A discrete GPU means the Vivobook Professional 15 affords some strong gaming efficiency, even when that’s not the primary function of this laptop computer. I examined just a few video games, similar to Cyberpunk 2077 and Marvel Rivals. As a result of it is a 40-series GPU, you will have entry to border technology, which might internet you over 90 frames per second at Extremely settings, as long as you flip off ray tracing and play at 1080p. Then again, a lighter sport like Marvel Rivals feels nice and represents the proper kind for the Vivobook Professional 15.
Battery life sadly falls in need of expectations. The mixture of these power-hungry elements and the high-resolution OLED display take lots of juice to energy. Taking part in an area video file on loop, it solely lasted 6 hours and 21 minutes earlier than dying. That was with the display at a standardized 100 lux of brightness, and the keyboard backlighting turned off. A heavier load will drain the battery pretty rapidly, so this isn’t the only option for work on the go.
Tread Rigorously
{Photograph}: Julian Chokkattu
The Vivobook Professional 15 prices $1,500, and I’ll be clear: That’s barely too costly in my guide. The OLED show is superb, and the efficiency is strong, however when you’re making an attempt to avoid wasting a buck, there are cheaper laptops that supply related efficiency.
Take the Vivobook Professional 16, which launched final yr and in addition had an RTX 4050. Due to some worth drops since its launch, you may presently buy it for $1,000. The display decision is decrease—it isn’t OLED—but it surely’s a extra trendy laptop computer because of its 16:10 show. It additionally solely comes with 16 GB of RAM as an alternative of 24 GB. However it’s additionally a $500 worth distinction. There’s additionally final yr’s Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i, which incessantly dips to $1,350, additionally comes with the RTX 4050, and is the same dimension. You don’t get OLED, but it surely features a larger decision IPS touchscreen panel with a quicker 165-Hz refresh price to make up for it.
Finally, the issue with the Vivobook Professional 16’s worth proposition is the shortage of a brand new GPU onboard. The generational CPU improve this yr probably received’t make an enormous distinction over the prior Intel chip, and because it makes use of the identical graphics card, it’s arduous to make a case for paying this way more. That’s very true for the reason that RTX 5050 may be just a few months away. The standard of the OLED nonetheless makes it stand out—if solely it weren’t in an outdated side ratio.
