2019 Asus Vivobook 14 (X403FA) Review
242Here are the main pointers for the 2019 Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA laptop:
- Remarkably long battery life
- Top-notch performance
- Solid build and feel
- But fixed 8GB RAM, no upgrades
- No discrete graphics card
- unexciting colour scheme
The Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA is available on Amazon and can also be purchased from offline stores. To buy the Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA from Amazon, follow the link below:
https://www.digit.in/tracker/vivobook-14-inch-integrated-graphics.html
Read our Detailed Review of the Asus VivoBook 14 (X403FA):
https://www.digit.in/reviews/laptops/asus-vivobook-x403-review-187640.html
Here's what we felt about the Performance, Gaming and Battery of the Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA:
In the one and only variant the Asus VivoBook 14 X403 is available in, it features an Intel Core i5-8265U (Whiskey Lake) CPU with 8GB of RAM and integrated graphics. Storage is taken care of by a 512GB PCIe NVMe solid-state drive. While the spec sheet looks healthy for the Rs 54,990 Asus charges, there’s one area of concern with the new Asus laptop: the RAM simply cannot be upgraded as it’s a soldered chip with no empty slots around it on the motherboard. So the X403 is for customers who are quite confident that their memory requirement in the present or future won’t exceed 8GB. Fortunately, the M.2 solid-state drive chip can be upgraded to a maximum of 1TB even though Asus warns the battery is optimised for the bundled 512GB chip.
The review unit fared well on our CPU benchmark tests but lost points on our GPU benchmark tests. On PCMark 8’s Accelerated Creative test, the X403 bagged 3724 points, which is a little lower than the 3758 points the X412 bagged. Because it doesn’t feature discrete graphics, the X403 lost to the MX250-powered X412. On 3DMark’s Fire Strike and Cloud Gate, the X403 scored 1175 and 9401 points respectively. The X412, by contrast, scored 2079 and 10065 points on the same two tests respectively. The disk speeds on the X403 were similar to those obtained on the X412.
I was able to open numerous everyday applications such as Chrome, File Explorer, Microsoft Store, Word, Excel, and WhatsApp for PC across multiple virtual desktops on the review unit. Opening a dozen instances of Chrome with multiple tabs open in each window seemed to make no difference to the sprightliness of the laptop. I was glad to note that switching between windows and virtual desktops quickly and frequently in the course of a busy workday led to no signs of lag or stuttering. Unfortunately, gaming was no go on the X403 because of the lack of a dedicated graphics card. Both Doom and Metro: Last Light ran at an average frame rate of 16 frames per second in Medium graphics settings (one level above the lowest).
The VivoBook 14 X403 packs a rather large 72Wh quad-cell lithium-ion polymer non-removable internal battery, which Asus claims is good for up to 24 hours of continuous local video playback. On our standard battery benchmark test, the review unit scored 6 hours, 16 minutes. In comparison to the X412’s score on the same test, it’s an impressive three-fold jump. The only other laptop outlasting the X403 in the mainstream category of our books is the 15-inch Microsoft Surface Book 2 with its score of 6 hours, 55 minutes.
BOTTOM LINE
While the VivoBook 14 X403 comes with many pluses, its single and perhaps biggest minus creates a painful deal-breaker for users wanting a memory upgrade in the future. Yes, the X403 is for customers who are convinced that their memory requirement in the present or future won’t exceed the soldered 8GB. Barring that single crucial limitation, the Asus VivoBook 14 X403 proves to be a fine mainstream laptop for Rs 54,990.
Buy on Amazon :- https://www.digit.in/tracker/vivobook-14-inch-integrated-graphics-x403fa.html
-------
Are you passionate about technology and gadgets? If yes, then here's your chance to become a Digit certified tech influencer by joining the Digit Squad!
Follow the link below to join the Digit Squad!
https://digitsquad.digit.in/
Subscribe to Digit for the latest video updates. It's free!
https://www.youtube.com/digit?sub_confirmation=1/
Welcome to Digit's official YouTube English video channel.
Digit is India's most popular technology media brand across print, online and social media. Digit has 18 years of legacy in dishing out buying advice and informed opinions on how to make the most of technology in your daily lives. Digit is the only tech media publication with 2 test labs across India that tests and reviews the entire gamut of consumer technology products and services.
Shop on Amazon:https://www.digit.in/tracker/yt-amz.html
Shop on Flipkart: https://www.digit.in/tracker/yt-fk.html
Website : http://www.digit.in/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thinkdigit/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/digitindia?lang=en
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digit.in/?hl=en
Snapchat: digit_india