Asus VivoBook S15 BAPE laptop review: A supremely powerful OLED laptop? Or will the special edition come a cropper?
It's not every day you see a cute monkey and some other animals on a laptop lid. However, with the Asus VivoBook S15 BAPE Edition, this is quite the order of the day. What we have here is a special version of the multimedia laptop that has been made in cooperation with the Japanese fashion label, A Bathing Ape (BAPE for short).
Hardware-wise, the BAPE Edition doesn't differ from the regular VivoBook S15 OLED which has the model number K5504. It does differ, however, in terms of its design and what's in the box. Since we haven't already had the chance to review this laptop, our analysis will not only focus on the eye-catching special edition's standout visual features.
Equipped with the Intel Core i9-13900H, 16 GB of LPDDR5 RAM as well as a 1 TB SSD, the Vivobook S 15 OLED BAPE Edition goes head-to-head with other laptops which include its series brother, the Asus VivoBook Pro 16. This machine comes with the AMD Ryzen 7 6800H, an identical CPU and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 laptop GPU. Other competitors include the Huawei MateBook 16s which has the same CPU/iGPU pairing as well as the Acer Swift Go 16 and its high-resolution 120 Hz OLED panel.
Possible competitors compared
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 84.9 % v7 (old) | 02 / 2024 | Asus VivoBook S15 K5504 i9-13900H, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 1.6 kg | 19 mm | 15.60" | 2880x1620 | |
| 88.5 % v7 (old) | 06 / 2023 | Asus ZenBook 14X UX3404VC i9-13900H, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 1.6 kg | 16.9 mm | 14.50" | 2880x1800 | |
| 87.6 % v7 (old) | 11 / 2023 | Asus VivoBook Pro 16 K6602VU i9-13900H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop GPU | 1.9 kg | 19 mm | 16.00" | 3200x2000 | |
| 86.6 % v7 (old) | 06 / 2023 | Acer Swift Go SFG16-71 i7-13700H, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 1.6 kg | 19 mm | 16.00" | 3200x2000 | |
| 86 % v7 (old) | 06 / 2023 | Huawei MateBook 16s i9 i9-13900H, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 2 kg | 17.8 mm | 16.00" | 2560x1680 | |
| 83.2 % v7 (old) | 02 / 2023 | Asus VivoBook S15 M3502RA-L1029W R7 6800H, Radeon 680M | 1.9 kg | 18.8 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 |
Case and features - A special edition with a deadly design
At first glance, one thing is clear: the Asus VivoBook S15 OLED is not your everyday, off-the-shelf laptop. Located on the metal case and looking right in your direction are a monkey and other animals belonging to the exclusive Baby Milo print. They are, however, quite discreet, thanks to photo light embossing.
The cooperation with the streetwear label "A Bathing Ape" (BAPE) also continues when the device is opened. Even the touchpad has the same printed motif. In addition, you are greeted by the cute ape on the corners of the laptop and the base. Color-wise, the device is decked out in black. Anyone opting for the weaker-specced version based on the Intel Core i5-13500H gets a silver BAPE model.
On top of this, the Asus special edition comes with a straightforward, two-button mouse and a laptop case which are both adorned with the BAPE stylings. Also included is a "A Bathing Ape" figure as well as a miniature version of the laptop and some stickers.
No complaints can be had in terms of the build quality. The device scores points for its MIL-STD 810H military-standard robustness. At 1.6 kg, the 15.6-inch laptop's weight is acceptable for a machine with these specs. On the left side of the device, Asus has only managed to incorporate a single, slow USB-A 2.0 port. On the right-hand side, you will find, among other things, Thunderbolt 4 and HDMI 1.4.
Compared to its peers, the Wi-Fi performance is poor and well below average for the installed Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX211. The webcam performs solidly with an average Delta E of 10 and also scores points for its privacy shutter.
Input devices - Also easy to use with paws
The orange-colored ESC key and the ENTER key's zebra-striped design are not part of the BAPE special edition design language but are standard design cues when it comes to the Asus VivoBook S15 OLED. While the optics are striking, technically, there's little to criticize. The typing experience with the chiclet keyboard and its 1.35 mm key travel is good, even with large hands and the resulting noise is tolerable. The backlighting can either be set to one of three brightness levels or switched off completely. In addition, Asus has applied some special functions from the F1 up to the F12 keys.
The touchpad measures 13 x 8 cm and is, likewise, pretty unobtrusive apart from its looks and quite loud click noises.
Display - An awesome but glossy 120 Hz OLED
Asus has treated the VivoBook S15 to a 3K (2,880 x 1,620) high-resolution OLED panel with a diagonal measurement of 15.6 inches and a 120 Hz refresh rate. With an average brightness of 370 cd/m² and very even illumination, it manages to hold its own against the comparison devices. However, it has to battle with reflections due to its glossy surfaces and this makes it difficult to recommend using outdoors.
