Hello everyone,

I'm getting a laptop soon for uni in the US, though from what I've seen Asus laptops are comparatively cheaper here and I prefer to have it as soon as possible so I'll be buying it here.

I've decided to get an Asus laptop, and for portability I think I'll be getting a 14 inch one, plus a secondary monitor at the side later on. I'll be using it for gaming and work purposes, and will probably be carrying it to class.

Let me highlight the main features.
N43SL - I keep reading about how the N models are better.
A43SV i5 - 2GB gpu, which I've read makes a big difference when I connect a secondary monitor.
U41SV - 8 cell battery, 2.14kg

Please correct me if I'm wrong with any of the things I listed above.

So what do you think? I'm still considering a 15.6inch model if one would suit me better. People keep saying they're heavy and bulky but I'm not really a small and weak guy so I'm not sure if that will apply to me. I would consider the A53SV or the N53SV if they're better. Budget's around 3k.

Also, why has the N53SN been EOL'd?

EDIT: By gaming I don't mean METRO 2033 ON HIGHEST SETTING I just mean Starcraft 2 and BF Bad Company 2 smooth on medium/high while multitasking with secondary monitor.

EDIT #2: Which one of these laptops have SHE or Optimus?

This post has been edited by Hamster X: Jun 16 2011, 02:20 PM

N53SN has been replaced by N53SV...

anyway, N series tend to be heavier as well... my 14" N81Vp weights 2.5kg with battery, comparable to many of the 15" in the market...

for gaming i would suggest HP dv4 and dv6 instead... they have the best hardware for the size...

If strictly these 3 models: My vote goes to the all rounder- Asus N43SL hehe

15 inchers are bulky... weight isn't a problem for guys haha

Or TS you can consider what astria sifu recommended, HP DV4 + 3 years international warranty... but might exceed your budget abit I'm afraid

This post has been edited by [PF] T.J.: Jun 16 2011, 02:18 PM

Then why the gpu downgrade?

I was unsure about buying anything but Asus cause I want this laptop to last at least a good 2 years (hopefully 4) with every day use, and the only brand I know that's known for reliability is Asus.

How bad really is the fact that it's "Bulky"? It's not like it will be bigger than my tables right?

This post has been edited by Hamster X: Jun 16 2011, 02:20 PM

The specs of the upcoming N53Sv is still very unclear... need to wait for the latest Asus brochure only can confirm

well, how long a laptop can last really largely depends on user care...

if not for Nvidia GeForce 8M issue i dare say my previous BenQ laptop can last for 3yrs also...

anyway, GT 540M and GT 550M are practically the same, juz minor difference in speed...

Its not really easy to carry around (without knocking it accidentally all the time lol), especially if you travel alot

all are i5-2410m + gt540m variant isn't it?

heavy is okay, i see heavy as better heatsink so better cooling
bulkyness on the other hand is another thing. if something is light, but bulky, portability is still a problem.

in case of bringing around to class and stuff, u41sv has the upper hand here.

i'm not quite sure if 1gb/2gb vram difference will be noticeable on external monitor,
but imo you will be just fine with 1gb

Ah so it's different from the current N53SV?

When would it be coming out? I'll have to have my new laptop before August.
Yes, the basic specs are the same. Otherwise I wouldn't consider them together.

I've been reading people saying the vram difference is only noticeable if you get a second monitor, so they were told to not consider it, but I am planning on getting one so...

This post has been edited by Hamster X: Jun 16 2011, 02:25 PM

rumour has it that it will get a FHD monitor...

no proof though...

The new N53Sv is claimed to be the replacement for the just EOL-ed N53Sn
Some say it has i7-2630QM + Nvidia GT540m (downgrade), some say it comes with Full HD, some says it has Blu-Ray, hell some even say N53Sn is still around with Full HD

Might as well get HP DV6 in the US, they got a lot discount for HP, with current coupon got for 33% discount..
www.logicbuy.com/deals/coupon-hp-pavilion-dv6t-16-inch-quad-edition-laptop/15717.aspx

LOL, God lee_what arrived liao haha
How you know all these stuffs?

