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Review Asus X750LN-TY012H Notebook

Haswell meets Maxwell. Asus offers a multimedia all-rounder for around 700 Euros (~$966) with the X750LN-TY012H. Thanks to the new GeForce 840M GPU, the notebook should be suited for gaming. Nvidia advertises a performance improvement of up to 35 percent compared to the predecessor – the GeForce GT 740M.

The latest 17.3-inch all-rounder from Asus is well equipped: Besides a Core i7 processor there is also the brand-new GeForce 840M GPU. All that is supported by 8 GB memory and a 1 TB hard drive. Sounds promising, but can the notebook confirm the good first impression in practice? 

We use the rivals Lenovo IdeaPad Z710 (Core i5-4200MGeForce GT 740M) and Acer Aspire V3-772G (Core i7-4702MQGeForce GTX 760M) to classify the notebook. Our review configuration of the Aspire retails for more than 1,000 Euros (~$1380), but there is also an entry-level version for 700 Euros (~$966).

Case

According to the spec sheet, the case of the X750LN is around 31.5 mm (1.24 inches) high at its thickest point. Still, the notebook appears comparatively thin for a 17.3-inch device – we like that. The chassis is primarily made of plastic; only the top of the base unit is made of brushed aluminum. The other components of the case have a black color scheme. The display cover has a structured surface with circular grooves around the center. We are already familiar with this design element from other Asus notebooks – for instance, the X550LD-XX023H.

There is not much to criticize about the stability. The base unit does reveal some weaknesses that we already know from most notebooks: We can slightly dent the base unit to the left of the keyboard and underneath the touchpad. The torsion resistance is okay, we can slightly twist the base unit, but it is not worrying. Overall, the base unit benefits from the metal element. However, that does not apply for the display cover, which can be easily twisted. Concentrated pressure on the back on the other hand is handled pretty well; we can only produce picture distortions at some spots. The hinges do a good job and keep the display in position, but they cannot prevent a slight bouncing. Opening the lid with one hand is possible.

The Asus X750LN-TY012H.
The Asus X750LN-TY012H.
The cover has a circular pattern. (Picture: Asus)
The cover has a circular pattern. (Picture: Asus)
There is no maintenance cover.
There is no maintenance cover.

Connectivity

All three contenders offer the same port variety with the usual ports. The port layout of the Asus notebook is not very convenient. All ports are very far at the front of the sides next to the palm rest.

Left side: Kensington Lock, VGA, HDMI, Gigabit-Ethernet, 2x USB 3.0, combined stereo jack
Left side: Kensington Lock, VGA, HDMI, Gigabit-Ethernet, 2x USB 3.0, combined stereo jack
Right side: 2x USB 2.0, DVD burner, AC power
Right side: 2x USB 2.0, DVD burner, AC power
The card reader is at the front.
The card reader is at the front.

Communication

The WLAN module of the X750LN is provided by Atheros (AR9485) and supports the WLAN standards 802.11 b/g/n. We did not determine any issues with the WLAN performance and the connection was stable within a 15 m (~49 feet) radius around the router (transmitting power: 50 percent). The Gigabit-Ethernet chip of the Asus notebook comes from Realtek (RTL8168/8111) and is already familiar from many other notebooks. A Bluetooth module, however, is not available. Similar to other devices you also get a webcam, but it does not produce outstanding pictures (maximum resolution: 1280x720 pixels).

Accessories

Besides a manual, the box only contains the notebook and some warranty information. 

Operating System

The X750LN comes with a preloaded version of Windows 8.1 (64-bit), but a Windows DVD is not provided. You will have to search for the drivers by yourself if you want to use Windows 7; Asus only supports Windows 8.1.

Maintenance

The maintainability of the X750LN is not very good because there is no maintenance cover. You will have to open the case before you can access the components. We tried it. First, you have to loosen all the screws at the bottom. After that, you turn the notebook around to remove the top of the base unit. There are additional plastic clips, so you will have to use a sharp object and be very careful. Attention: The top cover and the mainboard are connected with three flat ribbon cables. After the removal of the cover, you can access the fan, the hard drive, as well as the battery. You will have to remove the mainboard to get to the other components, but we waived that step to avoid any damages to the review unit.

