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Windows Ivy Bridge

S u b n o t e b o o k

Till Schnborn (translated by Bernie Pechlaner), 12/17/2012

No fear of contact. There is a plethora of inexpensive subnotebooks on the market - but the new Asus VivoBook S200E is different: high build quality and a multi-touch-enabled display set it apart and are supposed to appeal to potential buyers. Are those attributes alone enough for us to recommend the system? Ads by Google ROOS Cassini Tests WiGig - roos.com/CASSINI-WiGig
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W o r k i n g

f o r

N o t e b o o k c

For the original German review, see here. Are typical subnotebooks a thing of the past? More and more buyers flock to tablets and Ultrabooks. Asus shows courage to innovate in an attempt to stop the exodus and introduces the VivoBook S200E.

Are you a loyal reader of notebookcheck? Are you the one all your friends turn to when they want to buy a laptop or tablet-PC? Are you a techie who knows how to write? Then join our Team! Especially wanted: Senior Editor - Details here Jobs

The concept seems simple: use a touchscreen and combine it with Windows 8 so the VivoBook can be used like a tablet, while preserving the advantages of a full-fledged notebook. Dell follows a S p e c i f i c a t i o n s L a t e s t R e v i e w s similar strategy with their XPS 12 though it is clearly in a different league as far as the price point is Asus VivoBook S200Econcerned (over 1000 Euros / ~$1300) Review HP ProBook 650 G1 H5G74E CT182H Notebook The S200E-CT182H, which starts at 550 Euros (~$710), features hardware which is significantly :: Processor For the (small) business. HP's ProBook 650 is less powerful: Core i3-3217U, 4 GB RAM, and a 500 GB hard drive. The 11.6-inch WXGA display Intel Core i3-3217U 1.8 GHz a new mainstream business notebook... - 2014/01/13 also reflects the entry-level status of the notebook. Asus offers an even less expensive version with :: Mainboard Review Acer TravelMate P645-MG-9419 Ultrabook Pentium ULV processor and/or less storage space. Intel HM76 (Panther Point) Ultra-TravelMate. Acer updates their venerable TravelMate-series and adds a 14-i... - 2014/01/12 :: Memory C a s e Notebookcheck's Top 10 Gaming Notebooks 4096 MB, 1x 4096 MByte DDR3January 2014 update. Here you will find the 1333 - integrated and not Impressive: unlike other notebooks in this price range, the chassis of current best gaming notebooks review... upgradable 2014/01/10 the VivoBook S200E is not made from simple plastic, but to a large :: Graphics adapter extent from high quality, brushed aluminum. The metal is not only used Notebookcheck's Top 10 Tablets Intel HD Graphics 4000, Core: for the back of the display lid, but also the top of the base unit. That January 2014 update. Following is a list of the 350 - 1050 MHz, 9.17.10.2843 particular piece is milled from solid aluminum - similar to the (much tablets Notebookcheck has review... :: Display more expensive) Zenbook series. Only the bottom cover is made from 2014/01/10 11.6 inch 16:9, 1366x768 pixel, plastic. Precisely built aluminum Notebookcheck's Top 10 Subnotebooks Multitouch, capacitive, AUO chassis January 2014 update. Here you will find the B116XW03, TN panel, LED The net result is that the entire notebook is remarkably rigid and current best subnotebooks reviewed b... resilient. The VivoBook weighs in at 1.4 kilograms (3.09 pounds), is only 2.2 centimeters (0.87 inch) backlight, glossy: yes 2014/01/10 thick, torsionally extremely rigid and resists pressure well - some Ultrabooks don't score nearly as :: Harddisk well. The build quality is also very high: the transition between the different sections is without flaws, Seagate Momentus Thin Notebookcheck's Top 10 Budget Office/Business Notebooks the corners are nicely rounded, and the gaps are even and unobtrusive. ST500LT0 12-9WS142, 500 GB Notebookcheck's Top 10 Convertibles 5400 rpm 16 MByte Cache The construction of the display reveals a drawback: the lid can't be folded down onto the keyboard Notebookcheck's Top 10 Multimedia Notebooks Notebookcheck's Top 10 Premium Office/Business (like with convertibles). The not overly precise (but stiff enough) hinges allow the display to be tilted :: Soundcard Notebooks back to about 140 degrees, which means that the S200E is not a full-fledged tablet replacement. Intel Panther Point PCH - High Review Acer Aspire V5-552G Notebook We also don't like the display bezel, which is very wide (20-23 millimeters / 0.79-0.91 inches) and Definition Audio Controller increases the size of the unit - it looks like a 12-inch panel could fit. :: Connections B e n c h m a r k s a n d H a r d w 2 USB 2.0, 1 USB 3.0, 1 VGA, 1 to top HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Comparison of Laptop Graphics Cards Connections: Headphone jack Mobile Graphics Cards - Benchmark List (3.5 millimeter), Card Reader: C o n n e c t i v i t y How much graphic memory makes sense? 3-in-1 (SD, SDHC, MMC), Notebook Processors No surprises here: the VivoBook features the usual selection of ports for notebooks in this price Mobile Processors - Benchmarklist segment. Asus integrated three USB ports - one supporting the new 3.0 standard. There's also a :: Networking Notebook Purchase Consultation card reader (SD/SDHC/MMC), display ports (VGA and HDMI), and other standard ports (headphone Atheros AR8162/8166/8168 PCI-E Fast Ethernet Notebook Hardware Guide - Which Notebook Should jack, LAN, Kensington Lock). We would have appreciated a DisplayPort to allow the user to connect (10/100MBit), Atheros You Buy? high-resolution external monitors. AR9485WB-EG Wireless DPI (Fineness) of Displays Network Adapter (b g n ) Most of the ports are easily accessible on the left side of the chassis. The distance between them E x t e r n a l R e v i e w s is large enough to prevent larger devices from blocking other ports when plugged in. :: Size height x width x depth (in mm): Total rating 21.7 x 303 x 200 Rating - price/value :: Weight Rating - performance 1.4 kg Power Supply: 0.1 kg Rating - features Rating - display :: Battery Rating - mobility 38 Wh Lithium-Ion, 7.4 V, Front: no ports Rating - workmanship integrated Rating - ergonomy :: Price Rating - emissions 500 Euro Sorting by manufacturer :: Operating System Sorting by display Microsoft Windows 8 64 Bit Sorting by weight Left side: power connector, LAN, HDMI, USB 3.0, USB 2.0, Kensington Lock :: Additional features Sorting by graphic card Webcam: HD, Speakers: Sorting by processor Stereo, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: no, Cleaning

