Asus K50IJ-RX05
Manufacturer: Asus Part number: K50IJ-RX05
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Accessories
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- As long as you won't need more than what it already has, the budget-friendly Asus K50IJ-RX05 is money well spent.
Read more
Where to buy
| store | customer rating | inventory | tax & shipping | price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  | In stock Order Now-Ships Today | Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price | as of 12/08/2009 Refurbished |
 | | In stock Order Now-Ships Today | as of 12/08/2009 Refurbished |
CNET editors' review
Asus K50IJ-RX05 price range: $449.99
- Reviewed by: Joshua Goldman
- Edited by: Dan Ackerman
- Reviewed on: 07/08/2009
The good: Subtle, attractive design; comfortable keyboard; very good battery life, performance for its class.
The bad: Limited growth potential.
The bottom line: As long as you won't need more than what it already has, the budget-friendly Asus K50IJ-RX05 is money well spent.
Editors' note: This review is part of our 2009 Retail Laptop and Desktop Back-to-School roundup, covering specific fixed configurations of popular systems that can be found in retail stores.
When you learn not to expect much from entry-level products, there is a better chance you'll be surprised by what you find. For example, when we first looked over the Asus K50IJ-RX05 we saw a fairly basic laptop powered by an older Intel dual-core processor. After a little bit of use, though, the K50IJ started standing out from the other $499-or-less laptops we've tested, with more memory and hard-drive space, better design elements, and ultimately better performance and battery life. If your needs are limited and you don't think they'll change anytime soon, the Asus K50IJ-RX05 is a respectable deal.
| Price as reviewed / Starting price | $499.99 |
| Processor | 2GHz Intel Pentium Dual Core T4200 |
| Memory | 3GB, 800MHz DDR2 |
| Hard drive | 320GB 5,400rpm |
| Chipset | Mobile Intel GL40+ICH9M |
| Graphics | Intel GMA 4500MHD (integrated) |
| Operating System | Windows Vista Home Premium |
| Dimensions (WD) | 14.5 x 10 inches |
| Height | 1.2-1.4 inches |
| Screen size (diagonal) | 15.6 inches |
| System weight / Weight with AC adapter | 5.8/6.6 pounds |
| Category | Mainstream |
The Asus K50IJ-RX05 looks a lot like a larger version of the company's Eee PC 1005HA netbook. The body isn't all black, though, but a carbon-fiberesque bronze and black pattern that keeps it from looking like a generic no-frills notebook. And while it is all plastic, the contruction feels sturdy despite being comparatively lightweight.
There's a 1.3-megapixel Webcam built in above the display and the comfortabley large chiclet-ish keyboard has a separate number pad (things we don't expect on such a low-end system). Though there are no dedicated multimedia controls, Asus marked the Function keys in blue so they pop out from the white markings of the letter, number, and punctuation keys. The touch pad is reasonably large with a dimpled surface to differentiate it from the palm rests, as it's all one piece. The left and right click buttons below it are big and responsive, but the silver plastic collects fingerprints and sort of cheapens the look.
The 15.6-inch wide-screen display offers a 1,366x768-pixel native resolution, which isn't enough for full 1080p HD video, but still standard for a screen this size in its class. It's not the sharpest display and colors are a little washed out, but overall it's serviceable and gets adequately bright. Plus, it's a backlit LED screen, which might be partially responsible for the laptop's good battery life.
Stereo Altec Lansing-branded speakers fire out the front. While they sound pretty weak, Asus gives them a little boost by including an amplifier utility from SRS. Turning it on not only made the speakers louder, but improved the overall quality of the audio as well.
| Asus K50IJ-RX05 | Average for category [mainstream] | |
| Video | VGA-out | VGA-out, HDMI |
| Audio | Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks | Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks |
| Data | 4 USB 2.0, SD card reader | 4 USB 2.0, SD card reader |
| Expansion | None | ExpressCard/54 |
| Networking | Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi | Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, optional WWAN |
| Optical drive | DVD burner | DVD burner |
The K50IJ-RX05 has a decent port assortment with just about everything we expect at this price. The only thing noticeably absent is an ExpressCard slot, which limits the laptop's expandability options. For networking you do get the bonus of 802.11n Wi-Fi, but we question the benefit of this on such a low-end notebook.
