Asus N551ZU Notebook Review
For the original German review, see here.
It has been quite some time since AMD's APUs had any significant shares in the manufacturers’ premium multimedia laptops. Today, at best, Radeon chips are combined with Intel's standard or low-voltage processors. Now AMD has launched an attack and equipped its N551 solid all-rounder with an FX-7600P high-end quad-core APU. This is supported by a graphics switching Radeon R9 M280X and integrated Radeon R7. The R9 supplies a decent amount of gaming performance, but what does it look like in combination with the FX-7600P? The answer can be found in the gaming section of this test report. However, Asus' N551ZU-CN007H is not yet available in Germany. AMD has kindly provided us with the review sample.
We last reviewed Asus' N551JK-CN166H, a 15-inch member of the N-series. This multimedia laptop features a standard mobile processor from Intel and a GeForce GTX 850M from the basic mid-range and is priced at 950 Euros (~$1082). It is not yet clear what our review sample will cost as a chipset-alternative. At the time of this review, we could find only the Czech-version (keyboard, software) in a German shop. Its price was approximately 1000 Euros (~$1140), which seems unrealistic in view of the total package. Further deliberation about price-performance can be found in the verdict.
The casing, connectivity and input devices are identical to those of Asus' N551JK (Intel version). Therefore, we will exclude these segments and refer to the former review. We noted differences in the screen, which is a TN model in our review sample. However, AMD speaks of two versions, and points to an alternative configuration with an IPS screen. Their prices are not yet known.
Webcam
The webcam produces barely usable pictures in HD resolution. Although the colors are vivid, and the focus is acceptable, the quality is just sufficient for Skype chats and the user may shoot sharper photos with a smartphone camera.
Display
While Asus' N551JK comes with a Full HD IPS screen, we find our present review sample to have the same resolution as a simple TN TFT. As mentioned in the introduction, apparently an IPS version of the device is available. The TN version will then have a lower price than this model.
The screen has a contrast of 585:1, which is slightly below the 850:1 of the N551JK-CN166H (IPS). 1920x1080 pixels with a pixel density of 141 ppi is an appropriate resolution to work with. 2 to 3 windows fit on the desktop. If need be, an external monitor can be connected via HDMI or mini-DisplayPort. The latter port supports FreeSync. This technology replaces the seldom satisfactory V-sync, and reliably prevents screen stuttering (& tearing) in games caused by insufficient synchronization of monitor and graphics card, which has so far been commonplace.
What is FreeSync?
FreeSync synchronizes the frame rates delivered by the GPU with the update rate of the single monitor. Until now, the "V-sync" technology was responsible for this. However, it could not always compensate for stutter effects. Moreover, it was related to reduced mouse responsiveness and lower frame rates. AMD's FreeSync aims to eliminate these problems and provide a smooth gameplay as well as a first rate performance.
[...] the groundbreaking hardware/software platform, built upon industry-standard DisplayPort™ Adaptive-Sync, enables AMD APUs and GPUs to directly control the update rate of a compatible monitor. [...] The monitor updates the moment a new picture is ready, giving gamers unbelievably smooth, responsive, tearing-free games. (by AMD)
We tried AMD's “Windmill” demo with both Acer's XG270HU (FreeSync enabled) connected via HDMI and mini-DisplayPort and with the FHD screen integrated in the N551Z. For this Catalyst 15.3 beta was installed; we used the more stable 14.12 for the gaming tests. FreeSync requires DisplayPort Adaptive-Sync, and thus the HDMI port stuttered in the demo. It did not get better using the internal screen; evident stutters became visible, particularly when we disabled V-sync. AMD's “Windmill” demo did not detect either screen, internal or external (HDMI), as compatible. FreeSync functioned impeccably with a DisplayPort cable and Acer's XG270HU (Catalyst 15.3).
So far, only the integrated Radeon R7 supports FreeSync, and thus this subject will naturally be uninteresting for gamers. However, AMD has promised to adapt the driver for all R7 and R9 products shortly.