Thanks to OLED technology, the panel offers deep blacks, a high contrast ratio, and vibrant color reproduction but it suffers from PWM flickering. All in all, among its peers, the installed Samsung panel can be considered one of the best and only falls slightly short of the Asus ZenBook 14X.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 96 %
Center on Battery: 371.3 cd/m²
Contrast: 18520:1 (Black: 0.02 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 1.51 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.86, calibrated: 3.36
ΔE Greyscale 2.1 | 0.09-98 Ø5.1
95.52% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
100% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
99.93% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.2
| Asus VivoBook S15 K5504 Samsung SDC4180, OLED, 2880x1620, 15.6" | Asus VivoBook Pro 16 K6602VU Samsung ATNA60BX01-1, OLED, 3200x2000, 16" | Asus VivoBook S15 M3502RA-L1029W Samsung SDC4161, OLED, 1920x1080, 15.6" | Asus ZenBook 14X UX3404VC Samsung, OLED, 2880x1800, 14.5" | Huawei MateBook 16s i9 BOE0BB0 TV160DKT-NH1, IPS, 2560x1680, 16" | Acer Swift Go SFG16-71 Samsung SDC418D ATNA60BC03-0, OLED, 3200x2000, 16" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 0% | 1% | -1% | -25% | 1% | |
| Display P3 Coverage | 99.93 | 98.7 -1% | 99.9 0% | 99 -1% | 63 -37% | 99.91 0% |
| sRGB Coverage | 100 | 99.7 0% | 100 0% | 100 0% | 94.9 -5% | 100 0% |
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 95.52 | 96.5 1% | 98.6 3% | 95 -1% | 65.1 -32% | 98.87 4% |
| Response Times | -165% | -4% | 1% | -813% | -2% | |
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 2 ? | 0.68 ? 66% | 0.74 63% | 2 ? -0% | 34 ? -1600% | 2 ? -0% |
| Response Time Black / White * | 2 ? | 13.2 ? -560% | 2 ? -0% | 2 ? -0% | 17 ? -750% | 2 ? -0% |
| PWM Frequency | 240 | 240 ? 0% | 59 ? -75% | 250 ? 4% | 26 ? -89% | 227 ? -5% |
| Screen | -47% | -8% | 14% | -191% | -19% | |
| Brightness middle | 370.4 | 353 -5% | 378 2% | 372 0% | 448 21% | 370 0% |
| Brightness | 376 | 354 -6% | 378 1% | 376 0% | 436 16% | 371 -1% |
| Brightness Distribution | 96 | 98 2% | 98 2% | 98 2% | 93 -3% | 98 2% |
| Black Level * | 0.02 | 0.01 50% | 0.35 -1650% | |||
| Contrast | 18520 | 37200 101% | 1280 -93% | |||
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 1.51 | 4.23 -180% | 2.2 -46% | 2.01 -33% | 1.6 -6% | 2.77 -83% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 2.89 | 7.13 -147% | 4.87 -69% | 4.05 -40% | 4.44 -54% | 4.08 -41% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 3.36 | 2.42 28% | 2.68 20% | 2.17 35% | 0.64 81% | 2.83 16% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 2.1 | 2.5 -19% | 1.43 32% | 1.84 12% | 2.78 -32% | 2.58 -23% |
| Gamma | 2.2 100% | 2.4 92% | 2.47 89% | 2.39 92% | 2.46 89% | |
| CCT | 6536 99% | 6642 98% | 6464 101% | 6488 100% | 6582 99% | 6241 104% |
| Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 2.43 | |||||
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | -71% /
-63% | -4% /
-5% | 5% /
9% | -343% /
-282% | -7% /
-10% |
* ... smaller is better
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 1 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 1 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 8 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (20.7 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 1 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 1 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 7 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (32.4 ms). | ||
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 240 Hz |  | |
The display backlight flickers at 240 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) . The frequency of 240 Hz is relatively low, so sensitive users will likely notice flickering and experience eyestrain at the stated brightness setting and below. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8445 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
Performance - Powerful CPU performance but without bite
The Asus VivoBook S15 OLED BAPE Edition (model number KK5504) presented here, is equipped with the Intel Core i9-13900H. It is the more powerful of the two special models made in cooperation with "A Bathing Ape". Alternatively, a less powerful Intel Core i5-13500H is also available.
Graphics tasks are handled by the Iris Xe G7 96EUs iGPU. Asus has combined this with 16 GB of LPDDR5 RAM (onboard) in dual-channel operation as well as a 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD.
Test conditions
In its MyAsus app, Asus offers three different fan modes (performance mode, standard mode and whisper mode). Unless otherwise stated, we carried out the benchmarks using the performance mode as well as Windows "best performance" energy status.
Processor
The installed Intel Core i9-13900H is a high-end CPU from the Raptor Lake H series and consists of a total of six performance cores with hyperthreading and a clock speed of up to 5.4 GHz as well as eight efficiency cores (20 threads).
But, Asus doesn't fully utilize the VivoBook S15 processor's potential. The benchmark results are below average but are on par with other competing devices which are mostly equipped with the same CPU. These results usually place it in the top three. The multi-core performance does better than the single-core results. In the Cinebench R15 multi-continuous test, the performance is quite consistent over time, after the usual initial peak.
At the end of the day, the review device delivers good, if not exceptional everyday CPU performance that is also available in battery mode, albeit with slight limitations.
