The central air inlet, located directly under the fan, is duplicated by several auxiliary ones that open into the same cavity in the case where the processor and other heating components are located. Thus, the overlap of one or even two holes does not threaten overheating, and it is possible to close all three at the same time only on purpose.
Sound
Built-in speakers are located under the lattice panel in front of the case, on its upper edge. That is, the sound is directed towards the user, and not at the surface on which the laptop is standing. Together with not the quietest speakers, this gives excellent volume, which will be enough even in large and relatively noisy rooms. As for the sound quality, it is slightly above average for laptop speakers.
Of course, if you want to get a truly high-quality sound, you should use an external speaker system, since the laptop is equipped with a digital S / PDIF output.
Screen
ASUS Lamborghini VX1 uses a 15-inch screen, aspect ratio - 4:3, which will undoubtedly please fans of the classic format, but somewhat does not fit in with the positioning of the Lamborghini VX1 as a multimedia laptop. The screen has a high resolution - 1400x1050 pixels. Thanks to the fine grain, the picture looks very smooth, without a pronounced ladder characteristic of 15-inch displays with a resolution of 1024x768.
The contrast and brightness of the matrix are quite high, so the image is very juicy and pleasing to the eye. We were also pleased with the speed of response. But the viewing angles are not very good, even at an inclination of about 30 degrees, the colors are greatly distorted. As in most of the latest ASUS models, a "glass" (Glare) screen cover is used here.
Internal organization
CPU
The Core Duo T2500 processor is perhaps the most frequently used processor from the CPU family in our test lab. Intel Core. The first time we met with him was when we were reviewing the Acer TravelMate 8204WLMi (see the review “Acer TravelMate 8200 – BMW among laptops”, and since then he has been “visiting” us for the fifth time.
Image products stand out for a number of key characteristics. For example, their key feature is a deliberately worsened price / functionality ratio. As a rule, they are expensive, despite the fact that they do not have functional advantages over goods in the middle price group (and sometimes they lag behind them). Therefore, the purchase of such a product characterizes not so much the product as the buyer: they say that he has enough money to choose the high-quality and stylish product he likes. And a person who wants to get the maximum return for the money invested will never buy a fashion product - as it costs too much for the functionality provided.
The most important, main feature of any fashion product is its appearance. He must look stylish, attractive and expensive. But at the same time - not flashy catchy (this difference, by the way, is well manifested when comparing truly expensive and high-quality things from "Asian counterparts").
Finally, the third important component is the perception of the product and its manufacturer, the brand. Before selling a fashion product, the market needs to accept the manufacturer, agree that its quality and style are impeccable, and that it has earned the right to satisfy the tastes of the richest users.
Today we are testing a fashion model ASUS: ASUS Lamborghini VX3. The series, which uses the logo of the most famous manufacturer of sports cars (which, by the way, also play an important role in the image of the owner), is the top one from ASUS.
By the way, in one of the discussions, an ASUS representative explained that the company does not have a separate fashion line, there is a business segment within which fashion models are made. Therefore, talking about the "image segment" is not entirely correct. And this is close to the truth: ASUS models really combine the characteristics of both fashion and business segments. This should be taken into account when evaluating the model.
ASUS Lamborghini VX3 meets these three characteristics. It's quite expensive (although we thought it was cheaper than its competitors), it looks attractive and stylish (maybe a little flashy, but Italian Lamborghinis don't look modest either), and as for the third aspect, the VX3 borrows the charisma of the legendary manufacturer supercars - and that should be enough.
Before moving on to the functional part of the review, we want to remind you that we have filmed, which can be viewed in the video reviews section. We recommend that you familiarize yourself with it, it clearly shows both the appearance of the laptop and its excellent packaging.
Objective testing
Finding a Lamborghini VX3 on a Russian site is quite simple it is located in the "Style" section (in fact, a photo of just a VX3 with a yellow cover is used to design the entire section).
