Asus K53SD-DS51

The busiest intersection in laptop computing where price and performance - or , if you like , budgets and desktop replacement category - PCMag 's encounter . Call it the mid - market zone , and call the Asus K53SD - DS51 ( $ 779.99 street ) the latest competitors : a new refreshed 15.6 - inch model that packs some appealing features , but not enough to unseat Our Choice reigning Editors' .

Compared to the model K53E - RBR4 tried here in October 2011 added to the K53SD - DS51 USB 3.0 port that is missing , step up from a spacious 640GB with an even roomier 750GB hard drive , and increases muscle in the form of an Intel Core i5 than i3 processor and NVIDIA graphics separately . On the minus side , than this increasingly popular Intel 's Wireless Display ( WiDi ) for zapping video and audio to a suitably - equipped HDTV receiver set . Nor will find Bluetooth for syncing your laptop and handheld - the same features found in competitors such as Acer Aspire TimelineX 5830TG - 6614 ( $ 779.99 list , 4 stars ) andLenovo IdeaPad Z570 - 10249ZU ( $ 699.99 list , 3.5 stars ) .

Design
Featuring the K53SD - DS51 an attractively etched or cross - hatched , fireplace - resistant lid mocha - a rich brown with a hint of bronze - and scratch - resistant gray aluminum palm rest . Weighs 5.75 pounds and measuring 10 by 15 by 1.4 inches ( HWD ) , it is a fraction bigger and heavier than the average 15.6 - inch notebook but still fairly portable .

Like most of its competitors , the K53SD - DS51 keyboard makes room for a numeric keypad on the right side , with slightly narrower keys than the main keyboard area . The keypad offers the dedicated Home , End , PgUp , and PgDn keys , although media functions such as play / pause , stop , and volume control are doubled up on the cursor arrows and function keys instead of getting their own key . The typing feel pretty comfortable , as is the smooth, almost smooth touchpad includes twin clicky mouse buttons .

The glossy 15.6 - inch display offers 1366 -by - 768 resolution that is standard fare in this segment , enough for watching 720p videos or putting some application windows side by side . It was good bright and sharp . Audio with Altec Lansing speaker bar above the keyboard is good , though not particularly strong .

Features
As mentioned , though worked 802.11n Wi - Fi is fine for Web surfing , we were disappointed not to find the Wireless Display technology available comparable machines and our budget Editors ' Choice Asus U56E - BBL6 . Thinking if this is something that just disappear WiDi software like Toshiba Portege Z830 - S8302 , we visited the Intel site and downloaded the utility , but got a " platform is not compatible with Intel WiDi " message when you try to install it .

On the right side of K53SD - DS51 has headphone and microphone jacks , two USB 2.0 ports , and the DVD dual - layer ± RW drive . A slot MMC / SD / MS memory - card front bezel . On the left side you can see the Ethernet , VGA , HDMI , and USB 3.0 port - and the AC adapter connector , which is oddly mounted amidships , rather than relegated to a corner behind as the most of the laptop .

The 750GB , 5,400 rpm hard drive has enough room to hold your documents and digital media for the coming year . It is divided into 293GB C : and 380GB D : partitions plus a hidden recovery partition . The trip is also relatively free of bloatware , unless you count a Trend Micro Titanium Internet Security trial as bloatware ; preinstalled applications include Microsoft Office 2010 Starter and CyberLink Media Suite for the DVD burner .


Asus warranty earns points for the laptop , which takes two years instead of the usual one and includes one year of accidental damage protection .