Cinebench R15 Multi Continuous Test
Cinebench R23: Multi Core | Single Core
Cinebench R20: CPU (Multi Core) | CPU (Single Core)
Cinebench R15: CPU Multi 64Bit | CPU Single 64Bit
Blender: v2.79 BMW27 CPU
7-Zip 18.03: 7z b 4 | 7z b 4 -mmt1
Geekbench 5.5: Multi-Core | Single-Core
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
| CPU Performance Rating | |
| Huawei MateBook 16s i9 | |
| Average Intel Core i9-13900H | |
| Asus ZenBook 14X UX3404VC | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 K5504 | |
| Average of class Multimedia | |
| Acer Swift Go SFG16-71 | |
| Asus VivoBook Pro 16 K6602VU | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 M3502RA-L1029W | |
| Cinebench R23 / Multi Core | |
| Huawei MateBook 16s i9 | |
| Average Intel Core i9-13900H (11997 - 20385, n=28) | |
| Average of class Multimedia (4861 - 30789, n=90, last 2 years) | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 K5504 | |
| Asus VivoBook Pro 16 K6602VU | |
| Asus ZenBook 14X UX3404VC | |
| Acer Swift Go SFG16-71 | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 M3502RA-L1029W | |
| Cinebench R23 / Single Core | |
| Huawei MateBook 16s i9 | |
| Asus ZenBook 14X UX3404VC | |
| Acer Swift Go SFG16-71 | |
| Average Intel Core i9-13900H (1297 - 2054, n=26) | |
| Average of class Multimedia (878 - 2290, n=81, last 2 years) | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 K5504 | |
| Asus VivoBook Pro 16 K6602VU | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 M3502RA-L1029W | |
| Cinebench R20 / CPU (Multi Core) | |
| Huawei MateBook 16s i9 | |
| Average Intel Core i9-13900H (4935 - 7716, n=25) | |
| Average of class Multimedia (1887 - 11924, n=74, last 2 years) | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 K5504 | |
| Asus ZenBook 14X UX3404VC | |
| Asus VivoBook Pro 16 K6602VU | |
| Acer Swift Go SFG16-71 | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 M3502RA-L1029W | |
| Cinebench R20 / CPU (Single Core) | |
| Huawei MateBook 16s i9 | |
| Asus ZenBook 14X UX3404VC | |
| Acer Swift Go SFG16-71 | |
| Average Intel Core i9-13900H (428 - 792, n=25) | |
| Asus VivoBook Pro 16 K6602VU | |
| Average of class Multimedia (341 - 853, n=74, last 2 years) | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 K5504 | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 M3502RA-L1029W | |
| Cinebench R15 / CPU Multi 64Bit | |
| Huawei MateBook 16s i9 | |
| Average Intel Core i9-13900H (2061 - 3100, n=26) | |
| Asus VivoBook Pro 16 K6602VU | |
| Average of class Multimedia (856 - 5224, n=81, last 2 years) | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 K5504 | |
| Asus ZenBook 14X UX3404VC | |
| Acer Swift Go SFG16-71 | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 M3502RA-L1029W | |
| Cinebench R15 / CPU Single 64Bit | |
| Huawei MateBook 16s i9 | |
| Average Intel Core i9-13900H (211 - 297, n=26) | |
| Asus ZenBook 14X UX3404VC | |
| Average of class Multimedia (99.6 - 323, n=76, last 2 years) | |
| Acer Swift Go SFG16-71 | |
| Asus VivoBook Pro 16 K6602VU | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 M3502RA-L1029W | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 K5504 | |
| Blender / v2.79 BMW27 CPU | |
| Acer Swift Go SFG16-71 | |
| Average of class Multimedia (100 - 557, n=74, last 2 years) | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 M3502RA-L1029W | |
| Asus ZenBook 14X UX3404VC | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 K5504 | |
| Asus VivoBook Pro 16 K6602VU | |
| Average Intel Core i9-13900H (166 - 268, n=24) | |
| Huawei MateBook 16s i9 | |
| 7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 | |
| Huawei MateBook 16s i9 | |
| Average Intel Core i9-13900H (45045 - 79032, n=25) | |
| Asus VivoBook Pro 16 K6602VU | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 K5504 | |
| Asus ZenBook 14X UX3404VC | |
| Average of class Multimedia (29095 - 130368, n=69, last 2 years) | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 M3502RA-L1029W | |
| Acer Swift Go SFG16-71 | |
| 7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 -mmt1 | |
| Huawei MateBook 16s i9 | |
| Asus ZenBook 14X UX3404VC | |
| Acer Swift Go SFG16-71 | |
| Average Intel Core i9-13900H (3665 - 6600, n=25) | |
| Average of class Multimedia (3398 - 7545, n=69, last 2 years) | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 M3502RA-L1029W | |
| Asus VivoBook Pro 16 K6602VU | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 K5504 | |
| Geekbench 5.5 / Multi-Core | |
| Huawei MateBook 16s i9 | |
| Average Intel Core i9-13900H (9094 - 15410, n=26) | |
| Average of class Multimedia (4652 - 23059, n=73, last 2 years) | |
