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Review Asus N750JV-T4110H Notebook

Larger variant. With a new Haswell CPU, a GeForce GT 750M and a number of design tweaks, Asus is trying to keep its multimedia series up to date as well as on par with the competition. Our review will show whether the N750JV manages to live up to these expectations.

For the original German review, see here.

The N750JV's predecessor, the N76VZ, was a great device: The display, the keyboard, even the sound system - the vast majority of its components were well-chosen. In combination with its great build quality and its aluminum look, the Taiwanese multimedia workhorse was a sight to see.

Now, the Asus N750JV has been released, set to continue its predecessor's success story together with its smaller sibling, the 15-inch N550JV which we will review shortly. Both laptops come equipped with Haswell CPUs. Specifically, the N750JV sports a Core i7-4700HQ and an upper middle-class GPU, the GeForce GT 750M which should have no trouble handling even some of the more demanding applications and 3D games.

But the innovations don't end here: The chassis has been modified too. The exhaust vents have been relocated to the rear part of the device (instead of its left-hand side), and the keyboard now sports a silvery finish (the same color as the case) instead of a black one.

Changes concerning the chassis don't come without inherent dangers, especially when the cooling system is involved. After all, the Intel CPU comes with a TDP (thermal design power) of 47 watts which, in addition with the dedicated graphics card, leads to a lot of excess heat which has to be dissipated in order to prevent the case from reaching high temperatures. Whether this was a change for the better or the worse ("never change a running system"), our review will show.

Case

How we test - Case

The chassis of the N750JV is well-chosen. Not only are both the upper lid and the upper part of the base unit made from (anthracite-colored and silvery) aluminum, the rest of the case has a premium look and feel to it too, despite of the fact that it is made from plastic. Haptics and visual aesthetics are great and even its stability is fine: Applying pressure to the body only leads to slight deformations (mostly in the vicinity of the rear exhaust vents). Only the display and its lid could be more torsion-resistant. The display hinges are strong enough to keep the lid firmly in position, even in the car or on the train.

Build quality is great, at least on a first glance. The abraded edges, the use of aluminum, all of this corroborates the premium feel. There are some minor shortcomings though, such as a small (probably unintentional) plastic arch beneath the card reader which dampens our positive first impression a bit.

One "special feature" is the "Asus Console" button at the left, right above the keyboard. This "Asus Console" is a control panel for a number of settings and information about the system.

3.3 kilograms - that is neither heavy nor lightweight for a 17-inch device. It is, however, definitely nowhere close to the ultrabook-like feeling some of Asus' PR images suggest. Asus has taken great lengths at making the laptop appear slimmer than it actually is: For starters, the plastic underbelly begins right beneath the ports and it is painted in a dark hue so that the actual height of 2.9 centimeters doesn't really become that evident in photos of the device.

In contrast to its predecessor (where the fan sat on the left, a bad choice for left-handed users), the exhaust vents have been positioned at the rear of the device, right in front of the display hinge. Depending on the opening angle of the display, the hot air gets blown out behind or in front of the display. In both cases, this shouldn't be a problem during actual usage of the device as the user can't really feel this air flow while working with the device. The intake for cool air is located beneath the device where it can be opened by loosening 14 tiny screws.

Connectivity

How we test - Connectivity

Due to the exhaust vents being placed at the rear end of the device, all ports have moved to either the left or the right hand side. Both sides sport two USB 3.0 ports. On the left, these are accompanied by a 4-in-1 card reader, a MiniDP as well as an HDMI and an RJ45 Ethernet port and the power connector. Analog displays cannot be connected without an adapter which may or may not be a problem for some users (after all, most home cinema beamers come with an HDMI port).

On the right, the Blu-ray drive takes up most of the space next to the two USB 3.0 ports, the Kensington lock (at the rear end of the device) and three audio ports: Line In, Line Out and a subwoofer port, as the N750JV ships without an internal subwoofer, but with an external solution which can be connected to the laptop whenever it is needed. The headset audio jack supports SPIDF, thus being capable of digital audio output.

Thanks to the balanced placement of USB 3.0 ports neither left-handed nor right-handed users should have trouble connecting external devices to the laptop. Solely a display or beamer connected via HDMI to the left side of the N750JV might cause some problems for left-handers due to its large connector.

Right hand side: Line Out, Line In, 2x USB 3.0, Blu-ray drive, subwoofer port, Kensington lock
Right hand side: Line Out, Line In, 2x USB 3.0, Blu-ray drive, subwoofer port, Kensington lock
Left hand side: power connector, RJ45 Ethernet port, MiniDP, 2x USB 3.0, card reader
Left hand side: power connector, RJ45 Ethernet port, MiniDP, 2x USB 3.0, card reader

Communication

The N750JV ships with an Atheros Wi-Fi b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0 chip as well as gigabit Ethernet via the Realtek RTL8168/8111. Signal strength is above-average, beating many other devices (Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E135, IdeaPad A1) and remaining usable (albeit getting slower) even when two concrete ceilings are placed in between the laptop and the router.

