Introducing a new laptop from ASUS that is only priced at RM2,999! Yes, for just RM3k, you can get this laptop for yourself. Some of you may be skeptical about it – and I understand, so let’s talk about this laptop today.
This is the ASUS Vivobook A1607Q. It’s a pretty standard laptop design that’s 1.79cm thin and 1.88kg in weight. It’s definitely not the most premium build quality either – but for the price, I think this is acceptable.
As for the specs,it is running on:
- Snapdragon X X1-26-100 chipset
- 16GB RAM at 8448MT/s
- 1TB storage with an SSD from WD
- Adreno GPU
That aside, the Snapdragon X chipset is indeed quite powerful in its own right. We have tried gaming on the Zenbook A14 – and it ran okay for some games. Compatibility has definitely improved, though it’s not optimal yet. Remember, apps can be compatible and can be launched without any issues, but the app itself may be laggy.
Still, it’s much better than when the Snapdragon X chipsets were first launched last year. You can watch our gaming test video here. Now, I have to point out that while it can play some games – video editing is a problem on this chipset. You see, I tried DaVinci Resolve on this laptop and it’s just not the best.
As for the display, this is a 16-inch laptop with an IPS LCD screen that goes up to 1920×1200 pixels at 60Hz. However, this display is… not that good. Its brightness can go up to around 370 nits maximum. Even the sRGB and DCI-P3 color gamut coverage is very low. And that means the colors look… not that good.
But it’s okay. Having desaturated colors means that the display is easier on the eyes when we’re looking at it for long hours. It’s just that when we watch videos, yeah they look really bad. Still, this laptop has Windows Hello facial recognition for faster login. There is also a slider to cover up the camera entirely if you’re worried about privacy.
The keyboard is surprisingly okay since the travel distance is great and the keys do feel bouncy while typing. It’s just fun to type on. This laptop does use a full-sized keyboard with the number pad – so you might like it.
As for the trackpad though, this is quite a big yikes. I’m not really concerned about the smaller trackpad but the trackpad in itself is not that sensitive. I tapped on it to click and it oftentimes just does not detect. I have to press on the trackpad hard to initiate the click. It’s not a big issue if you’re using an external mouse anyway.
The ports available on this laptop is actually quite generous. There are two USB 4.0 40Gb/s ports but this laptop can only be charged only via USB-C port. There is also another USB-A port on the right side – which is the perfect location for an external mouse.
Opening up the laptop – which is very easy to do, reveals that we can only swap out the single M.2 SSD slot that is already occupied by the WD SSD.
The battery life is still fantastic despite having only a 50Wh battery. It can still last through a full day’s usage. The RAM is soldered onto the motherboard, but surprisingly – we can change the WiFi card.
As this is a 16-inch laptop, there is a lot of empty space inside. The motherboard is tiny, and there is a huge gap between the motherboard and the daughterboard for the ports at the side. The battery also does not span through the entire chassis – and that means ASUS could’ve placed a larger battery if they want to.
The thermal design is nothing fancy. There is only one heatpipe that runs across the components and one fan to whip out the heat. Since the Snapdragon X chip is rather low-powered, this thermal design works as the temperatures are in check yet the fan is barely audible.
When we do zoom out and look at this laptop, it basically has the same specs as this Zenbook A14 that we have reviewed previously. They have the same performance, but this Zenbook A14 has a much better display, battery life, and also much more thinner and lighter. Of course, we have to pay a premium for those features – and that’s the biggest difference between these two laptops.
Should you then buy the ASUS Vivobook 16 A1607?
Still, if you just want something simple – then the ASUS Vivobook 16 A1607 should be on your list. It’s supremely affordable at just RM2,999.
I know that the price is enticing, but please know what you’re getting into before actually purchasing a Snapdragon laptop. I will say it again – app compatibility has improved a lot – and you can check out this website to find out if the apps you use are compatible or not – but compatibility does not mean the apps will run with the best performance possible. From experience, DaVinci Resolve and some games can be launched but the performance is… disappointing, to say the least.
We have other videos to talking about Snapdragon laptops – do watch those videos and leave your questions down in the comments section below so that we can help you out.
Where to buy? (Affiliate links)
For more information, visit https://www.asus.com/my/laptops/for-students/vivobook/asus-vivobook-16-a1607q/
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