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Asus Vivobook F556UQ-XO626D Notebook Review

Stylish. With the Vivobook, Asus offers a 15.6-inch all-round device which immediately catches the eyes: The company uses a throughout white chassis. The feature set is alright, too: Core i5 processor, GeForce graphic card, ac Wi-Fi, Type-C USB. The bundle costs less than 500 Euros (~$528).

For the original German review, see here.

The Asus Vivobook F556UQ-XO626D is the identically designed sibling of the Vivobook X556UQ-XO076T, which we already reviewed in summer 2016. The current test model differs from its sibling in two aspects: With the Core i5-6198DU, it features a Skylake processor, which is not too often found in notebooks. The second difference is the look: Asus uses a snow-white chassis with white keys. The competitors include devices such as the HP 15-ba077ng, the Acer Aspire E15 E5-553G, and the Lenovo IdeaPad 310-15ISK.

Since the F556UQ and the X556UQ share the same design, we will not cover case, connectivity, input devices, display, and speakers in detail here. Information about these is available in our X556UQ review.

Asus Vivobook F556UQ-XO626D
Processor
Intel Core i5-6198DU 2 x 2.3 - 2.8 GHz, Skylake
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX - 2048 MB VRAM, Core: 1176 MHz, Memory: 900 MHz, DDR3, 64-bit connection, ForceWare 378.49, Optimus
Memory
8 GB 
, DDR4-2134, dual-channel, one memory bank (occupied), 4 GB fixed soldered
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 1366 x 768 pixel 100 PPI, LG Philips LP156WHB-TPD1, TN LED, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel Skylake-U Premium PCH
Storage
Toshiba MQ01ABF050, 500 GB 
, 500 GB free
Soundcard
Realtek ALC255 @ Intel Sunrise Point PCH - High Definition Audio Controller
Connections
1 USB 2.0, 2 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 VGA, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: audio-combo, Card Reader: SD, TPM 2.0
Networking
Realtek RTL8168/8111 Gigabit-LAN (10/100/1000MBit/s), Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 Wireless Network Adapter (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.1
Optical drive
Slimtype DVD A DA8AESH
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 25.5 x 382 x 258 ( = 1 x 15.04 x 10.16 in)
Battery
38 Wh Lithium-Ion
Operating System
FreeDos
Camera
Webcam: SD
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: no, 24 Months Warranty
Weight
2.3 kg ( = 81.13 oz / 5.07 pounds), Power Supply: 241 g ( = 8.5 oz / 0.53 pounds)
Price
499 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Size Comparison

384 mm / 15.1 inch 270 mm / 10.6 inch 28 mm / 1.102 inch 2.3 kg5.07 lbs384.3 mm / 15.1 inch 254.6 mm / 10 inch 24.3 mm / 0.957 inch 2 kg4.32 lbs382 mm / 15 inch 258 mm / 10.2 inch 25.5 mm / 1.004 inch 2.3 kg5.07 lbs382 mm / 15 inch 258 mm / 10.2 inch 25.5 mm / 1.004 inch 2.3 kg5.07 lbs382 mm / 15 inch 256 mm / 10.1 inch 25 mm / 0.984 inch 2.4 kg5.29 lbs379 mm / 14.9 inch 260 mm / 10.2 inch 22.9 mm / 0.902 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
SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Acer Aspire E15 E5-553G-109A
 
