ASUS U31SD-A1 Review

       

Asus U31SD-A1

Review Summary:

The ASUS U31SD is a good traveling companion with good performance but unimpressive build quality.

Pros

• Excellent battery life
• Runs cool and quiet
• Good warranty

Cons

• Not enough ports
• Keyboard flex
• So-so build quality

ASUS U31SD-A1 Full Review

 

This 13.3" notebook delivers over ten hours of battery and decent performance in a portable package. What's not to like? Read our full review.

Our ASUS U31SD-A1 review unit is configured as follows:

• 13.3-inch glossy 720p display (1366x768 resolution)
• Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• Intel Core i3-2310M dual-core processor (2.1GHz, 3MB cache, 35W TDP)
• Intel HM65 chipset
• Nvidia GeForce GT 520 w/ 1GB DDR3 dedicated video memory
• 4GB DDR3-1333 RAM (1x 4GB; supports up to 8GB - 2x 2GB)
• 640GB 5400RPM Western Digital hard drive (WD6400BPVT)
• Intel Centrino Wireless-N 100 wireless network adapter
• No internal Bluetooth
• Integrated webcam
• No internal optical drive
• 2-year global limited warranty w/ 1 year accidental damage coverage
• 8-cell Li-ion battery (14.4V, 5800mAh, 83Wh)
• Weight: 4 lbs.
• Dimensions: 12.9 x 9.2 x 1 inches
• MSRP: $799

The U31SD's specifications are rank-and-file; given the product's intended use is casual computing, they are more than up to the task, however. The second-generation Intel Core i3 processor is fast in its own right. Paired with the dedicated Nvidia graphics card, this machine is even capable of some light gaming. Of special note is the two-year limited warranty, which includes a year of accidental damage coverage. This is not something competitors have matched - and ASUS has been offering such warranty coverage for several years now. The MSRP of $799 is slightly on the high side though the warranty makes up for some of the difference.

Build and Design
ASUS continues to use a now-familiar two-tone silver and black exterior. The U31SD is made of plastic with the exception of the lid backing, which is aluminum. The plastics are of average quality, not thin enough to qualify as cheap but not the opposite either. The chassis lacks internal strength; it twists easily when flexed by the corners. This flexing puts the circuit boards at risk for stress cracks over time, which in the U31SD's case is magnified since the notebook will likely be carried around extensively.

The aluminum display back provides decent protection from pressure; pushing in on the back of the display lid does not yield any significant ripples on the screen. The aluminum is a nice touch; it would have been nice of the palm rest were covered as well; alas, it is only a plastic imitation. Overall the build quality could use revision in the next iteration of this notebook. As it stands, the quality is passable but only barely.

Do-it-yourselfers wanting to upgrade the U31SD will find it relatively simple to do; there is a single large access panel on the bottom of the notebook held on by a single screw. Under the cover are two RAM slots, the hard drive, and the wireless card. Only one of the RAM slots is occupied.

Ports and Features
The U31SD's port selection is best described as adequate. It lacks USB 3.0 and eSATA, and there is no way to add them since the notebook lacks an ExpressCard expansion slot. The U31SD does not have an internal optical drive. All descriptions are left to right.

Front: Speakers

Back: Battery pack

Left: Kensington Lock slot, AC power, cooling exhaust vent, USB 2.0 port, microphone and headphone jacks

Right: 2x USB 2.0, HDMI out, 4-in-1 card reader, Ethernet, VGA

Screen and Speakers
The U31SD features a 13.3-inch glossy display with a 720p (1366x768) resolution; this is the only screen available. The glossy display surface may look attractive on a display shelf, but in reality it creates a lot of reflections and glare plus is a chore to keep clean. Screens with anti-glare coatings are more practical for general usage.

The brightness, contrast, and color accuracy are unremarkable. Horizontal viewing angles are satisfactory, though vertical viewing angles as expected are poor; colors quickly distort after about 15 degrees off center in either direction. The 1366x768 resolution is too low; due to a lack of vertical resolution (pixels), not enough content can be displayed on the screen at once, meaning lots of scrolling is required and using two windows side-by-side is nearly impractical.

