• Description

ASUS VivoBook S14 S403JA-BM033TS Review

7.7

Budget

7.9/10

Processor

7.7/10

Hard Disk

7.6/10

Screen Size

7.8/10

Graphics

7.6/10

It’s time to break free from everyday limitations with ASUS VivoBook 14. With up to 24 hours* of battery life and an overall weight of just 1.35 kg, it’s the compact and lightweight laptop that lets you work and play anywhere, anytime. The frameless four-sided NanoEdge display immerses you in whatever you’re doing, and its clever design means it’s amazingly compact, too. VivoBook 14 has an eye-catching all-aluminum chassis with military-grade reliability that exceeds the demanding MIL-STD-810G durability standard.

• Processor: 10th Gen Intel Core i5-1035G1 Processor, 1.0 GHz (6MB Cache, up to 3.6 GHz, 4 Cores, 8 Threads)
• Memory & Storage: 8GB LPDDR4X 3733MHz onboard RAM | Storage: 512GB M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD with 32GB Intel Optane Memory (Intel H10 SSD)
• Graphics: Integrated Intel UHD Graphics
• Display: 14.0-inch (16:9) LED-backlit FHD (1920×1080) 60Hz, 300nits Brightness, Anti-Glare, IPS-level Panel, with 100% sRGB Color gamut, 87% Screen-to-body ratio and 178° viewing angles
• Software Included: Pre-installed MS Office Home and Student 2019 | Operating System: Pre-loaded Windows 10 Home with lifetime validity
• Design & battery: Metallic body |Thin and Light Laptop | Laptop weight: 1.35 kg | 72WHrs, 4-cell lithium-polymer battery | Up to 24 hours battery life ;Note: Battery life depends on conditions of usage
• Keyboard: Full-size Backlit Chiclet Keyboard | 1.4mm key travel distance
• I/O Ports: 1x HDMI 1.4, 1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack, 1x USB 2.0 Type-A, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 1x Thunderbolt 3 USB C (with supports for display/power delivery), 1x 2 in 1 card reader SD/MMC
• Other: FingerPrint Reader with Windows Hello support | 720p HD web camera | Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+) (802.11ax) 2*2 | Bluetooth 5.0 | Built-in 2 W Stereo Speakers with Microphone | US MIL-STD 810G military-grade standard
• Warranty: This genuine Asus laptop comes with 1 year manufacturer warranty on the device and 6 months manufacturer warranty on included accessories from the date of purchase. For product related queries contact the brand at contact_us on: [ 18002090365 ].

How we review the laptop?

Buying a laptop is a fascinating task but can be tedious as well if you cannot find a laptop that fits your standards. Either way, there are certain fundamental elements that have to be taken into consideration before you buy a laptop. Our review of the laptop is based upon the following key factors

1. Use:

First and foremost, you need to find out the use of the laptop that you want to buy. Either you want it for gaming, business, studies, or graphics purpose.

If you want it for business purposes then the laptop should be portable, gaming purposes should have a large screen and should have heavy specs, for studies you might want to buy a laptop that is reliable and has longer battery life so that you can study and make assignments easily.

Either way, you have to be certain about the usage so that you can easily narrow down your research and choose the laptop straightforwardly.

Each laptop can have its pros and cons so before buying any laptop you need to be sure of the purpose you will be using it for.

2. Budget:

Another very important element in deciding for the laptop is the budget in your mind. Before looking for a laptop ask yourself “how much are you willing to spend on a laptop?”

Without this, you cannot narrow down your research.

Laptops are ranging from a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars with various brands available in the market. To reach a decision it is important that you decide a budget and then play around it or adjust your needs accordingly.

While deciding the laptop your budget and usage usually go hand in hand since you will have to prioritize the usage element and take the budget parallel so that you can get the best product available in the market.

3. Form Factor

Size matters a lot when we talk about laptops. Simply because you cannot upgrade it or replace it unlike other things like RAM or ROM so choose wisely the size so that you don’t regret later.

Laptops come in various sizes ranging from 11.6 inches to 17.3 inches. Many laptop brands like HP, Dell, Acer, and ASUS offer only three display sizes i.e. 13.3-inch, 15.6 inch, and 17.3 inches while some laptops are in the other sizes.

