Updated Lenovo ThinkPad T400

The T400 ThinkPad is the much-loved 14.1" business notebook sold by Lenovo. Since our last review of this notebook Lenovo has added a new high-brightness screen option as well as quietly updated the keyboard structure to hopefully limit some of the flex we noted in our first review. Let's see how well this screen works in an active outdoor setting and most importantly find out if the flexing keyboard has been fixed. Read on to find out what we think about the newest generation of the T400.

Our review unit of the Lenovo ThinkPad T400 features the following specifications:

• Screen: 14.1-inch WXGA (1280 x 800) High Brightness LED Backlit (678 nit, Matte finish)
• Operating System: Windows Vista Business (32bit, SP1)
• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 (2.4GHz, 1066MHz FSB, 3MB Cache)
• Memory: 3GB DDR3 RAM
• Storage: 160GB Hitachi HDD (7200rpm)
• Optical Drive: DVD+/-RW
• Wireless: Intel 5100 802.11AGN, Bluetooth 2.0
• Graphics: Intel X4500 Integrated Graphics
• Power: 56Wh 6-cell, 90W 20V AC adapter
• Dimensions: 13.2" x 9.4" x 1.47/1.12"
• Weight: 5lbs 7.6oz with 6-cell, 4lbs 11.8oz without battery, 6lbs 5.3oz travel weight
• Retail Price: $1,734

Build and Design
The design of the T400 has changed a bit since previous generation ThinkPads. The changes are subtle to the untrained eye, but they are there. The right side is now gently sloped similar to what can be found on the older T4x series, where the sides angle inward instead of dropping off flat. The first clue about this is the optical drive bezel which sports a nice beveled edge. The rubber feet have also been slightly tweaked, now feeling softer, and you get an additional springy nub on the bottom of the notebook. Getting past the minor case design changes, the style of this ThinkPad is every bit as boring as all ThinkPads preceding it. We have the same paint, same rubbery texture, and we still have our ThinkPad logo.

Upgrade and expansion is a step harder than most notebooks, but still very simple. To gain access to all user-replaceable parts, you simply remove five screws and carefully remove the palmrest and keyboard. Here you gain access to an open WWAN slot, another for Turbo Memory or UWB, two DDR3 memory slots, and your wireless card. At this stage you can also see the processor and heatsink, but a few additional items must be removed before you can lift those items out. Although this setup does seem like Lenovo is trying discourage the user from upgrading parts, Lenovo fully allows owners to handle upgrading or adding components to their notebook without voiding the warranty. That said, advanced component replacement, such as removing the processor, might void a warranty. The hard drive is the only item accessible from the outside of the case (besides the battery) and is easily removed with a single screw.

Build quality is very similar to the previous generation ThinkPad T61, with all of its strengths and weaknesses. Fit and finish are great with most parts, but you still have a good amount of battery wiggle in the back, as well as the cheaper feeling plastic LCD lid. This configuration offered both PC Card and ExpressCard/54 slots, so it included the spring loaded dust flap. This is different from the T400 we reviewed last year that had a blank card instead of the flap since it was equipped with a SD card reader taking one of the slots. The flap adds support on the left side of the palmrest, so unlike the other T400 this model is rock solid on the left.

Display
The newest option on the T400 is the 678 nit high brightness LED-backlit WXGA panel. I don’t recall any prior ThinkPad model that incorporated a true sunlight visible panel. Throughout the review I never actually needed to use the screen at full brightness to outshine an indoor lighting environment. Coming from the IPS Flexview panel on my T60 (which is already considered dim) the 678nit screen makes the T60 screen look like it's turned to the lowest brightness setting.

Image quality is surprisingly good for a high brightness panel. Many of the higher brightness panels on the market sacrifice contrast and black levels to ramp up the backlight as bright as possible. In normal brightness ranges (30-80%) the black levels are great and the contrast levels are on par with standard panels. As you start to go higher you start to notice some black levels turning noticeably grey and a hint of backlight bleed. Contrast also starts to take a dip, mostly because the dark colors start to wash out. Viewing angles are good for a TN panel, with a broader sweet spot than some panels that seems to be attributed to the higher brightness levels.

