- Link:
- https://www.costco.ca/asus-vivobook-s51 … 51727.html
- Price:
- 1,199.99
- Retailer:
- Costco
Ok, this is not a crazy deal but I think it is a great price for what you get. Since it’s not actually on sale I think there is a good cahnce it will be
Also, another version of this laptop (older, lower spec) was posted here
In that thread someone commented how these have a slow CPU. This is by design as they are slower clocked 2.8MHz vs. 3.5+ and they are limited to four cores. They are designed to be more heat/power efficient for the causal user that doesn’t need lots of power.
This version is last year’s model, maybe even 2020 as some reviews date back to 2020, but it has 16GB of memory, 1TB SSD and an amazing looking OLED 1080p display. It has v5+ BT and mine has an intel wifi chip.
I saw it at the Billy Bishop Costco for the same price as online (oddly as in store things are usually cheaper) and when I saw the specs I thought it was a good value. When I asked, their assistant thought it was good value as well based on the specs.
I bought it to try out with the intent of keeping it if I liked it. I must say that it seems a step above other cheaply constructed laptops. Yes it has plastic covers but from what I read it has alu frame and the plastic cover doesn’t feel cheaply made like a toy. I actually like the way it looks/feels with the high screen ratio.
I don’t game, the only need for a higher CPU is for capture one or lightroom to convert raw photos which I’m going to test out but I expect that the extra memory and large SSD will be more useful to me than extra horsepower from the CPU. My daily task that poses the most challange would be all the Chrome tabs I like to keep open. This again should be handled by the extra ram.
What I realy like about it is its heat management. According to the Asus site it uses spcially designed fan(s) designed for better heat dissipation and quiet operation. Based on my testing so far the bottom of the case only got mildly warm and I never heard the fan. In fact, the cooling duct is cleverly hidden in the back. I had to search for it as the open screen obscures it.
A similarly configured Dell 15″ XPS with the faster i5 CPU is $2,050
Even last years Dell XPS 13 with only 8GB ram with the same CPU is $1,500. It is a UHD display however it’s not OLED.
Also note that Dell has their more powerful CPUs rated as “up to” when noting the CPU speed which means it will likely get throtled back once the turbo jests come on in an attempt to keep things cool. I know as I have two Dell Latitutude laptops from years ago that get burning hot, the fans sound like a hair drier, and they get throtled back.
So all in all I think this is a great laptop especially if Costco puts it on sale which I can see them doing in August for back to shcool for perhaps $100-200 less.
If anyone has any other suggestions feel free to comment as I’m not 100% locked in. I have an external monitor that I mostly use so the OLED screen is not important for me but for this price it’s essentially free and it’s nice to have. But a similar type of laptop with an IPS LCD for a few hundred less would definitely interest me.
Also, another version of this laptop (older, lower spec) was posted here
In that thread someone commented how these have a slow CPU. This is by design as they are slower clocked 2.8MHz vs. 3.5+ and they are limited to four cores. They are designed to be more heat/power efficient for the causal user that doesn’t need lots of power.
This version is last year’s model, maybe even 2020 as some reviews date back to 2020, but it has 16GB of memory, 1TB SSD and an amazing looking OLED 1080p display. It has v5+ BT and mine has an intel wifi chip.
I saw it at the Billy Bishop Costco for the same price as online (oddly as in store things are usually cheaper) and when I saw the specs I thought it was a good value. When I asked, their assistant thought it was good value as well based on the specs.
I bought it to try out with the intent of keeping it if I liked it. I must say that it seems a step above other cheaply constructed laptops. Yes it has plastic covers but from what I read it has alu frame and the plastic cover doesn’t feel cheaply made like a toy. I actually like the way it looks/feels with the high screen ratio.
I don’t game, the only need for a higher CPU is for capture one or lightroom to convert raw photos which I’m going to test out but I expect that the extra memory and large SSD will be more useful to me than extra horsepower from the CPU. My daily task that poses the most challange would be all the Chrome tabs I like to keep open. This again should be handled by the extra ram.
What I realy like about it is its heat management. According to the Asus site it uses spcially designed fan(s) designed for better heat dissipation and quiet operation. Based on my testing so far the bottom of the case only got mildly warm and I never heard the fan. In fact, the cooling duct is cleverly hidden in the back. I had to search for it as the open screen obscures it.
A similarly configured Dell 15″ XPS with the faster i5 CPU is $2,050
Even last years Dell XPS 13 with only 8GB ram with the same CPU is $1,500. It is a UHD display however it’s not OLED.
Also note that Dell has their more powerful CPUs rated as “up to” when noting the CPU speed which means it will likely get throtled back once the turbo jests come on in an attempt to keep things cool. I know as I have two Dell Latitutude laptops from years ago that get burning hot, the fans sound like a hair drier, and they get throtled back.
So all in all I think this is a great laptop especially if Costco puts it on sale which I can see them doing in August for back to shcool for perhaps $100-200 less.
If anyone has any other suggestions feel free to comment as I’m not 100% locked in. I have an external monitor that I mostly use so the OLED screen is not important for me but for this price it’s essentially free and it’s nice to have. But a similar type of laptop with an IPS LCD for a few hundred less would definitely interest me.