ASUS N55Sf Review with Matte Display and External Subwoofer
The question of whether it is possible to combine high-quality acoustics and mobility of laptops has been raised more than once in engineering circles. Manufacturers have repeatedly created new models, improving sound quality, and over the past few years have made significant progress. But for all the good you have to pay and, by improving a number of characteristics (loudness and “purity” of sound), you inevitably had to make concessions.
Nobody has managed to ensure high-quality reproduction of low frequencies in the notebook. The company ASUS decided this issue beyond the standard model. As if in a riddle “connect four points with three lines so that the lines do not intersect, do not interrupt, and the hand never for a second detached from the drawing” at ASUS expanded the limits of perception of the usual categories.
And carried the subwoofer out of the laptop in the model ASUS N55Sf.
Processor: Intel® Core ™ i7-2670QM
Operating system: Windows® 7 Ultimate
Memory: DDR3 1333 MHz SDRAM (with expansion up to 8 GB)
Display: 15.6 "16: 9 HD (1366x768) / HD + (1600x900) / Full HD (1920x1080) LED Backlight
Video Card: NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 555M 2GB DDR3 VRAM
Hard Drive: 640GB 5400rpm
Webcam: 2 megapixel
Connectivity: Wi-fi 802.11 b / g / n, Bluetooth ™ V3.0 + HS (Optional), 10/100/1000 Base T, 1 x Microphone-in jack, 1 x Headphone-out jack (SPDIF), 1 x VGA port / Mini D-sub 15-pin, 2 x USB 3.0, 2 x USB 2.0, 1 x RJ45 LAN, HDMI
Speaker System: Bang & Olufsen ICEpower, ASUS SonicMaster
Battery: 5200 mAh 56 Whrs
Weight: 2.7 kg (with battery)
Dimensions:
37.9 x 26.1 x 3.5 ~ 3.55 cm (Dual-core CPU)
37.9 x 26.1 x 3.7 ~ 3.75 cm (Qual-core CPU)
* configurations may vary.
')
Almost everything is absolutely standard and there is nothing superfluous. The laptop itself, the charger, the manual and ... an external subwoofer. As far as we know, this is the first laptop in the world, which comes with a similar device.
ASUS N55SF is the development of traditional design ideas implemented throughout the N-series. The laptop is less consistent with the office style and more combined with the cozy atmosphere of a home living room. To give a certain individuality in the mass series of models with similar technical characteristics, significant changes were made to the design of the laptop. The game on colors is noticeable, the contrasts of combinations of dark and light areas immediately catch the eye.
In an effort to make the laptop visually more attractive to the average user, the manufacturer added gloss - the entire laptop lid is made of glossy plastic. It looks interesting from the outside, but this approach cannot be called indisputable: the gloss quickly collects fingerprints, and dust is well visible on it.
Aluminum, the hallmark of many recent ASUS laptops, has not gone anywhere, although it is represented in smaller quantities. The upper part of the panel above the keyboard, where the loudspeaker grill is located, is made of light metal.
The ends of the cover are chrome plated, contrasted with a completely black surface. It is convenient to close and open the lid, since the lower part of the notebook case is quite stable.
Wrist rest rubberized and slightly recessed into the body.
The bright keyboard and dark matte surface of the stand - a tribute to the overall stylistic mood of the laptop. Wrist rest rubberized and slightly recessed into the body.
The new design cannot be called absolutely strict, but there is no reason to speak of “vanilla”, excessive kitsch glamor of screaming surfaces. Apparently, the main task was to create a laptop, which differs both from the products of competitors and from its own classical developments. We coped with this task successfully.
You can not make a mistake - yellow to yellow (connecting an external subwoofer).
The optical drive occupies almost the entire right side, but ASUS also managed to accommodate two more USB 2.0 ports and two audio jacks (SPDIF headphone output and microphone input). There is also a jack for connecting an external subwoofer and a TV tuner antenna, available as an option.
On the opposite side: two USB 3.0, HDMI, an RJ-45 network card connector, analog VGA video output, a power jack and a lock hole.