Accessories

At a first glance it already becomes evident that this is no cheap device. Not only the laptop plus power adapter, but also an external subwoofer and an external USB mouse are part of the package. In addition, the device ships with a user manual, a driver DVD, the warranty information (plus a warranty card) and a zip tie.

Maintenance

The maintenance hatch beneath the laptop can be opened by removing 14 tiny Torx screws. This reveals access to the battery, the two hard drives and the RAM module. In addition, the CPU and GPU fans can now be cleaned.

Warranty

The Asus N750JV ships with 24 months of a "pick up & return" warranty. At the time of writing, we have no information about possible warranty extensions since they are not yet listed on Asus' website.

Input Devices

How we test - Input Devices

Keyboard

Asus equips the N750JV with its proven chiclet-style keyboard which comes with a clear pressure point and somewhat short key travel. Build quality wasn't as good as expected, which may partly be due to the skewed return key. The keyboard includes an amply-sized numpad, but the arrow keys are a bit crowded. No unnecessary special keys are equipped. Instead, as with many other laptops pressing "Fn" plus "F1" to "F12" allows the user to change some settings such as the display brightness.

A special feature is the white keyboard backlighting which comes with three steps (33%, 66%, 100%), which can be increased and decreased via "Fn+F4" and "Fn+F3".

Touchpad

The touchpad has been slightly improved when compared to the predecessor of the N750JV. Tapping the touchpad lightly is now sufficient to register as a click, removing the need for pressing strongly. Still, the upper right corner of the touchpad offers a lot more resistance to clicks than the rest of the touchpad. Presses in the lower right corner lead to a feeling as if the touchpad jams slightly (maybe due to some overlap with the base unit or another component of the laptop), leading to a less satisfying (right) clicking noise.

The differences in resistance when trying to click are not as bad as the "impure" sound of right clicks. In addition to this flaw, the touchpad cannot be used in close vicinity to its borders (the last 3-4 millimeters don't react at all). At the same time, the cursor can be moved in the "mouse click area" as well, leading to an obscured borderline between the two.

Still, the touchpad is rather well-suited during actual usage. Most of these shortcomings (except for the one about the right clicks) are not that relevant as firm presses on the touchpad become too strenuous over time no matter what.

Keyboard
Keyboard
Touchpad
Touchpad

Display

How we test - Display

Outdoor usage: Bright environment
Outdoor usage: Bright environment
Direct sunlight
Direct sunlight

Such a pricy multimedia laptop cannot really work without a Full HD display. Accordingly, the N750JV ships with a matte 1920x1080 panel made by AU Optronics. With this, movies and videos do not only appear sharp, but also come without any annoying reflections. The latter is not only important when used indoors, as its display brightness of up to 320 cd/m² should be enough to use the device on the back porch as well - as long as direct sunlight can be avoided. For comparison: While the 15-inch One K56-3F comes equipped with very similar innards and a display brightness of 328 cd/m² (20 cd/m² more on average), it is barely suited for outdoor usage due to its glossy, reflective display. Another competitor, the Ivy Bridge-based (but ATI-powered) Samsung Series 7 Chronos 770Z7E only manages to reach 253 cd/m² on average.

Brightness homogeneity levels of around 85% are okay for a multimedia notebook (not being noticeable with the naked eye), but they could be better. The One reaches 87%. However, Samsung's device doesn't exceed 79%.

301
cd/m²
299
cd/m²
281
cd/m²
317
cd/m²
331
cd/m²
307
cd/m²
303
cd/m²
324
cd/m²
295
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
AUO219D tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 331 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 306.4 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 85 %
Contrast: 637:1 (Black: 0.52 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 3.41 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 3.1 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
Gamma: 2.53

Both in terms of its black levels and its contrast ratio, the N750JV is on par with its main competitors, ending up slightly behind those of the Samsung Chronos Series 7 770Z7E while staying ahead of the One K56-3F. All three laptops are perfectly suited for all multimedia applications, a result which gets proven during actual usage.

Color space rendition is another topic, albeit one which is only of particular interest to professional graphics artists. The display of the N750JV stays true to that of its predecessor, failing to reach either the AdobeRGB or the sRGB color space. When comparing the latter to the color rendition of our test device, a slight yellowish-greenish tint can be discerned. Then again, a DeltaE value of just 3.41 (as measured via CalMAN) signifies that this color deviation is barely noticeable. Some parts of the grayscale measurements showed a tiny bluish distortion, but again, this is too weak to be seen with the naked eye.

