ASUS is well-known for producing top-quality products, and as a result, their products tend to cost a little more than the competition. The M51S, however, is a little different. In the past, we've taken a look at two ASUS notebooks valued at close to $3,000, and to date, the least expensive model was just under $1,500. So I was surprised when I first received the M51S, as it's priced right around the $1,000 mark. I immediately knew this was going to be an interesting product to test.
Before jumping into things, let's clear up a few things about this model, and where it stands in relation to the rest of the ASUS line-up. First and foremost, the "M" stands for "Multimedia". Some models will also have another letter at the very end, which in our case is "n". There is an "r" version as well which includes an ATI GPU and faster processor. It retails for around $300 more than the "n" model.
Also, when ASUS releases a revised version of a notebook, they'll add a revision letter and number at the end. Our model is -A1, which has just been replaced by the -B1. The primary difference I can see is that the processor has been upgraded from a 1.66GHz offering to a 1.83GHz one. Both notebooks appear to have identical pricing, so it's something to be on the lookout for.
To make things a little more confusing, ASUS also has M50S notebooks, and despite the lower number, it's a higher-end offering. The M50S notebooks have better specs overall and some include a Blu-ray drive for high-def movie viewing. These retail for around $400 more than the M50S.
Closer Look
ASUS designed the M51S for those who want a capable multi-media notebook at a great price. In the case of this exact model, the SRP is $1,029US (~$1,059CAN). Comparing the M51S to other notebooks on the market, the ASUS proves to carry a small premium, within the ~$50 range. One Dell notebook, for example, had an Inspiron offering with similar specs, but cost $100 less. It also had a much weaker GPU, however. So all in all, this notebook is priced competitively.
Included here is a 15.4" display capable of the 1280x800 resolution, a large 250GB hard drive, 3GB of DDR2-667 and wireless with support for 802.11n. To power the machine, ASUS chose to use Intel's T5450 Core 2 Duo, clocked at 1.66GHz and equipped with 2MB of L2 Cache and a 667MHz FSB.
As mentioned above, though, the latest revision of this notebook includes a T5550, a similar offering but bumped up to 1.83GHz. As far as I can tell, the exact revision I am using would be discontinued, because all e-tailers I see, seem to be carrying the model with the faster processor. Given both are priced the same, be sure you are picking up the one with the T5550.
Before jumping into things, let's clear up a few things about this model, and where it stands in relation to the rest of the ASUS line-up. First and foremost, the "M" stands for "Multimedia". Some models will also have another letter at the very end, which in our case is "n". There is an "r" version as well which includes an ATI GPU and faster processor. It retails for around $300 more than the "n" model.
Also, when ASUS releases a revised version of a notebook, they'll add a revision letter and number at the end. Our model is -A1, which has just been replaced by the -B1. The primary difference I can see is that the processor has been upgraded from a 1.66GHz offering to a 1.83GHz one. Both notebooks appear to have identical pricing, so it's something to be on the lookout for.
To make things a little more confusing, ASUS also has M50S notebooks, and despite the lower number, it's a higher-end offering. The M50S notebooks have better specs overall and some include a Blu-ray drive for high-def movie viewing. These retail for around $400 more than the M50S.
Closer Look
ASUS designed the M51S for those who want a capable multi-media notebook at a great price. In the case of this exact model, the SRP is $1,029US (~$1,059CAN). Comparing the M51S to other notebooks on the market, the ASUS proves to carry a small premium, within the ~$50 range. One Dell notebook, for example, had an Inspiron offering with similar specs, but cost $100 less. It also had a much weaker GPU, however. So all in all, this notebook is priced competitively.
Included here is a 15.4" display capable of the 1280x800 resolution, a large 250GB hard drive, 3GB of DDR2-667 and wireless with support for 802.11n. To power the machine, ASUS chose to use Intel's T5450 Core 2 Duo, clocked at 1.66GHz and equipped with 2MB of L2 Cache and a 667MHz FSB.
As mentioned above, though, the latest revision of this notebook includes a T5550, a similar offering but bumped up to 1.83GHz. As far as I can tell, the exact revision I am using would be discontinued, because all e-tailers I see, seem to be carrying the model with the faster processor. Given both are priced the same, be sure you are picking up the one with the T5550.
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