Asus U36S
Review Summary:
The ASUS U36S is highly recommendable to those searching for a well-rounded portable notebook with good quality and lots of battery life.
Pros
- Ultra-thin metal alloy chassis
- Good keyboard and touchpad
- 8.5 hours of battery life
- Two-year warranty standard
Cons
- Glossy display creates reflections
- Touchpad buttons could be quieter
- Poor speakers
ASUS U36S Full Review: Better Than A MacBook Pro?
The ASUS U36S is a 13.3-inch ultraportable featuring a magnesium-aluminum chassis that weighs just 3.1 lbs. At just 0.75" thin and with over 8 hours of battery life, could this laptop be one of this year’s best buys? Here's a tip: Keep reading if you are thinking about buying a MacBook Pro for Christmas.
Build and DesignThe ASUS U36S ($899.99) has a rather unsuspecting gray and black exterior. The surfaces of the notebook are made of a magnesium-aluminum alloy which is strong and extraordinarily light. The whole notebook including its large 8-cell battery weighs just 3.11 lbs. Additionally the notebook is exceptionally thin measuring just three quarters of an inch with the lid closed.
The build quality is excellent; the chassis is nearly inflexible and the lid has strong protection from the metal alloy backing. I like how the top of the chassis is molded from a single piece of metal alloy including the keyboard surround. Finally, the anti-glare properties of the metal alloy do not show fingerprints or dust and should resist scratches fairly well. The only area of the build quality that could use improvement is the screen bezel; the glossy plastic is difficult to keep clean as is the glossy screen surface.
Unlike many other metal-clad laptops (the ones with fruit logos on the lids), upgrading the RAM inside the U36S is easily accomplished by removing the user-serviceable panel on the bottom of the chassis. Getting to the hard drive is another matter; the whole chassis needs to be taken apart. This is a shame; I imagine a good number of customers will want to upgrade to an SSD or at least a faster hard drive.Ports and Features
The ASUS U36S has a standard array of ports for a 13.3-inch notebook including a single USB 3.0 port. It does not have an internal optical drive, an ExpressCard slot, DisplayPort, or eSATA. All picture descriptions are listed from left to right.
The ASUS U36S has a standard array of ports for a 13.3-inch notebook including a single USB 3.0 port. It does not have an internal optical drive, an ExpressCard slot, DisplayPort, or eSATA. All picture descriptions are listed from left to right.
 Front: Air vents, speakers |  Back: Battery pack |
 Left: Kensington lock slot, AC power, VGA, 2x USB 2.0, cooling exhaust vent |  Right: Headphone and microphone jacks, 1x USB 3.0, HDMI out, Ethernet |
Screen and Speakers
The 13.3-inch display has a glossy/reflective surface and a 720p resolution (1366x768). The screen has no outstanding qualities. Brightness and contrast are about the same as any other sub-$1,000 notebook; viewing angles are fine horizontally but colors distort from above and below, as expected from a TN-type display. Color reproduction is substandard (as is the case for most notebook screens); everything looks a bit cold/cool with the default settings. Fortunately ASUS includes built-in color profiles; press the [Fn] key and [C] to switch between them. ASUS is the only mainstream notebook maker to include such a feature and it is certainly appreciated.
The 13.3-inch display has a glossy/reflective surface and a 720p resolution (1366x768). The screen has no outstanding qualities. Brightness and contrast are about the same as any other sub-$1,000 notebook; viewing angles are fine horizontally but colors distort from above and below, as expected from a TN-type display. Color reproduction is substandard (as is the case for most notebook screens); everything looks a bit cold/cool with the default settings. Fortunately ASUS includes built-in color profiles; press the [Fn] key and [C] to switch between them. ASUS is the only mainstream notebook maker to include such a feature and it is certainly appreciated.
The screen resolution of 1366x768 is standard for this screen size. I prefer 1600x900 since it has more space to work with (more lines of text can be viewed on the screen without scrolling), however no 13.3" notebook offers it anywhere close to the U36S' price range. Finally, the screen's glossy surface increases clarity but acts like a mirror, creating reflections; for this reason I prefer anti-glare screens.
There are two stereo speakers located under the palm rest; they sound tinny and have no bass. The sound is muffled further when hands are placed over them for typing.
Keyboard and TouchpadASUS has modified its standard keyboard design for the U36S; the island/Chiclet-style keyboard is completely integrated into the single piece of metal alloy that makes up the top of the chassis. This keyboard is a significant improvement over the ones used on previous ASUS notebooks; it feels solid and has no flex. The keys have a flat surface and a granular texture that will likely wear shiny over time. The key travel (distance between pressed and un-pressed positions) is just right, more than other ASUS notebooks. Furthermore the keyboard is relatively quiet. Overall the only thing it's missing is backlighting; it continues to be a rarity in the notebook market.
The touchpad is appropriately sized. It has a smooth anti-glare surface and is easy to find by feel. Responsiveness and accuracy are as expected. The single touchpad button could use improvement; the pressure needed to produce a click is inconsistent depending where the button is pressed. Additionally the clicks are louder than they should be; people around you will know you are clicking. Lastly it has a reflective surface which always makes it look unclean.Our ASUS U36S review unit has the followng specifications:
- 13.3-inch glossy 720p display (1366x768 resolution)
- Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
- Intel Core i5-2410M dual-core processor (2.3GHz, up to 2.9GHz Turbo Boost, 3MB cache, 35W TDP)
- Intel HM65 chipset
- Nvidia GeForce GT 520M graphics card w/ 1GB DDR3 dedicated video memory
- Automatically switchable to integrated Intel HD graphics via Nvidia Optimus technology
- 4GB DDR3-1333 RAM (1x 4GB; supports up to 8GB - 2x 4GB)
- 640GB 5400RPM Seagate hard drive (ST9640423AS)
- 802.11n wireless network adapter (Atheros AR8151)
- Internal Bluetooth v2.1+EDR
- Integrated 0.3 MP webcam
- No internal optical drive
- 2-year limited warranty w/ 1-year accidental damage protection
- 8-cell Li-ion battery (83Wh)
- Weight: 3.11 lbs.
