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Asus Vivobook F510UA, FHD Laptop, Intel Core i5-8250U, 8GB RAM, 1TB HDD $532.92 USD (~$683.92 AUD) Delivered @ Amazon

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Asus Vivobook F510UA, FHD Laptop, Intel Core i5-8250U, 8GB RAM, 1TB HDD $532.92 USD (~$683.92 AUD) Delivered @ AmazonAffiliate
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aong152 on 19/04/2018 - 13:56 amazon.com (5228 clicks)
Last edited 19/04/2018 - 14:06 by 1 other user
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The previous deal expired (520->570 USD) and now it's come back down again.
This is definitely a great DIY laptop! DIY Recommendations:

  • I recommend getting or finding a cheap 128-256gb m.2 SATA3 SSD to go with this.
  • I also recommend undervolting (i'm getting -80 millivolts)
  • Also recommend replacing thermal paste.
  • Also recommend moving the OS to the SSD, with an optional reinstall of Win10

Pros:

  • Small form factor for 15" due to thin bezels
  • Extremely cheap 8250u
  • Extremely cheap - local equivalent is probably $1200 AUD
  • Light - Due to its plastic construction its one of the lightest 15"
  • Really small power brick (still need to get a US->AU adapter though).

Cons:

  • Short battery life (i have not tested this)
  • "Flimsy keyboard" (i disagree with this, i think the keyboard is fine, and I'm coming from Cherry MX Greens)
  • Slow boot (fix this by adding an SSD)

Neutral:

  • Build Quality (I would say the build quality is equivalent to $1000~$1200 laptops in jb-hifi. You can try out the VivoBook S15 in jb-hifi or binglee to get a feel for the keyboard/build quality)
  • Bloatware - uninstall them or reinstall windows
  • Integrated graphics - raises battery life but obviously less performance

Previous sale:
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/346290

Price History at C CamelCamelCamel.
Computing ASUS Computer Laptop

Related Stores

Amazon US
Amazon US

closed Comments

  • zrmx on 19/04/2018 - 14:08
    +12

    Good price and good post with the tips. =)

    • Clain on 19/04/2018 - 21:19

      They are some really solid tips for getting started.

  • ccsvchost on 19/04/2018 - 14:21
    +7

    I don't think you need to replace thermal paste on these low voltage cpus. They don't generally get that hot unless you're gaming for over 2 hours and being a laptop with integrated graphics, games you would play on this would be less taxing.

    • aong152 on 19/04/2018 - 14:33

      On stock voltage, Prime95 quickly takes the temps to 85 before it throttles down.

      Under-volting it makes it take quite a bit longer before throttling.

      I haven't tried repasting yet, and obviously when gaming, load will be far less.

      Idle temps are around 40c for me.

      • badonde on 19/04/2018 - 15:33

        Have an i7-8550U and repasting helped quite a bit.
        Because they are quad core they seem to be a lot hotter, and my fan was on constantly until repasting.
        Could just be i7

  • ESEMCE on 19/04/2018 - 14:27
    +2

    +1 for an excellent post.

  • Make it so on 19/04/2018 - 14:37

    I love mine. Bought it when it was US $499. Weighs next to nothing compared to other ones that size in that price range. Performs great, and fingerprint scanner handy. Screen is very nice. Keyboard perfectly okay (I'm an aggressive typer).

    Cloned Windows install to M.2 SSD, now boots very fast. No issues with the OS it came with (didn't reinstall).

  • Cheap Charlie on 19/04/2018 - 15:08

    aong152

    What is your prefered method for undervolting an Asus laptop?

    • dknight on 19/04/2018 - 15:47

      Same question from me. Do you change it in the bios ?

      • Cheap Charlie on 19/04/2018 - 15:59
        +1

        I am interested in how its done, I would imagine bios is pretty limited with the OEM mobo.
        Intels XTU perhaps?

    • aong152 on 20/04/2018 - 11:50

      There's only two ways.
      Intel XTU or Throttlestop. I'm using ThrottleStop.

      Look up guides online.

