Asus VivoBook X412 review: Premium Windows 10 laptop on a budget

Brand: Asus
Product name: Asus VivoBook X412
Key specs: Intel Core i5 processor, Windows 10 Home, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD storage, HD webcam and 14-inch FHD display.
Price: ₹38,990
Rating: 3.5/5

Asus refreshed its VivoBook laptop series earlier this summer with two new models - VivoBook X412 and X512.

VivoBook X412 has a 14-inch screen, while the X512 houses a 15-inch display. These two VivoBook models offer a compact design with slim bezels and build. VivoBook X412 is available at a starting price of ₹38,990 in India. We've been using the VivoBook X412 for some time and here's our review of the laptop.

Starting with the design, the VivoBook X412 looks very premium and sleek. The laptop is slim and light making it easy to carry around. For those who would prefer a bigger screen can go for the 15-inch model. I for one like smaller and thinner laptops so the VivoBook X412 was a perfect fit. It comes in four colour options of silver, grey, blue and coral.

The VivoBook X412 also features an 'EroLift' hinge for the display aimed to give a more comfortable hold for activities like typing. The hinge does have its advantages especially when you're sitting with the laptop on the bed. Up front, the VivoBook X412 packs a 14-inch Full HD display with 60Hz refresh rate and an anti-glare panel. One of the highlights of the laptop is its frameless four-sided NanoEdge display. The bezels on the laptop are pretty slim which gives more screen room.

TVivoBook X412's keyboard was pretty comfortable to type on too. The compact size of the laptop prevents from having a side number pad but it shouldn't be much of a bother. Also, the keyboards are backlit so that's one pretty good feature this laptop offers.

But the one feature I liked most about the VivoBook X412 is the fingerprint scanner which is powered by Microsoft's Windows Hello. It's quite fast and very convenient to use since you avoid the hassle of typing down your password. The fingerprint sensor is located on top of the trackpad. In terms of connectivity, there are three USB ports including a Type-C, one HDMI port and microSD card reader.

One design flaw according to my experience is the speakers of the VivoBook X412. The audio power is weak and since the speakers are at the bottom most of it is usually lost. If you're watching movies or TV shows on the laptop you will most likely require an additional speaker for a better experience. Casual gaming on the VivoBook X412 is good but it isn't that powerful to support games like F1.

The laptop is big on storage with 512GB onboard and expandable up to 1TB HDD and 512GB SSD. The battery on the VivoBook X412 will last you about 3-4 hours on regular usage. If you use it for tasks like gaming and maybe even video editing, the laptop will possibly continue for around 2.5 hours. It however charges pretty fast.

Verdict

Asus VivoBook X412 ticks most of the boxes for a good laptop in its price range. It does offer a premium look and design, features and more. For regular users the VivoBook X412 is a good fit, however power users can opt for something else.