Asus Vivobook S 15 review: A highly effective nonetheless drab Copilot Plus PC

The Asus Vivobook S 15 is one in every of over half a dozen PC computer makers that have joined Microsoft in launching the contemporary Copilot Plus PCs, all of which for the time being have Qualcomm Snapdragon X processors. They designate a serious shift in the kind of hardware that is in the marketplace in Windows laptops, nonetheless you wouldn’t know that from taking a stumble on at the Vivobook S 15. It’s a thoroughly venerable computer and, although graceful to expend, Asus’ decision to play it staunch makes the Vivobook more difficult to counsel.

Shopping for more alternate strategies? Verify out PCWorld’s roundup of the finest laptops accessible appropriate now.

Asus Vivobook S 15: Specs and capabilities

The star of the characterize right here is positively the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite processor. The Asus Vivobook S 15 I received for review had the Elite version, which is an give a boost to over the Snapdragon X Plus and brings two more processor cores. The Snapdragon is paired with 16GB of RAM and a 1TB solid negate force, which is smartly-liked for mid-fluctuate Windows laptops..

• CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite XE 78 100
• Memory: 16GB LPDDR5
• Graphics/GPU: Qualcomm Adreno
• Present: 15.6-lope 2880 x 1620 OLED with 120Hz refresh price and HDR
• Storage: 1TB PCIe Gen 4 solid negate force 
• Webcam: 1080p with twin-mic array and physical privateness shutter
• Connectivity: 2x USB-C 4, 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x 3.5mm combo audio, microSD card reader
• Networking: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
• Biometrics: Windows Hi there facial recognition
• Battery skill: 70 watt-hours
• Dimensions: 13.88 x 8.93 x 0.63 inches
• Weight: 3.13 kilos
• MSRP: $1,299.99

Pricing begins at $1,099 for the entry-level model with the Snapdragon X Plus and a 512GB solid negate force. The model that I examined, with the Snapdragon Elite and 1TB solid negate force, modified into once priced at $1,299. That’s not costly for a Windows PC with a Qualcomm processor (the least costly initiate up at $999).

Asus Vivobook S 15: Assemble and have quality

If someone from Asus with adjust over the company’s make reads this review, I’m begging you: please discover a brand contemporary make language that helps ASUS laptops stand out. I’ve reviewed laptops lengthy adequate to consider the company’s improbable “concentric circle” make, which always let me know I modified into once taking a stumble on at an Asus. When put next to that, the Asus Vivobook S 15 is as bland as oatmeal.

The Asus Vivobook S 15 is a competent entry into the Copilot Plus PC enviornment, nonetheless one that struggles to face out from the decisions.

My complaints diagram the total manner down to the necessary facets. When closed, the computer’s silver aluminum physique has basically the most generic stumble on and texture that that you simply would possibly maybe furthermore have confidence. When opened, the computer is published to have the identical texture and stumble on internal, and a bland silver keyboard (which, as is smartly-liked for such keyboards, doesn’t slightly match the luster and hue of the computer’s physique) stretches out all around the interior. Frustratingly, I to find it even much less distinctive than different Asus Vivobook and Zenbook laptops that I’ve reviewed over the previous couple of years.

Alternatively, the Vivobook S 15’s have quality chalks up a acquire. It’s a skinny and gentle computer, weighing perfect 3.13 kilos and measuring handiest 0.63 inches thick. Despite that, it feels rigid when picked up, and even the characterize lid permits handiest a splash of flex when opened. The Vivobook S 15 is noticeably more rigid than a smartly-liked LG Gram or Acer Swift computer, which would be slightly lighter nonetheless roughly equal in girth.

Asus Vivobook S 15: Keyboard, trackpad

The Asus Vivobook S 15 has a super keyboard with a quantity pad. The handiest keys which are noticeably smaller than smartly-liked are the amount pad keys, which would be slim, nonetheless that’s smartly-liked for a 15 or 16-lope computer that gains a quantity pad. The quantity pad keys dwell huge adequate to expend easily. A white keyboard backlight is long-established, too, and by default activates routinely when the keyboard is in expend.

Key if truth be told feel is solid nonetheless not special. Every key activates with perfect key plod and a definitive circulate that has some clicky tactile if truth be told feel. It’s not noteworthy different than the keyboards on designate-aggressive laptops, nonetheless I’ve most of us will to find it glad to expend for hours on extinguish.

