Two of the top contenders for supremacy in business and work laptop category are the Asus Expertbook and Asus Vivobook. Both laptops having some compelling facts in their favor, it’s time to take a closer look at both computers to decide what’s what.

The vast majority of features are similar in these two laptops. However, they have some differences that are able to sway the buyer opinion.

One main difference is the weight. ExpertBook’s maximum weight is 1.01 kg (2.23 lbs) while the VivoBook has a noticeably higher weight of 1.40 kg (3.09 lbs) which is highly relevant in making a decision about an ultra-portable laptop.

The other important factor is the price. Although the laptops have similar processors, the ExpertBook is more expensive than the VivoBook.

Who is Expertbook is for:

• Those who are always on the move. If you are travelling for business or office purposes then this lightweight laptop is the ideal machine.
• If you are looking for a whole day’s battery life, then this is for you.
• Travel bloggers and Youtubers would also find this laptop one of the best for their purposes.

Who is VivoBook is for:

• If you look for the ExpertBook performance but on a budget then this is an ideal option. The weight and battery life of this laptop is not bad either, and it could accompany you as your business or work machine.
• Students

Pros and Cons

Available Models

In order to address the demand of various price groups and demand levels, Asus has manufactured these laptops under multiple models. Here is a selection of them that could compare in terms of size and features.

Since every model of a laptop today has many variations depending on its features, for this review we used 14” display Expertbook and Vivobook with 11^th generation Intel Core I5 processors. They come with a choice of 8GB, 16GB,and 32GB RAMs.

Build Quality

Asus Expertbook, the version we review, has an aluminium top and a plastic bottom. The top, bordered by the tastefully designed thin bezels, has a luxury look.

The bottom has wide grilles for ample ventilation. When you open the laptop you would be impressed by the beautifully designed backlit keyboard, and when you start using the keyboard it reveals the solid build reinforced from inside. Overall, for the price it’s sold, you cannot find faults with the build quality.

Vivobook challenges Expretbook in every aspect of the build quality but with cheaper material. VivoBook is a cheaper option for its more expensive cousins but with competitive performance.

What’s In the box

VivoBook offers standard accessories of convenience such as bag and backpack while the ExpertBook offers more valuable accessories but as optional.

Spec Comparison

Vivobook features an Intel® Core™ i7-1165G7 Processor as their most powerful processor while Expertbook has an i7-1185G7. Power consumption of 28 Watt but the performance has improved from 2800 – 4700 MHz to 3000 – 4800 MHz in the upgrade which, however, will not be noticeable for the office user.

Although the differences seem narrow, for the advanced user these Intel Tiger Lake UP3 processors have some clear differences. For example the i7-1185G7 Processor supports Intel vPro® Platform Eligibility whereas the i7-1165G7 Processor does not support it.

You can see the full processor specifications of Intel® Core™ i7-1165G7 Processor and Intel® Core™ i7-1185G7 Processor on their official pages.

Generally speaking Expertbook has a newer processor model in them although it’s just one step up from what’s found in the Vivobook. But that’s for the general user only.

	VivoBook S14 (S435)	Expertbook B9 (B9400)
Processor
Intel® Core™ i5-1135G7 (8M Cache)	✓	✓
Intel® Core™ i7-1165G7 (12M Cache)	✓	✓
Intel® Core™ i3-1115G4 (6M Cache)	✓
Intel® Core™ i7-1185G7 vPro® (12M Cache)		✓
Intel® Core™ i5-1145G7 vPro® (8M Cache)		✓

Both of these graphic cards support demanding applications to a great extent. If you are a YouTuber these graphic cards would be all you need to edit a good YouTube video.

Graphics	VivoBook S14 (S435)	Expertbook B9 (B9400)
Intel® Iris Xe Graphics,	✓	✓
NVIDIA® GeForce® MX350,	✓	✓

Memory (RAM)	VivoBook S14 (S435)	Expertbook B9 (B9400)
8GB DDR4 on board, Memory Max Up to:16GB	✓
16GB DDR4 on board, Memory Max Up to:16GB	✓
32G LPDDR4X on board, Memory Max Up to:32GB		✓
16G LPDDR4X on board, Memory Max Up to:32GB		✓
8GB LPDDR4X on board,Memory Max Up to:32GB		✓

While 8GB memory is more than enough for daily office and business work, if you opt in for 16GB or more that will support more demanding apps such as Adobe products. With Iris Xe graphics you can go much further than office work with these computers.

One main difference between these two notebook laptops is the choice of storage capacities and types. Vivobook offers only 4 types and capacities while Expertbook offers much more than that. Here are some memory options:

Expertbook:

• 512 GB – 2TB M.2 NVMe™ PCIe® 3.0 Performance SSD
• 2TB + 2TB M.2 NVMe™ PCIe® 3.0 Performance RAID0 SSD
• 512GB + 512GB M.2 NVMe™ PCIe® 3.0 Performance RAID1 SSD
• 1TB + 1TB M.2 NVMe™ PCIe® 3.0 Performance RAID1 SSD
• 2TB + 2TB M.2 NVMe™ PCIe® 3.0 Performance RAID1 SSD

Vivobook:

• 512GB – 1TB M.2 NVMe™ PCIe® 3.0 SSD
• 512GB M.2 NVMe™ PCIe® SSD with 32GB Intel® Optane™ Memory
• 128GB – 256GB M.2 NVMe™ PCIe® 3.0 SSD
• 1TB M.2 NVMe™ PCIe® SSD with 32GB Intel® Optane™ Memory

Vivobook offers a minimum capacity of 128GB of memory while Expertbook’s minimum memory capacity is 512GB. Although 128GB of SSD memory looks good compared to the basic level MacBook Air, practically that capacity will run out quickly after a few weeks of office or business use.