Warranty

Asus grants a two-year warranty for the X750LN and the same applies for the Aspire and the IdeaPad. The warranty period of the Asus notebook can be extended to three years; the corresponding service upgrade is available for 80-90 Euros (~$110 to $124).

Input Devices

Keyboard

Asus equipped the X750LN with a non-illuminated chiclet keyboard. The main keys have a size of around 15 x 15 millimeters. Overall, the flat and slightly roughened keys have a medium travel and a well-defined pressure point. The resistance is also okay. We encountered some bouncing in the area of the Return key during typing, but it was not annoying. All in all, Asus integrates a decent keyboard for typical usage scenarios.

Touchpad

The mouse replacement is a ClickPad (a touchpad without dedicated mouse buttons; the whole pad is one button) with multi-touch support and dimensions of 10.4 x 7.3 cm (~4.1 x 2.9 inches). This means there is sufficient room for a comfortable execution of multi-touch gestures, and the smooth surface provides very good gliding capabilities. The several multi-touch gestures can be configured individually in the settings. The pad itself has a limited travel and a clearly audible and perceptible pressure point.

Keyboard without illumination
Keyboard without illumination
Asus integrates a touchpad with multi-touch support.
Asus integrates a touchpad with multi-touch support.

Display

Asus equips the X750LN with a glossy 17.3-inch display and a native resolution of 1600x900 pixels. It cannot keep up with the average class result of the last 12 months with an average brightness of 229 cd/m². Both the IdeaPad (256.6 cd/m², HD+) and the Aspire (293.7 cd/m², Full HD) are superior.

225
cd/m²
217
cd/m²
230
cd/m²
235
cd/m²
236
cd/m²
253
cd/m²
222
cd/m²
215
cd/m²
228
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
LG Philips LP173WD1-TLG1 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 253 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 229 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 85 %
Center on Battery: 234 cd/m²
Contrast: 315:1 (Black: 0.75 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.49 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 5.48 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
46.8% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
53.1% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
71.7% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
53% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.32
Asus X750LN vs. sRGB
Asus X750LN vs. sRGB
Asus X750LN vs. AdobeRGB
Asus X750LN vs. AdobeRGB

Contrast (315:1) and black value (0.75 cd/m²) are not overwhelming, either. The IdeaPad (574:1, 0.46 cd/m²) and Aspire (837:1, 0.38 cd/m²) are once again better. The display of the X750LN cannot cover the color spaces sRGB or AdobeRGB with just 62.3 percent (sRGB) and 46.8 percent (AdobeRGB), respectively. These color spaces are, for instance, important for professional picture editing.

The color accuracy of the display is reasonably good because Asus preinstalled a color profile. Ex-works we can determine an average DeltaE-2000 deviation of 5.5, which is not very far away from the target value (DeltaE smaller 3). Thanks to the color profile, the blue cast is also reduced to a minimum. It is, however, clearly visible without the profile.

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

The X750LN was not designed for outdoor scenarios. The glossy display surface pretty much prevents the use outdoors; only a place in the shade can improve the situation.

Similar to many other notebooks with a TN panel, the viewing angle stability is not very good; especially vertical changes quickly result in color inversions. The horizontal angle is much wider, and even multiple persons can look at the display simultaneously.

The X750LN outdoors. (Picture was taken on a cloudy day)
The X750LN outdoors. (Picture was taken on a cloudy day)
Viewing angles Asus X750LN-TY012H
Viewing angles Asus X750LN-TY012H

Performance

Asus offers a 17.3-inch all-round notebook with the X750LN. Besides daily tasks, gaming should not be a problem for the device, either. Our review unit is currently available for around 700 Euros (~$966), but Asus also offers other configurations.

CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
GPU-Z
GPU-Z
HWInfo
System information Asus X750LN-TY012H

Processor

The heart of the X750LN is a Core i7-4500U dual-core processor based on Intel's current Haswell architecture. It has a nominal clock of 1.8 GHz, which can be raised up to 2.7 GHz (both cores) and 3 GHz (only one core), respectively, via Turbo Boost. Asus decided to integrate a frugal ULV CPU with a TDP of 15 Watts.

