Review Asus X55U-SX052H Notebook

Users who don't want to spend a lot of money on a notebook don't need to look very hard these days - the supply seems nearly unlimited. Dell Inspiron 13z charger Asus adds yet another inexpensive notebook to the mix: the 15.6-inch Asus X55U. The models in the X55U series feature AMD components but are otherwise identical to the Intel-based F55A and X55A series. We already reviewed the F55A-SX099D (Pentium B980, HD Graphics, Sandy Bridge) and the 17.3-inch Asus F75A (Pentium B980, HD Graphics). Dell Precision M6600 charger

For our review, we pit the X55U against two competitors: the Acer Aspire V5-551-64454G50Makk (AMD A6-4455M, Radeon HD 7500G) and the Toshiba Satellite C850-1LX (Celeron 1000M, HD Graphics, Ivy Bridge)). Both models are available for less than 400 Euros (~$520).

Case

Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Xi2528 charger We already took a closer look at the chassis when we reviewed the F55A. Asus uses matte, black plastic throughout. The back of the display lid and the palm rest are textured. Both the Aspire and the Satellite are also plastic - higher-end materials like aluminum can't be expected in this price range. The base unit is not particularly sturdy and flexes in some areas when pressure is applied. Both the base and the display lack in torsional rigidity. The hinges hold the lid securely in position - although we observed a little bit of display bounce. We were able to open the display one-handed as long as we proceeded slowly. Dell Vostro 1500 charger

Operating System and Recovery
The notebook comes with Windows 8 (64-bit) preinstalled; a DVD containing the OS is not included. Windows 8 recovery allows the user to restore the system back to default or repair any issues. To initiate the recovery, the user needs to hit F9 repeatedly during booting.

Asus not only supports Windows 8, but also Windows 7. The necessary drivers for both operating systems can be downloaded from the Asus support website. The notebook should also make Linux users happy: when we tried an install of Ubuntu Linux 13.04, most of the hardware - including the WLAN module and function keys (brightness control, volume) - was instantly recognized. Only the Bluetooth module didn't work. Dell T117C

Maintenance
After the removal of the maintenance cover, the RAM, the hard drive, and the WLAN module are easy to access - although the fan is not. The notebook has only one RAM slot, which is occupied by a 4 GB module. According to Asus, 4 GB is also the maximum RAM supported. A second slot would not improve performance, since this particular AMD APU only supports single-channel mode. Fujitsu LifeBook E8010 charger Intel processors and AMD A-series APUs also support dual-channel, which utilizes both the CPU and the GPU better and thus leads to an increase in performance. Swapping the hard drive for a different model is also no problem: all common 7 and 9.5 mm 2.5-inch hard drives would work just fine.

Performance

Even though the AMD APU is not particularly powerful, the CPU/GPU unit should still be sufficient for daily tasks such as internet communication, office-type work, browsing, and video playback - according to the spec sheet also in Full HD. To test the latter, we used the tool DXVA Checker with HD material (1920x1080 pixels, H.264 encoding) and recorded a CPU utilization of 8%. SONY VAIO VPCX11S1E charger

Our review model sells for around 350 Euros (~$450). Asus offers additional models in the X55U series with different APUs (E2-1800, E1-1200, E-450, C-60), hard drive sizes, and operating systems. The least expensive version utilizes the AMD C-60 APU, 320 GB hard drive, and Linux and retails for about 280 Euros (~$360). To get an idea of how our notebook would perform with the C-60 APU, we include a netbook equipped with the C-60 in our comparison. SAMSUNG NP-N150 charger

Interestingly enough, Asus only offers APUs for the X55U which are predominantly used in netbooks. Users who like the notebook but need more power should take a look at the F55A or X55A, which also start around 280 Euros (~$360).

Processor
Asus uses AMD's E2-1800 APU. The CPU section is a dual-core unit with 1.7 GHz and a TDP of 18 watts - close to the power requirements of Intel's ULV processors (17 watts) - but not nearly as powerful. A Turbo mode is not offered. Dell UG679

During the Cinebench tests, the processor maintained a clock speed of 1.7 GHz. As expected, the X55U scores the lowest in the synthetic CPU tests, while the Satellite (Celeron 1000M, HD Graphics) with the most powerful processor outperforms the competitors in our review. The scores of the Aspire (AMD A6-4455M, Radeon HD 7500G) fall in between the other two notebooks. The X55U received the lowest scores again in the GL test, since its GPU isn't very powerful. ASUS B50A-AG051E charger The Aspire scores the most points - the Radeon 7500G GPU outperforms its Intel counterpart.

System Performance
The notebook performs most tasks without major delays or lags. Only when the CPU is heavily utilized - for example when multiple browser windows are open - does the system slow down. Running PC Mark 7, the X55U scores about as many points as the Aspire (AMD A6-4455M, Radeon HD 7500G) - a bit surprising, since the Aspire actually has the more powerful APU. Acer Aspire 5742G charger The culprit is the Aspire's very slow hard drive. The Satellite (Celeron 1000M, HD Graphics) does much better in this test.

