[Review] Asus VivoBook 15 F512DA-NH77: Not for Everyone

The new model seeks to change the modest i3 CPU for a much more efficient Ryzen 7 and its 128 GB of SSD for a far more spacious 512 GB of storage, a very interesting upgrade indeed. Index

1. Let's talk design and keyboard
2. What's the performance like?
3. Who should avoid this laptop?
4. Battery life and Connectivity
5. Wrap Up 

A stylish and ergonomic design with a no-nonsense keyboard

If there's something you can't say about Asus's latest VivoBook lineup is that it has a "boring design". In effect, while it's not all that innovative for those of us who've been keeping up with the more high-end laptops, for a mid-range model Asus has really managed to step things up a notch. 

The display offers us a good experience with its nano-edge bezels that deliver a modern-looking 88% screen-to-body ratio, as well as a standard 15.6 inch diagonal with a Full HD resolution to be able to comfortably view movies or edit pictures. 

Overall, the screen manages to offer a crisp image with attractive colors and a good enough contrast considering we're talking about a mid-range laptop here.

The typing experience is quite alright when compared to other mid-range models in the market. 

First of all, we've got a nice chiclet-style keyboard that offers adequate separation amongst the keys to avoid accidental strokes and it's also backlit which is always a bonus. 

However, what we've liked most about this keyboard is Asus's ergo-lift technology which essentially tilts the top-half of the keyboard a couple of degrees stopping the edges of the laptop from cutting into your wrists which is something that really makes a difference when your typing sessions go on for hours on end.

In terms of portability, while we wouldn't say the Asus VivoBook 15 F512DA-NH77 is the most portable of devices, at 3.5 pounds and 0.8 inches thick it's far from the heaviest 15-inch laptop we've encountered.

Finally, we also appreciate the inclusion of a discreet fingerprint sensor located on the top right side of the trackpad which works really fast at unlocking the laptop through Windows Hello.

When it comes down to performance we're quite pleased with the F512DA-NH77. Specifically, it packs a powerful AMD Quad-Core Ryzen 7 3700U alongside a notable 8 GB of DDR4 RAM (upgradeable) and a superb 512 GB of storage through SSD.

If of all of this sounds like Klingon, let's translate. First off, if you come from an Intel background, you should know that the CPU on this laptop is comparable to a 9th generation Core i7. 

In that regard, you can expect a laptop that's capable of handling CPU-Intensive tasks such as working with virtual machines, editing pictures on photoshop, or working with several IDE's amongst several other tasks. 

When it comes to the memory on this device, the 8 GB of DDR4 RAM offer up a nice and smooth performance for most tasks. However, should you wish to, you can always upgrade the RAM to a total of 12 GB, just something worth pointing out.

Finally, the storage is just about the best part of this laptop - aside from the processor -. Specifically, with a 512 GB SSD module you've got more than enough storage to save your entire media library whilst also benefiting from the massive speed-bump that an SSD delivers as opposed to your standard Hard Drive.

In that regard, if you come from a laptop with a hard drive - which is likely the case if you haven't renewed in over 3 years - you're in for a real treat with things like downloads, turning the laptop on or off, searching for files or rendering videos only taking up a fraction of the time they take on a Hard Drive.

Overall the Asus VivoBook 15 F512DA-NH77 presents itself as a great performer on everyday tasks from streaming movies on Netflix to editing documents and even doing some more demanding tasks such as photo editing or coding.

In a word; Gaming. This is not a gaming laptop. Specifically, while it boasts a good enough graphics card for the aforementioned photoshop touch-up's it will quickly fall short if you're looking to use it as a game station. 

Light gaming such as Fortnite, Fifa or GTA V should work well enough but if you're looking to get into more graphic-intensive games then you're going to be quickly disappointed. 

If there's one con to having a high-end processor is that it's also high-consuming. This cuts directly into the battery life of the VivoBook 15 F512DA-NH77 reducing it to a range between the 3 and 5-hour mark depending on usage. 

On the connectivity front, we're quite pleased, with a standalone USB 2.0 port, a couple of USB 3.2 ports, a USB Type C port, HDMI Output, audio jack and a microSD card reader. Wireless connectivity is set up with Bluetooth 4.2 as well as WiFi 5 (802.11 ac) which is up to three times faster than the previous generation (802.11 b/g/n) assuming you have a compatible router.

As expected due to the compact dimensions of this laptop there's no ethernet port nor a DVD reader (which is the norm these days).

If battery life is not much of a dealbreaker for you then the truth is that the Asus VivoBook 15 F512DA-NH77 reviewed today is one of the most comprehensive and attractive laptops you can currently find at such a competitive price point.

 The only other model that comes close is the Acer Aspire 5 A515-54-59W2 we've reviewed a month ago which at a slightly lower price point comes with a less demanding CPU which in turn brings battery life all the way up to almost 10 hours under normal usage. 

That said, this is a great laptop with great specs at a great price point and if you're not going to be carrying it around every day then it's a no brainer that's definitely managed to defend its title as one of Amazon's best sellers.