ASUS Vivobook ASUS 15.6" Vivobook Laptop (Cool Silver) Review
The ASUS Vivobook 15 offers a massive 1TB SSD and 16GB of RAM for basic tasks, but its dull screen and weak battery hold it back. It's a simple tool for a simple job.
Overview
The ASUS Vivobook 15 is a solid, no-frills laptop for basic tasks. It's got a big 1TB SSD, 16GB of RAM, and a decent 10-core Intel CPU, all wrapped in a fairly portable 1.7kg chassis. For students or anyone who needs a reliable machine for notes, web browsing, and streaming, it covers the essentials. Just don't expect any thrills. The 1080p screen is basic, the battery is small at 42Wh, and the integrated Iris Xe graphics are strictly for light work. It's a tool, not a showpiece, and it knows it.
Performance
Performance is exactly what the specs suggest. The Intel 1355U CPU sits in the 33rd percentile, so it's fine for everyday multitasking but will feel slow for heavy workloads. That 1TB SSD is a real highlight, landing in the 78th percentile, so everything feels snappy. The big letdown is the GPU, ranking in the 18th percentile. It's fine for YouTube, but gaming is a non-starter, as its 10.8/100 score confirms.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Huge 1TB SSD makes file hoarding easy. 80th
- 16GB of RAM is plenty for most daily tasks.
- Lightweight and portable for a 15-inch laptop.
- Backlit keyboard is a nice touch for the price.
Cons
- Battery life will be short with that small 42Wh cell. 18th
- The 1080p 60Hz screen is dull and basic. 18th
- Integrated graphics can't handle gaming or serious creative work. 34th
- CPU performance is just average for the category. 35th
Specifications
Full Specifications
Processor
| CPU | Intel Core i7 1355U |
| Cores | 10 |
| Frequency | 1.7 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 12 MB |
Graphics
| GPU | Iris Xe Graphics |
| Type | integrated |
| VRAM Type | Shared |
Memory & Storage
| RAM | 16 GB |
| RAM Generation | DDR4 |
| Storage | 1 TB |
| Storage Type | NVMe SSD |
Display
| Size | 15.6" |
| Resolution | 1920 (Full HD) |
| Panel | LCD |
| Refresh Rate | 60 Hz |
Connectivity
| HDMI | 1x HDMI 1.4 Output |
| Wi-Fi | WiFi 6E |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
Physical
| Weight | 1.7 kg / 3.7 lbs |
| Battery | 42 Wh |
| OS | Windows 11 Home |
Value & Pricing
At around $700, the value is okay, but not amazing. You're paying for that big SSD and decent RAM, which is great. But you're also accepting a mediocre screen, weak graphics, and likely poor battery life. It's a fair trade if storage is your top priority, but you can find more balanced machines in this price range.
Price History
vs Competition
This Vivobook sits in a weird spot. It's not a powerhouse like the Lenovo Legion or MSI Vector gaming laptops, and it's not as sleek or efficient as a MacBook Pro. Its real competition is other budget ultrabooks. Compared to something like the ASUS Zenbook Duo, you lose the innovative second screen but gain a simpler, cheaper package. Against a base MacBook Air, you get more storage and RAM upfront but sacrifice build quality, screen, and battery life by a huge margin.
| Spec | ASUS Vivobook ASUS 15.6" Vivobook Laptop (Cool Silver) | Apple MacBook Pro Apple 14" MacBook Pro (M5, Silver) | ASUS ROG Flow ASUS 13.4" Republic of Gamers Flow Z13 2-in-1 | Lenovo Legion Lenovo 16" Legion Pro 7i Gaming Laptop | MSI Vector MSI 16" Vector 16 HX AI Gaming Laptop | Microsoft Surface Laptop Microsoft 13.8" Surface Laptop Copilot+ PC (7th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i7 1355U | Apple M5 | AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 | Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX | Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX | Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite X1E-84-100 |
| RAM (GB) | 16 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 |
| Storage (GB) | 1024 | 4096 | 1024 | 2048 | 2048 | 1024 |
| Screen | 15.6" 1920x1080 | 14.2" 3024x1964 | 13.4" 2560x1600 | 16" 2560x1600 | 16" 2560x1600 | 13.8" 2304x1536 |
| GPU | Intel Iris Xe Graphics | Apple (10-Core) | AMD Radeon 8060 | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 | Qualcomm X1 |
| OS | Windows 11 Home | macOS | Windows 11 Pro | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Pro | Windows 11 Home |
| Weight (kg) | 1.7 | 1.5 | 1.2 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 1.3 |
| Battery (Wh) | 42 | 72 | 70 | 99 | 90 | 54 |
Verdict
Buy this if you're a student or casual user who needs lots of storage and RAM for basic tasks, and you prioritize that over screen quality and battery life. It's a workhorse for documents and the web. Avoid it if you game, edit video, need all-day battery, or just want a nicer screen to look at.