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Asus F540SA-XX087T Notebook Review

Satisfactory. A simple, 15.6-inch laptop based on a Braswell CPU, the F540SA-XX087T can be purchased for just under 280 Euros (~$315). The price includes Windows 10 and a 500 GB hard drive. Asus has also installed a USB Type-C port in the low-cost computer.

For the original German review, see here.

With its F540 models Asus has a new lineup of affordable 15.6-inch laptops. Our review sample is priced at less than 300 Euros (~$338). The computers are powered by Braswell processors from Intel. The laptop does not lack rivals. We would, for example, mention Acer's Extensa 2519Acer's Aspire ES1-521HP's 250 G4, and Lenovo's IdeaPad 100-15IBD.

Asus F540SA-XX087T (F540 Series)
Processor
Intel Celeron N3050 2 x 1.6 - 2.2 GHz, Braswell
Graphics adapter
Intel HD Graphics (Braswell), Core: 600 MHz, single channel, 20.19.4300
Memory
2048 MB 
, DDR3-1600, single-channel
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 1366 x 768 pixel 100 PPI, Chi Mei N156BGE-E42, TN LED, glossy: yes
Storage
Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142, 500 GB 
, 5400 rpm, 430 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, 2 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 VGA, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: combo audio, Card Reader: SD, TPM 2.0
Networking
RealTek Semiconductor RTL8101/2/3 Family Fast Ethernet NIC (10/100MBit/s), Atheros AR9485 WiFi Adapter (b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/), Bluetooth 4.0
Optical drive
HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GUE1N
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 25.4 x 381.4 x 251.5 ( = 1 x 15.02 x 9.9 in)
Battery
33 Wh, 3000 mAh Lithium-Ion, 11.25 V
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: SD webcam
Additional features
Speakers: stereo, Keyboard: chiclet, Keyboard Light: no, McAfee LiveSafe-Internet Security (trial), MS Office (trial), 12 Months Warranty
Weight
1.9 kg ( = 67.02 oz / 4.19 pounds), Power Supply: 141 g ( = 4.97 oz / 0.31 pounds)
Price
319 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case & Connectivity

A high-quality metal casing cannot be expected for 280 Euros (~$315). The casing is made entirely of plastic. The base unit's upper side is silver-colored and the lid's back is brown. Asus finishes both parts in a texture that simulates brushed metal. Asus advertises specifically the laptop's relatively light weight of just under 1.9 kg (~4.2 lb). The build does not give much reason for complaint, although the laptop's stability could have been better. The base unit can be twisted too easily for our taste.

The laptop does not have a maintenance hatch. To access the innards, all screws on the underside have to be released to open the casing. Then the laptop is turned right way up again and the upper tray can be removed. This is best done by starting at the right front corner. Care is needed since the upper tray is fixed with plastic hooks that can break easily. Furthermore, the upper tray is connected to the motherboard via two ribbon cables.

In addition to the usual interfaces, the F540SA also features a USB Type-C port that supports the USB 3.1 Gen 1 standard. The interface positioning is not ideal. The wrist rest's left area will not remain free of cables. The memory card reader is relatively slow. Transmitting 250 JPG image files (approx. 5 MB each) was performed at 33 MB/s. We test the memory card reader with our Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II reference card.

Left: Power-in, USB 3.1 Gen 1, Fast Ethernet, VGA-out, HDMI, USB 3.0, USB 2.0, combo audio
Left: Power-in, USB 3.1 Gen 1, Fast Ethernet, VGA-out, HDMI, USB 3.0, USB 2.0, combo audio
Right: DVD burner, lock slot
Right: DVD burner, lock slot
Front: Memory card reader
Front: Memory card reader

Input Devices

Asus has installed an unlit keyboard with a keypad in the F540SA. The keyboard's layout corresponds to the units that we know from other low-cost laptops by Asus. The flat, lightly roughened keys have a medium drop and clear pressure point. The keys are very smooth-running; we think their resistance could be crisper. The keyboard yields when typing on it – more at the center than at the edges. That has a negative impact on typing experience. The space bar made a bad impression. It provides a very spongy feedback. We presume that the key has not been fitted properly. Whether our review sample is a single case we are not sure. Overall, this is not a keyboard for prolific writers. The model has been intended for occasional home use.

