ASUS Vivobook Pro 15 OLED Review | Geek Lifestyle

Alongside the Pro 14 OLED (which we reviewed recently), ASUS also launched the Vivobook Pro 15 OLED in the Philippines, another productivity-focused notebook.

As its name implies, the Pro 15 OLED has a 15.6-inch display, but display size is not the only thing different. Curiously, even if the Pro 15 OLED is the bigger version, it has a more affordable price tag. Though this also means it has more modest, but still promising specs. Specifically, the base model of this laptop packs an 11th gen Intel Core i5 processor, along with a dedicated NVIDIA GTX 1650 with Max-Q Design GPU.

While it may be more affordable than the Pro 14 OLED, the question is, does the Vivobook Pro 15 OLED deserve its Pro moniker? And is it worth getting for creatives that are shopping around for a new laptop? Find out here in our review!

Geek-sthetic

Before we dive into performance and other features of the notebook, let’s first take a look at the Pro 15 OLED’s design. If you’ve read our Pro 14 OLED review, then the 15.6-inch variant should look familiar given that both laptops share the same core design. The two Vivobook Pro laptops have a sleek matte finish, complete with the refreshed Vivobook logo which now has an Off-White-inspired design element on the side.

The Enter key on this laptop also shares this new design element, replacing the neon yellow-colored enter key in previous Vivobook models. While the Pro 15 OLED doesn’t have the same bright colors as the non-pro Vivobooks, it does look serious and professional, making it a fitting partner for office workers.

For I/O, the Pro 15 OLED has the following ports: 1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 2x USB 2.0 Type-A, 1x Thunderbolt 4 (supports display/ power delivery), 1x HDMI 1.4, 1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack, and a Micro SD card reader.

Most users should be served well with the laptop’s I/O given that it has an HDMI port and a micro SD card reader — ports that some modern laptops now lack. Though if you ask us, we would’ve preferred another USB 3.2 Type-A port.

Binge Watching Factor

As the name implies, the Pro 15 OLED features an OLED display, specifically a 15.6-inch screen with a 16:9 aspect ratio and a 1080p resolution. Thanks to the OLED screen, the notebook is able to display vibrant colors and deep blacks, making it a great partner for movie and TV series marathons.

Aside from being a good binge-watching partner, the Pro 15 OLED’s display is also great for creatives and content creators. This is thanks to the display being Pantone validated, meaning it should have good color accuracy which is important for photo and video editing, among other tasks.

Sound Trip

Similar to other ASUS laptops, the Pro 15 OLED features onboard stereo speakers that are tuned by harman/kardon. While previous Vivobooks had decent quality speakers, their audio output was a bit too quiet. But the Pro 15 OLED improves this as the speakers are now noticeably louder while having decent sound quality. This makes watching movies/shows a viable option even when you don’t have headphones or external speakers (though these are still recommended for the best experience).

Typing Experience

As a larger laptop than the Pro 14, the Pro 15 OLED has a backlit full-size keyboard, meaning it has a dedicated number pad. Even with the inclusion of the number pad, the laptop’s keyboard is still spaced nicely, and is comfortable to type on, even for longer sessions. In fact, I wrote several articles (including this review) on the Pro 15 OLED and had no issues.

One thing worth highlighting in its keyboard is the new power button. Previous Vivobooks have power buttons that were basically standard keyboard buttons, making them a bit easy to press by mistake. But for the Pro 15 OLED, ASUS now made the power button more flush, and added more resistance to prevent accidental presses. On top of this, the power button also has a built-in fingerprint sensor, giving users an easy way to keep the notebook secure.

Gaming Prowess

The Pro 15 OLED is not a gaming laptop, though its specs look pretty capable of gaming as it does have a Core i5 processor and a GTX 1650 GPU. Though it does only have 8GB of RAM. So, how does it perform for gaming? Pretty good actually.

For esports titles, the Pro 15 OLED did not have any issues. Take for example Dota 2, the laptop ran the game at 1080p and at max settings with an average framerate of 90FPS. Meanwhile, Overwatch ran with a 68FPS average on the High setting and at 1080p. This means you can easily play today’s popular esports games with ease on this laptop.

For triple-A games, you will have to turn graphics settings down, but you can run them. In the Shadow of the Tomb Raider benchmark tool for example, the Pro 15 OLED turned up a result of 49FPS at the Medium settings and at 1080p. Though in actual gameplay, you might want to turn down some settings so that the framerate doesn’t dip too much.

Meanwhile, here is the PCMark10 synthetic benchmark score of the Pro 15 OLED:

The new Vivobook Pro 15 turned out a 5178 score on PCMark10, a good score overall. Though we had problems running 3DMark during our review time (we’ll add the 3DMark Time Spy score when we get it running again).

Everyday Reliability

As the Pro 15 OLED performed well for gaming, the new ASUS notebook is also a great everyday performer. For practically all daily tasks that we tried (ranging from web browsing to some content creation), the Pro 15 OLED held up well.

It’s a strong performer for the most part, but one weakness that we found is memory. While 8GB is plenty for browsing and other light tasks, editing and other creative work can struggle with just 8GB, especially if you’re working on large files. For these use cases, you might want to consider a RAM upgrade.

One upgrade that we do like though is the webcam. Specifically, ASUS has now fitted the Pro 15 OLED with a privacy shutter. Great news for users as it ensures privacy in the event your webcam gets compromised.

Another thing that stood out to us regarding the Vivobook Pro 15 OLED is the battery life. After running a movie for 2 and 1/2 hours at 50% brightness and volume, the laptop still had 76% remaining. This is an impressive number as it means the laptop should have a nearly 10-hour battery life, or possibly even more depending on your use.

Final Geek Lifestyle Verdict

The new Pro 15 OLED has a lot going for it, including its great performance for gaming and everyday productivity, as well as is impressive OLED screen. On top of these, the new Vivobook also has outstanding battery life, not to mention its improved speakers.

At PHP 57,995, the Pro 15 OLED is well worth considering if you’re in the market for a mixed-use laptop that can be your partner for daily tasks, a bit of gaming, and some content creation. Though if you do plan on editing on this laptop, the included 8GB of RAM might not be enough, so you might want to consider an upgrade to 16GB.

Vivobook Pro 15 OLED Specs:

• Processor: Intel Core i5-11300H
• Installed Memory: 8GB
• Operating System: Windows 10 Home (Free Upgrade to Windows 11)
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Max Q, 4GB GDDR6
• Storage: 512GB SSD
• Display: 15.6-inch, FHD (1920 x 1080) 16:9 aspect ratio, OLED, Pantone validated
• Ports:
  • 1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A
  • 2x USB 2.0 Type-A
  • 1x Thunderbolt 4 supports display / power delivery
  • 1x HDMI 1.4
  • 1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack
  • 1x DC-in
  • Micro SD card reader
• Price: PHP 57,995