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Asus VivoBook Flip 15 TP501UQ (i5-7200U, 940MX, FHD) Convertible Review

Multi-functional. The VivoBook Flip 15 comes with a variety of features, but it also comes with some small flaws. The screen with a 360-degree hinge offers several modes of use.

For the original German review, see here.

With the VivoBook Flip 15, Asus introduces a rarity to the market. Convertibles in the 15.6-inch format cannot be found very often. On the inside, a Kaby Lake processor and a dedicated GeForce graphics core are used. It has to compete with devices such as the HP Pavilion x360 15-bk102ng and the Dell Inspiron 15 5578-1777.

Asus VivoBook Flip TP501UQ-FZ119T
Processor
Intel Core i5-7200U 2 x 2.5 - 3.1 GHz, Kaby Lake
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX - 2048 MB VRAM, Core: 1202 MHz, Memory: 900 MHz, DDR3, 64-Bit-connection, ForceWare 388.13, Optimus
Memory
8 GB 
, DDR4-2400, Dual-Channel, one memory bank (occupied), 4 GB soldered
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 141 PPI, capacitive, 10 points of contact, BOE HF NV156FHM-N43, IPS, glossy: yes
Mainboard
Intel Kaby Lake-U Premium PCH
Storage
Micron SSD 1100 (MTFDDAV256TBN), 256 GB 
, 200 GB free
Soundcard
Realtek ALC256 @ Intel Sunrise Point-LP PCH - High Definition Audio Controller
Connections
1 USB 2.0, 2 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: Audiocombo, Card Reader: SD, Sensors: motion-sensor, TPM 2.0
Networking
Realtek RTL8168/8111 Gigabit-LAN (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.2
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 22.5 x 377.7 x 253 ( = 0.89 x 14.87 x 9.96 in)
Battery
38 Wh Lithium-Ion
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: VGA
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: no, McAfee LiveSafe (Trial-version), MS Office 365 (Trial-version), TeamViewer 11, TotalRecovery Pro, 24 Months Warranty
Weight
2.2 kg ( = 77.6 oz / 4.85 pounds), Power Supply: 220 g ( = 7.76 oz / 0.49 pounds)
Price
819 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case & Connectivity

Asus mixes plastic and metal for the case of this convertible: The base tray is made of anthracite-colored plastic, the upper side of silver plastic. In addition, a texture simulating brushed metal was used for the upper side. The backside of the lid is made of actual brushed metal in the same shade of anthracite as the base tray. We had no major complaints about anything regarding the manufacturing. The same is mostly true for the stability, though the base unit could have been built in a way that ensures a higher flexural rigidity. The battery cannot be removed.

There is no maintenance hatch on the VivoBook, so for the purposes of hardware upgrades or maintenance, the case would have to be opened. To do so, all the screws on the device's underside have to be released. Afterwards, the convertible has to be turned back around. Now the base unit's upper side can be removed using a spudger or putty knife. However, two ribbon cables connect the base unit's upper side to the motherboard. After opening the case, the fan, the Wi-Fi module and the SSD can be accessed. The RAM slot can only be reached after removing the motherboard.

There are no surprises regarding the connectivity. Asus incorporated three Type-A USB ports (2x USB 3.1 Gen 1, 1x USB 2.0). A USB Type-C port (USB 3.1 Gen 1) is also included. The card reader is on the slower side. When copying big data blocks, it achieves a maximum transfer rate of 27.3 MB/s. Moving 250 jpg files (at about 5 MB each) is done at a rate of 24.7 MB/s. We use a reference card (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) for testing memory card readers.

The installed Wi-Fi module uses an Intel chip (Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260). That chip not only supports the Wi-Fi standards 802.11a/b/g/n, but it also supports the the fast ac standard. The transfer rates were good while recorded under ideal conditions (no other Wi-Fi devices in the immediate surroundings, short distance between laptop and server PC).

