ASUS Vivobook S 16 OLED (M5606) Review — sleek performer that doesn’t break the bank

The ASUS Vivobook S 16 OLED (M5606) offers an almost perfected blend of features to deliver maximum bang for buck. We’ve checked out its Intel counterpart the ASUS Vivobook S 16 OLED (S5606), and today we’re looking at the same stunning OLED display, premium ultra-thin and ultra-light design, but with the latest AMD Ryzen 7 8000 series chip under the hood. If you’re a student, young professional, or content creator on a budget, the Vivobook S 16 OLED delivers a compelling mix of power and style at a competitive price point.

ASUS Vivobook S 16 OLED — What’s Good?

Unassuming premium build

While we have checked out plenty of ASUS Vivobooks in the past, the uber-sleek design of this laptop blows all of them out of the water. The all-aluminum build puts some pricier competitors to shame, although a closer inspection may reveal certain cost-cutting measures like a lack of chamfering. With all that said, at this price point, the ASUS Vivobook S 16 OLED (M5606) does feel plenty premium. The ultralight 1.5kg weight and 13.9mm profile does help to further distance this laptop from its peers in this price segment, and I think anyone who is lucky enough to lift it will fall in love immediately with its sheer portability.

Stunning 16-inch screen

And if the numbers we mentioned earlier don’t impress you, well, just take into account that this is a 16-inch laptop. Not some dinky 14-inch laptop. And yes, we have here a 16-incher that doesn’t sacrifice on the quality of the panel for a larger size! The ASUS Vivobook S 16 OLED (M5606) boasts a gorgeous 16-inch 3.2K OLED display, delivering vibrant colors, deep blacks, and wide viewing angles. Whether you’re working on creative projects, watching movies, or browsing the web, the visuals are sure to impress. The 120Hz refresh rate ensures smooth scrolling and motion, making it ideal for multitasking and fast-paced content consumption.

The largest trackpad I have ever seen!

Speaking of scrolling, the ASUS Vivobook S 16 OLED (M5606) packs the largest trackpads I have ever seen in a laptop. This is of course possible due to the larger dimensions of its 16-inch design, but man, it’s really nice to use. It’s not as nice as the glass-covered trackpads featured by the costlier options in the market, but still, I have no complaints in terms of the quality of tracking and overall smoothness of the surface when you’re navigating around Windows.

Plenty of ports on the correct side!

There’s a right side pun to be made here, but I do not want to come across as a confusing. ASUS seems to have finally listened to its users and moved most of their ports to the left. The ASUS Vivobook S 16 OLED is perfect for right-handed users, unlike a lot of ASUS’ recent offerings. You also get more of them: a full-sized HDMI port, two USB 4.0 Gen 3 ports supporting both USB-PD and display output, a microSD card reader and two USB 3.0 ports make this quite a versatile companion for anything you might need to do on your laptop.

Powerful Ryzen performance

We have already ran the benchmarks for the AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS when we tested the ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED (UM3406), and the scores are similarly solid from this laptop. The ASUS Vivobook S 16 OLED (M5606) may deliver slightly better performance depending on the workload owing to its dual-fan design capable of tackling a 50W TDP, but that benefit will only be really noticeable when you’re running longer workloads. Short, bursty tasks, like what most of our daily computing generally consist of, will likely not reveal that much of a boost in terms of performance. The only drawback might be its non-upgradeable 16GB RAM, as the processor can definitely handle plenty of multitasking until the RAM becomes the limiting factor.

ASUS Vivobook S 16 OLED — What’s Not?

Nigh unnoticeable RGB lighting

In all their wisdom, ASUS decided to equip the ASUS Vivobook S 16 OLED with some of the weakest RGB keyboard backlighting I have ever seen in my career. It’s weak, colors aren’t as saturated as they should be, and it’s overall a disappointment for anyone expecting to see the RGB brilliance you have come to expect from the same company that makes blinged-out ROG gaming laptops and gear. ASUS could have saved a few bucks by just using white backlighting here, and given the premium aspirations of this laptop, might have been more fitting. With all that said, this is still a fantastic keyboard to type on, with silent yet tactile keystrokes to provide very positive feedback even when you’re typing up a storm.

Sacrificing battery life for the brilliant screen?

I have praised the ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED (UM3406) for its battery life, and also noted that the lower resolution screen may have helped out in that aspect. I think I might have been right, as I only managed to eke out a bit over 10 hours from the ASUS Vivobook S 16 OLED (M5606). With both sharing the same CPU and battery capacity, the only difference is the screen size and resolution. As expected, this fantastic, high-resolution 16-inch OLED panel does suck down a bit more power. I have to mention that 10 hours is still an excellent result in my book. I guess if you need more, you can drop the resolution and lower the brightness. Or just get the ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED.

ASUS Vivobook S 16 OLED (M5606) Specifications

ASUS Vivobook S 16 OLED (M5606) — should you buy this?

Overall, the ASUS Vivobook S 16 OLED (M5606) offers a compelling package for anyone seeking a feature-rich laptop that won’t break the bank. For just RM4,599, you’re getting an absolutely stunning 16-inch 3.2K 120Hz OLED display, capable Ryzen 7 8845HS processor, and stylish all-metal design. To really be nitpicking, there’s the lack of upgradeability to consider, mediocre speakers and the lackluster RGB. I would play the devil’s advocate by saying that 16GB RAM is plenty, you can (read: should) always use headphones and the RGB can be set to just plain white, but you will have to be the one to decide if the ASUS Vivobook S 16 OLED (M5606) is the right choice for you.

For more info about the ASUS Vivobook S 16 OLED: https://www.asus.com/my/laptops/for-home/vivobook/asus-vivobook-s-16-oled-m5606/

Should you think that you need more RAM, there’s an Intel-powered ASUS Vivobook S 16 OLED (S5606) for you with 32GB RAM, but that will cost you quite dearly. Or if you want more battery life and can live with a 2″ smaller display, the more premium ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED might be another really good option for you. The screen may not be as sharp, but you do get a more luxurious laptop with excellent superlinear speakers. And despite me saying that it’s more premium, the Zenbook is actually more affordable, at just RM4,299. Yes, ASUS has once again decided to shoot themselves in the foot when it comes to their product lineup, but that’s a topic for another day.

Help support us!

If you are interested in the ASUS Vivobook S 16 OLED (M5606) or 2024 Zenbook 14 OLED (UM3406), we would really appreciate if you purchase it via the links below. The affiliate links won’t cost you any extra, but it will be a great help to keep our lights on here at HelloExpress.

• Vivobook S 16 OLED (M5606) (Shopee): https://s.shopee.com.my/9pIe6DWQZM
• Zenbook 14 OLED (UM3406) (Lazada): https://s.lazada.com.my/s.jK26i?cc
• Zenbook 14 OLED (UM3406) (Shopee): https://s.shopee.com.my/40KLKIxORQ

ASUS Vivobook S 16 OLED (M5606)

8.5

The ASUS Vivobook S 16 OLED (M5606) offers a compelling package for anyone seeking a feature-rich laptop that won't break the bank.

What's Good?

• Unassuming premium build
• Stunning 16-inch screen
• The largest trackpad I have ever seen!
• Plenty of ports on the correct side!
• Powerful Ryzen performance

What's Not?

• Nigh unnoticeable RGB lighting
• Sacrificing battery life for the brilliant screen?