ULV processors in 17.3-inch notebooks are still a bit unusual, standard voltage models offer significantly more performance because of the higher clocks. However, that changed with the launch of Haswell processors. They offer a good compromise between performance and power consumption (and the resulting battery runtimes), so there are more and more devices with these processors.

The CPU can always maintain its maximum performance during the Cinebench benchmarks – both on AC and on battery power. We registered higher results for the two rivals, because their CPUs have higher clocks. The processor of the Aspire also has four cores.

Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
4296
Cinebench R10 Shading 64Bit
6573 Points
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 64Bit
11612 Points
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single CPUs 64Bit
5690 Points
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
8747
Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
6514
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
1.32 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
2.85 Points
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
46.12 fps
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
117 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
57.8 fps
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
265 Points
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Help
Cinebench R11.5 - CPU Single 64Bit (sort by value)
Asus X750LN-TY012H
GeForce 840M, 4500U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
1.32 Points
Asus F75VC-TY088H
GeForce GT 720M, 2370M, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E380
0.96 Points -27%
HP ProBook 470 G1 E9Y75EA
Radeon HD 8750M, 4200M, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E380
1.35 Points +2%
Acer Aspire E1-772G 54208G1TMnsk
GeForce 820M, 4200M, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
1.36 Points +3%
Lenovo IdeaPad Z710 59393211
GeForce GT 740M, 4200M, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
1.37 Points +4%
Acer Aspire V3-772G-747A321
GeForce GTX 760M, 4702MQ, Toshiba HG5d THNSNH256GMCT
1.42 Points +8%
Lenovo G710 59397112
GeForce GT 720M, 4702MQ, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
1.44 Points +9%
Toshiba Satellite P70-A-104
GeForce GT 745M, 4700MQ, HGST Travelstar 5K1000 HTS541010A9E680
1.5 Points +14%
Cinebench R11.5 - CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value)
Asus X750LN-TY012H
GeForce 840M, 4500U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
2.85 Points
Asus F75VC-TY088H
GeForce GT 720M, 2370M, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E380
2.29 Points -20%
HP ProBook 470 G1 E9Y75EA
Radeon HD 8750M, 4200M, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E380
3.22 Points +13%
Lenovo IdeaPad Z710 59393211
GeForce GT 740M, 4200M, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
3.24 Points +14%
Acer Aspire E1-772G 54208G1TMnsk
GeForce 820M, 4200M, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
3.25 Points +14%
Lenovo G710 59397112
GeForce GT 720M, 4702MQ, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
6.35 Points +123%
Acer Aspire V3-772G-747A321
GeForce GTX 760M, 4702MQ, Toshiba HG5d THNSNH256GMCT
6.36 Points +123%
Toshiba Satellite P70-A-104
GeForce GT 745M, 4700MQ, HGST Travelstar 5K1000 HTS541010A9E680
6.98 Points +145%

System Performance

The system is smooth and snappy, and we did not determine any problems. PCMark results are good as well, but the X750LN cannot keep up with the rivals in PCMark 7 because they are equipped with an SSD (Aspire) and a hybrid drive (IdeaPad), respectively. The situation changes in PCMark 8; this benchmark has other priorities and the X750LN can benefit from the powerful GPU.

PCMark 7 Score
2913 points
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
2948 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
3429 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
3664 points
Help
PCMark 7 - Score (sort by value)
Asus X750LN-TY012H
GeForce 840M, 4500U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
2913 Points
Asus F75VC-TY088H
GeForce GT 720M, 2370M, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E380
2130 Points -27%
Acer Aspire E1-772G 54208G1TMnsk
GeForce 820M, 4200M, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
2630 Points -10%
HP ProBook 470 G1 E9Y75EA
Radeon HD 8750M, 4200M, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E380
2689 Points -8%
HP Pavilion 17-e126sg
Radeon HD 8670M, 4200M, TOSHIBA MQ01ABD075
2953 Points +1%
Toshiba Satellite P70-A-104
GeForce GT 745M, 4700MQ, HGST Travelstar 5K1000 HTS541010A9E680
3292 Points +13%
Lenovo G710 59397112
GeForce GT 720M, 4702MQ, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
3310 Points +14%
Lenovo IdeaPad Z710 59393211
GeForce GT 740M, 4200M, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
3910 Points +34%
Acer Aspire V3-772G-747A321
GeForce GTX 760M, 4702MQ, Toshiba HG5d THNSNH256GMCT
5650 Points +94%

