The notebook offers an interesting mix of different worlds. It has externally the appearance and good workmanship of Ultrabooks, but this of course lacks the power and it's a little too thick. It fits in size to more netbook segment, provides for this but then again too much power and moves from the hardware more in the area of entry-level notebooks. And then there's the touch screen, which certainly does not make the device for Tablet, but at least everything is currently hip, united under one hood.
The unit is supplied in a compact and simple style cardboard box. The content is quickly enumerated: the notebook, a manual and the usual support flyer and the extremely compact charger with fixed cable. The device itself provides a very sophisticated look. Display cover and housing (upper part) are made of aluminum and the surface has a slight brushing on. The display lid presents itself in a dark gray with a hint of violet inside. Only the top edge has probably manufacturing reasons a degree of dark gray plastic. The bottom of the notebook is made of black plastic, which has a slight rubber coating and the device thereby making grip. The harsh contrast between top and bottom also has a nice illusion: the notebook acts thereby significantly flatter than it is in reality. The images on Amazon "lying" by this effect.
The connectivity options are integrated well into the modern overall design. On the left side, the notebook offers the charging socket, an Ethernet port (max. 100 MBit), HMDI, each one USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 port and another opening for a Kensington lock. On the right side there is the 15-pin analog video connector, a card reader (cards are in use out), a combined headphone and microphone jack and yet another USB 2.0 port. At the edge of the right palm rest, we find five discreet status LEDs. These provide information about the operating status, battery charging status, hard drive activity, wireless and caps lock. Operating and charge status can be read because this is also at the leading edge corresponding recesses even when the display is closed.
The keyboard is part of the chiclet type, whereby the keys to a flat and have no curvature, and are slightly offset from the other to each other and not next to each other as we know it from a classic keyboard. The labeling of the keys is unfortunately only glued, so it is conceivable that the label could possibly seen in a very long time to solve. The key travel is rather short and soft. In combination with the distances between the individual keys this will affect so many in the beginning a bit strange and you have to get used to it.
The touchpad is generously sized and supports multitouch inputs with multiple fingers. Zooming, scrolling and typical Windows 8 gestures are not a problem - or maybe ... The supplied driver for the touchpad seem to be anything but mature. For example, some gestures are not recognized correctly right away and otherwise the touchpad sometimes acts hakelig. My tip: use down the manure and another driver. So NP540U3C can at Samsung for their laptop model the driver package Download 11.7.2.1, which also works on the Asus. The difference is as great as between day and night. Now the touchpad blossoms in earnest. So far everything is fine? - Not quite. For me, the touch pad is not 100% was installed evenly. In the upper left corner, it is slightly higher. If you move your finger over it you realize this also since it is not flush with the housing. Search on Google revealed further users to light possess these verschmerzbaren blemishes also.
Time for the first start. The fan starts directly to whisper and the drive hums slightly perceptible and accompanied by a minimum tick of the read / write head to himself. While Windows is prepared for me I disturb me now to the fan, but here is a later update to the latest BIOS version create remedy, so that the device then mostly quiet but still works imperceptible. What stands next in the truest sense of the word a negative eye is the display. I knew in advance that a TN panel is installed, and you had accordingly anticipate a moderate viewing angle stability, but what Asus presented here was well short of my expectations.
No matter how hard you play around the tilt angle of the display or moving the head also, there is no way to get a uniform representation. Always a different course in the color reproduction can be seen from the top down. This disappointed me cut 5x insofar as even my four year old cheap netbook (also with a TN panel) felt better here. After all, the illumination is fairly even and the colors per se seem reasonable, but as mentioned again strongly depends on the particular point of view. The maximum brightness of the display is sufficient within a building also near a window. Outdoors with sunshine but the flying blind starts right because this is not the display offers enough luminosity. Conversely, it can, however, enormously strong darkening, which is not strained his eyes in the dim light or complete darkness needlessly.
The display reflects what is not a direct issue only once, however, depending on the environment to be when reflections overlay the actual image content. Even more interesting to know that only about 135 ° can fold back the display. This is usually sufficient, but many other devices offer here a little extra. The display also contains a simple webcam that delivers average photo. In low ambient light, the display quality is acceptable and even enough for a video chat from.