Color accuracy
Color accuracy
Grayscales
Grayscales
Color saturation
Color saturation
N750JV vs. AdobeRGB
N750JV vs. AdobeRGB
N750JV vs. sRGB
N750JV vs. sRGB
N750JV vs. N76VZ
N750JV vs. N76VZ

The viewing angles are great, even at extreme angles no color inversion occurs in any direction - with the unfortunate exception of looking at the display from below. In this case (which rarely becomes relevant when using the notebook on one's lap), color inversion begins at an angle of approximately 45 degrees.

Viewing angles ASUS N750JV
Viewing angles ASUS N750JV

Performance

How we test - Performance

The Asus N750JV comes equipped with an Intel Core i7-4700HQ, an Nvidia GeForce GT 750M and 8 GB of DDR3 RAM - which should be enough for all possible multimedia usage scenarios, and even sufficient for many modern PC games and demanding software applications. As the Core i7-4700HQ is a Haswell CPU, we explicitly compare this to the most modern Ivy Bridge CPU, the Intel Core i7-3635QM which has been used in some of the N750JV's competitors such as the Samsung Series 7 Chronos 770Z7E. We will also compare the N750JV to the One K56-3F as it sports similar hardware (Intel Core i7-4700MQ, also a GeForce GT 750M).

 
System information Asus N750JV-T4110H

Processor

The Intel Core i7-4700HQ is a Haswell-based middle-class CPU supporting not only hyper-threading (which simulates another four virtual cores) but also Intel's Turbo Boost mode which is capable of increasing the base clock speed of 2.4 GHz to up to 3.4 GHz (during single-core usage) if need be. More information about this CPU can be found in our FAQ section.

As the CPU has only recently entered the market, few benchmarks results are already available. Two entries exist in our database, thanks to the Asus G750JX and the Asus G750JW (which only differ in terms of RAM and GPU) which sport the same processor. Our test device falls behind these two in nearly all benchmarks, e.g. with 6567 points during 3DMark06 (where the others reached 6883 and 6901 points). The two G750 devices always ended up being on par, with the only exception being the single-core benchmark of Cinebench R10 64-bit (N750JV: 6008, G750JX: 6302, G750JW: 6612), but even here, our test device took the last spot.

This leads us to suspect that the Intel Core i7-4700HQ is incapable of accessing its full Turbo Boost potential, which is why we also compare it to the Intel Core i7-4700MQ (which comes with the exact same CPU but a different integrated GPU when compared to the HQ version).

Still, the same picture holds true as above. With the exception of the Cinebench R11.5 single-core benchmark and the Lenovo IdeaPad Y510p, the N750JV offers weaker performance than all of its competitors.

Analyzing the CPU performance leads to the crucial clue: Even during the single-core benchmarks of Cinebench R10 and R11.5, the maximum Turbo Boost can only be upheld for less than a second, going down to 3.3 GHz almost immediately, where it stays. This leads to 9% and 4% worse results than for the G750JW and the G750JX during Cinebench R10. During the Torture Test of Prime 95, their cores also throttle down to 2.6 GHz, but sometimes go up again to 2.8 GHz (for approx. half a second).

Cinebench R11.5
CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value)
Asus N750JV-T4110H
6.47 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad Y510p
5.29 Points -18%
SCHENKER XMG A523
6.57 Points +2%
Asus N76VZ-V2G-T1011V
6.23 Points -4%
CPU Single 64Bit (sort by value)
Asus N750JV-T4110H
1.51 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad Y510p
1.51 Points 0%
SCHENKER XMG A523
1.5 Points -1%
Cinebench R10
Rendering Multiple CPUs 64Bit (sort by value)
Asus N750JV-T4110H
22939 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad Y510p
19383 Points -16%
SCHENKER XMG A523
24313 Points +6%
Asus N76VZ-V2G-T1011V
20960 Points -9%
Rendering Single CPUs 64Bit (sort by value)
Asus N750JV-T4110H
6088 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad Y510p
6628 Points +9%
SCHENKER XMG A523
6565 Points +8%
Asus N76VZ-V2G-T1011V
5532 Points -9%
3DMark 06 - CPU - CPU Score (sort by value)
Asus N750JV-T4110H
6567 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad Y510p
5245 Points -20%
SCHENKER XMG A523
6821 Points +4%
Asus N76VZ-V2G-T1011V
6049 Points -8%

Legend

 
Asus N750JV-T4110H Intel Core i7-4700HQ, NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
 
Lenovo IdeaPad Y510p Intel Core i7-4700MQ, NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M SLI, Samsung SpinPoint M8 HN-M101MBB
 
