Asus U36JC A1 - Core i5 460M 2.53GHz - 13.3" TFT
Manufacturer: Asus Part number: U36JC-A1
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Accessories
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The thin, powerful Asus U36JC-A1 packs a lot of computer under its slim 13-inch hood, but some might want to wait for next-gen Intel processors to sweeten the deal.
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CNET editors' review
Asus U36JC A1 - Core i5 460M 2.53GHz - 13.3" TFT price range: $849.99
- Reviewed by: Scott Stein
- Edited by: Dan Ackerman
- Reviewed on: 01/27/2011
The good: Thin magnesium-alloy frame; powerful Core i5 processor in a 13-inch laptop; Nvidia Optimus automatic-switching graphics; USB 3.0 port; sturdy construction.
The bad: Not a next-gen Sandy Bridge Intel processor; battery life is good, but not great; no optical drive.
The bottom line: The thin, powerful Asus U36JC-A1 packs a lot of computer under its slim 13-inch hood, but some might want to wait for next-gen Intel processors to sweeten the deal.
It's no lie, we're fans of thin 13-inch laptops; so much so, we feel like they're nearly the perfect size for the average portable computer. Unfortunately, the 13-inch landscape is a bit of a minefield for the average consumer: some options have underpowered processors, others lack optical drives. We loved the thin Asus U35JC-A1 when we reviewed it in October, finding it a perfect mix of size and performance. The $999 U36JC-A1 is an update with a few new features, including a faster Core i5 processor, a sleeker design, Nvidia Optimus 310M graphics, and a high-speed USB 3.0 port, making it arguably even better than its predecessor.
Those specs are solid, but this thin laptop still lacks Intel's new Sandy Bridge processors, and its battery life suffers in comparison with other thin laptops. While that may not bother some, it can't hurt to wait a few months and see what updates might be around the corner, especially since our initial tests of Sandy Bridge laptop CPUs show a great deal of promise, and even some graphics prowess, that could make the successor to the U36J an even better buy. Nevertheless, the U36JC-A1 is a step up from its predecessor, albeit at a slightly higher price. Compared to the Toshiba Portege R700 series, which won a CNET Editors' Choice, an equivalent CPU, hard drive, and RAM can be had for a similar price. The Portege, however, has an optical drive and lacks discrete graphics; the Asus U36JC-A1 has discrete graphics, but no optical drive.
| Price as reviewed | $999 |
| Processor | 2.53GHz Intel Core i5 460M |
| Memory | 4GB, 1,066MHz DDR3 RAM |
| Hard drive | 500GB 7,200rpm |
| Chipset | Intel HM55 |
| Graphics | Nvidia GeForce 310M + Intel GMA HD (Optimus) |
| Operating system | Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) |
| Dimensions (WD) | 12.9x9.3 inches |
| Height | 0.7-1.0 inches |
| Screen size (diagonal) | 13.3 inches |
| System weight / Weight with AC adapter | 3.8 / 4.5 pounds |
| Category | 13-inch |
Clad in a matte black magnesium shell with a smooth finish, the U36JC adopts an all-black, angular look that's clean and instantly attractive. In several ways, the formal lines resemble those of the Alienware laptops or Asus' Republic of Gamers laptop, the Asus G73.
It's also similar in size and design to the Toshiba Portege R700 series, but, as mentioned above, without an optical drive. The upper lid swings open on two raised hinges, floating slightly above the base, and a thick raised back lip partially contains the U36JC's eight-cell battery. The U36JC is nearly as thin as the recently reviewed ultracompact Lenovo IdeaPad U260, but it has a wider and deeper footprint.
The thin design is admirable and the chassis has a strong, lightweight feel, but the extra-thin body does have its compromises. You can actually see the internal circuit boards through venting grilles on the bottom--this isn't a laptop you want to accidentally place down on a small puddle. Also, the heat vent on the left side is pushed to the front, resulting in blasts of very warm air on your left palm while typing.
