ASUS N56VM
Price: TBA
Specs: 15.6-inch full HD LED Display; Intel Core i7-3720QM Processor (6MB Cache, 2.6 GHz); 8GB DDR3 RAM; 750 GB HDD; Intel HD Graphics 4000 + nVidia GeForce GT 630M; 56 WHr battery.
Windows laptops just as the MacBook Air had some time back. Now Intel is pushing things further with its third generation processors called the Ivy Bridge.
But how do you improve a processor that is already super fast and does pretty much everything you expect it to? When we got the yet to be launched Asus N56V laptop running the brand new Intel 2.3GHz Core i7-3720QM mobile processor we tried to see if there was any improvement which could be visible to an average user. Our first tryst with the processor was not what we expected. It took 45 seconds to get to the start screen, something which an Ultrabook would have done it 20. We dismissed this, putting it down to the fact that we were running not an Ultrabook but a giant of a laptop, which was more a replacement for desktops that netbooks.
Then everything started feeling like it was on time-lapse. We were waiting for the media player to open when we noticed that the programme was already up and running. We did not even get time to move the cursor away.
TESTING TIMES
Our old benchmark tests did not work with this system as they did not recognise many components. Then we ran a video test of our own with a Full HD video file- a large 2-minute file that weighs 200MB-and the processor just munched though the video, running which many other laptops will easily give up. The picture was always crystal clear and fluid. We also had no trouble flipping through hi-resolution pictures. However, after the first half of a full length HD movie we noticed that there was some heat in the machine. The battery too was down to 10 per cent. The four cores makes the processor ideal for multi-tasking as the Mac-like three-finger push on the touchpad revealed. It shows all programmes running at that point of time.
The heavy duty Conquest of the Americas game and some stereoscopic videos showed the versatility of the HD4000 graphics processor.
THE MACHINE
The Asus N65V we tested with the processor has not even been announced. But the machine we tested had a 15-inch full HD screen with superb Bang & Olufsen ICEpower audio which complemented the visuals all the way. However, this is a large machine and there is no question of carrying this around for daily chores. The keyboard is among the best around, while the touchpad needs a bit of tuning.
BAG IT OR JUNK IT? Ivy bridge is an ideal upgrade.
