ASUS N61JQ-X1 Laptop Review

I was finally back blogging after almost 1 month. Other than my business from teaching, there was one other main reason why I didn’t post anything lately, that’s because my old laptop was broken. I don’t know what happened with it. It just won’t start. It can’t even get to the windows screen. To solve this, I have done some research and also brought my laptop to a computer store to be checked, but so far the only thing they can tell is that this is due to hardware failure. The symptoms was these: black screen and there’s this beeping sound 1 long, 2 shorts. Apparently, my graphic card was busted, according to the POST (Power On Self Test) test. Instead of fixing the broken graphic card, I might as well get a new one because the cost to replace the graphic card was so expensive.

Here’s the spec of ASUS N61JQ-x1:

  • Powerful Intel Core i7-720QM processor with Turbo Boost and Hyper Threading Technologies for smart multitasking performance that adapts to your needs
  • Color Shine 16-inch Edge-to-Edge HD LED-backlit widescreen for a vibrant and immersive cinematic experience
  • ATI Discrete Graphics Engine (DGE) powered by Mobility Radeon HD 5730 graphics with 1GB VRAM and DirectX 11 support for the latest gaming and multimedia enjoyment
  • Altec Lansing speakers enhanced with SRS Premium Sound produce crisp, clear audio reproduction
  • ASUS SonicMaster design for more detailed and richer sound quality
  • 320GB 7200RPM hard drive for fast, convenient storage and access to all your documents, music, videos, and photos
  • 4GB of DDR3 RAM brings increased performance with Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit pre-installed
  • Multi-touch trackpad lets you intuitively navigate through web pages, documents, and pictures
  • Chiclet keyboard with numeric keypad for increased typing precision
  • HDMI output for easy HD video and audio connectivity to your HDTV or LCD monitors with HDMI input
  • USB 3.0 Superspeed connectivity for up to 10x faster transfer speed than USB 2.0
  • High-speed wireless N networking (802.11 b/g/n @ 2.4GHz) with Bluetooth v2.1 + EDR
  • Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit for a faster and more reliable operating system
  • ASUS Infusion Technology for scratch-resistant protection
  • 2.0 megapixel webcam for video chatting with friends and family
  • 1 year global warranty and 1 year Accidental Damage Warranty

Pros:

  • Fast processing (thanks for the quad-core processor)
  • Powerful graphic capabilities (3DMark ’05 14023 pts.)
  • Decent battery life (Max. 2:15 hrs) considering all the hardware used
  • Price is under ($1,000)
  • Quiet
  • To prevent  battery overcharged, ASUS stop charging your battery when it was 100% full charged, and start charging your battery again when the battery hits 96% or so. So when you plugged your charger, don’t be surprised when you see “Plugged, but not charging.”

Cons:

  • ASUS Accidental Damage Warranty covers only 1 year, instead of 2 yeats (ASUS’ default). If you want 2 years warranty, get ASUS N61JQ-A1 instead, but it is on back orders now.
  • I had small problem with the mousepad where I can’t disable it. When I pressed Fn+F9, it says that the mousepad was disabled, but I can still use my mousepad. However, I solved that problem by going to ASUS website (http://usa.asus.com/product.aspx?P_ID=ZfpnPRZ5UxVOtrHJ), download its latest ELAN Smartpad driver, and reinstall the driver.
  • Sometimes, you can hear this squealing sound came out from the fan area on the back left side of the laptop. It doesn’t bother me much, but I would mention it anyway. I haven’t found the reason why this happened yet. I’ll let you guys know later.
  • When you are resuming either from hibernation or sleep, the screen will turn to dark instead of showing your login page. The easiest way to fix this is by closing the lit and open it back up again.

Conclusion: ASUS N61JQ-X1 is a great laptop with a decent price, $999, which I got from Amazon.com. In fact, when I check the price just now, it went down to $969, so you better get it now when it’s still on sale.

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