57.3 MB/s +152%
HP 15-ba077ng
 
27.2 MB/s +20%
Asus Vivobook F556UQ-XO626D
 
22.7 MB/s
Asus VivoBook X556UQ-XO076T
 
22.2 MB/s -2%
Medion Akoya P6670
 
21.8 MB/s -4%
Lenovo Ideapad 310-15ISK
 
16.5 MB/s -27%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Acer Aspire E15 E5-553G-109A
 
83.2 MB/s +231%
HP 15-ba077ng
 
38.3 MB/s +52%
Asus VivoBook X556UQ-XO076T
 
27.7 MB/s +10%
Medion Akoya P6670
 
27.3 MB/s +9%
Lenovo Ideapad 310-15ISK
 
26 MB/s +3%
Asus Vivobook F556UQ-XO626D
 
25.15 MB/s
Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Acer Aspire E15 E5-553G-109A
Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 Wireless Network Adapter
346 MBit/s +1%
Asus Vivobook F556UQ-XO626D
Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 Wireless Network Adapter
344 MBit/s
HP 15-ba077ng
Realtek RTL8723BE Wireless LAN 802.11n PCI-E NIC
54 MBit/s -84%
iperf3 receive AX12
Asus Vivobook F556UQ-XO626D
Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 Wireless Network Adapter
340 MBit/s
Acer Aspire E15 E5-553G-109A
Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 Wireless Network Adapter
333 MBit/s -2%
HP 15-ba077ng
Realtek RTL8723BE Wireless LAN 802.11n PCI-E NIC
43 MBit/s -87%

Display

Pixel grid
Pixel grid

The Vivobook features a matte 15.6-inch display with a native resolution of 1366x768 pixels. It is the same dark, low-contrast, viewing-angle unstable model which we are familiar with from the already reviewed sibling. Nevertheless, the measurement results are slightly different, since two identical panels are never exactly the same.

We could not detect PWM for reducing the brightness, but a permanent flickering caused by the power adapter (in mains operation, not on battery). See the screenshot besides PWM. However, this flickering is only measurable; it is neither notable nor disturbing.

240
cd/m²
210
cd/m²
194
cd/m²
240
cd/m²
219
cd/m²
204
cd/m²
228
cd/m²
221
cd/m²
227
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
LG Philips LP156WHB-TPD1 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 240 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 220.3 cd/m² Minimum: 12 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 81 %
Center on Battery: 217 cd/m²
Contrast: 365:1 (Black: 0.6 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 11.96 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 13.22 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
62% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
39% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
42.04% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
61.3% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
40.69% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.52
Asus Vivobook F556UQ-XO626D
TN LED, 1366x768, 15.60
Asus VivoBook X556UQ-XO076T
TN LED, 1366x768, 15.60
HP 15-ba077ng
TN LED, 1920x1080, 15.60
Acer Aspire E15 E5-553G-109A
TN LED, 1920x1080, 15.60
Lenovo Ideapad 310-15ISK
TN LED, 1366x768, 15.60
Medion Akoya P6670
IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Display
1%
-2%
-2%
-9%
-6%
Display P3 Coverage
40.69
41.1
1%
39.98
-2%
39.72
-2%
37.06
-9%
38.14
-6%
sRGB Coverage
61.3
61.8
1%
60.2
-2%
59.2
-3%
55.8
-9%
57.2
-7%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
42.04
42.46
1%
41.31
-2%
41.07
-2%
38.29
-9%
39.43
-6%
Response Times
3%
8%
24%
24%
8%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
47 ?(25, 22, Plateau)
36 ?(12, 24)
23%
42 ?(21, 21)
11%
42.4 ?(22, 20.4)
10%
27 ?(7, 20)
43%
42 ?(18, 24)
11%
Response Time Black / White *
23 ?(7, 16, Plateau)
27 ?(8, 19)
-17%
22 ?(6, 16)
4%
14.6 ?(9.4, 5.2)
37%
22 ?(11, 11)
4%
22 ?(6, 16)
4%
PWM Frequency
50 ?(70)
28740
50 ?(80)
50
Screen
27%
-1%
7%
16%
21%
Brightness middle
219
241
10%
209
-5%
224
2%
200
-9%
287
31%
Brightness
220
240
9%
200
-9%
201
-9%
198
-10%
269
22%
Brightness Distribution
81
92
14%
88
9%
75
-7%
83
2%
74
-9%
Black Level *
0.6
0.5
17%
0.56
7%
0.46
23%
0.28
53%
0.65
-8%
Contrast
365
482
32%
373
2%
487
33%
714
96%
442
21%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
11.96
4.46
63%
12.21
-2%
10.5
12%
10.63
11%
5.42
55%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
19.31
6.84
65%
20.66
-7%
16.8
13%
15.69
19%
9.54
51%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
13.22
4.83
63%
13.48
-2%
11.23
15%
11.19
15%
5.14
61%
Gamma
2.52 87%
2.49 88%
2.34 94%
2.12 104%
1.78 124%
2.48 89%
CCT
14631 44%
7773 84%
15364 42%
11096 59%
11258 58%
6952 93%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
39
39
0%
38
-3%
38
-3%
35
-10%
36
-8%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
62
62
0%
60
-3%
59
-5%
56
-10%
57
-8%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
10% / 19%
2% / -0%
10% / 8%
10% / 12%
8% / 14%

