The memory choice on these two ASUS Zenbook 14 laptops deserves more attention than their shared processor. The US UX3480QA-ZB/SE_S0A has 8 GB of onboard LPDDR5X memory, with a listed maximum of 8 GB. The US UX3480QA-ZB/SE_S0 has 16 GB of onboard LPDDR5X, with a maximum of 16 GB. There is no documented RAM expansion path to turn the smaller configuration into the larger one later. Before choosing, check the memory needs of the apps you intend to run together.
Both configurations list the Snapdragon X X1-26-100 and an NPU rated by the manufacturer at 45 TOPS. They also share 256 GB of SSD storage and a 60 Hz OLED display. Choosing 16 GB therefore changes physical memory capacity without adding file storage or a higher display refresh rate. The NPU rating is a stated capability, not measured throughput in an application.
What 16 GB makes possible
Copilot+ PC has hardware entry requirements beyond an NPU. The stated minimums include a compatible NPU capable of 40 TOPS, 16 GB of DDR5 or LPDDR5 RAM, and 256 GB of SSD or UFS storage; the supported processors include the Snapdragon X family. Against those requirements, the 8 GB configuration falls short on RAM. The 16 GB configuration meets the stated NPU, memory and storage gates.
That distinction matters if a particular Copilot+ feature is why you are buying. It does not establish that every such feature will be ready on the laptop you receive: the shipping Windows build is unknown here, and feature rollout on these exact devices has not been tested. Treat the hardware qualification as an entry requirement, then check the action you actually want to use.
The 8 GB model still has its NPU. Missing the Copilot+ RAM threshold does not rule out compatible local AI applications. Ordinary Copilot also remains subject to service and regional availability; the hardware alone provides no promise of access to a cloud service in China. Buyers whose apps fit within 8 GB and who do not depend on a Copilot+ feature can still consider the smaller configuration, provided they accept its fixed capacity.
Check the feature, language and location together
Click to Do illustrates why a feature name needs a closer look. Its intelligent text actions can summarize or rewrite selected text on the screen, but require a Copilot+ PC. Documented conditions include English as the default language, a selection of at least 10 words, and a Microsoft or Microsoft Entra account. These are conditions for using the feature, rather than a demonstration that it works on either exact configuration.
China has additional exclusions within Click to Do: Ask Copilot, Draft with Copilot in Word, Summarize, Create a bulleted list, Rewrite Formal and Rewrite Refine are unavailable there. This is a list of specific excluded actions, not a blanket exclusion of every Click to Do action. If one of those six is the reason for choosing 16 GB, meeting the hardware minimums does not remove the regional restriction.
The Agent in Settings has a separate trap for anyone equating language support with availability. It supports Simplified Chinese, yet its geographic availability excludes China, and it requires a Copilot+ PC. A supported interface language is therefore insufficient evidence that you can use the feature where you live.
Buy for capacity before the badge
Choose the 16 GB configuration when your usual combination of apps needs more memory, or when a specifically available Copilot+ action is important enough to determine the purchase. The gain is the larger fixed memory capacity and the stated hardware qualification. There are no exact-pair application, AI, thermal or battery measurements here to establish a speed, runtime or smoothness advantage. Results from another configuration cannot fill that gap.
Storage is a separate decision. Both versions ship with the same 256 GB capacity, and replacing storage would not add physical RAM or fix the 8 GB model's Copilot+ memory shortfall. Do not plan an SSD change as a way around the RAM limit; this comparison also establishes no replacement-drive compatibility or upgrade price.
These are two exact US reference configurations. A matching mainland China model, local availability and price, import cost and warranty coverage remain unverified. Before applying the comparison to an offer, confirm the exact model and memory specification, then the purchase and support terms for that market.
If your current laptop already has enough capacity and runs the apps you need, this comparison gives you no reason to replace it merely for an AI badge. For a new purchase, settle the memory requirement first, then verify any must-have AI action against its language, account, region and rollout conditions. That is the useful difference between buying 16 GB for a concrete need and buying it for an assumed benefit.