Like all of Asus' laptops, the K50IJ-RX05 is a retail configuration, so there is no option to configure it before you buy. For the money, though, it has one of the best component lineups you're going to find. About the only thing you may consider doing after purchase is upgrading its 3GB of memory to 4GB. Otherwise, it's "what you get is what you get" with this system, which again, is not a bad thing.
Its Intel dual-core processor is older, but its performance still holds up against its low-cost competition from AMD as well as Intel. While it doesn't blow away the entry-level competition in this roundup, you can see from our test results what an extra 1GB of RAM does for a system in this class. Especially when you factor in that 128MB of the system memory is being shared with the integrated graphics. Also, though we didn't run gaming benchmarks on these notebooks, it handles casual gaming without a problem.
 Juice box | |||
| Asus K50IJ-RX05 | |
| Off (watts) | 0.4 |
| Sleep (watts) | 1 |
| Idle (watts) | 12.7 |
| Load (watts) | 35.3 |
| Raw (annual kWh) | 46 |
| Annual operating cost (@$0.1135/kWh) | $5.22 |
The K50IJ ran for 2 hours and 44 minutes on our video playback battery drain test, using the included six-cell battery, putting it at the top for battery life in this roundup. A little power management and you can easily get more than 3 hours of time away from an outlet. Plus, our battery drain test is especially grueling, so you can expect longer life from casual Web surfing and office use.
Asus includes a two-year, parts-and-labor warranty with the system; however, the battery is only covered for one year. The company's support Web site has improved much over the past few years, and includes easy-to-find driver downloads and manuals, along with a brief FAQ section. Retail stores offer a variety of extended warranty plans with your laptop purchase, but they're generally expensive and hard to use, so we do not recommend them.
This system is available from Best Buy only. With any PC purchases after June 26, Best Buy will provide a free, full version of Windows 7 when it becomes available in October. The laptop must be running Windows Vista Home Premium, Ultimate, or Business to qualify and will receive the corresponding Windows 7 program.
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
Find out more about how we test laptops.
System configurations:
Asus K50IJ-RX05
Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 (64-bit); 2.0GHz Intel Pentium Dual Core T4200; 3072MB DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz; 128MB (Shared) Mobile Intel GMA 4500MHD; 320GB Seagate 5400rpm
Toshiba Satellite L305-S5955
Windows Vista Home Basic SP1; 2.2GHz Intel Celeron 900; 2048MB DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz; 128MB (Shared) Mobile Intel GMA 4500MHD; 160GB Toshiba 5400rpm
Compaq Presario CQ60-417DX
Windows Vista Home Premium SP1; 2.2GHz Intel Celeron 900; 3072MB DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz; 128MB (shared) Mobile Intel GMA 4500MHD; 160GB Samsung 5400rpm
Toshiba Satellite L505D-S5965
Windows Vista Home Premium SP1; 2.1GHz AMD Athlon X2 Dual-Core QL-65; 3072MB DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz; 256MB ATI Mobility Radeon 3100; 250GB Toshiba 5400rpm
Dell Inspiron 1545-012B
Windows Vista Home Premium SP1; 2.0GHz Intel Pentium Dual Core T4200; 2048MB DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz; 128MB (Shared) Mobile Intel GMA 4500MHD; 160GB Western Digital 5400rpm
User reviews
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Great Value!
by jwlswlb on August 24, 2009
Pros: Speed considering processor. Features for the price.You don't need to spend
$700 to $800 to get a good computer.Cons: Had to think about it for a while to come up with a con but when using it on your lap the back legs tend to dig into your thighs causing you to shift it around.
Summary: Had it only a week & the more I use it the more impressed I am. Added the extra gig of ram ($30) & can't believe how fast everything ...
