The ASUS VivoBook 15 OLED K513 (2021) is an ultraportable Windows laptop. It's available with various Intel 11th Gen. CPUs, up to 16GB of memory, and over 1TB of storage. You can configure it with integrated graphics only or with an NVIDIA GeForce MX330 or MX350 discrete GPU. There's a single display option: a 15.6-inch OLED panel with full DCI P3 and Adobe RGB coverage. Its port selection includes three USB-As, a USB-C, an HDMI, and an SD card reader. It has Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, a 720p webcam, and a fingerprint sensor.
See our unit's specifications and the available configuration options in the Differences Between Variants section.
Our Verdict
The ASUS VivoBook 15 is decent for school use. It has a 15.6-inch screen that provides enough space for light multitasking and gets bright enough for use in most indoor settings. The touchpad tracks well, the webcam's video quality is adequate, and the keyboard is spacious but can be tiring to type on for extended periods. Although it's a compact laptop that's easy to carry around, its battery doesn't last long enough to get through a typical school day, and it doesn't support charging over USB-C, so you'll have to bring the proprietary charger with you.
- Very portable.
- Display gets bright enough for use in most indoor settings.
- CPU can handle most light productivity tasks.
- Adequate webcam video quality for video calls.
- Battery lasts less than seven hours of light productivity.
- Keyboard is tiring to type on for extended periods.
- Integrated and entry-level dedicated GPUs can't handle demanding workloads.
- USB-C doesn't support charging or video output.
The ASUS VivoBook 15 is mediocre for gaming. It's only available with power-efficient Intel 11th Gen processors with integrated or entry-level dedicated GPUs, which aren't powerful enough to handle graphically demanding games. You can play some older or lighter titles on models with a Core i5, i7, or an NVIDIA GPU, but you'll have to play at low settings to get smooth gameplay. While its OLED panel is great for game immersion, it has a basic 60Hz refresh rate and lacks VRR support to reduce screen tearing.
- Fast storage drive.
- Easy to upgrade components.
- Minimal performance loss over time.
- 60Hz refresh rate and no VRR support.
- Integrated and entry-level dedicated GPUs can't handle graphically demanding games.
- Keyboard gets hot under load.
The ASUS VivoBook 15 is decent for media consumption. It has an OLED panel that displays deep blacks, making it fantastic for dark room viewing, and it supports a wide color gamut for HDR content. The speakers get acceptably loud and sound good overall; however, they aren't ideal for listening to music as they lack bass. Unfortunately, even though it's a thin and light device that's easy to carry around, its battery lasts less than five hours of video playback, so you'll have to bring the charger with you.
- Very portable.
- OLED screen displays inky blacks.
- Wide color gamut support.
- Good-sounding speakers.
- Colors look oversaturated in most content.
- Battery lasts less than five hours of video playback.
- Screen doesn't support touch input.
The ASUS VivoBook isn't designed to be used as a workstation. It's only available with low-power CPUs and GPUs, which aren't powerful enough to handle demanding tasks like video editing or 3D animation. You can do some lighter color-correction work, though, as its OLED display has full DCI P3 and Adobe RGB coverage. It doesn't throttle much under load, and you can easily access the internals for repairs and upgrades.
- Fast storage drive.
- Easy to upgrade components.
- Minimal performance loss over time.
- Keyboard is tiring to type on for extended periods.
- Integrated and entry-level dedicated GPUs can't handle demanding workloads.
- Keyboard gets hot under load.
- USB-C doesn't support charging or video output.
The ASUS VivoBook 15 is decent for business use. It's a very portable, thin, and light laptop with Intel 11th Gen CPUs, which can handle tasks like text formatting, web browsing, spreadsheets, and presentations. The webcam's video quality is adequate for video calls, the touchpad is responsive, and the keyboard is spacious but can be tiring to type on for extended periods. Unfortunately, its battery lasts less than seven hours of light productivity, and you can't use its USB-C port to charge the laptop or output a video signal to an external display.
- Very portable.
- Display gets bright enough for use in most indoor settings.
- CPU can handle most light productivity tasks.
- Adequate webcam video quality for video calls.
- Battery lasts less than seven hours of light productivity.
- Keyboard is tiring to type on for extended periods.
- Integrated and entry-level dedicated GPUs can't handle demanding workloads.
- USB-C doesn't support charging or video output.
Changelog
- Updated Feb 23, 2024: We've updated the review for clarity and readability.
- Updated Dec 07, 2023: Converted to Test Bench 0.8.2.
- Updated Nov 03, 2023: Converted to Test Bench 0.8.1.
- Updated Jul 31, 2023: Added mention of the ASUS Vivobook S 16 Flip TP3604 (2023) as an alternative with a sharper display in the Screen Specs section.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the ASUS VivoBook 15 OLED K513 (model S513E) with an Intel Core i7-1165G7 CPU, an NVIDIA GeForce MX350 dedicated GPU, 16GB of memory, and 512GB of storage. The CPU, GPU, memory, and storage are configurable; you can see the available options in the table below.
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See our unit's label here.
Popular Laptop Comparisons
The ASUS VivoBook is a decent ultraportable compared to other models in its class. It stands out for its OLED panel, which displays deep, inky blacks and bright, punchy colors. However, its build quality feels inferior, and its battery life is short.
For more options, check out our recommendations for the best laptops, the best business laptops, and the best laptops for college.
The ASUS VivoBook 15 OLED K513 (2021) is better than the Acer Aspire 3 15 (2023) for most uses. Although the build is similar between these two laptops, the ASUS is more compact and lighter, making it easier to carry around. The ASUS has a significantly better OLED display compared to the Acer laptop's TN panel. The ASUS model's screen gets much brighter, provides a better dark room viewing experience, and has full Adobe RGB and DCI P3 coverage. On the other hand, the Acer has a better port selection, as its USB-C supports charging and DisplayPort Alt Mode.
The ASUS Vivobook 16 M1605 (2023) is better than the ASUS VivoBook 15 OLED K513 (2021) for most uses. The M1605 has a better keyboard and touchpad, and its battery lasts longer. However, the K513's OLED display has a higher contrast ratio and a wider color gamut, and it gets brighter to combat glare. The M1605's AMD Ryzen CPUs have better multi-thread performance than the K513's Intel CPUs, but you'll have to get a model with 16GB of RAM or upgrade it yourself to get the most out of its CPU, as the 8GB models run in single-channel mode.
The ASUS Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (2023) is much better than the ASUS VivoBook 15 OLED K513 (2021) for most uses. The Zenbook is a more premium model with a sturdier build, and it provides a better user experience overall with a sharper 90Hz display, a more comfortable keyboard, and a larger, more responsive touchpad. It's available with faster Intel 13th Gen CPUs, and its battery lasts longer. Also, the Zenbook is a 2-in-1 convertible, whereas the Vivobook is a standard clamshell model with no touch input support.
The ASUS VivoBook 15 OLED K513 (2021) and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15 (2019) are ultraportable Windows laptops. The Microsoft laptop is a more premium device that provides a better overall user experience, like a more comfortable keyboard, a more responsive touchpad, and a webcam with significantly better video quality. However, the ASUS is a newer laptop with more powerful CPU options, and it sports an OLED screen that displays deeper blacks and a wider range of colors.
Test Results
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