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Brightness Distribution: 87 %
Center on Battery: 228 cd/m²
Contrast: 585:1 (Black: 0.39 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 10.94 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 12.07 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
38% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
41.54% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
60.4% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
40.2% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.59
Asus N551ZU-CN007H TN | Asus N551JK-CN166H IPS | HP Envy 15-k010ng TN | Acer Aspire V15 Nitro VN7-571G-574H IPS | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Display | 65% | 22% | 44% | |
Display P3 Coverage | 40.2 | 67.3 67% | 49.35 23% | 63.2 57% |
sRGB Coverage | 60.4 | 96.7 60% | 71.8 19% | 80.6 33% |
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 41.54 | 69.4 67% | 51.1 23% | 58.9 42% |
Response Times | ||||
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 42 ? | |||
Response Time Black / White * | 24 ? | |||
PWM Frequency | 200 ? | |||
Screen | 36% | 3% | 38% | |
Brightness middle | 228 | 323 42% | 343 50% | 320 40% |
Brightness | 216 | 312 44% | 330 53% | 283 31% |
Brightness Distribution | 87 | 83 -5% | 84 -3% | 83 -5% |
Black Level * | 0.39 | 0.38 3% | 0.75 -92% | 0.32 18% |
Contrast | 585 | 850 45% | 457 -22% | 1000 71% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 10.94 | 7.4 32% | 9.72 11% | 5.31 51% |
Greyscale dE 2000 * | 12.07 | 6.24 48% | 11.24 7% | 4.73 61% |
Gamma | 2.59 85% | 2.98 74% | 2.3 96% | 2.36 93% |
CCT | 14179 46% | 8098 80% | 11010 59% | 5980 109% |
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 38 | 69 82% | 46 21% | 52.9 39% |
Total Average (Program / Settings) | 51% /
44% | 13% /
8% | 41% /
40% |
* ... smaller is better
We analyzed the TN screen in the state of delivery with the photospectrometer and CalMAN. The colors intense shift from the sRGB target range, illustrated by a high DeltaE of 11 to 12, points to a rather low-cost screen. Not only does the N551JK (Intel) have a better color reproduction (69% AdobeRGB); it is also 100 cd/m² brighter. An extremely bluish cast is another let down. Calibration lessened the bluish cast, but it was not completely eliminated.
The illumination is homogeneous. However, the matte screen's brightness is relatively low. A brightness of beyond 300 cd/m² would be useful for outdoor use.
The TN screen exhibits the common viewing angle weaknesses, particularly along the vertical axis. However, the image impression remains stable when looking from the left or right. The AUO B156HTN03.6 is an upper-range TN model.
PWM - Display Flicker
Our measurements showed a flickering backlight at 200 Hz in the lowest 4 brightness settings. Above that, the measured brightness was constant and should not lead to problems. With 200 Hz however, sensible people may notice flickering or eye strain in the lowest settings.
Performance
The quad-core APU in conjunction with 8 GB of working memory and graphics switching places a decent, though not high-end performance on the desk. The FX-7600P (Kaveri) is a quad-core processor by AMD, or rather an APU (Accelerated Processing Unit). It is AMD's strongest solution for laptops, and is just below the level of a Broadwell Core i5 (5200U, 15 watts). However, its single-core performance is considerably lower. Thus, it has enough reserves for high-demanding software and multitasking, even though not by a generous amount.
Processor
The four cores in the FX-7600P (Kaveri) can clock at 2700 to 3600 MHz depending on the requirement (or the user's settings). The APU also did the same during the benchmarks; around 3.0 GHz were reached in the R15 multi-test.
AMD's APUs supports the processor with the parallel power of the graphics card. This applies to programs that utilize the open computing interface OpenCL (e.g. Photoshop) or OpenGL. The dedicated Radeon R9 lags behind the GeForce GTX 850M by 20 to 70% in the R15 OpenGL test.
System Performance
Futuremark's PCMark 7 and 8 ascertain the application performance. The PCMark 7 scores look fairly weak, which is due to the lack of an SSD (Envy 15, Aspire VN7-591G, T450s) or a hybrid HDD (N551JK, GE70). PCM7 responds very sensitively to these storage devices. The other devices in the chart all have a solid-state hybrid drive as a minimum. The PCMark 8 Home and Work scores put the N551ZU in a good light. The APU is only just behind a technically comparable Aspire V15 Nitro VN7-571G-574H (GTX 850M, 5200U).
Consequently, AMD's model is suitable as a solid office or multimedia device, which we can confirm by looking at Windows' resource monitor. Simultaneous installations and copying do not cause the N551ZU to stutter; the quad-core does a good job.
PCMark 7 Score | 2405 points | |
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2 | 2921 points | |
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2 | 3682 points | |
Help |
Graphics Card
The integrated Radeon R7 graphics unit (512 GCN Shader, dual-channel DDR3-2133 memory controller) performs calculations when power has to be saved, i.e. in battery mode and when the user wishes. Although graphics switching is automatic, the graphics can be set manually for every application or game. The iGPU was wrongly enabled 2 to 3 times in our benchmark tests, and thus the GPU selection should be checked regularly. We also tried the Windows 10 Consumer Preview. Catalyst 14.12 enabled the iGPU but not the M280X.