Storage Devices

Asus equips our review unit with a hard drive from the Seagate Momentus-series. It has a capacity of 1 TB and works at 5,400 revolutions per minute. The hard drive has one partition for the operating system (372 GB) and one partition for your files (537 GB). CrystalDiskMark determines a read performance of 98.26 MB/s and HD Tune shows an average transfer rate of 85.3 MB/s. These are good results for a 5,400-rpm drive.

Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
Transfer Rate Minimum: 49.9 MB/s
Transfer Rate Maximum: 111.4 MB/s
Transfer Rate Average: 85.3 MB/s
Access Time: 17.4 ms
Burst Rate: 281 MB/s
CPU Usage: 5.2 %

Graphics

Graphics of the X750LN are handled by an Optimus configuration that consists of Intel's HD Graphics 4400 GPU and the new GeForce 840M chip. While the GeForce core is used for more demanding scenarios like gaming, Intel's chip takes care of standard tasks and battery operation. Both GPUs support at least DirectX 11. The GeForce 840M is based on Nvidia's new Maxwell architecture. It is an entry-level mainstream GPU with a core clock of 1,029 MHz, which can be raised to 1,124 MHz via Turbo.

According to Nvidia, the performance of the 840M is around 35 percent above the GeForce GT 740M GPU, but this claim is not supported by the 3DMarks. They determine an advantage of around 20 percent; however, you should consider that the CPU influences the 3DMark result as well. The X750LN is ahead of the IdeaPad, but both devices cannot keep up with the Aspire that has a much more powerful GPU.

3DMark 03 Standard
20038 points
3DMark 05 Standard
17271 points
3DMark 06 Standard Score
10318 points
3DMark Vantage P Result
7527 points
3DMark 11 Performance
2459 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
53742 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
6087 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
1387 points
Help
Asus X750LN-TY012H
GeForce 840M, 4500U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
Lenovo IdeaPad Z710 59393211
GeForce GT 740M, 4200M, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
Acer Aspire V3-772G-747A321
GeForce GTX 760M, 4702MQ, Toshiba HG5d THNSNH256GMCT
HP Pavilion TouchSmart 15-n010sg
GeForce GT 740M, 4500U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT0 12-9WS142
Asus VivoBook S551LB-CJ026H
GeForce GT 740M, 4500U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT0 12-9WS142
3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance
2459
1929
-22%
3515
43%
1940
-21%
1834
-25%
3DMark
-3%
58%
-10%
-20%
1280x720 Ice Storm Standard Score
53742
65458
22%
79494
48%
55133
3%
49572
-8%
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Score
6087
5651
-7%
11171
84%
5466
-10%
4862
-20%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Score
1387
1062
-23%
1971
42%
1065
-23%
925
-33%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-13% / -8%
51% / 54%
-16% / -13%
-23% / -22%

Gaming Performance

Games are no problem for the X750LN. Most current titles run smoothly with 1366x768 pixels (HD resolution) and medium to high details. Some titles can even be played with higher settings – for instance F1 2013. The frame rates of the notebook are around 25 to 30 percent ahead of notebooks with the GeForce GT 740M GPU – with the same processor. This means the advertised performance advantage of 35 percent by Nvidia is not unrealistic and can definitely be achieved with upcoming driver optimizations. 

