The ASUS K53SV-B1 is a handsome machine well suited for mainstream users. It offers plenty of power for day-to-day use, and when put to the test with video and games, its Intel Core i7 and Nvidia GT 540M graphics processor ensure that this system can handle itself. But at $969, is the K53SV a stud or a dud?
Design
Understated yet handsome, the lid on the K53SV features a subtly textured horizontal pinstripe pattern that makes the silver ASUS logo pop and helps minimize--but not eliminate--fingerprint smudges. The mocha color continues onto the ASUS' sturdy, scratch-resistant brushed-aluminum deck, where it blends nicely with the unit's black full-size keyboard. Such a liberal use of dark colors would be overwhelming if not for the silver treatment on the system's power and touchpad buttons.At 15.1 x 10.1 x 1.4 inches and 6 pounds, the K53SV certainly is light enough to move from room to room but not for travel. This machine is a bit more portable than Dell's XPS 15 L502X (Sandy Bridge), which measures in at 15 x 10.4 x 1.5 inches and 6.6 pounds with its nine-cell battery. However, the HP Pavilion dv6t weighs just 5.8 pounds, and it has a brushed-aluminum lid and sleeker lines.
Heat
ASUS boasts that the K53SV comes with an IceCool palm rest, but the entire laptop kept its cool in our testing. The touchpad reached just 85 degrees after we played a Hulu video at full screen for 15 minutes. Temperatures between the G and H keys and on the underside of the laptop also registered a chilly 86 degrees. We consider temperatures below 95 degrees comfortable and those below 90 degrees imperceptible. However, we did notice some really hot air belching out of the side of the notebook during use.Keyboard and Touchpad
The K53SV's keyboard is well spaced, and the keys are lightly textured for extra grippability. This layout exhibited slight flex, but the tactile feedback was fairly good. Using the Ten Thumbs Typing Tutor, we scored 63 words per minute with a 3-percent error rate. That's comparable to the 63 wpm and a 2-percent error rate we registered using our office keyboard.
You'll also find a number pad on the right side of the layout. Secondary functions are clearly marked with a light blue that stands out well against the dark keys.
Made by Elan, the 3.3 x 1.9-inch recessed touchpad on the K53SV is responsive and supports lots of gestures. Pinch-to-zoom and three-finger flicks through photos were silky smooth. Plus, you can launch the My Computer windows with a three-finger swipe up and switch Windows with a flick down.
Display and Audio
The K53SV sports a 15.6-inch widescreen LED display with a resolution of 1366 x 768. Images were crisp and vibrant when we viewed a full-screen QuickTime trailer for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2. We could easily make out Potter's eyelashes during a close-up shot.
The notebook's Altec Lansing speakers are located above the keyboard. When we played Blink 182's "What's My Age Again" and Neon Tree's "Animal," the audio was loud enough to fill a small room, but it lacked the richness and depth of the Dell XPS 15. Enabling ASUS' Sonic Focus audio software didn't produce any noticeable difference in sound quality.
Ports and Webcam
The right side of the K53SV features two USB 2.0 ports, audio in and out jacks, and a Kensington lock slot. The left side offers a third USB 2.0 port, HDMI output, a VGA Mini D-Sub port, and an Ethernet jack. On the front of the unit, located below the deck, is a 5-in-1 smart card reader. Sadly, the K53SV lacks a USB 3.0 port.
This notebook's 0.3-megapixel webcam captured grainy video when we used ASUS' stock LifeFrame 3 software in our cubicle. However, the image quality improved somewhat when we moved to a brightly lit conference room. The software package includes a multitude of features, including image filters, frames, and accessories that can be overlaid on a subject's face--including a panda head and a cabana hat.
0 comments:
Post a Comment