Today we have a very interesting notebook from Asus that is going to be launched in the first week of July and is all set to change the ultraportable scene. Remember the sleek ultraportables that Asus promised us with Optimus and an Intel CULV CPUs? Well the U45J is the first slice of what's coming. We've managed to snag an early sample of their upcoming ultraportable and it's packed to the gills with features.
This variant sports a Core i5 450M running at 2.4GHz with Turbo Boost. The rest of the specs include 3GB DDR3 memory, 640GB hard drive, Nvidia Geforce 310M (1GB RAM)with Optimus, DVD burner and WiFi 802.11'n' with Bluetooth. All of this is packaged is an incredibly slim and stylish package with a lovely LED backlit 14" screen. Asus will hopefully have different SKU's, so you can choose from different price points.
If this can deliver a decent battery life then it won't be long until CULV processors will be a thing of the past and we won't have to settle for mediocre performance anymore. You'll probably still see them in low-end notebooks and netbooks though, so there's still a market for them. Next let's see what you get with notebook.
This variant sports a Core i5 450M running at 2.4GHz with Turbo Boost. The rest of the specs include 3GB DDR3 memory, 640GB hard drive, Nvidia Geforce 310M (1GB RAM)with Optimus, DVD burner and WiFi 802.11'n' with Bluetooth. All of this is packaged is an incredibly slim and stylish package with a lovely LED backlit 14" screen. Asus will hopefully have different SKU's, so you can choose from different price points.
If this can deliver a decent battery life then it won't be long until CULV processors will be a thing of the past and we won't have to settle for mediocre performance anymore. You'll probably still see them in low-end notebooks and netbooks though, so there's still a market for them. Next let's see what you get with notebook.
Bundle
The sample that we received only came with a charger but we were told that the retail sample will come with a bag and mouse and a one-year global warranty.
Design and Build
On taking it out of the box you'll instantly notice how slim and light this notebook is. The lid has a nice brushed aluminium-like finish with a carbon black background. Fingerprints aren't very noticeable unless you have really oily hands - in which case no one can help you.
The width of the notebook is more or less the same as the Acer Timeline X notebook and it weighs also almost the same. The left side has a charging port, exhaust vent, VGA port, HDMI port, two USB ports and headphone and microphone jack.
The other side is host to the DVD drive, memory card reader, the third USB port and the LAN jack. Due to space constraints we don't get a Express Card slot but that's the case with most ultraportables. In fact like the Timeline X, Asus could have placed the memory card slot in the front and fitted a fourth USB port.
The underneath is fairly neat with compartments to easily swap the hard drive and memory. The battery that we received is a 6-cell that sits almost flush with the bottom and does not feel obtrusive. The speakers are placed towards the top on the curve, so it's not blocked when you place it on your lap.
There are a series of lights in the front that indicate the status of the notebook.
The screen does not sit flush with the bezel and there's a visible indent around the edges. We did note that in order to achieve the slim look of the notebook the lid has been made thin and does not feel very sturdy. In fact when we tried checking the durability of the lid by twisting it a little, it caused a permanent deformation in the LCD screen which is not good news. I don't want to even think what would happen if I accidently dropped it.
The damage after just flexing the lid a little. Yikes!
This means keeping any sort of weight on the lid could cause permanent damage. Asus needs to immediately rectify this and provide added protection, like an aluminium lid, this is just unacceptable.
The keyboard area is made up of different types of plastic, which when put together looks good. There's a sort of chequered pattern throughout the palm rest area including the trackpad. The trackpad has a rough texture on it which doesn't really work in its favour because the mouse pointer isn't too sensitive.
The chiclet keyboard is very comfortable to use, with generous spacing between the keys. The feedback of the keys is very good and is comfortable to type on for extended periods.
Performance
PCMark Vantage
PCMark Vantage
3DMark 06
SiSOFT SANDRA 2010
Analysis
After getting rid of the extra fluff that comes installed and the McAfee, Windows was a lot better to use. Still if you see the scores, it wasn't a whole lot faster than Dell 14R, which had a slower CPU. The screen is very bright and text is very clear and easy to read on the 1366x768 resolution. However, the trackpad isn't particularly responsive. This could be because of a driver issue or the rough texture that Asus have used for it.
The exhaust fan is audible on high performance mode, as it tries to keep the notebook cool under heavy load. Having said that the notebook never really heats up and only gets warm, which means Asus have done a good job with the thermals. In fact if you switch to 'Quite Office' mode, it barely gets warm.
The U45J does not feel heavy at all on your lap. As much as they've tried to conceal and camouflage the use of plastic, the feeling is still there and it's even more apparent when you try to twist the notebook - it squeaks. The lid is very flimsy and the LCD can very easily get damaged the way our review model did. Like I said, it's scary to think what would happen if you accidently dropped it.
Battery Life
Our model came with a Li-Ion 84Wh 6-cell battery. In our 720p video drain test, the notebook lasted for 3hrs 40min with the brightness set to full, WiFi -On and Windows Balanced mode (Super Hybrid Engine was Off). In our second test we used it in Quite Office Mode with WiFi-On, brightness set to medium and little bit of MS Office and internet surfing. Here we managed to get a backup time of nearly 6 hrs, which is quite impressive for the 6-cell battery.
