ASUS Vivobook S14X overview: OLED display lastly hits the sub-$1,000 worth level

September 30, 2022

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Geared toward price-conscious buyers, ASUS’ newest Vivobook S 14X is an attention-grabbing mid-range pocket book that brings premium options all the way down to a extra budget-friendly worth. The star of the present is the Vivobook’s sensible and responsive 14.5-inch OLED panel, which is manufacturing facility calibrated to be shade correct and comes with a pointy 2.8K decision. In contrast to LCD screens, the Vivobook’s OLED panel delivers punchier colours, sharper distinction, and deep, wealthy blacks that make the display a pleasure to behold.

Regardless of trickling down a few of the extra premium PC elements to the mid-range house, the Vivobook isn’t a laptop computer with out compromise. This MacBook Air competitor lacks a discrete GPU to actually benefit from that shiny display and depends completely on the twelfth Gen Intel CPU’s built-in Iris Xe graphics. The laptop computer’s lack of stamina additionally locations a damper on its processor efficiency. Nonetheless, for those who’re in search of a feature-packed reasonably priced pocket book that may straddle work and play duties, the Vivobook stays a robust contender for 2022.

ASUS Vivobook S14X: Pricing and specs

Asus Vivobook S14X with OLED screen

(Picture credit score: Daniel Rubino)

As one of many first, if not the primary laptop computer to deliver OLED panels to a extra mainstream pocket book market, the Vivobook S14X enjoys the title of being a performance-packed laptop computer with a sub-$1,000 worth. Filled with the most recent twelfth Gen Intel processor, and a strong one at that with an H-series silicon design, the Vivobook S14X comes loaded with expertise that is typically discovered on laptops that value twice as a lot, together with a excessive decision 2.8K show with an OLED panel, Thunderbolt 4 help with loads of ports for connectivity, and a slim, fashionable, metal-clad design.

At round $900, you will get a Core i5 mannequin with 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. Nonetheless, it is fairly spectacular to see ASUS in a position to cram an OLED display at this place to begin. Much more spectacular is that this show is quick and responsive, with a 120Hz refresh charge and 1ms response time.

ASUS Vivobook S14X specs (as reviewed)
Processor	Intel Core i7-12700H
Graphisc	Intel Iris Xe built-in graphics
Show	14.5-inch 2.8K OLED show, 120Hz refresh, DisplayHDR 600
Reminiscence	12GB uneven DDR4 RAM
Storage	512GB M.2 NVme PCIe 4.0 SSD

Our upgraded overview unit comes with a greater Core i7 H-series processor, 12GB of RAM, and the identical 512GB of M.2 solid-state storage.

ASUS Vivobook S14X with lid partially closed

(Picture credit score: Daniel Rubino)

The Vivobook comes with an upgradable design, attributable to a detachable backside plate that is secured by screws, the place you’ll be able to improve the reminiscence and storage. And when you can improve the SSD, including extra RAM to the Vivobook sadly would not make too massive of a distinction in efficiency.

That is due largely to a controversial design adopted by ASUS with the usage of uneven reminiscence.

ASUS Vivobook S14X: Design

Asus Vivobook S14X next to Surface Duo smartphone

(Picture credit score: Daniel Rubino)

Like its contemporaries, the Vivobook advantages from the most recent engineering practices and design traits, together with an all-metal building with the aluminum shell, minimalist aesthetics outlined by easy traces and refined angles, and a shiny show with minimal bezels.

The overall all-black — ASUS calls the colour Midnight Black — design on our overview unit may simply be mistaken for Lenovo’s enterprise ThinkPad notebooks if it wasn’t for ASUS’ daring Vivobook badge. A small raised metallic plate was caught close to the facet fringe of the laptop computer containing the Vivobook branding together with the “Go Futher” and “Be Fearless” hashtag, the corporate’s “Discover The Prospects branding” and a few diagonal striping.

Branding on lid of Asus Vivobook S14X

(Picture credit score: Daniel Rubino)

Not solely does the badge look misplaced on an in any other case understated design, however visually it appears that evidently ASUS had designed the Vivobook with none branding consideration, with the corporate’s advertising and marketing workforce later deciding that the laptop computer wanted some form of emblem, so a metallic plate was slapped onto the quilt on the final second. The lid itself is a fingerprint magnet, so be ready to continually wipe down the laptop computer’s shell for those who detest smudges.

