The ASUS ExpertBook series was first introduced in Malaysia with the release of the ExpertBook B9 (B9450). It was one of the very best laptops ASUS has ever built whereby it packs a modern minimalist design and functionality to meet the demands of the business users.
One year later, ASUS is now committed to providing the whole ecosystem of ExpertBook lineup to the Malaysian market by releasing a slew of laptop choices ranging from the top-of-the-line ExpertBook B9 down to the entry range ExpertBook B1.
Just a few weeks ago, we had the opportunity to get our hands on the early engineering sample of the ASUS ExpertBook B5 Flip, so I thought it would be great to share my experience after spending some time with that particular laptop.
Almost B9-like
My first impression when I hold onto the B5 Flip is – “wow, this is just like the B9!”.
After using the B9450 exclusively for almost a year, I can’t help but applaud ASUS’s decision to keep the series’ design consistent. What really sets the B5 and B9 apart is that the B9 uses a premium Magnesium Aluminium alloy material for the chassis. That contributes to the extremely lightweight nature of the B9. That also requires user to sacrifice some of the physical connectivity options.
The ExpertBook B5 kept things well balanced with a slightly thicker and heavier body while retaining most of the important ports on the laptop.
Flip or non-Flip
Unlike the other ExpertBooks, the B5 actually comes in two different variations – the standard clamshell model vs. the convertible model. The convertible B5 Flip makes it stand out from the rest of its sister models as one of the most versatile business laptops you can get, just like the ThinkPad X1 Yoga series minus the hefty price tag.
This allows the B5 Flip to perform as an all-in-one device. I can immediately think of how this laptop is perfect for those who work in the sales and marketing department. Their job requires them to attend meetings and do presentations or sales. They no longer need to bring along another tablet with their laptop simply because a convertible can provide the same user experience.
While some may voice out their concern regarding the 13.3-inch display being too small, frankly speaking, that’s the limit of how convertibles are usually sized to balance the usability and weight. Of course, there are convertibles in the market with an oversized display such as the Surface Book 15″, whether it is user friendly or not is another story.
Skip the Core i3 Model
Since our hands-on model is an engineering sample, the actual performance will not be the same as the actual retail unit. On top of that, this unit only comes equipped with an Intel Core i3-1115G4, a 2-cores 4-threads 12-28W chip. The actual performance is far too disappointing. The good news is that our local ExpertBook will only come in i5 and i7 models so you won’t have to be worried about mistakenly getting the i3 model.
| Model | ExpertBook B1 | ExpertBook B5 Flip | ExpertBook B5 | ExpertBook B9 |
| CPU | Intel Core i5-1135G7
Intel Core i7-1165G7 |
Intel Core i7-1165G7 | ||
| GPU | Intel Xe Graphics | |||
| Display | 14-inch FHD
15.6-inch FHD |
13.3-inch FHD with Touch and Flip | 13.3-inch FHD | 14-inch FHD |
| RAM | 8GB | 16GB | ||
| Storage | Up to 512GB | 512GB | Up to 512GB | 1TB |
| I/O | 1x Thunderbolt 4
2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 1x USB-A 2.0 1x HDMI 1x VGA 1x Ethernet 1x microSD Audio Combo Jack |
2x Thunderbolt 4
1x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 1x HDMI 2.0b 1x Ethernet Audio Combo Jack |
2x Thunderbolt 4
1x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 1x HDMI Ethernet Audio Combo Jack |
|
| Battery | TBA | 33Whr | 66Whr | |
| Price (RM) | 3,599 (Core i5, 256GB SSD, 14-inch FHD)
3,759 (Core i5, 512GB SSD, 14-inch FHD) / (Core i7, 512GB SSD, 15.6-inch FHD) 4,399 (Core i7, 512GB SSD, 14-inch FHD) |
4,999 (Core i5)
5,599 (Core i7) |
4,299 (Core i5, 256GB SSD)
5,199 (Core i7, 512GB SSD) |
7,989 (Core i7) |
ExpertBook B5, Yay?
At the end of the day, I think ASUS has done an excellent job at bringing the ExpertBook lineup into Malaysia. The build quality of this series is fantastic and I genuinely think it is a great alternative if you wanted to look for business laptops other than Dell Latitudes or Lenovo ThinkPads.
The ExpertBook B5 Flip while sacrificing some weight and thickness, what you get ultimately is an affordable ExpertBook B9 with added versatility. While the ExpertBook B9 is for road warriors, the ExpertBook B5 is suitable for users who need a convertible laptop to meet their work requirements.
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