The ASUS Zenbook series is known for its slim design, lightweight form factor, strong performance, and exceptional battery life. It is ideal for professional users and people who are constantly working on the go. The Vivobook series, on the other hand, is more for regular users who need a notebook for everyday tasks like scrolling the web, consuming content, streaming media, and working on documents. The Vivobook series is significantly cheaper compared to the Zenbook series but still offers decent performance, similar battery life, and has most of the features of the Zenbook series.
ASUS VivoBook S15 OLED: Build and Design
The ASUS VivoBook S15 OLED comes with an all-metal unibody design that not only looks premium but also feels sturdy. The lid has a matte finish, and the ASUS logo is embossed on the top, which adds to the aesthetics of the device. The eye-catching design is a conversation starter when you put it on the table. The device has a slim profile and weighs only about 1.70 kg, making it easy to take on the go. Although the device has a 15.6-inch display, it is compact enough to be easily carried in a bag thanks to its narrow bezels and sleek profile. The hinge can be rotated up to 180 degrees. During our test, we found that the hinge is solid enough and can survive a longer life without any problems.
ASUS VivoBook S15 OLED: Display
The display is the most prominent part or the USP of this device. The ASUS Vivobook S15 OLED features a 15.6 Full HD (1920 x 1080) OLED panel with a 16:9 aspect ratio, which the brand likes to call the ASUS Lumina OLED. The bezels are very thin, which is to be expected from a modern notebook, making it ideal for work and play. The display can reach a peak brightness of up to 600 nits while maintaining color accuracy and power efficiency. The screen is Pantone-validated, VESA DisplayHDR True Black 600-certified, and even offers support for Dolby Vision. Features like Auto-HDR and DC dimming support are also present, which can turn many heads and attract attention.
The ASUS Vivobook S15 OLED has exceptional color accuracy with a 100% DCI-P3 color gamut. The device also offers an impressive 1000000:1 contrast ratio, with perfect blacks and vibrant colors that stand out and offer lifelike colors. In addition, the device is pre-calibrated at the factory, eliminating the need to calibrate the screen manually and allowing users to enjoy accurate and consistent color reproduction without any additional effort. Although the Vivobook S15 OLED still ships with a standard refresh rate of 60 Hz, which is quite disappointing in 2023 and could be a major letdown for some, we can assure you that it is still a sharp display that offers a smooth and fluid visual experience. The refresh rate of 60 Hz is more than sufficient for most everyday tasks and is well-suited for those who care more about image quality and color accuracy than pure refresh rate. The device’s OLED display technology also provides exceptional contrast and deep blacks, further enhancing the visual experience. While some users may prefer higher refresh rates, the ASUS Vivobook S15 OLED remains a top choice for those who value display quality and accuracy above all else. One minor drawback to this excellent display is that ASUS opted for a glossy, textured panel that attracts fingerprints and makes it difficult for users to avoid accidental smudges. That being said, the viewing angles are excellent on this device. Overall, ASUS has packed so much into the device that we can not stop talking about the display.
ASUS VivoBook S15 OLED: Performance
On the performance side, the brand new ASUS Vivobook S15 OLED meets all the requirements, and on paper, it’s a complete package if you are looking for a new laptop. Our unit of the Vivobook S15 OLED (K5504VA) is equipped with the latest Intel Core i5-13500H Raptor Lake processor of the 13th generation. The processor is clocked at 2.6 GHz (base frequency) and can go up to 4.7 GHz (maximum frequency) during peak load.
As for the working memory, even the base variant of the Vivobook S15 OLED has equipped with 16 GB of DDR5 RAM clocked at 4800 MHz, which looks very promising on paper (8 GB from two sticks in dual-channel configuration). The Intel Iris Xe graphics card drives the display and handles the GPU-intensive tasks on this device. The processor also has its own 18 MB L1 cache, which in turn ensures faster trunk times and transfer of data from memory to the processor. In terms of specifications, the Intel Core i5 13500H is based on the latest 10nm manufacturing process with 12 cores (4 performance cores & 8 efficient cores) and 16 threads.
During our rigorous testing, we ran some benchmarks first, and the device survived all tests without any significant heating issues. For the benchmarks, we used GeekBench 6 and Cinebench R23, in case you were wondering. Following the benchmark tests, we turned our attention to gaming. We tried playing GTA V on medium and low settings. Although this isn’t a gaming notebook and doesn’t have a dedicated GPU, the integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics was able to play the game very well, giving us consistent frame rates between 30-40 FPS.
1080P, everything set to low: 25-30 FPS 720P, everything set to low: 35-40 FPS
Crystal DiskMark 8 was used to evaluate the internal performance of the drive. In our case, it’s an internal Micron 512GB M.2 NVMe, PCIe 4.0 SSD.
ASUS VivoBook S15 OLED: Keyboard and Trackpad
The Vivobook S15 is equipped with ASUS’ ErgoSense keyboard, which offers a full-size layout. The keys are well laid out, and the typing feel is by far the best we have experienced in recent times. The keys are backlit and are comfortable to use even when typing for extended periods of time. The function keys are located at the top, and ASUS has managed to give us a full set of numeric keys by moving the speakers from the top to the bottom. The power button is located on the top right of the keyboard and doubles as a fingerprint scanner, scanning the fingerprint as soon as you press it to turn on the device. The escape key and enter key have orange and white accents, which is a nice subtle change that we noticed. The trackpad of the ASUS VivoBook S15 OLED is located in the center. It’s made entirely of glass, which gives it a premium feel and allows for smooth and precise cursor movement. It also supports Windows Precision drivers that allow a wide range of gestures, including two-finger scrolling, pinching, and three-finger swiping to switch between applications.