Branding fake pas apart, the largest eyesore and most questionable design rears its head beneath the lid. Regardless of the brilliant OLED show, your eyes are sadly drawn to the keyboard deck, the place you’ll discover a crimson Esc key and an Enter key with a striping sample. This time, nevertheless, the stripes are designed with white and black accents. It’s as if ASUS needed to attract parallels to race vehicles and racetracks with the design to spotlight the Vivobook’s efficiency, however such efforts are shortsighted given the laptop computer’s lack of discrete GPU choices.

Screen folds out flat

(Picture credit score: Daniel Rubino)

Regardless of these design errors, the Vivobook is a good-looking laptop computer with sharp traces and refined angles. The sculpted design on the edges provides the phantasm of a deeper wedge-shaped design and slimmer entrance like Apple’s older Intel-powered MacBook Air, however in actuality, there’s much less tapering with Vivobook. A Bigger facet vent provides a extra aggressive edge to the straightforward design, but it surely’s not superfluous nor garish as with some gaming notebooks.

In comparison with the ThinkPad X1 Carbon, for instance, the three.59-pound Vivobook is greater than a full pound heavier. Just like the Vivobook, the X1 Carbon comes with a 2.8K OLED panel choice as effectively, however Lenovo’s tenth Gen enterprise laptop computer begins at a dearer $1,639.

The discrepancy in weight between the 2 notebooks is probably going as a result of Vivobook’s use of metallic, which makes it extra comparable in heft to Apple’s 14-inch M1 MacBook Professional, a pocket book that weighs 3.5 kilos however comes with a barely smaller show. The Vivobook has a compact footprint, measuring 12.69 x 9.09 x 0.7-inch, attributable to the slim display bezels.

The most important design draw back is that the general building feels much less premium than it may have been, regardless of ASUS using an all-metal shell. There may be noticeable flexing on the lid and a few creaking on the keyboard deck that makes this laptop computer really feel barely much less premium for its worth level than it may have been, however these points don’t have an effect on the general sturdiness or efficiency of the Vivobook.

Ports on Asus Vivobook S14X

(Picture credit score: Daniel Rubino)

Ports are beneficiant on the Vivobook. You’ll discover two USB-A ports, two USB-C ports, a full-sized HDMI port, and a 3.5mm audio jack. And because the Vivobook isn’t focused at inventive execs, you gained’t discover an SD card reader such as you would on the MacBook Professional. A design miss is that one of many USB-A ports is restricted to USB 2.0. ASUS actually ought to have despatched that port customary out to pasture somewhat than together with it on the left facet of the laptop computer, which may trigger confusion for those who’re attempting to attach high-bandwidth peripherals. The USB-A port on the fitting facet of the pocket book, luckily, is of the USB 3.2 Gen 1 selection, which can be what you’ll want for fast knowledge transfers from exterior drives and attaching 4K webcams.

Asus Vivobook S14X: Show

OLED screen on Vivobook S14X

(Picture credit score: Daniel Rubino)

The spotlight of the Vivobook S14X is its shiny show. Not solely did ASUS deliver an OLED panel to a extra mainstream viewers exterior of extra premium gaming and inventive notebooks, however the Vivobook additionally comes with a 14-inch display – the laptop computer truly has a 14.5-inch show – that’s extra typical of business-class laptops, like Apple’s M1-powered MacBook Professional, Lenovo’s ThinkPad X1 Carbon, and HP’s 14-inch EliteBook.

Despite the fact that the Vivobook comes with a design with minimal bezels surrounding the screens that give this pocket book an 87.49% screen-to-body ratio, essentially the most evident criticism concerning the show is that it doesn’t use edge-to-edge glass that’s been a design pattern lately. As an alternative, there’s a small plastic body that surrounds the show, which is extra frequent on enterprise laptops that include matte screens, although the Vivobook ships with a shiny display cowl.

When you energy the laptop computer on – the ability button is positioned in a somewhat odd place simply to the left of the Delete key on the highest Perform row of the keyboard on the right-hand facet – the pixel-packed 2.8K OLED panel greater than makes up for ASUS’ cost-cutting measures with the bezels. It’s spectacular that you simply get a shiny, colourful OLED panel that’s rated for VESA DisplayHDR True Black 600 and in addition Pantone-validated for shade accuracy out of the field.

Asus Vivobook S14 laptop

(Picture credit score: Daniel Rubino)

ASUS claims a Delta-E common of lower than two, making this a really correct show, and the display achieves a 99.8% DCI-P3 shade accuracy score in our benchmarks in addition to 100% of the sRGB house. Along with a quick 120Hz refresh charge, the display additionally has a 0.2ms response time.

