Pros
- Excellent Battery Life
- Trackpad that turns into a NumberPad
- Only 2.3 pounds
- Fanless design
Cons
- RAM is not upgradable
- HD display
When it comes to computer needs no two users are the same. Some users love having 20 browser tabs open, others tend to go hard on their laptops with intensive software such as Photoshop and other editing software and then there are those casual users who only really want a laptop because it's more comfortable than typing on a touchscreen, they prefer the interface when dealing with numerous apps and don't want to bother with a tablet.
If what we're saying here speaks to your needs then you definitely need to kick back and read our review of the Asus L210MA-DB01.
We're not gonna tell you it's the best laptop that you've ever seen. Not by a long shot. But for casual users who are only looking for a laptop to get updates, chat with friends and stream a few videos here and there it just might be the perfect fit you've been looking for at the best possible price.
Technical specifications
- Model Asus L210MA-DB01
- Dimensions 28 x 19.5 x 1.7 centimeters
- Weight 2.3 pounds
- Backlit LED panel | 11.6 inch
- HD resolution (1366 x 768 pixels)
- Intel Celeron N4020 Processor | 2 cores | Up to 2.8 GHz
- 4GB RAM (DDR4)
- Graphics Controller Intel UHD Graphics 600 (Integrated)
- 64GB storage (eMMC)
- 3-cell battery (Lithium)
- Windows 10 Home S Operating System
- Wi-Fi connectivity Bluetooth USB 2.0 Type C USB Type A (x2) HDMI Audio combo connector Multi-format card reader HD Webcam
Who's it for?
The L210MA-DB01 is for you if you value battery life, want a compact laptop that still features a dedicated numeric pad, and isn't going to use it to work on demanding software or have dozens of Chrome tabs open at the same time (RAM is limited, let's not forget).
It's perfect for casual users, students, people who want to do some document editing and for those that in general could very well manage with a tablet but are more comfortable working with a regular keyboard than typing onto a screen.
Design and Panel
Design-wise we can see that Asus didn't really re-invent the wheel over here. The L210MA-DB01 features your standard 11.6-inch notebook design. In that regard, we've got a plastic body and regular bezels - not the super slim ones seen on higher-end models-. We do appreciate the keyboard being backlit and having a good enough travel distance to make typing a comfortable experience.
One of the great innovations of this notebook is its touchpad, renamed Numberpad by the brand: it is a trackpad that works as such and that, in addition, has a virtual backlit numeric keypad, which is activated by clicking on the upper right corner of the trackpad. This is one of our favorite features from some of Asus's most prominent high-end ultrabooks its made us very happy to see it in this budget laptop.
Another of its great advantages is its robust and wide hinge, which allows the body to be opened 180 degrees so that its screen can be seen more widely. In truth, we don't see this as being an extremely useful feature as the virtual number pad but it's definitely appreciated.
Display-wise we've got an 11.6-inch diagonal screen, framed in a standard black bezel that offers 78% image surface area. It is a backlit LED panel, with a resolution of 1366 x 768p, that offers you an HD image that can be seen without reflections outdoors, thanks to a matte finish.
It's far from a high-end laptop display, and you'd be unfair to judge it as such, but it'll do for most users who are looking to use the laptop primarily to navigate the internet and not as a TV substitute.
If you really care about the screen quality then we would recommend you go for a model such as the Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R19L. It's still a relatively affordable device but it equips a Full HD display, double the storage and an upgradable RAM as well as a far more powerful processor though you can say goodbye to the incredible portability of this laptop.
Let's talk about the key components
On this occasion, Asus equips this notebook with a low-end processor from Intel: the Celeron N4020. It is a two-core chipset, which runs naturally at 1GHz, but once in turbo mode it reaches 2.8 GHz. It is a processor that only supports one thread per core, which gives it an average performance, sufficient for what this laptop offers.
Couple that processor with 4 GB of RAM - which is not upgradable - and you've got yourself a machine suitable for the aforementioned tasks.
Very limited storage
This ultralight notebook avoids complications also when it comes to its internal storage, and comes with an eMMC card with 64GB of space. Although it is a very limited volume, it is more than enough for what can be done with this equipment: store documents, some music, photos, and some videos.
This storage space does not have expansion slots, but you can make use of its multi-format card reader if you require extra volume.
This would definitely be our professional recommendation if this were a deal-breaker for you. Nowadays you can easily get yourself 128 GB or 256 GB on an SD card at ridiculous prices and in less than two minutes set up the configuration so that all files and apps get stored there directly.
What can I expect in terms of performance?
When it comes down to performance, through this set of key specs, as numerous buyers have already stated, this laptop is mostly suited for casual and undemanding work. Stuff like browsing the web, streaming movies, downloading files, and editing documents are fine. However, move onto more CPU-intensive tasks like photoshop and using IDE's and you're just begging for trouble.
What about graphics and Battery life?
This model comes with an integrated graphics card (that is, it makes use of the available RAM to run graphics of all kinds) Intel UHD Graphics 600, which is in the lower part of its range.
It is a unit launched three years ago, which lowers the cost of the equipment and discreetly fulfills the most basic requirements of its visual and graphic aspect. AKA: this is not a gaming laptop and you really should not expect it to be proficient in graphically demanding tasks. Seriously.
As far as battery life is concerned, that's perhaps one of the biggest perks of this laptop next to its lightweight design and low price point. Specifically, Asus claims 12 hours of battery life.
That said, we know better than to trust official claims and as a good rule of thumb, you should always assume 30% less than what's being advertised. That still gives us a solid 8 hours to work within this case which is still pretty good all things considered.
Connectivity options
Connectivity-wise, we've got the standard suite of options. Specifically, that comes down to a single USB 2.0 Type C port, two USB 3.0 Type A ports, HDMI, 3.5 mm audio combo and a multi-format card reader. Obviously, it supports WiFi ac and you've also got Bluetooth support.
Considering this is a very slim laptop you don't have an ethernet port but if you're looking for portability then you are likely not that interested in having a wired internet connection.
Verdict: Is it worth it?
Wrapping up this review of the Asus L210MA-DB01 we can see that Asus did a really good job at creating the perfect casual laptop that's not going to cost you an arm and a leg to purchase. We love the lightweight design, its virtual number pad, and the fact that it comes with a 64 GB eMMC unit.
Sure enough, this model has its limitations such as the fact that RAM can't be upgraded and the resolution is just HD and not Full HD. But hell, at this price point, we're quite frankly impressed with everything that Asus managed to cram into this model. Overall, a great laptop for students, kids, elders and casual users all around who just want a laptop to do basic computing tasks and don't want to end up buying a MacBook to do so.