Speaking of typing, the U36JC-A1's keyboard feels as great as the previous U35JC-A1's, thanks to solid, raised Chiclet-style keys with very little flex. The keyboard's not backlit, but it's perfectly sized and runs nearly edge-to-edge. A right-side column of Page Up/Down function keys, increasingly common on some laptops, makes finding the Enter and Shift keys more challenging than normal. For other functions such as volume or screen brightness, you'll have to rely on function-combination keys along the top of the keyboard, as opposed to any dedicated keys.
The multitouch touch pad beneath has a smooth response, but is not a more modern-looking click pad. The old-fashioned chromed plastic button bar below isn't our favorite type of click hardware, but then again we tend to touch-tap on the touch pad anyway. The pad could have been larger, though, and feels last-gen.
Also last-gen, in a matter of speaking, is Asus' insistence on having two separate power-buttonlike buttons above the keyboard. One actually boots up the U36JC-A1 in Windows 7, as normally expected; the other launches a "quick start" OS for those who don't have the patience for a full boot of Windows. We never could figure out why quick start is even needed: compared with an iPhone or iPad it's not a quick start at all, and the weak applications rendered in reduced pixel resolutions aren't worth the effort. Putting your laptop to sleep instead is the easier and faster answer.
The 13-inch glossy 16:9 screen on the Asus U36JC-A1 has a native resolution of 1,366x768, which is standard for this size. Text and pictures looked reasonably bright and crisp; viewing angles were wide horizontally, but vertically--as in, when opening and closing the laptop lid--the image degraded more quickly. It's more than serviceable, but isn't standout.
Integrated stereo speakers offer medium volume but hollow, tinny definition. They're fine for basic video playback, but aren't great for music. The integrated Webcam has an LED light to show when it's operating--a nice touch--but the 640x480 maximum resolution and grainy picture quality won't make fans of heavy Web-chatters.
| Asus U36JC-A1 | Average for category [13-inch] | |
|---|---|---|
| Video | VGA-out, HDMI | VGA plus HDMI or DisplayPort |
| Audio | Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks | Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks |
| Data | 2 USB 2.0, 1 USB 3.0, SD card reader | 3 USB 2.0, SD card reader |
| Expansion | None | None |
| Networking | Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | Ethernet, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, optional mobile broadband |
| Optical drive | None | DVD burner |
Other than a high-speed 7,200rpm 500GB hard drive, the other notable feature of the U36JC is its USB 3.0 port, marked in blue. We haven't used many of the high-speed drives and peripherals intended for USB 3.0, but it's a nice forward-looking feature to have.
The 2.53GHz Intel Core i5 M460 CPU in the U36JC is an upgrade from the Core i3 in the U35JC-A1, and unlike in some thin laptops, it's a full standard-voltage processor. Multitasking and general application performance are excellent, on par with most mainstream to high-end laptops. Unfortunately, this isn't one of Intel's next-generation Sandy Bridge processors, which promise even greater boosts in performance.
Our initial tests of Sandy Bridge CPUs seem promising, and could also have a positive impact on battery life. For this reason, we'd recommend waiting until upgraded Intel CPUs become more widely available, if you can--otherwise, don't worry: this system still provides excellent performance compared with what's out there.
This laptop also has automatic-switching graphics courtesy of a dedicated Nvidia GeForce 310M CPU with Optimus, which auto-detects which programs require advanced graphics and switches as needed between the dedicated GPU and integrated Intel graphics. Bottom line: basic gameplay is possible, but this is an entry-level graphics processor.
