Asus A555LF review: a feature-packed laptop, but lacks a good display
Laptops are one of the most commonly used electronic devices of the modern era. Today, tech giants are relentlessly focusing on building handy devices that are not only compact, but also offer the same level of performance as observed on high-end desktops.
On most occasions, laptops miserably fail to contest the configurations of a high-end desktop, except for high-end ones like Alienware, but only if you are prepared to shell out in excess of Rs one lakh or more. However, not all users require high-performing devices: there are users who are more interested in other factors such as portability, aesthetics, and affordability.
In a nonprofessional’s term, regular notebook users want their devices to perform like the “jack-of-all-trades”, which essentially means it should be able to execute tasks with flexibility and evenness.
Asus has been a consistent player in the global laptop market and has been offering laptops in myriad categories— from gaming, professional, and even utility-oriented notebooks. Over the past couple of years, the company has been creating giant ripples amidst an ocean of laptop manufacturers with devices such as the ultra-thin Zenbooks, the indomitable high-end ROG gaming series, and even the multi-utility Chromebook.
Now with the latest ‘A’ series, the company is targeting a wider user-base by offering mid-ranged flexible devices, one capable of being a jack-of-all-trades. We managed to get out hands on the highest ‘A’ series offering, the A555LF and here is everything you need to know about the laptop.
To begin with, the best aspect about the A555LF is the simplicity of the machine. Its subtle design coupled with decent performance is picture-perfect for users who want a portable desktop. Priced moderately at Rs 48,999, the device does offer some good specs; however, does it have what it takes to shine among the other laptops in its class? Let us find out:
Design: On your first encounter with the A555LF, the part that will primarily detract your attention is the size of the laptop—it is quite bulky in comparison to Asus’ previous builds. However, the A555LF is not essentially a ‘notebook’ laptop, so it does not have to be light.
Nevertheless, it is not that heavy as it weighs just above two kilograms, which is equivalent to most other laptops in that particular price bracket.
As discussed previously, the laptop sports a simple design and most of the body is made of different kinds of plastic components.
The lid sports a glossy plastic shell and features a mosaic finish. Even though the glossy finish adds to the detailing, it is prone to fingerprints and smudges. Opening the lid reveals a champagne-toned keyboard deck and a rather big palm rest space.
One attractive aspect about this laptop is its Chiclet-style keyboard, which is not only attractive but also offers a relaxed typing experience.
The power key is customarily placed on the top-left corner and a ‘SonicMaster’ speaker caption is placed right diagonally on the bottom right side of the keyboard deck along with two other features—extended battery lifespan and Asus’ Ice Cool.
The big palm rest gives good support and the graciously sized touch pad further eases navigation. The track pad has a smooth surface unlike the rest of the edgy internal design. However, it is separate from the entire body and substantial amount of dirt can amass in the gaps if not cleaned on a regular basis.
On the front-end of the laptop—below the palm rest—there are four notification lights for power, battery status, hard disk activity, and airplane mode.
The left-hand side of the device houses an Ethernet port, HDMI port, two USB 3.0 ports and, a Kensington lock. On the right hand side, we have a DVD writer, one USB 2.0 port, headphone output, and a SD card slot.
In addition, there are four rubber heels below the laptop, which prevent it from scratches and stops it from skidding around on a plain surface. Overall, the design feels satisfactory considering its simplistic finish, albeit the substantial weight of the device.
Display: The laptop features a 15.6 HD LED display with a maximum resolution of 1366x768 pixels. Surprisingly, the resolution is on the lower side of the spectrum, and the screen brightness is a tad lower than the optimal requisite.
As a result, viewing angles also suffer, which means you have to stay glued in front of the screen during a movie or gaming.
Although watching a movie or browsing experience is still decent, the company could have offered a better resolution to make optimum utilisation of the HD screen. We believe that the display in comparison to the hardware offered could have been much better.
Software: For starters, the laptop is efficient and can accomplish tasks with good competence. It comes pre-installed with a Windows 10 Home 64-bit edition OS, allowing it to reap the benefits of myriad apps on Microsoft’s latest OS.
Apart from this, Asus has also hosted a set of exclusive apps, and some of them can help keep your system up-to-date. Besides, there is Splendid Utility for changing display temperature, USB Charger Plus for swift charging, and WebStorage—Asus’ own cloud storage.
The device also has another feature for remotely accessing it through a smartphone. The ‘Mobile Control’ feature enables a smartphone user to control the laptop without physically touching it. However, the feature sometimes acts buggy, and have to should update the app, if you plan to use it.
Other than the above mentioned, you also get access to a trail version of McAfee LiveSafe Internet Security, Microsoft Office 365, and 25GB free cloud storage space. We feel that the software offered are good, and more than enough for normal users.
Performance, hardware and battery: Under the hood, the laptop uses a Core i5-5200U—a dual-core CPU that clocks 2.7 GHz along with Hyper-Threading, helping it achieve superior multi-tasking proficiency. In addition, the 8GB DDR3 RAM ensures higher performance while playing games and running demanding software.
However, the mid-ranged Nvidia 930M (2GB) graphics card is just not enough to call this a good gaming laptop.
While it can seamlessly run all games released in the past couple of years, popular titles like Witcher 3 and Assassins Creed Syndicate take a toll on the system and you can only play these on low-configuration.
The laptop comes with a 1TB hard disk, which is more than satisfactory. When we tested the device on 3D Mark Fire Strike, it garnered a score above 1300, which is decent but still not enough for high-performance games.
In terms of severe graphics-oriented gaming, the laptop will disappoint you; however, if you are an occasional gamer, or play light games like Fifa 16, there is no reason to worry. However, hard-core gamers should definitely go for Asus’ ROG series as an alternative.
Another interesting feature is Asus’ IceCool technology, which helps control the temperature around the palm rest area during prolonged usage. We did not come across any heating issue during normal usage; however, the laptop does heat up after long hours of gaming.
Other than the inherent cooling feature, the laptop supports Wi-Fi, Blutooth 4.0, LAN, and a VGA webcam. We felt that the company should have at least given a HD cam, considering the popularity of video calling in these days.
In terms of battery, the laptop is equipped with a 2-cell Lithium polymer battery, which manages to stay alive for quite a long period, albeit the small battery size. During normal usage, the laptop can stay on without a having to charge it again.
On the contrary, we could hardly manage three hours of continuous gaming on the laptop, and users should plug in the charger while playing power-hungry games.
On the audio front, the device does score higher due to the integrated SonicMaster speakers. The sound on the device is amazingly clear and audible, which enhances your audio experience during movies, gaming, and normal audio playback.
Coming back to the display, you will be glad to know that it can run 4K videos adroitly, but the screen resolution greatly curtails experience. We felt that performance on the Asus A555LF is decent and can perform all tasks equally well.
Verdict: After judiciously inspecting the prominent features and specifications of this laptop, we feel that the device is good for regular users, even though it suffers from a few inadequacies. The lower resolution, absence of a HD webcam, and the weight of the device are certainly a few points where Asus could have improved, especially at a time when users also have the option to purchase better Asus offerings like the Zenbook.
On the other hand, the A555LF also offers several plus points—a comfortable keyboard, adept multi-tasking capability, and vibrant speakers. All in all the device serves as a balanced multimedia laptop that is good for both work and entertainment.
For people who want a good laptop under the Rs 50,000 mark can definitely by this laptop. Currently, the device is priced exactly at Rs 48,999, which is not a bad deal at all.