SCHENKER XMG A523 Intel Core i7-4700MQ, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 765M, Crucial M500 480 GB CT480M500SSD1
 
Asus N76VZ-V2G-T1011V Intel Core i7-3610QM, NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
4716
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
17492
Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
6810
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single CPUs 64Bit
6088 Points
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 64Bit
22939 Points
Cinebench R10 Shading 64Bit
6777 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
1.51 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
6.47 Points
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
46.39 fps
Help

System Performance

The overall system performance is measured via PCMark 7. The 3211 points of the N750JV is much better than the result of its predecessor (2469), but approximately 500 points less than what the Samsung 700Z7E achieves due to its more powerful GPU. Thanks to its SSD, which is an important factor during PCMark benchmarks, the One K56-3F (which sports the exact same hardware as the N750JV) yields a phenomenal result of 5905 points. Thus, the System Storage benchmark results in 5524 points in the case of the One K56-3F, much more than the 1417 and 2281 points of the N750JV and the Samsung 700Z7E. The same overall picture holds true for the Entertainment score, where the competitors pull clear by around 35%.

PCMark 7 Score
3211 points
Help

Storage Devices

A difference of 700 points during the PCMark 7 System Storage benchmark is hard to explain, especially since the N750JV ships with Seagate Momentus 5400 rpm HDDs which are comparable to those used in the Samsung laptop. Actually, the average transfer speeds of around 85.3 MB/s (as measured with HD Tune) are even a bit better than those of the Samsung 770Z7E (83.3 MB/s), as are the access times (17.1 milliseconds vs. 19.2 milliseconds).

Thus, the HDD variant used in the N750JV is actually an upper middle-class variant, as confirmed with the CrystalDiskMark benchmark. The culprit might be the strange partitioning of the two HDDs into four partitions with 280 GB, 2x 350 GB and 400 GB instead of just leaving them at 2x 750 GB.

Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
Transfer Rate Minimum: 47.7 MB/s
Transfer Rate Maximum: 114.5 MB/s
Transfer Rate Average: 85.3 MB/s
Access Time: 17.1 ms
Burst Rate: 182.5 MB/s
CPU Usage: 0.9 %

Graphics Card

The Asus N750JV comes equipped with a GeForce GT 750M with 4096 MB of DDR3 RAM manufactured by Nvidia. The GPU supports both PhysX and Nvidia Optimus which allows the card to be completely deactivated (e.g. in desktop mode) in order to save energy, by relying on the integrated Intel HD Graphics 4600 of the Core i7-4700HQ instead. The GeForce GT 750M comes with a base clock speed of 967 MHz and a maximum GPU Boost 2.0 clock speed of 1050 MHz. In our benchmarks and specifically during our stress test, up to 1162.7 MHz was reached.

The One K56-3F is the only other notebook with a GT 750M in our database. AMD's equivalent GPU is supposed to be the HD 8850M, but no benchmarks exist at the time of writing. That is why we will compare the N750JV to the One K56-3F and Samsung's 770Z7E which comes with the more powerful HD 8870M.

The N750JV falls behind its competition in nearly all 3DMark benchmarks, although the distance to the One K56-3F is never more than a few percent, except for the physics benchmarks of 3DMark Vantage, 3DMark 11 and the Cloud Gate benchmark, where it takes the lead by about 20%. The 770Z7E with its more powerful AMD graphics card is approximately 20% faster than the N750JV in all regards. We have actually deactivated PhysX during the 3DMark Vantage benchmark, leading to a higher CPU load, which may be another indication for CPU-based throttling issues.

Unfortunately, throttling does not only occur during our stress test, but also while running on battery power: Then, the results of 3DMark06 fall from 13820 points to a mere 8518 points.

3DMark 06 - 1280x1024 Standard Score AA:0x AF:0x (sort by value)
Asus N750JV-T4110H
13820 Points
Asus N76VZ-V2G-T1011V
13375 Points -3%
3DMark Vantage - 1280x1024 P Result (sort by value)
Asus N750JV-T4110H
9618 Points
Asus N76VZ-V2G-T1011V
8994 Points -6%
3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance (sort by value)
Asus N750JV-T4110H
2735 Points
Asus N76VZ-V2G-T1011V
2371 Points -13%
1280x720 Performance Physics (sort by value)
Asus N750JV-T4110H
6524 Points
Asus N76VZ-V2G-T1011V
7648 Points +17%

Legend

 
Asus N750JV-T4110H Intel Core i7-4700HQ, NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
 
Asus N76VZ-V2G-T1011V Intel Core i7-3610QM, NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024
3DMark 06 Standard Score
13820 points
3DMark Vantage P Result
9618 points
3DMark 11 Performance
2735 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
70024 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
8871 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
1508 points
Help

Gaming Performance

Again, we are comparing the Asus N750JV with the competitors made by One and Samsung. and again, it falls behind in the gaming benchmarks by approximately 5 to 10% when compared to the One K56-3F and up to 20% when looking at the Samsung Series 7 Chronos 770Z7E instead.

