ASUS Vivobook 14" X1404VA-I712512 Quiet Blue

The ASUS Vivobook X1404VA-I712512 is a budget Windows laptop with a surprisingly powerful 13th Gen Core i7, 12GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD in a lightweight 1.40kg chassis. It's great for multitasking and productivity at the USD 400 end of its price range, but the dim 250-nit display, plasticky build, and missing backlit keyboard hold it back. Buy it for the processor, not the screen.

The Core i7-1355U is the star here. With 2 performance cores, 8 efficiency cores, and 12 threads, it boosts up to 5.0 GHz, which is frankly overkill for a laptop with this display. In our database, the CPU lands around the 45th percentile for this category, which sounds middling until you remember this is a budget chassis. For everyday multitasking, document editing, and even light photo work, it's snappy and responsive. The 12GB of RAM is a slightly unusual config, but it's enough for heavy browser sessions and multiple Office apps running side by side.

The integrated Intel UHD Graphics sits at the 31st percentile, which tells you everything you need to know. This is not a gaming laptop. The gaming score of 10.9 out of 100 is one of the weakest we've seen in this category. You can run older titles or 2D indie games at reduced settings, but anything modern will chug. The 512GB SSD is fine for a budget machine, though it lands at the 37th percentile for storage, so power users will fill it faster than they'd like.

One thing owners consistently mention is fast charging capability, which helps offset what several reviewers describe as pretty bad battery life. We don't have official battery numbers, but the sentiment is clear: keep the charger nearby.

Stacked against the Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 7, the Vivobook wins on raw CPU performance per dollar but loses badly on build quality and keyboard experience. The ThinkPad's keyboard is legendary, and it typically offers a brighter, more color-accurate panel. If you type all day, the ThinkPad is the safer bet. Against the Apple MacBook Air M4, there's no contest on display quality, battery life, or build, but the MacBook costs significantly more, so it's not a fair fight. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition also outclasses the Vivobook in screen and chassis, though again at a higher price.

The HP OmniBook X Flip 14 and Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro are both premium ultrabooks with OLED-class displays and far better portability features. The Vivobook's advantage is simple: it's cheap, and the i7 gives it more CPU headroom than you'd expect at this price. If your priority is processing power on a tight budget, the Vivobook makes sense. If you care about the screen you'll stare at for hours, every single competitor here beats it.

Here's where things get interesting. The Vivobook 14 is listed between USD 400 and USD 629 across US vendors, a spread of USD 229. At the low end, this is a genuinely compelling deal for an i7 machine. At the high end, you're creeping into territory where better displays and build quality start appearing. If you're shopping in the US, the best deal in our database is at the USD 400 listing, which makes the screen and plastic chassis much easier to forgive. In Europe, prices run EUR 793 to EUR 870, and in the UK it's GBP 693, which feels less like a bargain and more like a fair price for what you get. At those numbers, alternatives like the Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 7 start looking more attractive for build quality alone.

The ASUS Vivobook X1404VA-I712512 sits in that budget-to-midrange Windows laptop bracket, and on paper it's a bit of an odd duck. You get a 13th Gen Intel Core i7-1355U with 10 cores, 12GB of DDR4 RAM, and a 512GB NVMe SSD. That's a lot of processing muscle for a machine that regularly sells between USD 400 and USD 629 depending on the vendor. But then you look at the 14-inch 1080p display with 250 nits of brightness and a 45% NTSC color gamut, and you realize where the corners got cut.

So is the Vivobook 14 good for everyday use? For students, office work, and general multitasking, mostly yes. The i7 chews through browser tabs, spreadsheets, and video calls without breaking a sweat. But if you're hoping to edit photos, watch movies with rich colors, or do any gaming beyond the lightest indie titles, this screen and integrated Intel UHD Graphics will leave you wanting.

At 1.40kg, it's genuinely portable, and the 180-degree lay-flat hinge plus physical webcam shield are nice touches for a laptop in this price range. Just don't expect a premium feel. The chassis is plasticky, and there's no backlit keyboard, which stings a bit when you're typing in a dim lecture hall or on a late-night flight.

Skip the Vivobook 14 if you care about display quality, battery life, or build feel. Creative professionals who need accurate colors for photo or video editing will find the 45% NTSC panel unusable. Gamers should look elsewhere entirely, as the integrated graphics can't handle modern titles. If you type in low light, the missing backlit keyboard will drive you nuts. And if you're paying the higher end of the price range, around USD 629 or EUR 800-plus, you're better off with a Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 7 for build quality and keyboard, or stretching slightly for a Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition if the screen matters to you.

Should you buy the ASUS Vivobook X1404VA-I712512? If you can snag it at the USD 400 end of the price range and you need a lightweight Windows laptop for school, office work, or general productivity, yes. The i7 processor is genuinely fast, the SSD keeps things responsive, and the portability is real. Owners rate it 4.5 out of 5 stars across 221 reviews, and the recurring praise for price-to-performance is backed up by our data.

But if you're paying closer to USD 629, or if you're in Europe looking at EUR 800-plus, think twice. The display is the weak link. At 250 nits with a 45% NTSC color gamut, it's dim and washed out, and multiple owners specifically call out the narrow viewing angles. No backlit keyboard and a plasticky chassis round out the compromises. This is a laptop for people who prioritize processing power and portability over screen quality and premium feel. For everyone else, there are better-rounded options at similar prices.