In my last article I looked at the various features and specs in the ASUS K53E notebook, a neat and tidy entry-level notebook that sells for a very good price. While spending under £400 on a laptop is good value no matter which way you look, if you spend that money on the wrong laptop it is still money wasted.
So, is the ASUS K53E wasted cash or is it a worthwhile investment? To establish this on a more superficial level I looked at the various features on offer. The first of these is the IceCool technology that keeps the laptop cool while you are working.
If this feature works, it’s a pretty big deal. After all, mobility often means a lack of things like table space and the need to use things like, say, tender legs and knees. These do not like being singed. I set the ASUS K53E up on three different surfaces to push this tech to the limit.
The first was the glass table. This is obviously a surface that is great at conducting heat and wouldn’t really ask much of this unique double-sided motherboard design and the IceCool technology. The second was a very nice and fluffy carpet, and the third was the arm of a leather sofa. In each case I used Battery Eater to test the battery performance to the max so things got nice and sweaty in there.
Battery Eater is one of the most stressful applications for testing the battery performance of a notebook or laptop so this, I felt, was a good place to start. In each testing mode I felt underneath the laptop every 30 minutes. The ASUS K53E laptop remained cool with only a faint warmth after a while on both the sofa and the carpet, a warmth that is barely noticeable unless you know to look for it, and certainly not uncomfortable.
This feature has been noted by several review sites as one that really stands out so it is worth mentioning as one tick in the Buy Me box.
The next two things I looked at were the keyboard and the touchpad of the K53E. These are important features, to me especially, as they are the ones I use the most. Poor quality, fiddly design, these will turn me off fast. So how did the ASUS K53E turn out?
I’m afraid that the touchpad didn’t quite make me happy. I found it sensitive but not really sensitive enough if I am honest and occasionally had to redo a move to get things working. However, this is still a larger than average size for a touchpad and I found the surface sensation rather pleasant.
The chiclet keyboard will be reviewed in greater detail in my next post.
So far the ASUS K53E has either met or exceeded my expectations for a notebook priced at under £400. It feels great, looks good and the features outlined here sit above average overall. Is the K53E a penny pinching powerhouse? So far, so good…
Have you bought the ASUS K53E? Would you get this notebook? Tell me why and I’ll publish your thoughts!