      I was able to get -0.14v (140 millivolts) in with full load, but restarting the computer and setting it from no load would crash it.
      I'm currently using -0.08v (80 millivolts). This is due to me using "adaptive offset".
      If I was a more clever undervolter, i would test every BCLK and generate a table where it does -80 millivolts for no load, and have a carefully calibrated curve for each frequency until it hits full load -140 millivolts when its at full load.

      It takes a lot longer to throttle now (probably 3-4 minutes vs 10 seconds) at full load (3.4ghz on all threads)
      I'm hoping that after repasting it'll be even better.

      Before
      Throttles after 10 seconds (85c), Stabilizes at 2.5-3.0ghz @ 75c

      After
      Throttles after 1-2 minutes (85c), stabilizes at 2.5-3.0ghz @ 68c

      Note that due to clocks being in a wide range, temps aren't directly comparable.

      I am not an expert in undervolting, this is the 2nd laptop i've undervolted (first one was around 8-10 years ago, between then and now, laptops didn't support undervolting)

      Also note the fan doesn't even kick in properly until it throttles. Ideally, someone more savvy than I could write a driver/xml file for notebook fan control so that the fan kicks in at 65c. I think that this would stop it from throttling. I have tried speedfan but it doesn't have the correct drivers so you can't control fan curves.

      • Cheap Charlie on 20/04/2018 - 13:05

        Interesting…
        I had a play with I XTU last night with my Zenbook.
        Cpu temps were spiking up to 88c and throttling faily quickly.
        Might be time to repaste, clean the fan and run the benchmark tests again

      • Cheap Charlie on 23/04/2018 - 10:29

        Thoughts on which thermal paste to run with?

        • aong152 on 23/04/2018 - 17:13

          https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/thermal-paste-compariso…

          Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut for $9 from PCCG + shipping.

        • aong152 on 24/04/2018 - 13:29

          Just repasted - no significant temperature difference. So not worth it if you don't already have thermal paste lying around.

        • Cheap Charlie on 24/04/2018 - 13:32

          @aong152: Thanks

        • aong152 on 24/04/2018 - 13:39

          If other people have repasted, please post here with your results!

          I used Gelid GC 2 (roughly equivalent to AS5 in performance).

          No significant temperature difference (Though i think i put too much. Cant be bothered repasting again now)

      • aong152 on 24/04/2018 - 13:36

        I've now learned a whole bunch more about undervolting and its effects.

        The reason it was throttling before was not temperature, but rather a thing called "Power limit"
        PL1 - amount of watts allowed to be given to your CPU indefinitely
        PL2 - amount of watts allowed to be given to your CPU for "a short time"
        PL Timer - how long PL2 lasts for.

        By default, in the F510ua, the values are:
        PL1 - 15w
        PL2 - 25w
        PL Timer - 28 seconds.

        This means that after 28 seconds, regardless of your undervolt, the computer will only supply 15 watts of power to your CPU.
        However, if you undervolt, the clock speed that you get from undervolting is increased.
        i.e. without undervolt, 15w of power = 2.6ghz. with undervolt, 15w of power = 2.9ghz.

        Additionally, you can tweak PL1, PL2 and PL Timer.
        Using XTU (another program), i set PL1 and PL2 to 40w (note that the cpu only uses around 26w at max. PL1 and PL2 are just LIMITS. if you set them high enough, the cpu never reaches them). With PL1 and PL2 set to 40w, i was able to achieve 3.4ghz permanently while undervolted. The CPU stayed at 90c.
        If i didn't undervolt, the CPU would hit 100c eventually and slow down.

        With all these tweaks, it is possible to set a bunch of profiles for the best scenarios
        * Everyday usage - undervolt only, average wattage will be less
        * Rendering - undervolt and remove PL1 and PL2 (stay at 3.4ghz locked for hours at a time)
        * Low power mode - undervolt and change PL1 and PL2 (force cpu to use a maximum of 8w instead of 15w)

        • Cheap Charlie on 24/04/2018 - 13:41

          Thanks for the knowledge.

          If you are running W10 you may find this interesting: https://youtu.be/l-IfCgk-Uk4
          Running through the config settings I also noted there is an option where you can control what happens when a certain event happens.
          ie, when you reach thermal limits you can select to increase fan speed or retard the cpu…

  • Godric on 19/04/2018 - 16:23

    Touch?