* ... 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 not detected

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.

CalMAN - ColorChecker
CalMAN - ColorChecker
CalMAN - Grayscales
CalMAN - Grayscales
CalMAN - Color Saturation
CalMAN - Color Saturation

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
23 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 7 ms rise
↘ 16 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 45 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is similar to the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
47 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 25 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. » 78 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Performance

With the Vivobook F556UQ, Asus has a 15.6-inch all-round device in its line-up. It brings sufficient performance for everyday tasks and is able to run games. Our test model costs about 460 Euros (~$485) and is currently the cheapest variant of this series. Other configurations and color variants are available. Models of the identically designed X556UQ series increase the choice of products.

Processor

The Vivobook is powered by a Core i5-6198DU (Skylake) dual-core processor. This is basically a Core i5-6200U processor with a weaker iGPU (HD Graphics 510 instead of HD Graphics 520) than usual. The used CPU is a mid-range ULV model, which should suffice for most users' requirements. The Core i5 processor works at a base clock of 2.3 GHz. Thanks to Turbo, the clock rate can increase to 2.7 GHz (both cores) and 2.8 GHz (single core). The Turbo is actually used in mains operation and on battery.

Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
3154
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
9954
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
4491
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
49.22 fps
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
3.22 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
1.34 Points
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
58.6 fps
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
290 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
117 Points
Help
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Lenovo Ideapad 310-15ISK
Intel Core i7-6500U
131 Points +12%
Asus VivoBook X556UQ-XO076T
Intel Core i5-6200U
117 Points 0%
Medion Akoya P6670
Intel Core i5-6200U
117 Points 0%
Asus Vivobook F556UQ-XO626D
Intel Core i5-6198DU
117 Points
HP 15-ba077ng
AMD A12-9700P
80 Points -32%
Acer Aspire E15 E5-553G-109A
AMD A12-9700P
78 Points -33%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Lenovo Ideapad 310-15ISK
Intel Core i7-6500U
312 Points +8%
Asus VivoBook X556UQ-XO076T
Intel Core i5-6200U
293 Points +1%
Medion Akoya P6670
Intel Core i5-6200U
291 Points 0%
Asus Vivobook F556UQ-XO626D
Intel Core i5-6198DU
290 Points
Acer Aspire E15 E5-553G-109A
AMD A12-9700P
229 Points -21%
HP 15-ba077ng
AMD A12-9700P
222 Points -23%
Cinebench R10
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
Lenovo Ideapad 310-15ISK
Intel Core i7-6500U
10803 Points +9%
Asus Vivobook F556UQ-XO626D
Intel Core i5-6198DU
9954 Points
Medion Akoya P6670
Intel Core i5-6200U
9937 Points 0%
Asus VivoBook X556UQ-XO076T
Intel Core i5-6200U
9915 Points 0%
HP 15-ba077ng
AMD A12-9700P
7188 Points -28%
Acer Aspire E15 E5-553G-109A
AMD A12-9700P
5148 Points -48%
Rendering Single 32Bit
Lenovo Ideapad 310-15ISK
Intel Core i7-6500U
4984 Points +11%
Asus Vivobook F556UQ-XO626D
Intel Core i5-6198DU
4491 Points
Asus VivoBook X556UQ-XO076T
Intel Core i5-6200U
4415 Points -2%
Medion Akoya P6670
Intel Core i5-6200U
4415 Points -2%
HP 15-ba077ng
AMD A12-9700P
2596 Points -42%
Acer Aspire E15 E5-553G-109A
AMD A12-9700P
2262 Points -50%
Geekbench 3
32 Bit Single-Core Score
Asus VivoBook X556UQ-XO076T
Intel Core i5-6200U
3013 Points 0%
Asus Vivobook F556UQ-XO626D
Intel Core i5-6198DU
3009 Points
Medion Akoya P6670
Intel Core i5-6200U
2854 Points -5%
Acer Aspire E15 E5-553G-109A
AMD A12-9700P
2120 Points -30%
HP 15-ba077ng
AMD A12-9700P
2062 Points -31%
32 Bit Multi-Core Score
Asus Vivobook F556UQ-XO626D
Intel Core i5-6198DU
6205 Points
Asus VivoBook X556UQ-XO076T
Intel Core i5-6200U
6182 Points 0%
Medion Akoya P6670
Intel Core i5-6200U
6059 Points -2%
Acer Aspire E15 E5-553G-109A
AMD A12-9700P
5557 Points -10%
HP 15-ba077ng
AMD A12-9700P
5371 Points -13%
Geekbench 4.0
64 Bit Single-Core Score
Asus Vivobook F556UQ-XO626D
Intel Core i5-6198DU
3618 Points
Medion Akoya P6670
Intel Core i5-6200U
3507 Points -3%
HP 15-ba077ng
AMD A12-9700P
2158 Points -40%
64 Bit Multi-Core Score
Asus Vivobook F556UQ-XO626D
Intel Core i5-6198DU
6769 Points
Medion Akoya P6670
Intel Core i5-6200U
6502 Points -4%
HP 15-ba077ng
AMD A12-9700P
4899 Points -28%
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Lenovo Ideapad 310-15ISK
Intel Core i7-6500U
212.3 Points +8%
Asus Vivobook F556UQ-XO626D
Intel Core i5-6198DU
197.2 Points
Asus VivoBook X556UQ-XO076T
Intel Core i5-6200U
196.3 Points 0%
Medion Akoya P6670
Intel Core i5-6200U
191.9 Points -3%
HP 15-ba077ng
AMD A12-9700P
134 Points -32%