We recommend the Aspire V3-772G if the gaming performance of the X750LN is insufficient. The version V3-772G-54204G50Makk has a matte Full HD display, a Core i5-4200M processor and a GeForce GTX 760M GPU. This package is available for 699 Euros (~$964) (without a Windows operating system).

low med. high ultra
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011) 70.7 44.5 32.7 17.3
Hitman: Absolution (2012) 43.9 35.5 16.6
Tomb Raider (2013) 129.1 61.2 31.4 16
BioShock Infinite (2013) 86.7 49.3 40 14
Metro: Last Light (2013) 43 36 22
GRID 2 (2013) 121.6 82.3 45 19.3
Company of Heroes 2 (2013) 26.6 25.6 15.6
Saints Row IV (2013) 51.9 43.7 18
The Bureau: XCOM Declassified (2013) 49.7 43.7 29.7
Total War: Rome II (2013) 59.3 47 39.7 10.2
F1 2013 (2013) 105 88 81 36
Batman: Arkham Origins (2013) 98 61 29
Thief (2014) 32.9 21.7 17.6 8.6
Asus X750LN-TY012H
GeForce 840M, 4500U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
Lenovo IdeaPad Z710 59393211
GeForce GT 740M, 4200M, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
Acer Aspire V3-772G-747A321
GeForce GTX 760M, 4702MQ, Toshiba HG5d THNSNH256GMCT
HP Pavilion TouchSmart 15-n010sg
GeForce GT 740M, 4500U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT0 12-9WS142
Dell Latitude 3440
GeForce GT 740M, 4200U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
Tomb Raider
-27%
85%
-27%
-28%
1366x768 Normal Preset AA:FX AF:4x
61.2
43
-30%
99
62%
42.7
-30%
42
-31%
1366x768 High Preset AA:FX AF:8x
31.4
23.8
-24%
65
107%
23.9
-24%
23.9
-24%
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
-21%
75%
-17%
1366x768 Medium Preset AA:4x
44.5
35.8
-20%
78
75%
36.68
-18%
1366x768 High Preset AA:8x AF:8x
32.7
25.4
-22%
57
74%
27.62
-16%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-24% / -24%
80% / 80%
-27% / -27%
-23% / -22%

Emissions

System Noise

You cannot really hear the X750LN during idle. The fan rotates very slowly and you can only hear an occasional clattering noise from the hard drive. This applies to the Aspire and IdeaPad as well. It obviously gets louder as soon as you stress the X750LN. Medium workloads (3DMark 06 running) and maximum load (stress test, Prime95 and FurMark simultaneously) result in a system noise of 38.7 and 41.3 dB(A), respectively. We measured similar results for the Aspire (39.4 and 40.6 dB(A)). However, we have to mention that both the CPU and the GPU of the Aspire are heavily throttled during our stress test. The IdeaPad (33.2 and 34.9 dB(A)) is the quietest device.

Noise Level

Idle
31.9 / 31.9 / 32.1 dB(A)
HDD
32.3 dB(A)
DVD
35.2 / dB(A)
Load
38.7 / 41.3 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 X750LN-TY012H
Stress test Asus X750LN-TY012H

The X750LN never gets inconveniently warm. The surface temperatures are unproblematic at every spot, even during our stress test. We can measure a maximum temperature of 39.6 °C (103.28 °F). Lenovo's IdeaPad is similar, only the Aspire is noticeably warmer under load.

The CPU runs at around 2.4-2.5 GHz on AC power during the stress test (Prime95 and FurMark for at least one hour), the GPU on the other hand can maintain its maximum Turbo clock (1,125 MHz). Running the stress test on battery power shows the same behavior at first, but the CPU and GPU are occasionally throttled after a while. The CPU temperature leveled off at around 66 °C (150.8 °F) during the stress test (AC power).

Max. Load
 35.6 °C
96 F
31.3 °C
88 F
28.5 °C
83 F
 
 36.7 °C
98 F
31.6 °C
89 F
28.1 °C
83 F
 
 32.6 °C
91 F
31 °C
88 F
28.1 °C
83 F
 
Maximum: 36.7 °C = 98 F
Average: 31.5 °C = 89 F
37.1 °C
99 F
32 °C
90 F
39.6 °C
103 F
32.5 °C
91 F
32 °C
90 F
35.6 °C
96 F
28.3 °C
83 F
26.6 °C
80 F
27.8 °C
82 F
Maximum: 39.6 °C = 103 F
Average: 32.4 °C = 90 F
Power Supply (max.)  53.9 °C = 129 F | Room Temperature 24 °C = 75 F | Voltcraft IR-360
(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 31.5 °C / 89 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 36.7 °C / 98 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 39.6 °C / 103 F, compared to the average of 39.1 °C / 102 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 25.2 °C / 77 F, compared to the device average of 31.2 °C / 88 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are reaching skin temperature as a maximum (32.6 °C / 90.7 F) and are therefore not hot.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.8 °C / 83.8 F (-3.8 °C / -6.9 F).