The first steps in Windows 8 (I had not yet) are mainly characterized by experimentation. Initially I thought the touchscreen, I'd rather watch than nice little bonus and do not use often, but it quickly turned the opposite one. The operation via touchscreen is quick of hand and makes especially great fun. However, a small fly in the ointment here is the screen itself. While it reacts very precisely even with light touches, but even these are sufficient that the display always easy nachfedert. Who is somewhat predisposed gross motor will be quickly irritated here possibly.
When you launch apps makes quite also noticeable that here only works a classical hard disk with 5400 revolutions. Some apps you look first for a moment on the charging animation and the Desktop Operating with multiple programs at the same time it takes also like a little longer. As soon comes to the desire for a SSD, but of course priced at this unit was no longer there. Those who want to can lend a hand here but myself. The bottom of the device can be after loosening the screws and pulling a spirited decrease. The hard drive is directly accessible and can be relatively easily replaced. It is important that you in the event of a SSD version with 7mm height increases since larger variations here have no place. As appropriate SSD is here an example of the popular Samsung 830 series called.
Where the unit is on before wireless is plugged as a Mini-PCIe and as well as the battery replaceable. The RAM is soldered and on the other hand can not add to or replace. The fan is also available and can be added as needed sometimes be cleaned if the device is sometime loud.
Loudly it comes with the speakers on. This really surprised me because it compared to the size of the notebook produce a relatively balanced sound with which one can even speak of a bass and not just a "Blipp" as we know it from some other device. Even the sound field itself seems broadly as Asus was clever enough to use the housing as a kind of tunnel, thereby providing a nice stereo effect. The maximum volume is impressive and is certainly one never need in everyday life. Unfortunately, however, also comes the sound system is not quite like this without a damper. If the device will reproduces sound always accompanied by a clicking sound from the speakers beginning and end. I suspect that the amp just always switched on and off again here at the sound, making this noise arises. It is rather harmless, but in a quiet environment, it falls always on - especially for system sounds as these usually end up quietly and then suddenly comes this clicking sound.
My personal highlight - in a negative sense - but the cooling system of the notebook, which has then also brought me to send the unit back. Depending on the load like to rotate the fan despite BIOS update times a little high intrusive. I would describe it under load than just about acceptable, but the fan is only one component of a much larger problem: this laptop is simply not the processor to cool sufficiently capable, mainly due to the performance has fatal consequences. At full load, you can watch with appropriate programs such as the temperature of the processor after about half a minute 80 ° C, reaching more. The fan then runs already clamoring at full speed and comes against the Heat simply no longer. As a result, the processor begins to himself down to clock in order not to die of heat strokes. The temperature rises nevertheless still slowly on. This tragedy takes only 1.2 GHz an end because then resulting heat and cooling have leveled off. Considering the fact that there really should 1.8GHz work, you lost so under prolonged load-phase up to a third of a performance!
This is enormously annoying because actually would the integrated graphics HD4000 also invite time to play. Less demanding games should be playable with low graphic settings; Unfortunately, the temperature shoots here especially in the height of what the games overclocked again Ruckelpartie doing then finally the processor also down. Depending on the application you will encounter but even as "harmless" users to cooling problems. Who wants to use the device for. B. on your lap blocks thus directly a larger proportion of single air supply at the bottom of the device. On the sofa should be the notebook rather not even leave because the openings then through the flexible surface are completely closed.
Conclusion: from design and also a processing perspective, Asus is here a very nice unit succeeded in the mentioned input a lot of good brings together into a whole, and at a very attractive price. It is with its compact dimensions and a weight of just 1.4 kg well suited as a mobile companion. The touch operation opened a new facility, and makes Windows 8 really fun. A notebook, however, in which I can not use all the power without restriction is a bad design to me. Who wants to buy the notebook primarily for surfing, emailing and the usual office stuff is can possibly ignore the thermal problems and the limitations of the image display. In these functions, the device is very suitable in any case. Who sees however more as a power user who wants to make everything that is possible with a PC, you should rather stay away from this notebook.