Back: no ports

Keyboard Light: no, Cleaning cloth, pamphlets, 33 watt power adapter, Adobe Reader X, Microsoft Office 2010 Starter, McAfee Internet Security trial

D i s c u s s i o n
13:37 January 15, 2014 11:15 January 15, 2014

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C o m m u n i c a t i o n Since neither Bluetooth nor WWAN are offered, WLAN and LAN remain the only options as far as connections to the outside world are concerned. The latter uses a controller from Qualcomm/Atheros, which only supports the slower Fast Ethernet standard and thus connects at only 100 MBit/s.
Ultrabook, subnotebook, or tablet?

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The WLAN adapter (which is sourced from the same manufacturer) is also an entry-level model. The AR9485 only supports the (often crowded) 2.4 GHz band and IEEE 802.11b/g/n. Even though the data transfer rate is only 150 MBit/s (1x1 Single Stream), we had no issues with the stability of the connection or with the range. The VivoBook features a 0.9 megapixel webcam (1280x720 pixels), which is hidden under the layer of glass in the bezel of the display. The picture quality is decent, the graininess acceptable, and the sound quality adequate. A c c e s s o r i e s Aside from the diminutive power adapter with 33 Watts, a few pamphlets, and a cleaning cloth, there are no additional items in the box. The OS (64-bit Windows 8) presents itself cleanly: in addition to various tools, one of which is supposed to make driver updates easier, Asus included useful extras like Adobe's PDF reader and McAfee Internet security (although only a trial version with activation pop-up messages). M a i n t e n a n c e The underside of the notebook features a total of nine screws, which hold the bottom plate in place. After the removal of said screws, the cover can be removed with a little bit of force. This action demands a bit of skill to avoid breaking off the small plastic tabs. Expandability is fairly limited in any case: the RAM is soldered onto the motherboard so the system is limited to 4 GB. At least the 2.5-inch hard drive is easy to replace, although it should be noted that a low-profile model (7 millimeter) is required. Those wanting to swap out the WLAN module for a faster one need to consider that only one antenna is integrated. W a r r a n t y Like most inexpensive notebooks, the VivoBook S200E is only covered for 12 months. At least Asus offers fairly inexpensive extensions, which we would highly recommend. Different online retailers offer warranty extensions to 24 months (pick up and return service) starting at 28 Euros (~$36). to top
The Asus VivoBook S200E is all of the above.

Re: Review Acer TravelMate P645-MG-9419 Ultrabook

The good looking 11.6-inch system...

features premium aluminum...

