Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)After quite a while with this machine, I've decided that it's not quite the five star laptop I wanted. I'll explain why later, but for the most part, I've been impressed or satisfied with this computer.
My first impression of this machine was good: good build, fair screen quality, and light (about 4 lbs).
The computer's overall performance is definitely a plus. The ability to upgrade to 8Gb Ram gives this machine some nice headroom for future upgrades, too. The Nvidia G310M sports 1GB Ram, excellent for multitasking and light duty gaming. It gets excellent framerates in older games, and even some newer ones: games like L4D2 and Portal run fast, even at medium/high detail, and games like Mass Effect 1 & 2 or Supreme Commander 2 are playable at settings slightly above low (this doesn't bother me, as I only game on the u45 when I'm away from my desktop).
The laptop gets a little warm at times, but it's positively cold compared to some other machines I've had. It will get rather warm if you max out the processor and nvidia graphics at the same time - laptop cooler or flat, clean surface recommended. On the other hand, the fan barely ever turns on if you use the battery saving options, and the laptop becomes quite cool. To wrap up cooling, though, the fan never quite seems stressed, and is usually prompt and responsive to heat buildup.
The u45's battery life will reach upwards of 7 hours of without any major tweaks to the system, other than enabling the hybrid engine and shutting off wi-fi. With some easy tweaking, I've been able to stretch the battery out past 8 hours while reading and writing papers for college. I originally claimed I could get 10, but that's with some serious tweaking ;)
With wi-fi on and in use, super hybrid engine off, and high performance mode on, the battery can still last for more than 3-4 hours (more than enough time browse the internet, watch a movie, or play some games without feeling rushed). I don't usually let my battery go below 50%, so I commonly run this machine for 3 or 4 hours at a time. Still, for long plane flights or car rides, the option to go 7 or more hours is great!
This laptop that seems to suffer from a build quality issue directly above where the battery is, in between the screen and keyboard. The enormous battery leaves little room for the case, and this area tends to flex a bit when pressed on (not that much though, maybe 1/16 of an inch?). The battery also has a tiny bit of wiggle to it.
Another gripe about build quality: the lid, though reinforced with the aluminum case, is still rather flexible. If, like me, you plan to carry it around in a backpack, you might want to stick a small cloth in between the web-cam and touchpad. Otherwise, the touchpad will eventually leave two parallel marks above and below the camera on the plastic case, though the camera itself won't be hurt.
My major complaint about build quality is that the inside of the lid and the screen are both glossy. This means these surfaces will visibly collect dust and look scratched up, no matter how clean you try to clean them.
On the plus side of build quality, the aluminum plate on the lid is a nice touch - it looks good, stays cool, and seems quite durable. The interior of the machine is made of smooth, hard plastic, and doesn't bend or flex except as mentioned. Keeping it clean isn't hard, though the lid and interior do collect fingerprints after some time. The u45 comes with a small microfiber cloth, about the size of a 4x6 picture, so if you don't have one yet, you won't need to buy one.
The 500Gb hard drive comes in three partitions, one for the OS and one for programs and personal files. The third is a hidden partition (about 20Gb) for the Asus quick-recovery (F9 on boot). Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit comes pre-installed on this machine. Since this laptop does not come with a windows reinstall CD, make sure you create a set of DVDs with a backup image to restore your computer in case of HDD failure.
The u45 also has an automatic restore feature (hit the F9 key during boot-up) to make sure you can restore your laptop. This feature takes up about 20Gb of hard drive, and is stored in a hidden disk partition.
Also, as Geekcheck mentioned in his review (read it), you can uninstall any (and all) bloatware on this machine without reinstalling Windows 7, though I seriously recommend you keep the Power4Gear program and Super Hybrid Engine desktop gadget. Also, don't uninstall "ATK Package." This package is a group of drivers for FN hot-keys, etc, and if you remove it you will lose functionality of your FN keys until you reinstall it.
My big gripe about this machine is it's glossy screen. Future renditions of this laptop need a better screen. Gloss scratches far too easily, gets dirty fast, and looks kind of cheap. In fact, it really looks out of place, since the rest of this laptop looks very well-done! Matte-finish screens are much better (IMHO)than gloss, and the laptop lid's interior should have been made of aluminum or thick plastic like the keyboard and palm-rest. From here on, I don't think I'm buying another laptop with a gloss screen.
I give this machine a 10/10 on non-graphics performance, a 9/10 on battery life, a 9/10 on portability, a 7/10 on build quality, a 9/10 on cooling, a 6/10 on graphics performance compared to high-end laptops, and a solid 10/10 on graphics when compared to similar small and light laptops.
Overall, I would probably recommend this machine to a friend, and would definitely buy it again were I given the choice. I would not recommend this as a pure gaming machine, or an ultra-portable "pocketbooky" laptop. Rather, this machine is a good blend of everything: performance, portability, battery life, and durability.
