ASUS VivoBook F412DA: At First Glance
The ASUS VivoBook F412DA was released in September 2019. I am particularly impressed by its simple but aesthetic design, which you will learn about in the design section.
Although this laptop does not deliver anything outstanding performance-wise, you will find it useful for your everyday computing. It might also impress you to know that this laptop is cost-effective.
To be precise, it cost only $349.99 in April 2022 when I wrote this review. Now that you know its price, let us proceed to discuss everything else about the ASUS VivoBook F412DA.
ASUS VivoBook F412DA: Design, Dimension, and Weight
The ASUS VivoBook F412DA has a good design and a sophisticated appearance that beats its price. However, it is built with a plastic material which does not make it as tough as metallic-built laptops.
The laptop’s lid has a smooth, shiny texture that you can feel when you run your hands over it.
Moreover, the laptop comes in different colors, such as transparent silver, slate gray, and iridescent peacock blue. Thankfully, all these colors are beautiful.
Nonetheless, the iridescent peacock blue color option is more noticeable because it changes color when viewed from different angles. Therefore, users who love flashy things might be interested in this color option.
Meanwhile, my review model of the ASUS VivoBook F412DA has a slate gray color. This color option is modest and would be loved by conservative people.
On the center of the lid, you will find a white-colored ”ASUS” insignia for brand identity. The insignia also serves as ASUS’ means of avoiding a blank lid.
Moving toward the bottom of the lid, you will notice the ErgoLift hinge between the lid and the laptop’s base. The ErgoLift hinge pushes the keyboard 3 degrees upward when you open the laptop lid.
Therefore, the ErgoLift hinge helps to prevent the laptop’s base from sitting flat on a surface. Thankfully, lifting the base results in a better typing position.
Also, with the base raised up, the audio performance of the laptop is increased. There is also better air ventilation in and out of the laptop.
Furthermore, the flexible hinge allows the lid to be flipped open with just one hand. Impressively, the hinge does not permit the laptop’s lid to wobble.
Moving on, immediately you open the lid; you will be welcomed by the laptop’s 14-inch display. It might also impress you to know that the display has a Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) resolution.
Thankfully, the Full HD resolution display produces clear and rich-colored content. Therefore, having a Full HD resolution gives the ASUS VivoBook F412DA an edge over other laptops in its category with a lower resolution.
Other than its decent resolution, the laptop’s display also has a LED backlight. This helps to reduce the harmful light rays that have the potential to affect the eyes when staring directly at the display.
Therefore, thanks to the LED backlight, you can stare at the display for a long period of time without getting eye strain.
In addition to all I have said, the display also features Twisted Nematic (TN) technology. The benefit of TN displays is that they have a fast response time and refresh rate.
Therefore, blurring and ghosting are eliminated when displaying fast-moving content like games. Finally, let’s talk about the aspect ratio of the display.
Before we do that, you should be aware that aspect ratio refers to the width of the display relative to its height. That said, the ASUS VivoBook F412DA’s display has a standard aspect ratio of 16:9.
This implies that the width is almost twice as wide as the height of the display. Hence, more content will fit into the screen horizontally than vertically which will make watching movies and playing games immersive.
So far, the display of this laptop has been decent. However, what impresses me the most about the display is the slim bezels that surround it.
For a 2019 laptop, the slim bezels give the ASUS VivoBook F412DA a modern look. However, despite being thin, the top bezel still houses an HD webcam that works well for video calls.
On the other hand, at the center of the bottom bezel, you will find an “ASUS Vivobook” insignia.
At this point, let’s move on to the keyboard, which is full-sized and also backlit. Having a backlight makes the keyboard good for typing in the dark.
Sadly, the keys have a short travel distance of 1.3 mm which might affect the typing speed of people who type faster with long key travels. For better understanding, travel distance or key travel measures how deep the keys go down when pressed.
Moving on, as expected, there is a touchpad below the keyboard with integrated mouse buttons. The touchpad is decently big, and it has accurate cursor movements.
Therefore, you should have no problem using the touchpad.
Away from the laptop’s deck to the side of the laptop’s base, you will find the ports. Specifically, on the left side, this laptop features two USB 2.0 Type-A ports.
Meanwhile, the right side has one USB 3.2 Type-A port, one USB 3.2 Type-C port, and a 3.5 mm combo audio jack. Apparently, there are only a few ports on this laptop.
Moving away from the sides to the bottom of the laptop, you will find the speakers. Thanks to the ErgoLift hinge mentioned earlier; the speakers produce impressively loud sounds.
In addition to that, the speakers produce deep bass; therefore, you will enjoy the multimedia performance of this laptop.
