Asus Vivobook X507 Laptop/PC Review: A Better Mid-Range Option

The laptop comes loaded with a variety of CPU options coupled with a sleek design and affordable price tag, it sure looks a promising option. But can it really change the perception of a budget laptop with the kind of specs it is offering? Let’s a take a closer look.
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When it comes to budget or entry-level laptops, we are usually stuck with devices that come with sluggish performance along with not-so-great other features. However, Asus is trying to change this with its latest budget-centric laptop, Vivobook X507. The laptop comes with a starting price of Rs 21,990 and it is available on Paytm Mall with some interesting cashback offers.

 

The laptop comes loaded with a variety of CPU options coupled with some sleek design and affordable price tag, it sure looks a promising option. But can it really change the perception of a budget laptop with the kind of specs it is offering? Let’s a take a closer look. However, before moving on it is important to note that we got the Core i3 model which comes with a price tag of Rs 27,990, but with Paytm cashback, you can get for Rs 24,990.

Key Specs:

• Display: 15.6-inch Full HD screen with Anti-Glare Panel and 45 per cent NTSC
• Processor: Intel Core i3 6006U CPU with Intel HD Graphics 520
• Memory: 4GB of DDR4 2400MHz SDRAM
• Storage: 1TB HDD 5400RPM
• Ports: 1x USB 3.0, 2x USB 2.0, 1x HDMI port, 1x microSD Card slot, 1x 3.5mm audio jack
• Operating System: Windows 10 Home
• Dimensions: 365 x 266 x 21.9 mm
• Weight: 1.68 Kg

What we like in Asus VivoBook X507!

The first and most striking thing about this laptop is its design. Although it features a plastic body, the premium finish helps it stand out from the crowd. The top houses and palm rest is a brushed metallic finish, while the keyboard area features metallic finish, which looks good from any angle. Further, using a plastic body has helped the brand to drastically reduce the weight of this machine. The laptop weighs only 1.68 kg and measures 365 x 266 x 21.9 mm making it one of the slimmest and lightest laptops available at this price range.

Another thing we liked about this budget laptop is the display. The laptop features a 15.6-inch Full HD display, which comes with some bright display and matte finish on the screen making it a bit easier to read and work outdoors. The bezels are quite thin at 8.1mm and 75 per cent screen-to-body ratio makes it look attractive, though the top and bottom bezels are quite significant. The 45 per cent NTSC colour gamut simply translate to some well-balanced colours with deep blacks looking good and contrast ratio being quite a standard.

The major highlight of Asus VivoBook X507 apart from the display and design has to be the fingerprint sensor with Windows Hello support. Not many brands are offering a fingerprint sensor at this price point. During our testing, we found out that the sensor was pretty fast to respond.

Moving on, another area where the laptop does a good job is the battery department. It comes loaded with 3-cell 33Whr battery backup. In our testing, we found that we were able to squeeze almost 4 to 5 hours of battery juice, which is decent in our opinion. The fast charging support helps it to fully charge the device in almost 1.5 hours. Apart from this, the keyboard is pretty good as it comes with good key travel and the island-style full-size keyboard are well-placed making it easier to for those fast typing experiences.

What we didn’t like about Asus VivoBook X507!

Coming to some cons of the device, it has to be the ports placements. You get a DC port, a USB 2.0 port, one USB 3.0 port, a microSD card slot, an HDMI port and a 3.5mm audio jack, while the right houses only one USB 2.0 port along with Kensington Lock. We believe that the company could have balance the ports placements as the left is heavily equipped with different ports, while the right is left almost blank.

Moving on, the 6th generation Intel Core i3 processor coupled with 4GB of RAM does give some fluid basic performance like browsing the internet or watching any movie. However, the dual-core processor is not meant for some heavy duty tasks or multi-tasking. We faced a lot of lag and freezes while we opened multiple tabs on Chrome and tried to shuffle between them. So, if you are one those who love to work and shuffle between different apps, you could avoid this one.

Another thing we didn’t like about the Asus VivoBook X507 is the numpad. It is a good thing that Asus has added a numpad to this laptop, though it does not work in the favour of the brand. The buttons are too small and in most cases, you will be mistyping the number every time you use the numpad. Further, there is no indicator is the Caps Lock key is on, which is again a  bit of a letdown.

The sound output of this laptop is quite average in our opinion. The speakers are located at the bottom of the laptop, which is quite awkward as most of the time the laptop will be either be on your lap or on a table. The sound quality is not superb despite boasting SonicMaster branding.

Verdict
To conclude, the Asus VivoBook X507 left us with mixed feelings. It is a really good design and the display is better than the rest of the competition. The fingerprint sensor is fast and the keyboard makes it an enjoyable typing experience. That is about where the company seems to have realised they were running out of budget. Thus, a weak and older processor gives up when you put some pressure on it and the audio quality is a cop out. But, still, if you want a lightweight laptop that can give some good battery backup and if you are not a heavy user, then this device can be considered as an option.