The Radeon R9 M280X is a member of the upper mid-range. 620 to 740 MHz is achieved in games when the 896 Shader units are calculated. Asus has connected a 4 GB GDDR 5 memory, which is the highest expansion configuration for the 128-bit interface.
3DMark shows that the M280X is on par with the GTX 850M. The Radeon is 5 to 15% better in Cloud Gate Standard Graphics. It is also stalemate in the Fire Strike Standard score. However, Intel systems prevail in the Physics scores (+40 to 200%, depending on the CPU).
3DMark | |
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Score (sort by value) | |
Asus N551ZU-CN007H | |
Asus N551JK-CN166H | |
HP Envy 15-k010ng | |
Asus X555LB-DM223H | |
Asus GL551JK-CN128H | |
Acer Aspire V15 Nitro VN7-571G-574H | |
MSI GE70-2PCi785 | |
Acer Aspire VN7-591G-727P | |
SCHENKER M505 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad T450s-20BWS1UT00 | |
1920x1080 Fire Strike Score (sort by value) | |
Asus N551ZU-CN007H | |
Asus N551JK-CN166H | |
HP Envy 15-k010ng | |
Asus X555LB-DM223H | |
Asus GL551JK-CN128H | |
Acer Aspire V15 Nitro VN7-571G-574H | |
MSI GE70-2PCi785 | |
Acer Aspire VN7-591G-727P | |
SCHENKER M505 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad T450s-20BWS1UT00 |
Radeon R9 M280X
3DMark 06 Standard Score | 11618 points | |
3DMark Vantage P Result | 9222 points | |
3DMark 11 Performance | 3823 points | |
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score | 52167 points | |
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score | 7236 points | |
3DMark Fire Strike Score | 2974 points | |
3DMark Time Spy Score | 1041 points | |
Help |
Gaming Performance
Both graphics units support DirectX 12 and the Mantle API. We enabled Mantle in “Battlefield Hardline”,” Dragon Age: Inquisition” and “Civilization: Beyond Earth”, which is our standard setting for the benchmark. We tested all games with both the M280X and the R7, which is why two benchmark charts follow below.
The benefit of Mantle can be seen in "Battlefield Hardline", for example. The average of 30.8 fps of our system based on the FX-7600P CPU and Radeon R9 M280X comes close to the level of a GeForce GTX 950M in Schenker's M505 (i5 4210M9. A similarly good level can also be reached in "Dragon Age: Inquisition". Our configuration outperforms the Thinkpad T450s with a GeForce 940M by 66% in "Civilation: Beyond Earth".
Asus' N551ZU remains within a good level between a 940M and GTX 950M in games like "Crysis 3", "Bioshock", "Sims 4" or "Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare".
The device achieves the worst results in games that are heavily CPU-driven. Not even playable frame rates are reached in some cases. For example, “Thief” and “Watchdogs” stand out with strange but consistent rates; high settings deliver more fps than medium settings. The Radeon R7 does not do much better, but its frame rates are even lower.
A look at the details show that a GTX 850M is 40 to 80% better in “Thief” and “Watchdogs”, depending on the installed CPU. The 5200U tops that by 40% (V15 Nitro VN7-571G). Even the 940M achieves 37% more fps in “Far Cry 4”, where the test system also scored poorly.
Whether the graphics power is appealing or not depends on the preferred game and ultimately the price of the N551ZU. In our opinion, a market price of around 700 Euros (~$800) would be reasonable for the performance offered.