Vertical viewing range is about 15 degrees up or down with normal brightness levels, and expands out to 20-25 degrees if you bump up the backlight. Horizontal viewing angles are excellent with colors staying true and accurate even at very steep angles. The screen dims slightly at extreme angles, but you can still view what is on the screen to share a movie with people sitting next to you.

Keyboard and Touchpad
The latest generation of T400 includes additional support for the thinner keyboard found on the latest ThinkPads. Nothing is inherently bad about the keyboard being thinner as long as the notebook chassis is design to adequately support it to prevent the keyboard from flexing. In our original review we noted substantial keyboard flex under strong pressure from your fingertips when compared to typing on an older 15” T60 model. One fix was to replace the keyboard with the older revision which had a thicker and stiffer back plate. It appears that Lenovo took another route and added bracing over open cavities underneath the keyboard to prevent the plate from flexing inward. The solution appears to work pretty well and solves most of the flexing problem. The keyboard still slightly bows under strong pressure, but far less than the original T400.

Original T400 keyboard support structure.

New T400 keyboard support structure.

The keyboard itself is very comfortable to type on with precise action in the keys and positive feedback on each key press. Each key gives off a soft click when pressed, not as loud as the Chicony keyboard on my T60, but louder than the average notebook keyboard. Coming from someone who spends 10+ hours on their ThinkPad a day I can easily say it is one of the best, if not the best keyboard you can find on a notebook.

As with older models, the liquid drains are still in place, ready to get your notebook out of harm's way if a stray coffee or soda spills all over it. One should note that the spill-resistant keyboard is designed to handle a spill with the notebook in a near-flat position, not tipped over. I know the first instinct is tipping the notebook over to pour the fluid out, but if you do that you run the risk of spilling the fluid over the edge of the keyboard and down into the motherboard. Just leave the notebook flat, turn it off, and let the fluid drain out.

The touchpad has grown compared to the T61, expanding to the width of the lower touchpad buttons. With the ThinkPad touchpads always being runts compared to other notebook designs, this change was very welcomed (even if they did paint scroll arrows on it). The texture is identical to the older touchpad, and sensitivity is just as good. Compared to my T60, the touchpad buttons feel much firmer, and have more support from edge to edge. The far left and right side of the touchpad buttons on the T60 tend to sag, while the T400's touchpad buttons have equal support from side to side.

My only disappointment with the touchpad was the lack of red strips. Sure, it's just a matter of nostalgia, but after seeing the X300 and X200 that offered "legacy" red strips on the touchpoint buttons I was sad Lenovo didn't include this "finishing touch" on the T-series.

Ports and Features
Port selection is average on the T400, with three USB ports and no digital video output. You do have VGA, but it is not the best option if you want to hook the notebook up to an HDTV. As mentioned in the build and design section, the T400 with the SD-Card reader option nixes the PC card (PCMCIA) slot. For those thinking about using legacy external cards, you may want to reconsider that option.

One feature that has been on ThinkPads almost forever is the ThinkLight, which is a small white LED located above the screen that illuminates the keyboard. On every other model that has this light, it works as intended and gives a little light on the keys. On the T400 the shroud in front of the LED isn't big enough, and the end result is a light shining directly in your face. Your night vision is taken away and in the end it is a useful feature turned worthless by lack of proper design. I'm not exactly sure how this keyboard light design made it past quality control, but unless you have the screen tilted forward to an extreme degree you end up as blind as a bat.

Front: Firewire, Wireless On/Off, Headphone/Mic

Rear: Kensington lock slot, AC Power

Left: VGA, Modem, LAN, two USB, Expresscard/54, PC Card slot

Right: Optical drive and one USB

Performance
Our T400 configuration included an Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 processor, 3GB of RAM, Intel X4500 integrated graphics, and a 7200rpm hard drive. For day-to-day activities such as browsing the web, typing a document, or watching a movie the system performed flawlessly with barely any lag. The 7200rpm drive kept processes moving along smoothly with its faster transfer speeds and shorter seek times. Unlike models with the ATI 3470 Hybrid graphics, this T400 was not destined to game. It is capable of playing older games with tweaking, or newer games if they are not 3D intensive. While a ThinkPad might not be the first choice for a multimedia notebook, the T400 easily handles the load of 720 or 1080P HD movies. Video output is limited to VGA from the T400, or DVI through the advanced docking stations.

