Review ASUS VivoBook Pro 17 N705UF and 17 N705UQ notebooks

ASUS notebooks have a reputation for being stylish, compact and powerful. The VivoBook Pro line continues this tradition with a combination of quality, convenience and value. The N705UF and N705UQ models from the VivoBook Pro 17 series are worthy representatives, having won their place in the market. This article provides a brief description of these two models, as well as the main pros and cons that users may encounter when using them.

ASUS VivoBook Pro 17 N705UF Laptop

The device of this model belongs to the middle price category and is a good option for a PC for people looking for a reliable and high-quality assistant in work, study or for other use. The average price of such a laptop is about 52,000 rubles.

Speaking about the performance of this model, it is worth clarifying that there are two types of GC138 and GC105 on the market. The first has a Core i3 processor, and the second has a Core i5. GC105 is a modification of GC138. There is no big difference in their characteristics, and therefore we will consider a newer version. The technical characteristics of the laptop are suitable for the average PC user, as well as for games, work or study.

Appearance and equipment

One of the features of the VivoBook Pro series is the stylish design and its light weight, the N705UF weighs only 2.1 kg, which can play a decisive role when choosing a computer. Dimensions (in mm) 270x411x20.9 are convenient for transportation and are well suited for people whose activities are associated with constant movement. Despite this weight and dimensions, the laptop works perfectly and is not inferior to its colleagues with a larger mass.

Externally, the computer looks quite stylish and compact. Black and gray colors give a rather austere look, and it is quite possible to take it for various business negotiations. Above the monitor is a webcam, and on the other panel there is a backlit keyboard, underneath is a touchpad.

The body is made of aluminum and plastic. On its sides are located:

• two USB 2.0 interfaces;
• USB 3.0 interface. Type A;
• USB 3.0 interface. Type C;
• connector for power adapter;
• RJ network port;
• HDMI output;
• microphone input / headphone output;
• Kensington lock slot;
• slot for SD memory cards;
• battery activity and status indicator.

In general, everything is located quite conveniently, but there are also disadvantages. One of the drawbacks is the close location of USB inputs, which sometimes interferes with the simultaneous use of devices. The combo headphone and microphone jack is not suitable for everyone.

The N705UF package is standard: in addition to the laptop itself, it also includes a charger. The charger, by the way, is also lightweight.

Picture and sound

ASUS VivoBook Pro 17 N705UF has a high-quality Full-HD screen and bright picture with wide color gamut - 72% NTSC and 100% sRGB, which gives rich color reproduction.This computer uses ASUS Splendid technology to customize your picture with ease. The viewing angle of the monitor is 178 degrees, the advantages of which are especially felt when watching a movie in a large company.

The stereo speaker was developed in collaboration with Harman Kardon and has a logo located on the case next to the keys. This collaboration resulted in high quality sound and smooth volume increase without any major distortion. The advantages include the ability to listen to audio at high volume without using additional speakers.

Performance and cooling

The processor installed in this model, namely the Intel Core i5 7100U, is a seventh generation unit and, together with the NVIDIA GeForce MX 130 video card and 6 GB of RAM, is a good basis for reliable operation, even if the load is exceeded. This makes it possible to use all sorts of applications, including games that require high performance.

For powerful computers, the issue of cooling is very important, the model in question has a high-quality system. It includes two fans that are located on the GPU and main processor. Each of the fans has 8 levels of blade rotation, which change depending on the degree of heating. This method helps to reliably cool the computer at maximum power consumption. It should be given credit that with such an efficient cooling system the laptop remains light enough.

Communications

Like all modern PCs, the VivoBook Pro 17 N705UF has an integrated dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11ac, 802.11b wireless network adapter for fast data transfer speeds. Also N705UF has Bluetooth 4.1, 4.2 and a full-fledged Gigabit network card with RJ45 connector. It's safe to say that the laptop has a large set of interfaces that are required for a PC in 2018.

Battery and run time

The battery of this laptop model has 3 cells and its capacity is 42 Wh. Such a volume of capacity, as a rule, should be enough for 6 hours of continuous work or 4 hours for more costly actions, games. Although battery performance studies have shown that for a computer, the 42 Wh capacity is weak, which directly affects the performance. Despite the research data, the ASUS PC can be used as a desktop, playing only moderate games, and this laptop is not quite suitable for more power-hungry applications.

Users will also appreciate the charging time, with just 1 hour the VivoBook Pro 17 N705UF can be charged up to 86%, which is great for people who use the laptop outside the home.

Advantages and disadvantages

The ASUS VivoBook Pro 17 N705UF laptop is a great option for those looking for a reliable PC for work, work or hobby use.

• high performance;
• average price corresponding to quality;
• stylish design;
• great functionality;
• high-quality image;
• competent cooling system;
• keyboard backlight;
• high volume.

• inconvenient location of USB inputs;
• one headphone and microphone jack;
• lack of a floppy drive;
• sound quality is not enough.

The ASUS VivoBook Pro 17 N705UF is not a gaming computer, and it is not suitable for gamers. But for games and applications that do not require high numbers in the technical characteristics, it will do just fine. Using all sorts of not complicated editors or other programs will be pleasant and convenient, especially for those who like to work while sitting in an armchair, bed or in other non-standard places.

ASUS VivoBook Pro 17 N705UQ laptop

Another member of the ASUS VivoBook Pro 17 family is the N705UQ laptop. Its price for 2018 is about 54,000 rubles, but at the moment this model is very difficult to find in stores.

Appearance and equipment

The VivoBook Pro 17 series notebooks share the same design and differ little; The N705UQ is no exception. The monitor is framed by a black cover with the ASUS logo, the other part of the laptop is in gray. The buttons are black, with a touchpad underneath.

