The Asus Vivobook S14, released in 2022, is part of the company’s Vivobook S series and is a laptop emphasizing display and performance. If you haven’t heard much about this laptop, it’s probably because the Asus Zenbook 14X OLED Space Edition has been stealing the show. While the Asus Vivobook S14 isn’t as well-known as its more famous sister, it still stands out and creates an impression.We evaluated a model of the ASUS Vivobook S14 S4302 powered by an Intel Core i7 processor from the latest generation. One may also get the Core i5-12500H, which is an i5 version. Both versions share a 14-inch OLED display and 16 GB of RAM. We have tested the ASUS Vivobook S14 for over two weeks, and here’s our review.
The ASUS Vivobook S series promotes itself as a lightweight and thin laptop option. Though not precisely thin at 1.5 kilograms and 18.9 millimeters, you give it some thought. The laptop is available in three different colours—Brave Green, Indie Black, and Neutral Gray—and all of them have a matte surface. I was prepared with the inky black shade.The S14 from the previous year featured a simple lid with an engraved Asus logo. However, Asus decided to make a change this year, and the company now includes a badge-like logo design in the upper left corner of the laptop. The logo is somewhat bigger this year, which may be a turnoff for some users who prefer a more understated aesthetic on their laptops.However, the laptop is littered with similar easter eggs, so this isn’t the end of the identity saga. As you lift the cover, you’ll see that the Enter key is black with a white stripe towards the bottom, while the Esc key is a vibrant red.In terms of design, the laptop’s body has a really smooth texture that’s pleasant to the touch. The laptop’s lid featured a more flimsy, cheap-feeling plastic construction than the rest of the device. The Asus Vivobook S14 is a versatile laptop thanks to its 180-degree hinge, which allows for comfortable use in a wide range of positions.
The Asus Vivobook S14 has a 3.5mm headphone jack, two USB Type-A ports, one HDMI 2.0 connector, and two Thunderbolt 4 connections. It’s frustrating that, for the price, there are no MicroSD card slots. Furthermore, a fingerprint reader may be used to access the device.ALSO READ: ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 15 G533QS Review: The Best of Both Worlds!
ASUS VivoBook S14: Display
The laptop’s 14-inch OLED screen has a resolution of 2.8K (2880 x 1800), covers the full range of colours in the DCI-P3 standard (100%), and is bright enough (600 nits) for outdoor use. Because of the high refresh rate, I could spend my free time leisurely browsing social media without any lag whatsoever.Several reputable organizations have given their stamps of approval, including VESA DisplayHDR True Black, TUV, and Pantone. These factors result in stunning graphics with crisp, clear text, eye-catching images, and rich, velvety blacks.
ASUS VivoBook S14: Keyboard & Trackpad
The function keys on the Vivobook S14 are located in the top row of the keyboard, and the power and delete keys have been switched to avoid inadvertent shutoff. The keys of the Vivobook S14 provide satisfying tactile feedback, making for a pleasant typing experience. There is three-level lighting on the keyboard as well. A fingerprint scanner built into the power button can unlock the device in a flash.You can quickly scroll with the help of the trackpad’s size. We saw zero issues with the trackpad’s functionality, and all of the click buttons responded as expected. After using a laptop for a while, the trackpad may become warm to the touch.There wasn’t much to see when it came to the camera, a generic one; however, it was sufficient for meetings. If you need to seem professional on camera, you should go elsewhere. The laptop’s audio was only adequate to round things out. Speakers are powerful but lack depth and richness.
ASUS VivoBook S14: Performance
The Asus Vivobook S14 has a 512GB PCIe Gen 4 SSD, 16GB of LPDDR4 RAM, and an Intel Core i7-12700H CPU. It also contains a GPU, the Intel Iris Xe, which can handle graphically demanding tasks. This laptop is potent compared to others in its price range based on the basic specs.However, I encountered a few hiccups in its performance, which usually manifested themselves while I was trying to do many things at once. Suppose you had multiple tabs open in Google Chrome, a video playing, WhatsApp, Telegram, and Spotify.In that case, you may have noticed that your computer slowed down momentarily while you switched between these applications. There was no challenge to using a single application, and the laptop took anything you threw at it without any issue.ALSO READ: ASUS VivoBook 17 Review: A Portable Desktop Replacement
ASUS VivoBook S14: Battery
The battery that powers the laptop is rather enormous, clocking in at 70Wh. On a full charge, I could get between 6-7 hours of normal usage out of the laptop. This, of course, varied with the intensity with which I was using it.Using the bundled 90-W charger, the Vivobook S14 can be fully charged from 0–100% in about 95 minutes.
Verdict
One of its many strengths is its high-quality OLED display, which the ASUS Vivobook S14 proudly displays. The ASUS Vivobook S14 is a wonderful option because of its compact size, excellent performance, and great battery life.The ASUS Vivobook is priced at Rs 75,000 for the i5 model and Rs 95,000 for the i7 model, respectively, and yes, it doesn’t fall under the affordability category. Is the price justified? When you can probably get MSI GF75 Thin, for me, it is, especially in design and battery life.
However, the laptop is littered with similar easter eggs, so this isn’t the end of the identity saga. As you lift the cover, you’ll see that the Enter key is black with a white stripe towards the bottom, while the Esc key is a vibrant red.
In terms of design, the laptop’s body has a really smooth texture that’s pleasant to the touch. The laptop’s lid featured a more flimsy, cheap-feeling plastic construction than the rest of the device. The Asus Vivobook S14 is a versatile laptop thanks to its 180-degree hinge, which allows for comfortable use in a wide range of positions.
Several reputable organizations have given their stamps of approval, including VESA DisplayHDR True Black, TUV, and Pantone. These factors result in stunning graphics with crisp, clear text, eye-catching images, and rich, velvety blacks.
You can quickly scroll with the help of the trackpad’s size. We saw zero issues with the trackpad’s functionality, and all of the click buttons responded as expected. After using a laptop for a while, the trackpad may become warm to the touch.
There wasn’t much to see when it came to the camera, a generic one; however, it was sufficient for meetings. If you need to seem professional on camera, you should go elsewhere. The laptop’s audio was only adequate to round things out. Speakers are powerful but lack depth and richness.
However, I encountered a few hiccups in its performance, which usually manifested themselves while I was trying to do many things at once. Suppose you had multiple tabs open in Google Chrome, a video playing, WhatsApp, Telegram, and Spotify.In that case, you may have noticed that your computer slowed down momentarily while you switched between these applications. There was no challenge to using a single application, and the laptop took anything you threw at it without any issue.ALSO READ: ASUS VivoBook 17 Review: A Portable Desktop Replacement
The battery that powers the laptop is rather enormous, clocking in at 70Wh. On a full charge, I could get between 6-7 hours of normal usage out of the laptop. This, of course, varied with the intensity with which I was using it.
Using the bundled 90-W charger, the Vivobook S14 can be fully charged from 0–100% in about 95 minutes.
The ASUS Vivobook is priced at Rs 75,000 for the i5 model and Rs 95,000 for the i7 model, respectively, and yes, it doesn’t fall under the affordability category. Is the price justified? When you can probably get MSI GF75 Thin, for me, it is, especially in design and battery life.