It is easy to get caught up within the flashiness of laptop computer specs and designs within the high-end phase, however generally you simply need a easy expertise with out a lot aptitude. That’s precisely what the Asus Vivobook S 14 OLED delivers, providing some nice {hardware} in a quite unassuming shell. It’s additionally priced fairly nicely at $900, which is out of the finances laptop computer vary however strikes a pleasant steadiness between efficiency and never hurting your pockets.
The mannequin Asus despatched me for overview is the Vivobook S 14 OLED (S5406MA-AS96), which incorporates an Intel Core Extremely 9 Collection 1 processor, 16 GB of RAM, and 1 TB of solid-state drive storage. One other model trades the processor out for a Core Extremely 7 Collection 2 processor and 32 GB of RAM for $1,200. If that is not complicated sufficient, yet one more mannequin foregoes Intel altogether for an AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 processor at $1,200.
Easy Powerhouse
The bottom mannequin reviewed right here is probably going greater than sufficient horsepower for most individuals. The Core 9 processor dealt with practically all my every day duties with out breaking a sweat. You’ll wish to look elsewhere if you happen to do any graphically intense work (like video enhancing or gaming). We aren’t but at some extent the place 16 GB of RAM is restrictive, and the quantity of storage on board leaves loads of respiration room for the lengthy haul.
{Photograph}: Dan Thorp-Lancaster
I actually just like the display, although it isn’t the brightest show I’ve used on a laptop computer. The crisp OLED panel offers you vibrant colours and infinite distinction, making it nice for kicking again and watching a film or YouTube marathon. The 16:10 facet ratio additionally affords extra vertical display area at the price of width, which makes it nice for paperwork however means you’ll see horizontal bars with fullscreen video.
The digital camera setup is one other vibrant spot that, frankly, shocked me at this worth. You get an HD webcam that appears clear on video calls and does nicely in low-light conditions. It additionally has face recognition you should use with Home windows Howdy to speedily log in to your PC, whereas an simply accessible privateness shutter ensures you possibly can cowl the digital camera shortly when it’s not in use.
The Vivobook has a pleasant collection of ports, with practically all the pieces you possibly can need from a contemporary laptop computer. There are two USB-A ports for legacy equipment, two Thunderbolt 4-capable USB-C ports, one HDMI 2.1 for exterior displays, and a microSD card reader. There’s additionally a 3.5-mm headphone jack if you happen to haven’t jumped on the wi-fi headphone bandwagon but.