On the front end, a 3-in-1 card reader unexpectedly (and long-awaitedly) moved, making the company 4th LED indicators. There is nothing on the back panel. Comprehensive network capabilities: Wi-Fi 802.11 b / g / n, Bluetooth V3.0 + HS, GigaBit LAN.
Frosted display reaction to flash.
15.6-inch HD-display with a resolution of 1600x900 pixels, LED backlight and 16: 9 format.
The most important thing is that we have a matte display, which means that it is not dark and does not glare in the light, fully corresponds to the high declared class: the colors are saturated, the brightness is high, the image is clear. Do I need to talk about all the benefits of matte displays? Oh, how many times in the comments to the reviews we asked, when will they be as much as possible!
We note in particular that the laptop can be equipped with different matrices: with a resolution of 1600x900 or Full HD 1920x1080. There are glossy displays.
In our test model, we installed a quad-core Intel Core i7-2630QM Sandy Bridge generation. The processor with a clock frequency of 2 GHz can accelerate to 2.9 GHz.
The amount of RAM is 4 GB DDR3 1333 MHz standard (two strips, up to 8 GB supported).
For the video, thanks to technology Nvidia Optumus, is responsible for both the integrated Intel HD Graphics 3000 system and the discrete GeForce GT 555M adapter with 2 GB of video memory. In the 3DMark11 test, the ASUS N55SF scores 1,410 points.
A 640 GB hard drive with 16 MB buffer shows excellent performance.
A bunch of high-performance processor with a modern video card allows you to enjoy all the latest games. However, we recommend using the appropriate resolution for games - in our opinion 1366x768 - which allows you to set graphics in high detail.
Innovation, directly affecting the performance, this technology is Instant On - it allows you to get out of sleep mode in just a few seconds.
The keys are large and flat and adjoin each other, there are no habitual “island” type gaps, however, it is convenient to use the keyboard.
The dimensions of the laptop made it possible to make a separate digital block, and the size of the keys to make exactly such that the user did not miss while typing. The power button of the laptop is highlighted with an indicator.
The keyboard has an unusual layout. Unexpectedly, Esc disappeared from his seat, now there is a key for switching to the energy-saving mode.
The convenient touchpad looks great and works well, allowing you to do vertical scrolling. A pair of mouse buttons replaces a single button-rocker.
Multimedia notebook with powerful stuffing and good gaming capabilities - the main enemy of energy saving. However, by using the integrated Intel HD 3000 core, you can increase battery life.
When surfing the web, the laptop will work 4 hours per charge. The game also "eat" the battery in one and a half to two hours.
The Instant On technology in ASUS N55SF not only allows you to instantly bring the laptop out of sleep, but also supports the device up to 15 days in standby mode.
The feature of the device is not a powerful technical specifications or interesting design. No, mainly attention is attracted by the conceptually modified approach to sound reproduction. ASUS, together with specialists from Bang & Olufsen, managed to break an established stereotype and present a laptop in which the sound is comparable in quality to external audio systems. Of course, attempts have been made before. The ASUS N71JA had 2.1 sound, and the subwoofer was located on the bottom of the case. This approach improved the overall sound picture, but the hand still stretched to connect at least a weak one ... and a plastic one ... and a small, but external column.
So, ASUS N55SF uses advanced technology ASUS SonicMaster, which is a complex of hardware and software tools for improving sound quality. SonicMaster technology brings the sound quality of laptops to a whole new level, providing a wide dynamic range, deep bass, clear vocal reproduction. Naturally, to achieve perfect sound exclusively in the case of the laptop at this stage of development of science and technology is impossible. Therefore, for a more powerful and expressive transmission of low frequencies, an external subwoofer is included with the notebook.
The subwoofer is connected to a special audio jack. The subwoofer is lightweight, weighs only 150 grams.
The “sound” carried outside the hull is not the only innovation. The additional linux-like Express Gate system, where previously it was only convenient to use the Internet, was replaced by the “Music Now!” Shell. You can start it with a separate key.
Here, too, there is a browser with flash support, but the main purpose is to play music from the hard disk of a laptop.