Unreal Tournament III ran at 1,280x768 resolution and medium graphics settings at 74.4 frames per second; that's a step up from the previous U35JC, which only achieved 38.7fps. Street Fighter IV was very playable at full-screen 1,366x768 with antialiasing off: we got 41fps in the benchmark test. There is a caveat, however--again, upcoming Intel Sandy Bridge processors boast integrated graphics that should easily match what the GeForce 310M is capable of. That's not to say the U36JC-A1 doesn't perform well, it's just not next-generation under the hood, yet.
| Asus U36JC-A1 | Average watts per hour | ||
| Off (60 percent) | 0.61 | ||
| Sleep (10 percent) | 1.41 | ||
| Idle (25 percent) | 14.13 | ||
| Load (5 percent) | 55.78 | ||
| Raw kWh | 59.82 | ||
| Annual energy cost | $6.79 | ||
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
| 1280x768, 0X AA, 0X AF | 1366 x 768, 4X AA, 8X AF |
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
The Asus U36JC-A1's eight-cell battery lasted for 3 hours and 44 minutes in our video playback battery drain test. The U35JC-A1, its predecessor of sorts, had slightly better battery life at a hair under 4 hours, but the U36JC's superior CPU speed doesn't result in much battery drop-off. Future updates with new Sandy Bridge processors might improve battery performance, but for now it's hard to tell. At least we can credit the U36JC-A1 with having a full-power processor, unlike some thin laptops with underperforming CULV CPUs.
The Asus U36JC-A1 comes with a longer-than-industry-average two-year warranty, which could be an attractive deal for those on the fence between this laptop and another competitor. 24-7 tech support and toll-free phone lines can be found on Asus' Web site, though the information can get hard to track down with so many different models and configurations.
System configurations
Asus U36JC-A1
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit); 2.53GHz Intel Core i5 M460; 4,096MB DDR3 SDRAM 1,066MHz;
1GB Nvidia GeForce GT 310M + 64MB (Dedicated) Intel GMA HD; 500GB Seagate 5,400rpm
Acer Aspire TimelineX 4820TG-7805
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit); 2.53GHz Intel Core i5 M460; 4,096MB DDR3 SDRAM 1,066MHz;
1GB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650 + 128MB (Dedicated) Intel GMA HD; 320GB Western Digital 5,400rpm
Samsung QX410
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit); 2.53GHz Intel Core i5 M460; 4,096MB DDR3 SDRAM 1,066MHz;
1GB NVIDIA GeForce 310M + 64MB(Dedicated) Intel GMA HD; 640GB Samsung 5,400rpm
HP Envy 14
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit); 2.4GHz Intel Core i5 M450; 4,096MB DDR3 SDRAM 1,333MHz;
1GB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650; 500GB Seagate 7,200rpm
Toshiba Satellite M645-S4055
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit); 2.4GHz Intel Core i5 M450; 4,096MB DDR3 SDRAM 1,333MHz;
1GB Nvidia GeForce GT 330M + 64MB (Dedicated) Intel GMA HD; 500GB Toshiba 5,400rpm
Find out more about how we test laptops.
User reviews
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GreaRight mix of portability and performance.
by nagharajabishek on May 27, 2011
Pros: 1. amazing keyboard
2. great graphics
3. slim and understated profile
4. graphics.Cons: 1. disappointing battery life (about 5-6 hours on battery saving mode)
2. too fragile. (screen shakes if keypad is tapped hard)Summary: Asus has created a definite winner in the U36JC. It offers an ideal mix of portability and performance for the average customer who wants it all. I , for one, could ...
Summary: Asus has created a definite winner in the U36JC. It offers an ideal mix of portability and performance for the average customer who wants it all. I , for one, could not get myself to compromise either on battey life or hi-fi games when buying a laptop. The laptop plays games like FIFA 11 and batman arkham asylum with surprising aplomb. The battery life is a little disappointing considering asus claims 10 hours. Overall, i would definitely suggest you guys to consider this laptop if you can't get yourself to decide between a desktop replacement or a netbook
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Fast computer & highly portable, but missing something.
by ravingspazz on May 25, 2011
Pros: Lightweight, fast, smooth.
Cons: No optical drive, extremely poor sound quality for the money, comes with A LOT of preinstalled programs (if that kind of thing bothers you!)
Summary: I am having mixed feelings about this laptop. I think that for the money it should be a magnificent computer, but instead it's just decent. However, this review is ...
