Over the past few weeks I’ve been having lots of fun testing the ASUS K53E laptop and pushing the specs to the limit. This laptop has proven to be a sturdy and reliable work companion for anyone who is looking for a machine that does what it should without any fancy bells and whistles.
The ASUS K53E has a cousin, though, and this is the ASUS K53E-B1. This laptop offers the same chic build and style but has more powerful specs and a slightly higher price point. The specs are: an Intel Core i5 2.3GHz, Intel HD Graphics 3000, 6GB RAM, 640GB HDD, Windows 7 Professional, and plenty of ports and connectivity.
The K53E-B1 offers a higher level of performance than its cousin and the benchmarks sit at a much better level. It means that you could play some games on this laptop without seriously compromising the experience, and you can crunch more programmes simultaneously.
You get the same excellent levels of battery life with at least five hours on tap for you to use the machine for surfing, working and taking notes. I didn’t get that much longer when leaving movies to run constantly but this was still good. I mean, you can enjoy entertainment for at least two long commutes a day on a full charge.
The K53E-B1 laptop is also quite heavy so not ideal for anyone who has to do a lot of walking and carrying on a commute or travel junket, but great for general use and transportation. This laptop was chosen as a workstation by a colleague of mine because, while it is a handful for travel, it is reliable and fits her specific needs. She feels that the price point and specs more than compensate for the weight.
As always, such things are very much a personal choice so let’s take a look at how else the ASUS K53E-B1 differs from the ASUS K53E. You get more core power with the Intel i5 in the B1 as opposed to the i3 of the K53E, and the machine supports games such as Half-Life 2 and World of Warcraft. You are looking at around two to three years of good quality work and performance from this laptop.
So there you have it, you can choose between the leaner ASUS K53E at a low price point, or you can add some pounds to the mix and get the ASUS K53E-B1 which has extra oomph in the same well-made shell.