Crysis 3 - 1366x768 High Preset AA:FX AF:16x (sort by value) | |
Asus N551ZU-CN007H | |
Asus N551ZU-CN007H | |
MSI GE70-2PCi785 | |
SCHENKER M505 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad T450s-20BWS1UT00 |
Tomb Raider - 1366x768 High Preset AA:FX AF:8x (sort by value) | |
Asus N551ZU-CN007H | |
Asus N551ZU-CN007H | |
Asus X555LB-DM223H | |
Asus GL551JK-CN128H | |
Acer Aspire V15 Nitro VN7-571G-574H | |
MSI GE70-2PCi785 | |
Acer Aspire VN7-591G-727P | |
SCHENKER M505 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad T450s-20BWS1UT00 |
BioShock Infinite - 1366x768 High Preset (sort by value) | |
Asus N551ZU-CN007H | |
Asus N551ZU-CN007H | |
Asus X555LB-DM223H | |
Acer Aspire V15 Nitro VN7-571G-574H | |
MSI GE70-2PCi785 | |
SCHENKER M505 |
Dota 2 - 1920x1080 High / On, Render Quality: 100 % (sort by value) | |
Asus N551ZU-CN007H | |
Asus N551ZU-CN007H | |
MSI GE70-2PCi785 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad T450s-20BWS1UT00 |
Battlefield 4 - 1366x768 High Preset (sort by value) | |
Asus N551ZU-CN007H | |
Asus N551JK-CN166H | |
Asus N551ZU-CN007H | |
HP Envy 15-k010ng | |
Asus X555LB-DM223H | |
MSI GE70-2PCi785 |
Thief - 1366x768 High Preset AA:FXAA & Low SS AF:4x (sort by value) | |
Asus N551ZU-CN007H | |
Asus N551JK-CN166H | |
Asus N551ZU-CN007H | |
Acer Aspire V15 Nitro VN7-571G-574H | |
MSI GE70-2PCi785 | |
SCHENKER M505 |
Watch Dogs - 1366x768 Medium Overall Quality, Medium Textures (sort by value) | |
Asus N551ZU-CN007H | |
Asus N551ZU-CN007H | |
Acer Aspire VN7-591G-727P | |
SCHENKER M505 |
Sims 4 - 1920x1080 High Preset (sort by value) | |
Asus N551ZU-CN007H | |
Asus N551ZU-CN007H | |
SCHENKER M505 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad T450s-20BWS1UT00 |
Fifa 15 - 1920x1080 High Preset AA:4x MS (sort by value) | |
Asus N551ZU-CN007H | |
Asus N551ZU-CN007H | |
Asus X555LB-DM223H | |
SCHENKER M505 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad T450s-20BWS1UT00 |
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor - 1344x756 Medium Preset (sort by value) | |
Asus N551ZU-CN007H | |
Asus N551ZU-CN007H | |
Asus X555LB-DM223H | |
Acer Aspire VN7-591G-727P | |
SCHENKER M505 |
Alien: Isolation - 1366x768 Medium, On (AA & SSAO Off), Shadow Map 1024 AF:4x (sort by value) | |
Asus N551ZU-CN007H | |
Asus N551ZU-CN007H | |
Asus X555LB-DM223H | |
SCHENKER M505 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad T450s-20BWS1UT00 |
F1 2014 - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:4x MS (sort by value) | |
Asus N551ZU-CN007H | |
Asus N551ZU-CN007H | |
Acer Aspire VN7-591G-727P | |
SCHENKER M505 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad T450s-20BWS1UT00 |
Civilization: Beyond Earth - 1920x1080 High Preset (sort by value) | |
Asus N551ZU-CN007H | |
Asus N551ZU-CN007H | |
Lenovo ThinkPad T450s-20BWS1UT00 |
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare - 1920x1080 High / On (Cache Shadow Maps Off) AA:FX (sort by value) | |
Asus N551ZU-CN007H | |
Asus N551ZU-CN007H | |
SCHENKER M505 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad T450s-20BWS1UT00 |
Far Cry 4 - 1366x768 Medium Graphics Quality (sort by value) | |
Asus N551ZU-CN007H | |
Asus N551ZU-CN007H | |
Asus X555LB-DM223H | |
Acer Aspire VN7-591G-727P | |
SCHENKER M505 |
Dragon Age: Inquisition - 1920x1080 High Graphics Quality (sort by value) | |
Asus N551ZU-CN007H | |
Asus N551ZU-CN007H | |
Asus X555LB-DM223H | |
Acer Aspire VN7-591G-727P | |
SCHENKER M505 |