Size Comparison

382 mm / 15 inch 250 mm / 9.84 inch 23.9 mm / 0.941 inch 2.3 kg5.07 lbs381.9 mm / 15 inch 253.1 mm / 9.96 inch 20.2 mm / 0.795 inch 2.8 kg6.22 lbs377.7 mm / 14.9 inch 253 mm / 9.96 inch 22.5 mm / 0.886 inch 2.2 kg4.85 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

Right side: audio combo, 3x USB 3.1 Gen 1 (1x Type-C, 2x Type-A), HDMI, Gigabit Ethernet, power-in
Right side: audio combo, 3x USB 3.1 Gen 1 (1x Type-C, 2x Type-A), HDMI, Gigabit Ethernet, power-in
Left side: lock slot, USB 2.0 (Type-A), volume rocker, power button, memory card reader
Left side: lock slot, USB 2.0 (Type-A), volume rocker, power button, memory card reader
SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
HP Pavilion x360 15-bk102ng
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
60.5 MB/s +145%
Dell Inspiron 15 5578-1777 2-in-1
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
26.5 MB/s +7%
Asus VivoBook Flip TP501UQ-FZ119T
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
24.7 MB/s
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
HP Pavilion x360 15-bk102ng
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
87 MB/s +219%
Dell Inspiron 15 5578-1777 2-in-1
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
31 MB/s +14%
Asus VivoBook Flip TP501UQ-FZ119T
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
27.3 MB/s
Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Asus VivoBook Flip TP501UQ-FZ119T
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260
676 MBit/s
HP Pavilion x360 15-bk102ng
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3168
314 MBit/s -54%
Dell Inspiron 15 5578-1777 2-in-1
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3165
313 MBit/s -54%
iperf3 receive AX12
Asus VivoBook Flip TP501UQ-FZ119T
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260
475 MBit/s
HP Pavilion x360 15-bk102ng
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3168
352 MBit/s -26%
Dell Inspiron 15 5578-1777 2-in-1
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3165
178 MBit/s -63%

Input Devices

Asus equipped the convertible with an unlit chiclet keyboard. A numeric keypad was added as well. The flat, slightly roughened keys feature a short travel and a clear pressure point. The key resistance is fine. The keyboard yields slightly in the middle while typing on it. Overall, the keyboard delivers a decent typing experience and meets the requirements for home use, but we do miss a backlight.

The multi-touch ClickPad has a surface area of approximately 10.5 x 7.3 cm, so it offers sufficient room for using gesture control. Finger-gliding is facilitated by the pad's smooth surface. The pad has a short travel and a clear pressure point.

An additional input device is offered in the form of a touchscreen supporting 10 touch points. It reacted instantly to every input and did not give us any trouble.

Input devices
Input devices

Display

Pixel array
Pixel array

The VivoBook Flip's 15.6-inch touchscreen works with a native resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. The display's brightness is acceptable at 286.7 cd/m² and the contrast of 1256:1 is good.

Sadly, the screen shows PWM-flickering at a frequency of 19,840 Hz in brightness levels of 90% and below. Given the high frequency, even sensitive users should not experience headaches and/or eye problems.

