ASUS Vivobook 14" TP3402VA-DS51T-CA 2023, Core i5-13420H, 16GB, 1TB SSD, Quiet Blue

The 1TB NVMe SSD is the headline here, ranking in the 80th percentile for storage, which is genuinely impressive at this price. But the integrated Intel UHD Graphics score just 14.6 out of 100 for gaming, making this one of the worst gaming laptops we've tested. The Core i5-13420H and 16GB of DDR4 RAM handle everyday tasks fine, but the 50Wh battery and 2.50kg weight undercut the portability pitch. At CAD 999 to CAD 1,139, it's a reasonable 2-in-1 if you need the touchscreen and storage, but a poor choice if you want any graphics performance.

The Core i5-13420H is the engine here, an 8-core chip with a 2.1GHz base clock that handles multitasking and productivity work without breaking a sweat. It ranks at the 55th percentile for CPUs in our database, which puts it firmly in 'solid but unremarkable' territory. You're not getting the kind of performance that'll make video editors or data crunchers excited, but for students and office workers juggling browser tabs, documents, and video calls, it's more than enough. The 16GB of DDR4 RAM is a bit of a letdown though, sitting at the 37th percentile. DDR4 in 2024 feels like a cost-cutting move, and it means this laptop won't age as gracefully as machines with DDR5.

The integrated Intel UHD Graphics are the real weak spot. With a gaming score of 14.6 out of 100, this thing is dead last for anything resembling modern gaming. You can forget about running anything more demanding than Minesweeper or maybe some light indie titles at low settings. The 1TB NVMe SSD is the performance bright spot, ranking in the 80th percentile for storage. That's a genuinely generous amount of space, and NVMe speeds mean boot times and app launches will feel snappy. The 14-inch 1920x1200 display sits at the 67th percentile for screens, which is above average but nothing to write home about. The 300 nits of brightness is fine for indoor use but will struggle in direct sunlight.

Stacked against the competition, this Vivobook is bringing a butter knife to a gunfight. The Apple MacBook Pro M4 Pro absolutely demolishes it in every performance metric, though it costs significantly more. The Lenovo Legion 5i 83F00008US and HP OMEN Transcend 14-fb1023dx both offer dedicated GPUs that make the Vivobook's integrated graphics look like a calculator, and the MSI Raider RAIDERGE6814247 is in a completely different performance tier. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition is probably the closest competitor in spirit, another premium Windows machine aimed at productivity, but it offers better build quality and a superior display. Where the Vivobook holds its own is storage, that 1TB SSD at the 80th percentile beats what you'll find in many competitors at this price point. But storage alone doesn't win the race. The 2.50kg weight is also heavier than most of these competitors, which all prioritize portability more effectively.

Pricing for this Vivobook varies by CAD 140 across Canadian retailers, with listings ranging from CAD 999 to CAD 1,139. Memory Express has the better deal at the lower end of that spread, and at CAD 999, you're getting a 1TB SSD and a capable 8-core CPU for under a grand, which isn't bad. But the value proposition gets murkier when you factor in the DDR4 RAM, the weak integrated graphics, and the 50Wh battery. You're paying for the 2-in-1 form factor and the storage capacity, not for overall performance. If you don't need the touchscreen or the flip hinge, there are better-specced traditional laptops in this price range. If you do want a convertible, this is a reasonable but not exceptional deal, especially if you can snag it at the CAD 999 price point rather than the CAD 1,139 listing.

The ASUS Vivobook TP3402VA-DS51T-CA is a 14-inch 2-in-1 that gets the basics right and not much else. The 1TB NVMe SSD is the star here, landing in the 80th percentile for storage, which means you're getting more room than most laptops in this class. The Intel Core i5-13420H is a solid 8-core chip that sits right around the middle of the pack at the 55th percentile, and 16GB of DDR4 RAM keeps things moving for everyday tasks. But the integrated Intel UHD Graphics drag the whole package down, scoring just 14.6 out of 100 for gaming, which is one of the worst results we've seen in this category.

The display is a 1920x1200 IPS panel with 300 nits of brightness and 45% NTSC color coverage. That's fine for documents and web browsing, but the 60Hz refresh rate and limited color gamut mean this isn't a machine for photo editing or anything visually demanding. At 2.50kg, it's also heavier than you'd expect for a 14-inch convertible, which undercuts the whole 'flip it into tablet mode' pitch. The 50Wh battery is modest, and while we don't have runtime data, that capacity paired with a mid-tier CPU suggests you'll be reaching for the charger before the day is done.

Skip this one if you care about graphics performance at all. The integrated Intel UHD Graphics scoring 14.6 out of 100 for gaming is a red flag that can't be ignored, and the 16GB of DDR4 RAM at the 37th percentile means this machine will feel dated sooner than competitors with DDR5. The 2.50kg weight is also a problem if you're planning to use this as a tablet, since holding a 2.5kg slab in one hand gets old fast. And if you need long battery life, the 50Wh capacity is a weak spot that'll have you hunting for outlets. Creative professionals should also look elsewhere, the 45% NTSC color coverage on the display isn't accurate enough for photo or video work. If any of those describe you, save your money or spend it on something with a dedicated GPU and better battery life.

The ASUS Vivobook TP3402VA-DS51T-CA is a laptop that makes sense for a very specific buyer: someone who wants a 2-in-1 with a big SSD and doesn't care about gaming or graphics performance. The 1TB NVMe SSD at the 80th percentile is genuinely impressive, and the Core i5-13420H is a capable workhorse for everyday tasks. But the integrated graphics scoring 14.6 out of 100 for gaming is a dealbreaker for anyone who wants to do more than browse and type. The DDR4 RAM at the 37th percentile and the 50Wh battery both feel like compromises that'll sting down the road. If you can get this at CAD 999 from Memory Express and you specifically need a touchscreen convertible with lots of storage, it's a defensible purchase. Otherwise, you're paying for a form factor while sacrificing performance you could get elsewhere for the same money.