I have been searching for the laptop of my dreams for several months, and after settling for the ASUS N53SV-XV1 I can tell you with 100% confidence that I made the right choice. This is the absolute best laptop you can buy for the money. There is simply nothing else out on the market right now for this value. The core components (processor, hard drive, screen, sound, graphics card) are unbeatable. It gives you the portability of a 15" laptop and the performance of a desktop replacement.
Pros:
- Great performance from Intel 2nd generation Sandy Bridge processor (quiet, efficient, and powerful)
- Sound is AMAZING. Loudest speakers available on a laptop (great for watching TV/movies) and built-in bass
- 1080p, 1920 x 1080 resolution screen is gorgeous and great for multitasking
- Good, but not great NVIDIA graphics
- 4 memory slots allow you to get 16 GB maximum if you upgrade
- 7200 rpm hard drive means you get the most performance possible without paying hundreds for still too expensive SSDs
- Full keyboard with number pad
- USB 3.0 (will be standard on most new laptops soon, though)
- ASUS global and accidental warranties come standard
Cons:
- Not as much RAM as you would hope for, though getting more is fairly cheap and easy to install
- Average battery life for a 15" laptop
- Keyboard is a bit funky, and takes some getting used to. Also not backlit.
*NOTE*
- The chipset is an Intel HM65, not HM55 as listed on Amazon.
- This laptop is slightly wider than most 15" laptops (about an inch), though roughly equal in other dimensions. It might have trouble fitting into bags or cases designed for the standard 15.6" size.
- When first posted, Amazon listed this laptop as having an eSATA port. It does NOT in fact have one, and it has been removed from the product description.
My priorities when buying a new laptop were performance, high resolution screen, and portability. This laptop accomplishes what I need better than anything out there right now. I say right now because things may change once all of the major manufacturers get the new processors in their models and start cranking out similar setups. But who knows when that will happen, and even then it will be difficult for them to match the value of this computer.
If you are considering buying this computer, I would only recommend that you buy more RAM, since it comes with only 2 x 2 GB and there are 2 more slots that can be filled ( I bought and installed an additional 2 x 4 GB to bring the total to 12 GB). The battery life is not that great, but may be due to the fact that the battery is a standard 6-cell. If you need to be unplugged for more than 3 or 3 and a half hours I recommend investing in a larger capacity battery, as this laptop was not necessarily designed to be the ultimate in portability. There have also been some complaints about the keyboard, but it really isn't that bad and just takes some getting used to. If you don't like it, get a new one and it will take just a few minutes to replace.
If you have any questions feel free to add comments to my review and I will try to answer them as quickly as possible! ASUS N53SV-XV1 15.6-Inch Versatile Entertainment Laptop (Silver Aluminum)
Brief Review:
This laptop is perfect for desktop replacement home use; for the money $1,050, this is the best laptop available IMHO. It is very well rounded, with one of the fastest mobile processors available and a mid range GPU.
Pros:
Value
Top notch processor
Full HD Display 1080p
Low heat & low power consumption
Cons:
-Keyboard (I prefer chicklet)
-Wireless Adapter
-Wider than most 15.6" laptops
Further Detail:
Power consumption and heat are also strong points. This laptop has the latest Sandy Bridge CPU which sips power due to 32nm production process as well as integrated graphics (NVIDIA Optimus to switch to the dedicated GPU as needed).
The Full HD 1080p display is beautiful. Great for photo editing and multitasking with ample desktop "real estate."
The keyboard in my unit is not as squishy as other reviewers. What I find annoying is the lack of separation in the keys. I plan on swapping this out for a compatible "chicklet" style keyboard as soon as possible.
This is my first 15.6" notebook so it feels wide to me. Just to make sure it was not because I was new to this size laptop I verified that it is longer than other brands 15.6" laptops. Asus N53SV: 39.1 cm | Dell XPS 15: 38.1 cm | HP dv6t: 37.8 cm | Lenovo T510: 37.3 cm | Sony VAIO C: 37.5 cm.
I had planned (and since completed) several upgrades to the laptop including 16GB ram, and 160GB SSD. With these upgrades (and hopefully a "chicklet" keyboard in the near future) I rate this laptop five stars. For the money it is hard to beat what ASUS is offering with the N53SV.
Benchmarks:
Default Windows Experience Index
Base Score: 5.7 | Processor: 7.4 |Memory (RAM): 5.9 | Graphics: 5.7 |
Gaming graphics: 6.7 | Primary hard disk: 5.9
My Windows Experience Index
Installed Ram 16gb (4x4): Corsair 4 GB DDR3 Laptop Memory CMSO4GX3M1A1333C9
Installed SSD: Intel 2.5-Inch 160 GB X25-M Mainstream SATA II MLC Solid-State Drive - Retail Package SSDSA2MH160G2R5
Base Score: 5.8 | Processor: 7.4 | Memory (RAM): 7.6 | Graphics: 5.8 | Gaming graphics: 6.7 | Primary hard disk: 7.8
wPrime 32M - 15.195s
Super PI 1M Calculation - 13.463s
PCMark Score - 13,058
CPU Core Temp: Min 40-50C Max 74-82C
GPU Temp: Min 48C Max 74C
If your in the market for a mid-level laptop, LOOK NO FURTHER!
Pros-
SUPER Fast Sandy Bridge i7
Decent battery life
Very attractive design
NVIDIA Optimus technology
Runs pretty cool
Beautiful 1080p screen
Decent sound for a laptop
Cons-
No Blu-ray
Keyboard layout a little awkward
A little heavy for a mid size laptop
Bloatware
I've used Asus products for years but this is the first laptop of theirs that I've owned, and I'm very impressed. Feels solid and runs great. Try pricing out a comparable computer and you'll spend at least 1500. One thing I will point out is even though the website description says this has an eSATA port, it doesn't. This thing is fast, especially once you remove some of Asus' pre-installed software. My old Core2Duo ran so much hotter than this quad-core. Running flash and hd video is like nothing to this computer. Haven't tried any games yet but I've heard reports that it can do pretty well with most games on medium settings.
Trust me, you'll have a hard time finding something comparable for the price! - I7 - Laptop - Asus Laptop - Full Hd'
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