This is how the manufacturer characterizes ASUS Lamborghini VX3:
Impeccable style and great performance. Inspiration in every detail.
A more detailed description of the main functional features can be found on the ASUS website. The refined style and the highest quality, the use of high-quality materials (titanium and genuine leather), information security (fingerprint scanner) are especially emphasized.
From the description, you can’t go directly to the specifications, you have to return to the general page, this is a big disadvantage of navigation. But directly from the "products" section, you can go to download drivers and utilities.
Recall that ASUS commented on the situation with their websites.
Official website of ASUS in Russia -. On the site you will find information about all product lines manufactured by ASUS in the world.
The site is a Russified version of the official worldwide site
ASUS .
The representative office of ASUS in Russia has a specialized resource for notebooks . It is on it that the maximum useful
information that is so necessary for making the right decision (news page, product segmentation, model specifications, model reviews in the press, recommended prices, service policy and support) when choosing a laptop model, and all this information applies to those models that are supplied to the Russian market .
Specifications ASUS Lamborghini VX3
You can see a table with characteristics on the manufacturer's website (for some reason, the specification is in English). The data in the table is taken from the official website.
| CPU | Intel Core 2 Duo T9300: 2.6GHz 2.1GHz, 6/3MB On-Die L2 Cache; |
| Chipset | Mobile Intel PM965 Express Chipset+ICH8M |
| RAM | DDR2 667 MHz SDRAM, 2 × SODIMM, up to 4GB SDRAM (if using 4GB memory, 64-bit OS is required. According to an ASUS representative, 64-bit Vista is installed on the VX3 to ensure compatibility with 4 GB of memory). |
| Display | 12.1" WXGA Color-Shine (Glare-type), Asus Splendid Video Intelligent Technology |
| video system | NVIDIA GeForce 9300M G, External 256MB VRAM |
| HDD | 2.5" 9.5 mm SATA, 320 GB, 5400 rpm |
| Optical devices | 5.25", 9.5mm DVD Super Multi Double Layer |
| Sound system | Built-in Azalia compatible audio chip supporting 3D effects Built-in speaker and microphone |
| Communication interfaces |
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| I/O ports |
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| Power Subsystem | PSU parameters: 19 V DC, 4.7 A, 90W Battery parameters: 3 cells: 2400 mAh and 9 cells: 7200 mAh, 80 Whrs |
| Additionally | Card reader 8-1: SD, MMC, MS, MS-Pro, xD, mini SD (via adapter), MS-Duo, MS-Pro Duo (via adapter) 1.3MP swivel webcam |
| Software |
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| Dimensions and weight |
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| Guarantee |
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The configuration is very powerful, where perhaps the best available components are used, including processor, RAM, hard drive. Noteworthy in the configuration is the use of an external video solution from NVIDIA.
We measured the weight of the laptop was 1855 grams, 2335 grams with the power supply.
Contents of delivery
The scope of delivery is impressive.
Firstly, the laptop itself comes in a large morocco box, and even packed in a soft case.
The laptop comes with a black and yellow, Lamborghini-colored wireless mouse, as well as a leather (!) mouse pad with a palm rest and also the Lamborghini logo.
All accessories are very stylish and make a great impression.
Battery life test results
Battery life has been tested. All power saving options were set to default. Testing was carried out in the maximum battery saving mode (the text of the book is open in the reader) and in "optimized" (viewing a DivX movie) in Windows Vista. The system shut down at 5% battery remaining. All wireless interfaces were disabled during the test. The battery capacity according to the test was 50380 mWh.
With a three-cell battery (capacity, according to the test, 24805 mWh), the laptop lasted 1 hour and 15 minutes in read mode.
By the way, surprisingly, when watching a video, the laptop lasted almost the same time.
We think that two and a half hours is not enough for an ultraportable laptop, although you shouldn't expect much battery life from a laptop with such a powerful configuration. The small battery performed predictably poorly and is worth using for short trips when the laptop won't last long on battery power.
