Review Summary
Expert Rating
ASUS’s Vivobook S-series has always targeted that sweet spot where price, build, and performance intersect. The Vivobook S14 S3407VA shows just how far that formula has evolved: a 13th-Gen Core i5-13420H in a 1.39 kg, MIL-STD-810H-tested chassis, dual USB-C ports that now handle both DisplayPort and Power Delivery, a 70Whr battery, and a 14-inch WUXGA display that favours practical 16:10 real estate over headline-grabbing OLED bravado.
The matte-grey model sells for Rs 67,990 on ASUS’s Indian web store, which is significantly under the Zenbook price while offering many of the same conveniences.
Inside you’ll find 16GB of DDR5-5600 memory (8GB soldered, 8GB in a SO-DIMM), a 512GB PCIe 4.0 SSD, and Intel UHD graphics. Those may read like mid-tier specs, yet the numbers ASUS squeezes out of them tell another story, which I will elaborate on in the performance section. However, first, let’s discuss the design and construction.
Design & Build Quality
Minimalist grey plastic doesn’t usually scream “durable,” but here it genuinely is. A reinforced internal frame, plus a lid and base moulded from thick polycarbonate, helps the S14 meet MIL-STD 810H shock, vibration, altitude, and thermal tests. Torquing the open display shows only faint ripples, and the keyboard deck refuses to trampoline under heavy typing.
The refreshed hinge folds completely flat to 180 degrees, and it’s perfectly balanced for one-finger opening while also reducing screen wobble when you hit a key.
At 15.9mm closed and 1.39kg on a travel scale, the notebook slides next to textbooks without dragging your shoulder. The 65W barrel charger is still included, but both USB-C ports now accept 45W-plus PD bricks. So most people can carry a single GaN cube for their phone, tablet, and laptop.
Display
The 14-inch, 1920×1200 IPS panel delivers a crisp 162ppi pixel density and a welcome 16:10 aspect ratio, which provides more vertical space, making it convenient for reading or coding. The display features a matte anti-glare finish that should improve legibility in brightly lit environments. Further, it should be noted that at 300 nits, brightness is merely decent, but remains readable indoors.
Display colour coverage is sufficient for Instagram content and light photo editing, although serious print professionals will still opt for a calibrated external monitor. Contrast hovers at 1,000:1, and the 60Hz refresh gets the job done.
Ports & Connectivity
On the left side of the laptop is a single USB 2.0 Type-A port, which might be handy for a wireless mouse dongle. The right edge clusters two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports (5 Gbps), two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C ports that both carry 5 Gbps data, DisplayPort video, and Power Delivery charging, plus a full-size HDMI 1.4 connector and a 3.5mm headset jack.
Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth v5.3 come via Intel’s AX211 card. In our testing, standing about three metres from a Wi-Fi 6E router, the laptop maintained 1.2Gbps downstream. The only sacrifice is any sort of card reader or RJ-45 ethernet port, so photographers and wired-network die-hards will need to carry a dongle which can be a bit annoying.
Keyboard & Touchpad
ASUS’s ErgoSense back-lit keyboard fills the chassis from edge to edge. Every key enjoys full desktop spacing, 1.4mm of satisfying travel, and a soft, quiet landing. It is ideal for lecture halls or professional office work. Tri-level white back-lighting looks even, and the new Copilot key summons Microsoft’s AI helper instantly.
The precision touch-pad (129mm×75mm) hides beneath a Mylar surface that approaches glass smoothness. It tracks four-finger gestures flawlessly, and its integrated buttons offer a satisfying ‘thunk’ instead of ‘clack’. Additionally, palm rejection showed zero false inputs during a three-hour Google Docs session.
CPU & Overall Performance
Moving on to the performance, Intel’s Core i5-13420H features four P-cores and eight E-cores (12 threads) in a laptop that is scarcely heavier than many U-series machines. Bursts reach 4.6GHz before the cooler stabilizes the chip, operating at around 28W for sustained workloads.
Real-world usage is excellent. Windows 11 reaches the desktop in ~10 seconds, and heavy multitasking with VS Code, Slack, Spotify, and 20 Chrome tabs—barely nudges CPU utilisation past 25 percent.
In our synthetic tests, the Intel Core i5-13420H scores 9,870 points in Cinebench R23 multicore and 1,657 in single-core. Cinebench 2024 reports 546 points for multicore and 97 for single-core. Geekbench 6 returns 8,960 multicore and 2,291 single-core. PCMark 10 produces an overall result of 5,452 points, broken down into 10,287 for essentials, 6,960 for productivity, and 6,145 for digital-content creation. PCMark 10 Extended records 4,790 points, which includes a 2,841-point gaming component, reflecting the performance you can expect from the built-in graphics.
In terms of storage, the Western Digital SN560 PCIe 4.0 SSD glides though test. CrystalDiskMark shows sequential reads of 6,329 MB/s and writes of 4,382 MB/s. Even random 4K reads hit 542 MB/s, so large projects open instantly, and system resumes feel near-instantaneous.
