The ASUS X515 is a budget Windows laptop with a 15.6 inch display. It has an all-plastic construction that feels reasonably well-built, with a thin and light design that makes it very portable. Its full-size keyboard includes a numpad and provides an okay typing experience; however, its lack of backlighting makes it hard to use in dark settings. Unfortunately, the screen looks dim and washed out, and the webcam doesn't capture any fine details due to its low resolution. Also, its battery doesn't last long enough to get you through a typical 8-hour day, and although it has a USB-C port, you can't use it to charge the laptop or connect an external display. Its Intel 10th Gen processor and integrated graphics can handle light workloads like web browsing and video playback with ease, but it isn't ideal for heavy tasks like video editing or 3D rendering. On the upside, it doesn't get overly hot or throttle under load.
Our ASUS X515 has a 720p TN display, an Intel Core i3-1005G1 CPU, Intel UHD Graphics for 10th Gen processors, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. If you need more processing power for heavier workloads or better multitasking, you can upgrade the CPU to an Intel Core i5-1035G1 or i7-1065G7 as they have more cores and threads. There are entry-level NVIDIA discrete GPUs available; however, the performance gain they provide over integrated graphics is minimal and will likely shorten battery life.
Our Verdict
The ASUS X515 is mediocre for school use. It feels reasonably well-built despite an all-plastic chassis, and its thin and light design makes it easy to bring around. However, its short battery life means you have to carry the charger as well. Unfortunately, the screen is too dim for use in well-lit settings, the keyboard lacks backlighting, and the webcam video quality is bad. Its Intel 10th Gen processor and integrated graphics can handle most student workloads like text formatting and web browsing, but they aren't powerful enough for demanding tasks like 3D rendering.
- Very portable due to thin and light design.
- Handles reflections well.
- Display doesn't get bright enough to combat glare.
- Short battery life.
- CPU can only handle light workloads.
- USB-C doesn't support charging or video output.
The ASUS X515 is inadequate for gaming. It's only available with a low-power Intel 10th Gen CPU, coupled with an integrated or entry-level discrete GPU, which aren't powerful enough to handle graphically demanding games. It also has a 60Hz panel with a slow response time and no VRR support. On the bright side, it doesn't get too hot or throttle under load, and its internals are easy to access should you want to upgrade the memory or storage.
- Easy to access internals for upgrades or repairs.
- Doesn't throttle under load.
- CPU can only handle light workloads.
- Only available with integrated or entry-level discrete GPUs.
- 60Hz refresh rate and no VRR support.
- Slow response time causes noticeable ghosting.
The ASUS X515 is inadequate for media consumption. Its 720P TN panel looks dim, washed out, and inaccurate, with narrow viewing angles that make it unsuitable for sharing content. It also has a poor contrast ratio, so it isn't the best for dark room viewing. The speakers sound good but don't get very loud, and the battery only lasts long enough for one or two movies at most.
- Very portable due to thin and light design.
- Handles reflections well.
- Screen looks dim and washed out.
- Short battery life.
- Low contrast makes blacks look gray in dim settings.
The ASUS X515 is sub-par for use as a workstation. You can only configure it with a low-power Intel 10th Gen CPU, along with integrated graphics or an entry-level NVIDIA discrete GPU, which aren't ideal for demanding workloads like video editing and 3D rendering. Additionally, its port selection is mediocre because you can't use the USB-C port for charging or video output, and its HDMI port is limited to the HDMI 1.4 standard. Its NVMe SSD is very fast, though, and it doesn't get overly hot or throttle under load.
- Easy to access internals for upgrades or repairs.
- Doesn't throttle under load.
- CPU can only handle light workloads.
- Only available with integrated or entry-level discrete GPUs.
- USB-C doesn't support charging or video output.
The ASUS X515 is mediocre for business use. It has a thin and light design that makes it easy to carry around for business trips. However, its battery life is short, which means you have to plug it in at some point in a typical 8-hour workday. Unfortunately, it has a dim screen that isn't ideal for well-lit settings, its keyboard only provides an okay typing experience, and its webcam's video quality is bad due to its low resolution. It also has a mediocre port selection because its USB-C port doesn't support charging and video output, and its HDMI port is limited to the HDMI 1.4 standard.