I n p u t

D e v i c e s

K e y b o a r d The black chiclet-style keyboard is seamlessly integrated into the aluminum chassis, which in turn adds to the impression of high quality. The aluminum keyboard area is also responsible for exceptionally high rigidity - even when firm pressure is applied to the 15 x 15 millimeter (0.59 x 0.59 inch) keys, no real flex is noticeable. With the exception of the arrow keys, which are a bit undersized, the layout is pretty standard and doesn't take a long time to get used to. Although the click point could be slightly better defined and the key travel longer, we are very happy with the very good feedback and the typing experience overall. The VivoBook does not suffer from the usual issues that plague low-priced notebooks: the keys dont clickety-clack in the least and don't tilt - even when not hit perfectly in the center. Most users will be quite happy with the integrated keyboard and shouldn't require an external one. T o u c h p a d The touchpad, which measures 6 x 10.5 centimeters (2.36 x 4.13 inches), doesn't just look like the one Asus equips the premium Zenbook UX51VZ with - it also features the same outstanding usability. The low friction, velvety surface allows the fingers to glide smoothly and with aboveaverage precision. Multi-touch gestures, like pinch-zoom or scrolling with two fingers, work without a hitch. Instead of dedicated mouse buttons, the touchpad registers clicks in the lower corners of the surface area ("Clickpad"). The touchpad receives high marks due to its firm response and almost flawless execution.

and a very high build quality.

Only the underside is made from plastic.

The thickness of 2.2 centimeter...

ensures that the VivoBook is easy to transport. Keyboard Touchpad

T o u c h s c r e e n We admit that we already were skeptics before our review: how useful can a touchscreen on a normal notebook really be? Our hands-on experience confirmed that our doubts were not unfounded. While controlling the notebook via the touch of a finger is a lot of fun - especially since Windows 8 features a tile interface - we think that "standard" input devices nonetheless allow for higher productivity. Unlike a convertible or tablet, the S200E always has its keyboard and mouse

available - so the touch feature degrades to a mere (albeit interesting) gimmick. Of course, this is our personal opinion; some users might really like the touchscreen functionality. From a technical standpoint we don't have any reason to complain: the touchscreen is multi-touch capable and works precisely and without lag; the display also doesn't bounce a lot since the hinges are stiff enough to hold it securely.

Unfortunately, the display is too dark and very reflective...

to top

D i s p l a y
The display of the VivoBook measures 11.6 inches and is only marginally smaller than the panel the Dell XPS 12 comes with - but the pixel density is quite a bit lower (135 dpi vs. 176 dpi). Instead of Full HD, the S200E only supports 1366x768 pixels (WXGA), which leads to a smaller desktop workspace and less sharpness. The brightness is also nothing to get too excited about: we measured 197 cd/m with the LED backlight set to maximum brightness. The brightness is sometimes not sufficient indoors, when the room is brightly lit. The brightness distribution is also fairly uneven, although that's hardly noticeable during daily use.
197 cd/m 192 cd/m 194 cd/m 187 cd/m 216 cd/m 213 cd/m 185 cd/m 186 cd/m 204 cd/m

but it supports multitouch.

Windows 8 is designed for touch inputs.

Information

X-Rite i1Pro 2 Maximum: 216 cd/m Average: 197.1 cd/m Brightness Distribution: 86 % Center on Battery: 164 cd/m Black: 0.65 cd/m Contrast: 332:1 ICC File (X-Rite i1Pro 2)

The hinges are stiff enough to keep the display from moving too much.

Distribution of brightness As an entry-level system, our review model doesn't feature a high-end IPS display, but rather a simple TN panel (AUO B116XW03). Neither black point (0.65 cd/m) nor contrast (332:1) are very impressive, although the values are slightly better than what the competition offers for around the same price. The S200E is definitely not designed for graphic professionals or photographers - but we will take a look at the color gamut nonetheless. Adobe's sRGB is only covered to about 57 percent, which makes using an external monitor for programs like Photoshop almost a necessity.

The port selection doesn't offer a lot of highlights, ...

S200E vs. AdobeRGB (t)

S200E vs. sRGB (t)

S200E vs. Aspire One 756 S200E vs. ThinkPad Edge (t) E135 (t)

Low brightness (battery use: 164 cd/m) and a reflective display: outdoor use is just not a forte of the VivoBook. Reflections are visible all the time and make identifying the display content a hassle. Nonglare touchscreens are a rarity - but Asus should have used a panel with a stronger backlight and a brightness of at least 250 cd/m.
Outdoor use

but at least HDMI and USB 3.0 are included.

Because of the incorporated technology, the viewing angles of a TN panel are always more or less limited. Only when the display is viewed at a 90 degree angle, the colors and the contrast are accurate. Deviating from the ideal vertical position has immediate (and undesirable) results. Most tablets (and some high-end notebooks) feature IPS displays for that very reason.
Viewing angles Asus VivoBook S200E-CT182H

Keyboard and touchpad are quite impressive, ...

