ASUS VivoBook 17 Review: The Best Desktop Replacement Laptop?

Have you been thinking of getting an ASUS laptop? This ASUS VivoBook 17 review will help you with your decision making.

By Olatunbosun Adesoye | Updated February 23, 2023 | 9 minutes read | 408 Reads

In this review, you will get the details of the laptop’s design and performance. I will also review the laptop’s design, CPU, RAM, Graphics card, storage, and battery life.

Finally, after reading this review, you will have all the information to determine whether the laptop meets your need.

My Initial Thoughts

The very first glaring feature of the ASUS VivoBook 17 is its large size. However, its size is a bit smaller than that of its predecessors.

At first glance, ASUS VivoBook 17 looks like a laptop that will adequately serve for work and entertainment purposes. The laptop’s screen is a vivid reminder of how well it can serve those purposes.

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Lastly, the laptop’s overall features – at the very first look – arouses one’s interest. Its processor, storage options, and its build all seem very interesting.

ASUS VivoBook 17 Design, Dimension & Weight Review

The ASUS VivoBook 17 has a clean and sophisticated appearance. Its body is finished in a classic transparent silver.

Also, the laptop is big in size but it is considerably light due to its plastic body build. It measures 406.9 x 256 x 21.4 mm and weighs 2300 g.

Furthermore, the ASUS VivoBook 17 has very thin bezels. ASUS’s new thin-bezels display provides an 85% screen-to-body ratio.

Based on its excellent screen-to-body ratio, its widescreen area provides an immersive viewing experience. This laptop’s screen design is suitable for both work and entertainment.

Despite having thin-bezels around its screen, the laptop still features an HD camera at the top of the lid.

Furthermore, like many latest ASUS laptops, the ASUS VivoBook 17 makes use of the ErgoLift-Hinge. The ErgoLift-Hinge makes typing more comfortable because it tilts the keyboard up whenever the laptop’s lid is raised.

Moreover, the keyboard itself has a nice tactile feel. However, the distance between its keys is not very impressive considering the size of the laptop.

Also, the touchpad is nice and responsive. But ASUS could have utilized the large space below the keyboard to make the touchpad bigger.

For connectivity, the ASUS VivoBook 17 has a USB Type-C 3.2 port, a USB 3.2 Gen 1, a USB 2.0 port, and an HDMI port. It also has a security slot and a microSD card reader.

Overall, the ASUS VivoBook 17 offers a sophisticated appearance and excellent design. Therefore, it scores eight in this review.

ASUS VivoBook 17 Processor (CPU) Performance Review

ASUS offers a range of configuration options for the ASUS VivoBook 17’s processor. You can get ASUS VivoBook 17 with a 2-Core AMD Ryzen 3 3200U, a 4-Core AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, or 4-Core AMD Ryzen 7 3700U.

The performance of this laptop largely depends on the CPU configuration you decide to purchase. Its CPU configurations are all fairly okay though.

However, this CPU review focuses on the 4-Core AMD Ryzen 5 3500U configuration. It is an eight-thread CPU with a base frequency of 2.10 GHz and a maximum frequency of 3.70 GHz.

With this processor, the ASUS VivoBook 17 is fast enough for most daily computing tasks. The laptop did well with web browsing, document editing, and emailing.

Furthermore, the ASUS VivoBook 17 scored a point of 131 in a Single-core Cinebench R15 test. It also scored a point of 622 in the Multi-core test.

The ASUS VivoBook 17’ processor power might not be spectacular but it delivers in basic computing operations. Hence, it scores a seven in this CPU review.

ASUS VivoBook 17 Memory (RAM) Performance Review

The ASUS VivoBook 17 is equipped with 12 GB of DDR4 RAM. The laptop has only one memory slot.

Nevertheless, the laptop’s memory can be upgraded to 16 GB. As a result, RAM performance can be further improved.

Moreover, the laptop’s RAM performance with the 12 GB size is very impressive. The ASUS VivoBook 17 barely faced any trouble with multitasking.

It was still very responsive with 20 browser tabs running, Soundcloud music being streamed, and two software programs running. Generally, in day-to-day use, it barely stuttered or hanged unless when overloaded with operations.

The ASUS VivoBook 17 got a score of 3231 in a PCMark 10 test. It also scored a point of 5840 in a PCMark 10 productivity test.

In conclusion, the ASUS VivoBook 17 scores an eight for its impressive RAM performance.

ASUS VivoBook 17 Storage Options & Performance Review

Like its processor, ASUS offers a range of storage options for the ASUS VivoBook 17. Its storage options include – 1 TB SATA HDD, 128 GB SATA 3.0 M.2 SSD, or 512 GB PCIe Gen 3 x 2 M.2 SSD.    

In addition, the ASUS VivoBook 17 also has an SD card storage option. It allows a Multi-format reader.

The laptop’s SSD capacity might not be as large as its HDD storage option but it enhances the laptop’s performance. Moreover, the HDD storage option can be used mainly for file storage.

On a CrystalDiskMark test, this laptop’s SSD recorded a sequential write speed of 973.1 MBps and a sequential read speed of 1606 MBps.

In conclusion, the ASUS VivoBook 17 scores an eight for its good storage options.

ASUS VivoBook 17 Graphics Card Performance Review

ASUS also offers a range of configurations for the VivoBook 17 graphics card. Its configuration options include – AMD Radeon Vega 3 Graphics, AMD Radeon Vega 8 Graphics, or AMD Radeon RX Vega 10 Graphics.

The laptop’s GPU interface is Integrated not Dedicated – it doesn’t come with a dedicated VRAM.

This review is based on an ASUS VivoBook 17 with AMD Radeon Vega 8 Graphics card. This graphics card is mainly suitable for playing old and light games.

For instance, the ASUS VivoBook 17 achieved a frame rate of 36.4 FPS while running the Old Dota 2 Reborn game at high settings. You will either be unable to play current title games or be forced to play them at their lowest settings.

As a result, the ASUS VivoBook 17 scores a six in this graphics card performance review. This is because it can only play old games comfortably and barely manages to play modern games.

ASUS VivoBook 17 Battery Life & Performance Review

The ASUS VivoBook 17 is equipped with a 2-Cell Lithium – polymer battery. Its maximum battery life is 3 hours.

Obviously, its battery life is very disappointing considering the fact that its competing laptops’ batteries last longer. For instance, the Lenovo Ideapad L340 lasts for 9.5 hours and the HP Envy 17 lasts for 9 hours.

With regular web surfing, the ASUS VivoBook 17 lasted up to 2 hours 45 minutes. Additionally, the laptop can last for 3 hours when on video playback.

You can improve the laptop’s battery life by reducing the screen’s brightness. However, the laptop’s battery life may not exceed 3 hours.

As a result of its weak battery life, the ASUS VivoBook 17 scores a five in this review.

Frequently Asked Questions

My Final Thoughts

The ASUS VivoBook 17 is an ideal notebook for someone who requires a large screen for work and fun purposes. It has enough power to carry out basic computing operations and run very simple games.

However, its plastic case build might be a cause for concern, but its build is still nice. In conclusion, its price and performance level are considerably on par.

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