The main thing that everyone was waiting for was the sound good or what? :)
Let's face it: it is inferior to an external speaker system, but it is best of all that was previously created in laptops. For true connoisseurs, music lovers who do not have the opportunity to carry around with a Hi-End system, this laptop will be the best mobile solution. Needless to say that a home disco may not be enough, but to enjoy your favorite movie is more than.
Is the whole value of the novelty in the external subwoofer? Do not think so. Bass is a nice addition, but the quality of the internal speakers is at the highest level. By itself, the laptop has a powerful sound, thanks to a special design and a resonant chamber of increased volume.
Fortunately, the tradition is dying to put a 0.3-megapixel webcam in laptops. The ASUS N55SF has a 2 megapixel webcam, which favorably affects the comfort of Skype and video conferencing.
Under stress, the processor and video card will heat up to 90 and 80 degrees, no more. In some places, the bottom of the case the temperature of the laptop will reach 40 degrees. We are not worried about this, an almost 3-kilogram multimedia harvester will not be held on your lap, the palm rest, the keyboard do not have any problems with overheating.
ASUS N55Sf in the white case.
ASUS N55SF is a new face of multimedia technology for the home. Interesting design, powerful stuffing, an exclusive highlight in the form of a repeatedly improved sound picture, make it possible to regard the novelty as an excellent example of an all-in-one home computer replacing the old hospital. Mobile capabilities of the notebook will be to the liking of lovers of a comfortable pastime and people who are accustomed to not refuse anything to themselves. Do you want to hear a good sound on the road? Please take your laptop with you.
However, it was not without drawbacks. These include the non-standard arrangement of the keyboard buttons, and the fans of the “island” type of keys will not change their preferences.
Separately, I would like to note the amazing, magical opportunity to buy a laptop with a matte display.
Moreover, the review came to us not the most impressive representative of the series. Now on sale is a completely white ASUS N55Sf, which looks amazing.
Consider the ASUS N55Sf options a lot, they are different, they have different configurations and body color. The presence of high-quality sound, a powerful processor, a productive video card, a high-speed disk, a comfortable keyboard, as well as a thoughtful layout of the interfaces remain unchanged.
Nobody has managed to ensure high-quality reproduction of low frequencies in the notebook. The company ASUS decided this issue beyond the standard model. As if in a riddle “connect four points with three lines so that the lines do not intersect, do not interrupt, and the hand never for a second detached from the drawing” at ASUS expanded the limits of perception of the usual categories.
And carried the subwoofer out of the laptop in the model ASUS N55Sf.
About characteristics *
Processor: Intel® Core ™ i7-2670QM
Operating system: Windows® 7 Ultimate
Memory: DDR3 1333 MHz SDRAM (with expansion up to 8 GB)
Display: 15.6 "16: 9 HD (1366x768) / HD + (1600x900) / Full HD (1920x1080) LED Backlight
Video Card: NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 555M 2GB DDR3 VRAM
Hard Drive: 640GB 5400rpm
Webcam: 2 megapixel
Connectivity: Wi-fi 802.11 b / g / n, Bluetooth ™ V3.0 + HS (Optional), 10/100/1000 Base T, 1 x Microphone-in jack, 1 x Headphone-out jack (SPDIF), 1 x VGA port / Mini D-sub 15-pin, 2 x USB 3.0, 2 x USB 2.0, 1 x RJ45 LAN, HDMI
Speaker System: Bang & Olufsen ICEpower, ASUS SonicMaster
Battery: 5200 mAh 56 Whrs
Weight: 2.7 kg (with battery)
Dimensions:
37.9 x 26.1 x 3.5 ~ 3.55 cm (Dual-core CPU)
37.9 x 26.1 x 3.7 ~ 3.75 cm (Qual-core CPU)
* configurations may vary.
About picking
')
Almost everything is absolutely standard and there is nothing superfluous. The laptop itself, the charger, the manual and ... an external subwoofer. As far as we know, this is the first laptop in the world, which comes with a similar device.