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to top

P e r f o r m a n c e
While the (also offered) Pentium 987 utilizes last year's Sandy Bridge architecture, our review model features the Core i3-3217U, which is part of Intel's Ivy Bridge lineup. The 1.8 GHz dual-core processor is a ULV model (TDP: only 17 Watts) and manufactured using the 22 nanometer process. Just like all Core i3 CPUs, the 3217 does not feature Turbo Boost but supports Hyperthreading. For additional details, please take a look at our CPU database.

System overview

The VivoBook does not come with a dedicated graphics card but relies on the integrated (DirectX 11 capable) Intel HD Graphics 4000 instead. Depending on workload, the GPU (which features 16 execution units) operates between 350 and 1050 MHz and reaches the performance levels of lowend dedicated graphic cards. Both the processor and the GPU share 4 GB of RAM. Unfortunately, Asus decided to only offer a single-channel interface and uses slower DDR3 1333 (667 MHz) RAM - a double limitation as far as the usable bandwidth is concerned. The hard drive has a capacity of 500 GB.

so the S200E offers some qualities normally reserved for business laptops.

Sharpness and graininess of the webcam are average.

We reviewed the S200E with both Pentium and Core i3 CPU.

System information Asus VivoBook S200E-CT182H P r o c e s s o r When Intel introduced the Ivy Bridge generation, most CPU models only saw a marginal increase in clock speed. The third generation Core i3-3217U, on the other hand, received a generous addition of 400 MHz. Since the performance per MHz has also increased by a bit, the new processor is about 30 percent more powerful than the previous model. The VivoBook S200E isn't able to take full advantage of the performance gain, since we observed throttling even though the CPU in question is of the low-voltage variety and doesn't consume a lot of power. We also saw the same behavior when we checked out a model with Pentium 987 - so we have to assume that this is not an isolated issue. During the Cinebench R11.5 , clock speed drops to 1.5 GHz after a fairly short amount of time - the result is a low score of 1.64 points. Additional benchmark tests, which utilize both cores, confirm the decreased performance. Single-thread tests (like SuperPi) are not affected. We'll take a look at the reasons for this reduction in the section on "Temperature".
Both models suffer from heavy throttling.

Cinebench Cinebench R11.5 R11.5

HD HDGraphics Graphics4000, 4000, 3217U, 3217U, Seagate Seagate Momentus MomentusThin Thin Asus VivoBook S200E-CT182H ST500LT0 ST500LT0 12-9WS142 12-9WS142 HD Graphics 4000, 3217U, Seagate Momentus Thin 1.64 Points Wortmann Wortmann Terra Terra 1450 1450II II 1.81 Points ST500LT0 12-9WS142 HD HDGraphics Graphics4000, 4000, 3217U, 3217U, Verbatim VerbatimBlackBox BlackBox47478 47478 Wortmann Terra128GB 1450 II 1.81 Points 128GB HD Graphics 4000, 3217U, Verbatim BlackBox 47478 CPU CPU Single Single64Bit 64Bit 128GB HD HDGraphics Graphics4000, 4000, 3217U, 3217U, Seagate Seagate Momentus MomentusThin Thin Asus VivoBook S200E-CT182H ST500LT0 ST500LT0 12-9WS142 12-9WS142 HD Graphics 4000, 3217U, Seagate Momentus Thin Wortmann Wortmann Terra Terra 1450 1450II II ST500LT0 12-9WS142 HD HDGraphics Graphics4000, 4000, 3217U, 3217U, Verbatim VerbatimBlackBox BlackBox47478 47478 128GB Wortmann Terra 1450 II HD Graphics 4000, 3217U, Verbatim BlackBox 47478 128GB

CPU CPUMulti Multi64Bit 64Bit Cinebench R11.5 Asus Asus VivoBook VivoBookS200E-CT182H S200E-CT182H CPU Multi 64Bit 1.64 1.64Points Points

The bottom is secured by several screws...

Asus Asus VivoBook VivoBookS200E-CT182H S200E-CT182H CPU Single0.76 64Bit 0.76 Points Points 0.76 Points 0.75 0.75Points Points 0.75 Points and can be removed completely.

CB10 Rendering Single 32Bit 2499 points CB10 Rendering Single 64Bit 3166 points CB10 Rendering Multi 32Bit 5323 points CB10 Rendering Multi 64Bit 6130 points CB10 OpenGL 32Bit CB10 OpenGL 64Bit CB R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit CB R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit 3913 points 3978 points 1.64 points 6.93 fps
Help

The RAM is soldered onto the motherboard.