Speakers

The stereo speakers of the notebook are above the keyboard. There are no visible openings, but the speakers still produce a decent and clear sound. It is no problem to listen to these speakers for a long time. Similar to most notebooks, the X750LN lacks bass.

Energy Management

Power Consumption

We measured idle power consumption between 5.6 and 10 Watts for the X750LN – these are good results. Similarly frugal is the IdeaPad (6.1 up to 10.8 Watts); the Aspire needs slightly more energy (7.8 up to 16.4 Watts). The X750LN also has the lowest consumption during medium workloads (3DMark 06) and maximum load (stress test, Prime95 and FurMark simultaneously) with 42.9 and 57.1 Watts, respectively. Here we can clearly see the impact of the frugal ULV processor. IdeaPad (52.5 and 61.5 Watts) and Aspire (82.4 and 85.6 Watts) once again consume more power. The high consumption of the Aspire is however not surprising when you consider the powerful quad-core processor and graphics card.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.1 / 0.2 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 5.6 / 10.1 / 10.6 Watt
Load midlight 42.9 / 57.1 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 Runtime

The battery of the X750LN manages an idle runtime of 7:44 hours. The IdeaPad (6:24 h) and Aspire (5:46 h) have to be recharged earlier. We simulate the idle runtime by the Battery Eater Reader's test (minimal display brightness, energy-saving profile and deactivated wireless modules). Load for the X750LN results in a runtime of 1:17 hours, both rivals fall behind by a couple of minutes. The runtime under load is determined with the Battery Eater Classic test (maximum display brightness, high-performance profile and activated wireless modules).

Our WLAN test results in 4:02 hours for the Asus notebook. The X750LN is once again clearly ahead of the IdeaPad (2:44 h) and the Aspire (3:23 h). This test uses a script to refresh websites every 40 seconds. The energy-saving profile is active and the display brightness is adjusted to around 150 cd/m². DVD playback on the X750LN is possible for 3:03 hours while the Aspire (2:44 h) and IdeaPad (2:20 h) fall behind. The DVD test uses the energy-saving profile (or a higher profile if the DVD playback is not smooth), maximum display brightness and deactivated wireless modules.

It is not surprising that the X750LN offers the best battery runtimes since it is the only notebook within our comparison with an ULV processor. The battery capacities of the three notebooks are very similar (Asus: 44 Wh, Lenovo: 41 Wh, Acer: 48 Wh).

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
7h 44min
WiFi Surfing
4h 02min
DVD
3h 03min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 17min
Battery Runtime - WiFi (sort by value)
Asus X750LN-TY012H
GeForce 840M, 4500U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
242 min
Lenovo IdeaPad Z710 59393211
GeForce GT 740M, 4200M, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
164 min
Acer Aspire V3-772G-747A321
GeForce GTX 760M, 4702MQ, Toshiba HG5d THNSNH256GMCT
203 min

Verdict

The Asus X750LN-TY012H can convince us with good application and gaming performance. The debut of the GeForce 840M GPU is a success; it is clearly superior to the predecessor (GeForce GT 740M) and offers higher frame rates. The power consumption is not very high, despite the decent performance of the notebook. According to the low consumption, you also get very good battery runtimes. Finally, you get a big hard drive and 8 GB memory. The display on the other hand deserves criticism: It only has a low contrast and a glossy surface. We also do not like the maintainability of the notebook; you should at least be able to replace the hard drive. 

The Acer Aspire V3-772G is an alternative if you need more gaming performance and the Lenovo IdeaPad Z710 can convince us with a very low noise level.

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In Review: Asus X750LN-TY012H, courtesy of Asus Germany.
In Review: Asus X750LN-TY012H, courtesy of Asus Germany.