Moving on to its weight, the ASUS VivoBook F412DA weighs 1500 g. For its dimension, it measures 322 x 212 x 19.9 mm (W x D x H).
Based on its weight and dimension, it is safe to regard the ASUS VivoBook F412DA as a lightweight and portable laptop.
In comparison, the ASUS VivoBook F412DA is heavier and thicker than the ASUS VivoBook S14. Precisely, the ASUS VivoBook S14 weighs 1400 g and measures 324 x 213 x 15.9 mm (W x D x H).
Nonetheless, the ASUS VivoBook F412DA is still a lightweight laptop. I also love its slim bezels and its overall design aesthetics.
Hence, I will be rating the ASUS VivoBook F412DA nine out of ten in this design section of the review.
ASUS VivoBook F412DA: Processor (CPU) Performance
The ASUS VivoBook F412DA comes with a dual-core AMD Ryzen 3 3200U processor. This processor has a base frequency of 2.60 GHz and a boost frequency of 3.50 GHz.
Additionally, this processor comes with a 4 MB cache memory. With this processor, the ASUS VivoBook F412DA should perform computing tasks and other processing tasks conveniently.
However, to have a better idea about the processor’s performance, I will be sharing its Cinebench R15 test result. Before I jump into that, you should know that Cinebench R15 is a test that evaluates computer processors’ performance by performing tasks using their cores.
It is possible for the Cinebench test to perform these processing tasks with only one processor core. In that case, a single-core score is achieved.
Additionally, it is also possible for the test to perform the processing tasks with all the available processor cores (two cores for the AMD Ryzen 3 3200U). In that case, a multi-core score is achieved.
For metric purposes, a high score in the Cinebench test and every other test we will employ in this review means better performance.
That said, the ASUS VivoBook F412DA had a single-core score of 128 points. It also had a multi-core score of 335 points.
In comparison, the HP 255 G7 159P1EA performed slightly better by having a single-core score of 129 points. It also had a multi-core score of 353 points.
It is worth noting that the HP 255 G7 comes with AMD Ryzen 3 3200U processor as well.
Based on the performance of the ASUS VivoBook F412DA in the test, I will be rating it eight out of ten in this processor review section.
ASUS VivoBook F412DA: Memory (RAM) Performance
Regarding its memory, the ASUS VivoBook F412DA comes with a DDR4 SDRAM memory type. In this laptop, there is one slot that houses a removable RAM of up to 8 GB.
Additionally, there is an onboard memory that is soldered to the motherboard. The onboard memory has a capacity of 4 GB.
Hence, the total maximum capacity supported by the ASUS VivoBook F412DA is 12 GB.
With a maximum of 12 GB RAM capacity, this laptop is capable of performing heavy multitasking. For instance, you can have up to 20 Chrome browser tabs running smoothly.
In about two of the browser tabs, you can also stream YouTube videos. Still, that should not cause a delay in the laptop’s performance.
For more insight into the memory performance of this laptop, I will share its result in a PC Mark 10 test. Before I get started, PC Mark 10 test evaluates a computer’s memory ability by performing real-world activities.
Apparently, these activities depend strongly on the memory of the computer. Hence, you can expect that higher scores on the PC Mark 10 test mean better performance.
Having said that, in the PCMark 10 benchmark test, the ASUS VivoBook F412DA scored 4221 points.
In comparison, the HP Pavilion Gaming 15 performs better, with a score of 5221 points in the same test. Furthermore, the Acer Nitro 5 also performed better, with a score of
4892 points.
Hence, based on the ASUS VivoBook F412DA’s performance, I will be rating it seven out of ten in this memory review section.
ASUS VivoBook F412DA: Storage Options and Performance
Regarding its storage, the ASUS VivoBook F412DA comes with SSD storage that supports a maximum capacity of 128 GB. Unfortunately, this storage capacity is small, especially when considering the large sizes of modern applications.
Sadly, a maximum of 128 GB of storage space is meager and will be insufficient for most users. To make matters worse, this laptop does not come with an SD card for external storage expansion.
However, you can comfort yourself with the expectation that the SSD storage drive will deliver a fast transfer speed. That is because SSDs are known to be the fastest storage type among others.
Speaking of the storage speed, let’s confirm if it is truly fast by considering this laptop’s performance in a Crystaldiskmark test. For your information, Crystaldiskmark is a test that measures the read and writes speeds of storage drives.
For further explanation, read speed refers to how long it takes to open a file on a computer. On the other hand, write speed refers to how long it takes to save a file to computer storage.
Hence, in the benchmark test, the laptop had a sequential read speed of 874.2 MBps and a sequential write speed of 649.3 MBps.
