Asus VivoBook M712: decent budget device?

Megunticook

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Mar 13, 2019
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Looking to replace a budget Lenovo IdeaPad 330 I got for $400 back in 2018. Great price for a 17-inch laptop but unsurprisingly the CPU is underpowered (AMD RADEON R2 1.8 GHz) and the hinges are starting to break.

Basically just want a 17-inch display in a quality device that will last, don't need a powerhouse desktop replacement. Would like to stay under $1K if possible. Mostly just doing web browsing, email, MS Office, and a little Adobe Photoshop here and there. Saw a review of the Asus VivoBook M712 and it looks like a pretty good bet: https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/asus-vivobook-17-m712. Anybody have personal experience with this machine? Or Asus in general? I know they make great motherboards (I've had several over the years).

Any other models I should be looking at? I'd consider another Lenovo but they seem to have a crappy hinge issue that isn't being adequately addressed.

Thanks.
 
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Johnson Mike

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May 4, 2016
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I wouldn't recommend the Asus VivoBook M712 because it has an older AMD CPU, and there are much better-specced laptops available for the price.

I think you'll be able to find a pretty decent laptop for your work in the $550 - $650 range.

Is a 17-inch display absolutely a necessity to you?

If not, this Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14 offers much more powerful specs in a portable form factor than the VivoBook M712 for less than $500!

It has the latest AMD Ryzen 5 5500U 6-core CPU with 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD. These specs will be able to handle your work and probably more powerful tasks pretty easily. Apart from that, it also offers a decent quality 14-inch full HD IPS display, a backlit keyboard, and a good amount of ports.

If you absolutely need a 17-inch machine, then this HP 17-inch laptop seems to be a good option for a little over $600.

It is powered by the latest 11th Gen Intel Core i5 4-core CPU with 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD. These are also pretty adequate specs for your everyday tasks, but the Intel CPU here isn't as powerful as the AMD CPU on the Lenovo IdeaPad, despite being costlier than it. But, you wouldn't notice any difference with your work since both are very capable CPUs. It's just that AMD has two more cores, so it will perform a little faster in the multi-core workloads.
But if you want to buy a 17-inch laptop, this HP notebook seems to be the best option in this price range.

However, for the same price as this HP machine, you can get the Asus VivoBook 15 M515 with the latest and more powerful AMD Ryzen 7 5700U 8-core processor. Although you do not need such a powerful CPU, but having a more powerful one under the hood would be great for the longevity of the device. Moreover, it offers 8GB RAM and roomy 512GB of SSD. So, this Asus laptop is an excellent value for the price. Apart from great performing hardware, the display on this is also pretty decent with a 15-inch full HD IPS panel, and it also comes with all other bells and whistles, such as a fingerprint scanner and a backlit keyboard.

You can check other options in this price bracket here - https://laptopunderbudget.com/best-laptops-under-600-dollars/
 

Megunticook

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Mar 13, 2019
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Thanks for the tips. I do want the 17-inch display, so that definitely narrows the field quite a bit.

Am hesitant about Lenovo because of the hinge breakdown I'm experiencing with apparently is very common.

I'll check out the HP line though. Always tricky to balance hardware capacity vs. budget. Would definitely like to get a good 5-7 years out of a new laptop. I've gotten 3+ out of the IdeaPad but based on the hinge issue I'm thinking I won't make it far into 2022.

By the way, have ethernet ports on laptops gone the way of floppy drives? Would love to have that option but seems to be no longer available.
 

Johnson Mike

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May 4, 2016
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You can consider this Acer Aspire 5 17" - https://www.amazon.com/Acer-A517-52-713G-i7-1165G7-Graphics-Fingerprint/dp/B08PG3XMS3

It costs around $950, so it is costlier than the models I have recommended earlier but it makes up for the increased price tag with powerful specs and a good quality display.

It has Ethernet port (that you asked for) and it has a full HD (1920 by 1080) 17-inch IPS display, which is much better than most 1600 by 900 TN panels.

Also, it has quite beefy specs - 11th Gen Core i7, 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD.

Plus, you get all the other essential features like a backlit keyboard, fingerprint scanner and latest and fastest WiFi 6.
 

Megunticook

Commendable
Mar 13, 2019
45
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1,535
Thanks for all the tips. I'll check out your recommendations. I wish Lenovo would address their hinge issue, like the company and have had 2 of their laptops but seems like they have a serious issue with that hinge problem.
 

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