Comprehensive Analysis: Asus Vivobook S 15 - The Ultimate Copilot+ PC
The Asus Vivobook S 15, a pioneering member of Asus' Copilot+ series, is currently available for a bargain price of $668 at Walmart, significantly down from its usual price of over $1,000. This appealing offer is part of Walmart's Presidents' Day sale. For tech enthusiasts and digital nomads, this laptop promises superior performance, a stunning display, and exceptional portability.
A Brief Overview
The Vivobook S 15 comes equipped with a 3K OLED 120Hz display and is powered by an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor, coupled with 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. This combination offers a brilliant visual experience, snappy performance, and ample storage, making it an excellent choice for a mid-range laptop. Let's dive deeper into what makes this laptop stand out.
Design and Build: Sleek, Lightweight, and Premium
The 2024 version of the Vivobook S 15 has a minimalist, all-metal design that is both sleek and lightweight. At just 0.58 inches at its thinnest point and 3.13 pounds in weight, it’s exceptionally portable, ideal for hybrid or remote workers. The laptop’s design is a noticeable upgrade from its predecessor, the Vivobook S 14, offering a more premium look and feel.
Display: A Visual Delight
Featuring an 89% screen-to-body ratio and ultra-thin bezels, the 3K OLED display of the Vivobook S 15 is truly a standout. It boasts 600-nit brightness and a 120Hz refresh rate, resulting in vibrant, high-contrast images. The 16:9 aspect ratio enhances the widescreen feel, which is perfect for media consumption and editing tasks.
Hardware and Performance
The Vivobook S 15 is powered by a Snapdragon X Elite chip, featuring a 12-core, 3.4GHz processor with a 45 TOPS NPU. This hardware configuration delivers excellent performance, and the 16GB RAM ensures smooth multitasking. Benchmarking scores reflect its prowess, with Cinebench delivering a single-core score of 106 and a multi-core score of 969, while Geekbench scores were 2447 for single-core and 14384 for multi-core tests.
Battery Life: Management is Key
While on battery, performance dipped by about 30%, which is somewhat greater than expected. The Vivobook S 15’s 70Wh battery life is solid but requires careful management to maximize efficiency. In tests, battery life averaged 10.5 hours, fluctuating with different power modes. Users should adjust power settings in MyAsus software or Windows to optimize battery usage.
Optimization and Software Compatibility
The Windows on ARM architecture ensures excellent initial performance, but compatibility with all applications may still be in progress. Applications like Adobe Photoshop run smoothly, but video editing software such as DaVinci Resolve exhibited some lag and stuttering, especially with 4K content. The laptop’s gaming capabilities are limited, with some titles not running optimally.
Ports and Keyboard
The Vivobook S 15 comes equipped with a generous selection of ports, including two USB-A ports, two USB-C ports, an HDMI port, a MicroSD slot, and a headphone jack. The full keyboard is responsive and satisfying for typing, with customizable LED backlighting, although this feature can impact battery life.
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Display | 3K OLED, 120Hz, 600-nit brightness |
| Processor | Snapdragon X Elite, 12-core, 3.4GHz |
| RAM | 16GB |
| Storage | 1TB SSD |
| Battery | 70Wh, up to 10.5 hours |
| Ports | 2 x USB-A, 2 x USB-C, HDMI, MicroSD, Headphone jack |
Final Thoughts
The Asus Vivobook S 15 is an impressive laptop that combines an exquisite OLED display, solid battery life, and high-performance hardware in a sleek, lightweight package. It is ideal for digital nomads and remote workers who need a reliable, powerful machine for various tasks, from creative work to media consumption. Considering its current sale price of $668 at Walmart, it presents excellent value for money, making it a worthwhile investment.
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