Asus UL30JT is here – 13 incher with powerful Core i5 hardware + Optimus

After reviewing the Asus UL30A and considering it one of the best mini laptops of 2009 (not only me, but also buyers around the world), I now had the chance to play with the Asus UL30JT, the new version of that notebook, with some noticeable improvements.

Outside, the UL30JT is nearly the same as its predecessor: same casing with aluminum led cover, same solid construction and sleek design, same ports-placement. Once you open the lid, you’ll notice the only improvement in terms of aspect, minor, but important: the entire area around the keyboard and palm-rest, plus the trackpad, are no longer glossy, but made of a matte plastic which feels quite nice. Too bad the screen has been kept the same from the old version, as it’s one of the glossiest I’ve ever seen and is nearly impossible to use outside or in strong light conditions.

Inside is where the UL30JT impresses, as in now brings the latest in terms of ULV hardware from Intel (the Arrandale platform): Core i5-520UM processor (1.06 GHz, 3 MB cache and Turbo Boost – increases frequency), HM55 chipset and a hybrid graphic system with Intel GMA X4500 and Nvidia GT310M chips. Both managed by the Nvidia Optimus technology. Add 4 GB of DDR3 RAM and a 640 GB storage space and you get quite a powerful combo.

New Asus UL30JT with powerful Core i5 processor and Optimus

One that can play and run nearly all the applications you’d want, although the UL30JT is made for multimedia and excels when faced with 1080P content and even modern games (will play nearly all titles as long as you can stick with a lower resolution and don’t want too much in terms of graphic details).

Overall, the system equipped with Windows 7 Ultimate is snappy, although a fresh reinstall of the OS is a must, as Asus loads it with tons of bloatware.

See the clip below for more info on performance in games and multimedia applications.

Of course, having Optimus on board, the LG30JT won’t disappoint in terms of battery life, which ranges from 3 to 8 hours, based on the activity you’ll perform on it. Great, considering the power of the device (so you cannot compare it with a standard netbook when speaking of autonomy, that would not be fair).

All in all, the Asus UL30JT is impressive. It’s not perfect, as it is a little bit noisier than the standard ultraportable and it runs quite hot on the bottom-left part, but hey, you have to live with these inconveniences if you want performance and portability together.

For more details, I’d advice you to read the full review of the Asus UL30JT on allabouteeepc.com (which is a site I wrote for and treats mostly Asus EEE PCs and small Asus laptops).

Also, stay tuned for more details on this Asus, as availability and prices are still unknown. Plus, in the next days, I’m going to perform more tests on the new ULV platform from Intel and compare it to the old one, and I’m sure you guys will be interested in those posts.

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Tags: 13.3" netbooks, Asus, Core i5, dual core processor, hybrid graphics, Intel Arrandale platform, most powerful netbooks

Last updated: January 7, 2011 | Published: May 11th, 2010 | Add the first comment!