Review – ASUS VivoBook S15 S530U
6 min read
ASUS VivoBook S15 S530U (i5, 256GB)
RM3299
Pros
- Good build quality
- Beautiful design
- Thin and light weight
- IPS 1080p display
- Robust keyboard with white backlight
- Wide range of IO ports
- Good performance & cooling
- User upgradable (RAM, SSD)
- Great value for thin & light laptop
Cons
- 4GB RAM only
- microSD card reader only
- Hollow-ish trackpad
The new ASUS VivoBook S15 S530U was introduced back in Computex 2018 and the Taiwanese company has decided to inject some colourful elements into the VivoBook family. Two months after the announcement, users in Malaysia finally can get their hands on the brand new ASUS VivoBook.
Specs – ASUS VivoBook S15 S530U
- Intel Core i5-8250U
- 4GB DDR4 2400MHz
- NVIDIA GeForce MX150 2GB GDDR5
- 256GB SATA III SSD + 1TB 5400rpm HDD
- 15.6″ NanoEdge Display Full HD (1920 X 1080) IPS
- 42Wh battery, 65Wh charger
- 1.6KG
Design & Build Quality
The design, as you can see, is eye-catching. I love how this Firmament Green colour option matches the dark metallic green with lime green ascents along the side. The texture on the wrist rest is looking exceptionally classy.
The chassis is thin and lightweight, just like the previous VivoBooks. What’s new is this ErgoLift hinge display kickstand where it raises the keyboard for better typing ergonomics as well as improving the airflow under the laptop. But if you always use a laptop on your lap, you might find that the ErgoLift hinge is biting into your knees.
Cold air is taken in from the bottom and then exhausted from the top. Acoustically, it is not the best since the display is reflecting the fan noise back to the user.
On the right side of the laptop, we have 2 USB 3.1 gen1 port, 1 Type-A and 1 Type-C. Unfortunately, the Type-C port we have here does not support Thunderbolt 3 and you cannot charge the laptop using a Type-C charger. There are HDMI and 3.5mm audio combo jack.
On the left side of the laptop, you’ll find 2 more USB Type-A port, just that they’re USB 2.0. The card reader only accepts the microSD card. I’m pretty sure ASUS could’ve put in a standard SD card reader there.
The construction of the laptop feels robust and typing on it gives you a solid feedback. The keyboard may not be the best I’ve ever tried, but it is something I don’t mind using all day long.
The touchpad has a built-in fingerprint reader that supports Windows Hello. Tracking is excellent with Windows Precision Driver just that the clicking feel is still the subpar mechanical style. Besides, the bottom of the touchpad feels kinda hollow.
Display
The NanoEdge display is impressive as always. ASUS still keeps the webcam at the top bezel while maintaining the minimum bezel thickness. The IPS panel has 1080p Full HD resolution. Image details are great, as expected from a Full HD panel. The IPS panel may not be of the highest quality, but the wide viewing angle and crisp colours would definitely worth every cent you paid for a laptop of this budget range.
Speaker
The stereo speakers are placed at the bottom of the laptop, facing out left and right. While they lack in volume but surprisingly, they sound rather detailed despite the slim form factor of the laptop. I guess the ErgoLift also helps to improve the audio quality when you use the laptop on a flat surface.
Performance
In terms of performance, this model we have here comes with 8th Gen Intel Core i5 processor with 4GB RAM. While 4GB is not exactly what I would say sufficient for our kind of multitasking use, but for light web browsing, office work and casual gaming, it should not be a problem. That being said, users can upgrade the RAM since the motherboard has 2 DIMM slots. Still, we really hope that at least 8GB RAM would come with the base model.
Speaking of gaming, the VivoBook S15 S530U now comes with a dedicated GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce MX150. Mind you that the MX150 has great performance, almost as good as a desktop-class NVIDIA GeForce GT 1030. I’m not saying you can max out all the settings on PUBG but at least some of those games are playable at lowered or medium settings. Besides, there are a lot of limitations for a GPU to fully perform in a laptop, for instance, cooling capabilities.
Another impressive addition to the S530U is the 1TB mechanical hard disk alongside with the SATA SSD. This particular model we have here comes with 256GB SSD and 1TB HDD. The base model comes with 128GB SSD + 1TB HDD. That means users now have a fast and responsive system with plenty of internal storage.
Battery Life
The laptop comes with a 42Wh 3-cell battery. Combined with the power-efficient Intel Core i5-8250U processor, I’m getting around 7 hours of battery life on Google Chrome typing articles and Facebooking. When you fire up a game, the MX150 will kick in and start churning out the frames and empty the battery in around 2 hours.
Final Words
ASUS has surprised us with the refreshed Vivobook. I love the new design and its colour options. The overall build quality is really outstanding despite the chassis is mostly made of plastic. One thing I don’t like is the fact that ASUS is replacing the SD card reader for a microSD card reader.
Most importantly, the suggested retail price has not changed much comparing to the previous generation:
- RM2899 for Intel Core i5, MX150, 4GB, 128GB+1TB
- RM3299 for Intel Core i5, MX150, 4GB, 256GB+1TB
- RM3899 for Intel Core i7, MX150, 4GB, 256GB+1TB
Some might comment that the laptop is way overpriced with just 4GB RAM, 256GB SSD and MX150 graphics. For a laptop purchase, one has to factor in multiple aspects that make the laptop stand out from the rest. In this case, the ASUS Vivobook family has always put the focus on portability, design and reasonable performance.
Half the price of those XPS and ZenBooks, these are the laptops for those who are looking for a thin and lightweight laptop that has a reasonable performance for everyday computing without breaking their bank.