| Asus ZenBook 14X UX3404VC | |
| Acer Swift Go SFG16-71 | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 K5504 | |
| Asus VivoBook Pro 16 K6602VU | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 M3502RA-L1029W | |
| Geekbench 5.5 / Single-Core | |
| Huawei MateBook 16s i9 | |
| Asus ZenBook 14X UX3404VC | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 K5504 | |
| Average Intel Core i9-13900H (1140 - 2043, n=26) | |
| Acer Swift Go SFG16-71 | |
| Average of class Multimedia (891 - 2555, n=73, last 2 years) | |
| Asus VivoBook Pro 16 K6602VU | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 M3502RA-L1029W | |
| HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 / 4k Preset | |
| Huawei MateBook 16s i9 | |
| Average Intel Core i9-13900H (14.1 - 22.3, n=25) | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 K5504 | |
| Average of class Multimedia (5.26 - 34.3, n=68, last 2 years) | |
| Asus ZenBook 14X UX3404VC | |
| Asus VivoBook Pro 16 K6602VU | |
| Acer Swift Go SFG16-71 | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 M3502RA-L1029W | |
| LibreOffice / 20 Documents To PDF | |
| Asus VivoBook Pro 16 K6602VU | |
| Average of class Multimedia (23.9 - 146.7, n=70, last 2 years) | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 M3502RA-L1029W | |
| Asus ZenBook 14X UX3404VC | |
| Average Intel Core i9-13900H (34.4 - 82.8, n=25) | |
| Huawei MateBook 16s i9 | |
| Acer Swift Go SFG16-71 | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 K5504 | |
| R Benchmark 2.5 / Overall mean | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 K5504 | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 M3502RA-L1029W | |
| Asus VivoBook Pro 16 K6602VU | |
| Average of class Multimedia (0.3604 - 0.947, n=68, last 2 years) | |
| Average Intel Core i9-13900H (0.4052 - 0.723, n=25) | |
| Acer Swift Go SFG16-71 | |
| Asus ZenBook 14X UX3404VC | |
| Huawei MateBook 16s i9 | |
* ... smaller is better
AIDA64: FP32 Ray-Trace | FPU Julia | CPU SHA3 | CPU Queen | FPU SinJulia | FPU Mandel | CPU AES | CPU ZLib | FP64 Ray-Trace | CPU PhotoWorxx
| Performance Rating | |
| Huawei MateBook 16s i9 | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 M3502RA-L1029W | |
| Average Intel Core i9-13900H | |
| Average of class Multimedia | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 K5504 | |
| Asus VivoBook Pro 16 K6602VU | |
| Asus ZenBook 14X UX3404VC | |
| Acer Swift Go SFG16-71 | |
| AIDA64 / FP32 Ray-Trace | |
| Huawei MateBook 16s i9 | |
| Average of class Multimedia (5121 - 50388, n=67, last 2 years) | |
| Average Intel Core i9-13900H (6788 - 19557, n=25) | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 K5504 | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 M3502RA-L1029W | |
| Asus ZenBook 14X UX3404VC | |
| Asus VivoBook Pro 16 K6602VU | |
| Acer Swift Go SFG16-71 | |
| AIDA64 / FPU Julia | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 M3502RA-L1029W | |
| Huawei MateBook 16s i9 | |
| Average Intel Core i9-13900H (22551 - 95579, n=25) | |
| Average of class Multimedia (14528 - 201874, n=68, last 2 years) | |
| Asus ZenBook 14X UX3404VC | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 K5504 | |
| Asus VivoBook Pro 16 K6602VU | |
| Acer Swift Go SFG16-71 | |
| AIDA64 / CPU SHA3 | |
| Huawei MateBook 16s i9 | |
| Average Intel Core i9-13900H (2491 - 4270, n=25) | |
| Average of class Multimedia (1188 - 8623, n=68, last 2 years) | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 K5504 | |
| Asus ZenBook 14X UX3404VC | |
| Asus VivoBook Pro 16 K6602VU | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 M3502RA-L1029W | |
| Acer Swift Go SFG16-71 | |
| AIDA64 / CPU Queen | |
| Huawei MateBook 16s i9 | |
| Asus ZenBook 14X UX3404VC | |
| Average Intel Core i9-13900H (65121 - 120936, n=25) | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 K5504 | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 M3502RA-L1029W | |
| Acer Swift Go SFG16-71 | |
| Asus VivoBook Pro 16 K6602VU | |
| Average of class Multimedia (21547 - 181505, n=68, last 2 years) | |
| AIDA64 / FPU SinJulia | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 M3502RA-L1029W | |
| Huawei MateBook 16s i9 | |
| Average of class Multimedia (1240 - 28794, n=68, last 2 years) | |
| Average Intel Core i9-13900H (6108 - 11631, n=25) | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 K5504 | |
| Asus ZenBook 14X UX3404VC | |
| Asus VivoBook Pro 16 K6602VU | |
| Acer Swift Go SFG16-71 | |
| AIDA64 / FPU Mandel | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 M3502RA-L1029W | |
| Huawei MateBook 16s i9 | |
