ASUS A8js Review
Overview
Notebooks used to be the stunted half-brother of gaming. Yeah, they could boast some of the same hardware and looked good on a web page, but in actual practice it was something else. Excessive heat, noise, and cramped work space amounted to a sub-par experience, where a desktop could do more with half the price. Not to mention upgrading was severely limited. Enter the Asus A8JS; it's as if the gaming gods chose one notebook to rule them all. Blessed with Intel Core 2 Duo 2GHz processor and 512 MB of video RAM powering an NVidia GeForce Go7700 graphics card, the A8JS is a refreshing dose of power in a portable world.
Design
Portability
The Asus A8JS weighs in at a hefty 5.25 lbs., quite heavy for a 14-inch notebook. However, it's very thin for its size, and easily fits in the included Asus carrying case. The case comes with one extra inner pocket, and one outer pocket. Putting anything in the outer pocket other than papers will cause an unsightly lump, as this case is made of an ultra-thin material. I recommend purchasing a different laptop case if you're planning on using it on a regular basis. The notebook dimensions are: 13.18" D x 9.64" D x 1.37~1.46" H.
Case and Design
Discovering this notebook was built around predominately plastic rather than aluminum alloy was a bit disappointing. But after a short time of usage, I was impressed with the quality of the plastic as it's quite rugged. It's coated in brilliant silver, with a polished Asus logo towards the center that is both understated and classy. What struck me next was the construction of the hinges. They exhibit consistent and smooth travel, with enough flexibility to avoid excessive force.
Opening the lid revealed a 14' screen with a gloss finish. I enjoyed the finish on the Acer Ferrari, although on the A8JS it seemed overdone to the point of promoting glare. There is a sizeable gap between the screen and the base, most likely due to the beefy hinges.
Above the screen is an integrated webcam, a necessity in notebooks. There's a full size keyboard in black crowning a silver touch pad, which utilizes a one button configuration.
Between the screen and the keyboard Asus has placed five instant launch keys covering connectivity and multimedia options.
Keyboard
Asus claims an 88/89 key keyboard; I only counted 86. The keys use a fairly heavy travel, which is more reminiscent of a desktop keyboard and not a laptop one. Usually low travel is done to save space, although this keyboard manages to get away with long travel and maintain its slim figure. Above the keyboard are five instant launch keys. The first is labeled with a running man, and configures the Asus power schemes through a program called Power4 Gear.
Second is the Bluetooth switch, which is interesting since the notebook doesn't come with Bluetooth. Next is the wireless switch which controls the internal Intel PRO 3945 Wireless 802.11a/b/g card. The fourth switch is known as Splendid. It changes the screen color configurations depending on what type of lighting you have, or what you're using the system for. Lastly is the button known as Instant FunPlus. Pressing this button, I expected balloons to fall from the ceiling and an Ice Cream Cake bigger than my head to be delivered to my front door. Alas, it only opens up a media center-esque menu, enabling you to organize your photos, music, and videos. Instant Fun indeed.
| ASUS A8js Keyboard | |
| Number of keys | 86 keys |
| Number of rows | 6 rows |
| Special/Function Keys | Fn+F1: Suspend switch Fn+F9: Touchpad lock Fn+F10: Volume on/mute Fn+F11: Volume down Fn+F12: Volume up |
Touchpad/UltraNav
The touchpad is located beneath the keyboard, and is finished in the same silver as the palm rests. It's almost overlooked given that it looks exactly like the rest of the notebook. Coupled with a single button which handles both left and right clicks, the only true line break is the perimeter that surrounds both the touchpad and buttons. An ingenious idea, although the single button was stubborn and difficult to click.
Connectivity Options
Front - The laptop has a double secured latch which opens with the press of a buttons at the center. Starting above the laptop screen is a 0.35 Megapixel Webcam. At less than a Megapixel it's fairly weak, although its integration is something that some other notebooks can't match. Continuing down is the 14' WXGA+ at a 1440x900 native resolution LCD. Connecting the screen to the base are two powerful and somewhat bulky hinges. Starting at the top of the base are the five instant launch keys with indicator lights and the power button is located at the top left. Below the lights is the full-size Asus Keyboard. The silver touch pad is located directly below that, and is flanked by the palm rests. To the bottom left of the keyboard is a built-in microphone, although its proximity to the speakers means feedback can be an issue.
