Asus N751JX Notebook Review

The N751JX comes with the same matte, bright Full HD display as its sibling. Nevertheless, the measured values are not exactly the same. This is normal, since two identical panels are never exactly the same.

The N751JX is one of the premium all-round notebooks from Asus. The processing performance is sufficient for all usual application scenarios. In addition, the computer can run games. Our test model is priced at about 1200 Euros (~$1351). Asus also offers other configurations.

With the Core i7-4720HQ quad core processor (Haswell), the N751JX houses one of the fastest mobile processors currently available from Intel. It delivers more than enough performance for all usual application scenarios. The CPU works at a base clock of 2.6 GHz. With Turbo, the clock can increase to 3.4 GHz (four cores), 3.5 GHz (two cores) or 3.6 GHz (single core). In both mains operation and on battery, the CPU runs at 3.3 to 3.6 GHz in single thread applications. Multithread applications are processed at 3.1 to 3.3 GHz in mains operation. Therefore, the processor falls short of its potential in Multithread applications. In battery mode, the CPU clock falls abruptly to 800 MHz repeatedly during Multithread applications.

Applications optimized for multiple cores benefit from the quad core processor of the N751JX. However, the quad core processor performs only slightly better than the frugal ULV dual core processors like the Core i7-5500U in single thread performance, which is important for everyday tasks.

The system performance is not surprising. The system works smoothly without any problems. The results of the PCMark benchmarks are very good. The Asus notebook cannot outperform ULV notebooks like the HP Envy 17. The powerful processor does not really bring advantages for everyday tasks. However, it is still possible to increase the system performance of the N751JX. In order to do so, the notebook has to be equipped with a solid-state disk. Positive: You do not need to remove the hard drive to do so. The computer features an M.2 slot (full size) for an SSD.

Our test model comes with a hard drive from Toshiba with a capacity of 1 TB and a revolution speed of 5400 rpm. The hard drive is partitioned into a system partition (372 GB) and a data partition (542 GB). The transfer rates of the hard drive are normal for 5400-rpm hard drives. If you run out of storage space, you can upgrade the laptop in several ways. For example, an SSD could be connected to the M.2 slot (Full Size). In addition, there is also a second hard drive tray, where you could incorporate another 2.5-inch hard drive.

Asus has equipped the N751JX with the GeForce GTX 950M graphics card, the successor of the GTX 850M core. The two GPUs are technically identical. The GTX 950M core has just over 4% higher maximum clock (1084 MHz/1124 MHz). As a result, there is hardly any difference between the performance of GTX 950M and GTX 850M notebooks with comparable CPUs. This can be seen in practice: The results in the 3DMark benchmarks of the N751JX are only slightly better than those of the N751JK sibling with GTX 850M.

Apart from the GeForce GPU, the notebook also features Intel's HD Graphics 4600 graphics core. The two GPUs are combined in a graphics switch solution. Intel's GPU is responsible for everyday tasks and on battery and Nvidia's graphics card is used for demanding applications like computer games. The graphics cards are switched automatically. The user does not need to intervene.

Current computer games can be played with the combination of the CPU and GPU of the computer. Most games run in HD resolution (1366x768 pixels) with medium to high quality settings. The maximum resolution of the screen can only be used in a few games. As already mentioned, the GTX 950M only works at an almost 4% higher maximum clock than its predecessor. As a result, the frame rates are slightly higher at best. In practice, the results are not that clear. For example GTX 850M notebooks achieve significantly higher frame rates than the N751JX in the game “Dirt Rally”. We suspect that driver optimization is missing.

There is no reason for owners of a GTX 850M notebook to replace it with a GTX 950M model - unless it also brings a CPU upgrade. If you are considering buying a GTX 950M model, you should also consider GTX 850M models as an alternative. You might save some money and the gaming performance is only slightly lower.

If you need more gaming performance, you should buy a different notebook. Notebooks with GeForce GTX 960M are recommended, - e.g. the Acer Aspire VN7-791G starting from 1200 Euros (~$1351) is not any more expensive.

While idling, the fan works constantly at low speed. In addition, the noise of the hard drive is audible. Under load, the fan gets louder. During the stress test, we measured a noise level of 42.4 dB(A). Considering the performance of the hardware, this is a good value.

The power consumption of the Asus computer is not surprising. While idling, we recorded a power consumption of up to 17.8 watts, which is usual for a notebook with this hardware. During the stress test, the energy demand increases to 92.3 watts. If the CPU used its Turbo, the value would clearly exceed the 100 watts mark. Reserves would be available: The power adapter is rated at 120 watts.

Our realistic WLAN test automatically opens web sites at 40-second intervals. The profile "balanced" is selected and the display brightness is set to about 150 cd/m². The N751JX achieves a battery life of 4:04 h and falls behind its sibling (4:58 h).