Asus Vivobook S 15 OLED Specs
Worth: $899/£899
CPU: Intel Core i5-12500H
GPU: Intel Iris Xe
RAM: 8GB+8GB (16GB)
Storage: 512GB SSD
Show: 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) OLED
Dimension: 14.17 x 9.17 x 0.74 inches
Weight: 3.97 kilos
Discovering a dependable laptop computer below $1,000 that doesn’t sacrifice construct or efficiency is troublesome to come back by today. Most of the finest laptops which are fairly priced will nonetheless put a major dent in your pockets, and in case you’re like me, it’s possible you’ll not essentially want the excellent efficiency a MacBook Professional or Dell XPS 15 delivers (though, they’re well worth the funding).
Then the Asus Vivobook S 15 OLED comes alongside and squeezes into that blissful medium of providing environment friendly efficiency in a premium-looking chassis — all below $1,000. Packing a twelfth Gen Intel processor, a commendable 15.6-inch OLED show, and ample battery life, Asus did a wonderful job with this yr’s Vivobook lineup. Or, ought to I say clear job. Asus additionally brings its particular “Antibacterial Guard” that inhibits the expansion of micro organism by greater than 99%.
Even with an Intel Core i5 processor and DDR4 RAM, the Vivobook S 15 OLED continues to be a succesful machine that deserves a spot on our checklist of finest laptops below $1,000. Learn on to seek out out why.
Asus Vivobook S 15 OLED worth and configurations
The Asus Vivobook S 15 OLED we reviewed is priced at $899/£899, and comes with a twelfth Gen Intel Core i5-12500H CPU, 16GB of DDR4 RAM (8GB on board, 8GB SO-DIMM), 512GB for storage, and a 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) OLED show.
If you happen to’re on the lookout for extra energy, the Vivobook S 15 additionally comes with an Intel Core i7-12700H processor and a 2.8K (2880 x 1620) OLED show for $1,099/£1,049. The two.8K decision will make the OLED panel shine with even crisper particulars, however the FHD mannequin continues to be a fantastic choice for productiveness functions and watching leisure.
In comparison with different 15-inch laptops just like the Samsung Galaxy E-book 2 Professional 360 (from $1,349) and Dell XPS 15 OLED (from $1,299), the Vivobook is a steal — even at its highest configuration. That places it on our checklist of finest laptops below $1,000.
Asus Vivobook S 15 OLED design
The Vivobook S 15 OLED continues Asus’ triumph in design, however provides a number of notable tweaks when in comparison with previous fashions just like the Vivobook 15 (2020). No ErgoLift hinge or easy “Asus” emblem emblazoned on the hinge; the Vivobook S 15 gives an uncomplicated, premium design in a smooth, skinny type issue.
Regardless of it being a plastic construct, it doesn’t take away from the laptop computer’s sturdiness or premium-looking Impartial Gray chassis. I’m surprisingly a fan of this lighter gray, and it’s not the sort that’s attempting to imitate a MacBook’s shade, both. It additionally is available in Indie Black and Courageous Inexperienced. Every look putting in their very own shade,which is very obvious on the lid. The raised define on the facet labels the laptop computer, together with stripes that appear to be race stripes — type of. Nevertheless, this define additionally has “#GoFurther” and “#BeFearless.” I don’t find out about you, however I wouldn’t need Twitter quotes perpetually emblazoned on my laptop computer for all to see.
Open the lid and also you’re handled to a large Chiclet-style keyboard and a large trackpad. There are tiny particulars to boost its design, together with a vivid orange escape key and the aforementioned racing stripe-type strains throughout the enter key. There are additionally spaced-out strains alongside the highest of the touchpad, which is Harmon/Kardon’s delicate contact on the laptop computer. It’s the show that steals the highlight, nevertheless, with its “NanoEdge,” slim-bezel panel. Because of the “lay-flat,” 180-degree hinge, I used to be capable of bend this again to simply the correct viewing angle, too.
So as to add to its clean-looking chassis is Asus’ Antibacterial Guard, which the corporate claims is scientifically confirmed to inhibit the expansion of micro organism by greater than 99% over a 24-hour interval and adheres to the ISO 22196 check. I’m no scientist, however that is what Asus needed to say:
“The Asus Antibacterial Guard therapy consists of positively-charged silver ions and is sturdy sufficient for a minimum of three years of regular utilization. Family cleansing merchandise and brokers akin to alcohol wipes and cleaning soap water received’t simply put on away the silver-ion floor therapy, making certain Asus Antibacterial Guard’s long-lasting bacterial-inhibiting impact.”