While if you are looking for a portable laptop then its weight should be lesser and thus screen size should be either 12.5 inches or 13.3 inches. However, small laptops usually don’t support high-end Intel processors like i7 CPUs. So, if you want a laptop for a larger display or powerful graphics then it is better to go for a larger screen laptop.

Now with ultrabooks, notebooks, and 2in1 laptops, you have a variety of laptops to choose from; each having its own set of advantages and disadvantages. Finally getting the best laptop that fits your requirements is rarely a case hence keep your usage a priority and might want to forgo on some things.

4. Processor:

The processor is the CPU of a laptop that defines how fast your tasks will be processed. The CPU is used to process data and produce output that is displayed on the screen. In other words, if you are looking to multi-task then a robust processor is what you need since that will aid in getting your tasks done quickly.

If the processor is not strong enough then your PC will start hanging each time you attempt performing various tasks on it. Most PCs accompany an Intel or AMD CPU brand. Both are conventional entertainers yet Intel is viewed as more impressive than the AMD.

Some examples of processors are the Intel Celeron, Intel Xeon, Pentium, Core i3, Core i5, Core i7. The best processor is the Intel Core i7 CPU which is good for its multitasking ability. If you are looking for web designing, programming, music, or photo editing software we recommend you buy one that has the multi-core setup.

5. Hard Disk

The hard drive fundamentally keeps every one of your information including recordings, archives, photographs, and other framework documents. It mainly depends on the number of files you wish to store.

If you are a programmer or develop software then you need a large disk to store files as they take up a lot of space.

If you are a movie lover or a photographer who likes to keep pictures then you need more storage to save up all those on your PC.

Small PCs have around 320 GB of room generally. However, if you truly have a considerable amount of stuff to store, at that point you ought to go for a PC with a hard plate space of at any rate 500 GB. Truly, contingent upon your spending you can likewise go for PCs with 1 TB extra room. Simply ensure you purchase a PC with enough extra room.

Now, SSD is getting common in most laptops with either a single SSD or SSD+HDD option to choose from. SSDs are super fast and a must.

6. Screen Size

When talking about the screen size it mainly depends on the use you will utilize the laptop for.

For instance, if you use your PC for watching movies or playing games on it then you ought to decide on a greater screen size of 17 inches or more.

In any case, if you utilize your PC generally for web surfing or for tuning in to music then a little screen size of about 14.1 inches should get the job done.

Nowadays, touchscreens are normal and they can make a few errands simpler than others. Sadly, they can likewise add a luster to the presentation which is in some cases bothersome.

These glowy screens lead to reflections, which are a clear negative in case you’re gaming, watching movies or editing work, and video content. Hence, you should consider a laptop that doesn’t have a touchscreen.

Do look at the resolution on any PC you’re considering purchasing. A 1920×1080-pixel resolution (Full HD) ought to be thought of the good or if you need a lot of room to arrange windows and keep things in a sigh.

Present-day workstations additionally now offer 4K goals. Notwithstanding, these very good quality showcase boards are commonly an exorbitant extra to an effectively costly item. They’re just truly going to be justified, despite all the trouble for the individuals who truly need them, similar to content creation experts.

Picture takers and videographers will likewise need to benefit PCs that offer better shading precision and bolster more extensive shading array and HDR guidelines over those that don’t.

Thanks to Apple that every person now wants in-plane switching (IPS) screen these days. This is better color and viewing angles than the traditional laptops hence we recommend if you can afford to buy it then go for it for the best display.

7. Graphic Processor:

With regards to graphics hardware, laptops are to some degree different to the traditional PCs. There are certain same things like work areas the notebooks can also run with either incorporated illustrations that imply a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) incorporated with the processor – or discrete designs/graphics, which means that the designs card is a different substance to the CPU and in this manner greater and all the more remarkable.

Likewise, if you need a gaming PC, it should undeniably run with a discrete GPU since coordinated designs are getting more impressive nowadays, and can create strong outcomes with numerous games. If your usage is simple browsing and general computing then an integrated GPU works just fine.

If you are a genuine gamer or somebody who watches Netflix, then you ought to go for laptops that accompany HD, Full HD or even 4K video support. Remember this on the off chance that you would prefer not to wind up viewing pixelated recordings which can be such a mood killer.