The multi-touch ClickPad in the F540SA has a size of approximately 10.5 x 7.2 cm (~4.13 x 2.8 in). This provides plenty of room for gesture control. The single gestures can be turned on and off in the pad's context menu. The pad's sleek surface allows the fingers to glide easily. The pad has a short drop and clear pressure point.

Input devices
Input devices

Display

Pixel grid
Pixel grid

The F540SA is equipped with a glossy 15.6-inch screen that has a native resolution of 1366x768 pixels. The panel pleases with a good contrast (827:1), but its brightness (200.4 cd/m²) is too low. Beyond that, the screen exhibits PWM flickering at a frequency of 200 Hz in brightness levels of 90% and lower. This can lead to eye problems and headaches in sensitive users.

199
cd/m²
206
cd/m²
205
cd/m²
186
cd/m²
215
cd/m²
193
cd/m²
195
cd/m²
214
cd/m²
191
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
Chi Mei N156BGE-E42 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 215 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 200.4 cd/m² Minimum: 10 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 87 %
Center on Battery: 177 cd/m²
Contrast: 827:1 (Black: 0.26 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 13.07 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 4.34 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
60% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
38% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
41.54% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
60% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
40.17% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.48

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM detected 200 Hz ≤ 90 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 200 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 90 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 200 Hz is relatively low, so sensitive users will likely notice flickering and experience eyestrain at the stated brightness setting and below.

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18100 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

The screen presents a DeltaE 2000 color deviation of 13.07 in the state of delivery. This rate is very far from the target range (DeltaE less than 3). The screen does not suffer from a bluish tint. The preloaded color profile is noticed favorably here.

CalMAN - ColorChecker
CalMAN - ColorChecker
CalMAN - Grayscale
CalMAN - Grayscale
CalMAN - Saturation Sweeps
CalMAN - Saturation Sweeps

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
20 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 12 ms rise
↘ 8 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 37 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is similar to the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
20 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 10 ms rise
↘ 10 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 27 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Asus has equipped the F540SA with a viewing angle dependent TN panel. Thus, the screen cannot be read from every position. The laptop cannot be used outdoors. The screen's brightness decreases even further in battery mode. Furthermore, the panel has a reflective surface.

F540SA outdoors
F540SA outdoors

Performance

With the F540SA, Asus has a basic, 15.6-inch office laptop in its lineup. The laptop is suitable for using simple office and Internet applications. Our review sample costs around 280 Euros (~$315). It is sold for just 230 Euros (~$259) without Windows 10. Other configurations also exist.

Processor

The F540SA is equipped with Intel's Celeron N3050 (Braswell) dual-core processor. It is a very low-performance model that is suitable for use with basic office and Internet applications. Thanks to the low TDP of 6 watts, the CPU can be cooled passively. However, Asus relies on an active cooling system. The processor's maximum clock speed is 2.16 GHz. This speed is achieved in both AC and battery mode.

Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
1019
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
1978
Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
2265
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
33 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
61 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
12.17 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
98 %
Help
Cinebench R15
CPU Multi 64Bit
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBD
HD Graphics 5500, 5005U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024
210 Points +244%
Lenovo G51-35 80M8002HGE
Radeon R5 (Beema/Carrizo-L), A8-7410, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPCX-24UE4T0
174 Points +185%
HP 250 G3
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540
158 Points +159%
Acer Aspire ES1-521-87DN
Radeon R5 (Beema/Carrizo-L), A8-6410, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
156 Points +156%
Lenovo IdeaPad 300-15IBR
GeForce 920M, N3700, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
132 Points +116%
Acer Extensa 2519-C7DC
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
65 Points +7%
Asus F540SA-XX087T
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
61 Points
CPU Single 64Bit
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBD
HD Graphics 5500, 5005U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024
82 Points +148%
Lenovo G51-35 80M8002HGE
Radeon R5 (Beema/Carrizo-L), A8-7410, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPCX-24UE4T0
52 Points +58%
Acer Aspire ES1-521-87DN
Radeon R5 (Beema/Carrizo-L), A8-6410, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
49 Points +48%
HP 250 G3
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540
43 Points +30%
Lenovo IdeaPad 300-15IBR
GeForce 920M, N3700, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
36 Points +9%
Acer Extensa 2519-C7DC
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
34 Points +3%
Asus F540SA-XX087T
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
33 Points
Cinebench R10
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBD
HD Graphics 5500, 5005U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024
6953 Points +252%
Acer Aspire ES1-521-87DN
Radeon R5 (Beema/Carrizo-L), A8-6410, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
5659 Points +186%
HP 250 G3
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540
4828 Points +144%
Lenovo G51-35 80M8002HGE
Radeon R5 (Beema/Carrizo-L), A8-7410, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPCX-24UE4T0
4428 Points +124%
Lenovo IdeaPad 300-15IBR
GeForce 920M, N3700, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
3148 Points +59%
Acer Extensa 2519-C7DC
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
2150 Points +9%
Asus F540SA-XX087T
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
1978 Points
Rendering Single 32Bit
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBD
HD Graphics 5500, 5005U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024
3151 Points +209%
Acer Aspire ES1-521-87DN
Radeon R5 (Beema/Carrizo-L), A8-6410, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
1883 Points +85%
Lenovo G51-35 80M8002HGE
Radeon R5 (Beema/Carrizo-L), A8-7410, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPCX-24UE4T0
1642 Points +61%
HP 250 G3
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540
1385 Points +36%
Acer Extensa 2519-C7DC
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
1134 Points +11%
Lenovo IdeaPad 300-15IBR
GeForce 920M, N3700, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
1114 Points +9%
Asus F540SA-XX087T
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
1019 Points
Geekbench 3
32 Bit Single-Core Score
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBD
HD Graphics 5500, 5005U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024
1907 Points +120%
Acer Aspire ES1-521-87DN
Radeon R5 (Beema/Carrizo-L), A8-6410, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
1270 Points +47%
HP 250 G3
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540
982 Points +14%
Asus F540SA-XX087T
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
865 Points
Acer Extensa 2519-C7DC
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
829 Points -4%
32 Bit Multi-Core Score
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBD
HD Graphics 5500, 5005U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024
4093 Points +159%
Acer Aspire ES1-521-87DN
Radeon R5 (Beema/Carrizo-L), A8-6410, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
3756 Points +137%
HP 250 G3
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540
3254 Points +106%
Asus F540SA-XX087T
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
1583 Points
Acer Extensa 2519-C7DC
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
1167 Points -26%
Sunspider - 1.0 Total Score
Acer Extensa 2519-C7DC
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
444.5 ms * -10%
Asus F540SA-XX087T
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
404.9 ms *
HP 250 G3
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540
282.1 ms * +30%
Acer Chromebook C910-354Y
HD Graphics 5500, 5005U, 32 GB SSD
275 ms * +32%
Acer Aspire ES1-521-87DN
Radeon R5 (Beema/Carrizo-L), A8-6410, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
270.2 ms * +33%
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBD
HD Graphics 5500, 5005U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024
164.3 ms * +59%
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Acer Chromebook C910-354Y
HD Graphics 5500, 5005U, 32 GB SSD
115.7 Points +126%
Acer Aspire ES1-521-87DN
Radeon R5 (Beema/Carrizo-L), A8-6410, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
75.7 Points +48%
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBD
HD Graphics 5500, 5005U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024
75.1 Points +47%
Lenovo G51-35 80M8002HGE
Radeon R5 (Beema/Carrizo-L), A8-7410, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPCX-24UE4T0
71.2 Points +39%
Asus F540SA-XX087T
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
51.1 Points
Acer Extensa 2519-C7DC
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
36.67 Points -28%
Lenovo IdeaPad 300-15IBR
GeForce 920M, N3700, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
36.14 Points -29%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
HP 250 G3
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540
6210 ms * -24%
Acer Extensa 2519-C7DC
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
5790 ms * -16%
Asus F540SA-XX087T
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
5001 ms *
Acer Aspire ES1-521-87DN
Radeon R5 (Beema/Carrizo-L), A8-6410, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
3876 ms * +22%
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBD
HD Graphics 5500, 5005U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024
3333 ms * +33%
Acer Chromebook C910-354Y
HD Graphics 5500, 5005U, 32 GB SSD
1636 ms * +67%
Octane V2 - Total Score
Acer Chromebook C910-354Y
HD Graphics 5500, 5005U, 32 GB SSD
19700 Points +162%
Acer Aspire ES1-521-87DN
Radeon R5 (Beema/Carrizo-L), A8-6410, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
11133 Points +48%
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBD
HD Graphics 5500, 5005U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024
9479 Points +26%
Asus F540SA-XX087T
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
7505 Points
Acer Extensa 2519-C7DC
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
5606 Points -25%
HP 250 G3
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540
4996 Points -33%
Peacekeeper - ---
Acer Chromebook C910-354Y
HD Graphics 5500, 5005U, 32 GB SSD
3193 Points +377%
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBD
HD Graphics 5500, 5005U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024
1926 Points +187%
Acer Aspire ES1-521-87DN
Radeon R5 (Beema/Carrizo-L), A8-6410, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
1038 Points +55%
HP 250 G3
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540
996 Points +49%
Asus F540SA-XX087T
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
670 Points
Acer Extensa 2519-C7DC
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
587 Points -12%