System Performance

We did not face problems. The system works smoothly. The good results in the PCMark benchmarks confirm our subjective impression. The all-round device delivers sufficient performance for office and Internet applications. The computer can even run games. It is possible to further improve the system performance by replacing the HDD with an SSD. This would make the system more responsive and loading/opening of programs/files would take less time.

PCMark 7 Score
2864 points
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3178 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
3343 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
4231 points
Help
PCMark 8 - Home Score Accelerated v2
Lenovo Ideapad 310-15ISK
GeForce 920MX, 6500U, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPCX-24UE4T0
3497 Points +10%
Asus VivoBook X556UQ-XO076T
GeForce 940MX, 6200U, SK hynix SSD Canvas SC300 HFS256G32MND
3483 Points +10%
Medion Akoya P6670
GeForce 940MX, 6200U, Phison S11-128G
3396 Points +7%
Asus Vivobook F556UQ-XO626D
GeForce 940MX, 6198DU, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
3178 Points
Acer Aspire E15 E5-553G-109A
Radeon R8 M445DX, A12-9700P, Liteonit CV3-8D128
2847 Points -10%
HP 15-ba077ng
Radeon R7 (Bristol Ridge), A12-9700P, SanDisk Z400s SD8SNAT-256G
2777 Points -13%

Storage Device

A 2.5-inch hard drive from Toshiba is used as system drive. It works at 5400 RPM and features a storage capacity of 500 GB. The transfer rates of the HDD are normal for 5400-RPM models.