HDTune storage drive performance results:

Speakers and Audio
Audio performance is one category in which the Lenovo T400 did not excel ... which is pretty common for business notebooks. Bass and midrange were lacking and the speakers weren't even able to produce loud volume levels. For watching the occasional video or listening to a webcast they would be fine, but headphones come highly recommended.

Battery Life
Much to our surprise, power consumption didn’t significantly change with the high brightness screen. While set to a comfortable viewing brightness for our office setting (10/15) the power consumption was on par with the previous T400 with the LED-backlit WXGA+ panel, drawing about 8.5 watts. In our tests with the wireless active, the system in balanced mode, and screen brightness set to 67% the T400 with the 6-cell battery managed to stay on for 5 hours and 58 minutes. With the 9-cell battery option this notebook should have no problem staying on for 9 hours, or 10+ hours with some tweaking.

Heat and Noise
The cooling system seemed greatly improved over the prior generations, letting the notebook run whisper quiet and very cool to the touch under most circumstances. I say most, since gaming did seem to make it run on the high side. When not gaming, one thing really helping lower the system temperatures was the very low power consumption. Consuming almost half the power of the previous generation ThinkPads really helped reduce overall temperatures. The images below show the external temperatures in degrees Fahrenheit.

Conclusion
The high brightness display option on the updated T400 looks excellent and doesn’t take a huge bite out of your battery under normal activities. With most high brightness screens the power consumption is high even at lower brightness settings and what we found with the T400 is the impact on the battery is minimal at worst. On the 6-cell battery we managed 5 hours and 58 minutes of battery life, right on the mark with the previous T400 that used hybrid graphics. The updated keyboard support is my favorite change, knowing that Lenovo listened to feedback from users and improved the design. Overall, if you are in the market for a business notebook that is usable in direct sunlight, the T400 with the high nit screen option is the way to go.

Pros:

• Screen backlight makes me wonder where I put my sunglasses
• Excellent battery life even with high brightness screen
• Improved keyboard support
• Excellent ThinkPad build quality

Cons:

• ThinkLight still needs some work

Lenovo IdeaPad S10 (update)

The Lenovo IdeaPad S10 is a 10-inch netbook with a $349 starting price and although it might be more than 6 months old at this point, it still offers some impressive features that help place it a step above the competition. When Lenovo dropped the starting price from $439 down to just $349 they also added a 6-cell battery, Quick Start OS, and VeriFace security software to their high-end models priced at $449. Let's take a closer look at these new features.

Our Lenovo S10 features the following specifications:

• 1.6GHz N270 Intel Atom Processor
• 1GB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz
• Windows XP Home Edition (SP3) and Quick Start OS
• 10.2" WSVGA AntiGlare TFT with integrated camera 1024x600
• 160GB 5400rpm hard drive
• Intel GMA 950 Integrated Graphics
• Broadcom 11b/g Wi-Fi wireless
• 4-in-1 Media card reader and ExpressCard slot
• 6-Cell Li-ion battery
• Size: 9.8" x 7.7" x 1.2" (including feet)
• Weight: 2.82 lbs (with 6-cell battery)
• Starting price: $349 (with 512MB RAM, 80GB hard drive and 3-cell battery)
• Price as configured: $449

Build and Design
The design of the IdeaPad S10 is completely unchanged, though Lenovo added a number of different color options since the launch of the S10 last year. The exterior of our review unit is covered in an attractive "ruby red" paint with a glossy finish. The interior and battery are covered with matte white plastics with reasonable durability and only a minor bit of flex around the palmrests when you press firmly on those surfaces.

What might look like a giant beefy hinge for the 10-inch display is actually the new 6-cell battery with a small hinge on either side of the tiny laptop. The larger battery doesn't add much bulk to the netbook, but the two-tone appearance makes this travel laptop look a little too "toy like" compared to many competing netbooks with similar specs.