Left and right on the bottom of the case are:

• two USB 2.0 interfaces;
• USB 3.0 interface. Type A;
• USB 3.0 interface. Type C;
• charger connector;
• RJ network port;
• HDMI output;
• microphone input / headphone output Combo;
• Kensington lock slot;
• slot for SD memory cards;
• battery activity and status indicator.

The next distinguishing feature of ASUS notebooks is its size; length - 411 mm, width - 270 mm and height - 20 mm. The case itself is made of good quality aluminum and plastic, which eliminates the squeak when opening the lid, as it can on other PCs.

The kit includes the laptop itself and the charger, which is also light and compact.

Picture and sound

The ASUS VivoBook Pro 17 N705UQ laptop uses an NVIDIA GeForce 940MX graphics card, which is a good guarantee of a high-quality picture. The N705UQ has a Full HD screen and reproduces 100% sRGB color gamut. On such a computer it will be pleasant to watch movies or just edit video.

Like the entire VivoBook Pro line, this laptop has an audio system developed in conjunction with Harman Kardon, whose emblem is so proudly located on the computer case (and for good reason). As mentioned earlier, the stereo system from this company has good data and it is a pleasure to listen to the sound from it. Although some users note an increase in the hoarseness of the sound if the recording itself is of poor quality.

Performance and cooling

The VivoBook Pro 17 series has 7th generation Intel processors, while the N705UQ has a Core i5 processor. In fact, all laptops in the VivoBook Pro 17 series have high performance, the developer did a good job in this matter and created a really high-quality PC for a relatively low price.

The manufacturer has successfully solved the problem of cooling, allowing you to work for a long time in energy-consuming applications or games. The system includes heat pipes and two independent fans to cool the CPU and GPU. The fan rotation has 8 speeds, which are automatically controlled, this ensures smooth and stable operation.

Communications

The computer is equipped with an 802.11 ac Wi-Fi transmitter, which provides six times faster data transfer rates than the previous 802.11 n model. 802.11 ac operates in the 5GHz band, providing bandwidths from 80 to 160 MHz, which guarantees data transfer rates that will appeal to many, if not everyone.

Another way of communication for the N705UQ is Bluetooth 4.2. The release of version 4.2 was a kind of mini breakthrough, the developers promised high speed and quality of transmission, we must pay tribute, their words turned out to be true. That is why using Bluetooth in this laptop is a nice and fast option when connecting to the Internet in this way.

In general, ASUS VivoBook Pro 17 has a sufficient set of interfaces for connecting to other networks or devices. They are compactly located on the sides of the notebook, although there is one drawback, considered in the review on the N705UF, the close location of the USB inputs.

Battery and run time

The battery has 3 cells and, like other models of this line, work with this computer without a charger reaches from 4.5 to 6 hours. Such indicators are associated, first of all, with the type of work and the use of programs.

It takes little time to charge the battery, compared to its other colleagues, it charges up to 60% in 49 minutes. These indicators are a big plus for a PC, not everyone is comfortable waiting for several hours of charging or depends on the location of the outlets.

Advantages and disadvantages

In terms of its characteristics, the N705UF model is inferior to the N705UQ, since less powerful configurations were used in its production.

• relatively high productivity;
• fast charging;
• stylish design suitable for any occasion;
• light weight and slim body;
• good picture with a convenient overview;
• comfortable keyboard and touchpad.

• lack of a floppy drive;
• close location of USB inputs;
• one headphone and microphone input;
• lack of a fingerprint scanner;
• if the audio or video file has bad sound, the audio system amplifies these defects.

One of the downsides for 2018 is that it is very difficult to find in stores.

Specifications ASUS VivoBook Pro 17 N705UF and 17 N705UQ

In terms of its technical characteristics, the N705UQ is not inferior to its brothers from the VivoBook Pro series and among users it is considered not the weakest. In some respects, the N705UF excels.

Outcome

All laptops in the ASUS VivoBook Pro 17 line have almost the same specifications, the N705UF and 17 N705UQ models are no exception. The main feature and a big plus of these computers is at the same time stylish design, high performance and an average price corresponding to the price-quality formula. The dimensions of the VivoBook Pro 17 series are great for the business traveler or simply carrying their laptop with them.

The use of good quality plastic and aluminum in production is an additional plus that every user will appreciate.

All this splendor has its drawbacks. One of the downsides is the lack of a drive. He became a victim for the benefit of lightweight. But, if we consider that in 2018-2019, disks are becoming a thing of the past, and other media are replacing them, this is not such a terrible minus. In general, you can beat each minus or how to adapt.

Another flaw, users note audio playback. By turning on a bad sound file on the computer, the audio system exaggerates its distortion. But, if initially the audio quality is high and there are no errors, the VivoBook Pro allows you to listen to audio in good quality at high volumes.

The PCs reviewed in this review are not declared as gaming, but their performance is at high levels. Of course, this is not the best option for gamers, but the technical characteristics laid down by the N705UF and 17 N705UQ, both for games and for using different kinds of editors, are quite suitable for an ordinary amateur.

How to choose between these two laptops? In fact, it is worth understanding what exactly you are looking for, and what it will serve in the first place. Of course, the difference between them is not great, but it is. For example, according to its technical characteristics, the N705UQ model is of higher quality than the N705UF, but this is reflected in the price.

Both models are not waterproof and are more suitable for the average user than for the professional. When using professional programs, you will most likely need a more powerful computer, but here the question is more about the application itself and its requirements.

The functionality of both models corresponds to 2018 and they will be relevant for several more years. Although the ASUS VivoBook Pro 17 N705UQ laptop is now difficult to find in the store, since according to some sources it was discontinued, which caused this decision is not known.