Asus Vivobook S500CA

JuanJose

Hi folks,

looking to replace a Compaq laptop which has stood the test of time since 2005(!).

This one has caught my eye here, an Asus Vivobook Touchscreen available for €749;

Intel i5-3317u (1.7GHz (2.6GHz Turbo), 3MB (IS) Cache).
RAM DDR3 1600MHZ & 4GB.
HDD 500GB + SSD of 24GB.
Graphics Card Intel HD Graphics 4000
Screen 15.6" 1366 x 768
Intel® HM76 Express Chipset

Solid State Drives are a new concept to me so am I likely to get bang for my buck with a 24GB SSD or is the inclusion of it in this ASUS a token gesture?

Opinions/thoughts appreciated!

Torqay

JuanJose wrote: »

Solid State Drives are a new concept to me so am I likely to get bang for my buck with a 24GB SSD or is the inclusion of it in this ASUS a token gesture?

Unfortunately, you're not getting a solid state drive, only the "illusion".

It's called "hybrid storage" where the solid state part serves as an express cache. I'm not much of a fan of hybrid storage, especially not in notebooks, because it's still a conventional platter hard drive, the part in a laptop most prone to accidental damage. If you want the robustness and the full speed, replace it with a real SSD, you'll get a decent 128 GB SSD for less than €100.

750 yoyos is an OK price though, considering the "ultrabook premium" and the multi-touch display (which according to this review, is rather mediocre).

JuanJose

Torqay wrote: »

Unfortunately, you're not getting a solid state drive, only the "illusion".

It's called "hybrid storage" where the solid state part serves as an express cache. I'm not much of a fan of hybrid storage, especially not in notebooks, because it's still a conventional platter hard drive, the part in a laptop most prone to accidental damage. If you want the robustness and the full speed, replace it with a real SSD, you'll get a decent 128 GB SSD for less than €100.

Argh, I was afraid of that. Too good to be true :rolleyes:

Cheers for the link to the review. Hadn't seen it.

My budget won't reach to a "full-on" SSD. So you'd suggest buying a laptop with a traditional drive & buying an external SSD then maybe?

Torqay

JuanJose wrote: »

My budget won't reach to a "full-on" SSD.

Well, there is hope. If you can do without a touchscreen, have a look at the PCS UltraNote 15.6". In the following configuration, it will cost just about the same as the VivoBook S400:



For £665/€763 you'll get a full HD IPS display, the laptop is very slim and not too heavy (just over 2 kg). Included in this price is the delivery to Spain, their standard 3 year warranty and a OS installation DVD. If you already have an operating system, you can order it without Windows and save €100.

JuanJose wrote: »

buying an external SSD then maybe?

No, you buy an internal SSD and replace the original HDD of your purchase which you then put it into a 2.5" enclosure.

Merl1n

id stay away from asus
I have had the joy of using there warranty and it saying its bad is an understatement
Toshiba and HP are the way to go

JuanJose

Torqay wrote: »

Well, there is hope. If you can do without a touchscreen, have a look at the PCS UltraNote 15.6". In the following configuration, it will cost just about the same as the VivoBook S400:

For £665/€763 you'll get a full HD IPS display, the laptop is very slim and not too heavy (just over 2 kg). Included in this price is the delivery to Spain, their standard 3 year warranty and a OS installation DVD. If you already have an operating system, you can order it without Windows and save €100.

Now that looks a better option for deffo.

Torqay wrote: »

No, you buy an internal SSD and replace the original HDD of your purchase which you then put it into a 2.5" enclosure.

Gotcha! Thanks for the info. Top man!