Evolve - 1920x1080 High Graphics Quality AA:FX (sort by value) | |
Asus N551ZU-CN007H | |
Asus N551ZU-CN007H | |
Asus GL551JK-CN128H | |
Acer Aspire VN7-591G-727P | |
SCHENKER M505 |
Battlefield Hardline - 1920x1080 High Graphics Quality (DX11) (sort by value) | |
Asus N551ZU-CN007H | |
Asus N551ZU-CN007H | |
Asus X555LB-DM223H | |
Asus GL551JK-CN128H | |
Acer Aspire VN7-591G-727P | |
SCHENKER M505 |
Radeon R9 M280X
low | med. | high | ultra | 4K | |
Counter-Strike: GO (2012) | 66.7 | ||||
Crysis 3 (2013) | 47.4 | 35.8 | 26.7 | 13.1 | |
Tomb Raider (2013) | 135.5 | 106 | 64.6 | 15.5 | |
BioShock Infinite (2013) | 64.3 | 67.9 | 62 | 26.5 | |
Metro: Last Light (2013) | 39.9 | 35.5 | 31.8 | 19 | |
Dota 2 (2013) | 63 | 54 | 39 | ||
Battlefield 4 (2013) | 42.2 | 33 | 28.6 | 21.3 | |
Thief (2014) | 24 | 16.7 | 22.3 | 13.8 | |
Watch Dogs (2014) | 22.8 | 20.3 | 12.6 | ||
GRID: Autosport (2014) | 107 | 52 | 41 | 26.9 | |
Sims 4 (2014) | 57.8 | 44.9 | 43 | 16.5 | |
Fifa 15 (2014) | 53 | 44.7 | 53.4 | ||
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor (2014) | 48.1 | 32.2 | 18.5 | ||
Alien: Isolation (2014) | 37.3 | 25.8 | 19.2 | ||
F1 2014 (2014) | 58 | 47 | 43 | 34 | |
Civilization: Beyond Earth (2014) | 72.3 | 48.6 | 31.3 | 19 | |
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (2014) | 36.7 | 34.1 | 32.8 | 29.7 | |
Assassin's Creed Unity (2014) | 22.7 | 20.6 | 14.7 | ||
Far Cry 4 (2014) | 28.5 | 21.2 | 18.8 | 16.3 | |
Dragon Age: Inquisition (2014) | 47.2 | 35.9 | 20.3 | 17.6 | |
Evolve (2015) | 59 | 44.5 | 23.9 | 20.8 | |
Battlefield Hardline (2015) | 41.3 | 36.5 | 30.8 | 19.8 | |
Dirt Rally (2015) | 133 | 53 | 38.8 | 20.7 | |
The Witcher 3 (2015) | 40.1 | 31.6 | 16 | 8.5 | |
Batman: Arkham Knight (2015) | 38 | 32 | 19 | ||
Metal Gear Solid V (2015) | 56.8 | 51.7 | 36 | 21.4 | |
Mad Max (2015) | 50.1 | 28.6 | 25 | ||
Dota 2 Reborn (2015) | 51.3 | 40.3 | 36.4 | 31.3 | |
World of Warships (2015) | 70.3 | 41.2 | 36 | 16.3 | |
FIFA 16 (2015) | 78 | 69 () | 53 | 19.5 | |
Anno 2205 (2015) | 45.1 | 37.1 | 17.1 | ||
Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 (2015) | 36.4 | 35.4 | 23.1 | 20.3 | |
Fallout 4 (2015) | 39.2 | 35.2 | 21.2 | 15.7 | |
Star Wars Battlefront (2015) | 54.4 | 30 | 22 | 19.7 | |
Assassin's Creed Syndicate (2015) | 13 | ||||
Rainbow Six Siege (2015) | 58.8 | 38.5 | 32.4 | ||
Just Cause 3 (2015) | 21.9 | 18.7 | |||
Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016) | 52 | 37.7 | 21.4 | 16.6 | |
XCOM 2 (2016) | 34.9 | 21.3 | 14.5 | ||
Far Cry Primal (2016) | 40 | 29 | 26 | 19 | |
The Division (2016) | 17.4 | ||||
Hitman 2016 (2016) | 16.3 | ||||
Need for Speed 2016 (2016) | 24 (stuttering) | ||||
Ashes of the Singularity (2016) | 17.9 | ||||
Doom (2016) | 51 | 50.6 | 27.7 | 25.2 | |
Overwatch (2016) | 81 | 78 | 55 | 27.6 | 15.8 |
Mirror's Edge Catalyst (2016) | 27.2 | ||||
No Man's Sky (2016) | 32.5 | ||||
Deus Ex Mankind Divided (2016) | 28.9 | ||||
FIFA 17 (2016) | 0 severe graphical problems (no picture, black screen) | ||||
Battlefield 1 (2016) | 37.8 | 30.1 | 24.7 | 22.3 | |
Watch Dogs 2 (2016) | 28.2 | ||||
Resident Evil 7 (2017) | 54.8 | 35 | 22.6 | ||
For Honor (2017) | 67 | 28.6 | 25.9 | 21.5 | |
Mass Effect Andromeda (2017) | 25.2 | ||||
Rocket League (2017) | 60.7 | 19.3 | |||
Dirt 4 (2017) | 48 | 31 | |||
Team Fortress 2 (2017) | 46.8 | ||||
Playerunknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) (2017) | 31.3 | ||||
Assassin´s Creed Origins (2017) | 15 | ||||
Star Wars Battlefront 2 (2017) | 21.6 | ||||
