ASUS Vivobook 16 2025 Review (Core Ultra 5 225H): Great Productivity Machine

Intel’s been pushing hard to reclaim its spot in the laptop performance race, especially with Apple’s M-series chips and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite shaking things up. The Core Ultra Series 2 is an excellent attempt, and I think they’ve delivered, especially after my amazing experience with Core Ultra 7 258V on the ASUS Zenbook S14 (review).

With the Vivobook 16, ASUS aims to deliver the same experience at a lower price point, more specifically at ₹75,990. But does it actually deliver? I’ve spent some time with this laptop to find out. Let’s dive into a detailed review of the ASUS Vivobook 16 X1607CA-MB142WS, powered by Intel’s latest Core Ultra 5 225H processor.

ASUS Vivobook 16 2025 Review: Design and Build

The ASUS Vivobook 16 greets you with a minimalist yet elegant design. The Cool Silver finish has a smooth, almost metallic feel despite being plastic, giving it a premium vibe that belies its price tag. At 1.88 kg and just 1.79 cm thick, it’s impressively portable for a 16-inch laptop.

ASUS claims it’s MIL-STD-810H military-grade certified, meaning it’s been through the wringer with tests for temperature extremes, shocks, and vibrations. That gives me confidence it’ll survive the occasional bump or travel mishap.

The lid sports the iconic ASUS Vivobook logo, subtly embossed, and opens with a one-finger lift—a small but appreciated touch of refinement (it’s not a smooth lift though). The 180° hinge is a standout feature, letting you lay the screen flat for collaboration or presentations. 

Ventilation is smartly handled with vents below the keyboard, keeping heat away from your lap. The wedge-shaped profile tapers downward, with a lift as well. The 16:10 aspect ratio screen maximizes vertical space, making it a productivity champ. 

Overall, the design strikes a balance between practicality and style, though I wish ASUS had opted for a metal build to elevate the premium feel further.

I/O

The Vivobook 16 doesn’t skimp on connectivity. On the left, you’ve got two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C ports with Power Delivery and DisplayPort support, an HDMI 1.4 port (up to 4K at 60 Hz), and a 3.5mm headphone jack. There’s also two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports (5 Gbps) on either side.

It’s a solid lineup, though I’d have loved a second HDMI or a Thunderbolt 4 port for future-proofing. Charging via USB-C is a welcome feature, but it’s limited to one side, which can be inconvenient depending on your setup.

Flip it over, and you’ll spot the dual bottom-firing speakers and rubber feet for stability. The webcam sits atop the display with a physical privacy shutter—a thoughtful nod to security-conscious users. Weight distribution feels even, and the laptop sits firmly on any surface.

Windows Hello: IR Recognition

The FHD IR camera with Windows Hello is a mixed bag. When it works, it’s lightning-fast—unlocking the laptop in a blink. But it’s picky about angles and lighting. I often had to adjust my position to get it to recognize me, which gets old fast. 

There’s no fingerprint scanner option, which is a bummer—I’d take a reliable sensor over finicky IR any day. That said, the wake time is almost instant, which is a rare feature on Windows laptops.

Upgradability

The Vivobook 16 offers some flexibility for tinkerers. The 16GB DDR5 RAM (5600 MHz) is soldered, but there’s a single SO-DIMM slot to bump it up to 32GB—great for future-proofing. 

Storage-wise, the 512GB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD can be swapped for up to a 2TB drive, though there’s no second slot. Accessing the internals is straightforward with a few screws, making upgrades a breeze for DIY enthusiasts.

ASUS Vivobook 16 2025 Review: Keyboard and Trackpad

The ASUS “ErgoSense” keyboard is a highlight. With 1.7mm key travel and a 19.05mm key pitch (matching a desktop layout), it’s a joy to type on—responsive, quiet, and comfortable for long sessions. It’s a full-size keyboard with a numpad.

The backlit chiclet design offers three brightness levels, adjustable via the MyASUS app or automatically based on ambient light. It can get very bright. My only gripes? The arrow keys are a bit small for my liking, and the dedicated Copilot key feels unnecessary—I remapped it to the Ctrl key with PowerToys.

The trackpad is a standout. It’s large, smooth, and fully clickable, with a hydrophobic coating that resists smudges and wear. ASUS Smart Gestures add flair—slide the left edge for volume, the right for brightness, or the top for video scrubbing. 

Four-finger gestures work flawlessly with Windows 11, making multitasking a breeze. It’s one of the better trackpads I’ve used in this price range—precise and intuitive. However, I can’t help but wish it was a glass trackpad.

ASUS Vivobook 16 2025 Review: Display

The 16-inch (1920 x 1200) IPS display is decent for this price. The 16:10 aspect ratio gives you extra vertical real estate, perfect for documents, coding, or multitasking. The 300 Nits of brightness is fine indoors but it struggles outdoors. You have pretty narrow bezels on either side but there’s a noticeable chin and forehead too.