Toshiba MQ01ABF050
Transfer Rate Minimum: 50.2 MB/s
Transfer Rate Maximum: 110.4 MB/s
Transfer Rate Average: 81.9 MB/s
Access Time: 17.8 ms
Burst Rate: 249.5 MB/s
CPU Usage: 6.4 %
Asus Vivobook F556UQ-XO626D
Toshiba MQ01ABF050
Asus VivoBook X556UQ-XO076T
SK hynix SSD Canvas SC300 HFS256G32MND
HP 15-ba077ng
SanDisk Z400s SD8SNAT-256G
Acer Aspire E15 E5-553G-109A
Liteonit CV3-8D128
Lenovo Ideapad 310-15ISK
WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPCX-24UE4T0
Medion Akoya P6670
Phison S11-128G
CrystalDiskMark 3.0
9189%
5186%
5407%
38%
6163%
Read Seq
102.2
434.9
326%
447.4
338%
348.6
241%
115.9
13%
441.8
332%
Write Seq
90.7
318.3
251%
243.3
168%
311.8
244%
113.3
25%
398
339%
Read 512
23.31
311.8
1238%
333.4
1330%
295.9
1169%
39.02
67%
295.5
1168%
Write 512
21.7
319.2
1371%
283.1
1205%
185.8
756%
55.6
156%
75.5
248%
Read 4k
0.486
18.23
3651%
20.99
4219%
23.76
4789%
0.44
-9%
31.19
6318%
Write 4k
1.06
85.4
7957%
62.7
5815%
44.94
4140%
1.188
12%
60
5560%
Read 4k QD32
0.952
323.8
33913%
143.1
14932%
171.6
17925%
1.125
18%
258
27001%
Write 4k QD32
1.016
253
24802%
138
13483%
143.2
13994%
1.245
23%
85.7
8335%

Graphics Card

The Vivobook comes with a dedicated GeForce 940MX graphics card from Nvidia. This model is a mid-range GPU. It supports DirectX 12 and clocks at up to 1176 MHz. The GPU is supported by 2048 MB DDR3 VRAM. The results of the 3DMark benchmarks are normal. Apart from the used GeForce 940MX variant, there are two other models. The latter feature GDDR5 VRAM. Further information about this is available in our Acer TravelMate P259-MG review.

3DMark 11 Performance
2551 points
Help
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Acer Aspire E15 E5-553G-109A
AMD Radeon R8 M445DX, AMD A12-9700P
3811 Points +54%
Medion Akoya P6670
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, Intel Core i5-6200U
2516 Points +1%
Asus Vivobook F556UQ-XO626D
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, Intel Core i5-6198DU
2481 Points
Asus VivoBook X556UQ-XO076T
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, Intel Core i5-6200U
2273 Points -8%
HP 15-ba077ng
AMD Radeon R7 (Bristol Ridge), AMD A12-9700P
1856 Points -25%
Lenovo Ideapad 310-15ISK
NVIDIA GeForce 920MX, Intel Core i7-6500U
1835 Points -26%

Gaming Performance

The CPU-GPU combination of the Vivobook can run many games smoothly in HD resolution (1366x768 pixels) with low to medium quality settings. Higher settings are possible in games without high hardware requirements. An example is FIFA 17. However, many demanding games require decreasing the resolution and/or quality settings in order to achieve playable frame rates. Very demanding games such as Deus Ex Mankind Divided and Mafia 3 are unplayable.

low med. high ultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 86.3 49.1 39.5
BioShock Infinite - 1366x768 Medium Preset
Medion Akoya P6670
GeForce 940MX, 6200U, Phison S11-128G
52.5 fps +7%
Asus Vivobook F556UQ-XO626D
GeForce 940MX, 6198DU, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
49.1 fps
Asus VivoBook X556UQ-XO076T
GeForce 940MX, 6200U, SK hynix SSD Canvas SC300 HFS256G32MND
48.3 fps -2%
Lenovo Ideapad 310-15ISK
GeForce 920MX, 6500U, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPCX-24UE4T0
41.8 fps -15%
HP 15-ba077ng
Radeon R7 (Bristol Ridge), A12-9700P, SanDisk Z400s SD8SNAT-256G
37.8 fps -23%

Emissions and Energy

System Noise

In idle mode, the fan permanently runs at low speed, but it is not audible since the hard drive is louder. Even if the hard drive stands still, the fan can just be heard in very quiet environments if at all. The system will run significantly quieter in everyday use if you replace the HDD with an SSD. The fan certainly gets louder under load. We measured a noise level of 42.6 dB during the stress test.