Final Fantasy XV Benchmark (2018) | 30.7 | 18.3 | |||
Far Cry 5 (2018) | 32 | 12 | |||
The Crew 2 (2018) | 35.5 | 27.1 | 24.2 | 21.5 | |
F1 2018 (2018) | 34.6 | 29.9 | 24.3 | 15.9 | |
Call of Duty Black Ops 4 (2018) | 23.5 | 12.5 | |||
FIFA 20 (2019) | 65 severe graphical problems (too slow) | ||||
Fall Guys (2020) | 55.8 | 49.4 | 28.5 | ||
Doom Eternal (2020) | 0 game wont start |
Radeon R7 (Kaveri)
low | med. | high | ultra | 4K | |
Crysis 3 (2013) | 29.2 | 17.4 | 12.3 | ||
Tomb Raider (2013) | 70 | 39 | 26 | 14.2 | |
BioShock Infinite (2013) | 23.6 | 20.8 | 29.5 | 10.5 | |
Metro: Last Light (2013) | 29.7 | 25.1 | 16.2 | 8.3 | |
Dota 2 (2013) | 39 | 30.2 | 21.4 | ||
Battlefield 4 (2013) | 16.5 | 13.5 | 6.2 | 4.9 | |
Thief (2014) | 19 | 16.6 | 11.6 | 6.6 | |
Watch Dogs (2014) | 19 | 15.2 | 4.6 | ||
Sims 4 (2014) | 94.3 | 40.1 | 23.1 | ||
Fifa 15 (2014) | 42.5 | 37.9 | 21.5 | ||
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor (2014) | 28.3 | 20 | 11.6 | ||
Alien: Isolation (2014) | 34.23 | 22 | 15.7 | ||
F1 2014 (2014) | 53 | 38 | 33 | 22 | |
Civilization: Beyond Earth (2014) | 51.4 | 21.8 | 15.6 | 13.1 | |
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (2014) | 45.9 | 31.8 | 30.5 | 14.1 | |
Far Cry 4 (2014) | 23.7 | 16.9 | 9.6 | 6.6 | |
Dragon Age: Inquisition (2014) | 25.2 | 21.2 | 9.3 | 6 | |
Evolve (2015) | 26.7 | 20.4 | 10.6 | 8.8 | |
Battlefield Hardline (2015) | 31.9 | 20.6 | 10.3 | 7 | |
Dirt Rally (2015) | 106 | 34 | 19.4 | 12.5 | |
The Witcher 3 (2015) | 23.3 | 15.9 | 8.4 | ||
Batman: Arkham Knight (2015) | 12 | 9 | 6 | ||
Metal Gear Solid V (2015) | 50.2 | 34.6 | 14.5 | ||
Mad Max (2015) | 27.3 | ||||
Dota 2 Reborn (2015) | 39 | 28.6 | |||
World of Warships (2015) | 59.1 | 44.5 | 23.2 | 17.7 | 5.5 |
FIFA 16 (2015) | 62 (slight slowdowns) | 45 (slight slowdowns) | 23 (slight slowdowns) | ||
Anno 2205 (2015) | 32.1 | 16.6 | 8 | ||
Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 (2015) | 31.3 | 21.8 | |||
Fallout 4 (2015) | 23.6 | 16.4 | |||
Star Wars Battlefront (2015) | 29.5 | 18 | |||
Assassin's Creed Syndicate (2015) | 14.1 | ||||
Rainbow Six Siege (2015) | 55 | 17.1 | 13.6 | ||
Just Cause 3 (2015) | 18.4 | 11.3 | |||
Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016) | 25.8 | 16.6 | 8.1 | ||
XCOM 2 (2016) | 19.2 | ||||
Far Cry Primal (2016) | 10 | 5 | |||
Hitman 2016 (2016) | 10.4 | ||||
Need for Speed 2016 (2016) | 18.8 | ||||
Doom (2016) | 22.3 | ||||
Overwatch (2016) | 45.5 | 35.9 | 16.7 | ||
Mirror's Edge Catalyst (2016) | 24.6 | ||||
Deus Ex Mankind Divided (2016) | 15.6 | ||||
FIFA 17 (2016) | 0 severe graphical problems (black screen with 16.9.2) | ||||
Battlefield 1 (2016) | 13.9 | ||||
Watch Dogs 2 (2016) | 17.8 | ||||
Resident Evil 7 (2017) | 48.2 | 20.9 | |||
For Honor (2017) | 32 | 11.7 | |||
Mass Effect Andromeda (2017) | 7.2 | ||||
Rocket League (2017) | 50.4 | 32 | |||
Dirt 4 (2017) | 54 | 21.1 | |||
Team Fortress 2 (2017) | 32.2 | ||||
Playerunknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) (2017) | 20.4 | ||||
Final Fantasy XV Benchmark (2018) | 0 game wont start | ||||
The Crew 2 (2018) | 22.8 | 10.5 | |||
F1 2018 (2018) | 24 | 13.8 | |||
Call of Duty Black Ops 4 (2018) | 0 game wont start |
Emissions
System Noise
The noise emissions are not significantly different from the Intel sister model. The fans are rarely disabled in operation. However, noise is still audible when the fans are off. The reason for this is the relatively loud, roaring hard drive.