    • ntt on 19/04/2018 - 16:36
      +4

      be my guess

      • Godric on 19/04/2018 - 17:50

        Nope : (

    • montorola on 19/04/2018 - 17:16
      +6

      -1 for you

      • imahapyboy on 19/04/2018 - 17:17
        -7

        good job, at least that make you happy

    • garage sale on 19/04/2018 - 17:20

      They also make phones and motherboards and all manufacturers use same chipsets …..

      • imahapyboy on 19/04/2018 - 17:21
        +1

        their warranty sucks

        • garage sale on 19/04/2018 - 17:21

          In what way and compared to what ?

  • mrfluffy on 19/04/2018 - 17:23
    +3

    Whats the go with repasting ? Do Asus use super el-cheapo thermal paste thats not up to the job? I would find that hard to believe.

    • Kiato on 20/04/2018 - 00:19

      All companies do when it comes to mass production they tend to buy cheap readily avaible. the after market thermal grizzly or even the more common artic silver/ Noctua pastes are immensely better at their job. Not to mention if you do it yourself you can control the amount applied.

    • aong152 on 20/04/2018 - 11:52

      Don't know why Kiato was down-voted. It is common knowledge that 99% of laptops will get a 5c improvement from repasting with even something modest like arctic silver/noctua NT-H1.

      This is what most laptop thermal paste applications look like:
      http://i.imgur.com/CyGo4Vb.jpg

      I.e. not very good.

      • aong152 on 24/04/2018 - 16:27
        +1

        I re-pasted. No temperature change (maybe i put too much?) so probably not worth repasting.

  • Inflow on 19/04/2018 - 17:26
    +3

    These Asus/Acer keyboards have the off button next to the delete button.
    -Caps lock without a led notification.

  • ptl93 on 19/04/2018 - 17:53
    +1

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B078YMY5VZ/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?ie=…

    256gb ssd with metal cover - $649 usd

    • casey2 on 20/04/2018 - 00:45

      For $659usd (with shipping) I got this (f510ua) with a 500GB m.2
      Doesn't have the metal cover and is 0.1" thicker, but for 250GB more ssd and 1TB HDD (Which I'll replace with a 4TB probably), seems a better deal to me… still they both look good.
      Yours is $22 more for shipping to Aus btw.

    • aong152 on 20/04/2018 - 11:57
      +1

      You can buy a 512gb sata SSD for $119usd, or a 256gb sata ssd for $75usd.

      That's $610USD~ for better specs (SSD + 1TB hdd), or
      That's $651USD~ for even better (500 SSD + 1TB hdd).

  • Splashtash on 19/04/2018 - 18:26
    +1

    I'm in need of a new laptop as the one i own below is breaking more and more each day. I have to leave the bottom of the case off due to the fan spinning/hitting something constantly and the plastic part of the frame is broken through wear and tear. Like a mini copter in my room…

    SO…. how does this Asus compare to my one currently?

    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/106669
    Intel i7-4700MQ Quad Core Processor 2.4 - 3.4Ghz Turbo
    16GB DDR3 1600Mhz System Memory
    750GB 7200RPM, DVD+/-RW Super Multi DVD Burner
    15.6-inch FHD LED MATTE BACKLIT (1920x1080)
    nVidia Geforce GTX670MX 3.0GB GDDR5 Dedicated Graphics DX11
    802.11b/g/n WLAN, 10/100/1000 Ethernet LAN, Bluetooth
    NO OPERATING SYSTEM
    3x USB 3.0, 1x USB 2.0, E-SATA, HDMI, Display Port. Surround Sound & Subwoofer. 2.0mp Webcam, SOUND BLASTER® X-Fi® MB3, Standard Keyboard with Numberpad, nVidia Optimus Technology
    Brand New in Box with 8 Cell Battery
    3.1KG

    • user01 on 19/04/2018 - 19:27
      +1

      in terms of performance, not much differences if you only use for web browsing or office.
      If you think your computer is slow, swap a SSD inside.
      Oh, the new one is definitely quieter than a mini copter.