Closed Front - The closed front of the laptop starting on the left has four indicator lights referencing wireless status, Bluetooth status, and battery life. Directly below that is the left speaker. Continuing to the right is lid button, flanked by the latches. The front is rounded out by the right-hand speaker.
On the front of the laptop, you will find a switch to enable/disable wireless connectivity, an IR port for infrared mice and other devices, and a lid latch.
Rear - The rear of the laptop is full of connectivity options. Facing the rear on the left side is a DC-in jack which connects to the AC Adaptor and power supply. Continuing right are two USB 2.0 Ports, a TV-out (S-Video Composite), a VGA port/Mini D-sub 15-pin for external monitor, a DVI port, a RJ45 LAN Jack for LAN insert, and a RJ11 Modem jack for phone line. The Kensington Lock slot is to the far right.
Left Side - The left side of the laptop, back to front, houses a card reader supporting SD/MMC/MS/MS PRO. Directly below that is the 8X DVD-RW. Continuing right is the Express Card slot, with a USB 2.0 port, IEEE 1394 port, Microphone in and Headphone out jack seated below. The Card slots don't come with covers, although they do contain dummy cards to keep anything from entering the readers.
Right Side - The right side of the laptop, front to back, has two USB 2.0 ports, an Infrared Port (SIR-115.2Kbps supported), and cooling vents.
Heat and Noise
Given this notebook's ample processing power and beefy video card, you'd think there would liberal amounts of heat to disperse, as well as noise to muffle. Being on for eight hours straight, it was running warm. However, if you're planning on watching a DVD or put a constant load on a similar device, expect some heat buildup on the rear right side. It was nothing out of the ordinary in laptop devices, however. There was exceptionally little noise coming from the laptop during the majority of the operation. Interestingly enough, once the screensaver kicked in, the fan doubled in speed. Asus default Screensaver is a kaleidoscope display that uses input from the integrated webcam. While an interesting feature, it will drain your battery if left unplugged. I recommend changing screensavers, as the 30 seconds of amusement will be outlasted by an overly warm laptop and a dead battery.
Upgrading and Expansion
The A8JS comes standard with 1GB of DDR2 667 MHz RAM. It's upgradeable to 2GB with the second slot, which I would recommend given the increase in power with the relatively low prices of RAM today (approx. $124.99 for 1GB). The Asus comes with dual-channel support as well. The hard drive, WiFi mini adapter, and if you dare, the CPU are upgradeable.
Technical Specifications
Delving even deeper into this machine youll find two processors working side-by-side. Intel supplied their Centrino Core2 Duo Processors T7200 2GHz, 4MB L2 Cache, with a 667 MHz Front-side bus. It performed admirably on the extensive benchmarking, which you can later in the review.
The graphics card is the powerful NVidia Geforce Go7700 with 512MB dedicated video RAM. This comes in stark comparison to the Acer Ferrari 1000 that I reviewed previously with an ATI Radeon Xpress 1150 and integrated memory. The GeForce Go 7700 graphics card features 12 pixel pipelines based on a unique 80nm process and 128-bit memory controller. The 7700 boasts a mighty 512MB of dedicated VRAM and operates at 450MHz, with a clock speed weighing in at 500MHz. This configuration will place you in the mid-to-upper echelon of the notebook GPU market and I was expecting to see some pretty nice gaming performance coming from this card. You'll see later on in my benchmark testing if my expectations were met or not.
On the memory front, the Asus comes with 1GB DDR2 667MHz RAM and supports 2 or 4GB using two identical modules for dual-channel support.
Our unit came with the Hitachi 100GB Ultra ATA/100 Hard Drive running at a respectable 5400 RPM. A full listing of the technical specifications is found at the beginning of the review.
Display
The A8JS is equipped with a 14 Inch WXGA+ LCD display with a native & high resolution of 1440x900. Asus has supplied its Color Shine technology to the monitor face, which is essentially a glare reduction finish. It reduces ambient lights abilities to wash out the LCD image with enhanced color saturation. While the monitor looks very crisp and handles well under normal lighting conditions, it suffers from ample light bleeding from the edges in darker environments.