... in comparison S t o r a g e D e v i c e s The low thickness of the chassis dictates the height of the hard drive 7 millimeter in this case. Asus uses a Seagate Momentus Thin (ST500LT012) with a capacity of 500 GB and a (sedate) rotational speed of 5400 RPM. Because of the fairly high data density, the sequential transfer rates are still quite acceptable. We recorded an average read speed of 92 MB/s - in the upper middle field of our database. The access time of 19 milliseconds could be a bit faster; for a significant performance enhancement, an SSD would be required. HD Tune CrystalDiskMark 3.0 Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT0 12-9WS142 Transfer Rate Minimum: 49.1 MB/s Transfer Rate Maximum: 117.6 MB/s Transfer Rate Average: 91.7 MB/s Access Time: 19 ms Burst Rate: 89.7 MB/s CPU Usage: 6.1 % S y s t e m P e r f o r m a n c e Because of the aforementioned CPU throttling, the VivoBook doesn't achieve its full potential and scores only 2081 points in the system benchmark test PCMark 7. Since the PCMark tests are influenced greatly by hard drive performance, the difference to some Ultrabooks has to be put in perspective: an upgrade with an SSD would significantly improve the performance of the little subnotebook. Since the S200E features a touchscreen, it can be viewed as an alternative to tablets. For that reason, we subjected the system to browser benchmark tests using the new Windows 8 home
The integrated battery lasts up to 5 hours. or the WLAN module can be swapped out.

The hard drive...

Transfer rates HD Tune

screen (formerly Metro UI). It's a given that the VivoBook can't compete with the Dell XPS 12 and its powerful i7 processor - but it easily outperforms the competition with ARM processors like the iPad 4. Especially the SunSpider Javascript benchmark attests the S200Es huge advantage (by a factor of four) - partially because of the new and faster Internet Explorer 10.

The bass output of the speakers is lacking.

Sunspider Sunspider
Asus Asus VivoBook VivoBookS200E-CT182H S200E-CT182H 220.1 220.1ms ms * * Sunspider HD HDGraphics Graphics4000, 4000, 3217U, 3217U, Seagate Seagate Momentus Momentus Thin Thin Asus VivoBook S200E-CT182H ST500LT0 ST500LT0 12-9WS142 12-9WS142 220.1 ms *
HD Graphics 4000, 3217U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT0 12-9WS142 Apple Apple iPad iPad4 4 895.3 895.3ms ms * * PowerVR PowerVRSGX554MP4, SGX554MP4, A6x, A6x, 32 32 GB GBSSD SSD

PowerVR SGX554MP4, A6x, Dell 32 GB SSD Dell XPS XPS 12 12 HD HDGraphics Graphics4000, 4000, 3667U, 3667U, Samsung Samsung SSD SSD830 830 Series Series Dell XPS 12 MZMPC256HBGJ-00000 MZMPC256HBGJ-00000 HD Graphics 4000, 3667U, Samsung SSD 830 Series MZMPC256HBGJ-00000

Apple iPad 4 895.3 ms * 128 128ms ms * * 128 ms *

Small, but sufficient: the 33 watt power supply.

* * ... ...smaller smaller is is better better * ... smaller is better 6.3 5.9 4.4 6 5.9

Windows 8 Experience Index Processor Calculations per second Memory (RAM) Memory operations per second Graphics Desktop performance for Windows Aero Gaming graphics 3D business and gaming graphics Primary hard disk Disk data transfer rate
PC Mark PCMark 7 2081 points

4.4
Help

Asus includes a cleaning cloth for the screen.

S i m i l a r

N o t e b o o k s

Laptops with the same GPU and/or Screen Size Review Gigabyte Padbook S1185 Convertible
Core i5 3337U, 1.4 kg

... in comparison G P U P e r f o r m a n c e While the throttling of the CPU isn't really noticeable during daily use, the performance of the Intel HD Graphics 4000 GPU does not even remotely reach the levels we normally see. We recorded only 293 points for 3DMark 11 and 830 points for the 3DMark Vantage benchmark (performance preset) about 50 to 70 percent below the values we have come to expect. The reason for the substantial difference is throttling yet again: the GPU doesn't even come close to approaching its maximum clock speed of 1050 Mhz. The net result is that the graphics performance of the GPU is even lower than the one of the predecessor HD Graphics 3000.