Summary: Had it only a week & the more I use it the more impressed I am. Added the extra gig of ram ($30) & can't believe how fast everything loads. Light weight for 15.6". Very good battery life. Wireless stays connected. Cool on the lap. Had a little trouble hooking up new wireless HP printer but HP support got it going & it has remained connected. Added a minature bluetooth dongle for a mouse and now the only connection needed is the power cord, I never buy any electronics without checking Cnet and they where spot on with their review on this one.
4 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Good price beats the rest.
by Titansdawg on August 9, 2009
Pros: User friendly, good look and fits my needs as a small business owner.
Cons: I would recommend an external mouse for this one. The location of the pad is very involved with every stroke I make. But, I am using a notebook for the first time in about a year and a half. This might just be something that I will have to adjust to.
Summary: I like the price; it compared in specs, with most other notebooks but won in the price category.
Summary: I like the price; it compared in specs, with most other notebooks but won in the price category.
3 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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This is a great laptop!
by gogospeed1 on August 27, 2009
Pros: Great speed, large RAM and memory for the price ive seen more expensive products with less features and less RAM, Memory.
Cons: The screen resolution could have been better for watching movies. Very glossy, can be a bother but not a big deal. The dimpled mouse pad can cause a slight irritation if your on it for hours and hours. And again not a big deal.
Summary: This is a great computer. The cons are not a big deal they are tollerable. Great price. Asus really struck back for the back to school season!
Summary: This is a great computer. The cons are not a big deal they are tollerable. Great price. Asus really struck back for the back to school season!
2 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Wonderful entry-level laptop.
Pros: Inexpensive, reliable, keeps cool, facial recognition, speedy, "all-in-one", decent speakers (sound optimization software included), lightweight, built-in number pad, decent battery.
Cons: Video card a little slow.
Summary: This laptop's reliability is unbelievable. For a $500 laptop it does everything I want quickly. It's a little slow with the games, but a little extra RAM fixed ...
Summary: This laptop's reliability is unbelievable. For a $500 laptop it does everything I want quickly. It's a little slow with the games, but a little extra RAM fixed that. Facial recognition comes in handy, and its cooling system keeps it astonishingly cool. The speakers sound good with the included SRS Premium Sound software. The battery is decent. The built-in camera and microphone work well. A free upgrade to Windows 7 was included when I bought it. It's lightweight and very portable. I am very happy with this laptop.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Decent laptop for the money.
by BBY_FTW on October 8, 2009
Pros: Very good boot time, great battery life, awesome software customization even outside of Windows.
Cons: Lacks media buttons, glossy finish prone to fingerprints. Not great for graphics-intense games.
Summary: I purchased this laptop for $500, being a Computer Sales Associate at Best Buy. For the price it was the best we had in stock, in terms of features and ...
Summary: I purchased this laptop for $500, being a Computer Sales Associate at Best Buy. For the price it was the best we had in stock, in terms of features and customer service. While the Dell's and Gateway hat were comparable did boast the same features for a little less, I felt more confident in the ASUS name, as well as general design.
I do miss the one-touch media controls of my old computer, but having to push FN is no huge deal. Also, the graphics are choppy and slow on HALO 2, even on the lowest settings of the game. I am planning to upgrade the RAM, so perhaps that will help a little, relieving some of the stress on the system.
All in all, a decent computer. Not as good as an ASUS G71, but also not $1300.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Amazing for its price
by lnknprkht on September 30, 2009
Pros: Price, Battery Life, the Side Number Pad, the Hard Drive
Cons: Num Lock being so close to the backspace button, other than that nothing.
Summary: I bought this laptop based on a recommendation of sales rep at Best Buy for what I was going to use it for. I have had this laptop for over ...
Summary: I bought this laptop based on a recommendation of sales rep at Best Buy for what I was going to use it for. I have had this laptop for over a month and it has passed all my expectations for what I expected to get from this laptop at this price.
Now having used this laptop for a longer amount of time I can say with a sure thing that this Asus laptop was well worth the money that I spent on it. From my experiences with the other laptops that I have used I prefer this one because it has the full keyboard on it and will run games with good graphics.
Updated on Nov 14, 20091 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Nice and Cool Laptop for the money
by mickeyaz on August 20, 2009
Pros: Great price for what is included, runs super cool, nice looking machine.
