I recently got the glitter in my hands Asus Expertbook B1500a really interesting laptop that I can’t wait to tell you in detail during this long review.
After some time spent with this trusty travel companiononly now I feel ready to tell you what I think. Therefore, without further delay buckle up and let’s kick off this review!
Asus Expertbook B1500, our review
Before starting to tell you about my experience of use, I want to carve out a small space to introduce you to today’s product. Asus Expertbook B1500 is a latest generation laptop designed for a business environment.
Asus itself suggests that it is a product made for long-term use thanks to several factors that we will analyze thoroughly in the course of the review, this Asus Expertbook B1500 has more than a few tricks up its sleeve to win over your target audience!
Unboxing and features
The packaging in which this laptop is presented is the classic Asus box. The whole results diligently packed and inserted in order to take away as little space as possible and reduce waste. Below is a list of the contents of the package:
- 1x Asus Expertbook B1500
- 1x official charger
- 1x additional disc slot
- 1x manuals
Now it’s time to introduce you to our protagonist – our unit holds a processor Intel Core i5-1135G7 (therefore of the eleventh generation) 2.4 GHz and 8M Cache which can reach 4.2GHz.
We then have 8 GB of Ram, strictly DDR4 (everything is expandable up to 48GB), and a 512GB SSD. As for the video card we find an Intel Iris Xe Graphics, and there is a 720p camera. We come now to the doors, because I want to tell you right away, here is one of the strengths of this terminal:
- 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C connector for display / power
- 3 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A
- 1 x HDMI 1.4
- 1 x VGA Port (D-Sub)
- 1 x 3.5mm Audio Jack combo
- 1 x RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet
- 1x Micro SD card reader
In short, as you can see a really well equipped machine. After the roundup of components, the time has finally come to go into details.
Lightness and efficiency!
Asus Expertbook B1500 hides many strengths, the first one I want to talk about, however, is undoubtedly the one related to its handling. At only 1.73 kg it is a very light product and quite easy to carry around.
Let’s be clear, we are dealing with a 15.6 inch device, so it is not a small device, I must say that, however, after more than a week of intense use I feel like saying that this terminal is not bulky at all.
Whether you need to take it with you to the office, or use it comfortably sitting on the bed, Asus Expertbook B1500 will not give you the slightest problem unlike many other terminals that are too heavy.
A really cool processor!
I must say that the expectations for this Intel i5-1135G7 were quite high I don’t want to deny it. One of the first things I did was install Sony Vegas Pro and Android Studio, more than trying to stress this Asus Expertbook B1500 as much as possible. I must say that after several tests I can not help but be satisfied.
Let’s be clear, this PC has been designed to maximize working efficiency, therefore performance must be as much as top-notch as possible even with quite expensive programs. But being able to navigate safely in Sony Vegas and work with a fairly full-bodied project on Android Studio complete with an active adb emulator, left me very satisfied.
Let’s say that for medium-small editing projects this terminal is just fine. Obviously, if the projects start to get very heavy, maybe I would opt for solutions a little more muscular in terms of components.
In any case, the gist of the matter is that the processor works well, every now and then it heats up a little more than it should, causing a slight but still annoying Thermal Throttling, but everything is still in line with my expectations!
Good for work, but not for play
As I mentioned at the beginning of the review, Asus Expertbook B1500 is a product designed for business use. Having renewed this necessary premise, in order to give life to a review as complete as possible, I also delighted in putting this PC under stress with some games.
Let’s start immediately by talking about Fortnite. If you are willing to endure constant FPS dips, play to minimal details and limit everything to 30 FPS, then you could also download Fortnite to have fun with a few games after a busy working day. If, on the other hand, you usually play MOBA like League of Legends or the counterpart DOTA 2, the situation is already different e you won’t have any kind of problem.
Either way, forget heavy games, whatever they are. Asus Expertbook B1500 is a terminal designed to work and this must be clear. It must be said that having an Intel Iris Xe Graphics instead of a UHD really makes a lot of difference.
Maybe with a little more RAM you could do a little more, but in general if you are looking for an immersive gaming experience you should opt for other devices.
The backlight had to be switched on!
As I have already told you this Asus Expertbook B1500 is sold in different variants. What I have had the pleasure of reviewing is unfortunately exempt from the keyboard backlight. I find this a huge lack that is felt from the first minutes of use.
Working in dimly lit environments makes the keys indistinguishable and the situation is very frustrating. Unfortunately the backlight in my opinion was a must. This is a double shame when we consider that the overall feel of the keyboard is really great.
The fingers quickly get used to the position of the keys and practically nothing is missing thanks to the small and useful numeric keypad on the right side of the keyboard. Also present is the FN lock which makes the hotkeys much more manageable.
Lots of doors, lots of versatility!
If there is one factor that convinced me very much about this Asus Expertbook B1500 it is undoubtedly the door compartment. I’ll save you the overview of the inputs as I already talked about it during the unboxing paragraph. I have to say that nowadays though, it’s really rare to have a laptop in your hands that doesn’t necessarily require external hubs.
Being a college student myself for example, I found the ethernet input very convenientas it allowed me to connect to the university LAN without using external adapters
Not to mention the door HDMI and the 3 very comfortable USB ports that together with the USB-C port guarantee maximum connectivity without any compromise.
A really cool display
This Asus Expertbook B1500 features a display that I can’t help talking about. We assume that you can count on one rotation equal to 180 degrees, so you won’t have any kind of discomfort in any position.
The hinge also surprised me a lot: it has always proved to be very solid and stable. However, an even more interesting factor is that the aforementioned was really studied at the table by Asus: this is why the keyboard is automatically tilted to find the most comfortable position according to the display adjustment.
As for the build quality, we are faced with a panel that is certainly well made. In any position you will look at the screen, you will always find a clean and clear view in front of you. In addition, the anti-reflective panel does its dirty work even in direct light!
Asus suite for something extra!
As many houses teach us, software is also very important for an experience that is as complete as possible. Asus in this regard has really put a lot of effort, offering us a suite of really interesting pre-installed programs.
The functions are many and range from the ability to protect the system by limiting the connection to I / O ports, to blocks on registry changes.
However, beyond these functions dedicated to safety, I advise you to take a look at MyAsus right away. This is a really cool piece of software that is sure to give your Asus Expertbook B1500 an edge.
For instance, I really liked the performance mode, that allows you to fully utilize the potential of your device. Once plugged into a power source and activated the mode, all limitations will be removed and you can take full advantage of your PC hardware.
Obviously there are also special energy saving modes and so on. There are also options related to audio and microphone and so on and so forth. In short, an all-round that gives an extra touch to Asus Expertbook B1500.
A battery that convinces
Asus Expertbook B1500 comes with a 42WHr battery. As usual, it is important to state that the battery discharge process depends on infinite factors.
That said, this is definitely a terminal that in most cases will be able to accompany you until the end of the day in case you use it for normal office use.
Unfortunately, if you start dabbling in heavy tasks, temperatures will rise and battery life will drop dramatically. In short, as far as the use of the battery is concerned, something more could certainly be done!
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