It’s not going to blow you away, and it won’t blow you away either. Battery life is acceptable, and the port configuration appears to be well thought out. Take the time to make it attractive, adding a user-friendly keyboard and a fingerprint scanner to the touchpad, and you’ll have a laptop that appears to have cost a lot of money.
Given the Intel Core i3-1005G1 processor that drives the Vivobook 15, it’s not difficult to understand why the laptop isn’t a powerhouse.
There aren’t any huge storyline twists or surprises in store because to the 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage that are accessible, aside from the lack of an A-list supporting cast.
Because of its 3.4GHz CPU speed and two processing cores, this laptop is capable of running any application available in the Microsoft app store.
Typical computer tasks like as internet browsing, web design, and word processing may be completed without difficulty on this laptop.
Because the Windows 10 Home operating system in S mode is optimised for the programmes, the laptop is likely to live up to its claims in terms of performance.
Even while S mode is a terrific starting point, it may not be the ideal choice if you want to push your abilities to their limits.
The Aesthetics of the Entire Situation
The well-groomed and well-textured construction of this laptop is beautifully complemented by its subtle style, which adds to the overall impression of excellent quality. The outside colour of this home is either slate grey or a transparent silver finish, and the deck is designed in a similar manner with a few additional touches to match.
Its plastic frame gives this laptop the same sturdy feel and appearance as a metal frame, despite its lighter weight and more compact dimensions. In addition to weighing just 3.75 pounds, which makes it a strong candidate in the field of lightweight 15.6-inch laptops, its small shape emphasises the device’s flexibility even further.
While there is considerable flex in the laptop’s frame, the hinge has not been worn down or creaked as a consequence of the pressure applied to it. Regarding the hinge, which Asus refers to as ErgoLift, its function and attitude are both characterised as “drop-leaf gorgeous,” according to the manufacturer.
When the lid is gently dropped behind the keyboard, the keyboard deck is raised slightly above the undercarriage surface at a height that recedes downwards from the hinge at the 3.5mm point when the lid is flipped using this hinge.
Due in part to the increased height of the keyboard, there is adequate space for the speakers’ bottom-firing ports to deliver their sound, as well as for a more comfortable typing experience overall.
Ports and connections are important.
This is unusual for a laptop in this price range, as the bulk of the ports are positioned on the right side of the notebook.
The USB ports include the USB 3.1 Type-A, USB 3.1 Type-C, and USB 2.0 ports, as well as the USB 3.0 port. Despite the fact that there is a headphone jack, an HDMI output, as well as microSD card slots and USB ports, the lineup is not very impressive.
Because the USB Type-C connector does not have a Thunderbolt port or a charging port, it is a poor alternative for the Thunderbolt port that is now absent.
For wireless connections, a Gigabit Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) connection as well as Bluetooth are given as options.
Input devices and a keyboard are included.With its well-designed keyboard and input assembly, this laptop provides a comfortable typing and navigation experience for its users.
With the exception of the height and spacing of the numeric pad, the remainder of the keys on the keyboard are in perfect working order.
Each key has three levels of lighting, as well as an ErgoLift-activated uplift that gives the impression of more depth to the key travel. The keys are spread out in a chiclet arrangement for easy access.
In addition, the touchpad is located in a handy area on the screen. Caresses and tickling with a fingertip elicit immediate responses. Almost all of the movements in Windows 10 are recognised and implemented in a blink of an eye.
The fact that a fingerprint scanner is nestled discreetly in the top left corner of the touchpad is the most impressive feature. Windows Hello provides users with rapid and secure access to their devices.
Audio
It is possible to expect rich, dramatic sound from the VivoBook 15 when the company’s SonicMaster audio software is installed on the laptop.
When you switch on the bottom-firing speakers and crank up the volume, it’s easy to see that this laptop’s stick is a little shorter than typical.
When played at low volumes, the bass is scarcely heard and may be ignored by the listener.However, what the music lacks in raw strength, it more than makes up for in nuances that become more apparent the longer you listen to it.