Speakers
The speakers were the biggest disappointment of the entire A8JS package. Located underneath the palm rests and pointed downward, they project the sound either at your feet, or directly into the desk or lap of the user. At their loudest they are barely audible, given the normal notebook user is rarely in a perfect acoustic environment. When I first turned them on, I was convinced I had missed an additional volume control on the exterior. The sound suffers from the same lack of depth that plagues all small laptop speakers, although this is pronounced by their diminutive volume.
Optical Drive
On the rear left side of the unit is the optical drive. Its a Combo Dual Layer SuperMulti 8x8x4x2.4x +/- DVD R/RW, which runs quietly, even during a DVD movie. The eject button pops the tray, which can be dangerous on the move, given its flimsy construction. Personally, I recommend a slot-loading DVD drive, as therere less moving parts which are exposed to wear. Although the optical drive is quiet, it does generate a moderate amount of heat which is exhausted from the rear right of the notebook via the cooling vent.
Webcam
Asus included a 0.35 Megapixel web/videocam above the LCD display. Its immovable, and its abysmal resolution leaves much to be desired. The pictures collapse into a grainy mess if youre under less than ideal lighting conditions. This is confusing, as the A8JS default screensaver makes exclusive use of the webcam. The screensaver should be changed as soon as possible, as it absorbs a reasonable amount of the notebooks battery life.
WiFi
Asus included an internal Ethernet 10/100/1000BaseT Network Card coupled with an IntelPro 3945 Wireless LAN. Interestingly enough, the laptop did not come with the drivers installed for the WiFi connection. Luckily, consulting the appropriate website and downloading the drivers were enough to get this going. This lack of connectivity and usability later became obvious when attempting to play a DVD movie. Although the majority of computers do not have the correct Codecs to play DVDs off the bat, ASUS included a media program that included DVD capability. It was unable to player movies, however. The Intelpro card is compliant with the 802.11a/b/g standards.
Battery
The A8JS included a 6-cell Smart Lithium-Ion battery rated at 4800mAh which has a published life of 2.5-3 hours, butmore in our performance section of this review. Charging time is about 2.5 hours with the power off, and an even 4 hours with the power on.
Setup Method
The Asus A8js was set to run at full performance by setting the power scheme set to Home/Office Desk with the AC plugged in, meaning that the CPU will not underclock while running the tests. For the battery performance test, the power scheme was set to Portable/Laptop. Each test was repeated 3 times to ensure accuracy. Before each test was run, the laptop was rebooted and its hard drive defragmented.
Bapco SYSmark2004SE is popular benchmark suite consists of two different performance scenarios and generates an overall score by taking the geometric mean of the individual scores.
- Internet Content Creation: In this scenario, the content creator creates a product related website targeting a broadband and narrowband audience. The user first renders a 3D model to a bitmap, while preparing web pages using a web site publishing tool. The user opens a video editing package, creates a movie from several raw input movie cuts and sound cuts and starts exporting it. While waiting on this operation, the user imports the rendered image into an image-processing package; modifies it and saves the results. Back in the 3D modeling software, the user modifies a 3D model and exports it to a vector-graphics format. Once the movie is assembled, the user edits it and creates special effects using one of the modified images as input. The user extracts content from an archive. Meanwhile, he uses an animation creation tool to open the exported 3D vector graphics file. He modifies it by including other pictures and optimizes it for faster animation. The final movie with the special effects is then compressed in a format that can be broadcast over broadband Internet. The web site is given the final touches and the system is scanned for viruses.
- Office Productivity: In this scenario, the office productivity user creates a marketing presentation and supporting documents for a new product. The user receives email containing a collection of documents in a compressed file. The user reviews his email and updates his calendar while a virus checking software scans the system. The corporate web site is viewed and the user begins creating the collateral documents. The user also accesses a database and runs some queries. A collection of documents are compressed. The queries' results are imported into a spreadsheet and used to generate graphical charts. The user then transcribes a document.. The user edits and adds elements to a slide show template. Finally, the user looks at the results of his work (both the slide show and the portable document) in an Internet browser.
Bapco MobileMark 2005 is the latest version of the premier notebook battery life and performance under battery life metric based on real world applications.
- Office Productivity: The workloads in this category model a mobile professional at a fictitious automobile company. The worker creates documents using Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint, accesses email, and creates graphics and animation with Photoshop and Flash to include in a multimedia presentation. An Internet browser is used to view presentations. The user also invokes file compression and virus detection in the background.
