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Dusky Beauty
After having recently made an appearance among the Top 5 PC makers in the world, Asus is surely looking to make more aggressive inroads and capture a larger portion of the market in the near future. We have here today one of the offerings in their notebook lineup in the form of the N61JV, a 16-inch representative from their mainstream multimedia offerings that comprise the N Series.
Of course, having a 16-inch screen most definitely entails a large footprint, and the N61 is decidedly longer than your traditional 14- to 15-inch offerings. Thankfully, despite this, it retains the weight of its smaller siblings, making it easier on the shoulder when being carried around. Clad in a predominantly black chassis with a pronounced silver soundbar on the top portion of the keyboard, many will find the N61 to be rather understated but definitely not lacking in the looks department.
The full sized chiclet-style keyboard is well spaced and with sufficient pitch, though we did detect some flex, especially given the expansive area that it covers. Multimedia shortcuts and a quick access button to Asus' power management app, Power 4 Gear, are thoughtfully provided, along with 2x USB 2.0, USB 3.0, eSata, HDMI, and Express Card ports.
Multimedia Master
As a multimedia notebook, the N61 comes with a bevy of features designed and intended to enhance the overall experience when enjoying multimedia content. Foremost among these is Asus' Video Magic Technology, which boosts refresh rates to 72fps, while also being capable of upscaling DVDs to full HD resolution. Of course, Asus' Splendid also makes an appearance here, offering predefined video presets. SonicMaster, which is a combination of hardware and software tweaks from Asus' engineers and R&D team, combines with dual Altec Lansing speakers for the N61's audio capabilities.
One feature worth talking about here is NVIDIA's Optimus Technology, which dynamically switches between the on-board graphics and the discrete 1GB DDR3 GeForce GT325M graphics unit without intervention from the user and depending on the system's current requirements for graphical processing power. And given the relatively powerful GPU, the N61 is also ideal for mid-range to high-end gaming, and was in fact used during the recently concluded Asus WGT for the Street Fighter IV portion.
Fully Loaded And Raring To Go
Of course, the N61 is also loaded with more than capable components, our unit coming in with an Intel Core i5-430M processor to go along with the HM55 chipset and 4GB of RAM. The 500GB of storage should be sufficient for storing a good amount of games, movies, and music. However, if possible, do try to spring for the upgrade to a Bluray drive in order to maximize the full potential of the N61 as a multimedia-based platform.
As noted above, a single USB 3.0 port makes an appearance on the N61, and this should prove useful for those looking to transfer massive amounts of files, which will definitely include videos and music. One other notable tidbit about USB 3.0 is the fact that it provides up to 3x more electrical charge than the conventional USB 2.0 ports, which should translate to faster charging times for gadgets over USB.
Final Thoughts
All in all, we were quite impressed with the N61, especially after having watched Asus grow into the powerhouse it is today. It is most definitely a marked improvement over its predecessors and is a competitive offering relative to its competitors.
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