Asus S96S Review

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by mitsurugi

The Asus S96S is a recently released notebook that uses the new Intel Centrino Duo platform (Core 2 Duo Santa Rosa). This notebook uses a 15.4” WXGA screen and is very customizable because of the barebones platform that it is usually offered in. This review is of a S96S branded as a “PowerPro A 9:6” (from Powernotebooks.com) covered under the PowerPro warranty.

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The review unit comes with the following specs:

• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo T7300 2.0GHz Processor w/4MB L2 On-die cache - 800MHz FSB
• OS: Microsoft Windows Vista Business (32-bit)
• Hard Drive: 120GB SATA 3Gb/s Seagate Momentus 7200.2 Hard Drive at 7,200 RPM
• Screen: 15.4&quot; WXGA Widescreen (1280 x 800)
• Graphics: nVIDIA GeForce 8600 GS w/256MB (Up to 1GB w/Turbocache)
• RAM: 2,048MB (2 SODIMMS) DDR2/667 Dual Channel Memory
• Optical Drive: Combo Dual Layer SuperMulti DVDRW/CDRW Drive
• Battery: Smart Li-ion Battery (6-Cell)
• Wireless: Built-in Intel PRO/Wireless 4965 802.11a/g/n
• Weight: 6.8lbs
• Dimensions:14.25&quot; x 10.5&quot; x 1.1~1.5&quot;
• Ports/Slots: 4 USB 2.0 Ports; IEEE-1394 Firewire Port (VIA - 4 pin); VGA port: 15 pin DDC2b compliant; Mic - in and Headphone - out with S/PDIF ports; S-Video TV output; Kensington lock support; Built-in memory card reader: xD, Secure Digital (SD/MMC) &amp; MS/MS Pro
• Webcam: Integrated 2.0 Megapixel Camera
• Warranty: PowerPro 3-year Warranty - Next Business Day Shipping Paid - Lifetime 24/7 Tech support

Reason for buying
When compared to the big name notebook manufacturers, Asus offers a generally better price and more specificity in choosing options. The other notebook I primarily compared this to before buying was the (not quite released yet) Compal IFL90. I chose the S96S over the Compal primarily because of the cheaper price and the current availability. I don’t do any gaming and the Asus is more than what I need for my basic internet surfing needs. I also compared this to the HP dv6000, but the Asus beat the HP hands-down due to better selection of higher end graphics cards and processors, and a much cheaper price without all of the HP preloaded junk.

Where and how purchased
I bought this notebook configured as listed from Powernotebooks.com. Total price was $1,420 including the 3 year warranty. I think this is a fantastic price for the configuration and the warranty support tops it all off and allows me to bypass the typical Asus VBI (Verified by Intel) build.

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Build and design
When I first saw pictures of the design online, I didn’t care too much for it. However, when actually having this thing in front of you, it looks much better and sleeker than the pictures. The silver and black combination looks nice and doesn’t give off any weird glare or attract fingerprints. The case is plastic but thick and appears to be pretty sturdy and solid. It fits on my lap well and feels like a quality build.

There are no “ripples” on my LCD screen and it is pretty resistant to twisting. The screen doesn’t wobble anymore than any other notebooks that I have used and appears to be pretty stable overall.

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Screen
The LCD screen is very bright (almost too bright) for everything that I have wanted to do and there are no dead pixels or leaks noticeable. My screen is a 1280 X 800 resolution, as this was the only choice for this computer. All in all, I am very happy with this resolution setting on this size of monitor as it keeps everything a manageable size to read when switching from program to program.

Speakers
The built in speakers, are, well, built in notebook speakers. They are plenty loud and crisp when sitting in front of the notebook but don’t project very far if you are sitting several feet away. They are comparable to other notebook speakers that I have heard. If you want any bass however, you should consider using external speakers.

Processor and Performance
In my notebook I am using the new Intel Santa Rosa platform with a T7300 (2Ghz, 4MB cache, 800mhz FSB) paired with 2GB of dual channel DDR2 ram. Every program that I have used has booted up very quickly (including Vista itself, which is a beast to run). I’m not a gamer and rarely play graphics-intensive games. However, I did clock the different benchmarks to be discussed next. All of the basic office and internet related programs load up almost instantaneously for me.

Benchmarks
Super Pi comparison results:

Notebook	Time
Asus S96S (2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7300)	1m 01s
Dell XPS M1330 (2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7300)	0m 58s
Lenovo ThinkPad X61 (2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7300)	1m 01s
Lenovo 3000 V200 (2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7300)	0m 59s
HP dv2500t (1.80GHz Intel 7100)	1m 09s
Lenovo ThinkPad T61 (2.00GHz Core 2 Duo Intel T7300)	0m 59s
Lenovo ThinkPad T60 (2.00GHz Core 2 Duo T7200)	1m 03s
Toshiba Satellite P205-S6287 (1.73 GHz Core 2 Duo Intel T5300)	1m 24s
Toshiba Satellite A205 (1.66GHz Core 2 Duo)	1m 34s
HP dv6000t (2.16 GHz Intel T2400)	0m 59s
Dell Inspiron e1705 (2.0GHz Core 2 Duo)	1m 02s