Graphics and GPU
Intel’s refreshed UHD iGPU — still an 80-EU design clocked to roughly 1.4GHz — is nobody’s idea of a ray-tracing powerhouse, yet the numbers show it punches a notch higher than the previous Iris Xe generation for light workloads and older titles.
3DMark’s synthetic suite tells the tale. Time Spy posts 1,174 points with a 1,021-point graphics sub-score, Fire Strike clocks 3,373 (graphics 3,553), and the more forgiving Night Raid test leaps to 14,409.
Even the brutal Time Spy Extreme returns 540 points, confirming that bandwidth from the dual-channel DDR5-5600 memory is being used efficiently. In the compute arena, Geekbench 6 records 9,598 (OpenCL) and 11,915 (Vulkan), both about 30 percent ahead of UHD Graphics 620 laptops from just a few years ago.
Real-world results track those synthetics. A five-pass Grand Theft Auto V built-in benchmark at 1920×1200p with the game’s “normal-to-high” preset and FXAA enabled averages 40 fps, with lows never dipping into slideshow territory and highs touching the mid-40s.
Frame-time traces show that more than 98 percent of frames arrive within the 33ms window required for smooth 30fps playback, and the GPU remains pegged at 98–99 percent utilization while the CPU hovers in the mid-70°C range, indicating that the cooling system maintains a steady frequency.
Esports gaming scores are even more encouraging. Valorant at 1080p medium settings sails well above 60fps, and Rocket League at the high preset holds the mid-50s without stutters. Newer AAA releases will still demand 720p and low settings, but casual and retro libraries—or Steam Deck–class indies run just fine.
Thermal behaviour during these sessions mirrors the CPU-only stress tests. Combined with the FHD IR webcam and dual AI-noise-cancelling mics, that makes the Vivobook perfectly comfortable for an impromptu co-op session or a Teams call immediately after.
In short, integrated graphics remain the gating factor for blockbuster games. Yet, the S14 handles older titles and GPU-assisted creative chores better than the name “UHD” might suggest, all while staying cool and quiet enough for use in a library.
Audio & Webcam
Down-firing stereo speakers produce a decent sound at head height. Dialogue is crisp, treble restrained, bass faint, which is all fine for YouTube but less so for a bass-heavy playlist.
The 1080p IR webcam, however, is a highlight: detail is noticeably sharper than 720p cams and Windows Hello unlocks in a blink, even in café lighting. A physical shutter blocks the lens when privacy matters. Dual mics, helped by ASUS’s AI noise-cancel routine, kept clatter and chatter out of Teams calls.
Security extras include firmware TPM, BIOS password options, and a one-year McAfee LiveSafe licence.
Battery Life & Charging
A 70Whr pack dramatically extends unplugged time. PCMark 10’s video rundown lasted 10hr 55 min. In a mixed eight-hour workday with Chrome, VS Code, Slack, 250-nit screen brightness, the Vivobook still showed ~18 % left by clock-out. Expect 9–10 hours of real “knowledge-worker” use, pushing 11 hours if you dial brightness to airport-lounge levels.
Either USB-C port or the barrel plug fills the battery from 10% to 100% in about 95 min with the bundled 65 W adapter. A third-party 60 W PD brick trails by only a few minutes.
Final Verdict
The 2025 Vivobook S 14 S3407VA doesn’t try to dazzle with flashy RGB lids or eye-popping OLED panels. Instead, it focuses on getting the essentials right for the majority of mobile users. Its roomy 16:10 matte display remains readable even under harsh lighting, while the comfortable keyboard and responsive touchpad are ideal for long writing or coding sessions. Backed by H-series Intel performance, it delivers impressive power for its light 1.39 kg build, all while staying cool and quiet. ASUS has also addressed past complaints by offering true USB-C Power Delivery on both Type-C ports, and the generous 70Whr battery ensures genuinely all-day usage. The laptop is built to withstand tough conditions, meeting MIL-STD 810H standards, and features a 180-degree hinge that makes it ideal for collaborative work without requiring delicate handling. At a street price under ₹70,000, it’s a well-rounded package that still leaves room in your budget for accessories or an extended warranty.
That said, there are a few trade-offs. The IPS panel’s limited colour gamut may not satisfy creative professionals, the lack of a card reader can be inconvenient for photographers, and the integrated graphics are best suited for casual gaming, not AAA titles.
Yet for students, consultants, devs, and frequent fliers who care more about battery endurance, strong typing ergonomics, and dependable performance than about OLED pizzazz, the Vivobook S 14 is easy to recommend.
Fill in those benchmark, gaming, and battery figures, and you may discover that ASUS has quietly delivered one of 2025’s most balanced ultraportables—one that proves sensible can still be exciting when the details line up.
Editor’s Rating: 8.5 / 10
Pros
- Durable MIL‑STD 810H certified build
- Impressive 70Whr battery
- Dual USB‑C with Power Delivery support
- Responsive H‑series processor for impressive performance
Cons
- No built‑in card reader slot
- Memory partially soldered, constraining upgrades