Asus N53S review

This is the third Asus N53 model we’ve seen since the range was launched at the end of last year, but the N53S is the first to use the new Intel Core i5-2410M processor, running at 2.3GHz and with a generous 6GB of RAM. It’s a beautifully designed laptop, with graceful curves in the edge of the case and a large, bold speaker grille housing the Bang & Olufsen-designed sound system.

The N53S is similar to the N53J model, with a Blu-ray drive, a Core i5 processor and a dedicated Nvidia graphics chip. Performance from the new Core i5 is great, with a result of 52 overall in our new benchmarks. As a comparison, the N53J with the old Core i5 scored 45 in the new benchmarks, so the new model gives you a 16 per cent improvement.

Build quality was superb, with little flex in the lid or keyboard, and a tasteful mix of materials. The keyboard has flat-topped keys, but they’re set close together which can cause two to be pressed at once on occasion. Their action is light, though, with a distinct bite at the top of the keystroke that provides good feedback for touch-typists.

The numeric keypad feels a bit cramped: the “0” key is half-width to fit in the right cursor key, but there’s a row of useful page navigation keys along the top row, and the rest of the layout is standard. There’s also a large, responsive touchpad with a single see-saw button: the latter is a bit stiff and has a sizeable dead zone in the middle.

We were impressed with a score of 40fps from the Nvidia GeForce GT 540M graphics chip. This is nowhere near as fast as a desktop graphics card, but it means you can play most games without having to sacrifice too many graphical effects. Of course, it can also play HD video from the Blu-ray drive, and you have a choice of VGA or HDMI outputs as well so you can watch movies on a larger screen, or output both audio and video to an AV amplifier as part of a home cinema setup.

The N53S’s 15.6in screen only has a 1,366×768 resolution, so you won’t be able to watch Blu-ray films pixel-for-pixel, but image quality was good, with a bright, even backlight and a glossy finish that made colours brighter. Our only complaint would be a slight red cast, but that only served to add warmth to most images, which we liked. Vertical viewing angles were surprisingly good, which is rare these days with laptop screens.

Sound from the Bang & Olufsen speakers was good, although not up to the standard set by the amazing JBL speakers on Dell’s XPS 15. It’s still far better than most laptops, and most people will find it sufficient for watching TV episodes and movies.

With its Blu-ray drive, 640GB hard disk and USB3 port, the N53S is better value than other laptops at a similar price. Plus, its combination of great performance, decent keyboard, and colourful screen means it wins a Best Buy award.