High end specs are no longer subject to high end prices. Models such as the previously reviewed Acer E5-575G-53VG are proof of that. No longer is it a dream to fetch a laptop with a top notch CPU and high end components at an affordable price.
Spearheading this new "movement" are companies like Asus who've taken the competition to a whole new level with models like the recently launched Asus F555LA-US71. This new laptop flaunts its mid level price point next to an i7 CPU, 8 GB of RAM and a Full HD display amongst other killer specs. Craving to know more? Then keep reading as we dive in our review the Asus F555LA-US71.
Asus F555LA-US71 Reviewing a Core i7 powerhouse
Sharp display on an ordinary design
When you're paying a premium price you expect a premium product. Asus knows this all too well and that's why its Asus F555LA-US71 is built to perfection with a brushed metal top and an elegant silver front that quickly reminds us of Apple's Macbook lineup. The attractive design isn't just a treat for the eyes but also a strategic move from Asus to keep the laptop cool at all times.
When it comes to the dimensions, we do appreciate it being relatively light, weighing in just 4.6 pounds, about half a pound less than most of its competitors. The keyboard is a standard chiclet keyboard with a numeric pad though unfortunately for us it's not backlit.
One of the most attractive features on this model is its display, a 15.6 inch LED-backlit display with a Full HD resolution (1920 by 1080 pixels). This is a great display to watch movies, edit images and do some light gaming (the graphics card is not suited for hardcore gaming). Overall, if you come from a standard 1366 by 768 pixel laptop you'll be quick to appreciate the difference.
Also, the display is especially designed to work with Asus's Eye care technology that reduces Blue light exposure by up to 33%, therefore reducing the typical eye fatigue.
Top notch internals
If you're reading this review it's likely because you were impressed by your first glance on this laptop's internal specs. You wouldn't be wrong. The processing on this machine is lead by an Intel Core i7-5500U CPU. This is a 5th generation dual core processor with 4 MB of cache and a base frequency of 2.4 GHz. Of course, being an i7 chipset there's always a higher frequency speed, in this case being 3.0 GHz when turboboost is activated.
This is an excellent processor in and of its own but when coupled with 8GB of DDR3 RAM it's virtually unstoppable. Doesn't really matter what it is you want to do with this laptop, with an i7 and 8 GB of RAM you're pretty much set either way.
The only limitation to high end performance would be gaming. Since this laptop houses an Intel HD 5500 graphics chip, gaming isn't really what they had in mind when they were designing this laptop. Sure, some light games to the tune of Fifa 2016 and Minecraft won't pose much of an issue but more graphically complex games are a big no-no.
How many HD movies can I store? What's battery life like?
While many mid range laptops are launching with SSD storage, some people still prefer the convenience of a vast hard drive storage option. Such is the case in the Asus F555LA-US71 we're reviewing, since it bets on a 1TB hard drive with a 5400 rpm spinning speed.
This means that you'll be able to store roughly 1300 HD movies once we set aside the storage space occupied by the OS and the pre-installed bloatware.
In terms of battery life, there's not much info on the matter other than it having a two cell module but it seems that we can expect roughly 6 hours of battery life, a number that falls in line with our own predictions based on the combination of hardware and software.
What's left to say?
Once we've taken a deep look into the nitty gritty aspects of this notebook we're just left with the miscellaneous stuff. To that regard and starting things off with connectivity we've got a couple of USB 3.0 ports, a single USB 2.0 port, as well as your run of the mill SD card reader, HDMI, ethernet and VGA ports.
WiFi connectivity is of the ac variety which means you'll be able to reach very high upload and download speeds and you've also got your standard Bluetooth 4.0 port to connect any wireless device you've got lying around.
Final thoughts: What's the roundup?
After carefully looking at this notebook in our review of the Asus F555LA-US71 we've gotta say we're pretty impressed. For what would easily qualify as a mid range price we've got a super fast Core i7 CPU, 8 GB of RAM, a full HD display and a sufficient amount of battery life.
Is there room for improvement? Yes. A backlit keyboard would've been a nice bonus but other than that we're actually quite pumped with this laptop. Sure, we still prefer SSD storage over a conventional hard drive but when you consider you'd have to scale storage down to 128 GB losing a bit of speed on the storage front seems more than justified. Overall, a recommended purchase for both moderate and hardcore users.