ASUS VivoBook 15 OLED (2023) review

• Asus launched the budget-friendly Asus Vivobook 15 OLED in India with a price tag of ₹64,990.
• The laptop features 7th Gen, AMD Ryzen 5 7520U processor.
• The company's official website and Amazon offer the option to purchase it in Mixed Black, Cool Silver, and Grey Green colors.

Asus recently introduced the budget-friendly Asus Vivobook 15 OLED in India, targeted towards regular customers. Priced at ₹64,990, this laptop boasts a lightweight design, a large 15.6-inch OLED display, and a webcam shutter. Although these features are appealing, some customers may have reservations due to its 7th Gen AMD Ryzen 5 processor, which is traditionally considered less capable than the i9 and i10 processors.

However, the Asus VivoBook series has a reputation for providing value for money, and the 2023 Asus Vivobook 15 OLED is no exception. This review will take a closer look at the design, build quality, display, performance, and battery life to determine if this budget-friendly OLED laptop is worth considering.

Price and availability

The price of the Asus Vivobook 15 OLED is ₹64,990 in India. It is available to purchase from the company’s official website in Mixed Black, Cool Silver, and Grey Green color options. You can also buy this laptop from Amazon.

Key specification

Design & build quality

The build quality of the Asus Vivobook 15 OLED laptop feels premium, thanks to a metallic lid and chassis. The laptop follows the mono-color pattern and offers a matte finish, making it look premium. It has a sleek design, weighs 1.63Kg and doesn’t feel heavy. There is no flex whatsoever on the lid or the keyboard. Also, there is no screen wobble when you open the lid, which tells Asus has seriously considered the design.

The finish on the lid makes it a fingerprint magnet, which means it catches smudges. It can even catch scratches easily, so you have to be careful.

Despite being made of plastic, the laptop's chassis feels robust and is designed to meet MIL-STD 810H durability standards, making it capable of withstanding rough usage to some extent.

The keyboard offers a good travel distance, which means typing is not difficult. Asus hasn’t made any big changes here, though it has highlighted the Enter key with a twill pattern to break the monotony. You can set the keyboard's backlight to three brightness levels, from too low to too high, as per your convenience.

As Asus has touted, the touchpad's size is relatively large and indeed ‘silk-smooth.’ In fact, it offers smooth and effortless navigation. As per Asus, the touchpad is 50% larger than the previous Vivobooks. There is a special key on the keyboard to lock the touchpad, possibly for people who like to use shortcut keys the most.

Located on the laptop's right side, you'll find a charging port, a USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C port, and an HDMI 1.4 port with a 3.5mm audio jack. On the left side of the laptop, there is a 3.5mm headphone jack and a USB 2.0 port situated next to the power and battery indicators.

So, the laptop has covered you with most connectivity options. However, there is no memory card reader, but you can resolve it with external help, just like you might be doing for many other extinct I/O peripherals.

The HD camera on the top side of the laptop is accompanied by a privacy slider so that you can cover up the camera whenever it is not in use. Asus has done some intricate detailing here by putting a coloured shutter that clearly tells the camera is shielded. The camera is fairly good, and the microphones also work fine.

On the back is a big vent for the two cooling fans to hurl the extra heat in case of extensive usage.

Despite its affordable pricing, the VivoBook 15 OLED boasts an impressive build quality. The sturdy plastic chassis exudes durability, while the keyboard deck showcases minimal flex. The laptop's slim and lightweight design makes it a convenient device. Overall, the VivoBook 15 OLED's build quality is exceptional for a laptop in its price range.

Display

The outstanding characteristic of the VivoBook 15 OLED is undoubtedly its display. Featuring a 15.6-inch Full HD OLED panel with a 60Hz refresh rate and 0.2ms response time, it offers complete coverage of DCI-P3 and sRGB. With a peak brightness of 500 nits, the OLED display is easily visible in outdoor environments. Additionally, the screen is certified as Display HDR True Black 500, TUV Rheinland Flicker-Free, and Low Blue-light, providing comfortable and safe viewing. The panel delivers vibrant colours with sharp details, high-contrast and deep blacks while offering excellent viewing angles and brightness levels.

Furthermore, the screen can be tilted to 180 degrees, allowing users to adjust it to their preference. The hinge is solid, and the screen is stable, which is crucial. Whether it is a touch or non-touch screen, using this display is an immensely enjoyable experience due to its outstanding colour display.

Performance: Battery, keyboard, audio, and more

The Asus Vivobook 15 is equipped with an AMD Ryzen 5 7520U processor with Radeon Graphics, along with 16GB GB of LPDDR5 RAM running at 5500MHz. While it can handle older and some newer games like Far Cry 4 at moderate settings, playing games like GTA 5 can result in noticeable stutters so it could be better for gaming.

However, in terms of productivity, the laptop easily runs popular apps like Chrome and Excel and can handle Windows 11 without any noticeable crashes during brief usage. Nevertheless, with only 16GB of RAM, heavy apps like Chrome may automatically refresh tabs due to low read memory, which can be frustrating.

The laptop's HD webcam is average, and those who need a notebook for video calls may need to invest in an external webcam for better quality. On the other hand, the Asus Vivobook 15 features a larger 50WHr battery compared to last year's model, providing approximately 5 hours of runtime on a single charge, which is respectable. The bundled 65W charger also charges the laptop quickly, taking just over an hour to fully charge.

Typing on this laptop is enjoyable, with keys offering 1.4mm of travel, adequate space between them, and enough hotkeys for regular users. The built-in speakers provide good sound quality with clear details and rich instruments, but the audio could be louder than some users may prefer.

Overall, the Asus Vivobook 15 is a capable laptop for productivity tasks and light gaming, with a great display and typing experience, but there may be better choices for heavy gaming or those who prioritize webcam quality and loudspeakers.

Thermal performance

While we don't have precise temperature measurements for various areas of the Vivobook 15 OLED, in my experience of using the laptop, I can confirm that it doesn't get excessively hot. At most, certain areas may feel lukewarm to the touch.

The bottom becomes the warmest, but everywhere else maintains a comfortable temperature. The laptop's angled vents are located at the side and underneath, along with a rubberized stem that elevates it slightly, ensuring the device stays cool even during intensive tasks.

Moreover, the Vivobook S 15 OLED operates quietly, with its fans emitting only a soft hum during more demanding tasks.

Bottom line

The Asus Vivobook 15 OLED is an excellent choice for those needing a reliable yet affordable work laptop. With its AMD Ryzen 5 7520U processor, it provides commendable performance. Its 15.6-inch OLED display also delivers high-quality on-screen entertainment. Additionally, it can last (more or less) a full day of work.

While it may not be the premium laptop some are looking for, it still possesses many of the traits that premium laptops do. The webcam may be lacking, and the keyboard and touchpad may be average, but even laptops costing over 60K struggle with these features. Overall, Vivobook's strengths outweigh its shortcomings.

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