The DisplayHDR 600 score is considerably misleading on the Vivobook. Whereas the display can attain a peak brightness of 600 nits when HDR content material is performed, common SDR content material is capped at round simply 350 nits. Nonetheless, your eyes are nonetheless handled with inky blacks, vibrant colours, and an correct and punchy show.

And although 350 nits is about half of what’s promised, it’s nonetheless barely above the class common of 300 nits for Ultrabooks. Except you’re attempting to make use of the Vivobook beneath shiny daylight, you gained’t be bothered by the SDR peak brightness efficiency. The OLED panel delivers a wonderful viewing expertise for watching films, pictures, and looking the online. It’s fairly extraordinary that ASUS was in a position to deliver an OLED panel all the way down to a laptop computer with a sub-$1,000 beginning worth. The Vivobook has among the finest shows – if not the most effective display – on a laptop computer at this worth level.

Given the colour accuracy, the efficiency of an OLED panel, and powerful processor efficiency on the Vivobook, the omission of any stage of discrete graphics is a large miss, on condition that ASUS may have marketed this laptop computer as a budget-oriented content material creation system.

Vivobook S14X: Keyboard, trackpad, and webcam

Red Esc key on Vivobook S14X

(Picture credit score: Daniel Rubino)

For a laptop computer with a sub-$1,000 price ticket, the keyboard of the Vivobook is mediocre however correct. In comparison with more moderen laptops – together with the MacBook Professional with M1 processor the place Apple deserted the slim butterfly key switches in favor of extra conventional scissor keys – the largest draw back of the Vivobook’s keyboard is its loudness.

Whereas I used to be in a position to sort precisely with quick speeds on the keyboard, the click-clack sounds of keystrokes had been clearly audible and noticeable in additional quiet rooms. College students hoping to make use of the Vivobook in quiet libraries could need to take into account the loud typing expertise of their buy resolution.

Keyboard deck on Vivobook S14X

(Picture credit score: Daniel Rubino)

Upsides with this keyboard is that the important thing caps are massive, and spacing between keys is beneficiant. The highest of every keycap can be barely sculpted to assist with typing accuracy and a extra balanced typing expertise. Key journey is somewhat beneficiant, on condition that the Vivobook is marketed as a slim and light-weight Ultrabook. At 1.4mm of journey earlier than bottoming out, the keys get pleasure from extra journey than the usual 1-1.3mm of journey on most shopper laptops.

And although it’s laborious to explain, typing on the keyboard doesn’t give me the identical satisfaction or pleasure as on extra premium laptops, like Lenovo’s ThinkPad, a business-class pocket book famed for its keyboard, or Dell’s XPS 13 or HP’s Spectre sequence.

Although unremarkable, the keyboard comes customary with LED backlighting, a extra fashionable island-styled association, and a big touchpad. Although massive, the trackpad has a plastic – somewhat than glass floor. Gliding your fingers throughout the trackpad is essentially clean, however the floor generally is a fingerprint magnet.

Some odd resolution decisions embrace a shiny orange Esc key and an Enter key with a racetrack themed design. The latter makes it seem to be the Vivobook is extra rugged than it truly is, and it jogs my memory of the accents on Apple’s newest Watch Extremely, which was designed for excessive sports activities and endurance athletes. These design decisions make the laptop computer look cheesy and there actually isn’t any want for these accents within the first place.

Biometric safety is dealt with solely by the odd-placed energy button, which additionally doubles as a fingerprint reader. It does a fantastic job of recognizing your fingers, and it may be used for password-less logins with Home windows Hey. There is no such thing as a IR digicam up prime with the webcam.

Privacy shutter on Vivobook S14X webcam

(Picture credit score: Daniel Rubino)

And talking of cameras, the webcam up prime is capped at 720p HD decision. The digicam does the job however can wrestle in lower-light environments. We’d have beloved to see a 1080p FHD webcam in its stead, given the shift to hybrid and distant work lately. The upside with the digicam, and one thing we want extra shopper laptops ship with, is the presence of a bodily privateness shutter. A slider adjoining to the digicam lens can be utilized to activate the digicam cowl to make sure privateness.

There are downward-firing audio system on the underside of the laptop computer that present stable audio output, however we want the quantity was a bit louder on the highest settings.

Vivobook S14X: Efficiency and battery life

Asus Vivobook S14 trackpad

(Picture credit score: Daniel Rubino)

Given the highly effective CPU efficiency (together with a 45-watt, 14-core Intel Core i7-12700H processor on our overview unit) it’s somewhat stunning that ASUS didn’t configure the Vivobook with a discrete GPU. As an alternative, the Vivobook depends solely on the Intel built-in Iris Xe graphics. Most laptops on this class depend on extra mainstream 8- or 12-core processors, which makes the Vivobook a curious alternative by way of efficiency.