A Solid State Drive would definitely improve system and application performance. To check, we replaced the hard drive with a used SSD (Corsair Nova V32 - 32 GB), installed Windows 7, and repeated the PC Mark 7 benchmark test: the performance increased by 52% (1771 points). HP ProBook 4310s charger

Asus uses a conventional hard drive manufactured by Hitachi. The hard drive - a member of the Travelstar Z5K500 family - features a rotational speed of 5400 RPM and a capacity of 500 GB. As always, Asus partitions the hard drive: the OS partition is 186 GB, the data partition is 258 GB and 20 GB is reserved for the recovery partition. CrystalDiskMark and HDTune report an average read speed of 96.49 MB/s and 80 MB/s, respectively - quite good for a 5400 RPM hard drive.HP 511872-001 charger The access time of 21.2 ms is a bit too high though.

GPU Performance
The GPU - a Radeon HD 7340 - is part of the APU. The entry-level graphics processor supports DirectX 11 and features a base clock speed of 523 MHz. AMD Turbo Core can overclock the GPU to 680 MHz.

The results of the benchmark tests offer no surprises: the Aspire (AMD A6-4455M, Radeon HD 7500G) has the most powerful GPU and therefore receives the best scores; the Satellite (Celeron 1000M, HD Graphics) garners the second spot, the X55U comes in last.

Gaming Performance
TOSHIBA Satellite L755 charger A look at the frame rates makes it clear that the AMD APU just isn't powerful enough to play the current crop of games without stuttering. Even FIFA 13 - which certainly isn't very demanding - doesn't run smoothly. This particular APU wasn't really developed for this task though, so users interested in gaming need to look elsewhere. Two options are the 15.6-inch notebooks Aspire E1-571G (Core i3-3110M, GeForce GT 620M) and Packard Bell EasyNote TS11SB-250GE (AMD A8-3520M, Radeon HD 6620G + Radeon HD 7670M). Sony VGP-BPS9/S charger Both systems offer adequate performance at a reasonable cost: the street price is under 500 Euros (~$650).

The X55U remains fairly cool, no matter what load it is subjected to. During idle, the temperature changes hardly at all and remains below 30 °C. Under maximum load, the system gets slightly warmer - we observed between 26.8 and 34.1 °C. The notebook can be used on the lap without any issues. The Aspire shows similar temperatures during idle, but gets hotter under load. The Satellite gets about as warm as the X55U. HP HSTNN-OB77 charger

During the stress test (Prime 95 and Furmark running in parallel for at least one hour), the CPU maintained a clock speed of 1.7 GHz. The GPU operated at 523 MHz - we only saw the Turbo (680 MHz) kick in when Furmark was running by itself. When we unplugged the notebook, the GPU frequency decreased to as low as 283 MHz. With the notebook connected to external power, the CPU temperature hovered right around 63 °C.

Speakers
Dell Vostro 1510 charger The stereo speakers, which are located on the bottom, get quite loud and produce decent sound. Users who don't like to listen to notebook speakers can always hook up external speakers or use headphones.

Energy Management

Power Consumption
During idle, the X55U consumes between 9.1 and 12.4 watts - similar to the competitors Aspire (8.3 to 11.5 watts) and Satellite (8.5 to 12.1 watts). Under medium (3DMark06 is running) and high load levels (Prime95 and Furmark are running), the X55U requires 26.3 and 31.5 watts respectively. Dell XPS M1710 charger The power consumption of the Satellite (27.1 and 30.5 watts) is similar; the Aspire (32.6 and 38.9 watts) is more power hungry.

Battery Life
To determine the maximum possible battery life, we use the Battery Eater Reader's Test. We turn the display brightness all the way down, use the power saver profile, and turn off wireless. The X55U lasted 6 hours and 15 minutes. The Aspire didn't run quite as long (5 hours 26 minutes); the Satellite lasted a bit longer (6 hours 24 minutes). Under load, the X55U ran for 1 hour and 51 minutes before we had to plug it back in. Acer Aspire 4820TG charger Both the Aspire (1 hour 18 minutes) and the Satellite (1 hour 44 minutes) shut down sooner. For the load test, we use the Battery Eater Classic test. Here, we set the display to maximum brightness, enable the performance profile, and turn on wireless.

The WLAN test simulates a more realistic scenario. We set the display brightness to 150 cd/m2, activate the power saver profile and then run a script which visits a different website every 40 seconds. The X55U lasted for 3 hours and 43 minutes. HP COMPAQ 8510w charger The Satellite lasted slightly longer (3 hours 47 minutes), while the Aspire fell behind (3 hours 19 minutes). The X55U lasted 2 hours and 46 minutes during our DVD playback test. Neither one of the competitors managed to surpass the 3 hour mark, either (Aspire: 2 hours 34 minutes, Satellite: 2 hours 59 minutes). For this test, we activate the power saver profile (or choose a different one if the playback isn't smooth enough), turn the screen brightness up to maximum, and deactivate wireless. Acer UM09E31

It's not really surprising that the Aspire didn't last as long as the other notebooks: its battery only supplies 37 Wh (Asus: 47 Wh, Toshiba: 48 Wh). All things considered, the battery life of the X55U is somewhat disappointing: it's comparable to the Satellite, which doesn't feature a ULV CPU. The E2-1800 APU is capable of achieving longer runtimes with the same capacity battery - see our review of the Lenovo G585. DELL Vostro 3700 charger This notebook lasted 4 hours and 1 minute during the WLAN and 5 hours during the DVD playback test.

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