Is the Asus VivoBook X515JA Good for Video Editing?

You may be wondering if the Asus VivoBook X515JA is a good laptop for video editing. The short answer is: no; the Asus VivoBook X515JA laptop lacks many of the necessary features to make it a suitable choice for video editing. Its CPU, display, and RAM are not up to par with other laptops made for video editing. 

However, when considering a good laptop for video editing, there are certain features that need to be taken into account. These include the CPU, display, RAM, storage capacity, and graphics card.

Quick Summary

The Asus VivoBook X515JA laptop lacks many of the necessary features to make it a suitable choice for video editings, such as a powerful CPU, display, and RAM. When considering a good laptop for video editing, criteria such as the CPU, display, RAM, storage capacity, and graphics card should be taken into account. After evaluating these criteria, the Asus VivoBook X515JA received an overall score of 45 out of 100, indicating that it is not a suitable choice for video editing.

Related Post to Read: ASUS VivoBook X515JA Laptop Review.

Overview of the ASUS VivoBook X515JA’s Suitability for Video Editing

The Asus VivoBook X515JA laptop is good for handling midrange tasks that are not highly resource intensive, such as programming, writing on MS Word, data entry in Excel, web browsing and multimedia consumption (this includes casual gaming). However, it does not have the power, processing, and RAM needed for more complicated and intensive tasks like high-level video editing, game development, and playing the latest AAA gaming titles.

In this article, I’ll be taking a deep dive into the complexities and needs required of a laptop to handle video editing to see if the Asus VivoBook X515JA is up to the task.

Also, I’ll be using a scoring system to give you a detailed analysis of its capabilities. You’ll see how the laptop fares based on specific criteria that are crucial for video editing, such as its CPU, RAM etc. 

By the end of this article, you’ll have a clear idea of whether the ASUS VivoBook X515JA can meet your video editing needs.

Criteria of Scoring 

There are five criteria that I would use to judge if the Asus VivoBook X515JA is good for video editing, and at the end of each point, I would give it a score or rating over 20. Then, finally, I will sum up each score and mark it against 100. The 100 is the best laptop for video editing. 

So, with that in mind, this is my grading system 

A; 75-100	Great for Video Editing
B; 60-74	Good for Video Editing
C; 50-59	Satisfactory for Video Editing/ You might not want to use this for a very long
D; 40-49	Below Average for Video Editing
E; 30-39	Not Good for Video Editing
F; 20-29	Terrible for Video Editing

With this scoring system, I should be able to answer if the Asus VivoBook is good for video editing, and it should apply to all laptops on the market.

Video Editing Requirements 

Video editing is a highly technical and time-consuming job that requires extreme concentration and perseverance. It is a time-consuming art form to master and perfect. So having the right tools and laptops that will do the job for you is critical. So, here are some key features to look for when purchasing a laptop capable of handling the workloads associated with video editing.

The requirements for video editing are simple. All you will need is a good display with a high colour accuracy rating, a solid-state drive with large storage capacity or a fast hard drive, a powerful CPU, a large amount of RAM, and a laptop that can be upgraded.

The CPU 

The CPU is the most important component of a video editing laptop, despite the popular belief that a powerful GPU is the most important aspect of video editing. They would be mistaken; while it is common to believe that the GPU handles the majority of the load when working with video editing programmes such as Adobe Premier and Adobe After Effects, it is important to understand the distinction between the uses of both parts of the computer.

Using Time Spy and CinaBench, I was able to determine that the CPU handled almost all of the workloads from video editing software such as Adobe Premier, After Effects, and Premier Pro. I even found out that all of the exporting is done on your CPU. So, you don’t need a powerful graphics card to handle your work; you need a CPU.

As for the Asus VivoBook X515JA, the processor is not a very powerful one. The Intel Core i3-1005G1 CPU in our ASUS X515JA is a low-power processor made for thin and light notebooks. 

Simple operations like online browsing, video playback, and other common productivity duties like text formatting are all things it is capable of handling. For demanding jobs like video editing or 3D graphics, it is insufficiently powerful. Upgrade to the Intel Core i5-1035G1 or i7-1065G7 for improved performance if your job is a little heavier or you frequently run many apps at once. 

These processors feature twice as many cores and threads. On paper, the Intel Core i7-1065G7 is quicker than the i5-1035G1; however, due to thermal constraints, the performance gap is probably small. Both processors can produce some performance but not extremely high levels of performance.

GeekBench Performance

Geekbench 5 results for the ASUS X515JA with an Intel Core i3 are average. It performs incredibly well in single-threaded workloads, scoring 1138, but because of its constrained number of cores and threads, its multi-threaded performance is underwhelming, rating only 2414. 