The build quality of the IdeaPad S10 is extremely solid for a netbook of this size and weight. The construction is mostly plastic but all of the plastics feel strong enough to handle being tossed around inside a bookbag or large purse.

In terms of upgradeability, the S10 is much easier to upgrade than many netbooks currently on the market. This is great news because you only have to remove one small panel if you want to upgrade the storage drive, system RAM, or wireless card. You may indeed decide that you want to upgrade the RAM since Microsoft has strict limitations regarding what types of netbooks qualify for installation of the old Windows XP operating system. If you want to install 2GB of RAM in the S10 you'll have to do it yourself.

Keyboard and Touchpad
Most low-priced, full-size notebooks currently on the market feature poorly built keyboards that show significant flex/bounce when typing pressure is applied. Thankfully, most netbooks have remarkably firm keyboards due to the fact that the chassis is so small there isn't much empty space inside the notebook for the keyboard to flex or bounce.

The keyboard on the IdeaPad S10 is less cramped than what you see on an old 7-inch netbook, but compared to modern netbooks with nearly full-sized keyboards the tiny S10 keyboard is starting to show its age. Most touch typists will probably need some time to figure out proper finger placement on the keyboard in order to avoid making typos. While this keyboard feels nice, it's just too cramped to be used as a primary/main computer. For users who are considering the S10 as their "main computer" in their home or office, a full-size external keyboard and external mouse are recommended.

The touchpad design, while much smaller than a traditional laptop touchpad, is surprisingly nice for a budget netbook. The touchpad in our review unit was a Synaptics touchpad with excellent sensitivity, responsiveness, and smooth tracking. The touchpad buttons are located in the correct position and have nice, deep, well-cushioned presses with a satisfying "click" when pressed. A nice addition to the touchpad was support for Synaptics multi-touch gestures which allow you to do things such as zoom in or zoom out simply by "pinching" or "spreading" the touchpad with your fingertips.

Display
The matte 10.2" WSVGA (1024x600) AntiGlare TFT display on the S10 is nice and vibrant with rich colors and good contrast. The white levels are very clear and the matte surface prevents glare and reflections which help make the screen easier to read outdoors under bright sunlight.

Horizontal viewing angles are good, so you and a friend won't have trouble watching a movie on the 8.9-inch screen at the same time. Vertical viewing angles are acceptable, but colors do tend to become darker and slightly inverted when viewed from below.

Ports and Features
When we reviewed the S10 last year we thought port selection is pretty impressive compared to other netbooks, but now that newer netbooks have arrived the port selection on the S10 is looking a little weak. The standout features here is still the ExpressCard slot for additional expansion. Most netbooks don't have an ExpressCard slot which limits the ability to add extra ports or features later on. Surprisingly, Lenovo decided to remove the built-in Bluetooth option from the S10 ... a strange decision considering the benefits of Bluetooth devices for travelers.

If there is anything to complain about here it's the fact that the S10 has only two USB ports. However, if we had to choose between a third USB port or an ExpressCard slot we will gladly sacrifice the third USB port. Here is a quick tour of what you get:

Front: No ports, just indicator lights and the speakers.

Rear: Battery

Left: Heat vent, power jack, VGA out, 3-in-1 card reader, and USB

Right: ExpressCard slot, headphone/mic, USB, Ethernet, security lock slot

Performance
The IdeaPad S10 still uses the Intel Atom N270 processor common to last year's netbooks. Although the newer Atom processors aren't significantly faster, we would have liked to see an update in this department. Nevertheless, the S10 performs more than adequately for normal activities such as web browsing, checking email, or working in Microsoft Office. Windows startup took less than 30 seconds and internet browsing, word processing, and even basic photo editing tasks were downright "snappy."

Once again, we couldn't get the S10 to run the Futuremark 3DMark06 synthetic gaming benchmark. Sure, netbooks are not designed for playing computer games, but every other current-generation netbook we've seen is able to run 3DMark06. In any case, the S10 and similar netbooks are essentially mobile internet portals and productivity tools for getting some quick work done without needing to carry a giant laptop.

