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ASUS Vivobook Go 15 Review
Introduction
The ASUS Vivobook Go 15 is an affordable laptop designed for everyday use. Targeted at students, professionals, and casual users, this laptop aims to provide essential features without breaking the bank. In this review, we will explore the various aspects of the Vivobook Go 15, including its design, display, performance, thermals, battery life, and overall value.
Design and Build Quality
The ASUS Vivobook Go 15 boasts a clean and simple design. The laptop features a plastic chassis with a matte finish, giving it a minimalist and modern look. Despite its budget-friendly price, the build quality is surprisingly good, with minimal flex in the lid and keyboard deck. The Vivobook Go 15 is lightweight, weighing around 3.5 pounds, and has a slim profile, measuring just 0.78 inches at its thickest point. This makes it easy to carry around, perfect for students and professionals on the go.
The laptop is available in multiple colors, including Dreamy White, Cobalt Blue, and Bespoke Black, allowing users to choose a model that best suits their style. The lid features the distinctive Vivobook logo, adding a touch of elegance to the overall design.
Display
The Vivobook Go 15 is equipped with a 15.6-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080) display. The screen offers sharp and clear visuals with decent color accuracy and viewing angles. While it covers around 45% of the NTSC color gamut, which is lower than higher-end models, it is sufficient for everyday tasks such as web browsing, video streaming, and office applications. However, it might not be the best choice for professional photo and video editing due to its limited color accuracy.
The screen's brightness levels peak at around 250 nits, which is adequate for most indoor environments but might struggle in direct sunlight. The slim bezels on the sides and top contribute to a more immersive viewing experience and give the laptop a modern look.
Performance
The ASUS Vivobook Go 15 is powered by an Intel Pentium Silver N6000 processor, 4GB of DDR4 RAM, and Intel UHD Graphics. This hardware combination ensures that the laptop can handle basic tasks, from everyday productivity to light entertainment. However, it is not designed for heavy multitasking or demanding applications.
In benchmark tests, the Vivobook Go 15 delivered modest performance. In PCMark 10, it scored around 2,000 points, indicating that it is best suited for basic tasks such as web browsing, video streaming, and office applications. The Intel UHD Graphics, while not designed for gaming, can handle casual games and basic graphic tasks.
Real-world performance was smooth for everyday use. Applications like Microsoft Office, Google Chrome, and media players ran without significant slowdowns. However, the 4GB of RAM limits the ability to multitask efficiently, and users may experience slowdowns when running multiple applications or browser tabs simultaneously.
Thermals and Cooling
Thermal management is a crucial aspect of any laptop, and the Vivobook Go 15 handles it adequately. The laptop features a basic cooling system with a single fan and heat pipe, ensuring that the internal components remain cool during regular use. During extended workloads, the laptop remained relatively cool, with CPU temperatures staying within acceptable ranges.
The fan noise is minimal during regular use and only becomes noticeable under heavy load. ASUS has included different performance modes in the MyASUS software, allowing users to balance performance and noise levels according to their needs. The “Performance” mode maximizes hardware potential, while the “Whisper” mode reduces fan noise for quieter environments.
Keyboard and Trackpad
The Vivobook Go 15 features a full-sized keyboard with a numeric keypad, providing a comfortable typing experience. The keys have a good amount of travel and tactile feedback, making them suitable for extended typing sessions. The keyboard is not backlit, which might be a downside for users who often work in low-light conditions.
The trackpad is spacious and responsive, supporting Windows Precision drivers for accurate and smooth tracking. The integrated fingerprint reader within the trackpad provides an added layer of security and quick login via Windows Hello.
Audio
Audio quality on the Vivobook Go 15 is handled by a set of stereo speakers located on the sides of the laptop. The speakers deliver clear and loud sound with a decent amount of bass. The inclusion of ASUS SonicMaster technology enhances the overall audio experience, providing a richer and more immersive sound.
While the built-in speakers are sufficient for everyday use, audiophiles and professionals working with audio may prefer using high-quality headphones or external speakers for the best audio experience.
Battery Life
Battery life is a crucial factor for users who need to work on the go. The Vivobook Go 15 is equipped with a 37Wh battery, which provides around 5-6 hours of mixed-use battery life under normal usage scenarios, such as web browsing, video streaming, and light productivity tasks. During more demanding workloads, such as multimedia consumption or multitasking, battery life drops to around 3-4 hours.
The laptop supports fast charging, allowing the battery to reach 60% capacity in just 49 minutes. This feature is particularly useful for users who need to quickly top up their battery during breaks.
Connectivity and Ports
The Vivobook Go 15 offers a decent selection of ports to accommodate various peripherals and accessories. The laptop includes one USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A port, one USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C port, two USB 2.0 Type-A ports, an HDMI 1.4 port, a microSD card reader, and a 3.5mm headphone/microphone combo jack. The inclusion of USB-C is a significant advantage, allowing for high-speed data transfer and charging.
The laptop also features Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 4.1, ensuring fast and reliable wireless connectivity. While not the latest standards, these features are sufficient for basic web browsing and wireless peripheral use.
Software and Features
ASUS includes several useful software tools with the Vivobook Go 15, enhancing the overall user experience. The MyASUS software provides access to system settings, performance profiles, and system updates. It also includes features such as AI noise-canceling technology, which reduces background noise during video calls and recordings.
The laptop also features an integrated HD webcam with a privacy shutter, providing peace of mind for users concerned about security. The webcam’s quality is adequate for video calls and streaming, though it might not meet the standards of professional content creators who require higher-resolution cameras.
Conclusion
The ASUS Vivobook Go 15 is a budget-friendly laptop that offers a decent balance of performance, design, and value. Its sleek design, modest performance, and essential features make it an attractive option for students, professionals, and casual users who need a reliable laptop for everyday tasks.
While it may not be the most powerful option for heavy multitasking or demanding applications, its lightweight design, reasonable price point, and essential features make it a compelling choice for basic productivity and light entertainment. The main drawbacks include the limited RAM, lack of keyboard backlighting, and relatively short battery life during demanding workloads. However, these are minor trade-offs considering the overall performance and capabilities of the laptop.
With its competitive price point and essential features, the ASUS Vivobook Go 15 stands out as one of the best budget laptops in its class, delivering a reliable and stylish computing experience for a wide range of users. Whether you need a laptop for work, study, or casual use, the Vivobook Go 15 is a dependable and affordable option that is sure to meet your needs.
