ASUS ASUS - Vivobook 16 16" FHD+ Laptop - Copilot+ PC - AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 with 16GB Memory - 512GB SSD - Quiet Blue Review

The ASUS Vivobook 16 Copilot+ PC is a budget 16-inch laptop with a great selection of ports and new AI features, but its processor and graphics performance are underwhelming. It's fine for basic tasks but not for gaming or demanding work. At around $500, it's a trade-off between screen size and power.

The ASUS Vivobook 16 is one of the first Copilot+ PCs hitting the market, and it's aimed squarely at the budget-conscious crowd looking for a big-screen daily driver. At around $500, it's a 16-inch laptop with a 1920x1200 display, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. The headline feature is the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 processor, which packs a dedicated NPU for AI tasks like Recall and Live Captions. If you're searching for a cheap Windows laptop with AI features or a large-screen budget workhorse, this is definitely on the list.

Let's talk about what those specs actually mean. The AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 is a 4-core chip. In our database, its CPU performance sits in the 23rd percentile, which means it falls behind most modern processors. For everyday tasks like web browsing, document editing, and video streaming, it'll be fine. But if you're hoping to do serious multitasking or any kind of content creation, you'll feel the limits. The integrated AMD Radeon graphics are even weaker, ranking in the 18th percentile. This thing is not good for gaming, and that's not just our opinion. The gaming score in our system is a dismal 10.8 out of 100. So, while the NPU might handle AI features smoothly, the core computing power is underwhelming.

At $500, the Vivobook 16 is cheap. The value proposition is its large screen and extensive ports at a low price. You're trading core performance for those features. If your budget is strict and you just need a big screen for basic tasks and web browsing, it's an option. But if you can stretch your budget a bit, there are alternatives that offer much better performance for similar money.

This sits in a weird spot. Compared to a base model Microsoft Surface Laptop (Copilot+ PC), you get a much bigger screen and more ports for less money, but the Surface will likely feel more polished and have a better screen. Compared to a Lenovo Legion or MSI Creator laptop, those are completely different machines focused on gaming or creation, with far superior CPUs and GPUs, but they cost much more. The most direct competitor might be a standard Vivobook or an older Intel/AMD laptop without the AI NPU. You could get better general performance from those at the same price, but you'd miss out on the Copilot+ features like Recall.

Skip this if you need performance. Developers, content creators, students running engineering software, or anyone who plays games should look elsewhere. Its CPU and GPU are its weakest points. Also skip it if you want a premium, compact laptop. This is big and built to a budget. Consider a more powerful standard Vivobook, a Lenovo IdeaPad, or even a used business laptop if you need more speed for your $500.

Should you buy this? Only if your needs are very specific. If you absolutely need a 16-inch screen and a ton of USB ports for under $500, and your computing tasks are light (email, web, documents), then it's a passable choice. The AI features are a bonus, but they don't make up for the weak processor. For almost everyone else, especially students who might need more power for projects or developers needing a faster machine, this isn't the right pick. The performance just isn't good enough to recommend broadly.