ASUS ASUS - Vivobook 16" FHD+ Laptop - Intel Core 5 with 16GB Memory - 512GB SSD - Indie Black Review

The ASUS Vivobook 16 is a budget-friendly 16-inch laptop best for basic tasks. It offers a large screen and good portability, but its processor, graphics, and display performance are only average. It's not suitable for gaming or demanding creative work.

If you're looking for a big-screen laptop for basic tasks and don't want to spend a fortune, the ASUS Vivobook 16 is a pretty straightforward option. It's a 16-inch Windows laptop with an Intel Core 5 120U processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD, all for around $700. That price puts it squarely in the budget-to-midrange category for large laptops. The main draw here is the screen size – you get a lot of workspace without the laptop being overly heavy at 1.88kg. It's designed for everyday stuff: web browsing, office work, streaming videos, and maybe some light photo editing.

The Intel Core 5 120U processor is a 10-core chip, but its performance lands in the 40th percentile in our database. That means it's about average for laptops in this price range. It'll handle your daily tasks fine, but you'll feel it slow down if you try to run multiple demanding apps at once or edit large files. The integrated Intel Graphics are also middle-of-the-pack (53rd percentile), so it's not built for gaming or serious video work. The 16GB of RAM is a solid amount for multitasking, though its speed (DDR4) is a bit behind newer systems. The 512GB SSD is decent for storage, but it's not the fastest option available. For basic productivity and entertainment, it's perfectly capable, but it won't wow you with speed.

At $700, the Vivobook 16 sits in a crowded spot. You're paying for the large screen and decent port selection, but the core components – the CPU, GPU, and display – are all pretty basic. For the same money, you could find laptops with better processors, nicer screens, or more compact designs. It's not a bad deal if the big screen is your top priority, but you're not getting standout performance for your dollar.

Compared to something like the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i, which is a gaming laptop, the Vivobook 16 is a completely different animal. The Legion will crush it in performance but cost more and be heavier. The Microsoft Surface Laptop (Copilot+ PC) is a more direct competitor in the 'nice everyday laptop' category. It'll likely have a much better build quality, screen, and battery life, but it'll also cost significantly more. If you want a big screen on a budget, this Vivobook has an edge over more premium 13 or 14-inch models like the ASUS ProArt PX13 or the MSI Creator M14, but those smaller laptops will offer far better performance and displays for creative work.

Skip this laptop if you're a student or professional needing speed for coding, data analysis, or creative apps. Developers and content creators will find it too slow. Gamers should obviously look elsewhere. Also, if you value a bright, beautiful screen or long battery life, this isn't for you. For those needs, consider laptops with better processors (like AMD Ryzen or Intel Core 7 series), dedicated graphics, or OLED screens, even if they're smaller.

Should you buy this? Only if your needs are very specific. If you absolutely want a 16-inch screen for basic web browsing, document work, and video streaming, and you need it to be relatively portable and under $800, then this Vivobook 16 is a viable choice. But if you care about performance, screen quality, battery life, or doing anything beyond light tasks, you should look elsewhere. It's a compromise laptop that prioritizes screen size over everything else.