Notebook Hunter

For $698 the ASUS K52JT-1YR-SX398V is an incredible bargain, because it combines one of the fastest first generation Intel Core i5s together with a Blu-ray player and a low-end graphics card at a price more commonly seen on basic notebooks. This allrounder offers really excellent overall versatility for the low price, and is highly worth considering closely.

The processor is a first generation Intel Core i5-480M (2.66GHz) that is very fast even by modern Sandy Bridge standards, and it will handle intensive tasks like image editing with ease. It can also easily run the Blu-ray player either on the 15.6in (1,366x768 resolution) screen or to a larger HD resolution TV thanks to the HDMI port. Although the AMD Radeon HD 6370M is a low-end graphics card, it can still run new titles like StarCraft 2 perfectly smoothly on low settings. This is all very impressive when you remember that for around $700 the best normally available is a basic notebook.

There’s also a large 640GB hard drive that can even store a decent number of HD movies before becoming anywhere near full. The 4GB of RAM also helps out with multi-tasking and ensures that overall system performance will be good. Portability is normal for a notebook with a 15.6in screen; the K52JT weighs 2.62kg and measures 35.6mm thick, 255mm deep and 380mm wide.

See the ASUS K52JT-1YR-SX398V in the Notebook Hunter database here.

See the special online at Harvey Norman here.

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