ASUS UL80JT-A1 Review
Last fall, ASUS released UL80Vt, a 14-inch notebook that coupled an ultra-low voltage processor with switchable graphics, in addition to 9 hours battery life, users can also get into some gaming. The new UL80Jt-A1 ($ 869 as configured) is still switchable graphics, but it comes with Nvidia’s Optimus technology, the switching for you. ASUS also swapped the ultra low voltage processor for an Intel Core i3 CPU, which delivers more power at the expense of battery life. Yet it is hard to argue with over 6 hours long, making this machine a brushed aluminum solid choice for multimedia mavens.
The UL80Jt-A1 is completely black with an attractive brushed metal lid. The deck is glossy plastic, while the bottom is matt plastic. This uniformity of color and design gives the system a sleek but understated look, but tends to pick up fingerprints. In many ways, this notebook is just like the Samsung Q430-11, except the Samsung has a silver cover.
At 4.8 pounds and 13.5 x 9.6 x 1.1 inches, the UL80Jt-A1 is the same size and weight as the UL80Jv, that is not the thinnest and lightest 14-inch notebook on the block. However, it is almost identical in weight and size of the Gateway ID49C, and 0.2 pounds lighter than the Samsung Q430-11. The overall feel is solid, but this 14-inch laptop is still reasonably portable.
The 14.0-inch, 1366 x 768 glossy display on the UL80Jt-A1 provide clear, sharp images in our test. While watching a DVD of Dark City and a 720p video stream of Fringe from Fox.com, playback was smooth and the colors were true with minimal noise and not grainy. However, viewing angles leave something to be desired. At 45 degrees from the horizontal center, clarity, color is good enough if we look at the desktop, but when watching video, color began to turn and wash out, to say nothing of the reflections.
Sound quality of the front speakers was very loud as well when watching videos and listening to music. While listening to Alicia Keys’ “If I Is not Got You” on Pandora, the piano riff at the beginning was due mainly clear, but bass notes got a bit lost and muddy when she started singing, and there was slight bias in the higher tones when playing the song at full volume. Was completely lacking in bass playing Iron Maiden’s “Run to the Hills” and the song came through tinny. For a 14-inch system, the UL80 speakers are above average, but the Toshiba Satellite M645 speakers are superior.
The UL80Jt-A1′s 1.2-GHz Intel Core processor i3 330UM a step up from the 1.3-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300 processor UL80Vt, who revealed himself in our test. The UL80Jt scored 4139 in PCMark Vantage, a 500-point drop over the UL80Vt, but about 300 points shy of the thin-and-light notebook and average about 1,300 points below ID49C08u Gateway and Toshiba Satellite M645, both of which 2.4 – GHz i5 540m Intel Core CPUs. Still, the notebook had no problem multitasking, and the windows open at once dived.
The UL80Jt-A1 has Optimus Nvidia’s technology, which automatically switches between integrated and discrete graphics depending on the task at hand. If high performance is required, kicks the discrete Nvidia 310M GPU with 1GB memory in. When it is not necessary, the discrete graphics card powers down and the integrated Intel graphics on HD to take to conserve battery life.
In 3DMark06, a benchmark that measures graphics performance, the 3268 scored UL80Jt-A1, which is 200 points lower than the UL80Vt, but about 900 points higher than the thin-and-light notebook average. However, the 14-inch Gateway ID49 (7230) and Toshiba M645 (6113) scored much higher, both Nvidia graphics GT330M (as Optimus technology).
While UL80Jt-A1 is worthy of gaming – the average of 135 frames per second in World of Warcraft at a resolution of 1024 x 768 – things to the max boost that percentage dropped to 35 fps. This is still playable, but the Gateway ID notched 49 fps, 55 fps and the M645 saw. The Samsung Q430-11, the same GPU as the UL80Jt, but lacks Optimus, turned in comparable scores on the UL80Jt-A1.
When playing Far Cry 2 at 1024 x 768-pixel resolution, 21 fps UL80Jt-A1 managed just below the category average. At its native resolution of 1366 x 768 and detail set at high, that number dropped to 14 fps, which is not playable, just above the category average 12 fps. Even if you need to save power and to use the integrated Intel graphics, you’ll hardly notice the difference in daily tasks. With integrated graphics, we were able to zoom in and scroll around Manhattan in Google Earth and 720p video playback without a hitch.
The UL80Jt-A1 is equipped with 64-bit version of Windows 7 Home Premium installed, and is loaded with CyberLink’s Power2Go and label printing for burning optical discs and label creation. In addition, the system has a host of ASUS features, including ASUS multiframe for managing multiple monitors, ASUS Data Security for encrypting files and folders, and ASUS SmartLogon face recognition. Perhaps the most interesting utility ASUS launch fancy, you replace the ASUS logo appears during startup with a custom picture and sound.
