Ever since I tested my first Copilot+ PC at Computex, I have always wanted to take it for a spin as my primary computer, and the launch of the Asus Vivobook S 15 gave me the perfect opportunity. This is India’s first Copilot+ PC, powered by the all-new Snapdragon X Elite processor, which is based on ARM and a lot different from a conventional laptop processor from Intel or AMD.
The Asus Vivobook S 15 Copilot+ PC, powered by the Snapdragon X Elite X1E78100 with 16 GB RAM and 1 TB storage, has been my primary computing device for the last few weeks, and here is what it’s like to use an ARM-based Windows laptop in 2024.
A practical and familiar Copilot+ PC
More than anything, the Asus Vivobook S15 reminds me of the good old Windows laptops that work just as expected and do not need any additional dongles or accessories. The extensive I/O options include a full-sized HDMI port, a couple of USB-A ports, which are important for connecting accessories like a mouse and keyboard, USB-C ports, and even a microSD reader.
While this is not the best-looking Copilot+ PC on the market, it’s definitely designed to be more practical than anything else. Despite its 15.6-inch screen and a fairly large 70 WHr battery, it is very light at 1.42 kg with a solid and sturdy build. If you are upgrading from a Windows laptop that is a few years old, you definitely will not miss much on the Asus Vivobook S15 Copilot+ PC.
A bright, vibrant, and vivid display
Asus has managed to pack what could possibly be one of the best displays ever featured on a laptop of this class. The 15.6-inch OLED screen on this machine is sharp, thanks to its 3K resolution, fast with a 120Hz refresh rate, and it is also bright with up to 600 nits of peak HDR brightness, which simply means the screen will be visible even under direct sunlight. The only shortcoming, in my opinion, is that the display does not support touch input; other than that, it’s a ten-on-ten screen.
Thanks to its high resolution, the laptop is great for tasks like editing photos and videos, watching movies, and even gaming. Yes, the Copilot+ PC can easily handle some of the most popular AAA titles; more on this in the performance part of the review.
It can run most apps/software, save a few
Can it run all my apps and software? This is the first query that most users might have considering it’s an ARM-based Copilot+ PC. The simple answer? Yes, it can. I found out that some of the most popular apps that I use on a laptop have already been ported to ARM for Windows, which includes Google Chrome and apps like VLC.
However, I did have some issues with the VPN app issued by my employer. I was able to install it, but when I tried to open it, it would crash. This could be an issue for those who depend on some legacy apps, and this situation is likely to improve in the coming days.
The laptop has two fans, and surprisingly, for most of my testing, it stayed quiet. Even while gaming, I could hardly hear the fan noise, which is unlike any Windows PC I have tested so far. While the whole laptop did stay cool to the touch on the left side where I connected an HDMI port, USB-C charging, and a USB-C hub, I could feel some heat being generated, especially on the bottom part.
What does a Copilot+-branded AI PC mean?
The processor powering the Asus Vivobook S15 Copilot+ PC also makes it an AI laptop with several on-device generative AI capabilities, such as Cocreator on the Paint app, which can transform crude sketches into AI-generated images in seconds. Despite the feature being powered by the neural processing unit (NPU) on the Snapdragon X Elite chip, one needs to have an active internet connection for this feature to work, and as of now, there is no information on when ‘Recall’, the Copilot+ PC’s headline feature, comes to users.
To call a laptop Copilot+ PC, it should have a dedicated NPU with at least 40 trillion operations per second (TOPS) of AI performance, and the NPU on the Snapdragon X Elite can offer 45 TOPs of AI performance.
For now, there aren’t many practical instances of how an AI laptop could make our lives easier, but the future is definitely bright.
Prince Parfait