ASUS N53JF Review

Asus N53Jf

Review Summary:

The ASUS N35JF-XE1 is a powerful 15-inch notebook that delivers good value with a sub-par keyboard and weak battery life.

Pros

• Excellent performance
• Good speakers
• Impressive 1080p screen

Cons

• Too much keyboard flex
• No separation in touchpad keys
• Unimpressive battery life

ASUS N53JF Full Review

 

The market for 15-inch laptops might be pretty packed, but the ASUS N53JF-XE1 with its powerful Intel Core i5 processor and Nvidia GeForce GT 425M graphics packs more punch than the competition. Did we mention it also has a 1080p screen? Read our review to find out more.

The specifications of our review unit of the ASUS N53JF (N53JF-XE1) are as follows:

• 15.6-inch 720p (1920x1080) glossy panel with LED backlighting
• Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• Intel Core i5-460M dual-core processor (2.53GHz/2.8GHz Turbo Mode)
• Intel HM55 chipset
• Switchable graphics via Nvidia Optimus technology:
  • Nvidia GeForce GT 425M w/ 1GB DDR3 video memory
  • Integrated Intel HD graphics
• 4GB DDR3-1066 dual-channel RAM (2x 2GB)
• 500GB 7200RPM Seagate hard drive (ST9500420AS)
• Atheros AR9285 802.11b/g/n Wireless LAN
• Blu-ray reader/DVD burner combo drive
• 1-year global limited warranty w/ 1 year accidental damage coverage
• 6-cell Li-ion battery (48Wh)
• Weight: 6.5 lbs.
• Dimensions: 15.6” (L) x 10.6” (D) x 1.65” (H)
• MSRP: $1,049

Overall, the ASUS N53JF-XE1 is a pretty well-equipped notebook that competes well against systems like the Dell XPS 15, HP ENVY 14 and Lenovo IdeaPad Y560D. It isn't too often that you'll find a 15-inch laptop with a 1080p display, powerful processor and graphics, and even a USB 3.0 port for a street price of just over $1,000.

Build and Design
The N53JF has a fairly typical notebook clamshell design with a mixture of black, charcoal and silver plastics and aluminum. The only notable design feature that really catches our eyes is the massive speaker grill located below the screen after you open the lid. Not only is this a great location for speakers compared to many of the newest laptops with speakers located on the bottom of the notebook, but it's clear that ASUS designers want people to pay attention to these speakers (more on that later in this review).

The build quality of the N53JF is nothing short of excellent. From the simple yet stylish aluminum screen lid to the surprisingly ridgid chassis, this is one of the most solid notebooks in the 15-inch multimedia laptop category. Many cheaper notebooks in this class suffer from questionable structural support (you can literally "bend" those low-cost notebook by twisting them between your hands) but ASUS clearly engineered the the N53JF to handle daily use and abuse. The lid resists flexing as well thanks to its aluminum backing; no ripples appear on the screen when pushed in from behind either. Fit and finish is also quite good; there are minimal gaps between parts and no unfinished edges. The Blu-ray drive in our review sample looked ever so slightly misaligned with the chassis, but I doubt most owners would ever notice a cosmetic minor detail like that.

Speaking of subtle cosmetic details, I want to draw your attention to a simple security feature that ASUS was smart enough to include on the N53JF: a security lens cover. It seems like every year since new laptops started shipping with a built-in webcams we read news reports here in the US about someone illegally using a notebook webcam to spy on people without their knowledge. ASUS was paying attention to those news stories as well and developed a simple plastic cover that you can slide over the webcam lens to prevent people from watching you. This is such a easy thing to do that we're amazed every notebook manufacturer isn't doing this. Yes, you can open up Windows Device Manager and disable your webcam, but the overwhelming majority of consumers aren't tech savvy enough to do that. The ASUS security lens cover makes it much easier to protect your privacy.

Weighing in at roughly six and a half pounds (not including the power adapter) the N53JF is hardly the lightest notebook in its class. The 15-inch Dell Inspiron 15R tips the scales at well under six pounds and the Lenovo IdeaPad Y560D weoighs just 5.95 pounds by comparison. It is also thicker than usual at 1.65 inches (roughly a quarter of an inch thicker than the competition).

Keyboard and Touchpad
The N53JF has an traditional-style keyboard with some non-traditional elements. For starters, the keys are essentially flat similar to the island/Chiclet-style keyboards which are becoming far more popular these days. ASUS was kind enough to include a dedicated number pad to the right of the keyboard for those data-entry junkies out there, but since the number pad needs to fit in the smaller footprint of a 15-inch notebook the number pad is a little too close to the main keyboard keys and also gets in the way of the arrow keys. The keyboard keys themselves also have "mushy" feedback when pressed and the entire keyboard flexs or bends under heavy typing pressure.

I'm a little sad to see that ASUS didn't include a backlit keyboard on this notebook. Most multimedia systems in this price range now have keyboards with LED backlighting to make it easier to see the keys in dim environments. Since we're starting to see a few $700 notebooks with backlit keyboards it seems a bit odd that the N53JF doesn't have one.

The Elan touchpad has a matte surface similar to the texture the aluminum lid but with a darker color to match the palmrests. The surface makes it easy to slide your fingertips across the touchpad even with moist or dry fingers. Responsiveness seemed normal with minimal lag during cursor movement. The buttons provide excellent feedback however make a distinct click when pressed but there is no separation between the left and right touchpad buttons on the rocker bar. This means that it's fairly easy to press the wrong side of the touchpad bar if you aren't paying attention and make a right click when you want to make a left click.

