Asus K42 Series

Graphics Adapter: ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5470, Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 4500MHD, NVIDIA GeForce GT 335M
Display: 14.00 inch
Weight: 2.2kg, 2.4kg
Price: 600, 790, 800 euro
Average of 4 scores (from 4 reviews)
Asus K42F
Specifications

Processor: Intel Core i5 540M
Graphics Adapter: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 4500MHD
Display: 14.00 inch, 16:9, 1366 x 768 pixels
Weight: 2.2kg
Price: 600 euro
Links: Asus homepage Asus notebook section
Pricecompare
Average Score:
Reviews
Source: Laptop Mag

There’s no question that Intel’s Core i5 processor is a breakthrough for notebook performance. And the ASUS K42F puts this technology to good use by delivering awesome performance for everyday tasks plus impressive multitasking power in a design that’s easily portable. We also like the built-in Blu-ray player, bright screen, and nearly five hours of battery life. However, the design of this notebook doesn’t quite live up to its high-octane components, especially when it comes to ergonomics. Overall, though, the K42F is one hell of a mobile speed demon.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 12/29/2009
Rating: Total score: 70%
Asus K42JR
Specifications

Processor: Intel Core i3 350M
Graphics Adapter: ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5470
Display: 14.00 inch, 16:9, 1366 x 768 pixels
Weight: 2.4kg
Price: 600 euro
Links: Asus homepage Asus notebook section
Pricecompare
Average Score:
Foreign Reviews
Source: Retera

Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 03/22/2010
Rating: Total score: 70% performance: 58% display: 62% mobility: 44% emissions: 49%
Asus K42JV-VX054V
Specifications

Processor: Intel Core i5 540M
Graphics Adapter: NVIDIA GeForce GT 335M
Display: 14.00 inch, 16:9, 1366 x 768 pixels
Weight: 2.2kg
Price: 800 euro
Links: Asus homepage Asus notebook section
Pricecompare
Average Score:
Foreign Reviews
Source: Notebookjournal

Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 10/26/2010
Rating: Total score: 90% price: 80% performance: 80% features: 50% display: 30% mobility: 30% workmanship: 90% ergonomy: 50%
Asus K42JV-X1
Specifications

Processor: Intel Core i5 450M
Graphics Adapter: NVIDIA GeForce GT 335M
Display: 14.00 inch, 16:9, 1366 x 768 pixels
Weight: 2.2kg
Price: 790 euro
Links: Asus homepage Asus notebook section
Pricecompare
Average Score:
Reviews
Source: Comp Reviews

The ASUS K42JV-X1 offers a good mix of strong performance and graphics in a compact 14-inch package. Not only does it feature a Core i5 processor but also a 7200rpm 500GB hard drive. The keyboard design is also very comfortable to use but the glossy coating will easily pick up fingerprints. Graphics are good and switchable between dedicated and integrated but it is older technology that doesn't support Direct X 11 and must be switched manually.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 11/03/2010
Rating: Total score: 80%
Comment
Asus: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. is a major Taiwanese computer hardware manufacturer based in Taipei, founded in 1989. Under the Asus brand name, the company manufactures a wide range of products, including laptops, desktops, motherboards, graphics cards, monitors, smartphones and networking equipment, complete systems and PC components for end users.
Under the ROG (Republic of Gamers) brand name, ASUS manufactures gaming laptops known by gamers for their powerful specifications, dedicated graphics cards, high refresh rate displays and advanced cooling systems.
Beyond gaming, a wide range of notebooks are offered for different needs and budgets, from ultra-slim and lightweight ultrabooks to versatile 2-in-1 convertibles and budget-friendly options. In 2023, Asus had a 7% global market share of the PC market.
Customer satisfaction with ASUS notebooks concerns performance, the features, and the good price-performance ratio of ASUS notebooks. However, as with any brand, there are occasional reports of problems such as overheating, driver compatibility, or build quality issues.
Only some 3D games with very low demands are playable with these cards.
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 4500MHD: Onboard (shared Memory) GPU built in the GM45, GE45 and GS45 chipset (Montevina). Because of two more shaders and a higher core clock, much faster than the old GMA X3100. Still not advisable for gamers (DirectX 10 games not playable or only with very low settings). The integrated video processor is able to help decode HD videos (AVC/VC-2/MPEG2) , e.g., for a fluent Blu-Ray playback with slow CPUs.
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5470: Entry level DirectX 11 chip with GDDR5 support but only 80 shader cores. Supports Eyefinity (up to 4 monitors) and 8-ch HD audio over HDMI. Performance on par with the old GeForce 8600M GT.
Non demanding games should be playable with these graphics cards.
NVIDIA GeForce GT 335M: The GeForce GT 335M offers 72 shader cores (compared to the 48 of the GT 330M) and is based on the GT215 core (GTS 350M).
» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Graphics Cards and the corresponding Benchmark List.
Intel Core i5:
540M: The Core i5-540M has only 3 MB L3 Cache (compared to the I7-620M) and clocks between 2.53-3.06 GHz (Turbo Mode). Thanks to Hyperthreading, 4 threads can be processed simultaneously. An integrated graphics card (GMA HD 3150) and a DDR3 memory controller are also included in the package.
450M: Should be similar to the Core i5-520M but without AES functions.
Intel Core i3:
350M:
The Core i3-350M is technically a Core i5-430M without the Turbo Boost overlocking feature. Therefore, it always clocks with max. 2.26 GHz (of course Speedstep is included). Thanks to Hyperthreading, 4 threads can be processed simultaneously. An integrated graphics card (GMA HD) and a DDR3 memory controller are also included in the package.
» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.
14.00:
14 inch display size represents a middle ground between the small subnotebook formats and the screens of the standard 15 inch laptops.
The reason for the popularity of mid-sized displays is that this size is reasonably easy on the eyes, provides good resolutions with usable detail sizes, yet does not consume too much power and the devices can still be reasonably compact.
In the past, 14-inch devices were very rare, but now they are the standard for laptops after the 15-inchers.
» To find out how fine a display is, see our DPI List.
No weight comment found (one expected)!
77.5%: This rating is not earth-shattering. This rating must actually be seen as average, since there are about as many devices with worse ratings as better ones. A purchase recommendation can only be seen with a lot of goodwill, unless it is about websites that generally rate strictly.
» Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.