This indicates that while it is capable of doing basic operations like web browsing, video playback, and text formatting, it struggles with more demanding tasks like 3D rendering. The Intel Core i5 and i7 perform significantly better if you frequently run many programmes at once or need to run multi-threaded apps because they have twice as many cores and threads.

CinaBench Performance 

In Cinebench R23, the ASUS X515JA’s Intel Core i3 performs admirably. It performs well for single-threaded operations, similar to the Geekbench tests, but because it only has two cores and four threads, it performs poorly for multi-threaded operations. Particularly in multi-threaded rendering, the Intel Core i5 and i7 deliver higher performance.

Personal Thoughts

On the whole, if you intend to use the Core i3 for video editing, you will not have a lot to work with. The other processors represent significant performance improvements, but they are not substantial enough to make a very large difference. I doubt it would be able to handle complex video transitions and detailed video effects.

Scores

Core i3: 7/20

Core i5: 10/20

Core i7: 12/20

For the sake of simplicity, I will be using the score for the Core i3 processor because it is the most widely available.

Storage 

The biggest difference in your computer’s overall performance will come from an SSD. Everything operates more quickly: media files load into programmes more quickly, data and assets are written back more quickly, and any RAM swapping that may be necessary will go much more smoothly.

You just have a faster operating system due to your SSD drive. Therefore, a 1 TB SSD can store all of your media project files, along with stock video, audio, and other assets that you would need to import into Adobe After Effects or Premiere Pro.

The Asus VivoBook X515JA Storage

There are numerous storage options available. A traditional 1 TB SATA hard drive, a 256 or 512 GB PCIe NVMe SSD, or both, or an SSD with Intel Optane memory can be installed in the laptop. Because installing the operating system on a traditional hard drive has a significant impact on performance, I recommend purchasing a device with an SSD.

After purchasing, you can install the 2.5-inch SATA drive yourself; however, ASUS does not include the mounting wire in the package, so you’ll need to purchase it separately. In terms of Intel’s Optane memory, it can sometimes improve performance by acting as additional cache memory, but the improvement is likely to be minor because the NVMe SSD is already quite fast.

Personal Thoughts

The ASUS X515JA’s storage drive performance is excellent. Because of its fast read and write rates, it appears incredibly fast when launching apps, booting up the computer, or transferring data. It is advised to purchase a device with an SSD as the primary drive because a SATA hard drive would be significantly slower. Because larger SSDs typically outperform smaller ones, the performance of the SSD may differ depending on its size.

Score 

Storage: 12/20.

RAM

If you can get 32GB of RAM, you should be fine; however, if you can’t, the 16 and 8GB options will suffice. However, a video editor friend of mine frequently complains about the lag she experiences when using an 8GB RAM system, especially when using multiple programmes at the same time, meaning it should be able to handle multiple video tracks.

Many of the programmes used by video editors require a lot of RAM space; programmes like Premier Pro, After Effects, and Blender are notorious RAM hogs.

However, there is one thing I would like everyone to keep in mind: my friend usually has a lot of Chrome tabs open, which can limit the RAM space she has available to her. So, if you can manage your programmes efficiently, 8 GB of RAM should be very useful.

The Asus VivoBook X515JA RAM Options

Either 4 GB or 8 GB of RAM can be bought for the ASUS X515JA laptop. Because 4 GB is relatively limited and may cause some stuttering or slowdowns, I recommend 8 GB. There is only one slot available despite the RAM module’s user-replaceability; as a result, you can only use the memory in a single-channel configuration, which harms performance in applications that benefit from a greater bandwidth.

Personal Thoughts 

The RAM options on the VivoBook X515JA are fairly limited, but the 8 GB option is much better than the 4 GB option. However, if I were to pick between the two, the 8 GB version is the best choice.

Scores

4GB RAM: 5/20

8GB RAM: 7/20

For the sake of simplicity, I’ll use the 8 GB RAM score because it’s the most widely available.

Upgradability 

If you’re on a tight budget, you might want to check for laptops that can be upgraded if you need a power bump, which you might if you start with some budget-friendly laptop options. When necessary, you may quickly replace your RAM or SSDs.

This would allow you to continue using your old laptop, particularly if you could get a new one right away. Not all laptops can be upgraded because the majority of them have those elements soldered onto the board. Therefore, you should constantly be aware of whether or not the laptop you buy can be upgraded.

The Asus VivoBook X515JA’s Upgradeability

The ASUS X515JA has had good upkeep. To access the internals, you simply need to remove a few Philips screws and detach the clips holding the bottom panel. There is only one memory slot; therefore, even if the RAM may be replaced by the user, you can only use a single-channel system.