In different phrases, this can be a certified-clean laptop computer, and fewer micro organism on a laptop computer is at all times a win. Thus far, I discovered the laptop computer’s floor to be freed from smudges, specs of mud and filth a majority of the time. It’s a pleasant addition that neatniks will respect.
With dimensions of 14.17 x 9.17 x 0.74 inches and weighing 3.97 kilos, the Asus Vivobook 15 S OLED isn’t the smallest or lightest laptop computer of its form. The Samsung Galaxy 2 Professional 360 (14 x 9 x 0.46 inches, 3.1 kilos) and Dell XPS 15 OLED (13.6 x 9.1 x 0.7 inches, 4.3 kilos) are smaller in measurement, and the Vivobook leans in the direction of the heftier facet of the XPS 13 when it comes to weight. It’s nonetheless a slim laptop computer that’s simple to hold round in a laptop computer bag.
I’m a fan of the delicate touches Asus delivers to make it stand out amongst different 15-inch laptops. Though, I might do with much less hashtags.
Asus Vivobook S 15 OLED ports
The Vivobook S 15 OLED comes with a good number of ports, together with twin speedy Thunderbolt 4 ports. One among these is used to cost the laptop computer, which means in case you’re preserving this laptop computer plugged in at dwelling, you’re nonetheless left with one port that helps exterior screens with as much as 8K decision and quick 40 Gbps switch charges.
On the left, there’s one lonely USB-A 2.0 port to plug in PC peripherals like a mouse, keyboard, or USB stick.
The correct facet options two USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4, a USB 3.2 Gen 1 port with 5 Gbps switch charges, a HDMI 2.0 slot, and a helpful 3.5mm audio combo jack.
It will be good to see a Gigabit Ethernet slot, particularly on a 15-inch laptop computer. Nevertheless, its Wi-Fi 6E connectivity, together with Bluetooth 5.0, delivers a steady web connection. For these after much more ports, together with Gigabit Ethernet, take a look at the finest laptop computer docking stations.
Asus Vivobook S 15 OLED show
The Vivobook S 15 OLED’s shining star is its 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) OLED. Regardless of sporting a 16:9 facet ratio that may make the panel appear squashed in comparison with shows with a 16:10 or 3:2 facet ratio, the Vivobook’s display continues to be a pleasure to have a look at. In fact, the two.8K (2880 x 1620) OLED show is more likely to provide brighter, sharper visuals, the FHD (1920 x 1080) show on this evaluate mannequin can maintain its personal.
To check out the OLED expertise, I fired up Don’t Fear Darling to see how the laptop computer might deal with the intense, Fifties glamour of the disturbingly good neighbourhood we see Florence Pugh and Harry Kinds flourish in. From the vivid inexperienced gardens in stark distinction with the soiled browns and yellows of the desert to the aesthetically matched home items in every luxurious dwelling, the Vivobook’s show is a visible deal with.
The disturbing scene of Pugh wrapping her face in cling wrap out of the blue confirmed off every crinkle as she clawed it off whereas gasping for air. The yellowish hue of the room together with the totally different shades of pale inexperienced and yellow was evident, showcasing the OLED show’s capabilities — even on an FHD show.
The numbers add as much as what’s seen on display with 600 nits of HDR peak brightness, 100% DCI-P3 color-gamut protection (that’s Patone validated), VESA-certified, HDR True Black 600, and 1.07 billion colours. And, to maintain your eyes protected, it gives 70% much less dangerous blue mild.
Asus Vivobook S 15 OLED audio
An awesome display deserves a fantastic pair of audio system to associate with it, and the Harmon/Kardon built-in audio system meet that expectation. Whereas the sound is crisp intimately and devices lusciously sing by the side-firing audio system, audio doesn’t get as loud as I would really like.
For instance, I threw on “I Heard it By the Grapevine” by the gifted Marvin Gaye and was blown away by the faint “tch” of the drum’s hit-hat whereas the sombre keys constructed up a cool temper — superbly blended with the graceful voice of Gaye. However there’s one downside: I might solely satisfyingly sway to the tune after I cranked the quantity as much as 100. Even at 80, the drums have been extra faint than distinguished.
