After years of battling to regain its edge in the ever-competitive semiconductor industry, Intel may have finally found its golden ticket with Lunar Lake. The latest in a series of bold innovations, this chipset could do more than just improve Intel’s fortunes—it could redefine the market for thin, ultra-light laptops. I’ve spent time with the Asus ZenBook S14, the first laptop to ship with Intel’s Lunar Lake Core Ultra 7 258V (Series 2) chipset, and it’s nothing short of a game-changer. Not only does this slim machine go toe-to-toe with Apple’s vaunted MacBook Air, but it also gives entry-level MacBook Pro models a run for their money.
What Is Intel Lunar Lake?
Lunar Lake represents Intel’s most significant architectural leap in years. At its core is an 8-core system on a chip (SoC) that combines four new E cores (efficiency cores) and updated P cores (performance cores). Clocking speeds from 2.2GHz to 4.8GHz, it’s designed to tackle everything from power-sipping background tasks to heavy lifting in demanding apps. The real magic, however, is Intel’s decision to pair these cores with the new ARC 140V iGPU and 32GB LPDDR5x-8533 RAM—the kind of memory configuration that wouldn’t look out of place on Apple’s M-series chips.
One of the standout features of Lunar Lake is its stunning efficiency. With the RAM on the SoC, there is a massive saving of up to 100 millivolts of power, promising dramatically lower power consumption and improved battery life. This isn’t just theoretical—Intel claims real-world improvements that make significant differences in day-to-day use. On the downside, the RAM is soldered directly onto the motherboard, meaning you can’t upgrade beyond 32GB—a limitation for power users, though there’s a 16GB version for lighter use.
The chipset also brings a neural engine capable of 47 TOPs of compute, designed for advanced AI applications such as Microsoft’s Co-Pilot+ PC. And while it supports Thunderbolt 4 and PCIe5 SSDs, it’s the total compute capacity of 120 TOPs that really stands out. Intel’s manufacturing process, using Foveros stacked packaging technology and TSMC’s 3nm node, underscores the company’s commitment to innovation.
But it doesn’t stop there. The P cores now use Intel’s new Lion Cove design, supplanting the older Redwood cores, while the E cores are based on Skymount, replacing the Crestwood cores from Meteor Lake. Perhaps most surprisingly, none of the eight cores use HyperThreading—Intel’s hallmark technology for over two decades. Despite this, the Lion Cove cores deliver a 14 percent IPC improvement, and the Skymont E cores come in with a stunning 68 percent boost in IPC. Combine this with 8 Xe2 architecture cores running at 1,950MHz on the ARC 140V iGPU, plus support for DirectX 12 Ultimate and Intel graphics upscaling, and you have a machine that’s not just efficient—it’s a powerhouse.
An Efficiency War—And Intel is Ready to Fight
Intel’s focus on power efficiency in Lunar Lake is more than just a marketing slogan. With a base power target of 17W and a turbo boost pushing it to 37W, the Asus ZenBook S14 shows that Intel means business in the efficiency race. In testing, the ZenBook S14 proved to be both a powerful and practical machine, delivering impressive battery life while maintaining performance under pressure.
When compared to Apple’s M-series processors and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite, Intel’s Lunar Lake puts up a strong fight, particularly in single-threaded performance and battery efficiency. Apple may have led the charge in creating thin, fanless designs with incredible battery life, but Intel isn’t far behind. The ZenBook S14 does have a fan, but it’s virtually silent—and in exchange, you get a massive leap in integrated graphics performance, enough to rival the gaming experience of a PS5 or Xbox Series X.
The secret sauce behind this performance is the intelligent distribution of tasks between the CPU, GPU, and NPU. Thanks to its 47 TOPs NPU, Lunar Lake optimises performance by offloading certain tasks from the CPU to the GPU or NPU, improving efficiency while delivering a snappier experience across the board. Whether you’re gaming, video editing, or just running multiple applications, the load is evenly distributed to keep everything running smoothly.
During my testing, I played graphically demanding games like Cricket 2024, Forza Horizon 5, and Control via Microsoft Xbox Game Pass without a hitch. The games were on high settings and managed to maintain relatively good frame rates. Everyday tasks, like juggling more than 30 tabs in Microsoft Edge alongside Google Docs, YouTube, WhatsApp, and Zoom, were handled effortlessly. Even light video editing in Adobe Premier Pro was fast and responsive, and editing photos for an upcoming review on the iPhone 16 Pro Max was an absolute breeze.
Challenging the MacBook Air—And Winning?
When it comes to daily performance and usability, the Asus ZenBook S14 powered by Lunar Lake gives the MacBook Air a serious challenge. Where Apple’s MacBooks fall short, especially in gaming and app compatibility, Intel’s new system excels. With the MacBook’s reliance on ARM architecture, gaming is almost an afterthought, particularly as most AAA titles are still built for x86 architecture (used by both AMD and Intel). Meanwhile, Lunar Lake-powered devices run games natively with no need for emulation, putting them leagues ahead.
Moreover, Lunar Lake doesn’t suffer from the app compatibility issues that have plagued Qualcomm-powered Windows devices. Apps run natively on x86 architecture, eliminating the performance drop-offs common in devices that rely on emulation. For users who want the best of both worlds—strong gaming performance and excellent app compatibility—Lunar Lake is the clear winner. However, Meteor Lake still holds an edge in multi-threaded performance tasks like video rendering, though Lunar Lake is not far behind.
Intel’s Arrow Lake – The Future of Performance
While Lunar Lake is an exceptional performer, Arrow Lake—Intel’s upcoming release—promises even more power, poised to replace Meteor Lake. For those who need a machine that can handle more demanding, multi-threaded workloads, Arrow Lake will be the next big thing. But if you’re looking for a performant, ultra-light notebook today, make sure it’s equipped with one of the Lunar Lake chipsets—either the Core Ultra 7 258V, Core Ultra 5, or Core Ultra 9, depending on your performance needs.
A MacBook Air Killer?
The Asus ZenBook S14 is certainly poised to disrupt the MacBook Air market. Its 14-inch 3K 120Hz OLED touch panel, sourced from Samsung, is far superior to the MacBook Air’s non-touch, lower-resolution display. And at just 1.12 cm thick and weighing barely 1.2kg, it’s as portable as it is powerful. In fact, lighter and thinner than a MacBook Air. The speakers, while decent, don’t quite reach the level of Apple’s famed audio systems, but they’re more than serviceable for everyday use.
The ZenBook S14 is also well-equipped with ports, featuring HDMI, two USB Type-C ports that double as Thunderbolt 4 ports with 67W fast charging, and a USB Type-A port. The chiclet keyboard is responsive and comfortable for long typing sessions, though the keys could use a bit more firmness. The trackpad is large and supports all of Windows’ gestures, though it doesn’t match the fluidity of Apple’s legendary touchpads.
In the end, Lunar Lake represents a turning point for Intel, and notebooks like the Asus ZenBook S14 show just how competitive Intel can be when it plays to its strengths. With Arrow Lake on the horizon and Intel’s new approach to chip design in full swing, MacBook Air could finally have a serious rival—one that’s lighter, faster, and more versatile. It also comes with a 1080p web camera, which is functional at best. However, its video conferencing capabilities will be enhanced when the Co-Pilot+ PC functions are added to its toolkit after a forthcoming Windows update.
For those seeking a high-performance, lightweight machine that offers more than just a sleek design, the Asus ZenBook S14 powered by Lunar Lake should be top of the list. The MacBook Air finally has competition that can match, if not outpace, its signature appeal.
