The Vivobook has been a flagship product from the ASUS stable for several years. Although it hasn't been around as long as other lines, it's hard to think of an earlier time. The Vivobook series has always been at the forefront of new technologies, introducing several world firsts to the laptop market. One of these was the introduction of the OLED panel, which enabled considerable progress in the quality of screens. The OLED panel has become a mainstay of the lineup, which continues with the latest ASUS Vivobook Pro 15.
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There is no doubt that its glorious OLED display is the trump card of the Vivobook Pro 15. However, the latest variant of the range which dates back a few years receives a general update, offering performance that will make anyone want to upgrade to the higher speed.
Design and design of the ASUS Vivobook Pro 15 laptop
The design of the Vivobook Pro 15 follows a similar pattern to many other Vivobook laptops. It features a similar approach to design philosophy, with squared edges, the same hinge design, and a similar lid layout and finish.
There are, however, two key changes from previous models. The first is the tapered edges of the bottom of the laptop. They were added to facilitate air circulation and give a more compact impression.
The second change concerns the port configuration. Even though the layout isn't perfect, it has a well-balanced port list for modern devices. In this regard, two USB Type A ports are located on the left side. Opposite are two LED lights, the first indicating power and the second indicating whether the device is charging. I would have preferred to add a single LED indicator here, with power and charging in one light with different colors indicating each state. This would make room for an additional USB Type-A port or to move one of the ports from the right side to the left side.
On the right side, from back to front, we find the charging port, USB Type-A port, full HDMI port, Type-C multifunction port, microSD card reader, and input input. 3.5mm. This is a very comprehensive list of ports on the right side, especially when you take into account the space available on the left side. And, if you're a power user like me, it happened that the majority of the ports were used with a second display, a portable m.2 SSD using the Type-C port, headphones in the auxiliary port and the third of the ports USB Type-A used to charge my gamepad (the two on the left being used for USB dongles for wireless devices). This becomes quite cumbersome – a nuisance, especially for right-handed people.
While the lid and chassis have a metallic finish, the interior is mostly plastic. This includes the chiclet keys and the large trackpad. The latter occupies a large area under the keyboard that I often brush against, which results in involuntary movement of the cursor. Fortunately, the trackpad can be disabled, allowing for better use with a mouse.
Although the design isn't perfect, the metal chassis is nice and reasonably sturdy. There are a few flaws, particularly the port layout, but nothing is missing from the setup.
ASUS Vivobook Pro 15 screen and display
The highlight of the show. It was an immediate success when ASUS introduced its OLED displays around 2020. Although this resulted in a slight increase in price, the screen's brightness, black depth, and excellent contrast provide a near-perfect experience. The same goes for the latest Vivobook Pro 15.
ASUS has integrated its Splendid OLED 120Hz display into the laptop, resulting in stunning images. It has a size of 15.6 inches and a resolution of 2.8K. Specifically, the resolution dimensions are 2880×1620 px.
It may not be full 4K resolution, but at 2.8K it's better than most laptops on the market. This is more than ideal on a 15.6-inch screen, giving users more detail than more traditional resolutions. This also works great for gaming images, with a few extra pixels making the image sharper.
However, the screen's most notable feature is its color output and deep blacks that create beautiful contrasts. The images are perfect, bright and colorful. The display has received numerous awards and has been certified and validated by several standards. So, it features a 100% DCI-P3 customizable color gamut, is validated by PANTONE®, and has an average Delta-E < 23. Spec-wise, it ticks all the right boxes.
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Specifications
The Vivobook Pro 15 has excellent specifications, like most modern ASUS laptops. Starting with the chipset, it uses the AMD framework. It features an AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS with a 4GHz Octa-Core CPU configuration. It is paired with 32GB of RAM (LPDDR5x 5500MHz) to meet all your performance and multitasking requirements.
The internal storage has a capacity of 1 TB. The module is a Micron 2450 NVMe SSD, m.2. This allows for incredible loading speeds for all your design and gaming needs. Speaking of which, the laptop is also equipped with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 card.
Finally, it is equipped with a 3-cell 3S1P 70WHr Li-ion battery which offers better autonomy than previous models.
Although the Vivobook was designed as a work tool for business and content creation, the above features allow it to enter the gaming world. This is a huge advantage, especially considering its OLED screen. But can he do the job?
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Performance and autonomy
Unlike many other laptops and tech devices, the ASUS Vivobook Pro 15 does not offer any additional features. This is a no-frills approach to design, focusing instead on delivering excellent performance and value for money.
The 120Hz refresh rate doesn't matter much for typical use. It makes a difference when watching films and series, but clearly stands out in games. And it works brilliantly with no issues. Users can adjust the setting from the display settings in Windows, but unlike many smartphones, there's no dynamic switch to save battery life yet. However, it works and looks great, and that's the most important aspect.
When it comes to battery life, the Vivobook Pro 15 does quite well. Under normal use, users should be able to get an impressive eight to nine hours of battery life between charges. You can get up to 12 hours watching series in airplane mode, while gaming on battery power is limited to just over two hours. These are solid numbers.
The overview
The ASUS Vivobook Pro 15 is a well-rounded laptop for those looking to transition from work to content creation and even gaming. Thanks to its excellent OLED screen, you can enjoy entertainment for hours. Priced at R34,999, it takes a bit of convincing, but you won't regret buying it.
Review
ASUS Vivobook Pro 15
BENEFITS
- Magnificent 15.6″ 2.8K OLED screen
- Works great for work and pleasure
- Great battery life
CONS
- The positioning of ports was not addressed
- A little expensive