* ... smaller is better

System Performance

The system runs smoothly; we did not experience any problems. The PCMark benchmarks scores correspond to the performance capabilities of the installed SoC. Braswell laptops score better than comparable Bay Trail models thanks to their stronger graphics units. The system performance of the F540SA can be increased by replacing the HDD with a solid-state drive.

PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
1598 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
1624 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
1269 points
Help
PCMark 8 - Home Score Accelerated v2
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBD
HD Graphics 5500, 5005U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024
2720 Points +70%
Lenovo G51-35 80M8002HGE
Radeon R5 (Beema/Carrizo-L), A8-7410, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPCX-24UE4T0
1960 Points +23%
Acer Aspire ES1-521-87DN
Radeon R5 (Beema/Carrizo-L), A8-6410, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
1872 Points +17%
Lenovo IdeaPad 300-15IBR
GeForce 920M, N3700, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
1740 Points +9%
Acer Extensa 2519-C7DC
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
1634 Points +2%
Asus F540SA-XX087T
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
1598 Points

Storage Device

Asus has incorporated a 2.5-inch hard drive from Seagate in its laptop. It spins at 5400 revolutions per minute and has a capacity of 500 GB. The drive's transfer rates are on the expected level for a 5400 RPM model.

Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
Transfer Rate Minimum: 47.5 MB/s
Transfer Rate Maximum: 120.7 MB/s
Transfer Rate Average: 85.4 MB/s
Access Time: 19.6 ms
Burst Rate: 103.3 MB/s
CPU Usage: 7 %

Graphics Card

Intel's HD Graphics 400 (Braswell) GPU is on board. It supports DirectX 12 and clocks at speeds of up to 600 MHz. While hardly any differences are seen in the CPU performance of Bay Trail and Haswell, it looks different with the graphics units. Intel relies on a more modern, higher-performance architecture for its Braswell models. Consequently, the Braswell GPUs score much better than their predecessors in the 3DMark benchmarks - on a low level.

The decoder integrated in the GPU ensures that the laptop can play virtually all common video formats despite the weak CPU. This also includes the H.265 format (successor of the now often used H.264 format). It makes smaller files at the same image quality possible. The CPU load remained below 20% during our video playback test (4K, H.265, 60 FPS).

