ASUS VivoBook ASUS VivoBook Flip 14 Thin and Light 2-in-1 Review

Looking for a 2-in-1 laptop that's thin, light, and won't break the bank? The ASUS VivoBook Flip 14 is a solid contender. It's built around a 14-inch 1080p touchscreen that folds back into a tablet, and it comes with a backlit keyboard and a decent 512GB SSD. The AMD 4700U processor inside is an 8-core chip, which is great for multitasking, and it's paired with a discrete AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme GPU for a bit of extra graphical punch. This puts it in a unique spot for a convertible, offering more graphics power than the typical integrated chip you'd find in most models. People often ask, 'is this good for students or light gaming?' Based on its specs, it's positioned right in that middle ground.

Let's talk numbers. The AMD 4700U CPU lands in the 29th percentile for its class, which means it's competent for everyday tasks but not a speed demon. You can handle web browsing, office apps, and streaming without a hitch. The real story is the GPU. That discrete Ryzen Z1 Extreme pushes graphics performance to the 64th percentile. In practice, this means you can play older AAA titles or popular esports games like Fortnite or Valorant at medium settings and get playable frame rates. It's not a dedicated gaming laptop, but for a 2-in-1, it's a nice bonus. The 4GB of RAM, however, is a major bottleneck. It's in the 2nd percentile, which is frankly terrible for 2024. You'll feel this slowdown if you try to run too many apps at once or work with large files.

The value proposition here is tricky. If you can find this VivoBook Flip 14 at a deep discount, the discrete GPU and convertible form factor might be appealing for very specific, light-use cases. However, at any near-standard price, it's hard to recommend. The 4GB of RAM alone makes it a non-starter for most people in 2024, as even basic multitasking will be a struggle. You'd be much better served by a modern laptop with integrated graphics and 8GB or 16GB of RAM for the same or less money.

Compared directly to its peers, the weaknesses become clear. The Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 6, while more expensive, offers far better build quality, a professional-grade keyboard, and configurations with much more RAM. The ASUS Zenbook Duo is in another league for multitasking with its dual-screen design, though it costs more. If you're considering this for light gaming, the MSI Vector 16 or Gigabyte AORUS 16 are true gaming laptops with vastly superior performance, but they're heavier and not convertibles. For most students or general users, even a base model Apple MacBook Pro with an M-series chip would provide a smoother, longer-lasting experience, despite the higher price and different OS.

Should you buy the ASUS VivoBook Flip 14? In almost all cases, no. The dealbreaker is the 4GB of RAM. It cripples what is otherwise a fairly capable portable 2-in-1 with a useful discrete GPU. This laptop might have made sense five years ago, but today it's fundamentally under-specced for Windows 11 and modern applications. Only consider it if you find it for an absolute steal (think under $300) and your usage is incredibly basic—literally just one app at a time and some web browsing. For everyone else, spend a little more on a laptop that won't frustrate you from day one.