Agreed?

8. RAM:

In the past times, you infrequently required more than 4GB of RAM or more to get the best out of your laptop.

Nowadays, you’ll presumably need to consider 8GB as a base. In case you’re a power user, 16GB is the best approach. Gamers on the other hand should take the dialing things upwards right to 32GB if they need the best understanding.

More RAM takes into account more applications to be run simultaneously, and for additional information to be rapidly opened by the laptop at any one time, which proves to be useful for any tasks being performed at the same time, for example, altering photographs or video content and watching a movie, etc.

A 2GB RAM is ok for users who just wants to watch movies, store files, do web browsing, but if you are a graphic designer, engineer, architect, photographer, edit videos then you have to take the RAM of your laptop to at least 4GB or 8GB to get good results. Hence, do consider your workload when buying a laptop.

9. Battery:

This is another significant factor to consider before purchasing a PC. Decent battery life is significant if you work or play on your laptop majority of the time, A helpless battery life is continually going to impede your work process. You ought to go for laptops that can work for in any event 4-6 hours without charging.

Many times, low priced laptops ought to have low battery life that will slow down your work process. A laptop being portable needs to have a longer battery life so that you can run it for several hours without charging in case you are not near to the power source.

10. Sound

Laptops are infamous for having awful speakers which can be very bothering especially when you have to watch the movies or series or conduct a conference call and headphones may not be available.

While a lot of PCs nowadays are including some rendition of Dolby, THX, Beats, or another kind of “marked” sound, this is typically completely done in programming, and regularly matched with such small speakers that it doesn’t have that a very remarkable effect.

Then again, on the off chance that you see a speaker brand like JBL, Bang and Olufsen, Altec Lansing, or Harman Kardon, there’s an opportunity you’re improving than the normal — the bigger your laptop computer, the almost certain you are to show signs of improved sound also.

Our suggestion: get a decent arrangement of earphones, or a sound system or 2.1 speaker set. You can even get speakers fueled by USB on the off chance that you need something versatile that doesn’t require a force point.

If you are concerned about good quality in terms of sound then it is recommended that you look into this aspect carefully before buying a laptop since it can be quite troublesome if you don’t have good sound.

11. Connectivity:

Ensure that you have enough ports on your laptop PC — at the very least, search for two USB ports (three to four is better). USB 3.0 ports would likewise be ideal, rather than the slower USB 2.0 — even though this won’t influence things like consoles and mice, for capacity, it very well may be a gigantic advantage.

With laptops getting ever slimmer, they regularly will in general drop the Ethernet port, which means you’ll be dependent on Wi-Fi, instead of a system link to get you on the web or to associate with different PCs.

This won’t make any difference to a ton of users, however, the individuals who request high, dependable speed will need to ensure that their PC accompanies one. If not, you can get USB to Ethernet connectors, yet they will in general be low execution gadgets because of the restricting speed of USB 2.0.

12. Design:

As a purchaser, you should likewise search for amazing designs. Nobody needs to purchase something that doesn’t look extraordinary, correct? These days, everybody needs to purchase a laptop that is lightweight, thin, smooth, and great to take a gander at.

Most workstations accompany screens that can be curved to 180 degrees and some accompany screens that can be disconnected from the keyboard and utilized as a tablet.

So, you need to decide what you really want in terms of designs when buying a laptop. If you want a stylishly designed laptop then there are various options out there or if your priority is functionality then you should decide accordingly as many laptops that might be designed beautifully can fail to deliver in terms of functionality.

13. Brand:

The brand of a PC matters a lot. The brand has a gigantic effect. Maintain a strategic distance from brands that you haven’t known about previously, or aren’t certain of. You ought to consistently go for the main brands like Dell, ASUS, HP, Apple, Lenovo, or Microsoft since their performance is up to the mark and quality is great as well.

Many little-known brands have good quality as well and can perform well but there is always a risk associated with it so do your background research well before buying a less known brand.

14. Customer Service

When buying a laptop do keep in mind that the brand has good customer service since if you have a problem and the company has poor customer service then that will be a major issue for you. So do a great deal of study regarding the customer service before you buy a laptop.

