ASUS ExpertBook 14" P5405CSA-DH54 Misty Grey 2024

The ASUS ExpertBook P5405 is a lightweight business laptop with a standout 144Hz display and a killer port selection that puts most ultrabooks to shame. Performance is solid for office work, but the integrated graphics mean gaming is a no-go. Pricing is all over the map, so don't pay more than $1,000 for it. If you need a travel-friendly Windows machine with a fantastic screen and every port you could ask for, this is a top contender.

The Intel Core Ultra 5 226V is a capable chip for everyday work, landing in the 61st percentile for CPUs. That puts it firmly in 'solid' territory. It won't set any records, but it handles the basics without breaking a sweat. You can run a dozen browser tabs, a few Office apps, and a video call simultaneously without feeling like you're waiting on the machine. The integrated Arc graphics are a step up from Intel's older integrated solutions, sitting in the 65th percentile. That means it can handle some light creative work and even very casual gaming at lower settings, but it's not going to replace a dedicated GPU.

The 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM is about average for this class of machine, ranking in the 68th percentile. It's enough for most professional workflows today, but it's soldered on, so you can't upgrade it later. The 512GB SSD is also middle of the pack at the 54th percentile. It's fast enough for quick boot times and app loading, but power users who hoard large files locally might find it a bit cramped. The real performance star here is the display. That 144Hz refresh rate on a high-res IPS panel makes everything feel more responsive, from cursor movements to window animations. It's a genuine quality-of-life upgrade you'll notice every single second you use the laptop.

The most obvious competitor is the Lenovo Legion Pro Series 7i Gen 10, but that's a very different beast. The Legion is a gaming laptop with a dedicated GPU that will absolutely smoke the ExpertBook in any graphics-intensive task. But it's also heavier, thicker, and likely has worse battery life. If you need gaming performance, the ASUS is the wrong tool for the job. The MSI Prestige PRE13EVOA2088 is a closer match as a thin-and-light productivity machine, but the ASUS pulls ahead with its superior port selection and that high-refresh display.

Then there's the Apple MacBook Pro M5 Pro. The MacBook will have dramatically better battery life and a faster, more efficient processor for creative workflows. But you're locked into macOS, and the port situation isn't as flexible. The Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro is another strong alternative with a fantastic OLED screen, but Samsung's software experience can be a bit heavy-handed for some. The ASUS carves out a niche by offering a no-nonsense Windows business laptop with a surprisingly fun display and a port for everything, without the bloat.

Pricing on this ExpertBook is a mess. We're seeing it listed everywhere from $980 to over $31,000, which is frankly ridiculous. The high-end listings are clearly errors or placeholder prices from third-party sellers hoping to catch someone asleep at the wheel. Ignore those completely. The real price for this configuration should be right around that $980 mark, and at that level, it's a pretty compelling deal for a business laptop with this kind of build quality and screen.

For under a grand, you're getting a premium-feeling aluminum chassis, a best-in-class port selection, and a display that punches well above its weight. Compared to something like a similarly-priced Lenovo ThinkPad, you're often trading a slightly better keyboard for a much better screen. Just make sure you're buying from a reputable seller and not getting scammed by a wildly inflated listing. If you see it for anything over $1,200, walk away. It's not that kind of machine.

The ASUS ExpertBook P5405 is a business laptop that's trying to do something a little different. It's not just another silver clamshell with a decent keyboard. You're getting a 14-inch, 2560x1600 display that refreshes at 144Hz, which is the kind of screen you'd normally find on a gaming machine, not a corporate workhorse. The idea is pretty compelling: a laptop that's sharp enough for spreadsheets and fast enough to make scrolling through long documents feel buttery smooth, all in a package that weighs just 1.3kg.

Under the hood, it's running one of Intel's new Core Ultra 5 chips with integrated Arc graphics. This isn't a machine built for rendering 3D models or playing the latest AAA games, and the scores back that up. But for the office multitasking, video calls, and the occasional bit of light photo editing it's aimed at, the combination of 16GB of RAM and that new processor should keep things snappy. The real standout on paper is the port selection, which lands in the 92nd percentile in our database. You get Thunderbolt, USB-C, USB-A, HDMI, and even an Ethernet jack, which is a rarity on a laptop this thin.

But here's where things get weird. The price range across vendors is all over the place, from a reasonable $980 to an absolutely absurd $31,997. That kind of spread suggests some sellers are either confused or hoping you are. We'll dig into what this thing is actually worth, but for now, just know that if you're paying anywhere near the high end of that range, you're getting taken for a ride. This is a solid mid-range business laptop, not a luxury item.

Anyone who needs serious graphical horsepower should skip this without a second thought. If you edit 4K video, work with 3D CAD software, or want to play any game released in the last few years at decent settings, the integrated Arc graphics will be a constant source of frustration. You'd be much happier with a Lenovo Legion Pro or even a creator-focused laptop with an RTX 4060.

You should also skip it if you're a power user who needs tons of local storage and RAM. The soldered 16GB of memory and single 512GB SSD are limiting. If you run multiple virtual machines or work with massive media libraries, a mobile workstation with upgradeable components is a better fit. And finally, if you're someone who relies on user reviews before buying, the complete lack of social proof for this specific model is a red flag. You'd essentially be an early adopter without a safety net.

For the road warrior who lives in spreadsheets, emails, and video calls, the ExpertBook P5405 is a fantastic choice at the right price. That 144Hz screen makes long workdays feel a little less tedious, and the lightweight build means you'll actually want to throw it in your bag. The port selection means you can leave the dongles at home, which is a genuine quality-of-life win. If you can find it for around $1,000, it's an easy recommendation for a no-fuss productivity machine.

But if your work involves any kind of 3D modeling, video editing, or you want to unwind with some games after hours, you need to look elsewhere. The integrated graphics are a hard limit. You'd be much better served by something like the Lenovo Legion Pro, or even a last-gen gaming laptop with a dedicated GPU. And if you're a student or someone who keeps a ton of files locally, the 512GB SSD might feel tight after a year or two. This is a purpose-built machine, and it excels at its purpose, but it's not a jack-of-all-trades.