The difference between S200e and X202e and Q200e? [answered]

20 comments

Q. What is the difference between the Asus S200e, X202e and Q200e VivoBooks?

A. They are very similar laptops, but there are a few differences. Here is the relevant info, originally posted in my complete SSD performance upgrade guide for these models!

Model listing:

S200E (left) and X202E (right) these machines are virtually identical!

S200E (left) and X202E (right) these machines are virtually identical!

They are all identical in basic construction, the differences are in the CPUs, bluetooth capabilities, and bundled accessories. Specifically:

  • X202E
    • +Intel Core i3-3217U 1.8 GHz, 3rd Generation Core Processor
    • +Intel HD4000 Graphics
    • ~Qualcomm/Atheros Bluetooth 4.0
    • +Sold by Amazon and others
  • Q200E (old model BHI3T45 CPU in RED, new updated Q200E-BSI3T08 model in normal black color)
    • -Intel Core i3-2365M, 2nd Generation Core Processor Q200E-BHI3T45
    • -Intel HD3000 Graphics Q200E-BHI3T45
    • +Intel Core i3-3217U 1.8 GHz, 3rd Generation Core Processor (UPDATE: the latest Best Buy model Q200E-BSI3T08 now also has the 3rd gen CPU!)
    • +Intel HD4000 Graphics (UPDATE: available on the Q200E-BSI3T08)
    • Included Gigabit Ethernet!!! Thanks to commenter Michael for the tip 🙂 UPDATE: commenter Macker reports that the latest Q200E models do NOT have gigabit ethernet 1Gb/s but rather,  they only have fast ethernet 100 Mb/s
    • -No Bluetooth (neither model has bluetooth)
    • -Sold exclusively at Best Buy (and eBay etc. of course ;-) )
  • S200E
    • +Intel Core i3-3217U 1.8 GHz, 3rd Generation Core Processor
    • +Intel HD4000 Graphics
    • -No Bluetooth
    • +DVD drive included in the box
    • -Sold at Staples, Office Depot (thanks Michael) and eBay etc. ;-)

Right out of the box the X200E is a very nice machine and internally it is actually the most full-featured of the group. I have used both the X202E and the S200E and found them to be excellent machines. If you need super fast network speeds for file transfers, take a good look at the Q200E as it is available with Gigabit Ethernet! However, with all of the models, the slow hard drive really drags down their overall performance :-( . So I chose to upgrade mine with a Samsung 840 SSD and the performance improvement has been drastic!

[end quote]

Conclusion:

Overall all of these laptops represent a great value and you can pick and choose which model best fits your needs and budgets. The S200e is especially attractive  it goes on sale as the price can be $399 or lower. This entire line receives a rating of 4/5 stars, the one star is docked for the lack of a Core i5 or Core i7  CPU and the relatively short battery life. However, for the price they are definitely great machines!

Related posts:

  1. ASUS Q200E hard drive upgrade instructions (replace w/SSD)
  2. ASUS X202E hard drive upgrade instructions (replace w/SSD)
  3. ASUS S200E SSD Upgrade Guide
  4. Intel NUC Windows drivers [downloads] [SOLVED]
  5. Ideal photo resolution for iPod, iPad, iPhone?! [ANSWERED]
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20 comments

  • Rahul
    Monday, 2013.03.25 at 8:57 PM

    Thanks for the comparison. So, if I buy the X202E with Bluetooth capabilities and need to replace the default Asus network adapter with Intel Centrino 6235anhmw, would I lose the default Qualcomm/Atheros Bluetooth capability. Is Bluetooth part of the wireless adapter or is it a separate component. I have never replaced hardware components by myself in laptops, please do let me help me out for future reference.

    Reply
    • J.D. H.
      Monday, 2013.03.25 at 9:38 PM

      Hi Rahul,
      Thank you for your comment and your excellent question!