The touchpad measures about 5 inches broad and slightly of more than three inches deep, which is total for a computer of this size. Some opponents take care of the Dell XPS 16, Apple’s MacBook Pro, and Razer Blade are inclined to provide higher touchpads, nonetheless they’re more costly. 

The Vivobook’s touchpad is drastically offset to the left of the computer, although, to succor it centered under the spacebar. That would possibly maybe diagram the palm rest if truth be told feel minute on the left aspect of the computer, as my palm came to rest on the left fringe of the touchpad. Fortunately, I didn’t stumble on concerns with unintended inputs precipitated by my left palm grazing the touchpad, which felt responsive and proper the total time I common it.

Asus Vivobook S 15: Present, audio

Asus ships the Vivobook S 15 with a 15.6-lope OLED characterize that has a 16:9 aspect ratio and a choice of 2880 x 1620. It’s a first price characterize with few perks and quirks.

First, let’s focus on aspect ratio. The 16:9 aspect ratio is now abnormal amongst mid-fluctuate and excessive-extinguish Windows laptops. Many have moved to expend a 16:10 aspect ratio, which is slightly taller. Going relieve to 16:9 makes the characterize if truth be told feel minute when viewing net sites, documents, and different deliver material that’s vertically oriented.

That aside, the characterize is shapely in all of the solutions smartly-liked for an OLED panel. It benefits from an out of this world disagreement ratio that provides a life like sense of depth and immersion, as well to a huge and brilliant coloration gamut that helps deliver material hang your attention. Brightness, too, is solid.

HDR is a perk, as the characterize is VESA DisplayHDR Correct Sad 600 certified. That’s the next level certification than most opponents and provides HDR deliver material slightly more impact on this computer than on the Acer Swift Edge 16 and LG Gram 16.

The Vivobook S 15’s ship adequate quantity at their maximum and provide a crisp, certain midrange in most scenarios, although tune with a heavy bass line can motive some noticeable distortion. External speakers are aloof a colossal give a boost to, nonetheless the computer’s audio is candy for a skinny and gentle Windows computer.

Asus Vivobook S 15: Webcam, microphone, biometrics

Every Asus Vivobook S 15 has a 1080p webcam with a maximum framerate of 30 frames per 2nd. The camera has a huge field of stumble on—that would furthermore be perfect or unfriendly, reckoning on the manner you prefer to desire to expend it—and acceptable mutter quality. The camera picks up a transparent mutter with perfect coloration reproduction nonetheless will aloof stumble on quite snug and grainy, especially in a dimly lit room. Alternatively, it’s more than usable for most video calls, and a lot more and a lot better than the 720p webcams that have been total about a years in the past.

The twin-microphone array is ideally fitted for video calls. It picked up perfect quantity and presented my instruct clearly. Background noise modified into once drastically decreased, too: honest about none of the noises in my room, including a fan and low-quantity tune, made it into the recording. 

As a Copilot Plus PC, the Vivobook S 15 benefits from AI-pushed studio results and noise cancellation. It’s going to even caption and translate video on-the-soar. These capabilities are accessible on different Copilot Plus PCs nonetheless, for the reason that Vivobook S 15 is amongst the much less costly Copilot Plus PCs, it’s an reasonable manner to access them.

Biometric login is supported, too, although Windows Hi there facial recognition. The characteristic is easy to space up and works in a huge diversity of lights prerequisites. A fingerprint reader isn’t included.

Asus Vivobook S 15: Connectivity

The Asus Vivobook S 15 has a first price combination of forward-taking a stumble on and legacy connectivity. It comprises two USB-C 4 ports, both of which toughen DisplayPort Alternate Mode and USB Energy Provide, which implies the USB-C ports would possibly maybe furthermore be common to join to an external characterize or to price the computer. The computer furthermore ships with a USB-C charger that delivers as much as 90 watts of energy.

The computer furthermore has two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports, so it’s straightforward to join a wired keyboard and mouse. Extra ports include an HDMI 2.1 port, a 3.5mm combo audio jack, and a microSD card reader. This provides adequate ports to accommodate both contemporary devices, most of which would be going to expend USB-C, and older devices that aloof rely on USB-A. The handiest port missing is Ethernet.

