Asus N45SF (Core i5 2410M Processor 2.3GHz, 4GB RAM)

Audio is an oft-neglected feature on laptops. Many mainstream laptops come with tinny speakers that get distorted at higher volumes, and you can forget about finding a subwoofer. To be fair, it's not always possible to integrate a decent-sized subwoofer given the trend toward slimmer laptops. This explains why Asus decided that its latest N Series laptop, the N45SF, needed an external subwoofer to do the audio justice.

With excellent sound quality and one of the best mid-range mobile graphics chip available now, the Asus N45SF has the foundations of a good multimedia laptop. Unfortunately, it's let down by the mediocre 14-inch display that's so common on mainstream notebooks. The keyboard layout could be better and the design, despite a helping of chrome trim at the sides, isn't very attractive. Then again, at S$1,298 for the Core i5 version, it's a good deal if you can look beyond its chunky plastic exterior.

Design

Our first impression of the Asus N45SF was how bulky it appears. Although it weighs around 2.4kg, which is average for a 14-inch mainstream laptop, the N45SF is thick for its segment at 35mm--the lid alone measures 11mm. The good news is that a chrome border runs along the sides of the lid and provides a nice visual contrast that may serve to conceal its thickness.

It is available in either glossy black or white (we received the white version). Besides the silver Asus logo, the white glossy surface of the laptop lid has a understated design created by tiny grey dotted lines. As it is glossy, you can easily smudge the lid, but fingerprints are relatively hard to detect due to the color. However, you can expect plenty of visible smudges on the black version. On the other hand, the palmrest on our white N45SF is finished in matte plastic and appears to be more susceptible to stains than the black. 

Specifications	Asus N45SF
Price as reviewed	S$1,298
Processor	2.3GHz Core i5 2410M processor
Memory	4GB, 1,333MHz DDR3
Hard drive	640GB, 5,400rpm
Chipset	Intel HM65
Graphics	Nvidia GeForce GT 555M
Operating system	Windows 7 Home Premium
Dimensions (W x D)	345 x 243mm
Height	35mm
Screen size (diagonal)	14 inches (1,366 x 768)
System weight (with AC adapter)	2.4kg
Category	Thin-and-light

The interior of the laptop is dominated by a large one-piece speaker grille above the keyboard that extends from end to end. Such is the height of this grille that the dedicated multimedia function shortcut keys we usually find above the keyboard have been shifted to a left row right next to the keyboard. As a result, we often hit the wrong keys accidentally when trying to find Shift or Ctrl.

Besides this flaw, the keyboard was comfortable to type on and there was little flex. The trackpad supports typical multitouch gestures such as pinch-to-zoom and two-finger scrolling. Tracking was smooth and the trackpad buttons gave a satisfying click when pressed.

Features

Developed with Bang & Olufsen, the SonicMaster audio technology on the Asus N45SF is the standout feature on this laptop. Although Asus has implemented this feature on other notebooks, the N45SF is the latest iteration and adds a small external subwoofer (connects through a dedicated jack) to boost bass performance.

Together with the SonicMaster software tool, which enables users to adjust the surround, vocal clarity and bass produced by the speakers, the Asus N45SF produces some of the best audio you can get on a 14-inch laptop. The portable subwoofer is also nicely done; it may be made of plastic but it has a rubber-like base to dampen vibrations.

While the audio aspect makes this laptop an excellent multimedia machine, the display is a typical 1,366 x 768-pixel panel that you'll find on mainstream 14-inch laptops. Hence, the viewing angles from the sides aren't too good--colors get distorted and the screen could have been brighter.

