TL;DR:
Pros:
– Premium build for its price
– Very good keyboard
– Awesome screen resolution with good viewing angles
– Sufficient amount of ports
– Lightweight for its size
Cons:
– No backlit keyboard
– A tad underpowered due to the high resolution
– Below average trackpad response and wireless adapter
– Meh web cam
Overall, this laptop packs a punch and is probably the best in its price range. Great build and tactile feel, new Intel processors and a decent graphics card allows this portable laptop to not only make your work and surfing look stunning, you can toss in light gaming to boot when your fingers crave for such. No laptop is perfect, but this the most perfect traditional laptop in my opinion that comes with a very reasonable price tag.
As of this writing, there is virtually NO reviews on this laptop, and I am sure you will be able to find a more detailed review soon. If you are however, a meticulous but not-so-technical consumer like me, this review will be perfect for you.
My priorities on a budget laptop are as follows: (a) a 1920×1080 resolution; (b) build quality and aesthetics; (c) keyboard (does not matter if backlit or not); and (d) decent storage space. For a tight budget such as mine, I have never seen a laptop similarly built with in this price range.
SPECS:
– Intel i5 5200-U up to 2.20gHz (says 2.19gHz on Windows)
– 4GB of RAM (1 slot expandable up to 12GB)
– Nvidia Geforce 940M
– 500GB HDD
– 3-in-1 Card Reader
For those who desire to own a Macbook Pro, but does not have the budget for it, this laptop is also for you. Its appearance and look clearly resembles that one of an Apple laptop, so why bother reinventing the wheel? The Blue aluminum cover has the brand “ASUS,” which was tastefully done. Fortunately, the dark blue color can mistakenly be seen as black, but it is much better than the purplish or violetish hue on certain Asus models.
I enjoy using the keyboard. The key travel is great for me, and the tactile feel of the keys is also good. All the key pushing also do not make a lot of sound, or its click sound is sufficient for your ears to enjoy the clacking sound while typing.
So far, the laptop runs cool. The fan is also not as noisy. So far you can use this gadget literally on your lap, without that much fuss. These temperature estimates involve streaming videos, and doing officework. I will update this post once i get to stress it on certain games.
You almost never see a decent resolution with this price. The nearest I have seen is the Asus UX 305.
The battery life is surprisingly good. For a 3 Cell battery, it lasts around 4-6 hours on normal use. Considering the specs, build, and price, I figured that I would get screwed over the battery. Fortunately, as a normal work office laptop, it will serve you well.
While the cons of this laptop is negligible because of the price, there are some who may consider these trade-offs as non-negotiables, and it is better that you know them as early as now.
The trackpad is meh at best. In my experience, it is laggy in its smart gestures and on certain tapping actions. The trackpad feels like premium material, but the diveboard mechanism dives deeper than I would have desired.
Due to its Geforce 940M, and a high resolution, one may consider this as underpowered for gaming. That is true, if you play with the maximum resolution. So far, playing Hearthstone in 1440×900 is fun, with crisp graphics. There are lag times, but I think it is from the internet or due to the 4GB of RAM on board.
For work, and general office presentations, you will find the RAM sufficient. However, if you want to game on this thing, or have that snappy loading times, you will need to expand to at least 8GB, maximum of 12GB. Fortunately, this laptop can do it for you, post purchase. Screw those soldered on never-can-be-replaced-or-upgraded stuff!
So there you have it. For its price, it is a perfect laptop. You rarely see great resolution with decent specs at this price range, so one would be willing to accept its flaws.