    • error619 on 19/04/2018 - 19:40

      Calmerancer,
      that place has gone into Administration, was very surprised.

      • JuryWheel on 19/04/2018 - 19:59
        +1

        I was wondering where all the horize deals had gone. They seemed to be well regarded here a couple of years ago

      • Splashtash on 20/04/2018 - 07:15

        Yer I know…my laptop has so many issues with windows 10 as well. Mine auto updates and installs the latest version and makes the graphics card fk up badly when playing games. I've tried everything to stop the updates and nothing works. I have to keep doing a rollback every 1-2 weeks and delivery optimizer keeps downloading causing me lag in games and reopens after I end its task up to 5 times over 15 mins before it gets the point….

        Oh and I 4got to mention I upgraded my current laptop with a ssd

      • casey2 on 08/05/2018 - 18:54

        Or just look at all the metabox deals. They have some decent ones on run-out 7th gen… and they are still around unlike Horize.

    • aong152 on 20/04/2018 - 14:17

      In terms of raw performance,
      New CPU is better,
      Old GPU is better.

      For day to day tasks the newer laptop is half the weight (1.7kg~) and smaller, but will be far worse for gaming.

      They are in completely different laptop segments.

      I suggest comparing your current one to the Acer Swift 3 with MX150 instead if you want to upgrade while retaining gaming ability.

      • Splashtash on 20/04/2018 - 18:57

        Great response, thank you. However to confirm, the ace swift 3 only has a 14inch screen?

        • aong152 on 21/04/2018 - 03:17

          Correct:
          https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/371546

          There's also the Xiaomi Mi NoteBook Pro, but that's around $1200 aud when on sale.
          The Mi NoteBook Pro does have premium build quality though.

        • Splashtash on 21/04/2018 - 07:28

          @aong152: so do you rekon now is a good time to buy or should i wait a little bit longer? im ok to wait for a good priced deal.

        • aong152 on 24/04/2018 - 08:34

          @Calmerancer:

          Wait for mi notebook pro to go on sale the buy that.

          Read a few reviews though, you'll definitely want to undervolt so make sure Xiaomi doesn't lock undervolt capability.

  • Phyo on 19/04/2018 - 19:56

    I have this laptop and like it a lot. The specs perfectly fit me. Obviously I put a M.2 SSD as boot drive. It worked perfectly fine for 10 days but started to have booting problem. It would not boot at all with only Power button light on. No lights , no fan, no screen, nothing. However if I persist enough by long pressing the power buttion off and on for a few times, it will boot up randomly.
    Dont know what's going on. Now in the process of returning to back to Amazon. I think it's the problem with my unit only. I like the laptop. So will ask for exchange.

    • zrmx on 19/04/2018 - 19:59
      +1

      Have you tried contacting ASUS Australia? They do have international warranty.

      • Phyo on 19/04/2018 - 23:09

        It's still within return period to Amazon. So I will just send it back for replacement.

        • zrmx on 19/04/2018 - 23:29
          +1

          Ah, update us on how it goes when the replacement comes =)

        • Phyo on 02/05/2018 - 21:59

          @zrmx: Got the replacement today. Working well so far. Interesting thing is I can boot it from the SSD which has a copy of window from the returned laptop. No issues. The best part is that they refunded me $121 even though I only claimed $75 for the shipping fees via Australia post. I think they refunded me 75 USD ( I claimed it via their customer service ) and also an automatic refund of 15 USD. The best return experience ever !! :D

      • stefanko on 22/04/2018 - 21:29

        Yes, I had an issue W this model and did not want to bother posting it back to USA, Asus Australia has repaired it (dead LCD while external monitor was actually working) free of charge within a week, great service ASUS :)

    • Mitch889 on 20/04/2018 - 07:15
      +1

      Had an similar issue about 18mths ago with an Asus laptop 6mths in, they had to replace the motherboard.

    • Splashtash on 20/04/2018 - 07:18
      +1

      U need the right drives installed in the right order or ur laptop won't work. It's fked up and as much as the parts and price was worth it the complexity is 100% not
      FYI referring to horize

  • Zylam Marex on 19/04/2018 - 21:22

    Wow that's a good deal.