HDTune for the built-in hard drive:

Operating System
Lenovo Quick Start is a Linux Operating System which starts in approximately 10 seconds after you press the power button and allows users to run applications. On the surface this simplified OS is a great way to quickly access your email, share photos, or listen to music. Unfortunately, while loading the initial Quick Start launch page only takes about 10 seconds, each inividual application (Web, Music, Online Games, Photo, Chat, Skype, and Share Your Ideas) requires an additional 20-30 seconds before they load and you can actually do anything.

Honestly, considering that Windows XP on the IdeaPad S10 starts up in less than 30 seconds, there is little (if any) practical advantage in using the Quick Start OS. If you want the S10 to skip the "Quick Start" OS and boot directly into Windows XP you can disable the Quick Start feature in the bios.

Lenovo is nice enough to include their VeriFace facial recognition security software on the new releases of the S10. This application uses the netbook's built-in webcam to scan your face when you attempt to login to Windows. If the VeriFace application cannot identify you it will not let you access the computer (unless you know the password to override the security program).

Speakers and Audio
The speakers on the IdeaPad S10 are reasonably impressive for a budget netbook. While the two tiny stereo speakers located on the front edge of the netbook produce good volume levels with minimal distortion and acceptable range, it's worth mentioning the somewhat odd placement.

Since the speakers are located on the front edge of the notebook the sound isn't being directed up and toward the user when the S10 is used as a laptop. In fact, our staff usually refers to laptop speakers with this type of placement as "crotch speakers" because the speakers are directing sound to your waist rather than your ears. Given the compact design of the S10 there weren't many other places for the speakers to go, but we'd like to see a different speaker location on next year's model.

The headphone jack on the S10 works well with the three different brands of earphones I used during the test. No static or other noise was noticed through the jack besides imperfections in the audio source itself.

Heat and Noise
Most Intel Atom-based netbooks produce a reasonable amount of heat while running. The IdeaPad S10 remained on par with the competition in this regard. Even under normal conditions such as surfing the web, typing documents, or downloading email attachments, exterior temperatures peaked above 100 degrees Fahrenheit after more than 25 minutes of use. Granted, this level of heat isn't horrible by any means, but it might be a little uncomfortable on your lap after an hour.

The hottest spot on this netbook was the area around the hard drive and RAM. The external temperature readings below (listed in degrees Fahrenheit) were recorded while browsing the Web and running two HDTune tests in a row after approximately 30 minutes of use:

In terms of noise, our review unit of the S10 remained quiet during most of the testing period ... except during the synthetic benchmark tests. When the system was stressed during our review the internal cooling fan kicked into high gear. The fan noise wasn't horrible by any means, but it would be loud enough to get a teacher's attention in a quiet classroom. Again, this only happened when stressing the S10's processor and graphics, so it shouldn't be an issue for casual web browsing.

Battery
Under normal use, backlight at 50 percent and using wireless for web browsing and listening to streaming audio at 25 percent volume, the new 6-cell battery managed to deliver six hours and nine minutes of battery life. This is pretty good for a $450 netbook, but the new ASUS Eee PC 1000HE was able to deliver almost nine and a half hours of battery life.

Conclusion
Does the lower price and larger battery option make the Lenovo IdeaPad S10 a great deal despite the newer netbooks on the market? Yes and no.

You can find netbooks from other manufacturers with similar specs for just $399. In fact, several $399 netbooks offer three USB ports, Bluetooth, and better battery life. However, Lenovo was smart enough to realize an ExpressCard slot is important if you want to make a netbook useful. The ExpressCard slot gives you the option of adding more USB ports, FireWire, eSATA, or any number of other ports to the S10. More importantly, the ExpressCard slot makes it easy to add a broadband modem to the S10 so that you can stay connected to the internet anywhere with cell phone reception.

The Quick Start OS and VeriFace software are cool, but not overwhelmingly useful for average consumers. At the end of the day the Lenovo IdeaPad S10 is still a great ultra-portable laptop priced below $500, but the competition in the netbook market is getting pretty serious.