- DVD Playback: The DVD playback 2005 workload is based on a 1 hours 55 minute movie that BAPCo has created from content provided by BMW. The DVD playback test starts the movie playerapplication, sets up a full screen playback, and the loops over the content on the disk in the DVDplayer. This playback will continue until system shutdown at battery depletion.
3DMark 2001 SE PRO build 3.3.0 measures graphics performance by benchmarking the CPU, memory, and graphics through a series of 21 tests, including simulated games, theoretical tests, DX8 feature tests, and image quality tests. Resolution was set to 1024x768 with all default settings.
3DMark 2003 build 3.6.0 measures DX9 performance through a series of 3D game based sound, graphics, and CPU tests. Resolution was set to 1024x768 with all default settings.
3DMark2005 build 1.2.0 is a graphics intensive benchmark best suited for the latest generation of DirectX 9.0 graphics cards. It combines high quality 3D tests, CPU tests, and is the first benchmark to require Pixel Shader 2.0 support, making this a highly stressful 3D benchmark.
PCMark 2005 Advanced build 1.1.0 is the latest update to Futuremark's popular overall system benchmarking program. The 2005 version adds multithreading, DirectX 9, Windows Media Player 10, virus scanning, High Defintion video playback (WMVHD), and a vast number of other tests to its suite. Testing your computer's CPU, RAM, hard drive and graphics card, PCMark05 drives your computer to the max to determine its strengths and weaknesses.
Configurations
| Specifications | ASUS A8js | Acer Travelmate 8204 | Acer Ferrari 5000 |
| Processor | Intel Core 2 Duo processor T7200 (2GHz, 4MB L2 Cache, Dual Core) | Intel Core Duo T2500 (2.0GHz, 2MB L2 Cache, Dual Core) | AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-60 (2GHz 2x512KB L2) |
| Front Side Bus | 667 MHz | 667 MHz | 1600 MHz |
| Chipset | Intel i945PM | Intel i945PM | ATI Xpress 200M |
| Wireless LAN | Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG w/Bluetooth | Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG w/Bluetooth | Atheros AR5006X 802.11b/g, Bluetooth |
| LCD | 14" WXGA+ LCD | 15.4" WSXGA+ LCD (1680x1050) | 15.4" WSXGA+ Glossy LCD (1680x1050) |
| Hard Drive | 100GB 5400RPM 8MB Cache SATA | 120GB Seagate 400RPM 8MB Cache SATA | 160GB Hitachi 5400RPM 8MB Cache SATA |
| Memory | 1GB DDR2 667 PC5400 SDRAM | 2GB DDR2 667 PC5300 SDRAM (2 x 1GB) | 2GB DDR2 667 PC5400 SDRAM (2 x 1GB) in Dual-Channel Mode |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce Go 7700 512MB | ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 256MB | ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 256MB |
| Graphics Interface | DVI/VGA | DVI/VGA | VGA-out, HDMI, DVI |
| Optical Drive | 8X DVD-RW/DL | DVD-RW/DL | Slot Load DVD-RW/DL |
| Modem | Integrated V.90 Modem | Integrated V.90 Modem | Integrated V.90 Modem |
| Ethernet | 10/100/1000 | 10BASE-T/1000BASE-TX Ethernet | 10/100/1000 |
| Audio | Intel HD | Realtek HD Audio | Realtek HD Audio |
| Audio Interface | Microphone, two stereo speakers, headphone | Microphone, two stereo speakers, headphone/line-out with SPDIF support | Microphone, two stereo speakers, headphone, SPDIF |
| Ports | 5 x USB 2.0 | 4 x USB 2.0 | 4 x USB 2.0 |
| Weight | 5.2 lbs. with 6-cell battery | 6.6 lbs. with 9-cell battery | 6.6 lbs. with 9-cell battery |
| Size (W x D x H) | 13.18" x 9.64" x 1.37~1.46" | 14.3" x 10.7" x 1" | 14.33" x 10.66" x 1.03 - 1.49" |
| Operating System | Windows XP Professional | Windows XP Pro w/SP2 | Windows XP Professional |
| Battery | 6-cell 4,800 mAh | 9-cell 7,800 mAh | 9-cell 7,800 mAh |
Bapco SYSmark2004SE
Internet Content Creation
Office Productivity
Total Score
PCMark05 Advanced
The Asus A8Js has a strong showing in PCMark05, handily winning in the CPU and Graphics areas.