@TS, august is still a long, long way to go



This post has been edited by [PF] T.J.: Jun 16 2011, 02:26 PM

It's only a little over a month from now.

can start researching already...

Hmm HP DV6 deal not bad according to is:
http://h20386.www2.hp.com/MalaysiaStore/ht.../home/dv-series

New things will always come out one haha

Tempting but too early to get it now
Would the new N53SV be out before August?

nobody can tell for sure...

I think its possible, but try not to have too high expectations because the specs may not be the one you desire
HP has just introduced their new llano laptop lineups, you can consider those as well

As long as nothing is downgraded I won't be disappointed.

Yeah I just read about those. I'll have to see what reviews think.

---

Added on June 18, 2011, 11:38 pmI have to add something here, does anyone know what the N53SV has that the N43SL doesn't other than a 15 inch screen? USB 3.0 perhaps?

This post has been edited by Hamster X: Jun 18 2011, 11:38 PM

get A43SV it rulez

since TS picked only asus brand, out of the 3 i would recommend n43sl.

just my personal opinion

why is the N43SL seemed to be most preferred model? it's GPU has less RAM than the A43SV and A43SV is cheaper too... why is it cheaper actually?? seems like better specs in A42SV.. is it because there's no nvidia optimus enabled in it?

I think because it has no nvidia optimus + cheaper. Btw, I'm Asus A43SV corei7 user

As mentioned earlier, don't be fooled by the amount of VRAM a GPU has, more doesn't mean its better.
The N43SL is better because its an N series (premium) laptop, whereas A43Sv is an A series (budge) laptop. Though the built of the A series has increased significantly throughout the years, the internal components and design might still be different. The N43Sl should have better cooling apart from the premium speakers -> which more or less explains the relatively heavier weight

So far there's still no professional review on both models, so its hard to see the differences

yup haven't found reviews on these .. does the optimus really improve battery and temp significantly... can't i just underclock the gt 540 when i am not doing any gaming? I am doing it on my desktop computer with my radeon 4870HD mainly to reduce noise and temp.

Actually there are reviews, but on N53Sn and K53Sv (K = A):
N53Sn:
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Asus-N...ok.52431.0.html

K53Sv:
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Asus-K...ok.56057.0.html

Since the specs are not exactly similar, its not a very accurate reference
Nvidia Optimus should be able to squeeze out another 0.5-1 hour? Just a guess though

Sigh... no love for the U-series?

if it's only a gain of about 1hr that's not really a big deal imo

personally i think get the a43sv if u need an i7 14" lappy or hate optimus. Get the u41sv if u want long battery life or maybe lightweight(relative to the other two models) and get n43sl for any other reasons(even though not exactly proven to have better cooling and build quality but expected to have )

i see you have a43sv, how is the battery life for normal usage... mainly browsing... (will use battery mainly when i will be on travel )

max around 4 hours with light browsing at lowest brightness, i would say its's pretty good for a quad core. But i suggest you get u41sv then if battery is your main concern.

would mainly use laptop on battery when on trip abroad (once a year) .. mainly to check/send mails and some light browsing... 4hrs shud be ok i think..but never owned a laptop actually so i don't really know lol.... at worse i can get a spare emergency battery just in case or use my htc desire for browsing lol

p.s. what's the average battery life of U41SV?

This post has been edited by kisamesama: Jun 27 2011, 01:57 AM

Even if you underclock, still can't match Intel HD power consumption...

personally i prefer U41SV...

battery life and weight may seem unimportant, but u can easily regret after actually using the laptop...

how much difference does the 2gb ram found in the GT540 for the A43SV provides as compared to the 1gb ram found in the N43SL pr U41SV?

gaming? a few fps maybe?

less than 10%...

possible to ask for an upgrade to 2gb on GPU on the N43SL?

i'm afraid not. the difference in performance is minimal anyway.

This post has been edited by fJok3R: Jun 27 2011, 02:10 PM

hmm, got news from my distributor
Asus A53SV- SX106v, Asus A53SV- SX053v

most probably will be obsolete now,..seem like got newer model coming next

WHEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THIS IS THE QUESTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This post has been edited by IvanWong1989: Jun 27 2011, 06:28 PM