Pros:

• Small and light but well built and durable
• VeriFace provides simple security
• Easy to upgrade RAM and hard drive
• 6-cell battery is great
• ExpressCard slot offers extra expansion options

Cons

• Gets a little hot
• Only two USB ports
• Quick Start OS is nice, but not entirely practical
• What happened to Bluetooth?

ASUS F6Ve

The ASUS F6VE-B1 is a 13.3" desktop replacement notebook. Not content with making just another small form factor notebook, ASUS crammed in an Intel T9550 Core 2 Duo processor, 4GB of RAM, and an ATI Radeon Mobility 4570 graphics card into this 13.3" chassis. With a starting price of$1,299 the F6VE-B1 is priced above similar size notebooks, but the performance might justify the cost. Read our review to find out how well it performs and if it is worth the high price tag.

ASUS F6Ve-B1 Specifications:

• Windows Vista Home Premium (SP1, 32-bit)
• Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T9550 (2.66GHz, 6MB L2, 1066MHz FSB)
• 13.3" WXGA Glossy LCD (1280x800, 16:10)
• ATI Mobility Radeon 4570 with 512MB GDDR2 VRAM
• Atheros AR928X 802.11n + Bluetooth 2.0
• 4GB DDR2 800 SDRAM (2GB x 2)
• 320GB Serial ATA hard disk drive (5400RPM)
• DVD SuperMulti (+/-R double layer) drive
• 1.3 megapixel webcam
• Dimensions (WxDxH): 12.2" x 9" x 1.2-1.4"
• Weight: 4lbs 14oz with battery, 5lbs 12oz travel weight
• 11.1v 4800 mAh 53Wh 6-cell battery
• 90W(19V x 4.74A) 100-240V AC Adapter
• 2-Year Standard Limited Warranty, 1-Year Accidental Damage Warranty
• Price as configured: $1,299.99

Build and Design
The F6Ve has a dated design compared to more recent notebooks that we have seen come out of the ASUS lineup. For a notebook that costs almost $1,300 these days we expect a notebook with more attention to detail and innovative designs. The F6Ve has a glossy painted lid with a Spirograph-type pattern that is barely seen unless you are sitting right on top of it. The inside has a cheap feeling textured plastic palmrest, matte finish keys with a hint of sparkle, and chrome or glossy black plastic trim. I feel that even the Eee PC 1000HE has a much better looking design and is more in line with the high-end look that you expect to find these days. Another surprise was finding no dedicated multimedia keys when almost all notebooks include touch-sensitive panels.

Build quality is lacking for a machine of this caliber, with squeaky plastic trim and flexible plastic covers abound. The optical drive clicks and pops when you carry the notebook from the side of the palmrest with your hand over the drive. The plastics used throughout the chassis feel cheap, like something you would find on a budget notebook instead of a top-performing desktop replacement.

Upgrade access is easy through a single panel that covers the hard drive, RAM, wireless card, and processor. No "warranty void if removed" stickers were found on the main cover, but one was on the processor heatsink to prevent a user from upgrading the processor. Given the processor included with this configuration I doubt anyone would need to upgrade it.

Display
ASUS uses a 13.3" panel on the F6VE, using the older 16:10 screen format, instead of the slightly wider and shorter 16:9 size. It has WXGA 1280x800 resolution, which works well for a screen of this size. The panel is glossy, but not "all-glass" like some of the newer notebook designs ... which is a good thing in terms of fewer reflections and less glare shining back at you. The display is average in terms of quality, with bright and vibrant colors which is common for glossy displays. Vertical viewing angles are limited to a narrow sweet spot before colors start to wash out or invert when tilting the screen forward or back. Horizontal viewing angles are much better with colors staying true even at steep angles.

Keyboard and Touchpad
The ASUS F6VE features a mostly full-size keyboard, with shrunken keys on the right side to fit page navigation key. It was comfortable to type with smooth action key throws that give off a mild click when pressed. Keyboard support was lacking in certain areas causing some flex or trampoline feeling while typing. At times this was distracting or just plain annoying if the movement caused the keyboard to rub and "pop" against the surrounding trim.

