The segment for laptops priced under ₹70,000 is replete with options, but for a lot of them, brands focus on specs while overlooking the need for a functional design and forward-looking features. The Asus Vivobook S14 is an outlier, which comes with essentials such as USB-C charging but without scaling back on sturdiness.
I recently tested the entry-level model with a 13th Gen Intel Core i5 — though you can get options up to the latest Core Ultra 5 or Ultra 7 chips. These are the four reasons I would totally recommend it over other laptops in this segment.
1. Dope build for survival
The Vivobook S14's prime merit is its solid design. Both the back panel and the back of the display lid are shielded in metal, with a gunmetal grey finish. The hinges here feel rock solid, and lifting the lid requires enough force to convince you of its durability.
Despite the assumable strength, the laptop weighs less than 1.5 kgs and is only about 1.6cm thick. I was surprised to handle it and find it feeling as easy to lug around as a MacBook Air.
The metal construction also allows for sleeker slits at the bottom, which leads to better ventilation while pressing the laptop harder. Asus also claims military grade certifications, which are a bonus over the metal construction.
Overall, it feels sleek and solid, and I can recommend this to clumsy folks who have a habit of dropping things.
2. USB-C FTW!
I advocate for USB-C everywhere, but only if the port is capable of handling essential requirements. Thankfully, one of the Asus Vivobook S14 does; there are two USB Gen 3.2 ports, which allow for charging, fast data speeds, and even hooking a screen directly to a USB-C or DisplayPort compatible screen.
I appreciate that Asus is making things simpler by not adding a separate charging port. Instead, the charger in the box relies on USB-C, although you can also use any PD or PPS-compatible charger to replenish the 70Wh battery inside the Vivobook S14 at a speedy 65W.
Besides the USB-C, the two USB Type-A ports (there's one on the other side as well) also support speeds of up to 5Gbps, but the HDMI is limited to v1.4; however, the USB-C practically renders that limitation moot.
3. Battery life to back it
Now I would usually not consider Windows laptops great in terms of battery, primarily because Intel (or even AMD) chips hog it really quickly. But the Vivobook S14 utterly surprises.
A single charge gets you around 6-8 hours of backup easily with continuous screen usage and web browsing. Demanding tasks will obviously sap it out more quickly, but these figures are still commendable for any laptop in this segment.
4. It can game... sometimes!
The S14 model I have runs an Intel i5-13420H and is stocked with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. That's a decent setup if you want to game without serious commitments or have high expectations for graphics.
Since this is still using an X86 architecture, you can run — or at least install — games from various sources, including your Xbox, Epic, or Steam libraries.
The built-in Intel UHD graphics will deliver adequate power to render titles like GTA V at 720p resolution at 35-40fps easily. Geekbench scores are comparable to a MacBook Air M2, which is also commendable for this price point.
But what truly surprises and excites me is that the fans rarely go on, even under high load. The only time I noticed the fans revving at high speed was during 3DMark, which is acceptable. But even when it does, it's rarely ever too loud, and that's really neat.
What that truly tells us is that this hardware is tuned well for professional or educational settings.
What do you pay?
The Asus Vivobook S14 is priced at ₹62,990, but you can expect to find some additional retailer discounts and other offers.