About the body and design
ASUS N55SF is the development of traditional design ideas implemented throughout the N-series. The laptop is less consistent with the office style and more combined with the cozy atmosphere of a home living room. To give a certain individuality in the mass series of models with similar technical characteristics, significant changes were made to the design of the laptop. The game on colors is noticeable, the contrasts of combinations of dark and light areas immediately catch the eye.
In an effort to make the laptop visually more attractive to the average user, the manufacturer added gloss - the entire laptop lid is made of glossy plastic. It looks interesting from the outside, but this approach cannot be called indisputable: the gloss quickly collects fingerprints, and dust is well visible on it.
Aluminum, the hallmark of many recent ASUS laptops, has not gone anywhere, although it is represented in smaller quantities. The upper part of the panel above the keyboard, where the loudspeaker grill is located, is made of light metal.
The ends of the cover are chrome plated, contrasted with a completely black surface. It is convenient to close and open the lid, since the lower part of the notebook case is quite stable.
Wrist rest rubberized and slightly recessed into the body.
The bright keyboard and dark matte surface of the stand - a tribute to the overall stylistic mood of the laptop. Wrist rest rubberized and slightly recessed into the body.
The new design cannot be called absolutely strict, but there is no reason to speak of “vanilla”, excessive kitsch glamor of screaming surfaces. Apparently, the main task was to create a laptop, which differs both from the products of competitors and from its own classical developments. We coped with this task successfully.
About communication
You can not make a mistake - yellow to yellow (connecting an external subwoofer).
The optical drive occupies almost the entire right side, but ASUS also managed to accommodate two more USB 2.0 ports and two audio jacks (SPDIF headphone output and microphone input). There is also a jack for connecting an external subwoofer and a TV tuner antenna, available as an option.
On the opposite side: two USB 3.0, HDMI, an RJ-45 network card connector, analog VGA video output, a power jack and a lock hole.
On the front end, a 3-in-1 card reader unexpectedly (and long-awaitedly) moved, making the company 4th LED indicators. There is nothing on the back panel. Comprehensive network capabilities: Wi-Fi 802.11 b / g / n, Bluetooth V3.0 + HS, GigaBit LAN.
About the screen
Frosted display reaction to flash.
15.6-inch HD-display with a resolution of 1600x900 pixels, LED backlight and 16: 9 format.
The most important thing is that we have a matte display, which means that it is not dark and does not glare in the light, fully corresponds to the high declared class: the colors are saturated, the brightness is high, the image is clear. Do I need to talk about all the benefits of matte displays? Oh, how many times in the comments to the reviews we asked, when will they be as much as possible!
We note in particular that the laptop can be equipped with different matrices: with a resolution of 1600x900 or Full HD 1920x1080. There are glossy displays.
About performance
In our test model, we installed a quad-core Intel Core i7-2630QM Sandy Bridge generation. The processor with a clock frequency of 2 GHz can accelerate to 2.9 GHz.
The amount of RAM is 4 GB DDR3 1333 MHz standard (two strips, up to 8 GB supported).
For the video, thanks to technology Nvidia Optumus, is responsible for both the integrated Intel HD Graphics 3000 system and the discrete GeForce GT 555M adapter with 2 GB of video memory. In the 3DMark11 test, the ASUS N55SF scores 1,410 points.
A 640 GB hard drive with 16 MB buffer shows excellent performance.
A bunch of high-performance processor with a modern video card allows you to enjoy all the latest games. However, we recommend using the appropriate resolution for games - in our opinion 1366x768 - which allows you to set graphics in high detail.
Innovation, directly affecting the performance, this technology is Instant On - it allows you to get out of sleep mode in just a few seconds.
About the keyboard and touchpad
The keys are large and flat and adjoin each other, there are no habitual “island” type gaps, however, it is convenient to use the keyboard.
The dimensions of the laptop made it possible to make a separate digital block, and the size of the keys to make exactly such that the user did not miss while typing. The power button of the laptop is highlighted with an indicator.
The keyboard has an unusual layout. Unexpectedly, Esc disappeared from his seat, now there is a key for switching to the energy-saving mode.
The convenient touchpad looks great and works well, allowing you to do vertical scrolling. A pair of mouse buttons replaces a single button-rocker.
