Asus F751LB Notebook Review

The matte 17.3-inch panel of our test model has a native resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. Brightness (335.6 cd/m²) and contrast (1,217:1) are very good and leave no room for complaint.

Our 17.3-inch all-rounder offers sufficient performance for everyday use and gaming. Our test model is available for 850 Euros (~$957) and offers various different configurations.

The test model does not lack in performance thanks to an Intel Core i7-5500U dual-core processor (Broadwell). The CPU operates at a base clock speed of 2.4 GHz, which can be raised to 2.9 GHz (both cores) or 3 GHz (single core) using Turbo. This boost is available while plugged in and while running on battery.

The Core i7-5500U CPU is a ULV processor with a TDP value of 15 W. The single-thread performance of our processor is similar to that of quad-core processors (TDP: 47 W). A laptop with a ULV processor is optimal for home use, as it requires less power for identical single-thread performance. Quad-core CPUs can really show off their power when running multithread programs.

The system performance is nice, which translates into a fluid and reliable OS. The PCMark benchmark results are very good for our test model and the Acer Aspire E5-771G can match this score thanks to its similar hardware. The quad-core notebooks, listed in our comparison diagram below, outpace our test model by a small margin due to their stronger graphic chips. The Toshiba Satellite P70-B creates an exceptionally large lead thanks to its AMD GPU, which the PCMark 8 benchmark heavily favors. It is possible to raise the system performance by replacing the hard drive with an SSD.

The owner of the F751LB will not lack storage space thanks to the 1 TB HDD in our test model. Asus formats its notebooks with a standard OS partition of 372 GB and a data partition of 542 GB. The device operates at 5,400 rpm and offers transfer speeds typical for its class. 

The F751LB is equipped with a GeForce 940M GPU, which is the successor of the GeForce 840M. Although the two GPUs are essentially the same, the 940M offers a 0.5% higher max clock speed (1,124 MHz to 1,179 MHz). There are no other differences. The results of the 3DMark benchmark confirm that our test model offers equivalent graphics performance to an 840M notebook with the same Core i7-5500 processor (see Acer Aspire E5-771G).

The HD Graphics 5500 is the IGP of the laptop which allows the manufacturer to use Optimus. This technology allows the laptop to dynamically switch between the IGP and dedicated GPU depending on how much graphics performance is required. The IGP is in charge when handling everyday tasks, like surfing the web and using office programs. The dedicated GPU is activated when more performance is necessary, like when playing games. The switch is automatic but the user can also manually choose one of the two.

The Asus laptop can run most games fluidly at the HD resolution (1366x768 pixels) with medium or high settings. However, more demanding games, like Evolve, Assassin's Creed Unity or The Witcher 3, will necessitate lower settings to run smoothly. Sadly, most games do not run well at the native FHD resolution of the laptop. The Asus F751LB offers almost the exact same performance the Acer Aspire E5-771G does with its 840M GPU. This further supports our assertion: there is little to no performance difference between the GeForce 840M and the GeForce 940M.

In a case like this, the CPU often has a large impact: the Acer Aspire VN7-791G-50MV with its 840M GPU and a typical mobile processor (ULV: 47 W) offers better frames than the F751LB. This difference in performance grows the more a game benefits from a strong CPU. We assume that the 840M notebooks will be sold off in the coming weeks. As such, it might be possible to get a laptop with similar performance to a 940M notebook for a discount.

System Noise

Despite its powerful hardware, the test model is relatively quiet. While idle, the fan may turn off at times. Typically, the fan operates at low speeds and even during the stress test, the emissions are in an acceptable region: 41.2 dB.

Power Consumption

The F751LB has typical power consumption levels. While idle, we measure a power consumption of max 12.2 W. During the stress test, the consumption can rise up to 55.1 W. However, the stress test scenario is unlikely to occur, even when playing games. As such, the user should expect about 41.3 W when gaming. A similar notebook, like the Acer Aspire E5-771G, has very close consumption levels.

In the practical WLAN test, our script loads a website every 40 seconds. The "Balanced" power profile is active and the brightness is set to about 150 cd/m². The F751LB achieves a runtime of 3:54 h, which is typical for a 17.3-inch notebook.