Subjective characteristics
Keyboard and pointing devices
The keyboard left a good impression.
A significant complaint about the layout is the compressed letter keys on the right side. We have repeatedly mentioned that changing the size of the keys with letters means that touch typing is very difficult, since for it the distances and sizes of the keys must be the same. And so it happened - when typing on these keys, you constantly miss. It seems to us that it was necessary to rework the layout, remove the right vertical row and take these keys to another place.
The cursor keys are also very narrow vertically, while working with them you constantly touch the neighboring keys. Also, sometimes when working with the keys of the extreme right row, you touch the neighboring ones. Otherwise, there are no complaints about the layout: ctrl is located in the corner, just like Del, when editing it is convenient to use it and the keys of the right row.
The keyboard feels good when typing. The keystroke is good soft, but clear, there is protection against false pressing. The keys do not hit the substrate when pressed, so typing is quite quiet. The keyboard as a whole moves a little up and down in the center in the case, but for this you need to apply quite a lot of effort, so there is almost no backlash when typing.
The touchpad in the Lamborghini is large and has a very flat surface, somewhat reminiscent of glass. Sensitivity and acceleration parameters are quite well tuned. To move the cursor across the entire screen, it takes about one and a half movements from edge to edge of the touchpad (depending on how fast you move your finger).
The touchpad has two buttons with a fingerprint scanner in between. The keys are pressed with medium effort, with an audible click.
Additional keys and indicators
The VX3 has only one extra key besides the power button. Both keys are located in a cylindrical insert in the body between the matrix and the main part.
The power key is located on the right, the additional key on the left. The keys are large and slightly protrude above the body, they are pressed easily. An additional key is configured to quickly switch between power saving modes.
Indicators in the VX3 are bright blue and red LEDs. All indicators are divided into two groups. One is located in the cylindrical insert of the housing between the additional keys, it can be seen when the lid is open.
From left to right: laptop operation indicator (lights blue when the laptop is working, blinks in sleep mode), battery indicator (blue, red), wireless interfaces enable indicator (blue Wi-Fi, red Bluetooth, when both interfaces are activated, both diodes are lit , the glow turns magenta), hard disk access indicator, Caps lock indicator. Below the indicators are very clearly visible icons. The glow of the indicators is bright, in the dark it hits the eyes a little.
The second group of indicators is located in the lid, under the black grille, symbolizing the air intake, they shine directly through the grille. There are only four indicators: laptop status indicator, battery status indicator, wireless network activity indicator, hard drive access indicator.
Frame
The appearance of a fashion laptop should be given top priority, especially given the use of such a famous brand as Lamborghini. And, I must say, the designers tried. Design ASUS Lamborghini VX3 is made in the same vein as previous models in this series. However, the laptop itself is much smaller than the VX1 and VX2, and we felt that this did him good - it looks much sleeker than its predecessors.
The case is made of very high quality and good looking materials. In the decoration, metal is also actively used (the lid of the laptop is made of it, the edging around the keyboard), and titanium alloy “carbon-like” (the main elements of the case are made of it). Not without genuine leather so beloved by ASUS, in this model it looks especially appropriate. The bottom panel is plastic and looks rustic, it attracts attention when you turn the laptop in your hands.
The body design is also top notch.
The lid comes in two signature Lamborghini colors - black and yellow. It is styled like a sports car hood with an air intake grille and is emblazoned with the Lamborghini emblem. In the VX3 model, the designers abandoned the “carbon look” cover, now both covers are painted and varnished. On testing there was a model with a yellow lid, such a laptop looks very bright and attracts attention. We can’t say anything about the black model, but we think it looks calmer.
An open laptop looks great: stylish and expensive, exactly how a laptop in this class should look. The combination of leather, blued metal around the keyboard and carbon fiber makes a very winning impression. By the way, the VX3 keys are not the usual black color, but black and gray “with a spark”. The keyboard looks much better than the usual black plastic and harmonizes very well with the laptop case.