282
cd/m²
291
cd/m²
282
cd/m²
284
cd/m²
314
cd/m²
279
cd/m²
277
cd/m²
303
cd/m²
268
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
BOE HF NV156FHM-N43 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 314 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 286.7 cd/m² Minimum: 16.6 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 85 %
Center on Battery: 314 cd/m²
Contrast: 1256:1 (Black: 0.25 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.55 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 4.95 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
89% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
58% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
64.9% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
88.7% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
67.3% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.37
Asus VivoBook Flip TP501UQ-FZ119T
IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Dell Inspiron 15 5578-1777 2-in-1
IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
HP Pavilion x360 15-bk102ng
IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Display
-34%
-37%
Display P3 Coverage
67.3
41.74
-38%
39.45
-41%
sRGB Coverage
88.7
62.8
-29%
59.2
-33%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
64.9
43.13
-34%
40.76
-37%
Response Times
11%
-31%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
45 ?(23, 22)
55 ?(20, 35)
-22%
55 ?(23, 32)
-22%
Response Time Black / White *
36 ?(21, 15)
20 ?(4, 16)
44%
26 ?(10, 16)
28%
PWM Frequency
19840 ?(90)
50 ?(20)
-100%
Screen
-12%
-38%
Brightness middle
314
244
-22%
205
-35%
Brightness
287
242
-16%
191
-33%
Brightness Distribution
85
93
9%
74
-13%
Black Level *
0.25
0.25
-0%
0.3
-20%
Contrast
1256
976
-22%
683
-46%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
4.55
4.94
-9%
7.2
-58%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
7.39
7.3
1%
12.7
-72%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
4.95
4.93
-0%
6.86
-39%
Gamma
2.37 93%
2.7 81%
2.27 97%
CCT
5803 112%
7401 88%
6983 93%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
58
40
-31%
38
-34%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
89
63
-29%
59
-34%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-12% / -13%
-35% / -37%

* ... smaller is better

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM detected 19840 Hz ≤ 90 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 19840 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 90 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 19840 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering.

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

In factory settings, the DeltaE 2000 shift is at 4.55 while a value lower than 3 would be desirable. The screen does not display a bluish tint, but there is a slight yellowish tint.

CalMAN - ColorChecker
CalMAN - ColorChecker
CalMAN - Grayscale
CalMAN - Grayscale
CalMAN - Saturation Sweeps
CalMAN - Saturation Sweeps

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
36 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 21 ms rise
↘ 15 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 93 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
45 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 23 ms rise
↘ 22 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 73 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Asus equipped the VivoBook Flip with a viewing-angle stable IPS panel. Thus, the screen is legible from every position. Outdoors, the convertible can only be used if the sun is not shining too brightly. The glossy display surface makes outdoor use even harder.

VivoBook outdoors
VivoBook outdoors

Performance

With the VivoBook Flip 15, Asus offers a 15.6-inch convertible in their range of products. It has more than enough computing power for office and Internet applications. The dedicated graphics core supports gaming to a limited extent. Our review sample costs around 800 Euros (~$952), but other variants are available.

Processor

The convertible is powered by an Intel Core i5-7200U (Kaby Lake) dual-core processor. The CPU offers enough computing power for all common applications, so it should meet the performance demands of most users. The processor works at a base speed of 2.5 GHz but can be boosted to 3.1 GHz (both cores) via Turbo. The CPU boosts to full Turbo speed in both AC and battery modes.

Whether Turbo Boost can be used permanently was determined via looping the Cinebench R15 Multithread test for about 30 minutes. The results remain nearly constant throughout the whole test without any drop in performance.