Here are the associated scores:
| PCMark05 | A8js | Travelmate 8204 | Ferrari 5000 |
| CPU | 5096 | 4643 | 3919 |
| Memory | 3967 | 3134 | 3535 |
| Graphics | 4028 | 2304 | 2868 |
| HDD | 3528 | 3297 | 3696 |
and the PCMark05 Advanced Overall Score:
The ASUS A8js dominates in the PCMark05 tests, thanks to the powerful Nvidia GeForce 7700 graphics card.
Multi-Tasking PerformanceWe added these tests for a better way to compare dual core systems. Looking at numerous testing methods and results, we found the existing SYSmark2004SE benchmarks to be an excellent choice. The tests are easily performed and repeatable, providing a consistent and simple way to test dual core systems. The three sub-tests below show a noticeable correlation in CPU and memory performance, the two most important aspects of a multi-CPU system.
Bapco SYSmark2004SE
3D Content Creation
"The user renders a 3D model to a bitmap using 3ds max 5.1, while preparing web pages in Dreamweaver MX. Then the user renders a 3D animation in a vector graphics format."
This benchmark has a heavy dependency on cache. It makes sense that the Core 2 Duo-equipped Asus A8Js beats the competition with its 4MB shared L2 cache. The Turion 64 X2 inside the Ferrari laptop, on the other hand, only has 1MB L2 cache.
2D Content Creation
"The user uses Premiere 6.5 to create a movie from several raw input movie cuts and sound cuts and starts exporting it. While waiting on this operation, the user imports the rendered image into Photoshop 7.01, modifies it and saves the results. Once the movie is assembled, the user edits it and creates special effects using After Effects 5.5."
The Core 2 Duo-equipped A8Js wins again, this time with smaller margins.
Web Publication
"The user extracts content from an archive using WinZip 8.1. Meanwhile, he uses Flash MX to open the exported 3D vector graphics file. He modifies it by including other pictures and optimizes it for faster animation. The final movie with the special effects is then compressed using Windows Media Encoder 9 series in a format that can be broadcast over broadband Internet. The web site is given the final touches in Dreamweaver MX and the system is scanned by VirusScan 7.0."
The Core 2 Duos Media Boost features come in handy here, as the A8Js pulls yet another clear win.
3D Performance3DMark 2003
Since 3DMark 2003 is an older benchmark, it does not use shaders as extensively as a modern game does. Therefore, the Asus A8Js, with its 12-pipelined NVIDIA 7700 graphics card, pulls a stunning victory over its competition.
3DMark 05
Since 3DMark 2005 makes extensive use of shaders, we see the ATI X1600-equipped Acer laptops come close or even exceed the Asus A8Js. Remember that the X1600 graphics cards have the same number of pixel shaders as that of the 7700.
3DMark06
Even the X1600s puny texturing power shows in the 3DMark 2006 benchmark, where the 7700-equipped A8Js jumps to the lead.
Gaming PerformanceFEAR
The A8Js beats down its competition handily, coming close to doubling the X1600s score in the High benchmark.
Quake 4
The gaming benchmarks demonstrate the power of the A8Js 12-pipelined NVIDIA 7700 graphics card. The A8Js pulls a clear victory by tremendous margins.
Battery Performance
Overall, the battery life performend decently, but for a 14-inch notebook, we expected the A8js to last longer than the 15.4-inch counterparts.
Conclusion
Pros:
- Fast performance
- Incredible graphics capability
- Quiet
- Portable
- Affordable
Cons:
- Poor sound quality
- Battery life
- Unfriendly out of the box
The Asus A8JS is an excellent laptop for those who relish the muscle it provides. It has powerful dual processors, fantastic graphics speed, andDVI! This is a great foundation for a portable gaming or design system for users who want to keep it on a desk hooked up to an external LCD monitor or take it out and about. Compared to other laptops, the bloated pre-loaded Asus software made it difficult to tweak the system to my liking. Also, invest in a pair of good headphones if you have any plans of audio enjoyment, the speakers are just for show. At an MSRP of $1499.99, its graphics power and mobility will be difficult to match by a comparably priced notebook.
Availability/Warranty
This laptop is currently available from Asus resellers, and comes with a 2 year global warranty, with a 1 year warranty on the battery. Its priced at $1499.00 in North American markets.
No comments:
Post a Comment