Unfortunately, the N750JV comes with one unusual shortcoming: When repeating the benchmarks again and again, the resulting frame rates became worse, leading to a gradual decline in performance when the CPU and GPU weren't given any time to recover. In Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, we only reached 44.6 and 41 fps instead of 58.5 and 51.2 fps (high / very high graphics quality) and in F1: 2012, performance levels even fell from 87 fps to 46 fps.

Thus, we have tried to reproduce this behavior during actual gaming tests. During the Skyrim benchmark, we measured 31.3 fps. Afterwards, we spent 20 minutes in the single-player RPG. Skyrim ran with approximately 76.3 fps on high settings, making it perfectly playable. Luckily, the suspected strong decline in performance could not be observed. The same holds true for the decline in gaming performance while running on battery (8518 points instead of 13820 points in 3DMark06): When we tested this in Metro: Last Light, we only lost 1 fps (high graphics quality).

Thanks to its GeForce GT 750M, the N750JV is well-suited even for modern 3D games running on medium to high settings. It is not that important that the N750JV is not quite as fast as the One K56-3F - usually, it is still more than fast enough to render almost all games without resorting to desperate measurements like setting everything to "low".

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
1366x768 Medium Preset AA:4x (sort by value)
Asus N750JV-T4110H
49.2 fps
Samsung 770Z7E-S01DE
61.2 fps +24%
One K56-3F
54.7 fps +11%
1366x768 High Preset AA:8x AF:8x (sort by value)
Asus N750JV-T4110H
31.3 fps
Samsung 770Z7E-S01DE
49.8 fps +59%
One K56-3F
39.4 fps +26%
1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:8x AF:16x (sort by value)
Asus N750JV-T4110H
19.9 fps
Samsung 770Z7E-S01DE
32 fps +61%
One K56-3F
21.9 fps +10%
F1 2012
1366x768 Medium Preset (sort by value)
Asus N750JV-T4110H
87 fps
One K56-3F
116 fps +33%
1366x768 High Preset AA:2xMS (sort by value)
Asus N750JV-T4110H
77 fps
One K56-3F
90 fps +17%
1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:4xMS (sort by value)
Asus N750JV-T4110H
33 fps
One K56-3F
34 fps +3%
Counter-Strike: GO
1366x768 High AA:2x MS AF:4x (sort by value)
Asus N750JV-T4110H
58.5 fps
Samsung 770Z7E-S01DE
116.3 fps +99%
One K56-3F
125.8 fps +115%
1920x1080 (Very) High, FXAA AA:4x MS AF:8x (sort by value)
Asus N750JV-T4110H
51.2 fps
Samsung 770Z7E-S01DE
87.2 fps +70%
One K56-3F
62.2 fps +21%
Tomb Raider
1366x768 High Preset AA:FX AF:8x (sort by value)
Asus N750JV-T4110H
40.2 fps
Samsung 770Z7E-S01DE
42.2 fps +5%
One K56-3F
40.2 fps 0%
1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:FX AF:16x (sort by value)
Asus N750JV-T4110H
17.9 fps
Samsung 770Z7E-S01DE
21.2 fps +18%
One K56-3F
17.8 fps -1%
Metro: Last Light
1024x768 Low (DX10) AF:4x (sort by value)
Asus N750JV-T4110H
44.5 fps
One K56-3F
44.1 fps -1%
1366x768 Medium (DX10) AF:4x (sort by value)
Asus N750JV-T4110H
36.1 fps
One K56-3F
33.9 fps -6%
1366x768 High (DX11) AF:16x (sort by value)
Asus N750JV-T4110H
20.4 fps
One K56-3F
20.3 fps 0%
1920x1080 Very High (DX11) AF:16x (sort by value)
Asus N750JV-T4110H
8.9 fps
One K56-3F
10.4 fps +17%

Legend

 
Asus N750JV-T4110H Intel Core i7-4700HQ, NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
 
Samsung 770Z7E-S01DE Intel Core i7-3635QM, AMD Radeon HD 8870M, Samsung SpinPoint M8 HN-M101MBB
 
One K56-3F Intel Core i7-4700MQ, NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M, Toshiba HG5d THNSNH128GMCT
low med. high ultra
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011) 49.2 31.3 19.9
Counter-Strike: GO (2012) 95 58.5 51.2
F1 2012 (2012) 87 77 33
Tomb Raider (2013) 40.2 17.9
Metro: Last Light (2013) 44.5 36.1 20.4 8.9

Emissions

How we test - Emissions

System Noise

The fan of our test device remained rather silent during most usage scenarios, becoming audible (38.7 dB(A)) but not annoyingly so under full load and during our stress test. The optical drive was a bit louder than the fan during Blu-ray playback, but not loud enough to prevent us from enjoying the movie. While idle, the fan doesn't become completely quiet, staying at 33.1 dB(A).