This foible continued whereas I watched Don’t Fear Darling, too. I might solely comply with together with Pugh and Kinds’ playful backwards and forwards when quantity was at full blast. In any other case, every little thing sounded pitch good. I choose to have the choice to spice up the quantity to deafening ranges (an issue I have to type out) reasonably than want one of many finest pc audio system. Nonetheless, customers might be blissful to blast some tunes on the Vivobook S 15.
Asus Vivobook S 15 OLED keyboard and touchpad
The Vivobook S 15 OLED’s easy Chiclet keyboard is your common 1.4 millimeter key-travel set of keys with a low actuation level; it’s snug to sort on, too. The mannequin we acquired isn’t backlit, however the daring, white font on the keycaps stand out sufficient to see what you’re typing in a darkish surroundings. Oh, and Asus will get bonus factors for including a numpad.
With keys being stable and snappy, I averaged 71 phrases per minute on the 10FastFingers.com typing check. I often hit 70 wpm, so getting that additional phrase in earlier than the timer ran out reveals that the Vivobook’s keyboard is able to churning out quick copy (for these with quicker fingers than me). Keys are stable and snappy, which is precisely what you want on a laptop computer.
The big Precision touchpad doesn’t really feel nearly as good because the keyboard; it feels a contact flimsy when urgent down. It is a important nuisance, nevertheless, as a result of I’m nonetheless capable of swiftly use the Home windows 11 multi-touch gestures with precision.
Asus Vivobook S 15 OLED efficiency
Sporting a twelfth Gen Intel Core i5-12500H CPU, 8GB of DDR4 RAM (with a further 8GB DDR4 SO-DIMM RAM), and 512GB SSD, the Asus Vivobook S 15 OLED gives ample efficiency at its worth. Whereas sticking with DDR4 RAM as a substitute of the quicker DDR5 hinders its capabilities, it’s saved by its zippy twelfth Gen Intel processor. Though, understandably, the upgraded i7 chip will undoubtedly provide even better efficiency.
My day by day actions encompass scrolling by a number of web sites in Google Chrome, working in Google Docs and Google Sheets, and watching one too many YouTube movies. I put the laptop computer to the check by opening 50 Chrome tabs and taking part in three 1080p YouTube movies whereas typing up some copy in Google Docs. I might swiftly change between tabs with out experiencing any slowdown, which means the Vivobook is as much as the duty of being your day by day work driver.
In our Geekbench 5.4 benchmark check, the Vivobook S 15 OLED reached a multi-core rating of 6,873. That is unsurprisingly beneath the Dell XPS 15 OLED (7,477, Intel Core i7-11800H CPU and Samsung Galaxy E-book 2 Professional 360 (9,043, Intel Core i7-1260P), seeing as these laptops boast an i7 processor. Nevertheless, you’ll be able to see how the Vivobook’s twelfth Gen i5 processor isn’t too far behind the eleventh Gen Intel i7 chip. What’s extra, seeing the way it’s beneath $1,000, this isn’t a foul rating within the slightest. Plus, it beats the class common (5,267).
In our Handbrake check, which assessments how lengthy it takes to transcode a 4K video to 1080p, the Vivobook took 13 minutes and 56 seconds. In comparison with the Galaxy E-book 2 360 (9:34) and XPS 15 (8:10), it couldn’t sustain. Even in comparison with the class common (13:27), the Vivobook falls behind.
With the 512GB SSD in our evaluate unit, the Vivobook S 15 OLED delivered a 1,485 megabytes-per-second switch price. That’s extraordinarily spectacular seeing how the class common is ready at 753 MBps. Sadly for Samsung and Dell, theGalaxy E-book 2 Professional 360 (763 MBps) and the XPS 15 (825.6 MBps) couldn’t sustain both.
Lastly, whereas the Vivobook is not at all a gaming laptop computer with its Intel Iris Xe graphics, we put it by the 3DMark benchmark. It achieved an total rating of 1,381, averaging a measly 7.76 frames per second. In comparison with the Dell XPS 15 OLED’s Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti, which scored 8,433, the Vivobook is leagues behind. Once more, nevertheless, this isn’t made to sport on.