After getting rid of the extra fluff that comes installed and the McAfee, Windows was a lot better to use. Still if you see the scores, it wasn't a whole lot faster than Dell 14R, which had a slower CPU. The screen is very bright and text is very clear and easy to read on the 1366x768 resolution. However, the trackpad isn't particularly responsive. This could be because of a driver issue or the rough texture that Asus have used for it.
The exhaust fan is audible on high performance mode, as it tries to keep the notebook cool under heavy load. Having said that the notebook never really heats up and only gets warm, which means Asus have done a good job with the thermals. In fact if you switch to 'Quite Office' mode, it barely gets warm.
The U45J does not feel heavy at all on your lap. As much as they've tried to conceal and camouflage the use of plastic, the feeling is still there and it's even more apparent when you try to twist the notebook - it squeaks. The lid is very flimsy and the LCD can very easily get damaged the way our review model did. Like I said, it's scary to think what would happen if you accidently dropped it.
Battery Life
Our model came with a Li-Ion 84Wh 6-cell battery. In our 720p video drain test, the notebook lasted for 3hrs 40min with the brightness set to full, WiFi -On and Windows Balanced mode (Super Hybrid Engine was Off). In our second test we used it in Quite Office Mode with WiFi-On, brightness set to medium and little bit of MS Office and internet surfing. Here we managed to get a backup time of nearly 6 hrs, which is quite impressive for the 6-cell battery.
Pricing
The configuration that we reviewed today will be priced at an MRP of Rs.63,999 and a one-year global warranty. The price is a little high but for the configuration and slim packaging, it's not over-the-top. Asus will also be offering a lower priced model with a Corei3, 4GB RAM, 320GB hard drive and 8-cell battery for about Rs.58,999. My only problem right now with this notebook is the build quality, which feels too plasticky, and the lid that is easily prone to damage.
There are plenty of options in this price range from Dell, Sony and Acer offering similar aesthetics and configurations. But the one thing missing in all of them is Optimus, which really helps with the battery life and is the one factor that gives the Asus notebook the edge.
Verdict
The Asus U45J is a great notebook in terms of design and features. It takes the same technology we first saw in their N15J notebook and this time comes is a much smaller and easy to carry package. The notebook is nice and slim and lightweight with a good battery life. However, when you need the power, it doesn't fall short. The Core i5 coupled with the Nvidia 310M gives you a pretty good multimedia performance, be it older games or watching HD movies. There's also plenty of storage for all your data and the chiclet keyboard is very comfortable to type on for extended periods.
The notebook has one flaw though. The build quality just isn't up to the mark and this is not something we expect from Asus. Since they've primarily used plastic to keep the weight down and keep it slim, the display does not have adequate protection. The fact that the screen can distort (permanently if your unlucky) very easily with just a light tap at the back means you'll have to be extra careful with this notebook. If Asus was planning on charging a slight premium for this, the least they could do is use some aluminium or other metal for the lid at the cost of making it a bit heavier. We've informed Asus about this issue and we're hoping they will rectify this before it's launched in India or in their later revisions.
Overall, the Asus U45J offers a good balance of battery life and performance, thanks to Optimus in a compact and lightweight package. The only thing that puts me off is the plasticky feel of the notebook and poor protection for the screen. This makes the price of the notebook seem a bit on the higher side.
The configuration that we reviewed today will be priced at an MRP of Rs.63,999 and a one-year global warranty. The price is a little high but for the configuration and slim packaging, it's not over-the-top. Asus will also be offering a lower priced model with a Corei3, 4GB RAM, 320GB hard drive and 8-cell battery for about Rs.58,999. My only problem right now with this notebook is the build quality, which feels too plasticky, and the lid that is easily prone to damage.
There are plenty of options in this price range from Dell, Sony and Acer offering similar aesthetics and configurations. But the one thing missing in all of them is Optimus, which really helps with the battery life and is the one factor that gives the Asus notebook the edge.
Verdict
The Asus U45J is a great notebook in terms of design and features. It takes the same technology we first saw in their N15J notebook and this time comes is a much smaller and easy to carry package. The notebook is nice and slim and lightweight with a good battery life. However, when you need the power, it doesn't fall short. The Core i5 coupled with the Nvidia 310M gives you a pretty good multimedia performance, be it older games or watching HD movies. There's also plenty of storage for all your data and the chiclet keyboard is very comfortable to type on for extended periods.
The notebook has one flaw though. The build quality just isn't up to the mark and this is not something we expect from Asus. Since they've primarily used plastic to keep the weight down and keep it slim, the display does not have adequate protection. The fact that the screen can distort (permanently if your unlucky) very easily with just a light tap at the back means you'll have to be extra careful with this notebook. If Asus was planning on charging a slight premium for this, the least they could do is use some aluminium or other metal for the lid at the cost of making it a bit heavier. We've informed Asus about this issue and we're hoping they will rectify this before it's launched in India or in their later revisions.
Overall, the Asus U45J offers a good balance of battery life and performance, thanks to Optimus in a compact and lightweight package. The only thing that puts me off is the plasticky feel of the notebook and poor protection for the screen. This makes the price of the notebook seem a bit on the higher side.