The U31JG has two speakers located below the palm rest. Despite the Altec Lansing badge, the speakers are unimaginative and provide poor quality sound. Locating speakers under the palm rest is not the best idea, considering wrists placed on the palm rest muffle the sound.

Keyboard and Touchpad
The U31JG uses an island- or Chiclet-style keyboard with square, flat-topped keys. The keys have a granular surface, which helps grip. The keyboard seems to have been an afterthought; for starters, it caves in easily when moderate pressure is applied, especially towards the center. Because the keys have a very short distance between their pressed and un-pressed positions, they do not create enough feedback. On top of that, the keyboard has a very plasticky feel, which does not instill confidence in the notebook's quality. Furthermore, the keyboard has some rattling issues, depending on how hard keys are pressed.

The touchpad fares better than the keyboard. The touchpad surface itself has a pleasant matte/non-slip coating, which is easy to track on. The touchpad buttons, on the other hand, could use improvement. Pressing either side of the single-piece button makes a rather intrusive "click" - ideally, touchpad buttons should be silent.

Performance and Benchmarks
The U31SD's performance is on par with "typical" consumer notebooks - that is, it is not faster or slower than most of the machines found on display at your local brick and mortar computer store. This notebook has more than enough processing power and memory to handle most tasks, including Internet browsing, picture editing, and watching high-definition videos. Playing modern 3D games is possible thanks to the dedicated Nvidia graphics card, though don't expect to play on maximum graphics settings since the GT 520M is not powerful. On a happier note, the Nvidia graphics use Nvidia Optimus technology to automatically switch the graphics between the low-power Intel integrated graphics and the Nvidia GPU. The included 640GB hard drive is large and quiet but runs at a slow 5400RPM.

wPrime processor comparison results (lower scores mean better performance):

PCMark 05 measures overall system performance (higher scores mean better performance):

PCMark Vantage measures overall system performance (higher scores mean better performance):

3DMark06 measures overall graphics performance for gaming (higher scores mean better performance):

CrystalDiskMark storage drive performance test:

Heat and Noise
This is one of the U31SD's strong points. The notebook's surfaces both top and bottom remain cool all over, even when the machine is running under full benchmarking load. The fan has a slight whine when running at top speed but is quiet enough that it isn't distracting. The fan stays off the majority of the time while performing non-demanding tasks like Internet browsing. Given the relatively tame internal components, it is not surprising the U31SD produces little heat. The cooling system does a good job handling the small amount that is produced.

Battery Life
The U31SD's biggest strength is its tremendous battery life. The standard 8-cell battery allowed the notebook to breach the 11-hour mark at 11 hours, 5 minutes. Our standard battery rundown test consists of the Windows 7 Balanced power profile, 70% screen brightness, wireless active, and refreshing a web page every 60 seconds. 11 hours of life is an excellent time without a doubt and surpasses competitors.

Battery life test results (higher scores mean better battery life):

Conclusion
The U31SD provides modest value for its $799 price point. Its strengths consist of its excellent 11-hour battery life, cool and quiet operation, and good performance for everyday tasks. Another highlight is the included two-year warranty, which includes one year of accidental damage protection.

The U31SD is lackluster at best in nearly every other area, however. The keyboard and touchpad are uninspiring; the build quality is questionable at best; and furthermore, there is a barebones selection of input/output ports. The ASUS U31SD is still recommendable in the end; it is a good traveling companion -- just be careful not to treat it roughly given the build quality.

Pros:

• Excellent battery life
• Runs cool and quiet
• Good warranty

Cons:

• Not enough ports
• Keyboard flex
• So-so build quality

Individual Ratings: *
Software & Support 
Upgrade Capabilities 
Usability 
Design 
Performance 
Features 
Price/Value Rating 

* Ratings averaged to produce final score