Conclusion
Of the many Optimus 14-inch notebooks we reviewed so far, the ASUS UL80Jt stands out as one of the best. For $ 900, you get an excellent condition for a system of this size without sacrificing too much performance. If you are looking for something with a bit more graphics muscle, the Gateway ID49C11u is the better option. But when the day mobility assets gaming prowess, the UL80Jt is the way to go.
Source [http://thinklaptops.net/2011/02/asus-ul80jt-a1-review/]
The UL80Jt-A1 is completely black with an attractive brushed metal lid. The deck is glossy plastic, while the bottom is matt plastic. This uniformity of color and design gives the system a sleek but understated look, but tends to pick up fingerprints. In many ways, this notebook is just like the Samsung Q430-11, except the Samsung has a silver cover.
At 4.8 pounds and 13.5 x 9.6 x 1.1 inches, the UL80Jt-A1 is the same size and weight as the UL80Jv, that is not the thinnest and lightest 14-inch notebook on the block. However, it is almost identical in weight and size of the Gateway ID49C, and 0.2 pounds lighter than the Samsung Q430-11. The overall feel is solid, but this 14-inch laptop is still reasonably portable.
The 14.0-inch, 1366 x 768 glossy display on the UL80Jt-A1 provide clear, sharp images in our test. While watching a DVD of Dark City and a 720p video stream of Fringe from Fox.com, playback was smooth and the colors were true with minimal noise and not grainy. However, viewing angles leave something to be desired. At 45 degrees from the horizontal center, clarity, color is good enough if we look at the desktop, but when watching video, color began to turn and wash out, to say nothing of the reflections.
Sound quality of the front speakers was very loud as well when watching videos and listening to music. While listening to Alicia Keys’ “If I Is not Got You” on Pandora, the piano riff at the beginning was due mainly clear, but bass notes got a bit lost and muddy when she started singing, and there was slight bias in the higher tones when playing the song at full volume. Was completely lacking in bass playing Iron Maiden’s “Run to the Hills” and the song came through tinny. For a 14-inch system, the UL80 speakers are above average, but the Toshiba Satellite M645 speakers are superior.
The UL80Jt-A1′s 1.2-GHz Intel Core processor i3 330UM a step up from the 1.3-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300 processor UL80Vt, who revealed himself in our test. The UL80Jt scored 4139 in PCMark Vantage, a 500-point drop over the UL80Vt, but about 300 points shy of the thin-and-light notebook and average about 1,300 points below ID49C08u Gateway and Toshiba Satellite M645, both of which 2.4 – GHz i5 540m Intel Core CPUs. Still, the notebook had no problem multitasking, and the windows open at once dived.
The UL80Jt-A1 has Optimus Nvidia’s technology, which automatically switches between integrated and discrete graphics depending on the task at hand. If high performance is required, kicks the discrete Nvidia 310M GPU with 1GB memory in. When it is not necessary, the discrete graphics card powers down and the integrated Intel graphics on HD to take to conserve battery life.
In 3DMark06, a benchmark that measures graphics performance, the 3268 scored UL80Jt-A1, which is 200 points lower than the UL80Vt, but about 900 points higher than the thin-and-light notebook average. However, the 14-inch Gateway ID49 (7230) and Toshiba M645 (6113) scored much higher, both Nvidia graphics GT330M (as Optimus technology).
While UL80Jt-A1 is worthy of gaming – the average of 135 frames per second in World of Warcraft at a resolution of 1024 x 768 – things to the max boost that percentage dropped to 35 fps. This is still playable, but the Gateway ID notched 49 fps, 55 fps and the M645 saw. The Samsung Q430-11, the same GPU as the UL80Jt, but lacks Optimus, turned in comparable scores on the UL80Jt-A1.
When playing Far Cry 2 at 1024 x 768-pixel resolution, 21 fps UL80Jt-A1 managed just below the category average. At its native resolution of 1366 x 768 and detail set at high, that number dropped to 14 fps, which is not playable, just above the category average 12 fps. Even if you need to save power and to use the integrated Intel graphics, you’ll hardly notice the difference in daily tasks. With integrated graphics, we were able to zoom in and scroll around Manhattan in Google Earth and 720p video playback without a hitch.
The UL80Jt-A1 is equipped with 64-bit version of Windows 7 Home Premium installed, and is loaded with CyberLink’s Power2Go and label printing for burning optical discs and label creation. In addition, the system has a host of ASUS features, including ASUS multiframe for managing multiple monitors, ASUS Data Security for encrypting files and folders, and ASUS SmartLogon face recognition. Perhaps the most interesting utility ASUS launch fancy, you replace the ASUS logo appears during startup with a custom picture and sound.
Conclusion
Of the many Optimus 14-inch notebooks we reviewed so far, the ASUS UL80Jt stands out as one of the best. For $ 900, you get an excellent condition for a system of this size without sacrificing too much performance. If you are looking for something with a bit more graphics muscle, the Gateway ID49C11u is the better option. But when the day mobility assets gaming prowess, the UL80Jt is the way to go.
Source [http://thinklaptops.net/2011/02/asus-ul80jt-a1-review/]
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