Review Panasonic Toughbook CF-AX2 Convertible

Core i5 3427U, 1.13 kg

Review Acer Aspire P3-1713322Y2G06as Convertible

Core i3 3229Y, 1.338 kg

Review Toshiba WT310 Tablet

Core i5 3339Y, 0.825 kg

3DMark 3DMark Vantage Vantage -- 1280x1024 1280x1024 P P GPU GPU no no PhysX PhysX
Asus Asus VivoBook VivoBookS200E-CT182H S200E-CT182H 659 659Points Points 3DMark Vantage - 1280x1024 P GPU no PhysX HD HDGraphics Graphics4000, 4000, 3217U, 3217U, Seagate Seagate Momentus Momentus Thin Thin Asus VivoBook S200E-CT182H ST500LT0 ST500LT0 12-9WS142 12-9WS142 659 Points 626 626Points Points 626 Points 1238 1238Points Points 1238 Points

Review Lenovo ThinkPad Helix 3G Convertible

Core i5 3317U, 1.67 kg

HD Graphics 4000, 3217U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT0 12-9WS142 Acer Acer Aspire AspireOne One 756 756NU.SH0EG.007 NU.SH0EG.007 HD Graphics 2000, 987, Seagate Momentus Thin Acer Aspire One 756 NU.SH0EG.007 ST320LT020-9YG142 ST320LT020-9YG142 HD Graphics 2000, 987, Seagate Momentus Thin ST320LT020-9YG142 Dell DellVostro Vostro2520 2520 HD HDGraphics Graphics3000, 3000, 2328M, 2328M, Seagate Seagate Momentus MomentusThin Thin Dell Vostro 2520 ST500LT0 ST500LT0 12-9WS142 12-9WS142 HD Graphics 3000, 2328M, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT0 12-9WS142

Review Toshiba Portg Z10t Convertible

Core i5 3339Y, 1.435 kg

Review HP EliteBook Revolve 810 Convertible

Core i5 3437U, 1.352 kg

R e l a t e d

A r t i c l e s

3D Mark

Asus announces availability of the VivoBook S500

News 03/12/2013

3DMark 06 1605 points 1280x1024 3DMark Vantage 830 points 3DMark 11 293 points
Help

L i n k s
Tips for buying a notebook notebookCHECK Purchase Recommendation Find the right notebok notebookCHECK Hardware Guide Display resolution compared - DPI (grain size) of Displays
Anno 2070: throttling and unacceptable frame rates ultra fps fps fps fps

... in comparison G a m i n g P e r f o r m a n c e The hamstrung GPU spells trouble for hardware intensive 3D games: even with details set to low, none of the titles we tested performed without noticeable lag. When we played Anno 2070 and Battlefield 3, the CPU frequency was throttled to 800 MHz and the GPU clock speed was down to a paltry 300 MHz. Our synopsis: it doesn't matter if it's the Pentium or the Core i3 CPU - the VivoBook is absolutely unsuitable for games.
Battlefield 3 (2011) Anno 2070 (2011) Diablo III (2012) Dishonored (2012) low 4.5 19.5 14.2 9.5 med. 8.5 high

Our test criteria Manufacturer's Information

P r i c e
Amazon.com

C o m p a r i s o n

$14.39 iTEKIRO Ultrabook AC Adapter Charger for Asus Vivobook Q200E Q200E-Bhi3t45 S200E S200E-Ct157h S200EE m i s s i o n s Ct158h S200E-Ct178h S200EEven though the fan is always active even when the system is not under load, the S200E has a lower Ct182h S200E-Rhi3t73 X201 noise level than most notebooks on the market. During office-type duties and during idle we X201E X201E-Dh01 X202 X202E X202E-Dh31t F201E F202E + measured about 32 dB (A) - more or less inaudible in most environments. iTEKIRO 10-in-1 USB Charging When we simulated load using 3DMark 06, the system noise increased to only 37 dB (A). Cable Compared to other subnotebooks, this is an excellent value and music to our ears. The fan noise is Pricerunner n.a. also even and unobtrusive. to top Noise Level
Idle HDD Load 32.1 / 32.4 / 32.4 dB(A) 32.1 dB(A) 36.5 / 36.5 dB(A) 30 dB 40 dB 50 dB silent audible loud min: , med: , max: Voltcraft SL 320 (15 cm distance) P r o + + + + + High quality chassis Very decent input devices Touchscreen Low noise Compact power adapter

C o n t r a

T e m p e r a t u r e Before we turn our attention to the aforementioned throttling, we are going to take a look at the temperature distribution. During normal use, the temperatures remain very well controlled and hardly exceed 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit). The notebook can be used on the lap without any issues.

