Home » ASUS VivoBook X407 and X507 Hands-on, First Impressions

ASUS VivoBook X407 and X507 Hands-on, First Impressions

Written By Zen Estacio
Published • March 5th, 2018
Hands-onLaptop
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ASUS launched two new budget-oriented notebooks today in the form of the VivoBook X407 and X507. These two new members of the VivoBook line sports 7th gen Intel Core processors and an HDD+SSD internal storage combo. The differences between the two are only minimal. We got to play with them a little bit during launch and here are our initial thoughts.

Note: The X507 on display during launch was only a dummy unit. Hence there might be some changes, even in construction, once retail units become available.

Before diving in further let’s take a look at the differences. First up, the obvious one, their sizes. As you might have guessed, the VivoBook X407 is the smaller of the two sporting a 14-inch body while the X507 is encased in a bigger 15-inch frame. Then we’ll also notice bits of changes in their design and I/O layout. Finally, while the two share almost the same specs all throughout, they will differ in processor or GPU. Surprisingly, the smaller X407 is the one packing more firepower.

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: X407

: X507

Alright then, let’s dive deeper. The X407 and X507 take a different design route from the usual VivoBooks we’ve seen in the past. They now feature a slightly elevated hinge-area with noticeably long separated hinges and a two-tone body finish. The keyboard deck of the two notebooks have a dotted aluminum finish while the rest of their bodies are brushed aluminum.

This is where the difference in design comes in. The X407 has your usual vertical brushed aluminum body finish while the X507 has a mix of both vertical and horizontal brushed aluminum lines. Both look elegant and premium but we like the design and looks of the X507 better.

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: X407 Keyboard

: X507 Keyboard

Moving on to their keyboard and trackpad. As usual, both notebooks are equipped with chiclet keyboards but in different layouts. Due to its smaller frame, the X407 uses a TKL (tenkeyless or without a NumPad) layout while the X507 uses the usual full keyboard layout but with a slimmer NumPad. Oddly enough, despite the similar keyboard build, the typing experience on both notebooks are different.

We find the keyboard of the X407 to have a slightly better overall typing experience. Its keys have adequate travel distance and tactile feedback. The X507, on the other hand, has really short travel distance and only slight tactile feedback. Although, the typing experience is still good despite the lack of deeper tactile bumps. Then again, this is a demo unit and hopefully, the retail ones will have the same structure as the X407.

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: X407 Trackpad

: X507 Trackpad

As for the trackpads, both notebooks use ClickPads with a smooth surface. Basically, users click anywhere on the pad with one finger to register a left click or click anywhere with two fingers to register a right click. Users can still click on the bottom part of the touchpad to register left and right clicks and the pads have dividers for easier distinction.

The X407 and X507 have relatively sturdy bodies, though, we noticed that the smaller X407 has a better build. Again, the X507 on the show floor was a demo unit so that might be the reason why it has a slightly less sturdier build. In any case, with the X407 we have minimal keyboard, body, and screen flex and solid hinges. Although, one-hand lifting of the lid is quite a challenge.

The same goes with the X507, it has sturdy hinges but is quite a challenge to open with one hand. While we can still consider the bigger notebook to have a solid build, it does have more keyboard and body flex than the smaller X407.

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: X407 Right Side

: X407 Left Side

I/O-wise, for the X407 we have a power input, microSD card reader, HDMI, USB 3.0 Type-A port, and a combo audio port on the left. Then a Kensington lock and a USB 2.0 Type-A port on the right. Port selection is quite lacking and disappointing. It’s also quite odd why ASUS opted to leave a huge space on the right side of the notebook instead of filling it in with a few more ports.

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: X507 Right Side

: X507 Left Side

The X507 has almost the same layout and selection except we get one extra USB 2.0 on the left. Again, ASUS left a huge unused space on the right side.

The X407 and X507 are certainly interesting contenders to the budget segment. While they don’t offer any serious firepower, they more than make-up for it with their elegant design, thin and light frame, and that HDD+SSD combo. Although the lack in port selections can be a turn off to some. The pair has a starting price tag of Php 27,995 and will first go on sale at Lazada on the third week of March and on authorized retailers on the second week of April.

ASUS VivoBook X407UB specs:
14.0-inch (16:9) LED backlit HD (1366×768) 60Hz Anti-Glare Panel with 45% NTSC
14.0-inch (16:9) LED backlit FHD (1920×1080) 60Hz Anti-Glare Panel with 45% NTSC
Intel® Core™ i3 6006U 2.0 GHz (3 M Cache) Processor
Intel® Core™ i3 7100U 2.4 GHz (3 M Cache) Processor
Intel® Core™ i5 7200U 2.5 GHz (3 M Cache, up to 3.1 GHz) Processor
Intel® Core™ i7 7500U 2.7 GHz (4 M Cache, up to 3.5 GHz) Processor
Integrated Intel HD Graphics 520
Integrated Intel HD Graphics 620
NVIDIA MX110, with 2GB GDDR5 VRAM
500GB 5400RPM SATA HDD
1TB 5400RPM SATA HDD
128GB/256GB SATA3 SSD
Windows 10 Pro
Windows 10 Home
VGA Web Camera
Integrated 802.11b/g/n
Integrated 802.11 AC
Bluetooth V4.1
1 x COMBO audio jack
1 x Type A USB3.0 (USB3.1 GEN1)
1 x USB 2.0 port(s)
1 x HDMI
1 x micro SD card
1 x Kensington Lock
Built-in Stereo 2 W Speakers And Microphone
3 Cells 33 Whrs Battery
328 x 246 x 21.9 mm
1.5 kg with Battery

ASUS VivoBook X507 specs:
15.6-inch (16:9) LED backlit HD (1366×768) 60Hz Anti-Glare Panel with 45% NTSC
15.6-inch (16:9) LED backlit FHD (1920×1080) 60Hz Anti-Glare Panel with 45% NTSC
15.6-inch (16:9) LED backlit FHD (1920×1080) 60Hz Anti-Glare Panel with 45% NTSC with 178? wide-viewing angle display
Intel® Core™ i3 6006U Processor,
Intel® Core™ i5 7200U Processor,
Intel® Core™ i7 7500U Processor,
DDR4 2400MHz SDRAM, 1 x SO-DIMM socket , up to 8 GB SDRAM
Integrated Intel HD Graphics 520
Integrated Intel HD Graphics 620
500GB 5400RPM SATA HDD
1TB 5400RPM SATA HDD
128GB SATA3 SSD
256GB SATA3 SSD
VGA Web Camera
Integrated 802.11b/g/n
Integrated 802.11 AC (2×2)
Bluetooth V4.2
1 x COMBO audio jack
1 x Type A USB3.0 (USB3.1 GEN1)
2 x USB 2.0 port(s)
1 x HDMI
1 x microSD Reader
1 x Kensington Lock
Built-in Stereo 2 W Speakers And Microphone
3 Cells 33 Whrs Battery
365 x 266 x 21.9 mm
1.68 kg

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Zen Estacio

Zen Estacio is a Multimedia Producer for YugaTech. He is the team's laptop guru and one of their resident gamers. He has a monthly column compiling the latest and greatest the Nintendo Switch has to offer. Aside from that, he regularly writes gaming news, reviews, and impressions. You can hit him up at @papanZEN