The ASUS U31SD-A1 is a thin-and-light laptop that knows how to get its game on. That's because this machine packs a 1GB Nvidia graphics card to go along with its Core i3 processor. When you're just surfing the web, the notebook automatically switches to Intel's integrated graphics, enabling the system to last more than 9 hours on a charge. Pretty sweet for $799, right? Read on to find out if this portable has everything you need.
Design
The U31SD-A1 has the same sleek brushed-aluminum lid and two-toned interior as the U31JG and U41JF. The top of the deck is still glossy black plastic with attractive diamond cross-hatching above the keyboard. The palm rest goes for the same brushed-aluminum aesthetic, but it's made of plastic. It's a classic look, but the Lenovo IdeaPad Z370's eye-popping blue design pops more.Measuring 12.9 x 9.1 x 1-1.12 inches and weighing 4.2 pounds, the U31SD-A1 is nearly identical in size and weight to the Acer Aspire TimelineX 3830TG, and can slide into a messenger bag and be transported for an extended period of time with relative ease. The IdeaPad Z370 is slightly smaller at 12.9 x 8.7 x 0.8-1.3 inches, but has a little more heft at 4.6 pounds.
Keyboard and Touchpad
The U31SD-A1 has a large island-style keyboard with generous spacing between the keys. The large black keys provided decent feedback. There's also plenty of space to type, with the exception of the undersized right Shift key, which led to a number of errors. Unfortunately, the layout exhibited some flex, a slightly annoying ASUS trademark.
The 3.1 x 1.75-inch Synaptics touchpad on the U31SD-A1 doesn't offer a huge amount of real estate. However, the smooth surface was quick and responsive, making it easy to navigate websites and highlight text. Multitouch gestures such as pinch-to-zoom and two-finger rotation were equally responsive, but we had trouble getting rotate and three-finger flicks to work on the first try.
Although we prefer discrete mouse buttons, the bar beneath the touchpad worked fine on the ASUS U31SD-A1.
Ports and Webcam
The right side of the U31SD-A1 has two USB 2.0 ports, a 5-in-1 card reader, HDMI, VGA, and Ethernet. Another USB 2.0 port, a headphone jack, a microphone jack, a Kensington secure lock, and the power jack are located on the left of the notebook.
The 0.3-megapixel camera captured clear but slightly dark images in natural lighting. We were limited to capturing images and videos at a maximum of 640 x 480 pixels using ASUS LifeFrame software. During our Skype session, our caller reported clear video and audio.
Heat
After streaming a Hulu video for 15 minutes, the U31SD-A1 was able to retain most of its cool. The touchpad registered a frosty 77 degrees Fahrenheit. The space between the G and H keys measured 88 degrees while the bottom of the notebook registered a warm 91 degrees. We found the bottom vent to be the hottest area, blowing out an uncomfortable 100 degrees--5 degrees hotter than what we consider comfortable.Display and Audio
The U31SD-A1's 13.3-inch 1366 x 768 glossy display is surrounded by a glossy black bezel. Text on LaptopMag.com was sharp and easy to read, but images were dull and just a little grainy. Watching video on the notebook was disappointing. The night scenes in the 1080p YouTube trailer of Cowboys and Aliens were pixelated, and day scenes were no better, providing muddy visuals. The usually brilliant reds and golds in the Immortals trailer appeared washed out.Audio on the U31SD sounded hollow and muted. Despite the Altec Lansing speakers located on the front lip of the notebook, the music couldn't fill a small room. We used the ASUS Sonic Focus control panel to make adjustments to no avail; despite adjusting sound levels for vocals, surround sound, adaptive volume and bass, vocals on Sade's "Sweetest Taboo" sounded muffled while the bass on Kanye West's "Flashing Lights" were distorted. Sonic Focus was most effective when using headphones. We especially liked that the software let us choose between small and large headphones as well as earbuds.
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