- Throttling when running games and apps - Dark display - Limited expandability - No Bluetooth Stresstest

S h o r t c u t

When the CPU and GPU are under load, the system gets quite warm on the underside near the fan exhaust. Aside from that hot spot, the temperatures remain well within What we like limits - the VivoBook stays cooler than most competing systems. The extremely rigid aluminum The real culprit is hidden inside the chassis: during our stress test with Prime95 and FurMark, the chassis features very high build Core i3 exceeds temperatures of 80 degrees Celsius (176 degrees Fahrenheit) within a few quality and surpasses some seconds - and throttling starts at this point. After one hour we recorded temperatures of almost 100 Ultrabooks. The quality of the degrees Celsius (212 degrees Fahrenheit) - even though the processor and GPU are running at the input devices is also higher then very low clock speeds of 800 and 300 MHz, respectively. Our second review model with the Pentium average for this segment of the 987 didn't fare any better, which leads us to the conclusion that the cooling system is simply not up market. to the task. Unless Asus can increase the RPM of the system fan via a BIOS update, we would What we'd like to see expect even more severe issues during the warmer seasons. Aside from some minor flaws like the fairly dark display and the Max. Load pretty moderate viewing angle stability, our main issue is Idle throttling: when CPU and GPU are heavily utilized, the user has to accept a huge performance loss. What surprises us
Maximum: 40.6 C Average: 32.6 C Maximum: 50.6 C Average: 34.9 C

Power Supply (max.) 47.9 C | Room Temperature 22 C | Voltcraft IR-360 S p e a k e r s The underside of the notebook is home to two stereo speakers, which offer decent enough sound quality. Highs and mids are well presented and not distorted even at maximum volume level, while bass is lacking. However - we would recommend using headphones or a sound system (which can be connected via the headphone jack or HDMI). to top P o w e r C o n s u m p t i o n The S200E features one of the lowest power consumptions in its class: during idle, we measured 5.6 to 8.6 Watts. The configuration has been finely tuned and benefits from the efficiency of the Ivy Bridge platform.

The problems we discovered should have been apparent to the manufacturer as well. We hope that Asus is able to address the issue and improve the notebook via a BIOS update (higher fan RPM). The competition

Conceptually similar (but significantly more expensive) is the Dell XPS 12 Convertible. Alternatives without a touchscreen are subnotebooks The power consumption under load is also exceptionally low (20 Watts) - but the throttling and the like the Lenovo ThinkPad Edge mediocre performance make a comparison with competing systems next to impossible. We can E135, the Acer Aspire One 756, exclude the power adapter as a source of the problem: 33 Watts should definitely be sufficient. or the Sony Vaio SVE1111M1E/P. Power consumption
Off / Standby Idle Load Key: min: , med: , max: 0.2 / 0.3 Watt 5.6 / 8.3 / 8.6 Watt 17.3 / 20.7 Watt Voltcraft VC 940

B a t t e r y

L i f e

R a t i n g
Asus VivoBook S200E-CT182H 11/27/2012 v3
Till Schnborn

Asus uses a lithium-ion battery which is integrated into the system and features a capacity of 38 Wh. According to the manufacturer, a battery life of five hours should be possible - a claim we can confirm. When we ran our Battery Eater Readers Test (power-saver profile, minimum brightness, WLAN off), the notebook shut down after 5 hours and 17 minutes. This is the maximum possible run time the system is capable of. During our more realistic WLAN test (display brightness ~150 cd/m), the notebook lasted about 4 hours. Comparable subnotebooks, like the Acer Aspire One 756, have a similar battery life. Just like the power consumption, the battery life under load is not that meaningful in this case. If the processor was capable of performing to its full potential, the VivoBook would probably barely last 1 hour 30 minutes in our Battery Eater Classic Test (high-performance profile, maximum display brightness, WLAN turned on).
Maximum battery life (Readers Test) Minimum battery life (Classic Test) Charging

Workmanship Keyboard Mouse Connectivity Weight Battery Display Games Performance Application Performance Temperature Noise Impression Average

88% 84% 90% 68% 92% 87% 74% 54% 89% 81% 89% 60% 80%

82%
Subnotebook * Weighted Average Readers Test Classic Test Charging 5h 17min 3h 43min 2h 00min

Battery runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness) WiFi Surfing Load (maximum brightness)

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* Weighted Average Subnotebook: Workmanship 8%, Keyboard 10%, Mouse 10%, Connectivity 4%, Weight 16%, Battery 12%, Display 8%, Games Performance 2%, Application Performance 4%, Temperature 8%, Noise 8%, Impression 10%

V e r d i c t
The Asus VivoBook S200E looks very promising at first: a surprisingly upscale chassis, a decent port selection, and very good input devices - we wouldn't have expected that from a notebook costing 550 Euros (~$710). One of the interesting aspects of the S200E is the precise touchscreen, which is a very differentiating feature. How usable the

Asus VivoBook S200E

Asus VivoBook S200E screen is, is a different question: even though Windows 8 is optimized for touch inputs, we think that the traditional mouse and keyboard allow for higher productivity. Maybe a brighter and matte-type panel or a larger battery would have been a better choice than the touch screen.

