Asus G50VT-X1
The first Asus gaming machine in the family came last Christmas at around $1.100
It is impressive and good value for price to performance ratio.
Specifications:
Operating Systems:
Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium 64 bits
Microsoft® Windows® Service Pack 2 (just updated)
Architecture:
. Intel® Centrino® processor technology
. Mobile Intel® PM45 Express Chipset
CPU Section:
. Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor P8400, Supports Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology
. 2.26GHz,
. 1066MHz FSB, 3MB L2 cache
Memory:
. 4GBMemory Speed (MHz) 800
. DDR2 SDRAM (2x2GB)
. Max. Supported Memory: 4GB
Drives:
. 320GB S-ATA 5400rpm
. 8x Multi-Format Dual Layer DVDRW with LightScribeTechnology
Drives Speed:
. Write: CD-R x24, CD-RW x24, DVD-R DL x6, DVD-R x8, DVD-RW x6, DVD+R DL x6, DVD+R x8, DVD+RW x8, DVD-RAM x5
. Read: CD x24, CD-R x24, CD-RW x24, DVD x8, DVD-R DL x8, DVD-R x8, DVD-RW x8, DVD+R DL x8, DVD+R x8, DVD+RW x8, DVD-RAM x8
Display:
. WXGA Glossy LCD
. 15.6
. 1366x768
Graphics:
. NVIDIA GeForce 9800M GS with 512MB of GDDR3 discrete video memory
(we note here that within the 3DMark, it is shown as 9800M GT - a pleasant surprise)
Interfaces:
. 1 x Microphone - Input - Mini-phone 3.5 mm ,
. 1 x Audio - SPDIF output/headphones ,
. 4 x Hi-Speed USB - 4 pin USB Type A ,
. 1 x Modem - Phone line - RJ-11 ,
. 1 x Network - Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base-TX/1000Base-T - RJ-45 ,
. 1 x Display / video - HDMI ,
. 1 x Storage - eSATA - 7 pin external Serial ATA,
. 1 x IEEE 1394 (FireWire)
Connectivity:
. Integrated Wireless LAN, 802.11a/b/g/Draft n
. Ethernet network 100 BASE-TX/10 BASE-T
. Modem
Multimedia:
. Intel® High Definition Audio compatible
. Dolby Home Theater , High Definition Audio
. Altec Lansing Speakers
. Windows® Sound System Compatible
Built-In Camera:
. Integrated 1.3 Megapixel Web Cam
Keyboard:
. Touch Pad 1
Features:
. Power button, Wireless switch, AV buttons, AV Mode, Capture
. Auto Resolution: Plug and Display
. Built-in Microphone
. Kensigton Lock
Softwares:
. Power 4 Gear Extreme, ASUS Direct Console
. ASUS WinFlash ,
. ASUSDVD 6-in-1 ,
. ASUS NB Probe + ,
. ASUS SmartLogon ,
. ASUS CopyProtect ,
. ASUS Live Update ,
. Adobe Reader 8.0 ,
. ASUS Power4 Phone ,
. Nero 7 Essentials ,
. Drivers & Utilities ,
. CyberLink Power2Go 5
. ASUS Data Security Manager ,
. Norton Internet Security 2008
Supplied Accessories:
. AC Adapter
. 6-Cell 11.1v 4800mAh battery, 120w power supply
. Power Cord
Dimensions:
. 15.4" x 10.5 x 1.4-1.7"
. Weight with Supplied Battery and Supplied Drive : 7lbs +
What's in the Box:
. Notebook
. AC Adapter
. Power Cord
. Manual, quick setup
. Restore CDs
Looks & Design
This notebook looks impressive – with a funky futuristic tribal tattoo paint scheme on the lid . The case surrounding the keyboard and the palm rest feels solid and has a nice silver “honeycomb” texture, and more matching blue lighted areas when the machine is being turned on.
It definitively has the look and feel of a high-end gaming notebook, and the one-touch overclocking and interactive lighting effects features really add to it attractiveness.
Screen:
The 15.6-inch screen makes the notebook portable, and can be well suited to home gaming or multimedia use. The screen is impressively bright and colourful, but lacks the sharpness of its rivals. Surprisingly, when gaming, the screen presents great colors and sharpness. It offers great viewing angles from all sides.