An electronic noise can occasionally be heard. We observed this noise during copying gaming benchmarks to the hard drive. However, the noise is only audible in very quiet environments. 

Noise Level

Idle
32 / 32 / 32.2 dB(A)
HDD
32.6 dB(A)
DVD
37.6 / dB(A)
Load
37.3 / 42.6 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: 30.7 dB(A)
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2035.73334.335.835.72535.432.734.533.335.4313333.23132.6334033.430.332.831.333.45030.530.430.729.930.56329.832.63131.129.88029.428.929.328.229.41003029.728.328.33012526.33025.425.326.31602828.526.825.62820027.128.52524.927.125027.230.623.723.527.231528.931.423.822.928.940026.829.122.521.826.850025.827.821.620.925.863025.428.221.719.925.480028.43025.219.328.4100027.4302218.927.412502729.719.318.227160029.332.71918.229.3200029.93318.617.829.9250028.731.718.317.628.7315028.932.219.717.628.9400028.632.21817.628.6500025.531.118.217.625.5630021.124.917.917.821.1800019.422.117.817.819.41000018.720.717.717.718.71250018.119.217.717.518.11600018.118.617.817.718.1SPL39.442.632.330.839.4N3.24.21.81.53.2median 27.1median 29.7median 19.7median 18.2median 27.1Delta3.73.132.43.7hearing rangehide median Fan NoiseAsus Vivobook F556UQ-XO626D

Temperature

The Vivobook during the stress test
The Vivobook during the stress test

Our Vivobook behaves slightly different in our stress test (Prime95 and Furmark run for at least one hour) in mains operation and on battery. The graphics core always clocks at full speed (1,176 MHz). In mains operation, the processor works at 2.2 to 2.3 GHz. The clock rate occasionally falls to 400 MHz. On battery, the CPU permanently clocks at 400 MHz. The notebook hardly gets warmer during the stress test (in mains operation). The temperatures remain below 40 °C in all measurement segments.

Max. Load
 35.5 °C
96 F
34.6 °C
94 F
26.2 °C
79 F
 
 34.6 °C
94 F
33.5 °C
92 F
26.2 °C
79 F
 
 24.8 °C
77 F
24.7 °C
76 F
27.5 °C
82 F
 
Maximum: 35.5 °C = 96 F
Average: 29.7 °C = 85 F
32.7 °C
91 F
39.9 °C
104 F
32.6 °C
91 F
28.6 °C
83 F
30.4 °C
87 F
33.4 °C
92 F
28.8 °C
84 F
27.2 °C
81 F
26.1 °C
79 F
Maximum: 39.9 °C = 104 F
Average: 31.1 °C = 88 F
Power Supply (max.)  55.4 °C = 132 F | Room Temperature 21.9 °C = 71 F | FIRT 550-Pocket
(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 29.7 °C / 85 F, compared to the average of 31.2 °C / 88 F for the devices in the class Multimedia.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 35.5 °C / 96 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 39.9 °C / 104 F, compared to the average of 39.1 °C / 102 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 23.3 °C / 74 F, compared to the device average of 31.2 °C / 88 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 28.8 °C / 83.8 F (+1.3 °C / 2.3 F).
Temperature on the top side (load)
Temperature on the top side (load)
Temperature on the underside (load)
Temperature on the underside (load)
Temperature on the top side (idle)
Temperature on the top side (idle)
Temperature on the underside (idle)
Temperature on the underside (idle)
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2036.735.836.72538.833.338.83138.832.638.84038.131.338.15038.129.938.16340.931.140.98039.828.239.810042.328.342.312543.525.343.516043.725.643.720046.424.946.425049.223.549.231553.222.953.24005521.85550060.720.960.763066.219.966.280063.219.363.2100064.118.964.1125065.518.265.5160067.118.267.120006717.867250070.717.670.7315072.817.672.8400073.117.673.1500075.417.675.4630073.517.873.5800067.117.867.11000062.917.762.91250057.317.557.31600050.817.750.8SPL82.330.882.3N50.41.550.4median 63.2median 18.2median 63.2Delta9.72.49.735.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseAsus Vivobook F556UQ-XO626DApple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Asus Vivobook F556UQ-XO626D audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (74 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 16.8% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (5% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.1% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 7.7% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (6.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (20.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 64% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 27% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 18%, worst was 45%
Compared to all devices tested
» 48% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 44% 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 comparison (checkboxes select/deselectable!)