While the above point might be a matter of personal preference, there is no question that the cooling capabilities of the VivoBooks are not even remotely adequate. Although the system features a ULV CPU, even regular applications cause throttling that can have quite an impact on performance in certain usage scenarios. When both the CPU and the graphics card are heavily used (gaming), the performance decreases to way below 50 percent. We hope that Asus is able to address this issue via a BIOS update. At the moment, we can only recommend the VivoBook for those users who really like the touch screen feature and don't plan on running any demanding (3D) applications. to top

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c o m m e n t s

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#11 Re: Review Asus VivoBook S200E Subnotebook ian, 07:01 24.10 Worst computer I've ever owed. Won't allow me to install Windows 7. Won't allow me to install iTunes. C an't even reformat it. OR install W8 updates. Pitiful.... read whole comment #10 Re: Review Asus VivoBook S200E Subnotebook C hristopher john, 18:33 13.10

I have intel celeron asus s200e, can i upgrade the processor to i3?... read whole comment #9 Re: Review Asus VivoBook S200E Subnotebook Abiola, 16:44 09.10

Whenever my Asus s200e power cord is plugged, the touch screen and pad doesn't work well.... read whole comment #8 Re: Review Asus VivoBook S200E Subnotebook user of asus laptop, 10:20 23.09

Just have to say one thing. It is not a quiet computer. (but perhaps I have been spoiled by getting used to my wife's mac book pro. It is not even comparable on the quietness scale.) The fan sounds like it is always on at "mid" speed (it would be nice if the fan could be on at "low" speed most of the time, and increases to mid and high when needed.) This is purely comment based on my experience, and perhaps it is on "low" speed... it just sounds like "mid" :)... read whole comment #7 Re: Review Asus VivoBook S200E Subnotebook Mac, 09:30 09.09

@muhdazman: the screen could be a bit small for MS-Word. GUI and Windows dock take some of the space living you with a small area.It can work as a mobile 2nd PC but for serious work perhaps consider the S300C A instead.... read whole comment #6 Re: Review Asus VivoBook S200E Subnotebook Andrew, 14:14 21.03

A quiet machine with an 11.6 screen,Music to my ears - I do what 99.99999999% of people do with these - Browse, documents, spreadsheets with some TV. I wish reviewers would stop harping on about how well this size of machine plays 3d games. My kids have access to an i7 with a 27" TFT and what do they play games on? Their X-box with the TV or nothing. In fact, game playing is fading (a staggering 28% down in 2012 c/f 2011 according to the FT) in favor of surfing, social networking, youtube and forums. 8)... read whole comment #5 Re: Review Asus VivoBook S200E Subnotebook MikeInC anada, 14:51 27.01

I have replaced the HDD with an SSD and it seems to perform very well. I upgraded to Win8 pro with the Media center in order to watch TV off our main windows Media C enter C omputer. It is mostly used for this and business applications and so far I am very happy with this as I treat it as a netbook replacement. I am finding the Touch Screen much more useful then I at first thought it would be. You can lay down with this on your stomach and use the touch screen where you cannot type in that position. The other thing I learned is that I type with my pinkies sticking out and they kept activating the touch screen and moving me out of the field I was typing in. I have to make sure I keep them in.It says that there is no turbo boost but loading C PU-Z the frequency varies from 800ghz to 1700ghz depending on the processing demands.... read whole comment #4 Re: Review Asus VivoBook S200E Subnotebook mmcpher, 21:16 26.01

Bought this for my daughet for C hristmas and we're very happy with it for the price and size. One issue is that it doesn't seem to be able to see and connect our wifi router on 5 GHz channels. ... read whole comment #3 Re: Review Asus VivoBook S200E Subnotebook Howard C unningham, 17:40 25.01

The thermal problem is a concern. Now in US, the S200E-RHI3T73 (motherboard HM70 vs HM76) is being sold. Does anyone have any updated data for this HM70 motherboard?... read whole comment #2 Re: Review Asus VivoBook S200E Subnotebook muhdazman, 15:28 11.01

Hello, does this variant computer can work well with Microsoft word... read whole comment #1 Re: Review Asus VivoBook S200E Subnotebook Touchpad is not centered for touch typing... read whole comment VerticalTakeoff, 02:19 20.12

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> Notebook / Laptop Reviews and News > Reviews > Archive of our own reviews > Review Asus VivoBook S200E Subnotebook Author: Till Schnborn, 2012-12-17 (Update: 2013-06- 6)

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