| Average Intel Core i9-13900H (11283 - 48474, n=25) | |
| Average of class Multimedia (9903 - 105740, n=67, last 2 years) | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 K5504 | |
| Asus ZenBook 14X UX3404VC | |
| Asus VivoBook Pro 16 K6602VU | |
| Acer Swift Go SFG16-71 | |
| AIDA64 / CPU AES | |
| Huawei MateBook 16s i9 | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 M3502RA-L1029W | |
| Asus VivoBook Pro 16 K6602VU | |
| Average Intel Core i9-13900H (3691 - 149377, n=25) | |
| Average of class Multimedia (26066 - 169946, n=68, last 2 years) | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 K5504 | |
| Asus ZenBook 14X UX3404VC | |
| Acer Swift Go SFG16-71 | |
| AIDA64 / CPU ZLib | |
| Average Intel Core i9-13900H (789 - 1254, n=25) | |
| Huawei MateBook 16s i9 | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 K5504 | |
| Asus VivoBook Pro 16 K6602VU | |
| Average of class Multimedia (440 - 2022, n=68, last 2 years) | |
| Asus ZenBook 14X UX3404VC | |
| Acer Swift Go SFG16-71 | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 M3502RA-L1029W | |
| AIDA64 / FP64 Ray-Trace | |
| Average of class Multimedia (2759 - 26875, n=68, last 2 years) | |
| Huawei MateBook 16s i9 | |
| Average Intel Core i9-13900H (3655 - 10716, n=25) | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 K5504 | |
| Asus ZenBook 14X UX3404VC | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 M3502RA-L1029W | |
| Asus VivoBook Pro 16 K6602VU | |
| Acer Swift Go SFG16-71 | |
| AIDA64 / CPU PhotoWorxx | |
| Average of class Multimedia (12860 - 58844, n=68, last 2 years) | |
| Huawei MateBook 16s i9 | |
| Asus ZenBook 14X UX3404VC | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 K5504 | |
| Acer Swift Go SFG16-71 | |
| Average Intel Core i9-13900H (10871 - 50488, n=25) | |
| Asus VivoBook Pro 16 K6602VU | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 M3502RA-L1029W | |
System performance
In our benchmarks we use to check the system performance, once again, the Asus OLED laptop finds itself mostly in the bottom half, or even at the bottom of the comparison chart. However, this doesn't harm daily work-related tasks. The installed LPDDR5 RAM delivers decent performance.
CrossMark: Overall | Productivity | Creativity | Responsiveness
| PCMark 10 / Score | |
| Asus VivoBook Pro 16 K6602VU | |
| Average of class Multimedia (4325 - 8670, n=64, last 2 years) | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 M3502RA-L1029W | |
| Huawei MateBook 16s i9 | |
| Asus ZenBook 14X UX3404VC | |
| Average Intel Core i9-13900H, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (5944 - 6802, n=8) | |
| Acer Swift Go SFG16-71 | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 K5504 | |
| PCMark 10 / Essentials | |
| Huawei MateBook 16s i9 | |
| Average Intel Core i9-13900H, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (10347 - 12286, n=8) | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 K5504 | |
| Asus ZenBook 14X UX3404VC | |
| Acer Swift Go SFG16-71 | |
| Average of class Multimedia (8025 - 12420, n=64, last 2 years) | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 M3502RA-L1029W | |
| Asus VivoBook Pro 16 K6602VU | |
| PCMark 10 / Productivity | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 M3502RA-L1029W | |
| Average of class Multimedia (6089 - 10615, n=64, last 2 years) | |
| Asus VivoBook Pro 16 K6602VU | |
| Asus ZenBook 14X UX3404VC | |
| Average Intel Core i9-13900H, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (7319 - 8526, n=8) | |
| Acer Swift Go SFG16-71 | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 K5504 | |
| Huawei MateBook 16s i9 | |
| PCMark 10 / Digital Content Creation | |
| Asus VivoBook Pro 16 K6602VU | |
| Average of class Multimedia (3651 - 13548, n=64, last 2 years) | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 M3502RA-L1029W | |
| Huawei MateBook 16s i9 | |
| Average Intel Core i9-13900H, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (7527 - 8155, n=8) | |
| Asus ZenBook 14X UX3404VC | |
| Acer Swift Go SFG16-71 | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 K5504 | |
| CrossMark / Overall | |
| Huawei MateBook 16s i9 | |
| Average Intel Core i9-13900H, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (1766 - 2146, n=7) | |
| Asus ZenBook 14X UX3404VC | |
| Acer Swift Go SFG16-71 | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 K5504 | |
| Average of class Multimedia (866 - 2255, n=75, last 2 years) | |
| Asus VivoBook Pro 16 K6602VU | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 M3502RA-L1029W | |
| CrossMark / Productivity | |
| Huawei MateBook 16s i9 | |