Summary: I am having mixed feelings about this laptop. I think that for the money it should be a magnificent computer, but instead it's just decent. However, this review is coming from a person who normally uses a 16" laptop and has only had this laptop for a week, so I think I'm biased towards getting overall better computers, rather than highly portable ones (and therefore I made a mistake thinking I could live with "highly-portable" standards, such as having a 13" screen and poor quality speakers). I think I will return it.
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Brilliant Machine
by cuttsy2011 on May 4, 2011
Pros: Very thin , very light , very powerful , good graphics card
Cons: Mouse buttons make a little noise but nothing too serious . No WIFI on / off switch on the laptop itself . No optical drive but who really uses CD/DVD these days anyway
Summary: I have had this laptop for 1 month now and not one single complaint . I have previously had Dell , Lenovo and HP so I thought it was time to give ...
Summary: I have had this laptop for 1 month now and not one single complaint . I have previously had Dell , Lenovo and HP so I thought it was time to give the ASUS a go . For its price in the portability and performance market well worth the money .
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Light,Tremendously powerful,value for money
by virdi on April 14, 2011
Pros: This laptop is light,the screen is bright,the keyboard handles beautifully,very good processor,great finish
Cons: I wish the power cord had a sort of accidental trip plug-in like the Mac Book Pro,so that if you accidentally trip over the wires,you don't bring the laptop down.
Summary: This laptop looks and feels very classy,with great handling,a solid replacement for a desktop in terms of sheer power with great finish.
Summary: This laptop looks and feels very classy,with great handling,a solid replacement for a desktop in terms of sheer power with great finish.
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Incredible laptop all around
by gschaller on March 15, 2011
Pros: Performance: Very fast performance and response time (both CPU and hard drive response time is fantastic)
Portability: Very light weight, super thin.
Adapters: USB 3.0 support (excellent), multiple USB 2.0, SD reader, hdmi
Video support: Dual Card (oCons: LAN Adapter: The LAN Adapter doesn't fully "lock in" the ethernet cable. However, not a show stopper since once you put the cable in, it seems to stay in, but if you jolt the laptop it could come out.
Some bloatware on install: Suggest removing it.
WebSummary: Excellent laptop overall. Great Portabilty (lightweight), great battery life, fast performance of apps, fast hard drive, usb 3.0 support, hdmi support and excellent graphics support since it uses the ...
Summary: Excellent laptop overall. Great Portabilty (lightweight), great battery life, fast performance of apps, fast hard drive, usb 3.0 support, hdmi support and excellent graphics support since it uses the Nvidia optimus.
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Light and poweful, just awesome
by cac22 on February 4, 2011
Pros: Mag alloy case
Sleek and light design
USB 3.0
Packs power in ultra-portable
Great battery life
Feels and is sturdy, well builtCons: Lacks back-lit keyboard
0.3 mega pixel webcam...should do betterSummary: For the busy traveler, this laptop is the perfect combination of portability and power.
This would be the perfect laptop for me if it had a backlit keyboard.Summary: For the busy traveler, this laptop is the perfect combination of portability and power.
This would be the perfect laptop for me if it had a backlit keyboard. -
bad experience with the product and service
by jhuendo on April 25, 2011
Pros: when i bought is because i was told it is a good laptop but now....
Cons: less one year, both HD and fan were broken.
Summary: I bought Asus U35 laptop less than one year ago and it is still under the warranty. But the hard driver was failure two weeks ago, since I didn't ...
Summary: I bought Asus U35 laptop less than one year ago and it is still under the warranty. But the hard driver was failure two weeks ago, since I didn't have time to ship my laptop back to Asus service because it will take 14 business days, I had Best Buy to change the HD at my own money. Now I heard the laptop has click noise which is very annoying, I went to Best Buy again, I was told it may be caused by the broken fan. So I called Asus, since again I couldn't afford to take 14 days without laptop to work as Asus requested, I tried to request to buy a fan so I can have Best Buy to install it for me. You know what , Asus just cut off the phone and didn't want to talk to me. This was the experience with Asus product and service.
0 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Asus
- Part number: U36JC-A1
- Description: Marketing description is not available.