  • damoo on 19/04/2018 - 21:52

    I just bought the last gen model (same specs except i5 7200U) for $520 on ebay as an asus oem refurb.

    Put an ssd in and I'm stoked with it, great laptop

  • DonIsGood on 19/04/2018 - 22:00
    +3

    Sadly the keyboard is not backlit - deal breaker for me :(

  • casey2 on 19/04/2018 - 23:12

    Cool. Laptop crashed as I was buying this…so… good sign I need a new one. Got a 512 m.2 to go with it for fresh OS install. I'm assuming it's just Home right? Didn't really say as far as I could see.

    • Phyo on 20/04/2018 - 07:54
      +1

      Yes, it's Windows home

    • aong152 on 20/04/2018 - 14:21
      +1

      Its windows home.

      Make sure you get a SATA3 m.2 drive, it does NOT support NVME.

  • ipiok on 20/04/2018 - 07:19
    +1

    do you need to buy an us > aud adapter or does it have a figure 8 plug you can simply replace??

    • aong152 on 24/04/2018 - 08:36

      Us to aud adapter

      The charger is tiny. Looks like a MacBook charger but head isn't interchangeable.

  • Phyo on 20/04/2018 - 07:55
    +1

    needs to buy an AU adaptor. It comes with US plug.

  • Corgsta on 20/04/2018 - 08:08

    Is there a 13" version/equivalent of this laptop?

    • aong152 on 24/04/2018 - 08:37

      Not in this price range.

      The zenbook 13 inch is the closest equivalent from Asus but it has premium build quality and costs 1.8x more.

  • mick123 on 20/04/2018 - 10:16

    Is this primarily for gaming? would it be suitable for home office?
    I have an Acer Aspire E1-522 for my home office and find it runs slow at times in terms of processing/applications(4GB DDR3 memory).
    Would this laptop be a big improvement in terms of speed/processing?
    Thanks

    • Cheap Charlie on 20/04/2018 - 11:15
      +1

      That Aspire was available in several different specs.
      The list of CPU options for that unit are really anemic.
      Having said that, basic specs should be fine for light home office use.
      If you are finding the unit a little slow there are a few things you can do to improve its performance.
      I would throw an additional 4GB of ram at it, swap the HDD out for a SSD with a fresh install of windows.
      Alternatively you may be better of investing the upgrades money into the new unit.

      • Grinner76 on 20/04/2018 - 14:14

        Noob question here. How do you do a fresh install of windows? They don't supply you with a windows cd or a way for you to download it do they?

        • aong152 on 20/04/2018 - 14:21

          You can make a bootable USB. Only need an 8GB stick

          https://www.microsoft.com/en-US/download/windows-usb-dvd-dow…

          If you already have windows installed when you re-install the product key will be automagically retained.

          The USB is far easier to install with than a cd, it is much faster and you can re-use the USB as a normal USB afterwards.

          USBs are used nowadays since most devices don't have a CD drive anymore (last 3 computers i've had don't have CD drive)

        • Cheap Charlie on 20/04/2018 - 14:46

          Grinner, do some quick googling.
          There are a few consideration for performing a fresh install, especially if you can not locate activation codes for existing software.

      • mick123 on 20/04/2018 - 22:10

        Thank you Cheap Charlie…
        Will consider this..

      • Corgsta on 21/04/2018 - 08:02

        Can also switch to Linux which will run just fine on it, and not spy on you.

    • aong152 on 20/04/2018 - 14:19
      +1

      This pc is not for gaming, however it is ok at very simple games (cs go, overwatch)

      If you get an SSD upgrade, it will probably be a big improvement. Otherwise, not so much.

      I suggest that you add an SSD to the acer aspire e1-522 and another 4gb of ram. That will be the most cost effective upgrade ($200~)

      • mick123 on 20/04/2018 - 22:12

        Hi aong152 - thanks for your response. actually I do not want it for gaming/movies. Most the reviews/ opinions I found when googling noted it is good for multimedia etc and possibly gaming. I am looking just for a small office laptop with good processing speed.
        Yes, I may look at just adding SSD and ram and getting a friend to install it.
        Noob question - do I need to reinstall my operating system etc if I do this?

