Pros Inexpensive for a full Windows 11 PCDecent chassis build quality for the priceLong battery life Cons Dim, grim screenOutdated processorKeyboard is uncomfortable and not backlitSupports Wi-Fi 5, not Wi-Fi 6, 6E, or 7Poor speakers Asus Vivobook Go 15 (E1504FA-AS54) Specs Boot Drive Capacity (as Tested) 512 Boot Drive Type SSD Class Budget Dimensions (HWD) 0.70 by 14.19 by 9.15 inches Graphics Processor AMD Radeon 610M Graphics Native Display Resolution 1920 by 1080 Operating System Windows 11 Home Panel Technology TN Processor AMD Ryzen 5 7520U Processor Speed 2.8 RAM (as Tested) 8 Screen Refresh Rate 60 Screen Size 15.6 Tested Battery Life (Hours:Minutes) 13:27 Variable Refresh Support None Weight 3.59 Wireless Networking 802.11ac Wireless Networking Bluetooth 5.1 All Specs Table of ContentsDesign: Budget With a Touch of ClassFeatures: Affordability Comes With SacrificesPerformance Tests: This Might Take a WhileProductivity and Content Creation TestsGaming and Graphics TestsBattery Life and Display Tests The ideal budget laptop blends everyday usability, reliable performance, and a touch of creature comfort. Essentially, it should be functional without leading to buyer's remorse for not spending more. The Asus Vivobook Go 15 (in the model E1504FA-AS54 we tested) looks promising on paper, with a full-featured Windows OS—not the limited Windows in S Mode—and a super-low starting price of $299 for a base model (and $382 in our test configuration). Unfortunately, outdated hardware and significant usability issues make it difficult to recommend even for basic use. For better value, consider any pick in our budget laptop roundup, or explore Chromebook options if you can forgo Windows.Design: Budget With a Touch of ClassThe Vivobook Go 15's silvery exterior lends it a stylish appearance that belies its economical price. The sturdy plastic exhibits minimal flex, even when I unwisely lifted it by a corner. Although the lid displays a bit more flex, it remains within acceptable limits. The somewhat ostentatious Vivobook badge on the lid doesn't detract from its overall classy look.(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)Measuring 0.7 by 14.2 by 9.2 inches, the Vivobook Go 15 shares similar dimensions with the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i 15 and is fairly light for a 15.6-inch laptop at 3.6 pounds. Although its screen bezels could be slimmer, the laptop is sleek enough for its price.(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)The port selection includes two USB Type-A ports, one USB Type-C port, an HDMI monitor output, and a 3.5mm audio jack. Notably, one of the Type-A ports is the antique USB 2.0 and the HDMI port is limited to version 1.4, resulting in a flickery 30 instead of 60 frames per second for 4K output. The power adapter relies on a traditional barrel-style connector instead of USB-C.(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)My $382 review model combines a six-core AMD Ryzen 5 7520U processor, AMD Radeon 610M integrated graphics, 8GB of RAM, and a 512GB solid-state drive. Despite its contemporary name, the processor is a relic, built on AMD's "Zen 2" architecture that debuted in 2019. This model's performance is also hindered by its 8GB of non-upgradable, soldered memory. The inclusion of Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 4.2 further underscores the rather retro nature of this notebook.(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)Asus backs the Vivobook Go 15 with a one-year warranty. The laptop comes with minimal preinstalled software. The MyAsus app features system updates, diagnostics, and customer support access. Device settings include a battery-care mode that limits the charge to 80% and a blue-light filter for the display. Additionally, there's a whisper mode that reduces performance to lower fan noise, although I didn't find the normal fan noise to be intrusive. The laptop rarely became more than lukewarm to the touch.Features: Affordability Comes With SacrificesIf you're comparing the Vivobook Go 15 to a more premium (or even slightly less thrifty) laptop, two things will be obvious. First, the keyboard experience is subpar—it doesn't have backlighting and offers insufficient cushioning, leading to a harsh and tiring typing experience. Despite this, I managed to reach near my top speed in the MonkeyType online typing test, achieving 117 words per minute with 99% accuracy. Additionally, the keyboard has layout inefficiencies, offering no dedicated Home, End, Page Up, and Page Down keys and using a nonstandard three-column number pad. At least it provides a Function Lock feature to make the F1 through F12 keys primary.(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)The other significant issue is the screen. On paper, it doesn't seem too bad, with 1,920-by-1,080-pixel resolution instead of chintzy 1,366-by-768 and an antiglare surface. However, one glance at the washed-out picture is enough to cause instant regret. Apparently, old TN-style panels haven't been completely phased out; you must view this display head-on, or the colors invert and the screen becomes unusable, which is a shame since the lid can be opened 180 degrees. Colors appear dull and unnatural—red, for instance, looks more like orange—while low peak brightness only compounds the poor quality.