Notebooks today have gone smaller and sleeker, which compromises power and usability while priced expensively due to its compact form factor.
The ASUS N550JV here is what we consider a premium notebook with powerful features, with a powerful Core i7 quad core processor, GeForce discrete graphics, and a 15-inch Full HD display, this is a powerful notebook that will suit power users who wants some portability on the go.
Video Review
Bulky on the outside, premium and powerful on the inside
The N550JV isn’t going to win any scores for sleekness and beauty, the notebook is pretty bulky for today’s standards however its build quality has a premium feel. With a brushed metal chassis and a glowing ASUS logo on the outside.
Lift up the cover and you’ll see a gorgeous 15-inch Full HD multitouch display, a full size chiclet keyboard with number pad, and a huge multitouch touchpad.
You will also find two textured designs on the top left and right of the notebook’s keyboard area, which lets you mistaken as it’s Bang and Olufsen speakers, in fact the speakers are located at the bottom of the notebook.
ASUS N550JV Hardware Specifications
Processor: Intel Core i7 4700HQ 2.4GHz, Turbo Boost up to 3.4GHz
RAM: 16GB
HDD: Seagate SSHD 750GB with 8GB SSD cache
ODD: Yes, Blu-ray Combo Drive
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GT750M 2GB with NVIDIA Optimus
Display: 15-inch Full HD (1920×1080) IPS with 10-point multitouch
Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.0, WiFi B/G/N Dual Band, Gigabit Ethernet
I/O: 3xUSB 3.0, HDMI, miniDisplay, SD Card Reader, Bluray Combo Drive, External subwoofer input, 3.5mm headphone combo jack
OS: Windows 8 Single Language 64-bit
Powerful and Premium User Experience
We kept mentioning the word ‘powerful’ and ‘premium’, which are the elements that ASUS have focused on this notebook. The N550JV weighs at 2.6kg, it is really heavy if you hold it single handedly, in fact it isn’t horribly heavy if you carry it in your backpack. During our review period, we edit videos, write editorials, play games, and watch our favorite HD movies on the notebook, the N550JV is fast and reliable, thanks to the powerful Core i7 processor, hybrid hard disk and GeForce discrete graphics.
The keyboard is a joy to type on, although its really cramped with the number pad, we have no problems in typing as the feedback is great. However, we hope ASUS can include some multimedia keys at the side and exclude the number pad as we rarely use them and sadly, the keyboard isn’t a LED backlit keyboard.
The N550JV’s touch screen is really sensitive and precise, combined with a huge multitouch touchpad on the notebook, it is a gorgeous experience and you may forget plugging in a mouse to use with the notebook.
Throughout our usage, the N550JV stays cool whatever load you threw at it as ASUS has designed the cooling vent at the back of the notebook, which dissipates heat without affecting the keyboard area, making the notebook a joy to use on the table. However, we would advise not to use it on your lap as it can get really hot if you use it to perform heavy duty tasks.
Trust us, if weight is not an issue, the ASUS N550JV can be your best portable companion and desktop replacement.
Powerful and Premium Entertainment Experience
The soul of the N550JV lies in its premium entertainment experience, the Full HD screen is one of the most beautiful panels that we’ve seen in ASUS notebooks, not only it has good viewing angles, color reproduction and saturation is also gorgeous, which makes pictures and movies come to life. The screen is still very readable even at the lowest brightness, which is very comfortable in dark environments.
The N550JV’s audio is powered by Bang & Olufsen, one of the most premium audio brands in the world used in living rooms and continental cars. While the built-in speaker does a good job in producing a decent amount of clarity, it isn’t any better than competing notebooks out there until we plug in the external subwoofer, the entire audio listening experience changes as we got more immersed with music listening and movie watching, it really eliminates the need for a huge speaker if you merely want some simple entertainment enjoyment. While we think that the Bang & Olufsen branding on the notebook slightly exaggerating, the audio listening experience isn’t too bad and will suffice for the masses
Powerful and Premium Gaming Experience
We’ve talked about the powerful and premium user and entertainment experience, the ASUS N550JV isn’t a slouch when it comes to gaming. The GeForce GT750M discrete graphics is able to play any graphics demanding games with mid to high level graphics configuration.
For instance, we tested Need for Speed Rivals with its default graphics configuration, which is already high in most settings, frame rates are smooth most of the time and there are some frame drops when complexed graphics kick in, which we are fine with it as it isn’t positioned as a true gaming notebook.
What makes the N550JV premium in gaming is the Bang & Olufsen speakers and the cooling keyboard area despite playing for long hours, game load performance is simply top notch due to the fast hybrid hard disk and quad core i7 chip.
Benchmarks and Battery Life
AIDA64 – System Information
CPU-Z
GPU-Z
PCMark
3DMark
CrystalDIskMark
Battery Life
With a 4-cell battery for such a powerful notebook, you may think that power is being compromised. In fact, we were really surprised with real world test results. Under balanced power mode, the notebook is able to last 4 hours on a single charge with web browsing, some YouTube videos and music listening.
We played a Full HD MKV format movie with K-Lite Mega Codec and the notebook exhausted in 2 hours and 30 minutes. Although its nothing to shout at, the battery capacity and performance components of the notebook is able to make the battery life similar or better than mid range notebooks
Test Note: Battery life test is conducted with wireless radio enabled, 60% screen brightness, Power4Gear Power Saving Mode.
Verdict
We tried finding faults with the ASUS N550JV, unfortunately we are just unable to find any this time, ASUS has really made the N550JV very much flawless for power users who wants power on the go. If we take one careful look at the ASUS N550JV, from craftsmanship to power, the notebook combines elements from Apple’s Macbook and Sony’s VAIO computers.
If the heavy weight and bulkiness isn’t your problem, you’re going to love the N550JV, if not, try looking at the notebook’s design again, you’ll fall for it. The ASUS N550JV retails at RM3799 with a 2-Year International Warranty, not too affordable for the masses but if you’re looking for a powerful notebook without paying too much, this is a notebook that we highly recommend to anyone. Here’s a summary of what’s good and bad.
The Good
+ Premium design language
+ Powerful performance and usability
+ Gorgeous full HD display
+ Uses hybrid hard disk instead of standard 5400RPM hard disk
+ Superb heat dissipation
+ Surprisingly good battery life despite having powerful components
+ Discrete graphics sufficient for demanding games
+ Generous set of input ports – USB 3.0, HDMI, miniDisplay
+ Premium looking and great to use keyboard and touchpad
The Bad (Not totally bad)
– Bang & Olufsen audio overhyped, only realized with external subwoofer plugged in
– Included charger too huge to carry around
– Heavy and bulky
– A multimedia laptop that lacks dedicated multimedia keys
– No user access to notebook battery
We rate the ASUS N550JV at 4.5 out of 5 stars.
