Asus VivoBook 14 F415EA-AS31 Review: An Excellent Choice

The ASUS Vivobook 14 lineup is specifically designed for one purpose – to satisfy the needs of those students and everyday users looking for a low-budget 14-inch laptop to do basic day-to-day tasks, surf the web, work on cloud-based software, and enjoy your favorite multimedia content after a hard day's work.

Having said that, it's time for you to dive deep into this review of the ASUS VivoBook 14 F415EA-AS31 to know if this affordable laptop has what it takes to meet all your needs. It's also worth pointing out that this laptop is not intended for gamers nor hardcore users, as stated by most of the customers. It's not quite an entry-level notebook but it's also not part of the mid-range, occupying a place somewhere in between these two categories. 

Amongst its main features, this laptop packs an efficient 11-Gen Core i3 processor, a fast SSD storage, an anti-glare Full HD display, a comfy backlit keyboard, and a built-in fingerprint sensor to make it easier to log in through Windows Hello.

The ASUS VivoBook 14 F415EA-AS31 is made entirely out of plastic, which is not necessarily bad since its overall weight is just 3.3 pounds, so you can easily carry it around - as many customers can attest to - either to your workplace or to an academic environment without inconvenience.

Also, measuring just 0.78 inches in the profile makes it more than clear that you can put it in your backpack whenever you need to. And regarding aesthetic appearance, this laptop got a professional and sober slate grey chassis, featuring two metallic bezels surrounding the display for added protection.

Moving onto the screen, we've got a decent 14-inch IPS display with Full HD resolution, an anti-glare layer perfect for avoiding unwanted reflections while working, and a screen-to-body ratio of 82% for an immersive viewing experience when streaming multimedia through the most popular streaming services. 

Its maximum brightness is just 220 nits, which isn't enough to use the device outdoors in direct sunlight but let us not forget this is a budget notebook. 

Perhaps one of the most notable differences between budget laptops and high-end notebooks is the quality of the display (not the resolution but rather the brightness, color representation, etc.).

Furthermore, this laptop features a full-sized backlit keyboard intended for working in both lighted and dim environments with a key travel of just 1.4 mm to deliver an ergonomic typing experience daily and, at the same time, allowing you to adjust it with a few brightness levels to choose from. 

The touchpad delivers a smooth navigation experience thanks to its responsive design even though it is not as big as we would like it to be. And it's worth mentioning that this unit comes with a fingerprint sensor, unlike the recently reviewed 15.6-inch Core i3 laptop Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-36UT.

Overall, the fact that this laptop packs a Full HD display, a backlit keyboard, and a fingerprint reader are all fantastic indicators for a computer within its price range. With this price, we are far more accustomed to seeing a Full HD resolution at best and maybe, just maybe, a backlit keyboard if we're lucky, so we're pretty happy with Asus in that regard. 

Looking at the key specs of the Asus Vivobook 14, this model packs an 11th-Gen Intel Core i3-1115G4 processor powered by two cores, four threads, and a 6 MB SmartCache memory. Its clock speed can be elevated up to 4.10 GHz thanks to Turbo Boost Technology when stressed with demanding tasks, but otherwise, it features a respectable 2.3 GHz.

Concerning the RAM, it packs an easy-to-upgrade 4 GB DDR4 memory which delivers more than adequate performance for everyday and casual users who are planning to only work on non-intensive tasks such as web browsing, spreadsheet editing, working in cloud-based software, checking email, making video calls, and so on. 

You should consider upgrading the RAM on the F415EA-AS31 if you're planning to do more intensive tasks or are prone to having several tabs/programs open at a time. You could easily upgrade it to 8 GB with another 4 GB module. In this case, you would need a DDR4 PC4-25600 3200MHz Non-ECC SODIMM module. 

All you need to do is basically remove the bottom case (once the laptop is turned off and disconnected from the power source), quickly locate the RAM slot, which should look something like the picture above, and just insert the 4 GB module there since the other 4 GB are soldered onto the motherboard so you can't access them. We heavily recommend this for users looking to get the most out of this laptop since it really does boost performance. 

Although it doesn't have dedicated graphics, the Intel UHD Graphics GPU is an excellent solution for you to stream your favorite 4K movies and series, do basic photo editing, and play not-so-resource-heavy games.

Games you could play would be: Minecraft, Roblox, and Runescape, among other tasks - assuming you have enough RAM -.

Nonetheless, since the display does not feature a 4K resolution, connecting it to an external monitor is necessary to enjoy 4K content.

On the other hand, we'd like to highlight the addition of a 128 GB SSD M.2 NVMe drive which is not only easily upgradeable but also way faster compared to the conventional hard drive (HDD), especially when booting Windows (in less than 10 seconds), opening apps, and transferring heavy data.

As for connectivity options, this laptop offers 2 USB-A 2.0 ports, one USB-A 3.2 port, and a stand-alone USB-C 3.2 port. Also, there's an HDMI output, a headphone jack, and a low-quality built-in VGA webcam at the top of the display. This was a bit of a bummer but not unusual within its range.

There's no SD card reader. However, if you need a specific laptop with an SD card reader, you might consider looking at the reviewed 14-inch low-cost model HP 14-fq0090nr or buy a low-cost dongle equipped with an Ethernet port if that's something you value.

Furthermore, it packs Bluetooth 4.1 and Wi-Fi 5 wireless standards to keep you connected everywhere you go. And in case you didn't know, Wi-Fi 5 was previously known as 802.11b/g/n/ac, but the Wi-Fi Alliance decided to change its name to a number-based naming system to make it easier to remember for everyday users.

Speaking of the battery life of the ASUS VivoBook 14 F415EA-AS31, we must highlight the excellent performance of this laptop's 37 Wh battery, which delivers up to 9 hours of web browsing and an acceptable 5 hours of video playback. These numbers indeed guarantee you a very productive working day.

Verdict: Is the ASUS VivoBook 14 F415EA-AS31 worth it?