3DMark06 comparison results:

Notebook	3DMark06 Score
Asus S96S (2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7300, NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GS 256MB)	2,254 3DMarks
Dell XPS M1330 (2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7300, NVIDIA GeForce Go 8400M GS 128MB)	1,408 3DMarks
Samsung Q70 (2.0GHz Core 2 Duo T7300 and nVidia 8400M G GPU)	1,069 3DMarks
Asus F3sv-A1 (Core 2 Duo T7300 2.0GHz, Nvidia 8600M GS 256MB)	2,344 3DMarks
Alienware Area 51 m5550 (2.33GHz Core 2 Duo, nVidia GeForce Go 7600 256MB	2,183 3DMarks
Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Xi 1526 (1.66 Core Duo, nVidia 7600Go 256 MB)	2,144 3DMarks
Samsung X60plus (2.0GHz Core 2 Duo T7200, ATI X1700 256MB)	1,831 3DMarks
Asus A6J (1.83GHz Core Duo, ATI X1600 128MB)	1,819 3DMarks
HP dv6000t (2.16 GHz Intel T7400, NVIDA GeForce Go 7400)	827 3DMarks
Sony Vaio SZ-110B in Speed Mode (Using Nvidia GeForce Go 7400)	794 3DMarks
Samsung R20 (1.73GHz T2250 and ATI 1250M chipset / GPU)	476 3DMarks

The new Seagate Momentus 7200.2 hard drive also performed fantasticin HDTune! The avgerage transfer rate is 46.2MB/sec, access time is 13.9ms, and burst rate is 88.9MB/sec.

Heat and noise
As far as heat goes, the only place that tends to get warm after a few hours of heavy use is the right palm area. It hasn’t been enough to bother me, and is partly due to the speed of the hard drive (7200rpm) that I am using. After running HDtune, the temperature was 46 degrees Celsius.

The Asus is admirably quiet overall. The only component that makes noticeably noise is the optical drive, but only when burning a cd or dvd. I cannot hear any noise coming from the fans when I am sitting in front of the notebook.

Keyboard and touchpad
Overall, the keyboard and touchpad are very easy to use. I am pleased with the amount of function keys that are integrated into the keyboard and the touchpad scroll works very accurately.

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However, the keyboard does have a bit of sag noticeable during typing. It has not been a problem for my normal usage, but could be a point of complaint among others. It is possible to replace the keyboard with one from a different manufacturer if this is something that bothers the owner.

Input and output ports
I am very pleased with the amount of input and output ports on this notebook. The complete listing is:

• Four USB 2.0 Ports
• IEEE-1394 Firewire Port
• VGA out
• Microphone in and Headphone out
• S-Video TV output
• Kensington lock support
• Built-in memory card reader: xD, Secure Digital (SD/MMC) &amp; MS/MS Pro.

Top view. (view large image)

Bottom view. (view large image)

Back view with DC jack, vent, and two USB ports. (view large image)

Left side view with lock slot and optical drive. (view large image)

Front view with latch, audio ports, and flash card reader. (view large image)

Right side view with Expresscard slot, firewire, two USB ports, S-video, VGA, PortBar IV, modem and Ethernet ports. (view large image)

Additionally, this notebook came with an available PortBar IV option (which is basically a docking hub for Asus computers) that I have not used as of yet.

In typical Asus fashion, the audio-out is located on the front of the notebook. This feature is great for using headphones but somewhat awkward for connecting external speakers.

Wireless
My notebook came with a built in Intel PRO/Wireless 4965 802.11a/g/n card. This card has worked fantastic for my home and school networks so far and seems to have ample range. There is no Bluetooth available on this notebook, nor is there an infrared port (neither of which I have any real use for anyway).

Battery
The standard 6-cell battery delivers moderate battery life. I have normally obtained around 2.5hrs of life with constant typing and some music playing. The charge of the battery is about the same time (2.5hrs) for a full charge. An optional 9-cell battery is available for those wishing to gain a bit longer battery time. For my personal use, I normally have the notebook plugged in and the battery life has not been an issue.

Operating system and software
I decided to go with Windows Vista Business (32-bit) for my operating system. Although Vista does have its fair share of annoying quirks, I have been able to customize it to suit my needs. For example, I was able to turn off the incredibly annoying “User Account Control” that feels the need to ask me if I’m sure that I want to install something or change the location of a program. Vista Business has not crashed or demonstrated any problems yet. Additionally, I have not had any compatibility issues with Vista and older software or hardware yet. The manufacturer provided the OEM Vista Business disc along with all of the Asus drivers and program discs with the notebook.

As for included software, it is minimal. Aside from the Windows included software and computer drivers, the only software Asus included was “ChkMail” – a program that makes a little light on the front of my computer when I have new email (I have turned it off), “Nero Essentials” – a CD/DVD burning program, and software to go with the built-in 2.0MP camera. I have not had any problems with any of this software, and it has been very nice not to have to delete a million trial versions of different programs.

