Asus Vivobook 15 F512DA Laptop Review: AMD Ryzen 3 for $400

Intel Core i3 alternative. | Can you get a good laptop for just a few hundred dollars? The entry-level Asus VivoBook 15 with the AMD Ryzen 3 3200U retails for about $100 less than the Intel Core i3 version without being all that much slower.

The Asus VivoBook series consists of budget to mid-range laptops to complement the higher-end and more expensive ZenBook series. The unit we have here is the 15.6-inch VivoBook 15 equipped with the entry-level 2nd gen Zen+ Ryzen 3 3200U processor from AMD. This particular SKU with 4 GB RAM, 128 GB SSD, and 1080p display can be found online for about $400 USD. SKUs with the Intel Core i3-8145U, Core i5-8265U, Core i7-8565U, or GeForce MX110 graphics are also available. These visually identical Intel variants are marketed as the VivoBook X512 series instead to contrast our AMD-powered VivoBook F512 series.

Asus Vivobook 15 F512DA-SH31

Processor

AMD Ryzen 3 3200U

Graphics adapter

AMD Radeon RX Vega 3 - 512 MB, Core: 1200 MHz, Memory: 1200 MHz, DDR4, 18.41.20.01

Memory

4096 MB 

, 1200 MHz, Single-Channel, 17-17-17-39

Display

15.6 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 141 PPI, AU Optronics B156HAN02.1, IPS, AUO21ED, glossy: no, 60 Hz

Mainboard

AMD Promontory/Bixby FCH

Soundcard

AMD Raven - Audio Processor - HD Audio Controller

Connections

4 USB 2.0, 2 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm combo, Card Reader: SD reader

Networking

Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5), Bluetooth 4.2

Size

height x width x depth (in mm): 19.9 x 357.2 x 230.4 ( = 0.78 x 14.06 x 9.07 in)

Battery

37 Wh Lithium-Polymer, 2-cell

Operating System

Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit

Camera

Webcam: 720p
Primary Camera: 0.9 MPix

Additional features

Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, 12 Months Warranty

Weight

1.75 kg ( = 61.73 oz / 3.86 pounds), Power Supply: 133 g ( = 4.69 oz / 0.29 pounds)

Price

400 USD

Case

The chassis skeleton is essentially identical to the VivoBook S15 S532 albeit without the ScreenPad. Thus, many of our existing comments on the S532 chassis apply here on the F512. The lid, however, is flimsier than expected as it flexes more easily when twisting it from the corners. The base is comparatively more rigid with only slight flexing and creaking despite the plastic materials.

Connectivity

Port options are identical to the VivoBook S15 S532. The HDMI and USB ports along the right edge have been swapped for reasons unknown, but port positioning is otherwise identical between the two Asus laptops. We would have preferred wider spacing between the ports since they can feel cramped.

Communication

The Intel 8265 with Bluetooth 4.2 come standard. The system appears to have issues maintaining high transfer rates with transmit rates in particular being especially low despite multiple retests with our Netgear RAX200 router. We otherwise experienced no connectivity issues when web browsing or video streaming.

Maintenance

The bottom panel is easy to remove as it requires only a Philips screwdriver. Once inside, there is one SODIMM slot and one M.2 2280 slot. Note the large unused spaces next to the battery and system fan.

Accessories and Warranty

There are no extras in the box other than the AC adapter and paperwork. The standard one-year limited warranty applies.

Input Devices

Keyboard

The backlit keyboard is identical to size, layout, and feel to the keyboard on the VivoBook S15 S532. The main QWERTY keys have great feedback considering the sub $500 price point, but the cramped NumPad keys and small Arrow keys are too spongy and uncomfortable.

Touchpad

The Precision-enabled clickpad (10.5 x 7.4 cm) is smaller than the one on the ZenBook 15 (13 x 6.7 cm). Cursor movement is smooth with no noticeable bugs or cursor jumping. Clicking, however, feels spongy and could have been firmer.

Display

The AU Optronics B156HAN02.1 IPS panel here can be found on a number of other budget 15.6-inch laptops including the ThinkPad E590 and Asus' own 2017 VivoBook S15 S510UQ. The low contrast ratio of just 300:1 and the narrow sRGB color space coverage of just 58 percent are all indicative of a cheap panel. While we're not expecting top-tier Ultrabook quality, some competing low-end laptops like the IdeaPad S340 have brighter displays and much higher contrast ratios for a better viewing experience than our Asus.

There is a slight but noticeable layer of graininess that is common on matte displays. The screen gets the job done so long as you're not expecting colors that pop or super crisp text and images.

Processor

CPU performance is most similar to Intel's last generation Kaby Lake Core i3-8130U or Whiskey Lake-U Core i3-8145U. Intel's latest 10th gen Core i3-1005G1 as found on the Dell XPS 13 offers about 20 to 30 percent faster processor performance. Asus offers Core i7-8565U options for this VivoBook model for approximately 50 percent faster multi-thread performance than our budget Ryzen 3 configuration.

Running CineBench R15 Multi-Thread in a loop shows relatively steady performance throughout. See our dedicated page on the Ryzen 3 3200U for more technical information and benchmark comparisons. The Ryzen 3 3200U will be succeeded by the Ryzen 3 4300U in the coming months.

DPC Latency

The system exhibits DPC latency issues when opening multiple Edge tabs, playing 4K UHD video, and running Prime95 in sequence. Fortunately, we're not able to observe any dropped frames during our 4K UHD video test.

Storage Devices

Our test unit comes with an inexpensive 128 GB SanDisk SD9SN8W128G M.2 SSD in order to keep prices low. Sequential read and write rates are slower than most SATA III SSDs at just 341 MB/s and 134 MB/s, respectively, according to AS SSD. Results on CrystalDiskMark are faster, but still disappointing for the category.