| Average Intel Core i9-13900H, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (1684 - 2064, n=7) | |
| Acer Swift Go SFG16-71 | |
| Asus ZenBook 14X UX3404VC | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 K5504 | |
| Asus VivoBook Pro 16 K6602VU | |
| Average of class Multimedia (913 - 2050, n=75, last 2 years) | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 M3502RA-L1029W | |
| CrossMark / Creativity | |
| Huawei MateBook 16s i9 | |
| Asus ZenBook 14X UX3404VC | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 K5504 | |
| Average Intel Core i9-13900H, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (1789 - 2224, n=7) | |
| Acer Swift Go SFG16-71 | |
| Average of class Multimedia (907 - 2795, n=75, last 2 years) | |
| Asus VivoBook Pro 16 K6602VU | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 M3502RA-L1029W | |
| CrossMark / Responsiveness | |
| Huawei MateBook 16s i9 | |
| Average Intel Core i9-13900H, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (1474 - 2171, n=7) | |
| Acer Swift Go SFG16-71 | |
| Asus ZenBook 14X UX3404VC | |
| Asus VivoBook Pro 16 K6602VU | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 K5504 | |
| Average of class Multimedia (605 - 2094, n=75, last 2 years) | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 M3502RA-L1029W | |
| PCMark 10 Score | 6190 points | |
Help | ||
| AIDA64 / Memory Copy | |
| Average of class Multimedia (21158 - 104459, n=68, last 2 years) | |
| Huawei MateBook 16s i9 | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 K5504 | |
| Asus ZenBook 14X UX3404VC | |
| Average Intel Core i9-13900H (37448 - 74486, n=25) | |
| Acer Swift Go SFG16-71 | |
| Asus VivoBook Pro 16 K6602VU | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 M3502RA-L1029W | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Read | |
| Average of class Multimedia (24312 - 125604, n=68, last 2 years) | |
| Asus VivoBook Pro 16 K6602VU | |
| Average Intel Core i9-13900H (41599 - 75433, n=25) | |
| Huawei MateBook 16s i9 | |
| Asus ZenBook 14X UX3404VC | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 K5504 | |
| Acer Swift Go SFG16-71 | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 M3502RA-L1029W | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Write | |
| Average of class Multimedia (24382 - 117933, n=68, last 2 years) | |
| Huawei MateBook 16s i9 | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 K5504 | |
| Acer Swift Go SFG16-71 | |
| Asus ZenBook 14X UX3404VC | |
| Average Intel Core i9-13900H (36152 - 88505, n=25) | |
| Asus VivoBook Pro 16 K6602VU | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 M3502RA-L1029W | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Latency | |
| Average of class Multimedia (7 - 346, n=68, last 2 years) | |
| Asus ZenBook 14X UX3404VC | |
| Asus VivoBook Pro 16 K6602VU | |
| Average Intel Core i9-13900H (75.8 - 102.3, n=25) | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 K5504 | |
| Huawei MateBook 16s i9 | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 M3502RA-L1029W | |
| Acer Swift Go SFG16-71 | |
* ... smaller is better
DPC latency
The measured latencies are lower than most of the comparison devices. Even if this only represents a snapshot analysis, it's unlikely problems should exist when performing real-time audio tasks.
| DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95 | |
| Acer Swift Go SFG16-71 | |
| Huawei MateBook 16s i9 | |
| Asus VivoBook Pro 16 K6602VU | |
| Asus ZenBook 14X UX3404VC | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 K5504 | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 M3502RA-L1029W | |
* ... smaller is better
Mass storage
The equipped WD 1 TB SSD delivered satisfactory everyday performance in benchmark testing which resulted in a mid-table placing.
* ... smaller is better
Continuous Performance Read: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8
Graphics card
Asus has opted against using a dedicated graphics solution in its VivoBook S15 OLED BAPE Edition. Instead, it has gone for the integrated Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 with 96 EUs. In the competing device comparison chart, the iGPU performance measurements hold their own but they have to look up to devices equipped with a dedicated GPU. In battery mode, the performance drops by around 10 percent.
Despite the 120 Hz display, you shouldn't expect gaming-level performance from the multimedia machine. Playing relatively up-to-date games is possible, if at all, only on either the lowest or, at best, medium settings. Older games can sometimes be played at higher graphical settings and approriate frame rates.
