Asus UL80Vt Thin-And-Light Notebook Review
Summary and Conclusion
Performance Summary: In our SiSoftware Sandra tests, the UL80Vt trailed the reference systems in the CPU benchmarks, but managed to match up well against rivaling components in other areas. Even though the benchmarks were somewhat low in the CPU specific tests, never felt slow during real-world use, thanks partially to the resource-friendly Windows 7 OS. We would have liked to have seen a 7200rpm hard drive or an SSD in the system over the 5400rpm drive that is included, but we understand the need to keep costs down. The decision to insert 4GB of RAM really helped out, as switching between applications was never an issue in our testing. It even handled gaming with poise, as the switchable 512MB NVIDIA GeForce G210M put up rather nice frame rate results considering the relatively low-speed CPU (1.3GHz SU7300 CULV) it was working in tandem with. Though, having the ability to overclock to 1.73GHz via the Turbo33 technology was certainly a boon in benchmarks. The integrated GPU handled all basic 2D/Aero tasks with ease and allowed for the 8-cell battery to last a lot longer.
For those in the market for a notebook that's somewhat larger than an ultraportable, yet smaller than a full framed 15" or 16" multimedia notebook, the UL80Vt strikes a great balance. It'll handle 1080p movie clips without issue, it can be switched to use integrated graphics to save battery life (without needing a reboot), it'll handle light / medium-duty gaming, and the keyboard is amazing.
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The UL80Vt isn't perfect though. While the keyboard was stellar and the multi-touch aspect of the trackpad were a plus, we still aren't into the dimpled pad and the glossy LCD. For those working outdoors, this screen could potentially be a major nuisance. Also, the relatively low 1366x768 resolution is nothing to write home about, and the slower 5400rpm (320GB) hard drive isn't all that quick when it comes time to boot or load applications for the first time. Still, we think the positives far outweigh the negatives when all things are considered. For just over $800, this is a really well-rounded machine. It'll handle everything except hardcore gaming, and it costs just a fraction of those gaming / multimedia notebooks that weigh more and have much worse battery life. The UL80Vt strikes a nice balance, without too much compromise.
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;)
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The UL80Vt isn't perfect though. While the keyboard was stellar and the multi-touch aspect of the trackpad were a plus, we still aren't into the dimpled pad and the glossy LCD. For those working outdoors, this screen could potentially be a major nuisance. Also, the relatively low 1366x768 resolution is nothing to write home about, and the slower 5400rpm (320GB) hard drive isn't all that quick when it comes time to boot or load applications for the first time. Still, we think the positives far outweigh the negatives when all things are considered. For just over $800, this is a really well-rounded machine. It'll handle everything except hardcore gaming, and it costs just a fraction of those gaming / multimedia notebooks that weigh more and have much worse battery life. The UL80Vt strikes a nice balance, without too much compromise.
;)
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