ASUS A53TA Pro Reviews

Yes, the A53T is big and chunky, and it's not the kind of system you'd take to Starbucks. (The Mac users would make fun of you, and you might injure your back hurling your laptop at them.) The battery life is also somewhat poor, and we'd have appreciated a higher-resolution display. The A53T does, however, deliver solid CPU performance and commendable graphics performance for the money, all without running too hot or producing very much noise. As a general productivity and gaming machine, it's not a bad choice at all. Not many laptops in that price range can run Bulletstorm and Deus Ex: Human Revolution without turning them into quaint little slide shows. This would have been a fine back-to-school machine, had it come out a few weeks earlier. On a more general note, systems like the A53T tell us Llano has come of age. In addition to scoring reasonably well in benchmarks and trouncing Intel's finest integrated graphics, Llano's mobile incarnation can power compelling real-world products. There's still room for improvement on the battery life front, but big, chunky 15.6" systems like the A53T aren't ultra-mobile road warriors anyway.

The $599 ASUS A53T will appeal to the budget notebook shopper looking for graphics oomph. Its attractive design, smooth touchpad, and Altec Lansing speakers are other pluses. While the AMD quad-core processor inside this machine isn't as fast as second-generation Intel CPUs, this notebook makes up for it in graphics prowess, with enough muscle to play demanding titles. For about the same price, consumers can pick up the Gateway NV55S05u, which offers a faster processor and a head-turning silver-and-white design but weaker 3D performance. Overall, though, the ASUS A53T is a good choice for the money.