- Dimensions: 12.9 x 9.4 x 0.75 inches
- Price: $899.99
The full-power (not low voltage) Intel Core i5 processor and dedicated Nvidia graphics card are impressive specs given the thinness of the U36S' chassis. These specifications are above average for a 13.3-inch notebook. The only weak point is the slow 5400RPM hard drive; a 7200RPM model is preferable. Note this notebook comes standard with a two-year warranty and includes accidental damage protection for the first year; most manufacturers offer only one year of warranty coverage on consumer laptops.
Performance and Benchmarks
Our benchmark results show the U36S is more than powerful enough for everyday usage including more demanding tasks like Adobe Photoshop CS5; it is also capable of playing 3D games such as Call of Duty: Black Ops thanks to its dedicated Nvidia graphics card.
Our benchmark results show the U36S is more than powerful enough for everyday usage including more demanding tasks like Adobe Photoshop CS5; it is also capable of playing 3D games such as Call of Duty: Black Ops thanks to its dedicated Nvidia graphics card.
wPrime processor comparision results (lower scores mean better performance):
PCMark Vantage measures overall system performance (higher scores mean better performance):
PCMark 7 is a newer benchmark which measures overall system performance (higher scores mean better performance):
3DMark06 measures overall graphics performance for gaming (higher scores mean better performance):
3DMark11 is a newer benchmark which measures overall graphics performance for gaming (higher scores mean better performance):
CrystalDiskMark storage drive performance test:
Heat and Noise
A single fan is unusually situated under the left palm rest; it's highly likely ASUS had to shift things around in order to accommodate the necessary components into such a thin chassis. The fan is nearly silent while just surfing the Internet; during a more demanding task such as gaming it certainly gets noisier though not to the point where it is a distraction. The left side of the chassis heats up noticeably, likely due to the thinness of the chassis and also the fact the chassis is made of metal and therefore conducts heat more than plastic.
A single fan is unusually situated under the left palm rest; it's highly likely ASUS had to shift things around in order to accommodate the necessary components into such a thin chassis. The fan is nearly silent while just surfing the Internet; during a more demanding task such as gaming it certainly gets noisier though not to the point where it is a distraction. The left side of the chassis heats up noticeably, likely due to the thinness of the chassis and also the fact the chassis is made of metal and therefore conducts heat more than plastic.
Battery Life
The U36S includes a large 8-cell battery with a powerful 83Wh rating. We measured an even 8 hours, 30 minutes of life during our standard battery rundown test (Windows 7 Balanced power profile, 70% screen brightness, wireless active and refreshing a web page every one minute). This is an excellent time for an ultraportable notebook and certainly one of the best in-class times, especially at this price point. ASUS is one of the few notebook manufacturers that include high-capacity batteries as standard equipment and the use of Nvidia Optimus technology (automatically switching to low-power integrated graphics when high performance isn't needed) likely helps with battery life as well.
The U36S includes a large 8-cell battery with a powerful 83Wh rating. We measured an even 8 hours, 30 minutes of life during our standard battery rundown test (Windows 7 Balanced power profile, 70% screen brightness, wireless active and refreshing a web page every one minute). This is an excellent time for an ultraportable notebook and certainly one of the best in-class times, especially at this price point. ASUS is one of the few notebook manufacturers that include high-capacity batteries as standard equipment and the use of Nvidia Optimus technology (automatically switching to low-power integrated graphics when high performance isn't needed) likely helps with battery life as well.
Battery life test results (higher scores mean better battery life):
Conclusion
The ASUS U36S is an impressive notebook and easily a favorite sub-$1,000 ultraportable. It has a high-quality metal alloy chassis design and ultra-thin form factor. The keyboard has a good feel, the overall performance is great even for gaming, and again I can't stress just how thin and light this notebook is. Couple this with 8.5 hours of battery and it's hard to resist. A two-year warranty and USB 3.0 are icing on the cake.
The ASUS U36S is an impressive notebook and easily a favorite sub-$1,000 ultraportable. It has a high-quality metal alloy chassis design and ultra-thin form factor. The keyboard has a good feel, the overall performance is great even for gaming, and again I can't stress just how thin and light this notebook is. Couple this with 8.5 hours of battery and it's hard to resist. A two-year warranty and USB 3.0 are icing on the cake.
The downsides of this notebook are relatively mild; I would prefer an anti-glare screen and quieter touchpad buttons along with better speakers. Additionally, the shiny touchpad button needs to go.
The ASUS U36S is highly recommendable to those searching for a well-rounded portable notebook with good quality and lots of battery life.
Pros:
- Ultra-thin metal alloy chassis
- Good keyboard and touchpad
- 8.5 hours of battery life
- Two-year warranty standard
Cons:
- Glossy display creates reflections
- Touchpad buttons could be quieter
- Poor speakers
Individual Ratings: *
Software & Support
Upgrade Capabilities
Usability
Design
Performance
Features
Price/Value Rating
* Ratings averaged to produce final score
Software & Support
Upgrade Capabilities
Usability
Design
Performance
Features
Price/Value Rating
* Ratings averaged to produce final score
0 Comment:
Yorum Gönder