Keyboard
Keys are solid and responsive and comfortable.
Touchpad
It is of a wide footprint, responsive and comfortable, and is framed by a strip of blue LEDs that match the exterior lighting.
Multimedia Keys
Above the keyboard one has access to a small 3.1-inch Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) display and four touch-sensitive buttons, allowing changes to the look and performance of the G50Vt-X1.
The best one is the button on the left, that takes the user into the Direct Console applet, where one can toggle among three processor modes—Normal (2.26GHz), Turbo (2.38GHz), and Turbo Extreme (2.49GHz) – this is being done on the fly, meaning without having to reboot or enter the BIOS.
Wireless Performance–
Good connectivity, with its ability to quickly find and connect to the home network.
Optical Drive
The double layer supporting DVD drive performs flawlessly and quietly
Sound
Good clear sound, and quite good with the Altec Lansing sound system. Still, as with any other notebooks, headphone and external would be a good investment.
Heat and Noise
When running Crisis at high resolution, there is a slight high pitched noise, possibly from the fan. Throttle down to medium, the noise is almost unnoticeable.
It is running warm at full blast, which is a nice surprise for a gaming notebook.
Gaming Performance
I will update the review in this area shortly, and I will not be surprised of the rave reviews so far from other gamers, on this low-budget game machine.
System Performance
Input and Output Ports
Front:
Right Side:
Left Side:
Rear:
Bottom:
Gaming Possibilities
... To be updated.
. 3DVantage:
. CoD4 (can you play?)
Battery Life
Not much here to say other than that one can barely expects 1+ hours of usage.
Pros:
. Nice and stylish
. Good system performance
. (Very) Quiet Operation
Cons:
. Screen resolution/performance can be better
. Lousy battery life.
. Heavy to lug around, but what can one expect from a gaming machine (?)
Conclusion:
This is a good budget gaming, despite its weak DX10 gaming performance and low-res display, whilst, offering solid DX9 performance and a coolness factor.
The first Asus gaming machine in the family came last Christmas at around $1.100
It is impressive and good value for price to performance ratio.
Specifications:
Operating Systems:
Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium 64 bits
Microsoft® Windows® Service Pack 2 (just updated)
Architecture:
. Intel® Centrino® processor technology
. Mobile Intel® PM45 Express Chipset
CPU Section:
. Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor P8400, Supports Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology
. 2.26GHz,
. 1066MHz FSB, 3MB L2 cache
Memory:
. 4GBMemory Speed (MHz) 800
. DDR2 SDRAM (2x2GB)
. Max. Supported Memory: 4GB
Drives:
. 320GB S-ATA 5400rpm
. 8x Multi-Format Dual Layer DVDRW with LightScribeTechnology
Drives Speed:
. Write: CD-R x24, CD-RW x24, DVD-R DL x6, DVD-R x8, DVD-RW x6, DVD+R DL x6, DVD+R x8, DVD+RW x8, DVD-RAM x5
. Read: CD x24, CD-R x24, CD-RW x24, DVD x8, DVD-R DL x8, DVD-R x8, DVD-RW x8, DVD+R DL x8, DVD+R x8, DVD+RW x8, DVD-RAM x8
Display:
. WXGA Glossy LCD
. 15.6
. 1366x768
Graphics:
. NVIDIA GeForce 9800M GS with 512MB of GDDR3 discrete video memory
(we note here that within the 3DMark, it is shown as 9800M GT - a pleasant surprise)
Interfaces:
. 1 x Microphone - Input - Mini-phone 3.5 mm ,
. 1 x Audio - SPDIF output/headphones ,
. 4 x Hi-Speed USB - 4 pin USB Type A ,
. 1 x Modem - Phone line - RJ-11 ,
. 1 x Network - Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base-TX/1000Base-T - RJ-45 ,
. 1 x Display / video - HDMI ,
. 1 x Storage - eSATA - 7 pin external Serial ATA,
. 1 x IEEE 1394 (FireWire)
Connectivity:
. Integrated Wireless LAN, 802.11a/b/g/Draft n
. Ethernet network 100 BASE-TX/10 BASE-T
. Modem
Multimedia:
. Intel® High Definition Audio compatible
