Asus is famous for their MacBook-imitating notebooks, and the VivoBook S15 is one of those. The Asus VivoBook S15 is slim and lightweight, as well as affordable (for its specs). While the ZenBooks are more expensive due to the fact that they are more powerful and are wonderfully crafted, the VivoBooks are marked by their ultra-portability and slightly lower performing hardware than the elder ZenBooks.
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Let’s dive in to know more about the Asus VivoBook S15 notebook, shall we?
Design
The Asus VivoBook S15 is a great-looking laptop with a faux premium look. The aluminum lid is the only metallic part of the chassis as every other place is made of plastic.
While this laptop isn’t the best in terms of overall design and build, it, however, looks durable. Weighing 1.7Kg, the VivoBook S15 is slightly heavier than the average 14-inch laptop – which is one of its highlights. The S15 has a footprint of 361.4 x 243.5 mm and a height of 17.9 mm.
The two halves of the S15 are held together by a single long and robust hinge. This ensures that opening the laptop with only one hand will not be a problem.
Display
A 15.6-inch IPS screen adorns the S15. The display resolution is 1920 x 1080 pixels; thanks to the matte coating and wide viewing angles, the display is still visible from the sides. However, the brightness levels aren’t so good on this panel making it a bit difficult for outdoor use.
In addition, the Asus VivoBook S15’s display has a high contrast ratio which is great for an LCD panel but the color reproduction is around average or below.
Keyboard and Touchpad
Moving on, we take a look at the S15’s keyboard and touchpad. The S15 comes with a full-size island-style keyboard but with no Numpad. The spacing between keys is okay and typing will be a pleasing experience thanks to the good key travel. Interestingly, the keyboard has backlighting, something that is often missing in mid-range laptops.
The touchpad on the Asus VivoBook S15 is a good one, even though the surface is plastic. It doesn’t hinder gliding and has good precision and response. The ClickPad’s area is also sufficient as it can allow for up to four fingers at a time. Furthermore, there is a fingerprint sensor at the top right corner of the touchpad for secure login.
Performance
The Asus VivoBook S15 is a mid-range laptop as evident in the design as well as in its hardware components. This notebook houses a dual-core Intel Core i5 processor which is paired with 8 gigs of RAM and 256GB SSD. The Core i5 variant used here is a low-voltage one which is good for most everyday tasks. For improved performance, there is an Intel Core i7 variant of the S15.
For graphics, the S15 uses a dedicated Nvidia GeForce 940MX GPU (with 2GB of video RAM). While this may not be in the top-range of GPUs, it, however, delivers well. This hardware combination ensures that the Asus VivoBook S15 performs moderately well.
Battery Life
Underneath the hood of the VivoBook S15 is a 42Wh battery. Even though Asus claims that the battery can charge up to 60 percent in 49 minutes, the low-wattage battery translates to an average battery life. On the lowest settings, this notebook can take you through 8 hours or thereabouts. Interestingly, the battery can be replaced by the user as it is removable.
Ports and Connectivity
Asus has included a good number of ports on the VivoBook S15. The port selection on this notebook comprises one full-size HDMI port, an SD card reader, two USB 2.0 ports, one USB 3.0 port, one USB type-C port (no Thunderbolt 3 support), a Kensington Lock, and a headphone jack.
For wireless connections, there is Bluetooth 4.1 and single-band Wi-Fi.
Pricing and Availability
Pricing for the S15 starts at around $700 for the lowest model. The laptop is available for purchase on leading stores worldwide.
Specs at a Glance
| Screen Size | 15.6 inches |
| Display Resolution | 1920 x 1080 |
| CPU | Intel Core i5-7200 |
| Memory | 8GB DDR3 |
| Storage | 256GB SSD |
| Operating System | Windows 10 Home 64-bit |
| Dimensions | 361.4 x 243.5 x 17.9 mm |
| Weight | 1.7 kg |
Conclusion
The Asus VivoBook S15 is a mid-range laptop with mid-range specs and design. However, this doesn’t mean that the notebook isn’t a performer; it has a dedicated graphics chip and a seventh-generation Intel Core i5 CPU.
Other highlights include the backlit keyboard, slimness, and ultra-portability of the laptop despite being a 15-inch device.
All in all, the Asus VivoBook S15 is a good deal for anyone seeking a laptop with good performance without having to break the bank.
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