The good: Excellent graphics performance for a thin-and-light; one of the most affordable in its class; integrated fingerprint sensor; bright LED-backlit panel.

The bad: Runs hot; low-voltage processor doesn't have enough oomph for hardcore gaming; battery life unimpressive.

The bottom line: With an interesting mix of components, the JoyBook X31 is a powerful, yet affordable, all-rounder machine which should satisfy the most users' needs.

Read full review of the BenQ JoyBook X31 »

By Darius Chang, CNET Asia
Jul 23, 2008

The BenQ JoyBook is an excellent all-rounder at an affordable price, attempting to cater to the widest user base possible. Unfortunately, this also means that it had become a Jack of all trades, master of none. For users with more specific needs, like security or hardcore gaming, the JoyBook X31 just falls a little short of perfection.

When we first heard that the X31 holds the high-end Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT video card, gaming was the first to come to mind. But then we learned that it uses a low-voltage processor and fingerprint sensor, we suspected that it was also gunning for corporate users, except that it lacks strong security features and docking options. The touch-sensitive multimedia buttons and HDMI output hint at an entertainment focus, except that it forgot to include a TV tuner or remote control.

According to BenQ, the X31 is targeted at professional graphics designers, gamers as well as students. But we felt the X31 is suited only for the last group. At S$2,299 (US$1,645.32), it is possibly one of the cheapest thin-and-light laptop with an integrated optical drive and discrete graphics performance. Its nearest competitor, the LG P300, holds the same distinction except that it costs a whopping S$3,799 (US$2,718.81). Even Dell finds it hard to compete as its popular XPS M1330 costs a few hundred more despite having a much less powerful video card.

Design

Despite its low price, we're glad BenQ did not skimp when it came to designing the chassis. Bucking the trend of glossy surfaces, the magnesium-aluminum chassis has a low-maintenance matt body. The top cover has a nice rubberized brown paint job, which reminds us of the kind used in the military that doesn't require constant cleaning and is a little resilient to scratches. Weighing in at 1.95kg with a footprint of 320 x 229 x 25.3mm, it may not be the lightest 13.3-incher in the market. But with its discrete graphics chipset and integrated optical drive it is an easy compromise to forgive.

Thanks to LED backlighting technology invading laptop displays, the X31 has a very slim LCD which can be tilted a full 180 degrees. An integrated Webcam with a microphone sits above the 13.3-inch panel. Like many entertainment laptops today, the multimedia controls are now touch-sensitive and glow with a blue light when powered up. Though we agree that the slot-in DVD drive adds a little snob appeal to the device, we have our concerns that frequent loading and unloading of discs may result in some scratching.

The full-sized keyboard is comfortable to work with, while the trackpad is reasonably responsive. Though it may not turn heads like the Sony Vaio SZ series, or have as many color options as the Dell XPS M1330, the simple and functional design of the JoyBook X31 more than serves its purpose without requiring frequent cleaning.

Features

The JoyBook X31 is a mixed bag of gaming, entertainment and business features. This is great if you are a student looking for a general purpose machine at an affordable cost. Unfortunately, it also means that if your needs are more specific, the JoyBook X31 probably won't be able to deliver.

For gamers looking for a thin-and-light capable of rendering graphics with the best of them, their only choice used to be the LG P300 which, unfortunately, was priced above larger but more powerful machines such as the XPS M1530. The S$2,299 (US$1,645.32) JoyBook X31 is a lot more affordable, while its high-end Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT graphics card with 256MB of discrete memory can handle even the latest titles (though not at maximum resolution and texture settings). However, this is where the BenQ hits its first stumbling block.

By going with the low-voltage Core 2 Duo processor to preserve battery life, the X31 removes one of the two foundations of a gaming machine. While the graphics processor handles the eye candy and is the most prominent component when it comes to games, the processor is fundamental in calculating in-game physics as well as the raw number-crunching power needed to realistically simulate the virtual environment. This may be the reason the X31, despite its graphics card, can only handle Crysis at 20fps on medium setting at 1,280 x 720 resolution. It also runs exceptionally hot, though this is to be expected due to its powerful graphics engine.

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