Asus, known worldwide for its Eee PC series netbooks, has made a big announcement about itself again. But this time, Asus X53U laptop aroused the interest of users around the world, whose characteristics distinguish it from the line of similar devices. The manufacturer decided not to use an Intel processor, replacing it with a development from AMD.
Asus X53U is a full-sized laptop with all the standard features and, as already noted, the AMD Brazos Dual Core C50 processor.
What is the difference between such a processor?
In Asus X53U, the characteristics are determined by the most modern capacities. AMD Brazos is AMD’s newest platform that uses a new design for the processor and graphics chip. The processor includes an integrated graphics chip, which, in addition to graphics power, can also be used by several applications, and helps in speeding up data processing. Asus X53U-SX1340, whose characteristics are built around this platform, is equipped with an Ontario C50 processor with a clock frequency of 1.0 GHz. This, at first glance, is not very much, but taking into account the compactness of the device, such an indicator is very good. However, the hardware properties of the device must be evaluated in total.
What are the features of the laptop?
In Asus X53U, the specifications are as follows:
- Processor: C50 Brazos Dual Core.
- Clock frequency: 1.0 GHz.
- Cache: 1 MB (L2 Cache).
- RAM: 1066 MHz 2 GB DDR3.
- Screen size: 15.6 inches.
- Pixel Density: 1366 x 768
- Hard Drive: SATA 320 GB, 5400 rpm speed.
- Optical drive: Super Multi two-layer drive.
- GPU: ATI Radeon HD 6250.
- Webcam with a resolution of 0.3 megapixels.
- Keyboard: standard full-size.
- Wireless LAN: 802.11 b / g / n.
- Ethernet: 10/100/1000 Mbps
- Bluetooth: v3.0.
- Battery: 6 Cell.
- USB port: USB 3.0.
- Video ports: VGA, HDMI.
- Other features: built-in microphone, speakers, RJ45 LAN.
- Design and appearance.
Speaking about the design of the laptop, it is worth noting its visual appeal. The appearance of the device really makes this model unique and one of a kind. Coffee color looks very original. However, you can notice it only when viewed closely, because from a distance the laptop looks like black. The Asus X53U cover has a rough and glossy surface, which looks very good. But here we can note some drawback - such material is prone to the formation of visible fingerprints. However, wiping with a dry cloth will easily solve this problem.
When you open the lid, you will notice that the trackpad area is made in the same elegant coffee shade, and the area around the display is black. On the rear panel there is a battery and a special compartment for easy access RAM.
Ports and Connections
The Asus X53U notebook specifications suggest that it has all the standard features. This model is equipped with a USB 3.0 slot and other standard connectors.
Keyboard and trackpad
The keyboard comes in a full-size layout. All letter and number keys are present according to the standard layout. The keyboard is easy to use for everyone, including users with thumbs or puffy fingers. There are also some special keys, when pressed with the Fn key, you can perform some special tasks. For example, a combination of Fn and F10 mutes the volume of the system.
Speaking about the trackpad, it is worth noting that the cursor does not appear spontaneously while typing. Management is precise and fairly smooth during everyday use. And, of course, the trackpad comes with multi-touch and gesture support, and scrolling remains easy anyway.
If you are viewing the image in the Windows photo viewer, the orientation of the image can also be changed using multitouch. Tapping a track twice simulates clicking on the mouse scroll wheel, and thus makes it easy to scroll down the page. In addition, the touch panel can be turned off while typing using the Fn key (function).
Display
The diagonal of the screen is 15.6 "with a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels. This means that the Asus X53U specifications include a high-definition screen, but not Full HD. However, playing HD-movies on this device, however, is no problem. The laptop can easily display video of this format without additional settings, thanks to the integrated Radeon HD 6250 graphics card.The brightness and colors are visible quite well on this screen, but the viewing angles could certainly be improved.As the Asus X53U specs, the matrix very display high-quality, and the problem of viewing points is relevant for all budget laptops, not just this model.If you use the gadget while lying in bed or on the couch, the viewing angle will need to be adjusted.
Software
In Asus X53U, the characteristics of the pre-installed software are somewhat limited. The device comes with DOS only. You will need to install Windows on this laptop. However, according to user reviews, it only takes about 35 minutes to install Windows 7 Ultimate. The accompanying software on the DVD is set up so that you can automatically install the drivers and necessary applications. To do this, you only need to click on the “Device Manager” and just right-click on the driver icons. Updates will occur automatically. In addition, you can also use autorun to install all recommended applications. Just insert the disc into the DVD drive and the download will go without your participation. The user is required to tick off all the drivers and software that must be installed.
Heating, noise and sound
With regular use, for example when visiting various sites or viewing some files in Windows Explorer, you will not even hear the fan noise. But if you perform some more capacious tasks, for example, play a game with rich graphics, the fan reproduces some sound, but it is quiet and not distracting. The top and bottom of the device may get a little warm while playing games or watching high-definition content, but not much. Power4Gear automatically adjusts the fan speed for quiet operation and long battery life. This application will need to be installed from the DVD.
Speaking about the work of the speakers, it should be noted that they do not reproduce sounds very loudly. These are the weakest characteristics in the Asus X53U. It wouldn’t hurt to amplify the sound - I always want to turn it on louder, but the sound threshold is low. The sound quality is not bad at all. The speakers are located next to the display panel.
Asus X53U Notebook PC: performance specifications
The dual-core 1.0 GHz APU processor comes with AMD's powerful integrated graphics. Video card Radeon HD 6250 GPU clocked at 280MHz. The processor consumes 9W. This model comes with a 2 GB DDR3 1066 MHz RAM. If you add another 2 GB of RAM on your own, the device will work even faster.
A hard disk drive is standard - 5400 revolutions per minute (HDD), with a capacity of 320 GB. However, if you wish, you can replace it with a faster one (up to 7200rpm) or with an SSD if you want to make the device more powerful.
According to user reviews, Windows 7 and standard applications can be launched on this device almost instantly. As already noted, HD also works fine, without any problems. Of course, you can always bring this content to the big screen via the HDMI port.
Coming to the gaming part, it should be noted that the Radeon HD 6250 does not provide many opportunities for launching the latest games. Even if the game does not “freeze”, you can observe low quality graphics. In addition, the image will be displayed in the center of the entire screen, and on both sides - left and right - there will be black bars.
Battery life
Thanks to its energy-efficient processor, this laptop has good grades in terms of battery life. According to the test results, the device can work for approximately 4.5 hours on a single charge. This time is available when performing standard everyday tasks - browsing websites, working with e-mail, listening to music and watching movies. If the brightness decreases, the battery can last much longer.
As soon as the laptop is turned on in battery mode, the brightness automatically decreases to save more energy.
Cost
The cost of the Asus X53U is approximately $ 420. However, it can be found on sale quite rarely. Laptop configuration at this price is really good for budget consumers.
Final words and verdict
If you are really looking for something powerful at an affordable price, then this is the device you were looking for. If you compare the Asus X53U with other models, you can find that for a similar price you can only buy a netbook with similar characteristics.