The ASUS UL50Vf aims to be a solid, reliable mid-size laptop with a difference, namely the presence of NVIDIA’s new Optimus technology, which enables the laptop to change on the fly between the high-performance GeForce G210M graphics card and an integrated graphics option for power-saving purposes. At a price of around $850, the UL50Vf looks like a good value for what it offers. Does it really live up to its promise, or is there something holding the UL50Vf back?
Positives
While not marketed specifically as a gaming machine, the UL50Vf has many of the sort of features you’d expect from a 15-inch gaming notebook, including a 1.3GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 4GB of RAM, and the aforementioned 512MB graphics card. At about four and a half pounds, the UL50Vf is also surprisingly light and portable for a high-end gaming-capable laptop.
What really takes the UL50Vf beyond the traditional constraints of a gaming laptop, though, is the NVIDIA Optimus graphics switching system. While some other laptops with switchable graphics cards, like the Alienware M11x, are held back in usability terms by the intrusive screen flicker that occurs when switching between cards, the Optimus technology makes the transition much more discrete. This means that, with the UL50Vf, users can move smoothly and seamlessly from graphics-intensive activities like gaming or photo editing to more commonplace computing while still getting the power-saving benefits that come from switching to integrated graphics.
Negatives
There are a couple of minor complaints about the UL50Vf; although it handles gaming aptly thanks to its powerful graphics card, it is held back somewhat by its processor, which is a bit slower than the Core i3 or higher found in other laptops in the same size range, like the Sony VAIO E. The UL50Vf’s overall design is also a bit on the drab side, although it is at least solidly built and utilitarian.
The Bottom Line
The UL50Vf represents an excellent combination of graphical capability and portability. This is a gaming-ready laptop that doesn’t suffer from the short battery life or excess weight that used to be a given for gaming laptops. Perhaps the most important feature of the UL50Vf is its price, which is comparable to that of many non-gaming laptops in its size class.
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