- Very portable due to thin and light design.
- Handles reflections well.
- Easy to access internals for upgrades or repairs.
- Display doesn't get bright enough to combat glare.
- Short battery life.
- CPU can only handle light workloads.
- USB-C doesn't support charging or video output.
Changelog
- Updated Aug 23, 2024: Added mention of the Dell Precision 3591 (2024) as an alternative with more powerful GPU options for professional workloads in the GPU section.
- Updated May 16, 2023: Added mention of the ASUS Vivobook 16 M1605 (2023) as an alternative with a better build in the Build Quality section.
- Updated Mar 24, 2023: Added mention of the Acer Aspire 3 15 (2023) as an alternative with a better port selection in the Ports section.
- Updated Jan 13, 2022: Review published.
Check Price
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the ASUS X515 (model X515J) with an Intel Core i3-1005G1 CPU, Intel UHD Graphics for 10th Gen Intel processors, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. The display, CPU, GPU, memory, storage, and color are configurable; you can see the options in the table below. There are other CPU options available, including Intel Celeron, Pentium, and Intel 10th Gen Comet Lake CPUs. However, our performance tests focus only on the Intel 10th Gen Ice Lake processors for conciseness.
Note: Some retailers advertise this laptop as the ASUS Vivobook X515, but ASUS doesn't. The Vivobook laptops are entirely separate models. ASUS replaced the X515 lineup with newer Intel 11th Gen models (X515M) in 2021.
| Screen |
|
|---|---|
| CPU |
|
| GPU |
|
| Memory |
|
| Storage |
|
| Color |
|
Our display and performance results are only valid for the configuration that we tested. If you come across a different configuration option not listed above, or you have a similar ASUS X515 laptop that doesn't correspond to our review, let us know, and we'll update it. Some tests, like black uniformity and color accuracy, may vary between individual units.
You can see our unit's label here.
Popular Laptop Comparisons
The ASUS X515 and the ASUS VivoBook Flip 14 (2020) are both budget Windows laptops. However, the VivoBook Flip is a 2-in-1 convertible that you can use as a tablet, while you can only use the X515 in clamshell mode. The X515 has a larger display, better-sounding speakers, and a better port selection. It also has a faster storage drive that significantly improves performance. On the other hand, the VivoBook Flip has longer battery life, and it remains silent under load because it has a fanless design.
The ASUS X515 (2020) and the Apple MacBook Air 13 (M1, 2020) are very different. The X515 is a budget 15.6 inch laptop that runs Windows, while the MacBook Air is a premium 13 inch laptop that runs macOS. The MacBook Air is better for the most part because it offers a superior user experience. The MacBook Air's touchpad is larger and more responsive, its keyboard provides a better typing experience, and its display is sharper, brighter, and more colorful. It also has better-sounding speakers and a significantly better webcam. The MacBook Air's M1 SoC is much more powerful than any of the Intel CPUs available on the X515, and it's also more power-efficient, leading to longer battery life.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14 (2020) is much better than the ASUS X515 for most uses. Although the IdeaPad Flex has a slightly smaller display, it has a 360-degree hinge that lets you use the laptop as a tablet, while you can only use the X515 in clamshell mode. The IdeaPad Flex's keyboard provides a better typing experience, its touchpad has better tracking, and its webcam captures more details due to its higher resolution. The IdeaPad Flex also has longer battery life, and it can be configured with Intel or AMD CPUs, while the X515 is only available with Intel processors.
The ASUS X515 (2020) and the Acer Aspire 5 15 (2020) are very similar 15.6 inch budget Windows laptops. The Aspire 5 provides a better user experience because it has a keyboard that's more comfortable to type on for long periods, the touchpad has better tracking, and its webcam has a higher resolution to deliver a more detailed image. The Aspire 5 also has a better port selection because its HDMI 2.0 port supports 4k @ 60Hz video output.
Test Results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for videos & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for videos & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for videos & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