Colors pop with decent accuracy (45% NTSC gamut), and viewing angles are wide—great for sharing content. That said, it’s not perfect. The 60Hz refresh rate feels dated when competitors are pushing 120Hz, even at this price. Fast-moving content can look a tad choppy, and there’s no adaptive refresh option. I really appreciate the anti-glare coating for the display though. 

ASUS Vivobook 16 2025 Review: Software

Running Windows 11 Home, the Vivobook 16 feels snappy, even with 20+ tabs open. The MyASUS app is a hub for tweaking performance modes, monitoring battery health, and updating drivers—handy and user-friendly. 

Pre-installed Microsoft Office 365 (1-year) and Office Home 2024 (lifetime) add value. AI features like noise-canceling audio and 3DNR webcam enhancements work as advertised, making calls crystal-clear. GlideX and ScreenXpert boost productivity with cross-device screen sharing and multi-monitor management.

The Copilot key is there, but I remapped it—its utility depends on your workflow. Bloatware is minimal, with McAfee (1-year) being the main extra, easily removable if unwanted.

ASUS Vivobook 16 2025 Review: Performance

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225H (Series 2) powers the Vivobook 16, boasting 14 cores (4 performance, 8 efficient, 2 low-power efficient), 16 threads, and a turbo boost up to 4.9 GHz. The TDP is 28W.

Paired with 16GB DDR5 RAM (5600 MHz) and a 512GB PCIe 4.0 SSD, it’s built for productivity. The integrated Intel Graphics handle everyday tasks, while the Intel AI Boost NPU (up to 13 TOPS) adds a sprinkle (emphasis on sprinkle) of AI for features like noise cancellation.

Synthetic Benchmarks

Here’s how it stacks up in benchmarks (all tests run while plugged in):

These scores suggest solid performance for multitasking, light editing, and browsing, though it won’t rival high-end chips like the Ryzen 9 HX 370 or Snapdragon X Elite in raw power, especially the GPU. The SSD’s PCIe 4.0 speeds ensure snappy load times and file transfers.

Gaming Performance

Gaming isn’t this laptop’s forte. With only Intel Graphics, don’t expect miracles. Casual titles like Stardew Valley or Among Us should run fine, but anything demanding will struggle. Thermals stay tame, with the upgraded heat pipe and taller fan keeping things cool and quiet under load.

ASUS Vivobook 16 2025 Review: Battery Life and Charging

The 42Wh battery impresses for its size. ASUS claims up to 60% charge in 49 minutes with the included 65W USB-C charger, and my experience aligns—about 50 minutes from near-empty to 60%. Full charge takes around 1.5 to 2 hours, even under light use.

Real-world battery life shines: I got about 8 hours of mixed use (browsing, streaming, Word), stretching to 9-10 hours in some cycles. That’s competitive with Snapdragon-powered laptops and beats many AMD rivals.

The USB-C Easy Charge feature is a game-changer, letting you top up with power banks or any 5-20V PD charger. This has been a major complaint from my side and I’m glad ASUS has addressed this finally. Unfortunately, you still get a brick-style adapter in the box; a sleeker GaN adapter would’ve been ideal.

ASUS Vivobook 16 2025 Review: Speakers and Webcam

The bottom-firing SonicMaster speakers are loud but lack punch. Bass is muted, and mids can get muddy—fine for casual listening or calls, but music lovers will want headphones. The Dirac-tuned audio and ASUS Audio Booster help, pushing volume 1.5X, but clarity suffers a lot.

The FHD webcam with 3DNR is a step up from 720p norms. In good light, it’s sharp with decent framing features, but low-light performance drops off. The physical privacy shutter is a win, though, adding peace of mind.

Review Verdict: Should You Buy the ASUS Vivobook 16 2025?

The ASUS Vivobook 16 Core Ultra 5 225H is a compelling pick for productivity-focused users on a budget. Its lightweight build, 16:10 display, stellar battery life, and comfy keyboard make it a standout at ₹75,990. 

It handles everyday tasks with ease and throws in AI perks that actually enhance the experience. Gaming and multimedia take a backseat due to the integrated graphics and so-so speakers, but that’s not its target.

Compared to pricier options like the Zenbook 14 OLED or Snapdragon-powered Vivobooks, it trades some flair for value. If you need a reliable workhorse with portability and endurance, this is a no-brainer. Gamers or creatives needing GPU grunt should look elsewhere.

Smartprix ⭐ Rating: 8.5/10

• Design and Build: 8.5/10
• Keyboard and Trackpad: 9/10
• Display: 8.5/10
• Performance and Gaming: 7.5/10
• Battery Life and Charging: 9/10
• Software: 8.5/10
• Speakers and Webcam: 7.5/10

First reviewed in March 2025.

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