Asus Vivobook S 15 OLED battery life
If you happen to’re on the lookout for a laptop computer that can final a majority of the day while not having to plug in, the Vivobook S 15 OLED is as much as the duty. Even with its 3-cell 70Wh battery, I might proceed to work and watch reveals with out worrying about scurrying to discover a place to energy it up. That’s a triumph for a 15-inch laptop computer with an OLED show.
My common day consists of writing and modifying tales by CMS or Google Docs, scrolling by web sites and multimedia, answering emails, and watching multimedia on YouTube and different streaming platforms. This isn’t a heavy-duty workload, nevertheless it’s precisely what this laptop computer is designed to do effectively. Kicking off at 9 a.m., the laptop computer solely went into power-saving mode simply previous 3:30 p.m. Nevertheless, it lasted over an hour earlier than I wanted to achieve for the charger. That’s round 7 hours and half-hour of fixed work, which is nice for the on-the-move employee.
What’s extra, the Vivobook S 15 OLED comes with a speedy 90W AC adapter by way of USB-C (which helps Thunderbolt 4), which means I might shortly zap the laptop computer from 0% to 50% in round 45 minutes. Quick charging is a must have for this author, so I used to be happy with the speedy cost.
Asus Vivobook S 15 OLED webcam
The 720p webcam makes a return. I’ve mentioned it earlier than and I’ll say it once more: these are a horrible mess of grainy, noisy pictures that may make anybody on a video name appear to be a bundle of blurred pictures stitched collectively.
This was very true after I switched the webcam on in a darkish surroundings; the digicam couldn’t sustain with my motion — like I used to be seeing myself at 5 frames per second. Colours have been uninteresting, my facial hair appeared like somebody haphazardly painted it on, and the highest of my shaved head, together with objects within the background, was a fuzzy blur.
Webcams at 720p don’t work in a world of high-clarity selfie cameras on smartphones. I’m blissful to see Asus stick in a privateness shutter, nevertheless it’s finest in case you follow one of many finest webcams in the marketplace.
Asus Vivobook S 15 OLED warmth
We don’t have lab numbers to offer you a precise temperature of various areas throughout the Vivobook S 15 OLED, however after utilizing the laptop computer, I can say it doesn’t get overly sizzling — extra like lukewarm in sure locations.
The warmest area was beneath the laptop computer, however in all places else was temperate. With angled vents on the facet and beneath, together with a rubberized stem to raise the laptop computer barely, the laptop computer might preserve cool even below stress.
I additionally discovered the Vivobook to be a quiet machine with followers solely emitting a mushy hum throughout extra demanding duties.
Asus Vivobook S 15 OLED software program and guarantee
Asus doesn’t overload you with proprietary software program and even a lot bloatware. Positive, there’s the standard McAfee antivirus app, however there are different helpful MyAsus apps that present data relating to your guarantee and repair choices together with the serial quantity and entry to some system utilities.
You need to use the MyAsus app to tweak your {hardware} settings for the show, battery, and different such options. It additionally features a tab that can provide offers on some apps (e.g. Adobe Suite). It should additionally stroll you thru the method of putting in and connecting the hyperlink to MyAsus app on your smartphone, which helps you to management your iOS or Android smartphone to various levels.
The VivoBook 15 S OLED comes with a one-year restricted guarantee. You may see how Asus fares usually on this entrance in our Tech Assist Showdown.
Asus Vivobook S 15 OLED: Backside line
The Asus Vivobook S 15 OLED excels as a succesful work machine at an reasonably priced worth. It gives commendable efficiency, due to its twelfth Gen Intel chip, delivers high quality on-screen leisure with its 15.6-inch OLED show, and may (form of) get you thru a full day of labor. Oh, and its particular Asus Antibacterial Guard is a pleasant contact for individuals who like a clear laptop computer.
Whereas it isn’t the premium laptop computer that some could also be in search of, it matches a majority of their traits. Its webcam leaves a lot to be desired, and its keyboard and touchpad are your commonplace fare. Nevertheless, these are qualities that even laptops over $1,000 battle with, and its highlights outweigh its extra disappointing qualities. Plus, it’s extra comprehensible on a laptop computer that has a beginning worth of $899.
In case you are on the lookout for extra energy, these can bump up the specs to have even higher efficiency. Positive, the Intel Core i7 mannequin brings the worth over $1,000, nevertheless it’s nonetheless higher than lots of its competitors. For extra of the finest laptops below $1,000 and finest 15-inch laptops, look no additional.