Cons: Fingerprint magnet! Not much you can do about it unless you get a skin for it or constantly wipe it down.
Summary: I did a lot of research for a budget laptop. I read so many reviews and checked so many prices that my head started spinning. Anyway, this laptop just had ...
Summary: I did a lot of research for a budget laptop. I read so many reviews and checked so many prices that my head started spinning. Anyway, this laptop just had the most bang for the buck($479 @ BestBuy). Asus has been around for awhile and makes most of the motherboards for the higher end machines, like Alienware. So make no mistake you are getting a quality product. The best thing about this machine is that it runs so cool, it does not get as hot like some of the other machines I checked out. I was just looking for a laptop to surf,email and homework (not much of a gamer). This thing is perfect. You will not be disappointed if you decide to purchase.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great price. Performs well.
by riverdawg41 on August 27, 2009
Pros: Price, and performance.
Been using a netbook for 1 yr and this really blows it away.
Read CNET reviews and saw it was rated #1. That was enough for me.Cons: Fingerprint magnet.
Best Buy tried to sell me all the bells and whistles and were actually rude when I refused all of it.Summary: Well built. Seems to be more sturdy and put togeter better than the other laptops in this price range.
Runs cooler than any other laptops I have had or used.Summary: Well built. Seems to be more sturdy and put togeter better than the other laptops in this price range.
Runs cooler than any other laptops I have had or used. -
For the Money you cant even come close
by VT Hokies on July 11, 2009
Pros: For an " an in one machine" this cant be beat. For 499.99 this will be the number 1 laptop to get. All I did was upgrade from 3gb of memory to 4 and it makes a world of difference.
Cons: None for the money.
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Awesome, Great fast computer
by jtmcutter on August 28, 2009
Pros: Fast, good frame rate, and great look to the outer casing!
Cons: The mouse pad makes the mouse lags sometimes because of friction and gets finger prints easy.
Summary: Still a good computer for a good price ... it doesn't clutter you computer with trials because of the price witch i think is great. The computer i'm using ...
Summary: Still a good computer for a good price ... it doesn't clutter you computer with trials because of the price witch i think is great. The computer i'm using now is one ( :
0 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Asus
- Part number: K50IJ-RX05
- Description: The ASUS K50IJ notebook is designed to provide a no-frills computing experience to users while on the move. Boasting the muscle to provide cinematic audio and visual enjoyment, users can experience immersive entertainment anytime, anywhere in comfort and style.
General
- Built-in Devices Speaker, Wireless LAN antenna
- Width 14.6 in
- Depth 10.1 in
- Height 1.4 in
- Weight 5.7 lbs
- Color Bronze black
- Notebook type Thin-and-light (4-6 lbs.)
- Wireless capabilities IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11 n (draft)
Processor
- Processor Intel Pentium T4200 / 2 GHz
- Multi-Core processor technology Dual-Core
- 64-bit processor Yes
- Data bus speed 800 MHz
Cache Memory
- Type L2 cache
- Cache size 1 MB
RAM
- Installed Size 3 GB / 4 GB (max)
- Technology DDR2 SDRAM
Storage Controller
- Storage controller type Serial ATA
- Storage Controller / Serial ATA Interface Serial ATA-150
Storage
- Floppy Drive None
- Hard Drive 320 GB - Serial ATA-150 - 5400 rpm
- Storage Removable None
- Hard drive type Portable
Optical Storage
- Type DVD±RW (±R DL) / DVD-RAM
Optical Storage (2nd)
- 2nd optical storage type None
Card Reader
- Card reader type 3 in 1 card reader
- Supported flash memory cards Memory Stick, MultiMediaCard, SD Memory Card
Display
- Display Type 15.6 in TFT active matrix
- Max Resolution 1366 x 768 ( WXGA )
- Widescreen Display Yes
- Features LED-backlit
- Screen type Widescreen
Video
- Graphics Processor / Vendor Intel GMA 4500 Dynamic Video Memory Technology 5.0
Audio
- Audio output type Sound card
- Audio output compliant standards High Definition Audio
- Audio Input Microphone
Notebook Camera
- Camera Type Integrated
- Sensor Resolution 1.3 Megapixel
Input Device(s)
- Input device type Keyboard, Touchpad
- Features Built-in numeric keyboard
Telecom
- Modem None
Networking
- Networking Network adapter
- Networking / Wireless LAN Supported Yes
- Data link protocol Ethernet, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, Fast Ethernet, IEEE 802.11n (draft)
- Networking standards IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n (draft)
Expansion / Connectivity
- Expansion Slots Total (Free) Memory
- Interfaces 1 x Microphone - Input - Mini-phone 3.5 mm, 1 x Headphones - Output - Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm, 1 x Display / video - VGA - 15 pin HD D-Sub (HD-15), 4 x Hi-Speed USB - 4 pin USB Type A, 1 x Network - Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base-TX/1000Base-T - RJ-45
Miscellaneous
- Cables Included Power cable ( 1 pcs.)