Power Consumption

There are no abnormalities in the realm of energy demand. The power consumption is normal for the used hardware platform regardless of the load. The 65-Watt power adapter does not reach its limits.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.55 / 0.7 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 4.4 / 7.1 / 9.7 Watt
Load midlight 38 / 50.4 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 Life

Our real-world Wi-Fi test simulates the load during web surfing. The profile "Balanced" is active, the power-saving options are disabled and the display brightness is set to about 150 cd/m². The Vivobook achieves a battery life of 5:38 h, which surprisingly is 70 minutes shorter than its sibling's.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing (Edge 38)
5h 38min
Battery Runtime - WiFi Websurfing
Asus VivoBook X556UQ-XO076T
6200U, GeForce 940MX, 38 Wh
408 min +21%
Asus Vivobook F556UQ-XO626D
6198DU, GeForce 940MX, 38 Wh
338 min
Lenovo Ideapad 310-15ISK
6500U, GeForce 920MX, 31 Wh
332 min -2%
HP 15-ba077ng
A12-9700P, Radeon R7 (Bristol Ridge), 41 Wh
296 min -12%
Medion Akoya P6670
6200U, GeForce 940MX, 44 Wh
280 min -17%
Acer Aspire E15 E5-553G-109A
A12-9700P, Radeon R8 M445DX, 40 Wh
257 min -24%

Pros

+ matte display
+ good system performance
+ gaming capable
+ gets hardly warmer
+ works quietly most of the time
+ good battery runtimes
+ Type-C USB (USB 3.1 Gen 1)
+ ac-WLAN

Cons

- dark, low-contrast, viewing-angle unstable display
- no maintenance hatch

Verdict

In review: The Asus Vivobook F556UQ-XO626D. Test model provided by Notebooksbilliger.de
In review: The Asus Vivobook F556UQ-XO626D. Test model provided by Notebooksbilliger.de

The Asus Vivobook F556UQ is a 15.6-inch all-round laptop. It is not too expensive at a price of about 460 Euros (~$485). The used Core i5 processor is suitable for all usual fields of application. Together with the GeForce graphics card, it can run many current games smoothly. The computer hardly gets warmer regardless of the load and, at least during everyday use, it works quietly. Thanks to a 500 GB hard drive you will not run out of storage space quickly. It is possible to replace the hard drive with a higher-capacity model or an SSD. However, this requires opening the laptop. The existing maintenance hatch only allows access to the RAM slot.

With the Vivobook F556UQ, Asus delivers a balanced all-round device. You get high performance for a relatively low price.

The keyboard appeared to be decent and is sufficient for home use. Moreover, the battery runtimes are good. Usually, the display is a big weakness in budget notebooks. This is also true for the Vivobook. Asus incorporated a quite dark, low-contrast, viewing-angle unstable model. However, the display quality is acceptable in view of the price. Other manufacturers should follow this example.

Asus Vivobook F556UQ-XO626D - 02/21/2017 v6(old)
Sascha Mölck

Chassis
74 / 98 → 76%
Keyboard
74%
Pointing Device
81%
Connectivity
46 / 81 → 57%
Weight
61 / 20-67 → 87%
Battery
86%
Display
74%
Games Performance
63 / 85 → 74%
Application Performance
76 / 92 → 83%
Temperature
94%
Noise
86 / 95 → 91%
Audio
56%
Camera
25 / 85 → 29%
Average
69%
77%
Multimedia - Weighted Average

Pricecompare

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Asus Vivobook F556UQ-XO626D Notebook Review
Sascha Mölck, 2017-02-26 (Update: 2018-05-15)