One potential rationalization for this oddity in design is that by offloading numerous the heavy lifting to a beefier processor, ASUS could really feel {that a} GPU is probably not wanted within the Vivobook’s design, which may, in idea, assist with the laptop computer’s thermals, measurement and weight, and battery life. In actuality, the modifications ASUS carried out resulted in a blended bag, delivering stable however not class-leading CPU efficiency, an built-in GPU expertise that gained’t satiate the wishes of avid gamers, and battery life that’s nonetheless not aggressive in opposition to some opponents.

There are efficiency benefits when stepping as much as a 45-watt CPU, however the largest draw back is warmth and fan noise. In comparison with decrease wattage cell CPUs, the H-series processor engaged the fan extra shortly, in my expertise, and fan noise is extra audible than different Ultrabooks that include a extra balanced CPU-GPU mixture. The upside to the fan kicking in sooner is that the laptop computer ran fairly cool, with none noticeable sizzling spots that made the pocket book insufferable to the touch.

What ASUS achieved with the Vivobook is a quick laptop computer for productiveness duties, however this pocket book continues to be not minimize out for extra demanding content material creation workflows, and the benchmarks largely show this. The stronger H-series CPU efficiency of the Vivobook means the laptop computer edges out different equally configured laptops utilizing extra energy-efficient P-series or U-series Intel processors from the identical era on CPU-based benchmarks, like Geekbench 5 and Cinebench R23.

ASUS Vivobook S14X Benchmark outcomes
	Single-core	Multi-core
Cinebench R23	1802	10532
Geekbench 5	1623	6702

PCMark 10	5424
3DMark Time Spy	1223

On the subject of extra balanced processor efficiency checks, just like the PCMark 10 benchmark, although the Vivobook’s H-series processor nonetheless got here out forward of different U-series processors, the hole isn’t as vital because the CPU’s specs would have you ever consider.

Artificial processor efficiency is only one a part of the equation. Despite the fact that the numbers could have you ever believing that the Vivobook isn’t an excellent competitor, that’s not an correct illustration. It is nice for internet looking with a number of Chrome home windows and a number of tabs, multitasking with Microsoft Edge browser home windows, operating Microsoft Workplace, streaming music within the background with Spotify and Apple Music, taking part in movies on Netflix, and performing some mild picture edits. I didn’t expertise any noticeable lags or slowdowns from the system. For on a regular basis computing, most individuals gained’t have any issues with the Vivobook’s processor.

However as with most up-to-date Intel chips, there’s undoubtedly a efficiency drop-off on the Vivobook when CPU-heavy duties are carried out on battery energy in comparison with the laptop computer plugged into the wall. If you happen to want the Vivobook to do extra heavy lifting – like with picture modifying – it’s possible you’ll do finest with the laptop computer plugged in.

Asus Vivobook S14X side profile view

(Picture credit score: Daniel Rubino)

Unsurprisingly, nevertheless, is that GPU efficiency is lackluster. And although we anticipated the Intel Iris Xe built-in graphics to be on par with different methods we’ve beforehand encountered, the Vivobook fared a bit decrease on our 3DMark Time Spy check.

The diminished efficiency is probably going as a result of uneven RAM configuration. The 12GB of reminiscence on our overview unit is split between non-replaceable soldered RAM and detachable RAM. We’d have preferred to see ASUS deal with this by providing two detachable RAM slots for symmetric reminiscence configurations.

That is absolutely disappointing information, however potential patrons of the Vivobook are seemingly eyeing this laptop computer for its CPU efficiency and never for its agility at gaming, video modifying, or heavy picture manipulation capabilities. This laptop computer shouldn’t be a cell workstation, nor was it designed for that process. If you happen to’re a content material creator or a gamer, you’ll need to step as much as a system with discrete RTX graphics.

The solid-state drive delivers stable learn and write speeds, although no the place close to the quickest we have seen on a pocket book. The common learn pace taken with the CrystalDiskMark instrument is 1,271 MB/s and write speeds hovered round 1,287 MB/s. In comparison with the M1 MacBook Professional’s 2,720 MB/s and a pair of,687 MB/s speeds, the Vivobook’s benchmarked SSD speeds are just below half of the MacBook Professional.

And since the pocket book’s processor attracts extra energy than many different competing Ultrabooks, the Vivobook ships with a 90W energy adapter. Comparable laptops typically include a 65W energy adapter for comparability. Charging from an empty battery to full capability took about 1.5 hours.

