Asus VivoBook X507 Review

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Just like the budget smartphone market, budget laptop market is going through a change. Companies have started noticing the first time buyers and their needs. Asus, one of the biggest PC component and Laptop maker has released the budget variant of their very famous VivoBook series in India.

The new VivoBook X507 is being offered with a wide range of options catering to budget and mid-level users. The base variant comes in with a intel Celeron processor and integrated graphics to 6th Generation Intel Core i3 with Nvidia MX110 GPU.

We have the Intel Core i3 variant with integrated graphics for review.

Let’s dive in the review.

ASUS VivoBook X507 – EJ215T Specification

Processor: Intel Core i3-6006U

Graphics adapter: Intel HD Graphics 520

Memory:  4GB , DDR4-2400, 1 of 1 slot occupied (8GB Max)

Display: 15.6 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 141 PPI, IPS LED, glossy: NO

Mainboard: Intel Kaby Lake-U PCH

Storage:  1 TB (5400rpm) HDD, 1 M.2 SSD slot

Connections: 2 USB 2.0, 1 USB 3.1 (Type A), 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: Combo audio, Card Reader: microSD card, 1 Fingerprint Reader

Networking: Wifi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0

Battery: 33 Wh Lithium-Polymer (2 cell)

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit

Camera: Webcam: 720p

Additional features: Speakers: Stereo, Keyboard: 6 row chiclet, Keyboard Light: No

Weight:  1.63 kg

Price: Effective Price After Cashback Rs 24,990

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Box Contents

A complete list of items you get inside the box :

  • Asus VivoBook X507
  • Charging Brick
  • Warranty and User Guide

Design

Asus has certainly worked on the design, the laptop feels sturdy and well built. This certainly has the feel that the other VivoBook products provide. Asus has gone with 2 texture design, where in the top have of the base covering the keyboard has a dotted texture while the lower half has a brushed pattern with straight lines.

The display lid has a similar brushed aluminum pattern. The VivoBook X507 is available in two colors “Icicle Gold” and “Star Grey”. Asus has gone with a two tone color as well, where the lid has a grey coat on it with a hint of blue, while the base is silver. On the whole the entire construction is done in plastic (which is to be expected at this price) but the plastic is of very high quality.

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Coming to the lid and hinge, there is a slight amount of flex in the lid and that is to be expected in this price bracket. Hinge is perfectly balanced not too tight nor loose. The laptop is slim and light at 21.9mm and 1.68kg respectively when compared to other laptops in this price bracket.

For the limited time we had this laptop, we didn’t see any visible signs of wear.

Connections

This is the area where Asus has taken a modern approach, they have removed all the legacy connectivity options. The VGA connector is missing, so does the disc drive. On the left side, there’s a USB 3.1 port Type A, a HDMI slot, a USB 2.0, an audio jack, charging port and a microSD card slot. While on the left side there’s a single USB 2.0 port and Kensington lock.

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We wish Asus could have added in a USB Type C port as well, since the price of X507 series goes well beyond Rs 30,000. Asus is probably compensating it with an M.2 SSD slot which can take upto 256GB SSD drive.

Software

The Asus VivoBook X507 comes with the Windows 10 Home out of the box. We would recommend you to upgrade the Windows to the Pro version, which has additional functionalities and performs better over time. Every OEM out there adds a bunch of software/bloatware to product and Asus is no different.

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We some found some of the software useful, for instance there’s the ‘Asus Battery Health Charging’ which takes care of the power and battery management, Smart Audio lets you configure the audio input settings. But then there are software like Asus Gift Box, McAfee that just are not relevant.

Keyboard & Touchpad

Asus has always created one of the best keyboards for laptops and VivoBook X507 is no exception. Its got adequately placed keys with the travel distance merely 1.4 mm which is good considering the size of the keyboard. The pressure point and resistance are well adjusted and typing on the keyboard is a breeze.