. Dolby Home Theater , High Definition Audio
. Altec Lansing Speakers
. Windows® Sound System Compatible
Built-In Camera:
. Integrated 1.3 Megapixel Web Cam
Keyboard:
. Touch Pad 1
Features:
. Power button, Wireless switch, AV buttons, AV Mode, Capture
. Auto Resolution: Plug and Display
. Built-in Microphone
. Kensigton Lock
Softwares:
. Power 4 Gear Extreme, ASUS Direct Console
. ASUS WinFlash ,
. ASUSDVD 6-in-1 ,
. ASUS NB Probe + ,
. ASUS SmartLogon ,
. ASUS CopyProtect ,
. ASUS Live Update ,
. Adobe Reader 8.0 ,
. ASUS Power4 Phone ,
. Nero 7 Essentials ,
. Drivers & Utilities ,
. CyberLink Power2Go 5
. ASUS Data Security Manager ,
. Norton Internet Security 2008
Supplied Accessories:
. AC Adapter
. 6-Cell 11.1v 4800mAh battery, 120w power supply
. Power Cord
Dimensions:
. 15.4" x 10.5 x 1.4-1.7"
. Weight with Supplied Battery and Supplied Drive : 7lbs +
What's in the Box:
. Notebook
. AC Adapter
. Power Cord
. Manual, quick setup
. Restore CDs
Looks & Design
This notebook looks impressive – with a funky futuristic tribal tattoo paint scheme on the lid . The case surrounding the keyboard and the palm rest feels solid and has a nice silver “honeycomb” texture, and more matching blue lighted areas when the machine is being turned on.
It definitively has the look and feel of a high-end gaming notebook, and the one-touch overclocking and interactive lighting effects features really add to it attractiveness.
Screen:
The 15.6-inch screen makes the notebook portable, and can be well suited to home gaming or multimedia use. The screen is impressively bright and colourful, but lacks the sharpness of its rivals. Surprisingly, when gaming, the screen presents great colors and sharpness. It offers great viewing angles from all sides.
Keyboard
Keys are solid and responsive and comfortable.
Touchpad
It is of a wide footprint, responsive and comfortable, and is framed by a strip of blue LEDs that match the exterior lighting.
Multimedia Keys
Above the keyboard one has access to a small 3.1-inch Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) display and four touch-sensitive buttons, allowing changes to the look and performance of the G50Vt-X1.
The best one is the button on the left, that takes the user into the Direct Console applet, where one can toggle among three processor modes—Normal (2.26GHz), Turbo (2.38GHz), and Turbo Extreme (2.49GHz) – this is being done on the fly, meaning without having to reboot or enter the BIOS.
Wireless Performance–
Good connectivity, with its ability to quickly find and connect to the home network.
Optical Drive
The double layer supporting DVD drive performs flawlessly and quietly
Sound
Good clear sound, and quite good with the Altec Lansing sound system. Still, as with any other notebooks, headphone and external would be a good investment.
Heat and Noise
When running Crisis at high resolution, there is a slight high pitched noise, possibly from the fan. Throttle down to medium, the noise is almost unnoticeable.
It is running warm at full blast, which is a nice surprise for a gaming notebook.
Gaming Performance
I will update the review in this area shortly, and I will not be surprised of the rave reviews so far from other gamers, on this low-budget game machine.
System Performance
Input and Output Ports
Front:
Right Side:
Left Side:
Rear:
Bottom:
Gaming Possibilities
... To be updated.
. 3DVantage:
. CoD4 (can you play?)
Battery Life
Not much here to say other than that one can barely expects 1+ hours of usage.
Pros:
. Nice and stylish
. Good system performance
. (Very) Quiet Operation
Cons:
. Screen resolution/performance can be better
. Lousy battery life.
. Heavy to lug around, but what can one expect from a gaming machine (?)
Conclusion:
This is a good budget gaming, despite its weak DX10 gaming performance and low-res display, whilst, offering solid DX9 performance and a coolness factor.
