ASUS seems to love setting trends when it comes to Snapdragon X-powered laptops. The PC maker was among the first to ship a PC powered by the new Qualcomm processors and will be part of the next wave of Windows on Arm PCs powered by an 8-core version of the Snapdragon X Plus. While that efficient and affordable version of the VivoBook S 15 will be a great option for many, it lacks the power of its sibling with a Snapragon X Elite. If you have a more demanding workflow, the more powerful VivoBook S 15 is a better option, and it’s on sale for $945. That’s a savings of 27%.
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ASUS VivoBook S 15 review highlights
The ASUS VivoBook S 15 was one of the first Snapdragon X Elite-powered PCs to launch. It showcased the chips while packing those processors into a thin-and-light body that still has a ton of ports, including two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports, 2 USB-C 4.0 Gen 3 ports, an HDMI 2.1 TMDS port, microSD card reader, and a headphone jack. The Snapdragon X Elite processor inside the VivoBook S 15 was so impressive and new, that it stole the spotlight from other parts of the PC.
“If it weren’t for the silicon on the inside, I’d call the display the star of the show here,” said our Senior Editor Zac Bowden in his ASUS VivoBook S 15 review. “It’s a 15.6-inch OLED panel with a screen-to-body ratio of 89%, featuring a 2880 x 1620 resolution and a dynamic 120Hz refresh rate. In short, it’s a beautiful display with smooth and crisp visuals, helped by the fact that this laptop display is of the glossy variety.”
The laptop also earned high marks for its battery life, which his 14 hours and 16 minutes in the PCMark Applications battery test in our testing. The 70Whr battery of the VivoBook S 15 combined with the Snapdragon X Elite chip inside make a laptop that can last all day. There are laptops with better battery life around, but the VivoBook S 15 still impressed.
“In my usage of the laptop, this thing lasts and lasts,” said Bowden. “With no worries about battery life, I can get through an entire workday with your usual web browsing, email, and office workflow. I can even get through much of the following day on the same tank of energy before I feel obligated to plug it in to recharge.”
The VivoBook S 15 still holds a spot on our list of the best Windows on Arm laptops. Specifically, its 3K OLED display secures its spot on that list as the laptop with the best screen.
A massive year for Windows on Arm
After years of dabbling in making Windows on Arm work, Microsoft and Qualcomm dove head-first into making the platform provide a high-end experience. The release of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite and Snapdragon X Plus sparked interest in Windows on Arm, since PCs with those chips competed with processors from Intel and AMD. We also saw Microsoft improve emulation with its Prism technology and the list of the best native Windows on Arm apps grow. Even Google Drive will be updated to be Arm-native soon.
During IFA 2024, Windows on Arm got a few more boosts, including Qualcomm’s new 8-core variants of the Snapdragon X Plus. We also saw several app makers hop on board the Windows on Arm train, such as ExpressVPN. Qualcomm teased “high performance” desktops powered by Snapdragon X processors too, though details on those are scarce.
That 8-core version of the Snapdragon X Plus will be available in the VivoBook S 15. But if you prefer the powered promised by the 12-core Snapdragon X Elite, or if you want a VivoBook S 15 now, the discounted model that’s on sale is your best bet.
With several pieces of premium hardware now powered by Snapdragon processors, Windows on Arm is in a dramatically different spot than it was this time last year. Intel has answered back with its Core Ultra Series 2 processors, but Qualcomm said it welcome’s the competition.
