Hands-On With Asus N53J, a 15-inch Multimedia Notebook for $999
Asus announced the N53Jf, its newest 15-inch multimedia notebook, which boasts Nvidia’s new GT425M GPU (with Optimus), an Intel Core i5 processor, and a USB 3.0 port.
While the 15.6-inch screen has the standard 1366 x 768-pixel resolution, its speakers were developed by Bang & Olufsen ICE, and Asus’ Sonic Master utility lets you adjust the vocal clarity, surround sound, and bass, which should please audiophiles somewhat.
The N53Jf, which will retail for $999, we be available by the end of September.
Stylistically, the N53J looks like a descendant of the N61J, in that there’s a speaker grille running the length of the deck above the keyboard. Just below is a transparent bar with buttons for power, playback, etc., that light up when pressed. A subtle, but nice touch.
While it looks like metal, the lid is made of a scratch-resistant plastic. The keyboard deck is made from aluminum, though. When we were listening to movies and music played on the N53J, we were impressed with the fidelity as well as the bass response.
The keyboard was nice and firm, although in order to accommodate a full number pad, a few of the keys–namely, the left Shift key–were squished, and the Enter button is also an odd shape. However, we liked the large touchpad, and the mouse button below, despite being a single bar, was very easy to press.
Price: $999
Processor: Intel Core i5-460M
Memory/Expandable to: 4GB/8GB
Screen size/resolution: 15.6 inches/1366 x 768
Graphics: Nvidia GT425M with Optimus
Hard Drive Size/Speed: 500GB/7200 rpm
Optical drive: 8X DVD Supermulti
Wireless: 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1
Ports: One USB 3.0, two USB 2.0, eSATA, HDMI, VGA, Ethernet, 5-in-1 card reader