(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)One minor upside is the webcam above the display, which provides decent picture quality despite its 720p resolution and includes a sliding privacy shutter. It doesn't support Windows Hello face recognition, but biometric features aren't expected at this price. The touchpad is average-sized and unremarkable. The speakers are subpar; when I played Kelly Clarkson's "Catch My Breath," the bass notes were flat, and the vocals sounded tinny.(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)While the Vivobook felt responsive enough when typing this review, watching YouTube videos, and web surfing, the next section will reveal that its performance is only adequate for such undemanding activities. The 8GB of RAM, which as I noted isn't upgradable, limits its multitasking capabilities. It's fine for emailing and basic browsing, but don't leave dozens of tabs open.Performance Tests: This Might Take a WhileTo recap, I reviewed the $382 Asus Vivobook Go 15 model E1504FA-AS54, which features an AMD Ryzen 5 7520U processor (six cores, up to 4.3GHz boost), Radeon 610M integrated graphics, 8GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. Asus also offers an even more affordable model, the E1504FA-AS33, which comes with a Ryzen 3 7320U chip and 128GB of storage, priced at $299.Recommended by Our EditorsWe haven't tested many ultra-budget laptops like this one recently. However, several of our comparison systems are similarly priced in their baseline configurations. These include the Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 (model 7445; starts at $499 as of this writing), the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i 15 (starts at $429) and IdeaPad Flex 5 14 Gen 7 (starts at $634). Note the models we tested are not the baseline versions. I included the slightly pricier Acer Aspire Vero to fill out the charts, which was $750 as tested.Productivity and Content Creation TestsOur primary overall benchmark, UL's PCMark 10, puts a system through its paces in productivity apps ranging from web browsing to word processing and spreadsheet work. Its Full System Drive subtest measures a PC's storage throughput. Two more tests are CPU-centric or processor-intensive: Primate Labs' Geekbench 6.3 Pro simulates popular apps ranging from PDF rendering and speech recognition to machine learning, and we see how long it takes the video transcoder HandBrake 1.8 to convert a 12-minute clip from 4K to 1080p resolution. We normally run a third processing test, Maxon's image-rendering Cinebench 2024, and an automated Adobe Photoshop workflow, PugetBench for Creators. But the Vivobook Go 15 couldn't complete those benchmarks due to its lack of RAM.The Asus and IdeaPad Flex 5 delivered similar performance in PCMark 10, barely reaching the 4,000 points that we consider decent for everyday use with apps like Microsoft Word and PowerPoint. This is partly because their 8GB of memory is today's barest minimum for multitasking; you want 16GB if possible for a Windows PC nowadays. Additionally, the weakness of the Asus' outdated Ryzen 5 CPU is highlighted in Geekbench, where it fell well behind even the Core i3-powered IdeaPad Flex 5.Gaming and Graphics TestsWe challenge each reviewed system’s graphics with a quartet of animations or gaming simulations from UL's 3DMark test suite. Wild Life (1440p) and Wild Life Extreme (4K) use the Vulkan graphics API to measure GPU speeds. Steel Nomad's regular (4K) and Light (1440p) subtests focus on APIs more commonly used for game development, like Metal and DirectX 12, to assess gaming geometry and particle effects. A fifth test, Solar Bay, emphasizes ray-tracing performance using Vulkan or Metal APIs at 1440p resolution.The Vivobook's aging CPU and integrated Radeon graphics didn't help it in our 3D tests, where it performed well behind the other units. Due to its minimal memory, it couldn't complete the 3DMark Steel Nomad test. As mentioned earlier, this laptop is strictly suited for basic tasks—nothing more.Battery Life and Display TestsWe test each laptop's battery life by playing a locally stored 720p video file (the open-source Blender movie Tears of Steel) with display brightness at 50% and audio volume at 100%. We ensure the battery is fully charged, with Wi-Fi and keyboard backlighting turned off, before the test.To gauge display performance, we also use a Datacolor SpyderX Elite monitor calibration sensor and its Windows software to measure a laptop screen's color saturation—what percentage of the sRGB, Adobe RGB, and DCI-P3 color gamuts or palettes the display can show—and its 50% and peak brightness in nits (candelas per square meter).The Asus performed quite well in battery life, having enough power to last a typical workday. However, its screen quality is down there with other barest-budget laptops, covering only 67% of the sRGB color gamut and maxing out at just 270 nits of brightness. The IdeaPad Slim 3i has similar color coverage but is much brighter. Additionally, the Asus suffers from poor viewing angles due to its TN screen, an issue not captured in our measurements.