Asus U56E-RBL8

As confidence in its appearance as it is in performance, Asus U56E - RBL8 ( $ 779.99 list at Staples ) has almost everything going for it , inside and out . Only a couple of demerits dull the impact of its solid selection of hardware , not the least of which is another Asus budget laptop that offers an almost identical configuration at a lower price . Although the U56E - RBL8 is not the absolute best value to learn there , it is nonetheless a good one .

There are special " mod business " flair to the U56E - RBL8 , thanks to its eye-catching two - tone design scheme . Brushed - metal lid the laptop has a glossy blue - gray " slate " color , with silvery Asus logo positioned just above the center . You'll see this color in a laptop as well as on the keyboard deck , where it is solidly visible between all the chiclet - style keys . Those keys are a dark gray , with white printing , and includes a half- size number pad on the right , although there are no dedicated media keys : The arrow keys double as controls for playing , and F10 , F11 , and F12 double as volume controls . Another design fillip that might annoy some users : There is no right Window key .

Featuring a webcam on the top edge , is a matte dark gray color , and provides good visual contrast , especially when the 15.6 - inch , 1366 -by - 768 widescreen is activated . The bezel is color copies , even in a rubberized form , the palm rest : The touch pad is likewise the same color , but with a clearer texture . The shiny metal buttons are firm and clicky , but not distractingly so .
The U56E - RBL8 with a size of 1.1 by 14.9 by 10.7 inches ( HWD ) , which is about average for a laptop with this class and price . Weighs 5.7 pounds , it is marginally heavier than most other comparable systems , but you should not experience too much lugging it around .
FeaturesIf you are buying a laptop priced at the upper part of the range of the budget , you would expect it to be complete decently from a hardware perspective . There , the U56E - RBL8 did not disappoint . Laptop is driven by an Intel Core i5 - 2430M processor , a dual - core chip that runs natively at 2.4GHz but can increase in speed as much as 3GHz when the maximum amount of Turbo Boost is activated . Plus , thanks to Intel Hyper-Threading technology , the processor can handle four threads at a time , to donate a significant performance boost on multithread - aware software . Processor also provides access to the entire collection of technologies from the second - generation Core family of products , including Quick Sync Video for accelerated transcoding and Wireless Display 2.0 ( WiDi ) for streaming video to your HDTV if you have a Netgear Push2TV adapter ( a $ 99 extra ) .
Sweetening the deal here is 8GB of RAM and 750GB hard drive system , which respectively grant you performance efficiency and more space for storing files and installing programs . The port selection is a bit more run - of -the - mill : Ethernet ( to complement the 802.11n Wi - Fi ) , VGA and HDMI for outputting to external displays , and a single USB 2.0 port on the left corner : a multiformat card slot and downward facing 1.5 - watt Altec Lansing speakers on the front edge , and headphone and microphone jacks , two more USB 2.0 ports , and the DVD burner on the right side . No USB 3.0 port here , they get to be staples on even budget PCs , and are significant for their absence .
Among Asus U56E - RBL8 a number of its own tools and utilities , including FancyStart ( for changing the laptop 's boot logo ) , LifeFrame 3 ( for pictures and recording video and Capturing ) Power4 Gear Extreme for easy switching between power settings - saving , and SmartLogon facial recognition software . Potentially more use is a trial version of Trend Micro Titanium Internet Security .
In addition to a one - year warranty , with some additional services are available from Staples for customers to buy the U56E - RBL8 there . Included in this set up the new system , the transfer of data from your old PC to your new one , software installation , and tech support and protection plans that range in price from $ 14.99 to $ 169.99 .