About battery life
Multimedia notebook with powerful stuffing and good gaming capabilities - the main enemy of energy saving. However, by using the integrated Intel HD 3000 core, you can increase battery life.
When surfing the web, the laptop will work 4 hours per charge. The game also "eat" the battery in one and a half to two hours.
The Instant On technology in ASUS N55SF not only allows you to instantly bring the laptop out of sleep, but also supports the device up to 15 days in standby mode.
About sound
The feature of the device is not a powerful technical specifications or interesting design. No, mainly attention is attracted by the conceptually modified approach to sound reproduction. ASUS, together with specialists from Bang & Olufsen, managed to break an established stereotype and present a laptop in which the sound is comparable in quality to external audio systems. Of course, attempts have been made before. The ASUS N71JA had 2.1 sound, and the subwoofer was located on the bottom of the case. This approach improved the overall sound picture, but the hand still stretched to connect at least a weak one ... and a plastic one ... and a small, but external column.
So, ASUS N55SF uses advanced technology ASUS SonicMaster, which is a complex of hardware and software tools for improving sound quality. SonicMaster technology brings the sound quality of laptops to a whole new level, providing a wide dynamic range, deep bass, clear vocal reproduction. Naturally, to achieve perfect sound exclusively in the case of the laptop at this stage of development of science and technology is impossible. Therefore, for a more powerful and expressive transmission of low frequencies, an external subwoofer is included with the notebook.
The subwoofer is connected to a special audio jack. The subwoofer is lightweight, weighs only 150 grams.
The “sound” carried outside the hull is not the only innovation. The additional linux-like Express Gate system, where previously it was only convenient to use the Internet, was replaced by the “Music Now!” Shell. You can start it with a separate key.
Here, too, there is a browser with flash support, but the main purpose is to play music from the hard disk of a laptop.
The main thing that everyone was waiting for was the sound good or what? :)
Let's face it: it is inferior to an external speaker system, but it is best of all that was previously created in laptops. For true connoisseurs, music lovers who do not have the opportunity to carry around with a Hi-End system, this laptop will be the best mobile solution. Needless to say that a home disco may not be enough, but to enjoy your favorite movie is more than.
Is the whole value of the novelty in the external subwoofer? Do not think so. Bass is a nice addition, but the quality of the internal speakers is at the highest level. By itself, the laptop has a powerful sound, thanks to a special design and a resonant chamber of increased volume.
About useful things
Fortunately, the tradition is dying to put a 0.3-megapixel webcam in laptops. The ASUS N55SF has a 2 megapixel webcam, which favorably affects the comfort of Skype and video conferencing.
About temperature
Under stress, the processor and video card will heat up to 90 and 80 degrees, no more. In some places, the bottom of the case the temperature of the laptop will reach 40 degrees. We are not worried about this, an almost 3-kilogram multimedia harvester will not be held on your lap, the palm rest, the keyboard do not have any problems with overheating.
About conclusions
ASUS N55Sf in the white case.
ASUS N55SF is a new face of multimedia technology for the home. Interesting design, powerful stuffing, an exclusive highlight in the form of a repeatedly improved sound picture, make it possible to regard the novelty as an excellent example of an all-in-one home computer replacing the old hospital. Mobile capabilities of the notebook will be to the liking of lovers of a comfortable pastime and people who are accustomed to not refuse anything to themselves. Do you want to hear a good sound on the road? Please take your laptop with you.
However, it was not without drawbacks. These include the non-standard arrangement of the keyboard buttons, and the fans of the “island” type of keys will not change their preferences.
Separately, I would like to note the amazing, magical opportunity to buy a laptop with a matte display.
Moreover, the review came to us not the most impressive representative of the series. Now on sale is a completely white ASUS N55Sf, which looks amazing.
Consider the ASUS N55Sf options a lot, they are different, they have different configurations and body color. The presence of high-quality sound, a powerful processor, a productive video card, a high-speed disk, a comfortable keyboard, as well as a thoughtful layout of the interfaces remain unchanged.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/134726/
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