General
- System Type Notebook
- OS Provided Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Edition
- Service & Support 2 years warranty
- Notebook type Gaming ,
Ultrathin Processor / Chipset
- Processor Intel Core i5 i5-460M / 2.53 GHz
- Multi-Core Technology Dual-Core
- 64-bit Computing Yes
Memory
- RAM 4 GB
- Technology DDR3 SDRAM
Storage
- Floppy Drive None
- Hard Drive 500 GB HDD / 7200 rpm
- Storage Removable None
- Optical Drive None
- Optical Drive (2nd) None
- Hard drive type Portable
Display
- Type 13.3 in
- LCD Backlight Technology LED backlight
- Max Resolution 1366 x 768 ( HD )
- Widescreen Yes
Audio & Video
- Multi-GPU Configuration 1 single GPU card / integrated GPU
- Graphics Processor NVIDIA GeForce 310M / Intel HD Graphics - 1 GB DDR3 SDRAM
- Video System Features NVIDIA Optimus
- Camera Yes
- Resolution 0.3 Megapixel
Input
- Type Keyboard,
Touchpad - Features Multi-touch touchpad
Communications
- Wireless 802.11n,
Bluetooth - Network Interface 10/100 Ethernet
Battery
- Technology 8-cell
- Capacity 5600 mAh
Connections & Expansion
- Interfaces VGA,
Microphone input,
Headphone output,
2 x USB 2.0,
LAN,
HDMI - Memory Card Reader Card reader ( xD-Picture Card ),
( SD Memory Card ),
( Memory Stick ),
( MultiMediaCard ) Software
- Microsoft Office Preloaded Includes a pre-loaded image of select Microsoft Office 2010 suites. Purchase an Office 2010 Product Key Card or disc to activate preloaded software on this PC.
Miscellaneous
- Color Black
Dimensions & Weight
- Height 0.7 in
- Weight 3.7 lbs
Manufacturer Warranty
- Service & Support Details Limited warranty - 2 years,
Accidental damage coverage - 1 year
Accessories
- A-Data Classic Series C008 - USB flash drive - 64 GB (34581564)62.99
- Centon DataStick Pro + - USB flash drive - 32 GB (34779442)52.48
- A-Data Classic Series C008 - USB flash drive - 4 GB (34637987)9.69
- ASUS Laser Gaming Mouse GX800 mouse (34442833)
- ASUS WX-Lamborghini mouse (35032967)86.68
- Belkin Compact Mouse M100 mouse (35145329)7.99
- Cisco Linksys E4200 v2 Maximum Performance Dual-Band N900 router (35098697)164.99 - 199.99
- Asus RT-N56U Dual-Band Gigabit Wireless-N Router (34200558)114.79 - 135.00
- Belkin N150 Wireless Router - wireless router - 802.11b/g/n - desktop (34859948)28.99 - 34.99
- Belkin N300 Wireless N Router - wireless router - 802.11b/g/n - desktop (35263578)39.99 - 48.99
- Belkin N600 DB Wireless Dual-Band N+ Router - wireless router - 802.11 a/b/g/n - desktop (35190484)66.57 - 104.73
- Belkin N900 Dual-Band Wireless Router - wireless router - 802.11n - desktop (35262637)194.99 - 292.17
- Buffalo AirStation Nfiniti HighPower Giga WZR-HP-G450H - wireless router - none - 802.11b/g/n - desktop (34859675)82.11 - 95.99
- Cisco 881 Fast Ethernet Security Router supporting EVDO/1xRTT - router - cellular modem - 802.11b/g/n (draft 2.0) - desktop (35026157)
- Cisco 892F Gigabit Ethernet Security Router - wireless router - ISDN - 802.11 a/b/g/n (draft 2.0) - desktop (34693849)
Manufacturer info
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Asus products on Shopper.com
-
- Manufacturer:Asus
- Address:
44370 Nobel Drive, Fremont, CA 94538 - Phone: +1-510-739-3777
- Email: tmd1@asus.com
- Fax: +1-510-608-4555


