The ASUS VivoBook 15 (model F1504ZA) is one of the most aggressive 15.6-inch values in the budget tier — a 12th-generation Intel Core i3-1215U, 8 GB of DDR4 RAM, a 256 GB NVMe SSD, and a full-size keyboard with numeric pad in a sub-$400 chassis. It’s the laptop for buyers who want a real 15-inch screen and a comfortable typing surface but won’t pay for the $500-and-up tier. This review covers what the F1504ZA actually delivers at its $399 MSRP — and the compromises ASUS made to hit that price.
The F1504ZA is the laptop for buyers who want a full-size 15.6-inch display, a numpad-equipped keyboard, and a modern Intel CPU for under $400. It’s plastic-bodied, around 1.7 kg, and built for everyday computing: writing, browsing, email, light spreadsheets, and video calls. It’s a fit for:
Where the F1504ZA falls short: the 8 GB of RAM is soldered and not user-upgradeable. If you need 16 GB for heavy Chrome-tab work, light Photoshop, or multitasking across a dozen apps, you’ll hit a wall — step up to the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15″ at $749 or the Acer Aspire 5 A515-58MT with the Core i5-1335U.
| Component | Configuration |
|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i3-1215U (2 P-cores + 4 E-cores, 8 threads, 4.4 GHz P-core boost) |
| GPU | Intel UHD Graphics (integrated, 64 EUs) |
| Memory | 8 GB DDR4 (soldered, not upgradeable) |
| Storage | 256 GB PCIe NVMe SSD (M.2, user-replaceable) |
| Display | 15.6-inch IPS, 1920 x 1080, matte finish, ~250 nits |
| Weight | 1.7 kg (3.75 lbs) |
| Battery | 42 Wh (claimed up to 8 hours; real-world 5-6 hours) |
| Ports | USB-C 3.2 Gen 1, 2x USB-A 3.2, USB-A 2.0, HDMI 1.4, 3.5 mm audio, DC power |
| Wireless | Wi-Fi 5 (ac), Bluetooth 5.1 |
| MSRP at launch (2023) | $399 |
The 15.6-inch 1080p IPS display is the standout feature for the price. Most sub-$400 laptops from the same generation ship with dim TN panels that have terrible viewing angles — this panel is matte (good for working under fluorescent lights or near windows), reaches about 250 nits (fine for indoor use, marginal outdoors), and has the wide viewing angles IPS is known for. Color coverage is roughly 65% sRGB — enough for office work and web browsing, not enough for serious photo editing or print design.
At 1920 x 1080, text is sharp at the default Windows scaling. There’s no high-refresh-rate option on this SKU; it’s a standard 60 Hz panel. The matte coating reduces glare but also dulls perceived contrast slightly compared to a glossy display — a worthwhile tradeoff for productivity work.
Intel’s Core i3-1215U is a 12th-generation Alder Lake chip with two performance cores, four efficiency cores, and eight threads total. It’s a generation older than the i3-1315U in the Acer Aspire 5 and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3, but at $399 it’s the right kind of chip: fast enough for everyday tasks, easy on battery, and quiet under load.
In real-world use, the F1504ZA handles a typical workday of 10-15 browser tabs, Slack, Zoom, and a streaming video in the background without stuttering. The SSD keeps boot and app launch times snappy. The 8 GB of RAM is the constraint — once you push past ~20 Chrome tabs or try to run Photoshop alongside a browser, you’ll feel the system swap to disk. There’s no RAM upgrade path because the memory is soldered; the 256 GB SSD can be swapped to a larger NVMe drive if you need more space later.
For gaming: the integrated Intel UHD GPU will run older titles (Stardew Valley, Hollow Knight, indie games) at 1080p fine. Modern AAA games are not realistic at playable frame rates. If gaming matters, the Acer Swift X 14 or any RTX-equipped laptop is the right step up.
The chassis is polycarbonate (plastic) with a subtle matte texture on the lid that resists fingerprints better than glossy finishes. The keyboard is full-size with a dedicated numpad — a real differentiator at this price, since many budget laptops omit it or shrink the layout. The keyboard has decent travel for a budget laptop and a quiet typing feel. The trackpad is a plastic-surface Precision unit; it tracks accurately but the click feels hollow compared to higher-end laptops.
Port selection is solid for the price: one USB-C 3.2 Gen 1, two USB-A 3.2, one USB-A 2.0 (useful for a mouse dongle), HDMI 1.4, and a 3.5 mm audio jack. There’s no Ethernet and no SD card reader on this model. The webcam is 720p — fine for video calls, dim in low light.
Speakers are bottom-firing and mediocre — they’re fine for system sounds and the occasional YouTube video, but headphones or external speakers are recommended for music or movies. The fan stays quiet under normal use and only ramps up under sustained load.
One note on wireless: the F1504ZA ships with Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), not Wi-Fi 6. For a budget laptop in 2023-2024 that’s typical, but if your home network is Wi-Fi 6 and you care about peak throughput on local transfers, this laptop leaves some speed on the table. Bluetooth 5.1 is included.
Buy the VivoBook 15 F1504ZA if: you want a real 15.6-inch laptop with a numpad, an IPS display, and a modern Intel CPU for $400 or less. The combination of a comfortable keyboard, real port selection, and an SSD in a 1.7 kg package is hard to beat at this price.
Skip it if: you need more than 8 GB of RAM for your workflow (the RAM is soldered and not upgradeable), you want a brighter or higher-resolution display, or you plan to do any serious gaming or creative work — at which point the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15″ (16 GB / 512 GB / 2.5K) or the Acer Aspire 5 with the Core i5 are the right step up.
The ASUS VivoBook 15 F1504ZA is the budget laptop to buy at $399. It does the basics well, has a usable keyboard with a numpad, ships with a real SSD instead of slow eMMC, and offers solid battery life in a portable package. The 8 GB of non-upgradeable RAM and the Wi-Fi 5 (instead of Wi-Fi 6) are the real compromises, and for most buyers in this price bracket, they’re compromises you can live with. At $399 MSRP, this is the kind of laptop that replaces a five-year-old machine and feels like an upgrade in every meaningful way. If your budget is strictly $400, the F1504ZA is the strongest answer in the 15-inch class right now.
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