3DMark 11 Performance
425 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
18047 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
1497 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
231 points
Help
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance
Lenovo IdeaPad 300-15IBR
GeForce 920M, N3700, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
1573 Points +270%
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBD
HD Graphics 5500, 5005U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024
1045 Points +146%
Lenovo G51-35 80M8002HGE
Radeon R5 (Beema/Carrizo-L), A8-7410, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPCX-24UE4T0
860 Points +102%
Acer Aspire ES1-521-87DN
Radeon R5 (Beema/Carrizo-L), A8-6410, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
829 Points +95%
Acer Extensa 2519-C7DC
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
442 Points +4%
Asus F540SA-XX087T
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
425 Points
3DMark
1280x720 Ice Storm Standard Score
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBD
HD Graphics 5500, 5005U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024
39323 Points +118%
Acer Aspire ES1-521-87DN
Radeon R5 (Beema/Carrizo-L), A8-6410, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
24304 Points +35%
HP 250 G3
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540
19019 Points +5%
Acer Extensa 2519-C7DC
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
18186 Points +1%
Asus F540SA-XX087T
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
18047 Points
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Score
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBD
HD Graphics 5500, 5005U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024
3989 Points +166%
Acer Aspire ES1-521-87DN
Radeon R5 (Beema/Carrizo-L), A8-6410, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
2071 Points +38%
Acer Extensa 2519-C7DC
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
1529 Points +2%
HP 250 G3
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540
1512 Points +1%
Asus F540SA-XX087T
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
1497 Points
1280x720 Sky Diver Score
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBD
HD Graphics 5500, 5005U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024
2287 Points +129%
Acer Aspire ES1-521-87DN
Radeon R5 (Beema/Carrizo-L), A8-6410, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
1823 Points +83%
Acer Extensa 2519-C7DC
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
1032 Points +4%
Asus F540SA-XX087T
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
997 Points
1920x1080 Fire Strike Score
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBD
HD Graphics 5500, 5005U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024
545 Points +136%
Acer Aspire ES1-521-87DN
Radeon R5 (Beema/Carrizo-L), A8-6410, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
510 Points +121%
Acer Extensa 2519-C7DC
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
236 Points +2%
Asus F540SA-XX087T
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
231 Points

Gaming Performance

The weak SoC in the F540SA can at most render a handful of games smoothly in a low resolution and low quality settings. For example we can mention "Sims 4". Considerably more playable games can be found in the Windows Store under Casual Games.

low med. high ultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 17.5 9.1 7

Emissions & Energy Management

Fan loudness
Fan loudness

System Noise

The fan is usually inactive in idle mode, and only the hard drive's noise is audible. Replacing the HDD with an SSD would lead to more silence. The fan did not speed up excessively during the stress test. We measured a noise level of 35.5 dB(A).

Noise Level

Idle
31.7 / 31.7 / 31.7 dB(A)
HDD
31.9 dB(A)
DVD
36.4 / dB(A)
Load
37.2 / 35.3 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 31.2 dB(A)

Temperature

F540SA in the stress test
F540SA in the stress test

The F540SA performed our stress test in the same manner in both AC and battery mode. The CPU and GPU can operate at their full speeds thanks to the SoC's active cooling. The active cooling has another advantage: The laptop barely heats up. The temperatures remained below 30 degrees Celsius (~86 degrees Fahrenheit) on all measuring points during the stress test.