Customer support
Although I have not had to use the customer support from Powernotebooks.com, I cannot imagine that it would be anything less than fantastic based on the experience in dealing with the sales department. The notebook (because it is technically branded as a PowerPro A 9:6) comes with a 3-year, both ways shipping paid, PowerPro warranty. Technical support is provided by phone for the life of the notebook, and this was all included in the price.

Conclusion
Overall, I am very pleased with this notebook and would definitely recommend it to someone else in the market for a new notebook. I would suggest this is a good notebook for someone wanting new and top of the line technology, but doesn’t do intense gaming.

Pros:

• Good price for the given technology
• nice graphics card
• great warranty
• solid build overall
• quiet

Cons:

• WXGA is the only monitor resolution offered
• keyboard is a bit flexible

 

nice review, thanks alot
well the keyboard layout has the fn key towards the extreme rather than the cntrl key as usual
no docking port as other high end asus models either
but then again the gpu is quite good too
the memory card reader is in the front of the notebook i presume as i just cant seem to find it on the sides?
lastly as many notebooks nowwadays the headphone jacks seems to be in the front of the machine which is a good and a bad depending on personal preference
thanks for the review again
cheers

 

why did you get the GPU if you dont game. For no games i would have got lowend/InTegrated for better battery.

 

great review, let me just mention that the 3dmark 06 score is usually higher on stock speeds (around 2450), but i'm guessing the score you got was because of the drivers for vista. It guess it doesn't matter much since you don't game. When overclocked to it's highest point the scores can reach up to 2900. Also like mitsurugi said, the pictures online really make this notebook seem very boring and nothing special. In person this thing looks a lot better with an almost gun metal like color.

This notebook is also very quiet. When you are playing some type of game the gpu fan kicks in and that's when you can clearly hear it blowing, but it's not loud.

 

Good review.

Also wondering why you went with the dedicated card if you don't play games. The conclusion recommends this laptop if you don't play games, but with 2GB of ram and a dedicated video card, gaming should be decent with that laptop.

 

I didnt know much about this laptop until reading your review. Wonder how this compares with the Sage NP2090.

 

it's just a cheaper alternative imo, both are great laptops. This one can definitely play games like f.e.a.r., hl2, etc

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=139489

 

hey nice review mitusi, so it finally go posted huh?. I own this laptop and it is a pretty good. I watched 2hr movie yested (hooked it up via svideo to my sharp TV looked great) and it still had 30min battery life left. So battery life is on par. Keyboard has flex but ok to use. minimal heat from the bottom but warmer when playing games on the right palm. I installed Vista but the function button doesn't work right(can't control volume.and such) went back to XP and everything works like a charm. cheers

 

Thanks for the comments guys. In response to why I got the graphics card even though I don't game, there are a couple reasons:

1) I have a 22" Samsung LCD monitor that I often hook up to the notebook when at home and I wanted a card that wouldn't have a problem driving that at full resolution.

2) Vista is a beast and wouldn't run near as well without this card.

3) I'm just nerdy enough that I like external graphics cards

 

Good Review.. has 2 flaws though...
1: This lappy is certainly for gaming (for some new games, it could be intense).
I believe that you can play HL2, NFScarbon, Fear, Doom3 @ Max Settings.
2: There is no DVI-output

 

I agree that this model would do just fine for gaming, sorry for the confusion by my wording - I meant to say just that I don't game.

Yes, a DVI output would be nice, I agree.

 

What's the weight of it?

 

6.5-6.8 pounds

 

Nice review, I have a S96Jm myself and it is a fantastic laptop, of course this updated version looks quite nice, not so sure about the 8600GS though, it seems to perform roughly the same as my x1600 256mb,

 

First of all, good job on the review~~~

We have a S96S special model in our lab with 1680 X 1050 resolution.

We will post more detail later. Stay toon...

 

Agree. I have a Z96S, it's all black and the lid has the piano black finish. The notebook looks really cool.

 

Did you install all the drivers from the CD? Function buttons work perfectly for me

 

Yep, it's for gaming. Now I'm playing HL2 on 1280x800 and max settings, and getting 40-60 fps. Looks really nice.

Company of Heroes at 1280x800 and most settings max gives around 15-20 FPS, but has no visible lag and is very much playable.

Armed Assault crashes every few minutes and runs like crap, even on lowest settings. But this is because it doen't support Vista and is not optimized for it.

The same is with Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2, although it gets 30-40 fps on medium settings, there's some stuttering when the game tries to access the hardrive. On the other hand, this is also because it isn't optimized for PC in general.

 

Overall, it's a BETTER machine than S96Jm.
Better Proc, GPU, n W-lan

 

I am definitely considering buying this laptop. I have been looking everywhere and trying to decide between this(from powernotebooks.com), the sager from xotic, or the dell 1520. I don't mind dells, but I like to give back to the little guys.

Great review, and you my have made Powernotebooks some mondy.

 

Can anyone confirm the firewire chipset that is used in the S96S?
Getting conflicting reports, and would like to use this for audio work, but if its a Ricoh, I may have to look elsewhere.