| 3DMark 11 Performance | 8095 points | |
| 3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score | 27025 points | |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Score | 5574 points | |
| 3DMark Time Spy Score | 2037 points | |
Help | ||
* ... smaller is better
| The Witcher 3 - 1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+) | |
| Asus VivoBook Pro 16 K6602VU | |
| Average of class Multimedia (11 - 121, n=55, last 2 years) | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 M3502RA-L1029W | |
| Huawei MateBook 16s i9 | |
| Acer Swift Go SFG16-71 | |
| Asus ZenBook 14X UX3404VC | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 K5504 | |
| GTA V - 1920x1080 Highest Settings possible AA:4xMSAA + FX AF:16x | |
| Asus VivoBook Pro 16 K6602VU | |
| Average of class Multimedia (9.38 - 141.6, n=70, last 2 years) | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 M3502RA-L1029W | |
| Acer Swift Go SFG16-71 | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 K5504 | |
| Asus ZenBook 14X UX3404VC | |
| Final Fantasy XV Benchmark - 1920x1080 High Quality | |
| Asus VivoBook Pro 16 K6602VU | |
| Average of class Multimedia (7.61 - 120.5, n=71, last 2 years) | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 K5504 | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 M3502RA-L1029W | |
| Huawei MateBook 16s i9 | |
| Acer Swift Go SFG16-71 | |
| Dota 2 Reborn - 1920x1080 ultra (3/3) best looking | |
| Asus VivoBook Pro 16 K6602VU | |
| Average of class Multimedia (29 - 179.9, n=72, last 2 years) | |
| Huawei MateBook 16s i9 | |
| Asus ZenBook 14X UX3404VC | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 K5504 | |
| Acer Swift Go SFG16-71 | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 M3502RA-L1029W | |
Witcher 3 FPS diagram
| low | med. | high | ultra | QHD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GTA V (2015) | 126.6 | 107.5 | 25.6 | 10.8 | |
| The Witcher 3 (2015) | 106.8 | 69 | 37.2 | 16.8 | |
| Dota 2 Reborn (2015) | 114.5 | 85.9 | 72.5 | 65.6 | |
| Final Fantasy XV Benchmark (2018) | 46.6 | 27 | 27 | 14 | |
| X-Plane 11.11 (2018) | 55.2 | 46.3 | 39.8 | ||
| Strange Brigade (2018) | 101 | 44.7 | 35.2 | 28.3 | |
| Dirt 5 (2020) | 44.7 | 22.5 | 18 | 14 | |
| F1 23 (2023) | 50 | 44 | 30 |
Emissions & Energy - A devilishly hot but silent laptop
Noise emissions
The Asus VivoBook S15 KK5504 BAPE Edition proves itself to be a quiet worker. Just like the other devices, it remains silent when running idle. Likewise, under load, it's quieter on average than most of its competitors and is only louder than the top 3 at its peak. Unfortunately, our review device also occasionally emitted coil whining noises.
Noise Level
| Idle |
| 25.3 / 25.3 / 25.3 dB(A) |
| Load |
| 43.5 / 50.75 dB(A) |
 | ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
||
min:  , med:  , max:  Earthworks M23R (15 cm distance) environment noise: 25.3 dB(A) | ||
| Asus VivoBook S15 K5504 Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i9-13900H, WD PC SN560 SDDPNQE-1T00 | Asus VivoBook Pro 16 K6602VU NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop GPU, i9-13900H, Micron 2400 MTFDKBA1T0QFM | Asus VivoBook S15 M3502RA-L1029W Radeon 680M, R7 6800H, WD PC SN735 SDBPNHH-512G | Asus ZenBook 14X UX3404VC Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i9-13900H, Micron 2450 1TB MTFDKBA1T0TFK | Huawei MateBook 16s i9 Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i9-13900H, 321JN1024GB-TX01 | Acer Swift Go SFG16-71 Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-13700H, Micron 2400 MTFDKBA1T0QFM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noise | -1% | -12% | 2% | -4% | -2% | |
| off / environment * | 25.3 | 20.96 17% | 26 -3% | 25.2 -0% | 25.7 -2% | 25.7 -2% |
| Idle Minimum * | 25.3 | 25.28 -0% | 26 -3% | 25.2 -0% | 25.7 -2% | 26.1 -3% |
| Idle Average * | 25.3 | 25.28 -0% | 26 -3% | 25.2 -0% | 28.4 -12% | 26.1 -3% |
| Idle Maximum * | 25.3 | 25.28 -0% | 28.1 -11% | 26.5 -5% | 28.4 -12% | 27.2 -8% |
| Load Average * | 43.5 | 51.88 -19% | 56.9 -31% | 39.8 9% | 45.3 -4% | 44.2 -2% |
| Load Maximum * | 50.75 | 51.8 -2% | 62.6 -23% | 45.5 10% | 45.6 10% | 47.5 6% |
| Witcher 3 ultra * | 49 |
* ... smaller is better
Temperature
With a temperature of up to 41 °C, the review sample gets relatively warm, even when running idle - but without being unpleasantly so. If the hardware is pushed, the case heats up to 62 °C. That is uncomfortably warm, although the warmest areas can be found close to the numerical keypad as well as the base of the unit.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 51.5 °C / 125 F, compared to the average of 36.9 °C / 98 F, ranging from 21.1 to 71 °C for the class Multimedia.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 62.4 °C / 144 F, compared to the average of 39.2 °C / 103 F
(±) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 35.1 °C / 95 F, compared to the device average of 31.3 °C / 88 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are reaching skin temperature as a maximum (35.7 °C / 96.3 F) and are therefore not hot.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.8 °C / 83.8 F (-6.9 °C / -12.5 F).