Meanwhile, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus S15 is faster in opening and saving files. Specifically, it had a sequential read speed of 1294 MBps and a sequential write speed of 2612 MBps.
In conclusion, I am disappointed by the meager storage space on the ASUS VivoBook F412DA and its lack of an SD card. Also, despite having SSD storage, its storage speed is also not outstanding.
Therefore, I will be rating it seven out of ten in this storage review section.
ASUS VivoBook F412DA: Graphics Card Performance
The ASUS VivoBook F412DA comes with integrated AMD Radeon Vega 3 Graphics, which has a boost frequency of 1200 MHz. In case you don’t know, an integrated graphics card is one that is in-built into the processor and does not have Video RAM.
Due to their lack of dedicated Video RAM, integrated graphics cards share the computer’s RAM with the processor. As a result of that, I do not recommend integrated graphics cards for performing demanding graphics tasks like intensive gaming.
However, that is not surprising since only non-gaming laptops ship with only an integrated graphics card. Nonetheless, that is not to say that the ASUS VivoBook F412DA cannot play games.
As a matter of fact, it is capable of playing some games like Watch Dogs Legion 2020 at 11.3 fps on low graphic settings. It should also play Dirt 5 2020 at 15.7 fps on low graphics settings as well.
Furthermore, to get more information about the ASUS VivoBook F412DA’s graphics performance, I will share its 3DMark test result. If you are wondering what the 3DMark benchmark is, it is a test that evaluates the graphics handling capability of a computer.
Just like every other benchmark test we have discussed so far, the computer performs better in this benchmark when its score is high.
In light of that, the ASUS VivoBook F412DA scored 389 points. However, it performed better than the Acer Aspire 3, which scored 379 points in the same benchmark test.
On the other hand, the Acer Spin 3 outperformed both laptops above with a score of 449 points. Meanwhile, you should be informed that both the Acer Aspire 3 and Acer Spin 3 use the same AMD Radeon Vega 3 graphics card.
In conclusion, the ASUS VivoBook F412DA comes with an integrated graphics card. Hence, it is not suitable for running powerful graphics applications and games.
Additionally, its performance in the benchmark test is only middling. Therefore, I will be rating it seven in this section of the review.
ASUS VivoBook F412DA: Battery Life and Performance
The ASUS VivoBook F412DA comes with a 2-cell, 37 WHr battery. Unfortunately, ASUS did not state the battery life of this laptop.
However, from a battery test that involved using Zoom and surfing the web, the battery lasted only 4 hours. Although this battery life is quite disappointing, it is still better than that of the ASUS X55QA.
Specifically, the ASUS X555QA-CBA12A with the same battery capacity can last for just 3 hours.
In conclusion, the battery life of the ASUS VivoBook F412DA is obviously not impressive. Hence, when taking this laptop with you when you are on the move, do not forget to take a power pack with you.
It also implies that you have to stay close to a power source. Based on all I have said in this section, I will be rating the ASUS VivoBook F412DA six out of ten.
Frequently Asked Questions
The ASUS VivoBook F412DA weighs only 1500 g. This implies that it is a lightweight laptop, and you should have no trouble carrying it around.
The ASUS VivoBook F412DA comes with a DDR4 SDRAM memory type with one removable slot. The removable RAM slot can take a maximum of 8 GB RAM.
In addition to that, there is also 4 GB RAM soldered to the motherboard. Therefore, the maximum total memory supported on this laptop is 12 GB which is enough for heavy multitasking.
At the time I wrote this review in April 2022, the ASUS VivoBook F412DA had a starting price of $349.99. Therefore, this laptop is not pricey but affordable.
No, the ASUS VivoBook F412DA is not a gaming laptop. It has a meager storage space, unlike gaming laptops with sufficient storage space for storing games.
Most importantly, it has integrated graphics, unlike gaming laptops that use dedicated graphics. Unfortunately, integrated graphics cards like the AMD Radeon Vega 3 on the ASUS VivoBook F412DA are not powerful enough to play graphics-intensive games.
The ASUS VivoBook F412DA was released in September 2019.
Conclusion
The ASUS VivoBook F412DA is a well-built laptop with impressive aesthetics. It also has three color options that users can choose from based on their preferences.
I am particularly fascinated by the slim bezels that frame the display, the comfortable keyboard with backlight, and the portability of the laptop. To crown it all, this laptop does not cost a fortune so; everybody can afford it.
However, the ASUS VivoBook F412DA is not without its own fair share of flaws. Some of its flaws include its disappointing battery life and its meager 128 GB maximum storage space.
Nonetheless, if you can live with these aforementioned flaws, then nothing stops you from making the ASUS VivoBook F412DA your next laptop.
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