Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.
Performance
Our unit of the Asus X509 is powered by Intel 8th gen. Core i7-8565U processor with 8GB RAM and 512GB PCIe NVME SSD. This is paired with discrete NVIDIA GeForce MX230 2GB graphics for light photo/video editing.
The other variants of the X509 laptop make do with integrated Intel UHD Graphics 620 which is the default option.
It has room for upgrades as it supports dual storage options and upto 1TB 2.5-inch HDD can be used to increase storage. Additionally, the laptop supports upto 12GB of RAM expansion.
Performance-wise, the laptop is able to power through general tasks and browsing with ease. As it is a budget offering, expecting heavy and graphics-intensive performance would be too much. Though it can easily run games like Counter-Strike and PUBG is just about playable.
Having said that, this laptop isn’t meant for gaming and if that’s one of your primary requirement, there are dedicated gaming laptops which will be best suited to the task.
We used it to go about our general work which involves typing endlessly, editing pictures on the side, a bit of YouTube video watching, staying connected to different social platforms and generally surfing the Internet.
The X509 fares well in these basic tasks and doesn’t show any strains. The thermal performance is good and the laptop doesn’t get warm easily. Audio output from the laptop is loud as far as budget laptops go and it also receives a SonicMaster Premium certification. Even though the speakers are placed facing downwards on the base, the laptop can channel clear audio without being muffled.
Overall, if you’re looking for a laptop that does the basics well, the X509 doesn’t disappoint. For everything else including heavy-duty gaming and video editing, there are better options available such as Asus’ own TUF series.
Keyboard, I/O and Battery life
Asus X509 features a full-sized chiclet keyboard with a dedicated number pad. Tapping individual keys require around 1.4mm travel for the system to register. The keys aren’t closely packed and have adequate gaps especially between arrow keys.
Typing on the keyboard is a bit uneasy if you’re a regular user of keyboard. The tactile feedback from the keyboard is just not pleasing due to the addition of a metal plate beneath the surface of the keyboard. And while it reinforces the chassis of the laptop to make it more durable, it doesn’t help improve the typing experience.
The trackpad on the laptop has a glass coating and supports Windows 10 precision drivers which enable multi-touch gesture input. Besides, there’s a fingerprint sensor embedded on the top right corner of the trackpad that works with Windows Hello secure login solution. Users can directly log into the laptop without having to enter a password or a pin and the whole process is pretty smooth.
As far as I/O ports are considered, the Asus X509 has a single 3.5mm audio combo jack, USB 3.1 Type-C, USB 3.0 Type-A, two USB 2.0 ports, microSD card slot and an HDMI 1.4 port. The laptop comes with dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2 support.
Asus X509 packs in a 32Whrs 2-cell battery and the company claims that it supports fast-charging up to 60% in 49 minutes.
In our experience with the X509, the battery life was average with around 4 hours of usage on a single charge. This is a general pain-point for budget users as the laptops in the segment are not known for their power efficiency. The Asus X509 doesn’t make it up to the consumers either but it does charge fully in about 110 minutes.
Verdict
Asus X509 is a great value for money laptop starting at Rs 30,990 for the base variant with 7th gen. Intel Core-i3 chip. Even the 8th gen. Core-i5 variant is a great deal at Rs 42,990. However, when it comes to the Core-i7 model of the X509 which retails at Rs 59,990, there are better options available in the market at that price point. Most notably HP’s Pavilion Gaming series and Asus TUF FX505 laptop, both of which are priced similarly but offer a better set of hardware and features.
Otherwise, the Asus Laptop 15 X509 is a sufficiently good entry-level offering. Anyone who is looking for a laptop for basic work, web browsing, watching YouTube videos or movies, listening to music and light photo and video editing should definitely go for this laptop. It’s not like it doesn’t come with its own set of problems, but those are largely dismissable for its asking price.