Click Here to see more reviews about: ASUS U45JC-A1 14-Inch Thin and Light Laptop - Up to 10 Hours of Battery Life
Thin & Light with the Power to Perform The slim, sleek 14-inch U45Jc-A1 has incredible features that take you far beyond standard entertainment notebooks. With the ASUS Super Hybrid Engine, battery life is maximized up to 10 hours1 between charges. Plus, the U45Jc-A1 can seamlessly turn on the NVIDIA GeForce 310M graphics via NVIDIA Optimus Technology for casual gaming and resource-demanding tasks and then automatically turns off the rest of the time – conserving battery life. Super size your multimedia with any HDMI-enabled HDTV that simplifies HD audio and video connectivity for a complete cinematic experience. The U45Jc-A1 is powered by the Intel Core i3 processor that's smarter and faster with Intel Hyper-Threading Technology for enhanced multitasking. And at around 1-inch thick with an brushed aluminum finish, you can easily carry it with you without showing smudges or fingerprints. The U45Jc-A1 features Express Gate, Altec Lansing speakers, 4GB DDR3 system memory, 500GB hard drive, 0.3 megapixel webcam, and Windows 7 Home Premium.
Key Features
Up to 10 hours of battery life1 with ASUS Super Hybrid Engine that uses exclusive hardware and software to maximize battery life for the task at hand (Learn more)
Intel Core i3-370M processor gives you smarter multitasking performance(Learn more)
Slim, brushed aluminum design for easy, smudge-proof portability (Learn more)
14-inch LED-backlit HD display for crisp visuals without compromising battery (Learn more)
NVIDIA GeForce 310M graphics with 1GB DDR3 VRAM delivers great HD entertainment performance(Learn more)
NVIDIA Optimus Technology instantly switches between powerful NVIDIA and energy-efficient Intel graphics to save battery life (Learn more)
HDMI connectivity streams uncompressed HD audio and video to your HDTV or LCD via a single cable (Learn more)
Express Gate for instant access to Internet, music, Skype, and more (Learn more)
Learn More
Achieve More, Longer
Power on Demand
The Complete On-the-Go Package
Intuitive User Control. Enhanced Connectivity
ASUS Makes Your Windows 7 Experience Better
ASUS 360 – 2 Year Global Warranty
ASUS Accidental Damage Warranty
What's in the Box
ASUS U45Jc-A1 notebook
AC Adapter
8-cell Battery Pack
Warranty Information Card
Specifications
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
Display: 14-inch LED-backlit HD display (1366 x 768)
CPU: Intel Core i3-370M Processor (2.4 GHz)
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 310M with 1GB DDR3 VRAM + Intel HD Graphics
WLAN: 802.11 b/g/n (@ 2.4GHz)
LAN: 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet
Memory: 4GB DDR3-1066 DRAM (up to 8GB)
Storage: 500GB 5400RPM hard drive
Optical: Super Multi DVD drive
Camera: 0.3 Megapixel
Speakers: Altec Lansing speakers with SRS premium sound
Card Reader: 5-in-1 card reader (SD/MMC/MS/MS-Pro/XD)
Input/ Output: 1 x HDMI output 1 x Headphone-out jack 1 x Microphone-in jack 1 x VGA port 1 x RJ45 LAN Jack 3 x USB 2.0 ports
Battery: 8 cell 5600mAh battery (up to 10 hours of battery life1)
Dimensions: 13.5 x 9.6 x 0.6 ~ 1.1 –inches (W x D x H)
Weight: 4.62 lbs with 8 cell battery
Color: Silver
All specifications and terms are subject to change without notice. Please check with your supplier for exact offers on selected models. Products may not be available in all markets. Product may not be exactly as shown in photos. All trademarks are registered to their respective companies. ASUS shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein. 1 Operation lifetime subject to product model, normal usage conditions and configurations. The estimated maximum battery life with MobileMark 2007 in reader mode. 2 Rated number 1 Windows-based PC maker in PCMag.com's Service & Reliability Report 2009. Rate number 1 PC brand according to SquareTrade, the leading direct-to-consumer warranty company (for more information visit http://www.squaretrade.com/pages/laptop-reliability-1109/ ). Rated number 1 reliable PC maker in Spring 2009's RESCUECOM report http://www.rescuecom.com/RESCUECOM269.html. 3 For notebooks purchased on or after Sept. 10, 2007. The ASUS 360 Notebook Service Program and Accidental Damage Warranty covers "ASUS" brand notebooks only, and does NOT extend to: "Built on ASUS", "ASMobile", "Powered by ASUS", the Eee PC, or some other models. These retailers are currently among the companies that do NOT participate in the ASUS 360 Notebook Service Program and Accidental Damage Warranty: Best Buy, MicroCenter, and The Source by Circuit City in Canada. Limit of one claim per notebook for Accidental Damage Warranty. ASUS reserves the right to discontinue this program and to modify the terms and conditions thereof at any time. ASUS Accidental Damage Warranty Program starts from the date of your ASUS notebook purchase, when all the requirements are met. Check your retailer for specific warranty information. One incident covered per notebook.
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