The Synaptics touchpad is comfortable to use with no lag noticed during use. Sensitivity was great once the setting was adjusted to max to compensate for the texture-free surface. The touchpad buttons are located in a spot easy to trigger with your thumb and give off a mild click when pressed. They have very shallow feedback and require a solid press to trigger.

Ports and Features
Port selection was decent given the small size of the frame and every bit of space being used by something. The system included three USB ports, HDMI, VGA, eSATA, modem, and LAN. The F6Ve also featured a 5-in-1 card reader and ExpressCard/34 slot. The only improvement we could see is a combo USB/eSATA port to increase the amount of available USB ports, but three is just fine for this notebook.

Front: Indicator lights

Rear: Modem, LAN, VGA

Left: AC Adapter, HDMI, 2 USB, Wireless On/Off, ExpressCard/34, 5-in-1 Card Reader, eSATA

Right: Optical drive, audio ports, 1 USB, Kensington lock slot

ASUS included a wired USB optical mouse and carrying case with the purchase of F6Ve-B1. As far as freebies go they are pretty nice if you don’t already have comparable items. The carrying case provides adequate protection for the notebook, which is vital if you are carrying it around a college campus where you run the risk of dropping it. This is the first free ASUS case that we've seen in our office that carries the "Targus" brand name ... potentially a good sign of the quality of this free bag. The USB mouse is fine as a backup travel mouse, but there are much better non-free options on the market.

Performance
System performance is what the ASUS F6Ve was designed for, with its Intel 2.66GHz T9550 processor and 512MB ATI Radeon Mobility 4570. This 13.3" notebook is fast enough completely replace a desktop if you aren't looking for something that has to run the latest games at the highest settings. It is very fast for things like decoding HD video, running many applications at the same time, or ripping and compressing music or video for a media player. Newer games work fine with some visual settings tweaked, pushing the limits of the ATI 4570 graphics card. The previous top performing 13.3" notebook of choice was the LG P300, but it had to make compromises such as removing the optical bay to handle the additional hardware; ASUS managed to pull it off without removing any hardware.

HDTune measures the storage performance:

Speakers and Audio
The onboard speakers are located in a great spot that won’t get blocked by anything; right on the lower edge of the display. In terms of audio quality they lack bass and midrange, sounding similar to earbuds cranked way up. Peak volume levels are fine for a very small room but get overpowered by background noise or conversations. For external music enjoyment you can connect the notebook to a stereo through the audio jacks or HDMI port. The HDMI port is the preferred solution since it supports digital audio and surround sound for movies.

Battery
Battery life was disappointing given the small size of the notebook and the extended battery sticking out the back. With screen brightness reduced to 70%, wireless active, and Vista on the Balanced profile the ASUS F6Ve stayed on for 2 hours and 56 minutes. Some of this was expected with the faster processor and video card, but we had hoped for something a bit longer, perhaps closer to 4 hours.

Heat and Noise
Thermal performance of the F6Ve was pretty good considering what was packed inside of it. Under load the fan passes quite a bit of air through the system to keep the Intel T9550 processor and ATI 4570 graphics within reasonable temperature ranges, in term making a good amount of noise. This notebook easily beats the massive W90 in fan noise, since it has a single fan spinning super fast, instead of the three separate fans spinning slower inside the W90. System temperatures were modest, getting warm under heavy loads, but not too hot.

Conclusion
The ASUS F6Ve could have been a much nicer notebook if the same hardware were inside a more attractive chassis. The design looks dated, build quality isn’t up to par, and overall doesn’t feel like what you would expect to get for spending $1,299 on a 13.3” notebook these days. Hardware performance is excellent without any doubt, but it feels really out of place compared to the current ASUS offerings like the N81, W90, or even the 1000HE. If you really need a compact gaming notebook, move up barely one inch to the N81Vp. It outperforms the F6Ve in nearly every category, gets double the 3D performance, and looks a heck of a lot nicer.

The ASUS F6Ve-B1 is a performance king among 13-inch notebooks, but there is room for improvement.

Pros:

• Great performance for a 13.3” notebook
• Keyboard is comfortable to type on
• Snappy Synaptics touchpad

Cons:

• Design feels dated
• Quality is not what you would expect on $1,299 notebook
• Tiny speakers