Noise Level

Idle
33.1 / 33.4 / 33.6 dB(A)
HDD
33.7 dB(A)
DVD
35.6 / dB(A)
Load
38.7 / 43 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Voltcraft sl-320 (15 cm distance)

Temperature

Stress test Asus N750JV
Stress test Asus N750JV

While our test device remained rather cool while idle (up to 28.1 °C), it became a lot hotter during the stress tests (up to 46 °C). The maximum temperature was measured on the upper rear part of the base unit, right in front of the display above the exhaust vents. The keyboard also becomes noticeably warmer in this scenario, reaching 41.2 °C. Then again, both the Samsung notebook and the laptop made by One get as hot or even hotter than the N750JV.

It only took the CPU cores less than one minute of activity during our stress test to reach up to 98 °C which leads to imminent throttling down to 2.4 GHz and later even down to 800 MHz where it remains for a number of minutes, resulting in a final temperature of around 60 °C. At least these throttling issues under extreme stress do not occur in the case of the GPU which always remains clocked at 1162 MHz.

Max. Load
 40.1 °C
104 F
46 °C
115 F
33.6 °C
92 F
 
 32.2 °C
90 F
41.2 °C
106 F
29.1 °C
84 F
 
 28.5 °C
83 F
27.8 °C
82 F
28.2 °C
83 F
 
Maximum: 46 °C = 115 F
Average: 34.1 °C = 93 F
30.1 °C
86 F
41.8 °C
107 F
37.4 °C
99 F
27.6 °C
82 F
33.1 °C
92 F
31.1 °C
88 F
26.2 °C
79 F
27.5 °C
82 F
28.3 °C
83 F
Maximum: 41.8 °C = 107 F
Average: 31.5 °C = 89 F
Power Supply (max.)  51.2 °C = 124 F | Room Temperature 22.5 °C = 73 F | Voltcraft IR-360
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 34.1 °C / 93 F, compared to the average of 31.2 °C / 88 F for the devices in the class Multimedia.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 46 °C / 115 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 41.8 °C / 107 F, compared to the average of 39.1 °C / 102 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 25.5 °C / 78 F, compared to the device average of 31.2 °C / 88 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 28.5 °C / 83.3 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.8 °C / 83.8 F (+0.3 °C / 0.5 F).

Speakers

Any great multimedia laptop needs great speakers. Asus promises quite a lot with its "Audio by Bang & Olufsen ICEPower" overprint - and it actually holds this promise: Everything sounds natural, both the highs and the mids are rendered harmoniously. Bass only becomes noticeable when the external subwoofer is plugged in. The only flaw of the sound system is its location right beneath the front of the laptop. Although this is just a minor complaint, direct sound exposure without first getting reflected by the table would have been preferable.

Energy Management

How we test - Battery Life

Power Consumption

Not much can be said about the power consumption of the Asus N750JV: When Wi-Fi is deactivated, brightness is set to minimum and the energy saving mode is activated, the laptop merely requires 9.7 watts. While idle, but with maximum brightness and the "maximum performance" profile, this goes up to 18.6 watts. The maximum we measured was 94.7 watts - quickly decreasing to 76.6 watts during our stress test due to its throttling issues. These are actually decent values for a multimedia laptop with such potent hardware components. The One K56-3F reaches 83.3 / 138.1 watts, the Samsung Series 7 Chronos 770Z7E requires up to 75.7 / 91.7 watts.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0 / 0.3 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 9.4 / 17.1 / 18.6 Watt
Load midlight 94.7 / 79.6 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Voltcraft VC 940
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.

Battery Life

The battery of the N750JV is actually a little bit smaller than that of its competitors, sporting 70 watt hours. Both its predecessor and the Samsung laptop sport batteries with 80 Wh while the 62.5 Wh of the One K56-3F is not really comparable as it is just a 15-inch device.

Still, the N750JV offers more than decent battery life. 4:34 h of browsing (Samsung: 5:08 h, N76VZ: 3:42 h, K56-3F: 4:20 h) and 2:54 h of Blu-ray playback (Samsung: 2:42 h, N76VZ: 3:09 h, K56-3F: 3:16 h) are on par with the competition.