Although there is room for a 2.5-inch storage drive, the mounting lead is not included in the package. Therefore, I don’t believe it is upgradeable. However, the M.2 NVMe SSD can be replaced.

Personal Thoughts

Being able to upgrade your laptop is very underrated, especially when you are on a budget. Your ability to later go into the laptop and change out a few pieces to get more power out of it is very important. 

The Asus VivoBook X515JA’s RAM and storage options can be upgraded, and that is very important because it gives you a chance to make the laptop more powerful. However, I am a bit disappointed to see that the laptop has a single-channel RAM slot. It would have definitely gotten a higher score if it were dual-channel.

Score

Upgradeability: 11/20.

Display

The final and most important part of any video editing laptop is its display. Unlike every other part of the laptop, the display is the most important piece of the laptop. It is the part with which you will interact; it is the part with which you will edit and colour-grade all the images. It is part of the laptop you will use to cut and dissect every frame of the video to make the movie or video you’ve shot. 

The Display of the Asus VivoBook X515JA

This is part of the laptop that will disappoint you the most. The ASUS X515JA comes with three display options: a 720p TN, a 1080p TN, and a 1080p IPS panel. We recommend purchasing a model with a 1080p IPS panel because 720p resolution is insufficient for this screen size, and TN panels typically have poorer viewing angles and colour reproduction.

As would be expected of a low-cost productivity laptop, the ASUS X515JA has a basic 60 Hz refresh rate and no VRR functionality. It is unsuitable for gaming or watching fast-moving content due to its slow response time, which causes noticeable ghosting. 1080p panels should deliver comparable results.

The ASUS X515JA’s 720p TN panel offers an average level of screen brightness. It is not the best choice for well-lit areas because it doesn’t get bright enough to reduce glare. The lowest brightness level, on the other hand, offers a more comfortable viewing experience in low light.

The ASUS X515JA effectively manages reflections. Although you can still notice some reflections even with the screen at maximum brightness, its matte anti-reflective coating does an excellent job of diminishing the intensity of reflected rays. 

On the whole, the display on the Asus VivoBook X515JA is an average laptop with an average display, which is not terrible but could definitely be way better than it is. However, for a budget-option laptop, I didn’t expect much more from it than what is apparent now. 

Colour Accuracy 

Out of the box, the ASUS X515JA has poor colour accuracy. The panel’s narrow colour gamut causes most colours to be inaccurate, and the white balance is also noticeably off at most brightness levels. 

The colour temperature is significantly lower than the target of 6500K, giving the image a slightly bluish tint. Because the gamma does not follow the sRGB curve, most scenes appear darker than they should. This really doesn’t help you when you are trying to produce videos and images to a very high degree. 

It also has a limited colour gamut. It doesn’t even cover the entire sRGB colour space, making most contents appear washed out. It also has very limited support for larger colour spaces, such as Adobe RGB, DCI-P3, and Rec. 2020. 

Personal Thoughts 

Colour is important because it draws attention, defines the mood, and communicates messages—and accuracy is critical. Nobody will be scared of the menacing crimson dragon you spent days perfecting if the final rendering is in delicate shades of pink.

This is why the display on the Asus VivoBook X515JA is so disappointing because it does not give you a chance to provide viewers with images that are either colour accurate or detailed. It makes your job harder and almost makes it seem like you are playing guesswork with the colours on the screen. 

A display that is not colour accurate will not allow you to properly detail images and will make it hard for you to produce a realistic video because your videos will always look washed out and inaccurate. This display is not suitable for colour-critical work or viewing HDR content. The 45% NTSC coverage of the 1080p TN and 1080p IPS panels that was advertised is very disappointing.

Score 

Display: 5/20.

Final Thoughts 

Given that the final score for the Asus VivoBook X515JA tallied up to 45, it is clear that this laptop is a below-average laptop when it comes to video editing. I am not surprised by the score it got because, in all honesty, I knew it was going to get that kind of score. 

It is a below-average productivity laptop that was not designed to handle complicated tasks like video editing, and due to its low score, I cannot recommend this laptop to any video or photo editors; it will leave you frustrated. 

Total Score: 45.

Some Other Facts and Things to Consider about the ASUS VivoBook X515JA Laptop

There are only a few things that you would be left to consider should you choose to still go ahead and purchase this laptop. That would be how much it costs, the number of ports, the amount of heat and noise it produces, and its battery life.

Pricing and Availability 

Although the Asus Vivobook 15 X515JA laptop is not as readily accessible as some of its rivals, I was able to find the Core i3 model on eBay for $250, the Core i5 model for $350, and the Core i7 variant for $500.

Port Diversity 

External device ports on video editing laptops are important because you may need to connect external hard drives and audio devices. As a result, it’s critical to look for a laptop with as many ports as possible.

