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Optimus Minor

Asus Ul50Vf Review

The new ASUS sony vgp-bps8 UL50Vf is an update to the popular 15-inch UL50Vt and offers the all-new Nvidia Optimus switchable graphics. Why are we reviewing this modest update? Because Optimus is honestly the first switchable graphics solution that works like it should.

Our ASUS UL50Vf has the following specifications:

• 15-inch 720p (1366x768) display with LED backlighting
• Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300 Ultra Low Voltage processor (1.3GHz/3MB L2/800MHz FSB) overclocked to 1.73GHz/1066MHz FSB
• Switchable graphics: Nvidia GeForce G210M w/ 512MB GDDR3 dedicated and Intel GMA 4500MHD integrated with Nvidia Optimus
• 4GB DDR3-1066 RAM
• 320GB 5400RPM hard drive
• 802.11n wireless
• DVD Super Multi drive
• Two-year warranty w/ one year accidental damage coverage
• 8-cell Li-ion battery 84Wh (5800mAh)
• Weight: 5.3 lbs
• Dimensions: 15.4” x 10.4” x 1.1”
• MSRP: $849.99

Build and Design
The ASUS UL50Vf features a design that is identical UL50Vt and similar to the 14-inch UL80Vt. This is a classic clamshell design with smooth lines and rounded edges. The drop point hinges give the notebook an almost aerodynamic look and the plastic construction keeps this 15-inch notebook reasonably light weight. A height of only 1.1 inches it is certainly a thin machine, and the inward chiseled sides make it look even thinner. The UL50Vf, like the rest of the UL series, has an all-plastic construction with the exception of the aluminum-backed lid. All visible plastic surfaces are glossy which means dust and fingerprints show up easily. If you like to keep your notebook looking new you'll need to keep a microfiber cloth handy for constant cleaning.

The brushed aluminum lid is the most classy design element on this notebook and gives this otherwise all-plastic notebook a touch of durability. Once open, the island-style (Chiclet-style) keyboard helps to make this visually boring notebook a little more appealing. The palmrests are large enough to give you a comfortable resting place while typing and the flush-mount touchpad is likewise nice and large.

Unfortunately, those glossy plastics that give the UL50Vf a modern look and keep weight low also make the notebook chassis too weak and flexible. We were able to visibly twist the notebook (both open and closed) with modest pressure, meaning this notebook might be vulnerable to damage inside a backpack with heavy books. This high amount of flex indicates that the notebook's internal frame is not strong enough to overcome the weakness in the external plastics.

In addition, the plastic screen bezel below the screen is flimsy enough that we can pull it away from the screen with little effort. In short, while the plastics themselves offer reasonable build quality, the lack of a strong internal frame and poor fit of some plastics make the UL50Vf feel less durable than most 15-inch notebooks.

The bottom of the UL50Vf offers users the ability to quickly access the RAM and hard drive bay for easy upgrades at home. We like the fact that ASUS uses a single access panel so owners don't have to remove multiple covers from the bottom of the notebook if they want to upgrade the RAM and hard drive at the same time. However, the use of four screws seems like overkill and makes upgrades a little more time consuming than needed.

Screen and Speakers
The UL50Vf has a 15-inch display with LED backlighting, a 16:9 aspect ratio, and a 1366x768 resolution. Its glossy coating makes images look clearer at the expense of glare/reflections under bright sunlight or indoor lights. The display has plenty of brightness but the contrast is low, making pictures look slightly washed out if you set the brightness to maximum. Horizontal viewing angles are adequate enough for sharing movies with a friend on a plane, but vertical viewing angles are limited and you'll need to be tilt the screen just right to get an accurate picture. The biggest problem we have with this display is the unacceptably low resolution of 1366x768. A 15-inch notebook with a 16:9 screen ratio should have a minimum screen resolution of 1600x900 pixels. Most 11-inch notebooks now offer 1366x768 resolution so it's just plain sad to see such a low resolution on a 15-inch screen.

