ASUS Balances Slim Portability and Performance with the Latest U35 and U45 Notebooks

[btarunr]

ASUS extended its lead in the thin and light notebook segment with two new U Series models that offer unprecedented performance while maintaining super slim form factors.

The ASUS U35 and U45 notebooks are powered by standard voltage Intel Core i5 or i3 processors, adding much-needed computing muscle to a breed of notebooks typically associated with compromised performance. The heat generated by standard voltage CPUs previously made their use unfeasible in super slim notebooks, but ASUS' engineers have found a way to incorporate them without any detrimental thermal effects.



At its default frequency, the Intel Core i5 CPU is already a very capable processor in its own right. The U35 and U45 feature ASUS' exclusive Super Hybrid Engine (SHE), however, which is capable of intelligently increasing the frequency in order to handle heavy processing loads. Tests in PCMark05 have proven that the i5 450M processor of the U35 and U45 is capable of setting 10.3% higher CPU benchmarks* with SHE activated.

The ASUS U35 and U45 boast battery lives of over 10 hours, making them perfect devices for all-day, on-the-go computing. When performing less demanding tasks, SHE cuts back on the energy deployed, extending battery life to deliver a total battery running time of 11.5 hours. Further enhancing the energy efficiency of both notebooks is NVIDIA Optimus technology which auto-switches between the dedicated GeForce G310M and integrated GPUs to suit the intensity of the graphics being rendered-leading to additional power savings and longer battery life.

The ASUS U35 and U45 come in at under an inch thick, measuring just 14.8mm at their thinnest points. Their slender forms make them extremely lightweight, while brushed aluminum lids further contribute to keeping the notebooks' overall weights down. Despite their svelte profiles, the U35 and U45 are equipped with potent audio capabilities, delivering high fidelity sound through their Altec Lansing speakers, which are complemented by SRS Premium Sound technology.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[Lipton]

Additional info: "ASUS U35 and U45 sport LED-backlit displays of 13.3" and 14.1" and good performance in 25 mm profiles. Prices start at $899 for ASUS U35JC and $999 for ASUS U45JC. The first units will ship in August."

Can't find any solid info on the resolution, but it's probably 1366x768.

 

[NdMk2o1o]

Wow, now we can finally de-activate SHE when SHE pisses us off am sure they did that on purpose lol

 

[Yellow&Nerdy?]

I'd really like to see more Optimus notebooks in the future. It's a great technology, that finally makes possible to both have a powerful dedicated GPU, without having to deal with bad battery life. I would also like to see ATI develop something like this

 

[cool_recep]

I'd really like to see more Optimus notebooks in the future. It's a great technology, that finally makes possible to both have a powerful dedicated GPU, without having to deal with bad battery life. I would also like to see ATI develop something like this

Check this out:

Acer 4820T with both HD 5650 and GMA 4500

What's astounding, then, is that Acer has managed to combine breakneck speed with deep reserves of stamina. Switch over to the Intel HD graphics embedded in the Core i5-430M processor - a case of clicking the right mouse button and selecting the menu option - and the Acer will idle for more than nine hours before the battery gives out.

Read more: Acer Aspire TimelineX 4820T review | Laptops | Reviews | PC Pro http://www.pcpro.co.uk/reviews/laptops/358549/acer-aspire-timelinex-4820t#ixzz0rE3uqtVu

 

[Yellow&Nerdy?]

Check this out:

Acer 4820T with both HD 5650 and GMA 4500

Yes, I've actually concidered buying that laptop. But many reviews say, that although the switchable grapichs provide better battery life, switching is clumsy because the screen goes black for a couple of seconds everytime you switch and it can be annoying.

 

[cool_recep]

Yes, I've actually concidered buying that laptop. But many reviews say, that although the switchable grapichs provide better battery life, switching is clumsy because the screen goes black for a couple of seconds everytime you switch and it can be annoying.

They gotta be kidding man. What about alienware's switching method? You have to shut down the system and restart it...

You are not going to play with the switch button, are you?

 

[Fourstaff]

Yes, I've actually concidered buying that laptop. But many reviews say, that although the switchable grapichs provide better battery life, switching is clumsy because the screen goes black for a couple of seconds everytime you switch and it can be annoying.

I use my laptop switching between the onboard 4200 and the discrete 4570. The few seconds black screen is not noticeable once you get used to it. Don't let that minor niggle affect your choice.

 

[entropy13]

Check this out:

Acer 4820T with both HD 5650 and GMA 4500

Never realized it had that function.

 

[orionbg]

Optimus switches automatically between the two VGA cards! You have to do nothing! The additional card will activate based on load! It is invisible to the user! No blank screen and no restart! Optimus is much optimized than Acer's approach with ATI!!!

 

[Yellow&Nerdy?]

They gotta be kidding man. What about alienware's switching method? You have to shut down the system and restart it...

You are not going to play with the switch button, are you?

I guess they were a bit nitpicking Never knew that Alienware had such a clumsy switching method though.

Well, maybe sometimes I can't resist and start playing with the switch... But that shouldn't happen that often

I use my laptop switching between the onboard 4200 and the discrete 4570. The few seconds black screen is not noticeable once you get used to it. Don't let that minor niggle affect your choice.

I suppose you can get used to those tiny inconviniences. But more than one review states that the build-quality has been compromized to make it thin. The screen and keyboard bend more than they should.