It gets down to business in extreme load (stress test). We measured 44 dB(A). It was quieter in the gaming scenario where we only recorded just under 40 dB(A). Last year's Intel model was slightly louder in the latter case.
Noise Level
Idle |
| 34.2 / 34.2 / 34.2 dB(A) |
HDD |
| 35.3 dB(A) |
DVD |
| 35.9 / dB(A) |
Load |
| 39.6 / 44.4 dB(A) |
| ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
||
min: , med: , max: Voltcraft sl-320 (15 cm distance) |
Temperature
The casing remained very cool while idling. The average on the upper side was just 25 degrees Celsius (~77 °F). It climbed to 35 degrees (~95 °F) during load, but with a hot spot of 48 degrees (~118 °F) in the center of the keyboard. This is by far the warmest spot in the N551ZU. The APU reached a temperature of 91 degrees (~196 °F) after an hour in the stress test (see CPU Package screenshot). The APU's four cores then clock stably at 2.4 GHz, i.e. the CPU Turbo is no longer utilized. The GPU heated up to a constant 81 degrees (~178 °F) and reduced its clock to 425 MHz. The Radeon R9 clocked at 600 to 900 MHz when only FurMark was performed. This could be the reason why games with high processor load score worse: GPU throttling due to a fully loaded APU.
Asus N551ZU-CN007H Radeon R9 M280X, FX-7600P, HGST Travelstar 5K1000 HTS541010A9E680 | Asus N551JK-CN166H GeForce GTX 850M, 4200H, HGST Travelstar 5K1000 HTS541010A9E680 | HP Envy 15-k010ng GeForce GTX 850M, 4510U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZNTE256HMHP | Asus GL551JK-CN128H GeForce GTX 850M, 4710HQ, SanDisk X300s SD7SB3Q256G | Acer Aspire V15 Nitro VN7-571G-574H GeForce GTX 850M, 5200U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive | Acer Aspire VN7-591G-727P GeForce GTX 960M, 4720HQ, Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256G8NU | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Heat | 6% | -0% | 2% | 0% | -38% | |
Maximum Upper Side * | 48.1 | 39.4 18% | 44.2 8% | 43.9 9% | 48.2 -0% | 53 -10% |
Maximum Bottom * | 40.6 | 37.6 7% | 43 -6% | 41.9 -3% | 39.5 3% | 53.2 -31% |
Idle Upper Side * | 27.6 | 28.7 -4% | 28.2 -2% | 27.8 -1% | 28.3 -3% | 38.6 -40% |
Idle Bottom * | 27 | 26.1 3% | 27.3 -1% | 26.4 2% | 27 -0% | 45.9 -70% |
* ... smaller is better
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 48.1 °C / 119 F, compared to the average of 36.9 °C / 98 F, ranging from 21.1 to 71 °C for the class Multimedia.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 40.6 °C / 105 F, compared to the average of 39.1 °C / 102 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 25.3 °C / 78 F, compared to the device average of 31.2 °C / 88 F.
(±) The palmrests and touchpad can get very hot to the touch with a maximum of 36.7 °C / 98.1 F.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.8 °C / 83.8 F (-7.9 °C / -14.3 F).
Energy Management
Power Consumption
The APU consumes 35 watts without the dedicated graphics. The power requirement quickly climbed to 100 watts in the Radeon M280X stress test, which is very similar to the Intel model (GTX 850M). The rivals are more frugal while idling; rather than 12 to 14 watts, some consume only 5 to 10 watts (Envy 15). In terms of performance per watt, the 28-nm SHP process is apparently significantly inferior to the 14-nm process by Intel.
