ASUS U30JC-A1 Review, Price, Specs, Advantages and Disadvantages
ASUS U30JC is the latest 13-inch notebook from ASUS offering the new NVIDIA Optimus switchable graphics. Offering the best of both worlds, Optimus allows seamless switching between the Intel GMA HD integrated graphics and the NVIDIA GeForce 310M dedicated graphics. For the average user this translates into great gaming performance and excellent battery life when your priorities are writing term papers or taking notes in class.
The screen offered on the U30JC is a 13.3-inch LED-backlit 16:9 WXGA panel. The display rates slightly above average, with good color saturation and contrast thanks to a glossy surface. Black levels are good with no apparent backlight bleed at high brightness levels. However, the viewing angles don’t shine with this panel. Vertical viewing angles show a lot of distortion with as little as 10-15 degrees movement forward or back. Horizontal viewing angles are better, but still show signs of mild color inversion past 45 degrees. Backlight brightness levels were very good, even at the 70% level we like to use for battery tests. At 100% brightness, we recorded a value of 208cd/m2 with our light meter. Comfortable viewing levels in the office were 70-75% and 50-60% at home.
The ASUS U30-series offers a large Chiclet-style keyboard that is very comfortable to type on. The palmrest seems to be perfectly-sized even for my large hands with a soft edge on the front that prevents pressure to your wrist. The keys are very responsive with a nice springy action on each press. The individual keys appear to be almost flat, but a straight edge over the surface shows a very small cup to the center of each key. The texture is a rough matte finish, and doesn’t attract finger prints or smudges.
ASUS U30JC-A1 Specs:
Intel Core i3-350M 2.26GHz processor (3MB cache)
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
13.3-inch glossy LED-backlit 16:9 display (1366 x 768)
Intel GMA HD integrated with NVIDIA Optimus (GeForce 310M w/ 512MB DDR3)
4GB DDR3 800MHz RAM (2GB x 2)
320GB Hitachi Travelstar 5K500.B hard drive
Intel Wi-Fi Link 1000BGN Wi-Fi, Atheros AR8131 Gigabit LAN
8-cell 15V 5600mAh 84WHr Battery, 19V 65W AC Adapter
Limited Two-year Global Warranty
Dimensions: 13.12″ x 9.52″ x 0.8″-1.2″ (W x D x H)
Weight: 4.81 pounds
Price: $899