Asus N551JW (GTX 960M) Notebook Review

As in the previous model, Asus' N551JW features a Full HD resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. The manufacturer has installed a matte screen from Samsung, and does not offer any screen alternatives. The screen makes a decent impression in brightness. Compared with our previously tested model, the brightness has increased by 25 cd/m² to 338 cd/m², and the contrast of 922:1 alongside the resulting black level of 0.35 cd/m² have also improved slightly. The illumination of 92% is very good, and consequently we did not determine any unpleasant screen bleeding. The maximum brightness is dimmed to 278 cd/m² in mobile use (battery mode).

Intel's Core i7-4720HQ clocks inside our review sample. The CPU comes from Intel's Haswell architecture, and has a base rate of 2.6 GHz. Clock rates of up to 3600 MHz can be reached via the Turbo mode. According to the spec sheet, the TDP is 47 Wh. Not only is the advantage over the tested precursor interesting here. Comparing the results with other laptops that are based on an identical processor is also worthwhile. Our review sample achieved 675 points in the multi-core test of Cinebench R15, twice as many points as the N551JK with its Intel Core i5-4200H. Equally, configured devices, such as MSI's GE60, accomplish the same score. Unfortunately, the Turbo speed was reduced in the course of the test. It started with 3.4 GHz and dropped to 3.1 - 3.3 GHz toward the end. The clock frequency always settled between 3000 and 3300 MHz after running Cinebench R15 in multiple loops. Consequently, the score dropped to approximately 630 points after about ten runs.

Concessions in performance also have to be accepted in battery mode. We determined a performance loss of over 40% in Cinebench R11.5.

The spec sheet also indicates the high system performance of Asus' multimedia laptop. Seen purely subjectively, our review sample was always highly responsive and did not show any weaknesses, even when running multiple applications simultaneously. PCMark 7 provides concrete figures. The score is close to the 5000-point mark, which is far in ahead of both Asus' N551JK and our tested MSI GE60.

To resolve the compromise between fast and high-capacity storage, the manufacturer has installed two hard drives and separated them into three partitions. The SSD hard drive has been designated as the main partition with a capacity of 128 GB. Since it contains the operating system and all the major programs, it ensures fast workflow. A 1 TB HDD is divided into two partitions with sufficient storage capacity. By comparison: The Asus N551JK of our previous test was equipped with an SSHD hard drive. It is particularly important to note that the 4k rates have improved significantly in our current model. The installed SSD manages only a slight advantage in the sequential write rates over our old configuration.

The manufacturer has installed the model of NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 960M with the highest possible memory configuration of 4 GB. Other laptops, such as Schenker's XMG A505, often only have a 2 GB video memory. In terms of performance, NVIDIA's GTX 960M supposedly has an edge of approximately 10% over the former NVIDIA's GTX 860M. We use the program 3DMark 11 to determine the performance of the installed graphics unit. With over 5300 points, the review sample accomplishes 1000 points more than our previously tested model, which was configured with a weaker NVIDIA GTX 850M. However, it achieves 300 points less than an equally configured Schenker XMG A505.

Performance losses will have to be expected in battery mode (mobile use). According to 3DMark 11, only 2126 points are then achieved.

We want to find out whether we should expect more power and by how much with NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 960M based on a gaming benchmark. We opted for the same game that we used in the test of Asus' N551JK: "Thief" from 2014. The stronger graphics unit just allows smooth reproduction in maximum settings. The weaker precursor model of our Asus N551JW achieved almost 30% less frames per second.

System Noise

As we found out in the course of our test, the 15.6-inch multimedia device has plenty of power. We will now dedicate ourselves to the noise development of the fans and HDD. Our review sample was exemplary in idle mode, and it did not produce any distracting noises above 41.2 dB(A) in load. We recorded a maximum noise of 44.7 dB(A) in the stress test. The only point of criticism is the occasional high-pitched hum of our review sample, which is only really audible in very quiet surroundings.

Power Consumption

Despite the power guzzling components, Asus' N551JW consumes less in idle than its precursor. However, the high-performance hardware should be noticed during load, shouldn't it? - Not at all. With a maximum power consumption of 96 watts, it consumes approximately 4 watts less than Asus' N551JK. However, caution is recommended in view of the observed throttling in the stress test.

As in the former model, Asus installs a 6-cell battery with a capacity of 56 Wh. It will be interesting to find out whether the runtime is now longer since the discussed power consumption is lower compared with the older model. We simulate Internet browsing at a brightness of 150 cd/m² in a real-life scenario. The device shut down after only 4 hours and 6 minutes, which is exactly one hour more than its precursor.