15. Keyboard and Trackpad

For long typing sessions, you’ll have to get a laptop that has a user-friendly keyboard. You don’t have any desire to get a keyboard that packs in each key under the sun (think keyboards that have crunched in number pads) since that can mean difficulty in finding the arrow or delete keys.

You need a keyboard that has a satisfying format with full-sized keys and some space around the arrow keys. The keys ought to have sufficient travel on the downstroke and smart responsiveness when you let them go.

Ensure the keyboard is likewise illuminated, so you can type with a simpler view on the keys in faintly lit conditions. Watch out for illuminated keyboards too — this assistance gigantically when composing in low light.

Except if you plan on going with a mouse, test the PC’s touchpad for comfort and responsiveness. Some touchpads incorporate additional features, for example, the multi-touch ability even though, their performance in such manner can differ enormously, contingent upon where the touchpad has been sourced from and the software in question

Apple is class-leading in this regard whereas Windows is still far behind in this aspect. They may have the greater part in the keyboards yet the execution and responsiveness are still very questionable. So do test the keyboard before you buy the laptop so that you get the best one out there.

Some business-based PCs, especially those from Lenovo, additionally use track sticks: those little joysticks that are settled in a console. We’ve never been fans, as exactness is extreme and the little stubs can wear out, requiring a substitution.

16. Warranty:

It may appear as though PC guarantees do not merit the additional expense. You may calculate that given the expense of a premium new machine, the possibility of something turning out badly is low.

This is the reason PC guarantees are important and we suggest them for our customers. How about we see why considering the guarantee is very important and worth thinking about.

While fundamental guarantees are helpful, when purchasing PCs for a business, we suggest including a more far-reaching guarantee.

Much the same as vehicles, some PC issues and harms are little enough that you can fix them and continue utilizing the machine. If the battery quits working in a PC, for example, you don’t have to replace the whole machine when you can burn through $30 for another battery.

If the cost of fixing the equipment is significantly higher than with the correct guarantee, you can get it fixed at a nominal fee without spending your own money on it.

Therefore, we suggest laptop warranties for their convenient assistance, quality fixes, and insurance. PC breakdowns are normal, so it’s smart to be prepared for them.

17. Operating System:

Operating systems are very important when buying a laptop. An operating system (OS) is a framework programming that oversees PC equipment and programming assets and offers basic types of assistance for PC programs.

Almost every PC program requires an operating system to work. The two most normal working frameworks are Microsoft Windows and Apple’s macOS.

Some notable operating systems include Microsoft Windows Server 2012, UNIX, Linux, MAC OS X, BSD, Novell Netware, Microsoft Windows 8.1, Microsoft Windows 10.

The type of operating system is used to determine the type of application that will run on it. For example, a Windows user cannot use Mac application and vice versa. Moreover, a 32bit cannot use a 64bit so you have to careful while choosing a laptop based on applications and interface.

18. Color

Again, the color too depends on the usage. For a business meeting, a funky laptop with graphics and RGB lighting on the exterior can look weird. A gamer on the other hand would not look cool enough with a blunt grey laptop.

19. Expandability

If you plan on saving a laptop for quite a long while, figure out how adaptable or expandable it is. For instance, Apple’s PCs are known for their build quality – and for being secured and hard to perform maintenance. The batteries are integrated, as opposed to removable. Numerous PCs have removable batteries that can undoubtedly be traded out replaced.

Numerous laptops have removable batteries that can undoubtedly be traded out or supplanted.

Google your PC to check whether manufacturers have thought that it was anything but difficult to include extra RAM or trade out the hard drive. Both of those redesigns could give your PC expandability for some time; however, a few systems are a lot simpler to open up than others.

20. Included accessories

When valuing a laptop, put in safe spot money for significant additional items. These incorporate a laptop backpack, an additional battery, a mouse, console, programming for office work, web security, and framework support. You may even need to think about an external hard drive for reinforcement.

You may likewise need to consider a docking station/port replicator, which rapidly transforms your laptop into a work area. You interface your peripherals (screen, keyboard, mouse) to the dock, which remains in your work area. Connect the laptop to the dock, and you right away get the comforts of a work area, without unplugging everything when it’s an ideal opportunity to go.

Append the laptop to the dock, and you right away get the comforts of a work area, without unplugging everything when it’s an ideal opportunity to go.