Vivobook has optimized the speed of data transfer by adding a 32GB Optane memory which would be good for general purpose use. However, Expertbook has more Optane memory which results in less amounts of data to be relayed between the HDD and the SSD to speed up processing.

Keyboard	VivoBook S14 (S435)	Expertbook B9 (B9400)
Backlit Chiclet Keyboard	✓	✓
1.4mm Key-travel	✓
Support NumberPad	✓	✓
Spill-resistant Keyboard		✓
1.5mm Key-travel		✓

The spill resistant keyboard is a good addition for office and business use, especially for those who travel extensively. A simple accident would not cause you a whole lot of trouble with a spill resistant keyboard.

Ports	VivoBook S14 (S435)	Expertbook B9 (B9400)
1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A	✓
1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A		✓
2x Thunderbolt™ 4 supports display / power delivery		✓
2x USB 2.0 Type-A	✓
1x Thunderbolt™ 4 supports display / power delivery	✓
1x HDMI 1.4	✓
1x HDMI 2.0b		✓
1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack	✓	✓
1x Headphone out	✓
Micro SD card reader	✓

ExpertBook has included the modern ports such as USB 3.2 Gen 2 and 1x HDMI 2.0b while VivoBook has old USB 2.0 ports with 1 USB 3.2 port. Clearly the ExpertBook has been designed with modern accessories and technology in mind, while VivoBook has been designed for those who are transitioning from the old models to the new models.

Battery	VivoBook S14 (S435)	Expertbook B9 (B9400)
50WHrs, 3S1P, 3-cell Li-ion battery	✓
66WHrs, 4S1P, 4-cell Li-ion		✓
33WHrs, 2S1P, 2-cell Li-ion		✓

Weight	VivoBook S14 (S435)	Expertbook B9 (B9400)
1.40 kg (3.09 lbs)	✓
1.01 kg (2.23 lbs)		✓
0.88 kg (1.94 lbs)		✓

Dimensions	VivoBook S14 (S435)	Expertbook B9 (B9400)
(W x D x H) 32.40 x 21.30 x 1.59 ~ 1.59 cm (12.76″ x 8.39″ x 0.63″ ~ 0.63″)	✓
(W x D x H) 32.00 x 20.30 x 0.90 ~ 1.49 cm (12.60″ x 7.99″ x 0.35″ ~ 0.59″)		✓

Microsoft Office	VivoBook S14 (S435)	Expertbook B9 (B9400)
1-month trial for new Microsoft 365 customers. Credit card required.	✓	✓
Microsoft Office Home & Business 2019		✓
Office Home and Student 2019 included	✓	✓
WPS Office 30 days trial version		✓

Both Expertbook and the Vivobook have pre-installed 30 day trial versions of Office 365 service that needs a credit card for activation. Both laptops come with Office Home and Student 2019 pre-installed which would save you a fair amount of money.

Price Comparison

Model	Price
ASUS ExpertBook B9 Core i7-1165G7 CPU, 1TB SSD, 16GB RAM, 66WHrs, Intel Iris Xe Graphics	Amazon  $1,923.44 Asus  $ 1,699.99
ASUS ExpertBook B9 T14” Intel Core i7-1165G7 1TB SSD, 16GB RAM Intel UHD Graphics	Amazon $ 1,699.99
VivoBook S14 S435 14” i7-1165G7 8GB RAM, 512GB PCIe SSD	BestBuy $949.99 Newegg $949.99 BH $899.99

As evident in the pricing, Vivobook is a cheaper substitution but with similar performance.

Security Comparison

Both notebooks have tried to stay true to their designed purpose of being a business or work laptop. What we compare here is how far each of them go in terms of ease of use and advanced features.

Expertbook

• HDD User Password Protection and Security
• BIOS Booting User Password Protection
• Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0
• Kensington Lock
• IR webcam with Windows Hello support
• Fingerprint sensor
• US MIL-STD 810H military-grade standard build

Vivobook

• BIOS Booting User Password Protection
• Trusted Platform Module (Firmware TPM)
• McAfee LiveSafe™ 30-day trial
• Fingerprint sensor

Both laptops have BIOS Booting User Password Protection, a security feature that could lock your computer from unauthorized booting. Both laptops also have fingerprint sensors, a feature highly popular as well as useful.

Additionally the Expertbook has a Kensington lock which could be useful in an office environment.

The McAfee trial could be useful for anyone who intend to use the virus guard, but the Windows Defender virus guard has made third party security applications redundant.