0102030405060708090100110120130140150160170180190200210220230240250260270280290300310320330340Tooltip
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64 Bit
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
5003
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
11398
Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
4302
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
128 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
331 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
65.2 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Help
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Asus VivoBook Flip TP501UQ-FZ119T
Intel Core i5-7200U
128 Points
HP Pavilion x360 15-bk102ng
Intel Core i5-7200U
126 Points -2%
Dell Inspiron 15 5578-1777 2-in-1
Intel Core i5-7200U
126 Points -2%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Asus VivoBook Flip TP501UQ-FZ119T
Intel Core i5-7200U
331 Points
HP Pavilion x360 15-bk102ng
Intel Core i5-7200U
326 Points -2%
Dell Inspiron 15 5578-1777 2-in-1
Intel Core i5-7200U
326 Points -2%
Cinebench R10
Rendering Single 32Bit
Asus VivoBook Flip TP501UQ-FZ119T
Intel Core i5-7200U
5003 Points
Dell Inspiron 15 5578-1777 2-in-1
Intel Core i5-7200U
4976 Points -1%
HP Pavilion x360 15-bk102ng
Intel Core i5-7200U
4787 Points -4%
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
Asus VivoBook Flip TP501UQ-FZ119T
Intel Core i5-7200U
11398 Points
HP Pavilion x360 15-bk102ng
Intel Core i5-7200U
11328 Points -1%
Dell Inspiron 15 5578-1777 2-in-1
Intel Core i5-7200U
11078 Points -3%
Geekbench 3
32 Bit Multi-Core Score
Asus VivoBook Flip TP501UQ-FZ119T
Intel Core i5-7200U
6820 Points
Dell Inspiron 15 5578-1777 2-in-1
Intel Core i5-7200U
6439 Points -6%
HP Pavilion x360 15-bk102ng
Intel Core i5-7200U
6297 Points -8%
32 Bit Single-Core Score
Asus VivoBook Flip TP501UQ-FZ119T
Intel Core i5-7200U
3002 Points
Dell Inspiron 15 5578-1777 2-in-1
Intel Core i5-7200U
2893 Points -4%
HP Pavilion x360 15-bk102ng
Intel Core i5-7200U
2812 Points -6%
Geekbench 4.0
64 Bit Multi-Core Score
Asus VivoBook Flip TP501UQ-FZ119T
Intel Core i5-7200U
7354 Points
Dell Inspiron 15 5578-1777 2-in-1
Intel Core i5-7200U
6795 Points -8%
HP Pavilion x360 15-bk102ng
Intel Core i5-7200U
6425 Points -13%
64 Bit Single-Core Score
Dell Inspiron 15 5578-1777 2-in-1
Intel Core i5-7200U
3632 Points +1%
Asus VivoBook Flip TP501UQ-FZ119T
Intel Core i5-7200U
3581 Points
HP Pavilion x360 15-bk102ng
Intel Core i5-7200U
3484 Points -3%
Geekbench 4.4
64 Bit Multi-Core Score
Asus VivoBook Flip TP501UQ-FZ119T
Intel Core i5-7200U
7766 Points
64 Bit Single-Core Score
Asus VivoBook Flip TP501UQ-FZ119T
Intel Core i5-7200U
3898 Points
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Asus VivoBook Flip TP501UQ-FZ119T
Intel Core i5-7200U (Edge 41)
221.5 Points
Dell Inspiron 15 5578-1777 2-in-1
Intel Core i5-7200U (Edge 38)
219.9 Points -1%
HP Pavilion x360 15-bk102ng
Intel Core i5-7200U (Edge 38)
212 Points -4%

System Performance

The system runs smoothly thanks to a powerful processor and a solid state drive. We did not encounter any problems. The PCMark benchmark results are very good and confirm that the device's performance is more than sufficient for office and Internet applications. Gaming is possible, at least to a limited extent, due to the dedicated graphics core. It is not possible to increase the performance any further; Asus has already exhausted all possibilities.

PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3703 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
3726 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
4491 points
PCMark 10 Score
2850 points
Help
PCMark 8 - Home Score Accelerated v2
Asus VivoBook Flip TP501UQ-FZ119T
GeForce 940MX, i5-7200U, Micron SSD 1100 (MTFDDAV256TBN)
3703 Points
Dell Inspiron 15 5578-1777 2-in-1
HD Graphics 620, i5-7200U, SanDisk X400 256GB, SATA (SD8SB8U-256G)
3446 Points -7%
HP Pavilion x360 15-bk102ng
HD Graphics 620, i5-7200U, WDC Slim WD10SPCX-21KHST0
3173 Points -14%

Storage Devices

A solid state drive by Micron is used as the system drive. The SSD is a 2.5-inch SATA III model with a capacity of 256 GB. Out-of-the-box, 202 GB of the 256 GB is available, the rest being occupied by the Windows installation and the recovery partition. The SSD's transfer rates are good.