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The only thing missing in the keyboard is the backlit keys, which can be passed on considering the price. We feel like Asus didn’t plan to add a numpad but planned to add it at the last minute because the numpad keys look so out of place.

Coming to the touchpad, Asus has equipped the VivoBook X507 with an ample ized touchpad. We were surprised to find out that Asus is using Windows Precision Drivers, which are hardly found in laptops at this price. The Windows Precision Drivers gives added ability to use gestures, like 3 finger swipe to change desktop, 3 finger touch to launch Cortana. This touchpad also houses a fingerprint reader which is located on the right side corner like you might find on the more expensive VivoBook S15.

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The fingerprint sensor uses 360° recognition function which improves scanning accuracy and improves over time.

Display

The 15.6-inch display has an FHD resolution of 1920×1080 pixels with a density of 141 pixels per inch which you won’t find in any other laptop at this price point. The display gets fairly bright and usage in harsh lighting won’t be an issue. Asus has  supplied in their Splendid Display technology to tweak color and other settings in the display. Asus is calling this a NanoEdge Display due to the minimal bezels but there are still thick bezels on the top and bottom to accommodate the webcam and Asus logo respectively.

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Though on paper the VivoBook X507 has a 178° wide viewing angle display, but that’s not the case in real usage. We noticed color shift and discoloration even if the display was a little tilted.

On the bright size Asus has gone with a matte finish display, so you won’t notice any glaring.

Performance

The performance on the VivoBook X507 is just average. We wish Asus would have given a choice in the processors. The unit we tested has the, 6th Generation Intel Core i3 6006U, though this processor is very common in this price range, but its clearly aged now. After the latest Window 10 April update, the performance has been seriously hit. The laptop is sluggish at times, multitasking has also been hit.

We would recommend upgrading the RAM to 8GB so that some of these issues can be eliminated. The Core i3 6006U has been very well optimized for better battery usage and thermals. The 6006U belongs to the Intel KabyLake processor family and comes bundled with the Intel HD 520 integrated graphics.

The drive used here is a standard HDD running at 5400 RPM. The read and write speeds are in the range of 100 MB/s. Asus has provided a M.2 SSD slot which can accept SSD’s with storage up to 256GB.

This laptop is not meant for gaming but we were surprised to see that games like CS-Go and PUBG ran at medium graphics without any issues.

We did not notice any heating, thanks to the clever placement of the components. A single fan is able to keep the temperatures low.

Audio

This is the one area where almost all of the Asus laptop lineup struggles and so does VivoBook X507. The speakers are awkwardly placed at the bottom and there isn’t enough lift being provided by the rubber feets, thus muffling almost all of the sound.

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This being a design flaw can only be fixed if Asus releases a software update to amplify and increase the audio driver output, but we don’t see it being implemented in the near future.

Battery

The Asus VivoBook X507 packs in a 33 Wh battery, which might seem less on paper, but it can last quite a while. In our tests the battery lasted for around 5 hours and its good for a laptop in this price.

Asus has enabled fast charging on the VivoBook X507 and the battery can be charged upto 60% in just 49 minutes. For casual users surfing the web and video consumers, this laptop will easily last a whole day.

Pricing

VivoBook X507 – EJ215T – Rs 27,990 (Rs 3,000 cashback via Paytm)

Pros

  • Great Build quality
  • Fingerprint Sensor
  • Ultra-Portable
  • Well-priced

Cons

  • Below Average speakers

 

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Verdict – Should you go for it?

So if you are a casual user with high content consumption need then this product is good for, as you get a Full HD display, with a great battery backup and the added advantage of ultra-portability. Other than the odd speaker placement, there’s not much to complain in this product. The pricing according to the variants in justified and the best you will get at least under the Rs 30,000 price bracket.

About the author

Yogesh Brar

The guy recommending you tech products & living on the Internet. Or you can connect with me on Twitter: twitter.com/heyitsyogesh