        Thank you

        • aong152 on 23/04/2018 - 17:15

          You don't have to reinstall operating system, but you should (otherwise operating system will still be on the slow drive).

          You can use a program like Macrium Reflect to clone the operating system onto the fast drive.

  • ShrooMeister on 20/04/2018 - 15:36

    Should I get this laptop or potentially wait for the next thinkpad deal?

    • lhou021 on 21/04/2018 - 18:33

      all the thinkpad deals are for 2-3 years old cpu, at least this one is 8th gen

    • stefanko on 22/04/2018 - 21:34

      I was considering Lenovo W 8gen too but read about some overheating issues so decided to buy this Asus. Verry happy W it so far :)

      • ShrooMeister on 22/04/2018 - 23:32

        Ahh I ended up buying the ThinkPad e480 with the 8th gen i7. Managed to talk to the sale rep to get it down to 1080. Fingers crossed the overheating isn't too bad

        • aong152 on 24/04/2018 - 08:38

          Undervolt and pray!

  • nsm on 21/04/2018 - 08:39

    Does anyone know if it can charge by the USB C port? And it is a shame there's no back-lit keyboard. Great deal though.

    • aong152 on 21/04/2018 - 16:40

      No, you can't charge it via usb-c.

      • nsm on 22/04/2018 - 08:10

        Thanks

  • lhou021 on 21/04/2018 - 18:30

    Ordered yesterday, shipping cost is a bit higher than expected ~$28, ended up paying $539 usd.

  • kllee au on 23/04/2018 - 13:17

    I'm seeing AUD 730 instead of AUD 683 now. Is it the currency drop?

    • aong152 on 23/04/2018 - 17:15
      +1

      You need to choose pay in USD and have a credit./debit card with good conversion rate. (e.g. ING Direct)

      Amazon's Pay in AUD adds 3-4% and then charges you international transaction fee anyway.

      • kllee au on 23/04/2018 - 17:18

        I see, Thanks heap!

        Another question, the recommended MX300 version of SSD seems to be out of stock, and is ths MX500 is a better & newer version ?

        https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077SL4FZG/ref=ox_sc_act_t…

        I assume its compatible with this laptop as well?

        Thanks in advanced.

        • aong152 on 24/04/2018 - 08:40
          +1

          Mx500 is better than mx300

          Do note whether you are getting 2.5" or m.2 data.

          The laptop has a 2.5" 1tb drive and an empty m.2 slot.

          If you are buying mx500 2.5" you'll need to do some workarounds to port the os and retain the cd key.

          The mx500 is compatible just note you may need to jump through some hoops for OS install and you can't have two 2.5 inch drives

        • kllee au on 24/04/2018 - 17:31

          @aong152:

          Thanks for the advice!

        • aong152 on 24/04/2018 - 18:44

          @kllee au:

          Now that I've reinstalled my os, I recommend you:
          * Boot with original 1tb. Claim Asus warranty etc.
          * Make a windows 10 USB
          * Swap the drives
          * Install windows 10. Windows finds all the Asus hardware drivers.
          * No Asus bloatware (yay)

        • casey2 on 10/05/2018 - 23:45

          @aong152:
          I just used Easus todo backup which cloned my install onto the M.2. The base install doesn't install bloatware, so no need to rebuild, just clone and wipe the 1tb for your own use.
          Some M.2s (Crucial I think), come with their own cloning tools to make it easier.

        • aong152 on 11/05/2018 - 15:41

          @casey2:

          The base install doesn't install bloatware

          It does - a whole bunch of ASUS things (e.g. product registration) and quite a few games (bejeweled, candy crush etc).

        • casey2 on 12/05/2018 - 10:11

          @aong152:
          I'm pretty sure those stupid games are windows bloatware on all Home installs, there's an ASUS download driver that if you delete it doesn't start trying to get all the ASUS bloatware. Anyway, it's not like the bad old days of crap all over the system. I'm very happy with it.

  • jebdra on 09/05/2018 - 22:14
    +1

    Can anybody who bought this comment on delivery times. How long did it take to get to Australia?

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