We were surprised by the great battery runtime while idle: 6:53 h is more than what any of the competitors offer. 0:57 h under full load is on par with most other devices, with the only exception being the One K56-3F (1:53 h). Thus, neither browsing the web nor enjoying a great movie should limit the N750JV's mobility.

Wi-Fi test
Wi-Fi test
Blu-ray playback
Blu-ray playback
Running time (idle)
Running time (idle)
Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
6h 53min
WiFi Surfing
4h 34min
Blu-ray
2h 54min
Load (maximum brightness)
0h 57min

Verdict

Asus N750JV
Asus N750JV

One thing is certain: The Asus N750JV was never intended to be a cheap multimedia laptop. Still, its price point of around $1300 feels adequate. After all, the device sports a great display and an aluminum chassis while shipping with a number of accessories. Specs are fine too: A Haswell CPU, an upper middle-class graphics card and 1.5 TB of hard drive space should be more than enough for most multimedia applications.

During mobile usage, the N750JV offers decent battery life, sufficient even for longer movies. Gaming performance is fine as well, although those attracted towards more GPU power might want to have a look at some proper gaming laptops if they can live with their bulkier cases: The One K56-3F, the Medion Erazer X7825 and the Asus G750JW might all be viable alternatives, with some of them actually offering better connectivity and better specs for the same price. Some competing multimedia laptops are the Haswell variants of the Schenker XMG A723, the MSI GE70-i760M287B and the Acer Aspire V3-772G.

Still, the Asus N750JW remains a more than decent choice, despite minor flaws such as the build quality beneath the SD card reader slot and the haptics of the input devices. Apart from these issues, the N750JW is a silent, universally usable multimedia laptop with a great display and fine speakers.

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In Review: Asus N750JV, provided by: Asus Germany
In Review: Asus N750JV, provided by: Asus Germany

Specifications

Asus N750JV-T4110H (N750JV Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-4700HQ 4 x 2.4 - 3.4 GHz (Intel Core i7)
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M - 4 GB VRAM, Core: 967 MHz, Memory: 900 MHz, ForceWare 311.54 (Windows 8, 64-bit), NVIDIA Optimus
Memory
8 GB 
, DDR3
Display
17.30 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel, AUO219D, LED Backlight, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel HM86 (Lynx Point)
Storage
Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB, 750 GB 
, 5400 rpm, 2x
Soundcard
Intel Lynx Point PCH - High Definition Audio Controller
Connections
4 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 1 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: Line In, Line Out, Card Reader: 4-in-1
Networking
Realtek RTL8168/8111 Gigabit-LAN (10/100/1000MBit/s), Atheros AR9485 WiFi Adapter (b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/), Bluetooth 4.0
Optical drive
MATSHITA BD-CMB UJ160
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 29 x 415 x 275 ( = 1.14 x 16.34 x 10.83 in)
Battery
70 Wh Lithium-Ion, 6 cells
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 8 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD-Auflösung, CMOS Sensor
Additional features
Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, USB mouse and case, external subwoofer, externer Subwoofer, zip tie, warranty card, user manual, Several ASUS tools, Power4Gear Hybrid, LifeFrame, MyBitcast, Splendid Utility, Waves MAXXAudio, CyberLink MediaEspresso 6.5 & PowerDirector, ASUSDVD, McAfee Internet Security (trial version, 30 days) , 24 Months Warranty
Weight
3.3 kg ( = 116.4 oz / 7.28 pounds), Power Supply: 540 g ( = 19.05 oz / 1.19 pounds)
Price
1399 Euro

 

