Asus VivoBook Pro 14X OLED review: A new era of VivoBooks
A TEST REPORT from Dominic Lux 
on February 28, 2022, 15:00 | Write a comment
When you think of the VivoBooks from Asus, you usually imagine entry-level or mid-range laptops. With the new VivoBook Pro devices, however, Asus wants to enter the high-end sector. We have tested the Asus VivoBook Pro 14X OLED for you.
As the name suggests, no savings are made here: A 14-inch (approx. 36 cm) OLED is used as the display, the design looks very high-quality and a special keyboard design and logo are intended to set the new VivoBooks apart from the crowd.
-
- An interesting design is used for the VivoBook's keyboard. (Image: TechnikNews)
-
- An almost frameless display due to the 16:10 screen format. (Image: TechnikNews)
Inside the VivoBook Pro 14X OLED is an Intel Core i7 i7-11370H. This has four cores with up to 4.8 GHz. During the test period, it proved to be very powerful. There were no stutters, everything ran smoothly without any major problems. In my case, a 512 GB NVMe PCie 3.0 Express SSD was installed. The model is also available in a 1 TB version, which even has an extra 32 GB of Intel Optane memory.
When it comes to RAM, you get 16 GB of LPDDR4 soldered in, which unfortunately cannot be expanded.
Jump to section
Graphics: Intel and Nvidia RTX in a combo package
For the graphics, the Intel Iris Plus and an Nvidia RTX 3050 with Studio drivers are used in my test model. The latter is automatically switched on for graphically demanding applications. The Nvidia RTX has 4 GB GDDR6 graphics memory available, which can be used for light Full HD gaming.
The Nvidia Studio drivers should probably differ from the normal gaming drivers in the application. In detail you can get the information directly from Nvidia here ...
I/O ports: Large selection
Many laptops these days are missing some important ports. Asus, on the other hand, has some in the new VivoBook, even some that I personally didn't expect.
-
- On the left are two USB Type A 2.0 ports for charging or slow data transfer. (Image: TechnikNews)
-
- On the right, on the other hand, the variety of connections really comes into its own. (Image: TechnikNews)
On the right side of the VivoBook Pro 14X OLED we find an HDMI 1.4 port, a Thunderbolt 4 Type-C for power supply and data transfer.
There is also space on the right side for a DC-in port and a 3,5 mm jack connection. Asus has also thought of a micro SD card reader.
Asus definitely offers a good selection of ports here. However, I would have preferred to see two of the 2.0 standard instead of the two USB 3.1 ports.
Keyboard and touchpad: special design
Asus wants to set its VivoBook apart from the crowd with a rather unusual design. While the ESC button comes in bright orange, the rest is colored white and gray. The keys have a key travel of 1,35 mm. You can also write longer texts (like this test report) on the device without regretting it.
An LED backlight is also on board. The touchpad is very well done. It's a good size and of course supports multi-touch. Asus has also built something special into your touchpad. While the ZenBooks let you light up a number pad, here you get a kind of wheel when you swipe down from the top right corner. This allows you to adjust the brightness or volume, for example.
-
- Sufficiently bright for the nocturnal hours of writing is given here. (Image: TechnikNews)
-
- The ESC key is colored bright orange. (Image: TechnikNews)
-
- This concise lettering above the F2 and F3 keys is intended to underline the special design again. (Image: TechnikNews)
-
- Asus once again relies on Harman Kardon for the audio. (Image: TechnikNews)
Audio: Harman Kardon delivers rich sound
Of course, you can't expect the deepest bass from a relatively thin laptop. However, it already has Asus ZenBook 13 OLED proved that Asus can get very good sound in small laptops with the help of Harman Kardon. It is very detailed and delivers a good average volume. (I think it could have been a little louder)
Display: Never again without OLED
Personally, I wouldn't buy a laptop without an OLED display. Now that the cheaper VivoBooks have a very good OLED, I see no reason to go for LCD. The VivoBook Pro also uses a high-quality and very sharp 2.7 K OLED panel with a smooth 90 Hz refresh rate, which can be very bright.
Battery: Long runtimes are guaranteed
Asus scored well with me when it came to the battery. I always managed a good 13 to 14 hours with normal use in everyday life, which are really good values. Asus doesn't have too much versprochan.
My conclusion
Finally, we come to the conclusion. Can I recommend the VivoBook Pro 14X OLED to you? Yes, and without any major negative points in terms of hardware, but the price of a proud 1.499 euros (RRP) is unfortunately extremely high. In this price range, you can already get the Asus ZenBooks. However, I don't see a major hardware difference between these two device classes. In terms of design, there is more of a difference, so in the end you have to decide for yourself which device you like better visually. At least I liked it relatively well in everyday life.
We would like to thank Asus Germany for providing the VivoBook Pro 14X OLED!