According to the Asus website, the convertible is also available with an M.2 SSD, so it is possible that our review sample has a free M.2 slot. After opening the case, no such slot was visible, so if it exists, it would have to be on the other side of the motherboard - just like the system memory bank. Thus, the motherboard would have to be removed, which we abstained from doing so as not to damage the convertible.

Asus installed a 2.5-inch SSD.
Asus installed a 2.5-inch SSD.
Micron SSD 1100 (MTFDDAV256TBN)
Sequential Read: 465.6 MB/s
Sequential Write: 398.7 MB/s
512K Read: 335.6 MB/s
512K Write: 329.8 MB/s
4K Read: 24.11 MB/s
4K Write: 89.8 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 161.5 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 199.2 MB/s
Asus VivoBook Flip TP501UQ-FZ119T
Micron SSD 1100 (MTFDDAV256TBN)
Dell Inspiron 15 5578-1777 2-in-1
SanDisk X400 256GB, SATA (SD8SB8U-256G)
HP Pavilion x360 15-bk102ng
WDC Slim WD10SPCX-21KHST0
CrystalDiskMark 3.0
11%
-91%
Read Seq
465.6
503
8%
102.4
-78%
Write Seq
398.7
465.3
17%
102
-74%
Read 512
335.6
293
-13%
31.37
-91%
Write 512
329.8
322.7
-2%
48.12
-85%
Read 4k
24.11
28.9
20%
0.357
-99%
Write 4k
89.8
55
-39%
1.047
-99%
Read 4k QD32
161.5
314.5
95%
0.844
-99%
Write 4k QD32
199.2
209.2
5%
1.098
-99%

Graphics Card

The installed GeForce 940MX graphics core is a dedicated GPU that can only be classed as entry-level after the release of the GeForce MX150. It supports DirectX 12 and clocks at a speed of up to 1202 MHz. The GPU is accompanied by 2048 MB DDR3 memory. The 3DMark benchmark scores are in the expected range for this GPU model. It is combined with the HD Graphics 620 graphics core into a switchable graphics system (Optimus).

3DMark 11 Performance
2449 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
6376 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
1397 points
Help
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
HP Pavilion x360 14-ba011ng
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, Intel Core i5-7200U
2543 Points +9%
Asus Vivobook F556UQ-XO626D
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, Intel Core i5-6198DU
2481 Points +6%
Asus VivoBook Flip TP501UQ-FZ119T
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, Intel Core i5-7200U
2339 Points
Dell Inspiron 15 5578-1777 2-in-1
Intel HD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-7200U
1422 Points -39%
HP Pavilion x360 15-bk102ng
Intel HD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-7200U
1355 Points -42%

Gaming Performance

The VivoBook Flip's hardware can display many games smoothly in HD resolution (1366x768 pixels), but often only on low to medium quality settings. Games which do not have high hardware requirements allow for higher settings. The GPU's performance does not suffice for many 2017 releases. Recent smash hits such as Assassin's Creed Origins and Destiny 2 require a more powerful GPU.

low med. high ultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 84 48.6 39.2 13.5
Middle-earth: Shadow of War (2017) 30 13 9 6
The Evil Within 2 (2017) 15.4 8.9
ELEX (2017) 26.6 12.7 10 7.4
Destiny 2 (2017) 28.3 14.8
Assassin´s Creed Origins (2017) 21 10
Call of Duty WWII (2017) 50.6 33 15.4
Need for Speed Payback (2017) 31.1 15.4

Emissions & Energy

System Noise

The cooling fan sometimes stands still when the device is idling, but usually it runs at low speeds. It is only audible in quiet surroundings. Under maximum load, the fan sped up noticeably. We measured a noise level of up to 40 dB during our stress test. The device does not produce any other noises.