Regardless of the volume setting, the ranges are clearly heard to the letter, and there is no distortion or noise present.
Display
When you consider that this laptop’s screen is 15.6 inches in diagonal width, it may be a spectacle in more ways than one, both in the widest and most particular definitions of the word.
The clarity of the display and the average brightness of 257 nits, on the other hand, are not the most stunning elements of this gadget.
The lack of colour accuracy and consistency throughout the full screen is a testament to the Full High Definition resolution (1,920 by 1,080 pixels).
Because of the limited number of viewing angles available, watching from an angle other than the centre of the screen will result in fading colours and loss of clarity.
The colour gamut coverage is significantly worse, with only 58 percent of the sRGB range and less than 40 percent of the Adobe RBG range being represented.
Consequently, this laptop will not be found on the desks of creative employees, whose work is strongly reliant on the precision and constancy of colour.
The screen-to-body ratio of 88 percent on the 15.6-inch screen may appeal to individuals who like to consume content rather than produce it, as shown in the video below.
As an added bonus, the NanoEdge surround bezels will give spectators with more viewing room, which is a welcome addition.
Gaming and graphics technology are two examples of this.
Because it is dependent on Intel’s integrated graphics processor, the UHD graphics card, the Vivobook 15 does not have adequate graphic capacity for its size.
When you put this graphics card through its paces, you’ll find yourself hitting a brick wall at every step.
Although this graphics card boasted an impressive 8GB of RAM, our expectations were crushed by its weak CPU, which is the true culprit in this case
While this laptop is capable of doing basic picture editing and graphics design tasks, it is not recommended if you do not require a lot of 3D rendering, such as for architecture or broad colour coverage.
While this laptop is capable of more than simply photo editing and playing the latest games, the 15-inch model is difficult to recommend if you’re seeking for something that can do more.
For games to function well on this laptop, you will have to limit yourself to titles that operate at a frame rate of less than 60 frames per second and at the lowest graphical settings imaginable.
Because most AAA and other high-end titles are likely to be excluded from your list, you may instead opt for games that are less taxing on your resources.
Battery
The battery life of this laptop isn’t much to write home about, but it also doesn’t disappoint.If you use this laptop for typical computing for 8 hours and 24 minutes, you’ll receive a minimum of 8 hours of battery life.
Using this laptop for business or pleasure comes with a small degree of certainty, owing to its energy-efficient Intel CPU and its ability to charge up to 60% of its battery capacity in just 49 minutes, according to the manufacturer.
Noise pollution, as well as cooling. This laptop is kept running smoothly and cool at all times thanks to a copper heat pipe and a huge fan installed by Asus.
As a result, even when subjected to extended and intensive periods of computing work, this laptop never actually warms up to the point where it becomes uncomfortable.
The fans are the source of the problem, since they are engaged at the slightest provocation, even from minor workloads. While they are spinning, there is almost never any noise or interruption.
In other words, the fan noise produced by this laptop is not a problem. A scattering of hotspots over the screen or keyboard deck that only appears during intensive operations such as multiple tab online browsing and high-resolution video streaming would also not be cause for concern.
Conclusion
The Asus VivoBook 15 is an excellent laptop in terms of value for money, but its 15.6-inch screen is a glaring disappointment in comparison. The Asus VivoBook 17 sports a 17.3-inch screen, which makes it a preferable alternative to the MacBook Pro.
In addition, the audio quality is only poor at best, and the build is not particularly attractive. When it comes to high-intensity computer activities, the processor’s processing capacity will not be sufficient to keep up with the demands.
But if your pockets do not have deep linings and you are content with a laptop that can perform the very minimum tasks correctly, then this laptop will be beneficial to you in this situation.
Additionally, you will benefit from an uninterrupted internet connection as well as work sessions that are not interrupted by lag time.
At its current price and performance levels, the Vivobook 15.6″ appears to be more of a good value than a remarkable steal or a coup.