Asus N551ZU-CN007H Radeon R9 M280X, FX-7600P, HGST Travelstar 5K1000 HTS541010A9E680 | Asus N551JK-CN166H GeForce GTX 850M, 4200H, HGST Travelstar 5K1000 HTS541010A9E680 | HP Envy 15-k010ng GeForce GTX 850M, 4510U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZNTE256HMHP | Asus GL551JK-CN128H GeForce GTX 850M, 4710HQ, SanDisk X300s SD7SB3Q256G | Acer Aspire V15 Nitro VN7-571G-574H GeForce GTX 850M, 5200U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive | Acer Aspire VN7-591G-727P GeForce GTX 960M, 4720HQ, Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256G8NU | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Power Consumption | 14% | 36% | 21% | 30% | -34% | |
Idle Minimum * | 12 | 8.6 28% | 5.3 56% | 6.1 49% | 5.4 55% | 16.2 -35% |
Idle Average * | 14 | 12 14% | 9.8 30% | 9.2 34% | 11.5 18% | 20.2 -44% |
Idle Maximum * | 14.3 | 13 9% | 9.9 31% | 11.9 17% | 12.8 10% | 22.8 -59% |
Load Average * | 90.9 | 72.2 21% | 60.4 34% | 75.4 17% | 48.6 47% | 96.4 -6% |
Load Maximum * | 99.7 | 104 -4% | 72.1 28% | 112.4 -13% | 79.8 20% | 126.9 -27% |
* ... smaller is better
Off / Standby | 0.2 / 0.3 Watt |
Idle | 12 / 14 / 14.3 Watt |
Load |
90.9 / 99.7 Watt |
Battery Runtime
Compared with its rivals, the battery life is not exactly abundant; the new Wi-Fi test stopped after just three hours. Here, websites are simulated via a script using reduced brightness. Although this test does not correspond 1:1 with our old Wi-Fi test, the advantage of Intel's sister model becomes evident. Despite the same battery capacity (56 Wh) and build (lithium ion, 5200 mAh) it lasts approximately 90 minutes longer in Web browsing.
The measured idle runtime, using minimum brightness, disabled Wi-Fi modules, and only iGPU enabled, is surprisingly short. Even the Aspire V15 Nitro VN7-571G-574H with a GTX 850M achieves over 200% longer runtime.
Asus N551ZU-CN007H Radeon R9 M280X, FX-7600P, HGST Travelstar 5K1000 HTS541010A9E680 | Asus N551JK-CN166H GeForce GTX 850M, 4200H, HGST Travelstar 5K1000 HTS541010A9E680 | HP Envy 15-k010ng GeForce GTX 850M, 4510U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZNTE256HMHP | Asus GL551JK-CN128H GeForce GTX 850M, 4710HQ, SanDisk X300s SD7SB3Q256G | Acer Aspire V15 Nitro VN7-571G-574H GeForce GTX 850M, 5200U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive | MSI GE70-2PCi785 GeForce GTX 850M, 4700HQ, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX | Acer Aspire VN7-591G-727P GeForce GTX 960M, 4720HQ, Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256G8NU | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Battery Runtime | 79% | 94% | 70% | 216% | 29% | 5% | |
Reader / Idle | 254 | 436 72% | 507 100% | 797 214% | 271 7% | 216 -15% | |
WiFi v1.3 | 186 | 317 70% | 448 141% | 166 -11% | |||
Load | 41 | 76 85% | 77 88% | 161 293% | 62 51% | 58 41% | |
WiFi | 271 | 249 | 160 | ||||
H.264 | 427 | 176 |
Pros
Cons
Verdict
With its N551ZU-CN007H, Asus puts a good laptop on the desk: The 15-inch device features a solid build, has maintenance options, useful input devices, and does not get too loud or too warm during use. Generally speaking, the performance of AMD's APU comes close to a Haswell Core i5, but AMD needs twice as much power. This is reflected in the short battery life.
The gaming performance gives mixed impressions. Depending on the game, the performance of the R9 M280X is enough for high to very high graphic settings. However, we also observed a very unsatisfactory performance in some cases (Thief, Far Cry 4). There is also the TN screen with weak contrast and relatively tight viewing angles in our tested configuration. The review sample gathers small plus points for its FreeSync enabled mini-DisplayPort and its fairly strong iGPU with DirectX 11 support.
Whether the N551ZU-CN007H can be recommended as a multimedia all-rounder will depend on the price that is still to be announced. At the time of testing, the N551ZU was not listed in German shops. 600 to 700 Euros (~$683 to ~$800) would be a fair price if the customer could accept the drawbacks. A price of 800 Euros (~$910) would seem appropriate for the model with an IPS screen.
However, the competition is well positioned. Some of the following devices, based on Intel/Nvidia, offer an IPS screen with better colors and viewing angles:
- HP Envy 15-k010ng (FHD TN)
- Acer Aspire V15 Nitro VN7-591G-76BT (FHD IPS)
- Acer Aspire V15 Nitro VN7-571G-574H (FHD IPS)
- Asus GL551JK-CN128H (FHD IPS)
Asus N551ZU-CN007H
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05/06/2015 v4(old)
Sebastian Jentsch