Asus VivoBook 17 (F712JA) test: Affordable 17-inch laptop with semi-passive cooling

With the VivoBook 17, Asus offers an affordable, large, 17-inch multimedia laptop with Intel's Core i7-1065G7. Due to its extremely low emissions, the semi-passively cooled laptop is also very well suited for office use. A contributing factor in this is also the sharp and clear Full-HD (1920 x 1080) IPS display with a matte finish and clearly illuminated subpixels.

However, at a brightness of only 263 cd/m², it can only be used outdoors in the shade. The key labels are also hard to read, since their color doesn't contrast with the key color. On the other hand, the layout of the easily triggered keyboard is relatively good. In addition to 16 GB of DDR4 RAM (8 GB soldered in + 1 slot), an M.2.2280 PCIe 3.0 SSD with a capacity of up to 512 GB is used. It can also be replaced, together with the fast Wifi-6 module (Intel AX201) and a second hard drive in a 2.5-inch slot (extra cable and insertion frame are required).

In terms of the connections, the VivoBook 17 offers HDMI 1.4, 2x USB 2.0, 1x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, a combo audio port, a slightly slow µSD card reader, and 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 (5 GbIt/s), which doesn't offer a charging function or DisplayPort, though.

The extremely quiet and cool 17-inch laptop weighs only 2.2 kg (~4.85 lb) and offers an overall good system performance and acceptable speakers, although they don't get too loud. The small battery has a capacity of 32 Wh and delivers a low battery life of barely 4 1/2 hours. If you hold the case the wrong way, it can produce some creaking noises, but the hinges hold the display well in position.

Our extensive review of the Asus VivoBook includes detailed benchmarks and test scenarios, and you can also find many additional details there.