Battery life is mediocre for a laptop computer this measurement and given the laptop computer’s extra energy-efficient OLED panel. The 70Whr battery is massive, however the result’s about seven hours of use on a single cost.. With typical internet looking on Wi-Fi, I bought simply above six hours of use, which was additionally mirrored in PCMark 10’s battery life check for productiveness duties. For media consumption, the battery ran down in seven hours and forty minutes whereas looping an FHD 1080p video.

Whereas these are stable numbers, we’d have beloved to see nearer to 10 hours of battery life, which might assist alleviate some charging anxiousness if that you must use the Vivobook for full-day conferences and should not have quick access to a charger. For comparability, Apple’s Arm-based M1 processor on the 14-inch MacBook Professional, which has a equally sized battery and a show that’s solely 0.5-inch smaller, has twice the endurance of the Vivobook, making it extra engaging for school college students, enterprise vacationers, or anybody who makes use of a Starbucks as a shared co-working house.

ASUS Vivobook S14X: The competitors

(Picture credit score: Home windows Central)

Sitting proper between the compact 13-inch shows and a extra spacious 15-inch display, 14-inch laptops had been as soon as the purview of extra premium enterprise machines. Luckily, the shape issue has expanded to extra mainstream fashions throughout shopper pocket book manufacturers lately. From Apple to HP and Lenovo, there are actually loads of choices to select from, together with the M1 MacBook Professional, Spectre x360, and IdeaPad 1 and 5 fashions.

Hp Spectre X360 16 2022

(Picture credit score: Home windows Central)

Whereas these opponents provide a 14-inch show, they every include some distinctive twists, so there’ll seemingly be a 14-inch mannequin for everybody. Our overview unit, the Vivobook, comes with a barely extra spacious 14.5-inch show with a 16:10 side ratio. Apple’s MacBook Professional with its energy-efficient Arm processor has the stamina to go for 2 work days earlier than requiring a recharge. HP’s Spectre x360 comes with a stunning 3:2 side ratio 14-inch show that makes it really feel extra like a bigger Microsoft Floor Professional 8 than a standard laptop computer, and the system’s 360-degree hinge convertible design provides it added versatility. And at last, Lenovo’s budget-friendly IdeaPad vary brings the 14-inch type issue all the way down to extra reasonably priced worth factors.

Whatever the pocket book you select, one of many few laptops to ship with an OLED display is the Vivobook, making it a really distinctive alternative in a crowded market. HP’s 14-inch Spectre comes with an OLED choice as effectively, however the improve provides to the price of the pocket book.

It’s simply unlucky that the Vivobook does some issues very effectively – punchy show coupled with a robust processor – whereas making compromises in different areas, like not having a GPU, that makes it much less very best as an all-around laptop computer choose. That stated, you’d be hard-pressed to discover a laptop computer that delivers an OLED display expertise at a sub-$1,000 worth.

ASUS Vivobook S14X: Do you have to purchase it?

Who it is for …

Productiveness champs and multitaskers who want a succesful processor
Professionals who want an understated laptop computer however do not thoughts some design prospers for an additional edge
College students and residential customers who want a shiny, punchy OLED display to view and eat content material
Enterprise customers who worth a 14-inch footprint on a pocket book

Who it is not for …

Players, content material creators, or anybody needing discrete GPU energy
Street warriors who desire a lighter system with stronger battery stamina

ASUS bought numerous issues proper on the Vivobook S14, however in pushing the envelope with this pocket book, it additionally made some curious decisions. In as a lot as we beloved the punchy show on this sub-$1,000 pocket book, whether or not an Ultrabook missing in discrete graphics wants a quick, responsive 120Hz show is a debate that is finest saved for one more day. And although the twelfth Gen Intel H-series processor packs fairly the punch, had ASUS paired that silicon with some form of discrete graphics, it may have simply remodeled the Vivobook S14 from a stable productiveness laptop computer right into a succesful workstation. It is these contradictions in design that make the Vivobook laborious to judge and suggest.

That stated, although the Vivobook has components that contact on gaming and inventive consumption, it was designed for a really particular sort of laptop computer person. If you happen to’re a multitasking productiveness person who wants a skinny and light-weight pocket book to make use of whereas touring, the Vivobook S14 is a stable guess and one which comes with a number of extras, together with a shiny, punchy show, stable keyboard expertise, and a strong processor designed to get duties executed.

The ASUS Vivobook S14X delivers a strong Intel processor alongside a punchy OLED display, making it a fantastic laptop computer for multitasking, content material consumption, and productiveness.

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