charge using the included 90W adapter. However, the laptop uses an older style adapter, which I don’t like; I prefer a more modern Type-C to Type-C charging solution. I faced an issue where, when I connected the included adapter, the screen started to flicker abnormally. However, this was fixed with a restart.

ASUS Dual-Port 65W GaN Charger

ASUS also let us try their new dual-port 65W GaN charger, which can charge two devices simultaneously with a combined output of 65W. While this charger heats up during use, it delivers fast charging, taking around 2 hours and 20 minutes to charge the Vivobook.

This is slower compared to the standard 90W adapter, but it’s great for a Type-C to Type-C solution. The charger even comes with a 1.5-meter cable in the box. It supports PD charging, so it can also be used for smartphones and other Type-C devices.

The charger is very compact, and it doesn’t take up a lot of space. It’s also easy to carry around. However, the asking price of ₹4,999 is a bit steep, but it’s currently available for ₹2,799 on the ASUS e-store, so grab it while you can.

ASUS Vivobook S14 OLED M5406WA Review – Software

The ASUS Vivobook S14 runs on Windows 11, and the experience is very smooth with instant wake time. There’s the MyASUS app for managing your laptop’s functions, such as monitoring battery stats, CPU load, and memory usage, as well as customizing settings like color calibration and backlight. It comes with Microsoft Office, so you can start working right away.

It’s also got some useful features, such as Task First for task prioritization, Smart Connect for Wi-Fi management, and smart trackpad gestures for volume and brightness adjustment. However, some AI features, like the Recall feature, are currently unavailable. It has the Studio Effects and other features as well.

ASUS Vivobook S14 OLED M5406WA Review – Speakers and Webcam

The speakers on the ASUS Vivobook S14 are solid—not the best I’ve heard, but they perform well. The bass could be better, and the loudness is decent at best—it could be louder. The speakers are placed at the bottom, so that’s something to keep in mind. Oh, and the speakers are tuned by harman kardon.

The webcam on the S14 is a 2 MP camera, with average quality at best. It can record in 1080p, which is nice. Features include automatic framing, portrait light, eye light, background effects, and more. You can even scan QR codes if needed. There’s a physical shutter for the webcam, allowing you to turn it off when not in use.

Review Verdict: Should You Buy the ASUS Vivobook S14 OLED M5406WA?