With its large 17-inch format combined with a look worthy of an ultrabook, the Asus VivoBook S712DAM-BX509T has a few arguments to seduce. Inside its silver case of 2.3 kg, a large capacity SSD storage (512 GB) is associated with a Ryzen 5 Quad Core processor and 8 GB of RAM, an ideal package for office automation that favors the system fluidity. The connection is correct and its large 17-inch anti-reflective screen allows you to work in good conditions. Be aware that you shouldn’t expect much from its battery life and that the screen is limited by a standard definition (1600 x 900 px / TN).
Specifications of the Asus VivoBook S712DAM-BX509T
| Screen (s) | 17.3 “HD LED thin edges (1600×900, anti-glare) | |
| Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 3500U Picasso (2.1 GHz, 4 cores) | |
| RAM installed | 8 GB (4 GB soldered 4 GB) DDR4 2400 MHz, 1 slot (occupied) | |
| Graphic card | AMD Radeon RX Vega 3 | |
| Storage | 512 GB M.2 SSD (NVMe PCIe) | |
| Connectivity | 2 USB 2.0 1 USB 3.0 1 USB 3.1 Type-C (Gen1), HDMI, SD / SDHC | |
| Network | Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth 4.1 | |
| Backlit Keyboard | – | |
| Numeric keypad | Yes | |
| Windows Hello | – | |
| Audio system | 2 SonicMaster speakers | |
| Operating system | Windows 10 Home 64-bit | |
| battery life announced / Battery | 5 hours / Li-ion 2 cells 32Whr | |
| Weight / Dimensions (mm) | 2.3 Kg / 406.9 x 253.75 x 21.4 |
Chassis, connectors, screen of the Asus VivoBook S712DAM-BX509T
Asus installs its Asus S712DAM-BX512T in a compacted chassis, looking big 15 inches. On the front of the stage, its compact 406 x 253 mm format and its beautiful 21 mm thinness which guides it towards a little mobility. Then, the aesthetic opts for an elegant sober and smooth silver on the entire shell, except around the keyboard with an embossed effect, and drawn edges. The assembly is correct even if the plastic predominates and the clean silhouette of the PC is welcome.
Around the screen, Asus has sought to slightly refine the borders but without being borderless, which does not detract from the charm of the ultrabook. We discover a screen with basic specifications: a standard definition (1600 x 900 px) and the support of a TN panel leading to narrow viewing angles. Good point however, the anti-reflective treatment will prevent glare situations in a bright environment.
Well distributed, the connectors bring together most of the interfaces currently expected at this level of the range. There is an HDMI output, a microSD card reader and three USB Type-A ports, two of which are still limited by the 2.0 standard. A USB Type-C is also part of the game as well as the AC Wifi and Bluetooth 4.1 modules. No fingerprint reader is planned, however.
Performance, battery life of the Asus VivoBook S712DAM-BX509T
In the foreground, the storage is entrusted to a 512 GB M.2 SSD which will bring a welcome dose of responsiveness to the system. Compared to a standard mechanical hard drive, is is quieter, more robust and energy efficient, and allows Windows to achieve remarkable smoothness with short load times and zero latency execution. What’s more, its capacity is nothing short of ridiculous and can accommodate a good chunk of your game library although some may not find it sufficient.
But the capabilities of this VivoBook S712DAM-BX509T depend mainly on the processor, entrusted here to the latest generation AMD APU Quad Core Ryzen 5 3500U low consumption. It succeeds the Ryzen 5 2500U with a gain of less and less 10% in terms of power, enough to reach a level close to a Quad Core i5-8265U. In fact, everyday usage is perfectly supported and you can even tackle photo editing, video editing, and light computing missions without too much shaking. Especially since the APU is supported by 8 GB of RAM , a total adequate to navigate smoothly in multitasking .
The AMD Radeon Vega 8 chipset integrated into the processor will take care of the graphics rendering, that is to say that it holds up to the Intel UHD 620 chip of the Intel Comet Lake / Whiskey Lake processors. While the latter is similar to a GeForce MX110 in terms of performance, the Vega 8 will equal a GeForce MX130 and allow a little game in definition and medium details (1600 x 900 px).
Finally, battery life is not the strong point of our VivoBook S712DAM-BX512T even if its design leaves us dreaming of a little mobility. Its small battery does not offer much more than 4 to 5 hours of battery life in Internet browsing with active Wifi.