Noise Level

Idle
30.3 / 32.8 / 32.9 dB(A)
Load
37.8 / 40 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 30.3 dB(A)
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs203134.432.334.5312530.730.832.333.230.73132.530.531.63832.54031.129.829.932.531.150303533.633.5306329.329.929.53029.38027.926.525.826.927.910025.826.226.326.425.812524.225.924.82624.216024.524.824.724.124.520023.82425.322.923.825026.225.322.422.526.231526.127.923.120.926.14002324.922.620.22350024.325.92119.724.363022.724.421.81922.780024.626.42118.224.6100029.532.22317.929.5125027.930.521.917.827.9160028.129.721.617.428.1200029.131.322.617.529.1250028.130.721.817.528.1315025.427.11917.725.4400021.624.218.517.821.6500020.421.718.217.920.4630019.22018.11819.2800018.919.318.11818.91000018.81918.218.118.81250018.318.318.11818.31600019.119.418.318.119.1SPL37.94032.930.337.9N2.73.11.81.42.7median 24.3median 25.3median 21.8median 18.1median 24.3Delta3.63.32.51.23.6hearing rangehide median Fan NoiseAsus VivoBook Flip TP501UQ-FZ119T

Temperature

The VivoBook Flip in the stress test.
The VivoBook Flip in the stress test.

AC and battery modes produced slightly different results in our stress test (Prime95 and Furmark running for at least one hour). The graphics core always clocked at full speed (1202 MHz). In battery mode, the CPU speed jumped between 400 MHz and 3.1 GHz. In AC mode, it worked at full speed (3.1 GHz) for the first two minutes and then throttled down to between 2.2 and 2.4 GHz.

The device does not heat up particularly. Only one measurement segment reached a temperature of over 40 °C during the stress test.

Max. Load
 23.4 °C
74 F
35.4 °C
96 F
34 °C
93 F
 
 22.9 °C
73 F
25.1 °C
77 F
33.4 °C
92 F
 
 22.1 °C
72 F
22.8 °C
73 F
27.5 °C
82 F
 
Maximum: 35.4 °C = 96 F
Average: 27.4 °C = 81 F
33.3 °C
92 F
44.6 °C
112 F
24 °C
75 F
35.2 °C
95 F
36.1 °C
97 F
23.5 °C
74 F
29 °C
84 F
27.3 °C
81 F
23.8 °C
75 F
Maximum: 44.6 °C = 112 F
Average: 30.8 °C = 87 F
Power Supply (max.)  44.2 °C = 112 F | Room Temperature 21.6 °C = 71 F | FIRT 550-Pocket
(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 27.4 °C / 81 F, compared to the average of 30.2 °C / 86 F for the devices in the class Convertible.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 35.4 °C / 96 F, compared to the average of 35.3 °C / 96 F, ranging from 19.6 to 55.7 °C for the class Convertible.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 44.6 °C / 112 F, compared to the average of 36.7 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 24.2 °C / 76 F, compared to the device average of 30.2 °C / 86 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 27.5 °C / 81.5 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.1 °C / 82.6 F (+0.6 °C / 1.1 F).
Temperature development upper side (load)
Temperature development upper side (load)
Temperature development underside (load)
Temperature development underside (load)
Temperature development upper side (idle)
Temperature development upper side (idle)
Temperature development underside (idle)
Temperature development underside (idle)

Speakers

The stereo speakers are located on the device's underside. They create a rich sound that is pleasant to listen to even for longer periods of time. However, the maximum volume could be higher.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2034.334.534.32531.933.231.93134.23834.24031.532.531.55033.133.533.1632830288031.126.931.110035.126.435.112539.82639.816038.424.138.420033.622.933.625039.822.539.831546.720.946.740053.220.253.250050.919.750.963051.51951.580049.318.249.3100056.417.956.4125056.917.856.9160060.617.460.6200059.817.559.8250062.817.562.8315059.117.759.1400059.517.859.5500062.617.962.6630062.21862.2800053.11853.11000051.218.151.21250048.61848.6160004818.148SPL71.330.371.3N26.51.426.5median 51.5median 18.1median 51.5Delta8.51.28.535.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseAsus VivoBook Flip TP501UQ-FZ119TApple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Asus VivoBook Flip TP501UQ-FZ119T audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (62.8 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 12.6% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (13.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4% away from median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (8.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 7.2% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (9.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (25.1% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 72% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 20% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 21%, worst was 57%
Compared to all devices tested
» 73% of all tested devices were better, 6% similar, 21% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 11.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (14.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (10.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 5% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 93% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 3% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 96% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Frequency diagram in comparison (checkboxes can be turned on/off!)

