Asus UL50VT-RBBBK05

Asus UL50VT-RBBBK05

The Asus UL50VT is, in many ways, a full-fledged laptop with a large 15.6-inch screen, a DVD/CD burner, and a dedicated gaming graphics chip from Nvidia. At the same time, this Asus has an ultralow-voltage Core 2 Duo processor running the show, a CPU normally dedicated to smaller laptops with long battery life. Back in our last retail round-up, we reviewed a previous iteration of the UL50, the UL50AG-RBBBK05. Back then, we said that we appreciated how thin the laptop was for its size--1 inch--while still accommodating a DVD burner We also said that the one thing missing was dedicated graphics. To the credit of the UL50VT, that's exactly what was added in this model, and for a similar price. However, now Intel's newer Core i3 and i5 processors are included in many affordable laptops in the same price range and offer better performance for the money, thus raising our expectations on what a $700 laptop should offer. Asus has a new Core i3 laptop that's similar in design, the U50F-RBBAG05, lacking only dedicated graphics--and it only costs $649. While the UL50VT can turn its dedicated gaming graphics chip off via a software switch to conserve battery power, newer, potentially better, auto-switching dedicated-graphics technology from Nvidia is right around the corner if you're willing to wait.