The stereo speakers on the UL50Vf offer little in terms of range or bass. Volume levels are not loud enough at the maximum setting and the sound is very tinny. The downward-firing speakers also mean that audio will sound muffled when using this notebook as a "laptop" since the sound is directed at your lap or crotch. The headphone jack is fortunately static-free and the best way to get audio out of the notebook.

Keyboard and Touchpad
The UL50Vf has a Chiclet/island style keyboard with a dedicated number pad for those who still use number pads for quick data entry. While the island-style keys have more space between them than a traditional keyboard layout this particular keyboard suffers from flex.The keyboard flexs under firm typing pressure on the right side above the optical drive. This is unfortunate because the area of flex is right where the dedicated number pad is located and you're likely to notice the flex while typing numbers. The keys are also noisier than we prefer ... producing a "click clack" sound while typing.

The ELAN touchpad is also below average with limited driver functionality and few setting options to improve cursor movement. Its glossy surface is difficult to track on and the single-piece button is somewhat noisy and difficult to press with shallow feedback. You will have to apply pressure at the far left and right edges of the touchpad button to get clicks to register.

Ports and Features
The UL50Vf has a reasonable number of ports just like the UL50Vt.You get three USB ports and HDMI out for connecting your laptop to your HDTV and a VGA port for connecting to a projector or external monitor. The notebook also has a Kensington Lock slot and built-in Bluetooth. All picture descriptions are left to right.

Performance and Benchmarks
The UL50Vf continues the trend in ASUS notebooks to overclock the Consumer Ultra Low Voltage (CULV) Core 2 Duo processor from 1.3GHz to 1.73GHz, giving it a nice performance boost over the stock speed CULV processors. Combined with 4GB of DDR3 RAM and a nice 320GB hard drive, the UL50Vf is perfectly capable of handling everyday tasks like Microsoft Office or Photoshop and can even handle more intensive video editing applications and games thanks to the Nvidia graphics card.

The Nvidia GeForce G210M is a mainstream graphics card and, as such, it can't play games like Crysis very well. We did test the system with Left 4 Dead and World In Conflict and the G210M handled both those games at native screen resolution and medium detail settings with perfectly playable frame rates (25+ frames per second). Although the ASUS UL50Vf clearly isn't intended to be a gaming notebook, the 16 shader units and 64-bit memory interface of the Nvidia G210M should be enough for casual gaming.

The big headline with the UL50Vf is that it is the first notebook on the market to offer Nvidia Optimus ... Nvidia's newest switchable graphics solution. For average consumers, all you need to know is that Optimus is the first switchable graphics solution that works the way switchable graphics should. In short, you don't do anything. Optimus automatically detects when a piece of software needs to run on the dedicated GPU and turns on the Nvidia dedicated graphics. When you aren't running software that needs dedicated graphics the Nvidia GPU automatically shuts off and the Intel integrated graphics do all the work.

Bottom line, you get better performance when you need it and better battery life when you're just browsing the web or running Microsoft Office. Older switchable graphics solutions from Nvidia and ATI rely on manual switching: You either have to reboot your notebook or you have to manually tell the notebook to switch between integrated graphics and dedicated graphics. As a result, most people with switchable graphics either leave their notebooks in IGP or GPU mode all the time and don't bother to switch back and forth. Optimus is the first switchable graphics solution that does all the work for you so you don't have to think about it.

If you are a "power user" and like to control when your system is using the graphics card you can right click any application and manually tell the notebook to use the Intel IGP or the Nvidia GPU. There is a minor delay of a second or two when launching an application while Optimus determines the correct graphics solution and either continues using the Intel IGP or switches to the Nvidia GPU, but it won't be noticed by most users and may be corrected in an Nvidia driver update. Honestly, we're so thrilled with Nvidia's Optimus that we hope all notebooks with switchable graphics work like this before the end of the year.Sony VGP-BPS9/S

With all that said, here are the synthetic performance benchmarks for those who want to see how the UL50Vf compares to other notebooks. All benchmarks were run with the processor overclocked to 1.73GHz.

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Optimus Minor - Beast Wars