The ASUS X515, on the other hand, has a mediocre port selection. The left USB-A port supports the USB 3.2 Gen 1 standard (up to 5 Gbps data transfer rate), but the two on the right only support USB 2.0 (up to 480 Mbps). The USB-C port is also USB 3.2 Gen 1, and it can only be used for data, not video output or charging. On the right side, there is a Kensington lock slot.

Noise and Heat

Thermal and noise performance on the ASUS X515JA are good. The keyboard is at 28 °C (83 °F) when not in use, and the fan is essentially silent. Although the heat is concentrated around the Z and X keys, where most people rest their left hands, the keyboard does not become intolerably warm when it is under stress. The temperature of the keyboard is 41 °C (105 °F) when it is working hard. The fan is audible at full speed but not loud or annoying.

Battery life

The ASUS VivoBook X515JA has poor battery life. It only lasts a little over six hours for light work and significantly less for watching films. While gaming, the battery life is significantly reduced. Models with an Intel Core i5, i7, or a discrete GPU have lesser battery life. The amount of use determines the battery’s lifespan. You will need to find your charger right away because it runs out of power when you try to play with it faster than the speed of light.

Other Laptops to Consider for Video Editing 

Here’s a list of some other laptops you could take a look at instead of the Asus VivoBook X515JA

 1. MSI – GF63035

This laptop’s huge 15.6-inch Full HD display gives you plenty of screen space, making it ideal for video editing. It is powered by an Intel Core i5-10200H processor from the 10th generation, along with 512GB of SSD storage and 8GB of RAM.

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 graphics and 4GB of dedicated video memory are also included. The laptop contains an HD camera, a built-in microphone, and a SteelSeries RED backlit keyboard. For video editing, the MSI GF63035 laptop comes highly recommended.

Specs

CPU	Intel Core i5-10200H
GPU	NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650
RAM & Storage	8GB DDR4/3200MHz, 256GB SSD
Display	15.6″ Full HD
OS	Windows 10
Colour	Black

Pros:

• Impressive Display 
• Impressive Battery Life 

Cons:

• A bit heavy
• Basic design

Price on Amazon: $579

2. Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5

Lenovo has been making some of the most affordable laptops for some time now, and I especially appreciate the IdeaPad Flex 5. The gorgeous 14-inch IPS display can be used in tablet and tent modes thanks to a 360-degree hinge, and it has a long battery life and an AMD Ryzen 5 processor that can handle most office activities. The latter entails propping the smartphone in the shape of an upside-down V and flipping the screen back (great for movies).

Specs

CPU	AMD Ryzen 5 5500U,
GPU	AMD Radeon Chip
RAM & Storage	16 GB and 512 GB
Display	14.0″ FHD Touch Display
OS	Windows 11
Colour	Graphite

Pros:

• Impressive Display 
• Impressive CPU 
• Quality Build and Design

Cons:

• Radeon graphics are not the best 

Price on Amazon: $610.

3. Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 

If you’re looking for a high-end Windows touchscreen laptop so you can work from anywhere, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 is your best bet. It boasts a comfortable keyboard with good-sized, appealing keys and a lovely touchscreen that responds swiftly. Additionally, it comes with a fresh, bloatware-free installation of Windows 10, and it packs competent components into a slim, light chassis.

When you combine its reasonable 10-plus-hour battery life with the tall 3:2 touchscreen display ratio and its extended battery life, you have an excellent notebook for working on the road. The speakers on this laptop are also extremely good; in fact, it features one of the best sound systems out there. It is also very good for video editing.

Specs

CPU	AMD Ryzen 5 4680U
GPU	Radeon graphics
RAM & Storage	8GB and 256GB
Display	13.5-inch 2256 x 1504 touchscreen
OS	Windows 10

Pros:

• Impressive Keyboard
• Impressive speakers
• Good Battery Life.

Cons:

• Needs a webcam 
• Thick Bezels.

Price on Amazon: $829.

Conclusion 

The Asus VivoBook X515JA is not a suitable laptop for video editing because it doesn’t have the right display, port diversity, colour accuracy, or processor to handle the kinds of workloads required to handle video editing to a high enough degree or standard. 

However, I have provided you with a list of laptops that should be able to handle your video editing needs with superior performance and better displays. Thank you so much for reading this article. Please feel free to leave all of your questions in the comment section below.

Image Gallery – Is the Asus VivoBook X515JA Good for Video Editing?

Other Related Posts to Read:

• Does the Asus Vivobook X515JA Have A Touchscreen?
• Is Asus VivoBook X515JA Upgradable?
• Is The Asus X515JA Battery Life Good?
• ASUS VivoBook X515JA Laptop Display.