	Asus N45SF	Average for category (thin-and-light)
Video	VGA-out, HDMI	VGA-out, HDMI or DVI
Audio	Headphone/microphone jacks	Headphone/microphone jacks
Data	Two USB 3.0, one USB 2.0, SD card reader	Three USB 2.0, mini-FireWire, SD card reader
Expansion	None	ExpressCard/54
Networking	Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth	Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, optional WWAN
Optical drive	DVD burner	DVD burner
Other features	Webcam	Webcam

The Asus N45SF comes with two USB 3.0 ports and a single USB 2.0 port, all conveniently located at the right side, along with the optical drive. The other side of the laptop has a sizable air vent along with the VGA, HDMI and Ethernet ports. An SD card reader is found at the front. Overall, these are standard features that we expect on a notebook in this category.

After our extensive testing of Ultrabooks in the past month, we are quite used to the almost instant resume from sleep that's present on these laptops. The Asus N45SF has a similar instant-on feature: It doesn't feel as quick as an Ultrabook, but it does cut down the waiting time compared with a typical laptop.

Asus included quite a number of utilities and software on the N45SF, of which many would probably languish on the system unused. The most useful ones would be the CyberLink media playback software, automatic update tool and Asus WebStorage, which provides 2GB of free online storage.

	Asus N45SF	HP Pavilion dv4	Lenovo IdeaPad Z470
Processor	2.3GHz, Core i5 processor	2.3GHz, Core i5 processor	2.3GHz, Core i5 processor
Graphics	Nvidia GeForce GT 555M	AMD Radeon HD 6750M	Nvidia GeForce GT 520M
Video	VGA-out, HDMI	VGA-out, HDMI	VGA-out, HDMI
Audio	Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks	Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks	Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks
Data	Two USB 3.0, one USB 2.0, SD card reader	Two USB 3.0, one USB 2.0, SD card reader	Three USB 2.0, eSATA/USB combo port, SD card reader
Expansion	None	None	None
Networking	Gigabit Ethernet, Bluetooth, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi	Gigabit Ethernet, Bluetooth, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi	Gigabit Ethernet, Bluetooth, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi
Optical drive	DVD burner	DVD burner	DVD burner
Price	S$1,298	S$1,299	S$1,149

There are quite a few 14-inch laptops with similar specifications and price tags as the Asus N45SF. Some of the more recent models that we have tested include the HP Pavilion dv4 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Z470. Against these rivals, the Asus N45SF looks pretty good on paper: It has a better graphics chip than the Lenovo, though the AMD Radeon graphics on the HP will be a close competitor. In fact, with a configuration of ports and connectors, the HP Pavilion dv4 appears to be almost identical to the Asus, down to the price.

Performance And Battery Life

Our Asus N45SF review unit comes with a Core i5 2410M processor that's quite popular among laptops of this class. The manufacturer also offers an Intel Core i7 option for those who want something more powerful.

What caught our eye when looking at the specifications of this laptop is its mobile graphics--Nvidia's GeForce GT 555M. This is an upper mid-range graphics chip that's just a notch below what we consider the minimum graphics you'll want for a proper gaming notebook, the GeForce GTX 560M. In fact, the GeForce GT 555M is even found on Alienware's M14x, though the version on the M14x has at least 1.5GB of RAM while the GT 555M on the Asus N45SF only has 1GB.

With such specs, the Asus N45SF scored 2,096 in PCMark 7, which is slightly lower than the 2,204 on the Lenovo IdeaPad Z470. The Asus did manage to top the graphics test; it scored 1,338 in 3DMark11 compared with 698 on the Lenovo, which uses a GeForce GT 520M chip. The N45SF was also marginally faster than the AMD Radeon HD 6750M-powered HP Pavilion dv4 in the same benchmark.

For the battery life testing, we looped a standard-definition DVD movie on the laptop with the audio muted and at half-screen brightness. The Asus N45SF lasted around 3 hours 10 minutes, which is about 10 minutes longer than the IdeaPad Z470. However, the HP dv4 clocked 36 minutes more than the N45SF in this test, putting the Asus in the middle of the pack. 

Service And Support

The Asus N45SF comes with a two-year global warranty, though the battery pack is covered for only one year. On its support Web site, you can download user manuals, drivers and software patches. Technical support is available via phone or email, though in the event of hardware failure the unit has to be brought to a service center for repair.