- Features 802.11b/g/n Wireless LAN, Camera, Facial recognition
Power
- Power device form factor External
Battery
- Technology 6-cell Lithium ion
- Installed Qty 1
- Mfr estimated battery life 3.8 hour(s)
Operating System / Software
- OS Provided Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium
- Microsoft Office Ready Includes a preinstalled image of select 2007 Microsoft Office suites. Purchase a Medialess License Kit (MLK) to activate the software.
- Software CyberLink Power2Go, Drivers & Utilities, Adobe Acrobat Reader
Manufacturer Warranty
- Service & Support 1 year warranty
- Service & Support Details Limited warranty - 1 year
Accessories
- ASUS notebook battery (33738474)119.99 - 139.99
- Targus Meridian 15.6" Toploading Laptop Case for Dell - notebook carrying case (33629025)47.99
- Belkin Core Series Backpack - notebook carrying backpack (33574528)24.88 - 45.08
- Lenovo ThinkPad 15W Case Sleeve - notebook carrying case (33770309)11.00 - 12.93
- SanDisk Cruzer USB flash drive - 32 GB (33544914)58.74 - 139.99
- SanDisk Cruzer Micro - USB flash drive - 8 GB (32631690)18.69 - 29.55
- SanDisk Cruzer Micro - USB flash drive - 16 GB (33032681)27.45 - 79.99
- ASUS mouse (32925789)10.19 - 16.94
- ASUS mouse (32925748)17.74 - 24.27
- Logitech V220 Cordless Optical Mouse for Notebooks (32481206)22.95 - 29.48
- Asus R2H Slim USB 2.0 Foldable Keyboard (32572408)43.99
- Logitech Wireless Desktop MK300 - keyboard , mouse (33687687)32.88 - 43.46
- Microsoft Wireless Optical Desktop 700 - keyboard , mouse (31892359)24.97
- Belkin wireless cable/DSL gateway router (7676655)35.00
- Panasonic KX HGW600 - gateway (30092493)300.16 - 316.29
Manufacturer info
- Asus
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Asus products on Shopper.com
-
- Website: http://www.asus.com/
- Address:
44370 Nobel Drive, Fremont, CA 94538 - Phone: +1-510-739-3777
- Email: tmd1@asus.com
- Fax: +1-510-608-4555
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HP Mini 311 $399.99 -
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Toshiba Satellite A505-S6980 $629.99 -
Asus Eee PC 1005HA (Intel Atom N280 1.66GHz, 1GB RAM, 160GB HDD, XP Home, blue) $329.95 - $349.99 - CNET Editor rating:
- Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 46 reviews
Popular accessories
-
Lenovo ThinkPad 15W Case Sleeve - notebook carrying case (33770309) 11.00 - 12.93 -
Belkin Core Series Backpack - notebook carrying backpack (33574528) 24.88 - 45.08 -
Panasonic KX HGW600 - gateway (30092493) 300.16 - 316.29 -
ASUS notebook battery (33738474) 119.99 - 139.99 -
ASUS mouse (32925789) 10.19 - 16.94
