ASUS S56CM Pro Reviews

With the S56CM aka K56CM, Asus tries to advance into the still fairly sparse consumer and mainstream ultrabook market. However, the Taiwanese manufacturer is only partly successful with its just under EUR 700 S56CM. Of course, the price is a strong argument for a slim, 15.6" ultrabook featuring a dedicated graphics like our test laptop. On the other hand, it is this price that is noticed in our review of the S56CM. The sufficient but not really satisfactory product quality, no genuine SSD, the reflective and color-weak TN screen alongside its poor viewing angles and especially the baffling as well as sobering poor battery life add weight to the con side. Especially the last two points contradict the actual application field of an ultrabook and restrict the S56CM's outdoor suitability to a part. Consequently, Asus' S56CM can be only be rated as "merely" an ultra-slim multimedia laptop with good performance that reaps in plus points with its stylish design, aluminum applications, good cooling system without throttling and the aforementioned low price and thus will certainly find its fans. Potential buyers who expect a bit more power can opt for Asus' S56CM with a slightly stronger i7 3517U CPU or take a look at Acer's 15.6" Aspire TimelineUltra M5 featuring a GT 640M as well as an i7 3517U.