DETAILED REVIEW OF THE ASUS VIVOBOOK X505
Asus has played its part this year by releasing one laptop at a time in different segments. After the launch of the Vivobook X507 in early April this year, the company released the Vivobook X505. The X505 is not an upgrade to the X507, but they should coexist. In fact, the Asus Vivobook X505 is equipped with AMD Ryzen processors, while the X507 remains an Intel-based laptop. We spent several days using the Asus Vivobook X505 as our main work machine to understand the value of the laptop and who would be the right buyer for it.
ASUS VIVOBOOK X505 MAIN FEATURES
Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
Processor cores: 4
Processor clock speed 2 GHz (maximum gain 3.6GHz)
RAM: 8 GB, expandable up to 16 GB
Memory capacity: 1 TB hard drive with a rotation speed of 5400 rpm
Screen resolution: 1920×1080
Ports: 2 USB 2.0 ports, 1 USB 3.0 port, 1 USB-C port, 1 HDMI 1 port.4
BUILD AND DESIGN
The Asus Vivobook X505 is largely inspired by the design of the Vivobook X507. The laptop itself is mainly made of ABS plastic, which allows it to maintain a light profile and weigh only 1.68 kg. The lid bends noticeably when you try to open it with one hand. The laptop is less than 1 inch thick, which is pretty impressive. There is a clear lack of bending around the hinges, which was on the X507.
The ports are neatly positioned on both sides of the laptop. On the right side there are two USB ports, as well as a unified headphone jack and a micro SD memory card reader. On the left side there is a power connector, as well as an RJ45 Ethernet connector, an HDMI 1.4 connector, a USB 3.0 connector and a USB Type-C connector.The ports are arranged quite neatly on both sides, leaving enough space between them for convenient placement and removal.
From a design point of view, there is nothing unusual about the Asus Vivobook X505. It has a standard rectangular design, and the lid has the same concentric design as on other Asus laptops.
KEYBOARD AND TRACKPAD
The keyboard on the Asus Vivobook X505 was a pretty nice thing. The keys provide a decent journey, but they are a bit soft. At first, the sponge was a bit strange for those who are used to using a mechanical keyboard, but after using a laptop for more than a week, it became a really good keyboard for typing. Unlike the X507, the X505 doesn’t have a dedicated numeric keypad, but personally it’s a good thing as you get slightly larger keys with a better arrangement for individual keys. However, as soon as you start writing intensively, for example, for a long review, research paper, etc., you will begin to notice the curve of the keyboard. After several hours of repeatedly pressing on the keyboard, the keys remained firm, but the bend was somewhat threatening. If you press your finger lightly on the keys, the entire island of the keyboard slides in surprisingly easily. Not very pleasant characteristics, but considering the price, the Asus Vivobook X505 can be excused for this.
The rail is large in size, made of plastic and has the same light texture as always. It’s barely noticeable, but it’s enough not to feel like smooth, slippery plastic. At the base there is a single unified button, the left and right sides of which are divided into left and right clicks. The keys have a decent stroke and bend a bit, but this is very common on laptops in this price range. The trackpad does not use precision Windows drivers, which is a bummer. During our intensive use of the laptop, we found no covers where the trackpad could not record the movements of our finger. There were no delays when moving the mouse, and clicks are recorded perfectly. Given the large mouse movement with each click, we can’t help but wonder how long the trackpad buttons held them down.