Are you in the market looking for a new computer? Well, below is a list of all the reason why you should go for the Asus VivoBook S15 S530UA, and also why you shouldn’t.
From the surface outlook, definitely this laptop’s design was inspired from its pricier sibling, the ZenBook S; for one, it features the Asus’ new ErgoLift hinge that angles the keyboard to give it a more comfortable typing experience. It also comes in several striking color schemes from a striking yellow to the gorgeous turquoise green.
No doubt this laptop is eye-catching with its design and color schemes. It is certainly a breath of fresh air from all the aluminum mold that has mostly been associated with ‘good-looking laptops.’ It comes in five colors: silver blue, star gray with red trim, star gray with yellow trim, gunmetal, and firmament green. Personally, I think the green color scheme is just the ‘bomb.’
Other than the color, the Asus VivoBook S15 comes with an ErgoLift; a new clever technology where the back of the keyboard tilts upwards at 3.5-degree angle. Making for a more comfortable typing experience compared to the conventional laptop keyboard design. The design also goes a long way in improving the machines audio quality and heat management.
Dimensions and Display size
The VivoBook S15 measures 14.2×9.6×0.7 inches. For a 15.6-inch laptop, it is certainly compact; resembling the compact design of the Lenovo Ideapad 530s, which is 14.1×9.6×0.6 inches.
The Display
For all its beautiful and wide color scheme for the body, it is disappointing that the Asus VivoBook S15 comes with a dull display. The 15.6-inched display has a 1080p resolution, though it is sharp and bright, it nonetheless disappoints in the color department. The display can product up to 68% of the serge color spectrum. The average standard for a laptop is 80%.
As for brightness, the average standard for a laptop is 242 nits, and the VivoBook easily tops that with 257 nits. That makes the laptop great for viewing when outdoors on sunny days.
Keyboard and Touchpad
Like mentioned before, its slightly raised keys at the back make for a comfortable typing experience. That is enhanced with the keys tactile feel and innovative elevated hinges; there won’t be those shallow key travel experiences as it has a 1-millimeter travel.
The keys are also well-spaced and with a decent size; though the number pad is somewhat slightly undersized. Yes, it is a full-keyboard laptop. The 3.5-degree tilts towards the back of the keyboard also make for a more natural rest for your wrist as you type.
The touchpad, coming in at 4.1×2.8 inches dimension, is quite spacious and is quick to respond to all the Windows 10 gestures. Scrolling through web pages and swiping to switch through opened windows is a breeze. The touchpad also has an embedded fingerprint scanner at the top right corner, making the laptop Windows Hello ready for fingerprint logins.
Ports
The Asus VivoBook S15 comes with more than enough ports for all your needs; all except the Thunderbolt 3 port. On the left side of the computer, you get two USB 2.0 ports and a microSD card slot. On this side there is also the LED indicators for battery status and charging.
On the right side, there is the DC jack, a USB 3.1 port, HDMI port, USB Type-C port and a headphone/mic combo jack.
The Audio experience
The Asus VivoBook S15 does not have the loudest speakers you will find in a laptop. It can just barely fill up a medium-sized room, but the sound is of good quality, for such a thin laptop.
Performance
Running on the Intel Core i5-8289U CPU and 8GB RAM, the VivoBook S15 can handle most heavy task computing you can throw its way. Even the memory-hogging Google Chrome browser with over 20 tabs opened simultaneously. It will also not freeze or lag when you play HD and full-HD videos. Independent third-party reviewers have established it scores a 12.163 on the Geekbench 4’s overall performance.
On the same third-party independent review, the laptop took 25 minutes and 38 seconds to convert a 4K video into a 1080p resolution video on the HandBrake app. The average for most laptops is 28 minutes and 39 seconds.
Other Features:
Graphics
Equipped with an integrated Intel UHD Graphics 620 GPU, the VivoBook S15 can easily give you a wonderful video gaming experience on the low to medium graphics settings. It scored 65,313 on the graphics test by 3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited.
Battery Life
According to review by the Laptop Mag battery test, the Asus VivoBook S15 lasted 8 hours and 23 minutes on continuous web surfing with a Wi-Fi connection and screen brightness at 150 nits.
Heat
The ErgoLift hinge mentioned above gives the laptop more air space for better heat management since it now gets more airflow; unlike its cousin the ZenBook S.
Software and Warranty
Out of the box, the Asus VivoBook S15 comes preinstalled with what I would call bloatware in its Windows 10 Home OS. For instance, there is the Hello app, which is a cloud-storage service from Asus and ZenAnywhere that allows your Android or iOS devices access files on your laptop.
The laptop also comes with a program dedicated to the hot keys on the keyboard. There is also the Asus Install and MyAsus app; the former enabling you download drivers and key apps while the latter is a diagnostic app.
Price Tag
To become the owner of the Asus VivoBook S15, you will have to part with at least $699 for the 15.6 inched laptop running on the 8th Gen Core i5 CPU, 8GB RAM, and 256GB SSD.
The Competition
Other laptops within this price range that can give the VivoBook S15 a run for its money include the Lenovo Ideapad 530s with a borderless display, with a thin-and-light footprint. The Ideapad 530s also comes in Core i5 CPU, 8GB RAM, and 256GB SSD for $700. It especially beats the VivoBook S15 over its dull display.