      Yes, the 6235anhmw does include bluetooth. It is a combo card (both WiFi and Bluetooth) much like the Qualcomm/Atheros card, except since it is an Intel card you will be able to use WiDi (Wireless Display) since the X202E has integrated HD4000 graphics etc. 🙂

      I hope this answers your question Rahul, please let me know if there is anything else I can help with.

      Best regards,
      -JD

      Reply
  • amour
    Sunday, 2013.03.31 at 11:42 PM

    It’s really a nice and useful piece of info on these viviobooks. I’m satisfied that you shared this helpful info with us.
    Please stay us informed like this. Thanks for sharing and I think I will buy one when I get my tax refund!

    Reply
  • Bob
    Thursday, 2013.04.11 at 6:38 PM

    Thanks for the great information regarding the X202e. Recently purchased the q200e from BestBuy and they are now the same as the x202e, but without Bluetooth. They have the HD4000 graphics and the 3rd gen processor. I just wanted to upgrade to WiFI/Blueooth combo and your information seems to make that easy. Thank you!

    Reply
  • Rick Mills
    Tuesday, 2013.05.28 at 7:47 AM

    Really helpful comparison. Thanks.

    Reply
  • Michael
    Wednesday, 2013.06.05 at 2:09 PM

    I don’t know if you noticed, but the Q200E has the 10/100/1000 Mbps Gigabit Ethernet Controller whereas the other two do not. Something to think about with services like Google fiber.

    Also the S200E included an external DVD drive (if purchased at Office Depot).

    Reply
    • J.D. H.
      Friday, 2013.06.07 at 6:50 AM

      Hi Michael,
      Thank you for your very helpful comment. I did not realize that the Q200E has Gigabit Ethernet, but that really is a nice perk!

      The lack of Gigabit Ethernet is actually one of the prime reasons I upgrade my S200E to a higher end wifi card, in order to get 300Mbps+ speeds for file transfers. If I had known the Q200E came with Gigabit ethernet I might have just started with that model in the first place 😉

      I did not realize that Office Depot carried the S200E, but yes it is definitely nice that the S200E comes standard with the external USB DVD drive 🙂

      I will update my article to reflect the excellent info that you provided, and I will include credit to you Michael. Thanks again for your help!

      Best regards,
      -JD

      Reply
      • Macker
        Monday, 2014.01.13 at 4:41 PM

        I am sorry to report that (alas) the Q200E does *not* have Gigabit Ethernet. I bought a Q200E-BSI3T08 before Christmas and the NIC is:

        “Qualcomm Atheros AR8162/8166/8168 PCI-E Fast Ethernet Controller (NDIS 6.30)”

        Still, a great laptop. I made all the mods suggested (WiDi Bluetooth card, SSD) and I am still very happy overall.

        Reply
        • J.D. H.
          Monday, 2014.01.13 at 10:55 PM

          Hi Macker,
          Thank you for the info about the Ethernet Controller for the Q200E, I will update the post!

          Also, nice job on all the upgrades!!!

          🙂

          Best regards,
          -JD

  • Laura H
    Wednesday, 2014.03.26 at 2:48 PM

    Thank you very much for this information! I purchased the S200E from Staples last year, had a problem with the fan making noise since I bought it. I finally decided to do something about it and I am having troubles, since the model # on the unit says Q200E. ASUS said that the model number from my receipt (S200E) doesn’t match the model number on the unit (Q200E) so they cannot honor the warranty. Very frustrating. I haven’t given up yet, but I just thought I would put my experience out there, and thank you again for the clarification. It will give me some leverage when I call them, yet again!

    Reply
  • Nathalie
    Monday, 2016.01.18 at 9:22 PM

    Hi Macke,

    I have a question about the charger…i live in Ecuador and i have an Asus Q200e and the charger isnt working anymore so i order one from amazon but in the description it doesnt say its the charger of the computer model that i have, instead it tells meits a S200e charger so i wanted to know if it works for both models?

    Reply
  • Nina
    Friday, 2016.07.01 at 6:19 AM

    Hi! Thank you for your review.

    Can the motherboard of X202e be replaced with S200e, and vice versa?

    Thank you so much!!

    Reply

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