Screen and Speakers
The N53JF has a 15-inch screen with a 1080p (1920x1080) resolution and LED backlighting. It has a glossy surface, which improves clarity and contrast but at the expense of usability; it looks like a mirror causing problematic reflections under bright indoor lights or sunlight. The glossy surface also makes it difficult to keep the screen clean.

Although the resolution is among the best available in a 15-inch notebook, the display quality is pretty average for a consumer notebook. With default settings it has a slightly blue/cold look and colors start to look washed out when you move outside the viewing sweet spot of the screen. The LED backlight brightness is likewise average: not so dark that it's unusable in typical indoor situations but not bright enough for use outdoors under direct sunlight. Contrast is typical of what we've seen in this notebook category and black levels could have been darker. Horizontal viewing angles are fine out to about 50 degrees on either side. Vertical viewing angles are pretty narrow as colors start to wash out or invert after you move about 20 degrees forward or back.

The N53JF has two stereo speakers below the screen under a massive silver speaker grill. The location is quite good since this pushes sound up and toward the user. Audio quality is quite good and they don't sound as tinny as most 15-inch notebook speakers. There is plenty of bass despite the lack of a dedicated subwoofer. That said, audiophiles will probably want to connect external speakers with a dedicated subwoofer if they want deep, satisfying bass. The speakers on the N53JF get loud enough to play games and music at a comfortable level and I didn’t notice much distortion until the volume was turned up to about 85-90 percent of maximum.

Ports and Features
The N53JF has pretty good selection of ports, including two USB 2.0 ports, a USB 3.0 port, a combo e-SATA/USB 2.0 port, VGA out and HDMI. It also has an internal Blu-ray player and DVD burner. The N53JF lacks an ExpressCard slot, but since it has a USB 3.0 port and several other USB 2.0. All picture descriptions are left to right.

Front: No ports	Rear: AC power, VGA port and security lock slot
Left: Cooling exhaust vent, HDMI,  Ethernet, Memory card slot, eSATA/ USB 2.0 combo port, USB 3.0 port	Right: audio jacks, two USB 2.0 ports,  optical drive and Wi-Fi on/off switch

Performance and Benchmarks
The N53JF delivers very good overall performance thanks to the fast Intel Core i5 460M dual-core processor and the enthusiast-grade Nvidia GeForce GT 425M dedicated graphics. The Nvidia GT 425M graphics card has plenty of power for playing the latest games at 1080p resolution with medium settings or you can use maximum settings and play at a lower resolution. The hard drive isn't the fastest solution available; our review unit had a Seagate 7200.4 drive rated at 7200RPM but it struggles to keep up with some of the faster 5400RPM drives that have shown up inside notebooks during 2010. On the bright side, it does provide 500GB of storage for your media library.

Gaming performance is quite strong for a notebook in the $900-$1,100 price range. Games like Left 4 Dead 2 running at the native 1080p resolution end up with average frame rates well above 60 frames per second and rarely drop below 40FPS. The N53JF-XE1 also managed to deliver solid performance (average frame rates above 40FPS) with games like Crysis and Mass Effect 2.

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

PCMark05 measures overall system performance (higher scores mean better performance):

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

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

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

CrystalDiskMark storage drive performance test:

Heat and Noise
A single fan exhausts hot air out the left side of the N53JF and it's usually whisper quiet during typical use. The cooling fan starts to get louder and even has an alternating whine that is audible over background noise while gaming. Despite a little noise the cooling system does an excellent job keeping the heat under control as long as you stay away from the exhaust vent. The bottom of the notebook gets warmer than the top but the N53JF stays lap-friendly in most situations.

Battery Life
The N-series notebooks from ASUS have delivered solid performance this year but haven't been too impressive when it comes to battery life. The N82JV shut down after less than four hours of light use, so we didn't have high hopes for the N53JF with its higher resolution screen, faster processor and more powerful graphics. In the "Balanced" power mode with the screen brightness set to 70 percent, the N53JF-XE1 delivered three hours and 31 minutes of life while browsing the Internet. This time is slightly less than what we'd like to see from a modern notebook -- particularly one equipped with Nvidia Optimus graphics-switching technology--but it's similar to what we've seen from a number of budget-priced 15-inch laptops this year. The included 6-cell battery only has a 48Wh rating, which is on the low side for a notebook with a 1080p display and powerful discrete graphics. The team at ASUS really needs to start using higher-capacity batteries or offer extended-life batteries.

Conclusion
The ASUS N53JF is a powerful notebook that delivers good value but falls a little short of being easy to love. The keyboard feels a bit too mushy with obvious flex under heavy typing pressure. The lack of keyboard backlighting is also regrettable. The touchpad buttons really need to have clear separation to make it easier to avoid pressing the wrong side of the touchpad bar. The biggest frustration for average users may be the fact that the N53JF doesn't even come close to delivering four hours of battery life (many of today's 15-inch notebooks keep running past six hours).

Despite these annoyances, the N53JF-XE1 is one of the best equipped notebooks in its class. For about $1,000 (US) you get a high-performance 15-inch notebook with a 1080p display, fast Core i5 processor and a very powerful mid-range dedicated graphics card that handles HD video with ease and is even strong enough to let you play most modern games. The speakers are also some of the best built-in speakers we've recently heard on a 15-inch notebook.

In short, if you can live with a frustrating keyboard and touchpad and aren't planning to travel with your laptop then the ASUS N53JF-XE1 makes a very good desktop replacement notebook.

Pros:

• Excellent performance
• Good speakers
• Impressive 1080p screen

Cons:

• Too much keyboard flex
• No separation in touchpad keys
• Unimpressive battery life

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

* Ratings averaged to produce final score