| Asus VivoBook S15 K5504 Intel Core i9-13900H, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs | Asus VivoBook Pro 16 K6602VU Intel Core i9-13900H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop GPU | Asus VivoBook S15 M3502RA-L1029W AMD Ryzen 7 6800H, AMD Radeon 680M | Asus ZenBook 14X UX3404VC Intel Core i9-13900H, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs | Huawei MateBook 16s i9 Intel Core i9-13900H, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs | Acer Swift Go SFG16-71 Intel Core i7-13700H, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heat | 10% | 13% | 20% | 22% | 19% | |
| Maximum Upper Side * | 51.5 | 42.6 17% | 50.2 3% | 38.9 24% | 43.2 16% | 44.4 14% |
| Maximum Bottom * | 62.4 | 48.4 22% | 50.2 20% | 43.4 30% | 44.7 28% | 48 23% |
| Idle Upper Side * | 41.7 | 39.4 6% | 32.1 23% | 33.5 20% | 32.1 23% | 31.9 24% |
| Idle Bottom * | 37.2 | 39.8 -7% | 34.6 7% | 35.3 5% | 30.1 19% | 31.9 14% |
* ... smaller is better
Speakers
While the maximum possible volume of both Harman Kardon speakers is manageable, the sound reproduction is linear, with balanced highs but a complete lack of bass. As a result, we would recommend using headphones via Bluetooth or the 3.5 mm audio jack.
Asus VivoBook S15 K5504 audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (84 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 19.3% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (5.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 6.3% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (6.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.4% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (3.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (15.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 35% of all tested devices in this class were better, 3% similar, 62% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 18%, worst was 45%
Compared to all devices tested
» 21% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 75% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 M1 Pro audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (84.7 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(+) | good bass - only 3.8% away from median
(+) | bass is linear (5.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 1.3% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (2.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 1.9% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (2.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (4.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 0% of all tested devices in this class were better, 0% similar, 100% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 18%, worst was 45%
Compared to all devices tested
» 0% of all tested devices were better, 0% similar, 100% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Power consumption
The power consumption is slightly higher than the comparison devices equipped with a similar CPU and without a dedicated GPU. However, some laptops come with a smaller display and lack OLED technology. The device draws a maximum of 94 watts which maxes out the supplied 90-watt PSU.
| Off / Standby | 0.04 / 0.04 Watt |
| Idle | 5.73 / 14.5 / 15.6 Watt |
| Load |
40.5 / 94 Watt |
   
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Metrahit Energy | |
Power consumption Witcher 3 / stress test
Power consumption with an external monitor
Battery life
The VivoBook S15 BAPE houses a 75 Wh battery. This means the review device sits in the middle of the pack in terms of battery capacity. The run times are good under load and solid in other use cases. Around 8 to 9 hours of surfing the internet or watching videos is possible.
| Asus VivoBook S15 K5504 i9-13900H, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, 75 Wh | Asus VivoBook Pro 16 K6602VU i9-13900H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop GPU, 96 Wh | Asus VivoBook S15 M3502RA-L1029W R7 6800H, Radeon 680M, 70 Wh | Asus ZenBook 14X UX3404VC i9-13900H, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, 70 Wh | Huawei MateBook 16s i9 i9-13900H, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, 84 Wh | Acer Swift Go SFG16-71 i7-13700H, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, 65 Wh | Average of class Multimedia | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | 14% | 2% | -17% | 11% | -25% | 13% | |
| H.264 | 537 | 585 9% | 766 43% | 881 ? 64% | |||
| WiFi v1.3 | 510 | 606 19% | 692 36% | 600 18% | 787 54% | 467.7 -8% | 657 ? 29% |
| Load | 209 | 59 -72% | 103 -51% | 142 -32% | 121 -42% | 98.8 ? -53% | |
| Reader / Idle | 1056 | 1240 ? |
Pros
Cons
Verdict - Overall a solid laptop for BAPE fans
Of course, the Asus VivoBook S15 OLED BAPE Edition thrives primarily on its eye-catching but not too overbearing "A Bathing Ape" design.
For BAPE fans, the device is a good opportunity for their followers to show their affection for the little monkey, its friends as well as the fashion label behind it and its hardware features.
Technically, the VivoBook S15 OLED is a mature device without big weaknesses. The multimedia laptop scores well, especially regarding its smart but glossy OLED screen, CPU performance and battery life, all of which are housed inside a robust and relatively light case.
Of course, Asus also offers the VivoBook S15 in various specs without the BAPE branding. Anyone on the hunt for better gaming performance should take a look at an alternative such as the VivoBook Pro 16.
Price and availability
The RRP for the ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED BAPE Edition (K5504) with an Intel Core i9-13900H, 16 GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD sits at $1,499 but can be purchased directly from the manufacturer for just $1,300. A BAPE-free variant can also be found on Amazon for around $989.
Asus VivoBook S15 K5504
- 01/25/2024 v7 (old)
Marcus Schwarten
Transparency
The selection of devices to be reviewed is made by our editorial team. The test sample was provided to the author as a loan by the manufacturer or retailer for the purpose of this review. The lender had no influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review. We never accept compensation or payment in return for our reviews. As an independent media company, Notebookcheck is not subjected to the authority of manufacturers, retailers or publishers.
This is how Notebookcheck is testing
Every year, Notebookcheck independently reviews hundreds of laptops and smartphones using standardized procedures to ensure that all results are comparable. We have continuously developed our test methods for around 20 years and set industry standards in the process. In our test labs, high-quality measuring equipment is utilized by experienced technicians and editors. These tests involve a multi-stage validation process. Our complex rating system is based on hundreds of well-founded measurements and benchmarks, which maintains objectivity. Further information on our test methods can be found here.
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