ASUS VivoBook S15 OLED: Thermal and Cooling
The Intel Core i5-13500H is the drive of the entire system. It is specified with a base power of 45W TDP and can consume a total of 95W TDP at peak performance. The ASUS VivoBook S15 OLED features a unique dual vent design that dissipates heat from the processor more efficiently. The thermal management system is well thought out and provides adequate thermal performance without generating a lot of noise. ASUS has improved the cooling system by increasing the overall thickness of the heat pipes and adding additional copper layers for faster heat transfer. Our tests found that the device maintained reasonable temperatures even during heavy use and did not throttle. However, the fan can get noisy at times, so we recommend using the unit on an elevated surface to allow the fan to operate at a higher speed to dissipate heat faster.
ASUS VivoBook S15 OLED: I/O Ports and Connectivity
In terms of networking and connectivity, the device features the latest dual-band Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) and Bluetooth® 5.3, which also supports Microsoft’s Swift Pair technology for faster device pairing. The device has a full suite of I/O ports located on both sides of the device. Below is a complete list of ports for your reference: Left Side
Single USB Type-A port (USB 2.0) LED indicators which represent charging and system activity
Right Side
DC in port for charging 1 x HDMI 1.4 port 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A port 1 x Thunderbolt 4 USB-C port Audio combo jack
It’s strange to see ASUS marketing this device by targeting content creators and business people but not offering SD card slots and Ethernet ports.
ASUS VivoBook S15 OLED: Camera, Mic & Audio
The integrated display of this laptop houses a 2.1 MP 1080P webcam that lets you take photos and videos in full HD at up to 60 FPS. The quality might not be perfect when compared to a smartphone’s front-facing camera, but it serves its purpose, and there’s not much to complain about. As for privacy, there is a privacy shutter for the front camera and even a hardware-level feature that can completely restrict access to the camera and microphone. ASUS also has a few new tricks up its sleeve with the introduction of AI-based software features like the noise-canceling microphone and the AI Sense camera that can be activated via the MyASUS app. Although the device is equipped with IR sensors to support Windows Hello functionality, we, unfortunately, had trouble getting it to work despite trying various workarounds. A clean Windows installation could work, but we wanted to save ourselves all this trouble. The ASUS Vivobook S15 OLED is equipped with two down-firing speakers that deliver powerful and impressive sound for a stereo playback experience. The speakers are tuned by Harman Kardon and deliver a decent volume that ensures the sound is audible in most environments. ASUS has also added a dedicated smart amplifier for better sound quality, additional support for Dolby Atmos, and ASUS Audio Booster. The overall sound signature was good, and we actually preferred to watch content on this device through the built-in speaker setup rather than pairing it with another speaker accessory.
ASUS VivoBook S15 OLED: Software Experience
On the software side, Windows 11 Home Edition is pre-installed on all devices. ASUS has also included a lifetime free subscription to Microsoft Office 2021 Home & Student. Before testing, we made sure everything was up to date, and all the latest drivers were installed. We had Windows 11 22H2 with the latest April 2023 security updates installed. During our tests, we did not notice any UI delays, major BSODs (Blue Screen Of Death), or jerks, and everything ran smoothly. What sets it apart from the rest of the OEMs is the inclusion of what ASUS calls the MyASUS app, which offers various customization options while adding feature modules. One notable aspect that sets it apart from other OEMs is the MyASUS app, which offers a number of customization options and feature modules, making the overall user experience far better and more enjoyable. With the device, you also get a full year of McAfee Internet Security. However, we recommend uninstalling it and using Microsoft Defender to avoid slowing down the system.
ASUS VivoBook S15 OLED: Battery Life
The battery is a key area where most budget and even high-end ultrabooks have fallen behind Apple’s macOS-based offerings and cannot keep up with Windows.
The ASUS Vivobook S15 OLED features a 75 Wh battery, which is a 7% increase over previous models. The device also has Intel EVO certification, which means that the battery, while not the best, is impressive and outperforms the competition. ASUS claims that the battery life is long enough to last a full day easily. In our tests, we were actually surprised that the battery lasted 8-10 hours with moderate use and ideal conditions. ASUS also packed a proprietary 90W charger in the box that can fully charge the device from 0-100% in about an hour and 30 minutes (90 minutes) or from 0-50% in an hour. We would have liked to see USB Type-C charging support become standard on laptops, but again, ASUS has to be commended for making the charger small and compact enough to take on the go when needed. Even after leaving the device on and closing the lid to put it into sleep mode, we were impressed that the device had only lost about 2-3% of its charge even after a full day (24 hours). This shows how efficiently ASUS has optimized the device’s battery performance, which is especially beneficial for users who need to use their devices throughout the day without access to a power outlet. The minimal battery power during idle shows that users can confidently close the device and leave it for longer periods of time without worrying about running out of battery.
ASUS VivoBook S15 OLED Review: Verdict
Overall, the ASUS Vivobook S15 OLED is an excellent choice for creatives who demand the highest color accuracy and display quality in their work. It is still a compelling device that offers excellent performance, style, and mobility. The device is equipped with the latest and greatest hardware and has Evo certification from Intel, which means it is optimized for excellent performance and battery life. The device also comes with a number of additional features, such as an integrated fingerprint sensor, support for Windows Hello, compatibility with MyASUS apps, and many other small improvements that make up the overall package. In our opinion, the Asus VivoBook S15 OLED is an excellent all-around device that offers a fantastic balance of features, performance, and value. Although the device has shortcomings in some areas, such as the lack of a dedicated GPU, an average webcam, and the quality of the speakers, which ASUS can work on and improve in future versions, it still offers great value for its price range. If you create content or value color accuracy, this device is definitely worth considering. Buy ASUS Vivobook S15 OLED (India) Buy ASUS Vivobook S15 OLED (USA)