Power Consumption

Regardless of the load, the convertible's power consumption is average for the hardware that was installed. While idling, we measured a maximum power consumption of 9.4 watts. At the beginning of the stress test, the value rose to 62 watts for about two minutes, but then it sank again because the CPU throttled to between 2.2 and 2.4 GHz. The power supply has a nominal output of 65 watts.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.3 / 0.29 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 3.8 / 8.6 / 9.4 Watt
Load midlight 43 / 62 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.

Battery Runtime

Our practical Wi-Fi test simulates the load of accessing websites via a script. We activated the "balanced" energy profile, the display brightness is set to about 150 cd/m² and energy-saving functions are disabled. The VivoBook Flip achieved a runtime of 6:12 h.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing (Edge 41)
6h 12min
Battery Runtime - WiFi Websurfing
Dell Inspiron 15 5578-1777 2-in-1
i5-7200U, HD Graphics 620, 42 Wh
394 min +6%
Asus VivoBook Flip TP501UQ-FZ119T
i5-7200U, GeForce 940MX, 38 Wh
372 min
HP Pavilion x360 15-bk102ng
i5-7200U, HD Graphics 620, 48 Wh
348 min -6%

Pros

+ IPS screen
+ Full HD resolution
+ SSD
+ AC Wi-Fi

Cons

- no keyboard illumination
- few upgrading and maintaining capabilities

Verdict

The Asus VivoBook Flip 15 TP501UQ-FZ119T, review unit provided by notebooksbilliger.de
The Asus VivoBook Flip 15 TP501UQ-FZ119T, review unit provided by notebooksbilliger.de

With the VivoBook Flip 15, Asus delivers a convertible laptop in 15.6-inch format. The installed Core i5 processor should satisfy most users' needs. The dedicated GeForce graphics core allows gaming to a limited degree. Asus should have replaced it with a more powerful GPU, such as the GeForce MX150, which would offer a significant increase in performance and would make the device as a whole that much more interesting.

Overall, Asus is offering a balanced 15.6-inch convertible which would be a lot more attractive to users with a few small changes in the hardware.

A fast solid state drive ensures a system that runs smoothly. It is possible to replace the SSD, but the case would have to be opened for that. Asus did not add a maintenance hatch to the device. The installed keyboard meets the requirements for home use, but we miss having a backlight, which should be included in a device costing around 800 Euros (~$952). The battery runtime that was achieved in our Wi-Fi test was fine and is up to par with what we would expect from a 15.6-inch device.

The IPS touchscreen display offers a good contrast, stable viewing angles and a brightness that is still acceptable, but barely. We did not experience any problems with the touchscreen. Native stylus support is not provided for this convertible, not even for the Asus Pen (an active stylus by Asus; about 50 Euros, ~$59).

Asus VivoBook Flip TP501UQ-FZ119T - 11/16/2017 v6(old)
Sascha Mölck

Chassis
75 / 98 → 76%
Keyboard
76%
Pointing Device
83%
Connectivity
50 / 80 → 62%
Weight
62 / 35-78 → 62%
Battery
88%
Display
83%
Games Performance
64 / 68 → 93%
Application Performance
86 / 87 → 99%
Temperature
94%
Noise
88%
Audio
61 / 91 → 67%
Camera
35 / 85 → 42%
Average
73%
80%
Convertible - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Asus VivoBook Flip 15 TP501UQ (i5-7200U, 940MX, FHD) Convertible Review
Sascha Mölck, 2017-11-27 (Update: 2020-05-19)