Max. Load
 26.5 °C
80 F
22.4 °C
72 F
21.9 °C
71 F
 
 29.8 °C
86 F
24.5 °C
76 F
22.3 °C
72 F
 
 26.5 °C
80 F
24.9 °C
77 F
25.1 °C
77 F
 
Maximum: 29.8 °C = 86 F
Average: 24.9 °C = 77 F
23 °C
73 F
26.9 °C
80 F
26 °C
79 F
24 °C
75 F
23 °C
73 F
28 °C
82 F
26.5 °C
80 F
23.3 °C
74 F
26 °C
79 F
Maximum: 28 °C = 82 F
Average: 25.2 °C = 77 F
Power Supply (max.)  44.4 °C = 112 F | Room Temperature 21.2 °C = 70 F | FIRT 550-Pocket
(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 24.9 °C / 77 F, compared to the average of 29.5 °C / 85 F for the devices in the class Office.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 29.8 °C / 86 F, compared to the average of 34.2 °C / 94 F, ranging from 21.2 to 62.5 °C for the class Office.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 28 °C / 82 F, compared to the average of 36.7 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 24.1 °C / 75 F, compared to the device average of 29.5 °C / 85 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 26.5 °C / 79.7 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 27.7 °C / 81.9 F (+1.2 °C / 2.2 F).

Speakers

Pink Noise
Pink Noise

The stereo speakers are situated above the keyboard. Speaker openings do not exist. The speakers produce a decent sound that allows prolonged listening. We have listened to worse speakers.

Power Consumption

It is not surprising that a low-performance device such as the F540SA does not need much power. We measured a maximum idle power consumption of 7.1 watts. This rate climbed to 20.7 watts during the stress test. That is also the maximum; CPU and GPU clock at their full speeds. The power supply has a nominal output of 33 watts.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.38 / 0.4 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 3.8 / 6.9 / 7.14 Watt
Load midlight 20 / 20.7 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
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 Runtime

We simulate the load needed for opening websites in our practical Wi-Fi test. The "Balanced" profile is enabled, and the screen's brightness is set to approximately 150 cd/m². The F540SA achieved a runtime of 5:29 hours - a very good rate. A higher-capacity battery would allow for considerably more. The existing battery has a capacity of 33 Wh. There would have been enough room for a larger battery. By comparison: the 14-inch Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 14 laptop comes with a 55 Wh battery.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing (Edge 25.10586.0.0)
5h 29min
Battery Runtime - WiFi v1.3
Asus F540SA-XX087T
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
329 min
Acer Extensa 2519-C7DC
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
340 min
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBD
HD Graphics 5500, 5005U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024
255 min
Acer Aspire ES1-521-87DN
Radeon R5 (Beema/Carrizo-L), A8-6410, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
290 min
Acer Chromebook C910-354Y
HD Graphics 5500, 5005U, 32 GB SSD
520 min
Lenovo G51-35 80M8002HGE
Radeon R5 (Beema/Carrizo-L), A8-7410, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPCX-24UE4T0
205 min
Lenovo IdeaPad 300-15IBR
GeForce 920M, N3700, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
251 min

Pros

+ high-contrast screen
+ low price
+ USB Type-C

Cons

- dark screen
- 12 month warranty only
- Fast Ethernet only

Verdict

In review: Asus F540SA-XX087T. Test model courtesy of Notebooksbilliger.de
In review: Asus F540SA-XX087T. Test model courtesy of Notebooksbilliger.de

The computing power of the installed SoC is enough for using basic office and Internet applications. The decoder integrated in the graphics unit allows rendering all common video formats. The laptop runs quietly and virtually does not heat up. Replacing the HDD would be possible. However, the casing would then have to be opened. The keyboard will not win any awards, but it satisfies the demands of home use. The battery life is acceptable. The screen surprises with good contrast, but also disappoints with low brightness at the same time. It dims even further in battery mode.

The F540SA-XX087T was priced at 280 Euros (~$315) at test time. The price makes the flaws/points of criticism that we have mentioned tolerable. Here, a basic office laptop for home use is available for little money.

Asus F540SA-XX087T - 06/08/2016 v5.1(old)
Sascha Mölck

Chassis
72 / 98 → 73%
Keyboard
69%
Pointing Device
81%
Connectivity
41 / 80 → 51%
Weight
64 / 20-67 → 94%
Battery
85%
Display
73%
Games Performance
37 / 68 → 54%
Application Performance
39 / 92 → 43%
Temperature
96%
Noise
90%
Audio
41%
Camera
38 / 85 → 44%
Average
63%
76%
Office - Weighted Average

Pricecompare

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Sascha Mölck, 2016-06-11 (Update: 2018-05-15)