ASUS N53JF-XE1
- Category: Notebook Computers
December 23, 2010
Editor's Rating
- Comfortable keyboard
- 1080p HD display
- USB 3.0 & eSATA
- Dual-graphics systems
- Excellent performance
- Mediocre battery life
- Slightly larger & heavier than most
The 15-inch widescreen Asus N53JF-XE1 is a desktop replacement notebook that has an Intel Core i5-460M CPU and a really strong nVidia graphics processor. It has a sleek design that'll please anyone and has a maximum display resolution of 1080p high-definition.
Asus designed the N53JF-XE1 with an aluminum body that feels very sturdy and strong. The color is similar to a light gray and has a lightly brushed aluminum effect. In total, it measures 16.8 x 11.5 x 1.6-inches (dwh) and weighs about 6.5 pounds, which makes it quite large and heavy, so don't plan on lugging it around with you to work or school everyday.
The keyboard is a more traditional laptop-style, which provides a more comfortable experience. However, the numeric numberpad to the right of the keyboard is made up of much smaller than normal keys, which pose a problem for people with larger fingers. The keyboard is no backlit, which may be a disappointment for some potential buyers. The mouse touchpad feels very frictionless and smooth, which we like, and it is also of adequate size too. We also liked that the palm rests on either side were virtually flush with the trackpad's surface.
Above the keyboard is the beautiful 15.6-inch widescreen LED display with a native resolution of 1920 x 1080-pixels, which qualifies has "Full HD", which is something that many laptops, even desktop replacements, don't give you. Thanks to this high resolution, you get beautiful images and videos and HD-quality content look fantastic. There is minimal glare on the screen and viewing angles were almost 180 degrees.
On the right side of the Asus N53JF-XE1, you get two USB 2.0 ports, audio jacks and a Blu-ray combo drive. The left side of the unit has a USB 3.0 port (colored blue), a eSATA/USB combo port, a 5-in-1 memory card reader, Ethernet and HDMI out. The USB 3.0 port allows you to connect supported devices that can take advantage of USB 3.0's speeds over USB 2.0. An HDMI port means you can export HD content to an HDTV, which is always handy.
Some of the specifications of the Asus N53JF-XE1 include an Intel Core i5-460M CPU (2.53MHz), 4GB of DDR3 RAM (expandable to 8GB), an nVidia GT425M graphics processor with 1GB of RAM, a 500GB hard drive (7200 RPM) and built-in 802.11b/g/n wireless connectivity. There is also a 2.0-megapixel Webcam and this computer comes with Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit).
One feature that we really liked with this laptop is the dual-graphics technology that includes the nVidia GT425M and an integrated Intel HD processor. The computer automatically decides which graphics processor to use depending upon the demand and type of activity being done. For example, playing a 3D game will utilize the nVidia card as it has 1GB of dedicated video memory and supports Microsoft DirectX 11. This allows you to have the power when you need it, but also to conserve power and resources when you don't.
Performance with the Asus N53JF-XE1 is as expected with the specifications that it has. More intensive computing tasks, like video encoding or playing a 3D game, worked without a hitch and seemed speedy. The 4GB of RAM provides more than enough room for running multiple applications and performing more intensive tasks.
Battery life, however, is a downfall as only about 2.75-3 hours of battery life is available from the included 6-cell battery. However since this is a desktop replacement laptop, it probably won't be too far from a power source.
