The ASUS F50SV-A2 is a midrange gaming notebook that offers an Intel P8600 Core 2 Duo Processor and a NVIDIA GeForce GT 120M 1GB graphics card in a 16” shell. The notebook also offers a built-in Blu-ray drive for watching movies on the 16:9 display or outputting them through HDMI to your home entertainment system. Priced at $1,149 ASUS has this F50 competing against the HP dv6t, Gateway MC series, and Dell Studio XPS 16. Is the ASUS F50 worth checking out? Read our full review to find out.
ASUS F50SV-A2 Specifications:
- Processor: 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 (1066MHz FSB, 3MB L2 Cache)
- Chipset: SiS 671DX+968
- Memory: 4GB DDR2-800 (2GB x 2GB)
- HDD: 320GB 7200rpm
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GT 120M 1GB GDDR2 VRAM
- Display: 16.0” WXGA 1366×768 Color-Shine (Glossy)
- Optical Drive: BD-ROM + DVDRW+/-
- OS: Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 (64 bit)
- Wireless: Atheros AR928x B/G/N Wifi and Bluetooth 2.0
- Battery: 6-cell battery
- Dimensions: 14.96″ x 10.43″ x 1.4″ ~ 1.64″
- Weight: 6lbs 5.9oz, 7lbs 5.2oz travel weight
- Warranty: 2 year global, 1 year accidental damage
- Price as configured: $1,149
Build and Design
The ASUS F50 has a slick design that looks clean and very modern. In a way you could easily compare it to the look HP uses in their notebooks having most of the surfaces color-matched and glossy. The palmrest and touchpad surface share the same design, with the pattern flowing seamlessly through both surfaces. Above, the keyboard keys are matte black with glossy black trim bordering the keyboard. The F50 lacks touch-sensitive multimedia keys, instead having only quick access buttons for Instant-On, power switching mode, Web browser, touchpad disable, and power.
Build quality is above average with solid plastic used throughout the notebook, which helps reduce flex and protect components. The screen cover gives adequate protection against impacts and the display shows no ripples when you press firmly on the back cover. The palmrest has good support and only flexes under strong pressure from your hands. Under normal activity it feels rock solid. The keyboard is the same, with minimal flex under heated typing.
ASUS gives quick access to user-serviceable components through two access panels on the back of the notebook. One bay houses only the hard drive, while the other has the processor, memory, and wireless card. No “warranty void if removed” stickers were present on the covers, but one was stuck to one of the processor heatsink screws.
Source : http://www.notebookreview.com