Most users will forgive that, nonetheless, since the computer’s wi-fi connectivity is incredible. It supports Wi-Fi 7, which is mainly the most contemporary and quickest Wi-Fi long-established accessible, and Bluetooth 5.4, which all over again is the latest version of that long-established. The Vivobook S 15’s wi-fi connectivity is future-proof: it’ll likely be a decade, or more, earlier than the computer’s wi-fi connectivity becomes gentle

Asus Vivobook S 15: Efficiency

The immoral Asus Vivobook S 15 has a Snapdragon X Plus chip with 10 processor cores, nonetheless the Vivbook S 15 I reviewed had an give a boost to to the Snapdragon X Elite with 12 processor cores. The chip furthermore has Qualcomm Adreno integrated graphics. It’s a succesful chip that would possibly maybe in total defeat Intel Core Extremely and AMD Ryzen processors, although not in every instance.

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First up is Geekbench 6, an synthetic processor benchmark. Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite posted very perfect multi-core rankings on this test. That’s since the Snapdragon X Elite has 12 processor cores, none of which would be “atmosphere friendly” or “low-energy” cores. Intel processors have better core counts, nonetheless in total have more “atmosphere friendly” cores than “performance” cores. AMD Ryzen processors don’t expend “atmosphere friendly” cores, nonetheless Ryzen cell chips max out at eight cores, four not as much as the Snapdragon X Elite.

The Asus Vivobook S 15 is slightly slower on this test than some opponents, nonetheless the adaptations are so diminutive they’re not going to matter in precise-world expend.

Cinebench R24, a intently multithreaded benchmark, furthermore posts very perfect results on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X hardware. Going for a total of 12 performance cores pays off in any workload that leans intently on multithreaded processor performance. You’d desire to head for an Intel chip from the company’s more energy-hungry lineup, take care of the Core i7-14700HX, to speed previous this consequence, and no computer with that processor will likely be as thin or gentle as the Asus Vivobook 15 S.

Now we slip on to 3D benchmarks with 3DMark Time See and Night Raid. These assessments are key. 3DMark Night Raid is Arm-native, which implies it’s optimized to walk effectively on Qualcomm chips (and others which expend the Arm instruction space). Time See isn’t Arm-native, nonetheless, so it runs thru Windows’ PRISM emulator.

The inequity is stark. Qualcomm’s Adreno seems to, in notion, characterize perfect as succesful as the finest Intel Arc and AMD Radeon integrated graphics solution—nonetheless that’s handiest perfect if a 3D sport or application has an Arm native version. Adreno’s 3D performance inevitably falls at the relieve of in apps not optimized for it.

That, as I only in the near previous investigated with an in-depth test of over a dozen games, is a query. Just a few Arm-native games exist, nonetheless Steam, GOG, and the Tale Video games Store don’t distribute Windows on Arm games but.

It’s worth remembering that the Vivobook S 15’s designate of $1,299 for the time being puts it in league with laptops that have discrete graphics take care of the Asus Vivobook 16X OLED and Acer Swift X 16. It’s something of an apples-to-oranges comparability, on story of those choices are heavier and have a ways shorter battery existence. Alternatively, it reveals that for individuals who desire to have perfect 3D graphics performance at a mid-fluctuate designate, the Vivobook S 15 isn’t for you.

Asus Vivobook S 15: Battery existence

A colossal 70 watt-hour battery is came all over in the Asus Vivobook S 15. That, paired with the atmosphere friendly Snapdragon X Elite processor, hints at prominent battery existence. The Vivobook S 15 doesn’t slightly hit that designate, although its battery existence is aloof solid.

The Vivobook S 15 continued roughly 15 and a half hours in our long-established battery test, which loops a 4K file of the short movie Tears of Steel. It’s a first price consequence although, as the graph reveals, it’s in direction of the lower extinguish of what we’ve experienced with contemporary Copilot Plus PCs that have Qualcomm Snapdragon X internal. 

Exact-world expend mirrored the battery test. The Vivobook S 15 sips battery, nonetheless much less so than some different laptops with Qualcomm hardware. Apple’s MacBooks with Apple Silicon can remaining longer, and a rare handful of Windows laptops with AMD Ryzen 8000-assortment chips are nearly as atmosphere friendly.

Asus Vivobook S 15: Conclusion

The Asus Vivobook S 15 is a competent entry into the Copilot Plus PC enviornment, nonetheless one that struggles to face out from the decisions. It delivers perfect performance, lengthy battery existence, and a nice combination of wired and wi-fi connectivity—nonetheless the identical is in total perfect of more than just a few Copilot Plus PCs. I’m furthermore not keen on Asus’ ho-hum make, which isn’t becoming for what’s going to have to be a flagship computer. The Vivobook S 15 is a first price decide for individuals who desire to have a skinny and gentle 15-lope machine, although, and defeats choices take care of the Acer Swift Edge 16 and LG Gram 16. 

Creator: Matthew S. Smith