ASUS Vivobook 16 X1605VA Laptop | 16.0" WUXGA 16:10 Screen | Intel Core 5-120U | 16GB RAM | 512GB PCIe SSD | Windows 11 | Silver

I was pleasantly surprised with this purchase, as it offered a -21% discount on a sub £450 laptop from a reputable brand like Dell or MacBook, which matches my expectations.

The build quality was satisfactory, but not spectacular; I preferred a higher-end Dell or MacBook, but it met the price point criteria. The setup process was straightforward, with some nice ASUS software that was useful for its time.

I particularly appreciated the mechanical feel of the keyboard and the silence of the fans, which made for a quiet and efficient laptop experience. While the screen quality isn't outstanding, I've not noticed any issues that would stop me from using it regularly.

The CPU spec and 16GB of RAM were more than adequate for my general use needs. However, one aspect that left me underwhelmed was the lack of USB-C support for an external monitor, which is a minor quibble in an otherwise very good laptop.

Other notes include my uncertainty about the battery life, as I haven't yet tried running it on different power settings - and from what I've seen so far, the default setting suggests 3.5 hours of use before needing to recharge. Additionally, this laptop isn't a touchscreen model, which is perfectly fine in its own right - the screen will remain clean even with an external monitor attached.

Overall, I'm very happy with my purchase and feel that it's a great value for money considering the price point. The ASUS software has been a welcome addition, providing helpful functionality without being overly intrusive.

N. Wilson - 12/09/2025

I hesitated to place my order for this laptop after reading numerous negative reviews, but ultimately decided that the benefits outweighed the drawbacks as I've been thoroughly impressed with its performance thus far.

A significant amount of time was spent downloading and updating the operating system, which was expected given the nature of new Windows machines. Nevertheless, it's not a major concern since it's an unavoidable process in bringing the software up to date.
The keyboard on my laptop has an adjustable backlight, but this feature wasn't a priority for me - it works well regardless.

In terms of aesthetics and overall build quality, I've been very satisfied with the unit. The screen is bright and clear, and the sound system is pleasant to listen to.
My primary use case involves some heavy number-crunching in both business and scientific environments where precision is essential, which this laptop has so far delivered adequately.

At its price point, the machine offers extraordinary value for money - a truly impressive performance at an affordable cost.

F. Maxwell - 06/11/2025

We've been impressed with this laptop's speed and performance, able to handle demanding tasks with ease.

The delivery time was surprisingly quick, considering it's a larger package, and we were pleased to receive our laptop within days of ordering.

It wasn't until later that we discovered a key discrepancy - the website had touted a backlit keyboard as standard features for this model, but unfortunately, ours doesn't come equipped with this feature. This turned out to be an unexpected surprise, especially since it's not mentioned on the product page when you first purchase it.

A small drawback is that our laptop doesn't have a built-in SD card reader, which might be a disappointment if you're looking for seamless file transfer capabilities. However, there are other options available in the market at a fraction of the cost, so we can recommend this device to anyone on a tight budget who still wants good performance and features.

Overall, though, our experience with this laptop has been very positive - it's certainly met our expectations, and we're looking forward to using it for its intended purposes.

D. Matthew - 10/01/2026