Specifications

Asus X750LN-TY012H (X750 Series)
Processor
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce 840M - 2048 MB VRAM, Core: 1124 MHz, Memory: 960 MHz, ForceWare 332.50, Optimus
Memory
8 GB 
, DDR3, dual-channel, two slots (both occupied)
Display
17.30 inch 16:9, 1600 x 900 pixel, LG Philips LP173WD1-TLG1, TN LED, glossy: yes
Mainboard
Intel Lynx Point-LP
Storage
Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB, 1000 GB 
, 5400 rpm, 860 GB free
Soundcard
Intel Lynx Point-LP - High Definition Audio Controller
Connections
2 USB 2.0, 2 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 VGA, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: combined stereo jack, Card Reader: SD
Networking
Realtek RTL8168/8111 Gigabit-LAN (10/100/1000MBit/s), Atheros AR9485 WiFi Adapter (b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/)
Optical drive
HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GUA0N
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 31.25 x 415 x 270 ( = 1.23 x 16.34 x 10.63 in)
Battery
44 Wh Lithium-Ion, 15 V, 2950 mAh
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 8.1 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD-Webcam (1280x720)
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: no, AsusDVD, McAfee LiveSafe-Internet Security (trial), Microsoft Office 365 (trial), 24 Months Warranty
Weight
2.8 kg ( = 98.77 oz / 6.17 pounds), Power Supply: 233 g ( = 8.22 oz / 0.51 pounds)
Price
699 Euro

 

The DVD burner reads and writes every kind of DVD and CD.
The DVD burner reads and writes every kind of DVD and CD.
A numeric keypad is available.
A numeric keypad is available.
The hinges...
The hinges...
...keep the display in position well.
...keep the display in position well.
You can access the hardware after you remove the top of the base unit.
You can access the hardware after you remove the top of the base unit.
The fan can be removed for cleaning.
The fan can be removed for cleaning.
Replacing the hard drive would be no problem.
Replacing the hard drive would be no problem.
The battery is integrated.
The battery is integrated.
It has a capacity of 44 Wh.
It has a capacity of 44 Wh.
The power adaptor has a nominal power output of 65 Watts.
The power adaptor has a nominal power output of 65 Watts.
The Asus X750LN outdoors.
The Asus X750LN outdoors.
Some apps are preloaded by Asus.
Some apps are preloaded by Asus.

Similar Laptops

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

Acer Aspire E5-771G Notebook Review
GeForce 840M, Core i7 5500U

Devices with the same GPU

Lenovo ThinkPad S5 Yoga 15 20DQ0038GE Convertible Review
GeForce 840M, Core i7 5500U, 15.60", 2.271 kg
Acer Aspire V3-572PG-604M Notebook Review
GeForce 840M, Core i5 4200U, 15.60", 2.5 kg
Acer Aspire E5-571G Notebook Review Update
GeForce 840M, Core i5 5200U, 15.60", 2.5 kg

Links

Compare Prices

Pros

+Good application performance
+Good gaming performance
+A lot of storage
+Reasonable battery runtimes
+Gets hardly warm
+Pretty thin design
 

Cons

-No maintainability
-Low-contrast and glossy display

Shortcut

What we like

The good application and gaming performance.

What we miss

A display with a higher contrast and a matte surface.

What surprises us

The notebook does not get really warm, despite the good performance.

The competition

Acer Aspire V3-772G, Lenovo IdeaPad Z710, Acer Aspire E1-772G, Lenovo G710, HP ProBook 470 G1 E9Y75EA, HP Pavilion 17-e126sg, Toshiba Satellite P70-A-104, Toshiba Satellite L70-A-10T

Rating

Asus X750LN-TY012H - 04/18/2014 v4(old)
Sascha Mölck

Chassis
74 / 98 → 76%
Keyboard
73%
Pointing Device
78%
Connectivity
60 / 81 → 74%
Weight
58 / 20-67 → 81%
Battery
79%
Display
73%
Games Performance
80 / 85 → 94%
Application Performance
77 / 92 → 84%
Temperature
90%
Noise
87 / 95 → 92%
Audio
59%
Camera
42 / 85 → 49%
Average
72%
77%
Multimedia - Weighted Average
Sascha Mölck, 2014-04-21 (Update: 2014-04-22)