Even when the lid is closed...
Even when the lid is closed...
... the look of the Asus N750JV seems well-designed.
... the look of the Asus N750JV seems well-designed.
Our test device ships...
Our test device ships...
... with a number of accessories.
... with a number of accessories.
Next to a manual...
Next to a manual...
... and the power adapter (120 watts) ...
... and the power adapter (120 watts) ...
... zip ties, ...
... zip ties, ...
... an external USB mouse...
... an external USB mouse...
... and an external subwoofer can be found in the box.
... and an external subwoofer can be found in the box.
The latter helps to further improve the audio quality...
The latter helps to further improve the audio quality...
... when connected to a special port at the right side of the laptop.
... when connected to a special port at the right side of the laptop.
Its packaging isn't the only place...
Its packaging isn't the only place...
... where the name of the sound system...
... where the name of the sound system...
... is engraved.
... is engraved.
External speakers or a microphone...
External speakers or a microphone...
... can be connected via two separate 3.5 mm ports.
... can be connected via two separate 3.5 mm ports.
Next to these, two USB 3.0 ports...
Next to these, two USB 3.0 ports...
... and a Blu-ray drive are located.
... and a Blu-ray drive are located.
The optical drive remains rather silent...
The optical drive remains rather silent...
... and offers almost 3 hours of movie playback...
... and offers almost 3 hours of movie playback...
... while running on the laptop's battery.
... while running on the laptop's battery.
The laptop appears to be extremely slim...
The laptop appears to be extremely slim...
... although this is mostly an optical illusion.
... although this is mostly an optical illusion.
The corners bear testimony...
The corners bear testimony...
... to the N750JV's great overall build quality.
... to the N750JV's great overall build quality.
On the left hand side, a power connector, ...
On the left hand side, a power connector, ...
... an HDMI and a MiniDP port can be found.
... an HDMI and a MiniDP port can be found.
Ethernet is on board, ...
Ethernet is on board, ...
... as are two USB 3.0 ports...
... as are two USB 3.0 ports...
... and a card reader.
... and a card reader.
Unfortunately, beneath the card reader, ...
Unfortunately, beneath the card reader, ...
... the aluminum chassis bulges a bit.
... the aluminum chassis bulges a bit.
The excess heat due to the potent innards...
The excess heat due to the potent innards...
... gets dissipated via an exhaust vent right in front of the display hinge.
... gets dissipated via an exhaust vent right in front of the display hinge.
Unfortunately, despite an intake for cool air on the belly of the device, ...
Unfortunately, despite an intake for cool air on the belly of the device, ...
... throttling could not be prevented during our tests.
... throttling could not be prevented during our tests.
On the left, right above the keyboard, a button can be found...
On the left, right above the keyboard, a button can be found...
... which starts the "Asus Console".
... which starts the "Asus Console".
The power button is located in the same position but on the right hand side.
The power button is located in the same position but on the right hand side.
The keyboard comes with a separate numpad...
The keyboard comes with a separate numpad...
... and backlighting, ...
... and backlighting, ...
... but there is not much space for the arrow keys and...
... but there is not much space for the arrow keys and...
... it lacks some premium feel (among other things due to the skewed return key).
... it lacks some premium feel (among other things due to the skewed return key).
The keyboard during the day...
The keyboard during the day...
... and during night.
... and during night.
The display lid comes with an average maximum opening angle...
The display lid comes with an average maximum opening angle...
... and an HD webcam.
... and an HD webcam.
The display hinge...
The display hinge...
... runs along the entire length of the device, ...
... runs along the entire length of the device, ...
... keeping the display...
... keeping the display...
... firmly in place.
... firmly in place.
On the front, 5 status LEDs can be found.
On the front, 5 status LEDs can be found.

Similar Laptops

Devices from a different Manufacturer and/or with a different CPU

Review HP Envy 17-j110eg Leap Motion Notebook
GeForce GT 750M, Core i7 4702MQ
Review Dell Inspiron 7737 CN77304 Notebook
GeForce GT 750M, Core i7 4500U

Devices with the same GPU

Dell XPS 15 Notebook Review
GeForce GT 750M, Core i7 4712HQ, 15.60", 2.1 kg
Review Samsung ATIV Book 8 870Z5G Notebook
GeForce GT 750M, Core i7 4700HQ, 15.60", 2.4 kg
Review Gigabyte U24T Notebook
GeForce GT 750M, Core i7 4500U, 14.00", 1.78 kg
Review Dell XPS 15 (9530, Late 2013) Notebook
GeForce GT 750M, Core i7 4702HQ, 15.60", 2.02 kg
Apple MacBook Pro Retina 15 Late 2013 Notebook Review
GeForce GT 750M, Core i7 4850HQ, 15.40", 2.012 kg

Links

Price Check

Pros

+Speakers
+Display
+Keyboard backlighting
+Choice of materials
+Maximum volume
+Accessories
 

Cons

-Throttling
-Performance reduction while running on battery
-Minor flaws concerning its build quality

Shortcut

What we like

The large variety of accessories as well as the bright display with its great viewing angles.

What we'd like to see

An SSD.

What surprises us

The exhaust fan which has been placed between the display hinge and the base unit.

The competition

One K56-3F, Samsung Series 7 Chronos 770Z7E, Schenker XMG A723-3UD, Acer Aspire V3-772G, Medion Erazer X7825, Asus G750JW.

Ratings

Asus N750JV-T4110H - 03/20/2014 v4(old)
Michael Nissen

Chassis
87 / 98 → 89%
Keyboard
79%
Pointing Device
67%
Connectivity
74 / 81 → 91%
Weight
55 / 20-67 → 74%
Battery
78%
Display
87%
Games Performance
86 / 85 → 100%
Application Performance
67 / 92 → 73%
Temperature
89%
Noise
81 / 95 → 85%
Audio
65%
Camera
38 / 85 → 45%
Average
73%
81%
Multimedia - Weighted Average
Michael Nissen, 2013-07-31 (Update: 2020-06-11)