ASUS VivoBook Flip 14" J401 2020

A sleek-looking 2-in-1 that's all show and no go. The glacial performance and cramped storage make it a tough sell at any price.

What surprised us most, and not in a good way, is just how limiting the 64GB eMMC storage is. It sits in the 5th percentile of our database, which is one of the worst we've seen. After Windows 10 and a few essential apps, you'll have almost no room for your own files. The Celeron N4020 and 4GB of RAM are also deep in the bottom percentiles, meaning every click can feel like a waiting game. The 14-inch 720p display is a real letdown too, landing in the 1st percentile for screen quality. It's dim and lacks sharpness, making the touchscreen feel like a feature you won't enjoy using.

The VivoBook Flip J401 is in a completely different universe than its listed competitors like the Apple MacBook Pro or Samsung Galaxy Book4. A more realistic rival is a used Lenovo ThinkPad or Dell Latitude from a few years ago. For the same price as this ASUS, you can get a refurbished laptop with a proper Intel Core i5, 8GB of RAM, a 1080p screen, and a real SSD. The performance difference would be night and day. Even a budget Chromebook would feel snappier and have a better screen for basic web tasks.

Pricing for this model is all over the map, ranging from $210 to a completely absurd $70,313 from different sellers. At the low end, around $210, you're getting what you pay for: a very basic machine for simple tasks. But you absolutely must buy from a seller pricing it realistically. Spending anything over $250 on this hardware is a mistake, especially when you can find used business-class laptops with far more power for the same money.

The ASUS VivoBook Flip J401 is a laptop that looks the part but stumbles hard where it counts. It's a slim, lightweight 2-in-1 with a touchscreen, which sounds great on paper for students or anyone wanting a basic convertible. But the specs inside tell a different story. This thing is powered by an Intel Celeron N4020 and just 4GB of RAM, a combination that struggles with modern web browsing, let alone multitasking. The one thing to know is that this laptop is built for a very specific, very light workload, and stepping outside of that will be a frustrating experience.

If you're looking for a responsive machine for multitasking, schoolwork, or anything beyond a single lightweight task, this isn't it. Go get a refurbished Lenovo ThinkPad or Dell Latitude with an 8th-gen or newer Core i5 instead. You'll get a vastly better screen, faster performance, and actual upgradeability for the same price.

We can't recommend the ASUS VivoBook Flip J401 for almost anyone. The slim design and 2-in-1 flexibility are completely overshadowed by performance that feels outdated the moment you turn it on. The tiny, slow storage and weak processor make it a chore to use for anything beyond a single browser tab or a basic document. If you absolutely need a cheap Windows convertible and find this for under $200, it might serve as a digital notebook. For everyone else, skip it and buy a used business laptop or a Chromebook.