Asus K50IN-SX025C review

Asus's K50IN is quite a chunky laptop, with rounded edges and a thick screen bezel that houses a webcam on its top edge. It has a shiny, metallic finish, with a dotted pinstripe pattern that looks different depending on the viewing angle and light.

Asus has fitted a numberpad with smaller keys, which means the main keys are a sensible size and the layout isn't compromised. Keys are flatter than normal but have a slightly concave upper surface that helps to centre your fingertip. They have a light action, and there's just enough feedback to make touch-typing comfortable.

The touchpad has the same glossy surface as the case, but it's covered in dimples, like a grid of tiny holes. If your fingertips are even slightly moist - on a humid day, for example - they won't run smoothly over the pad. This isn't a major problem in most situations, though. The pad is sensitive and easy to use, but the large buttons aren't very sensitive.

There's no HDMI output, which is a bit strange on a modern laptop, so you'll have to use the VGA output if you wan to connect this computer to an external display.

This is the first laptop we've seen with Nvidia's new G102M mobile graphics chip, but a score of 7.2fps in Call of Duty 4 indicates this will be able to handle only older 3D games.

The K50IN's 2D benchmark scores were above average, however, and we were impressed by the 1,366x768 screen, which has vivid colours and good contrast, plus an even and bright backlight. There's even a control to change picture mode, which is useful for switching between office use and watching movies, for example. Battery life, at almost four hours, is very good and provides plenty of time to use this laptop around the house. At 2.6kg it's light enough to make the occasional journey, too.

The excellent screen, along with Asus's two-year collect-and-return warranty and decent battery life, make this an excellent laptop and our Best Buy.

Basic Specifications

Rating*****
ProcessorIntel Core 2 Duo T6500
Processor clock speed2.1GHz
Memory4.00GB
Memory slots2
Memory slots free0
Maximum memory4GB
Size41x380x257mm
Weight2.6kg
SoundRealtek High Definition Audio
Pointing devicetouchpad
Power consumption standby1W
Power consumption idle22W
Power consumption active51W

Display

Viewable size15.6 in
Native resolution1,366x768
Graphics ProcessorNvidia GeForce G102M
Graphics/video portsVGA
Graphics Memory512MB

Storage

Total storage capacity320GB
Optical drive modelHL-DT-ST GT10N
Optical drive typeDVD+/-RW +/-DL

Ports and Expansion

USB ports4
Bluetoothno
Wired network ports1x 10/100/1000
Wireless networking support802.11n
PC Card slotsnone
ModemNo
Supported memory cardsSD, MMC, Memory Stick Pro
Other portsminijack audio output, minijack microphone input

Miscellaneous

Carrying caseNo
Operating systemWindows Vista Home Premium
Operating system restore optionrestore partition
Software includedCyberlink DVD Suite
Optional extrasnone

Buying Information

Warrantytwo years collect and return
Price£616
Detailshttp://uk.asus.com
Supplierhttp://www.lambda-tek.com/componentshop
Hunter Jones

Hunter Jones

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