Let's take a look at the location of the connectors.
There are no connectors on the front. Note that the leather cover extends beyond the front edge and is rounded so that the wrist rests comfortably on the leather cover when printing.
On the left side, from left to right, there is a connector for the power plug (the plug itself is angled, and the wire from it goes beyond the matrix), a ventilation grille, as many as three USB ports (usually there are fewer USB ports on models of this class) and a digital HDMI output unique for this segment. The switch for wireless interfaces is located here. Pay attention to the design of the metal insert in the middle of the case. The end face of the cylindrical insert is shaped like a car rim.
The back panel is almost completely occupied by the battery. We remind you that two batteries are supplied with the VX3 - a three-cell battery (it is small and does not protrude from the case) and a nine-cell one, which protrudes from the case. The batteries at the back and bottom are also trimmed with leather, apparently to make the laptop more comfortable to hold in your hand.
Finally, on the right side there is an optical drive (as far as we remember, only Super-multi, there is no support for Blu-ray due to size limitations), above it there is a card reader in a metal insert. To the right are the audio jacks and another USB 2.0 port. In the corner is the port of Kensington Castle.
The bottom of the VX3 looks rustic compared to the splendor of the rest of the laptop.
Screen and sound
The VX3 has a widescreen 12" matrix with a resolution of 1280 × 800 pixels. The matrix is glossy, so under some conditions it glares quite strongly. The vertical angles are small, but when working, especially in applications with a light background, this almost does not affect.
The VX3 uses LED matrix illumination. The backlight at the maximum level is bright, adjustable over a wide range.
The sound is typical for this class of laptops: one small speaker, suitable for sounding system events, perhaps for use in telephony. By the way, the VX3 kicks off with a mighty Lamborghini roar. In the performance of a regular speaker, this roar somehow ... does not sound.
Positioning
It still seems to us that the ASUS-Lamborghini VX3 is precisely “the top model of the business segment with elements of fashion”, and not a fashion product.
The laptop costs about $3200-3500. Expensive? On the one hand, yes. On the other hand, ASUS M70 costs the same, and this is just a universal home laptop. And in this segment there are now a lot of laptops from the world's first-tier manufacturers. This is undoubtedly the top of the ASUS line, but it is in the upper segment of the market, not higher.
Style? And here the situation is the same. The laptop is very beautiful, looks great on its own. But it's not its own style, it's Lamborghini styling.
Finally, reputation. ASUS has a reputation for producing reliable, high-performance laptops for both home and office use. But these are working laptops, not fashion ones. Accordingly, this laptop is unlikely to be chosen based on considerations of style and image. Rather, its buyer is a person who needs a functional, comfortable laptop, and this model is also “liked”.
Conclusion
Very attractive, beautiful and stylish laptop. Good performance, nice functionality, a couple of good little things and the configuration and usability are at a good level.
And at the same time, it is very beautiful and stylish, and even with a lot of pleasant little things that caress the heart of a lover of Italian sports cars. It's a little pricey if you look at it in terms of functionality alone, but the great looks and style are worth the extra money. VX3 will find its fans, we think.
It's up to everyone to believe or not in "time-dusted" stories, but one of the legends, closely related to the topic of our today's story, says: "One early summer morning in the hot year of 1962, a Ferrari 365 GT stopped at the entrance to Enzo Ferrari's office in Maranello. A presentable middle-aged man got out of it and went straight to the chef's waiting room.The visitor, conspicuous by bright red (Ferrari-colored) braces, explained to the secretary that he wanted to talk to Ferrari about the shortcomings and weaknesses of his car, and discuss everything with an eye by eye, as is customary in the circles of true entrepreneurs. The secretary, having entered the boss, forgot to close the door behind her, so the visitor became an unwitting witness to the conversation. "Signor ... would like to talk to you," the secretary said, "he drives a Ferrari and wanted I would like to make a few remarks about the car. " In response, the head of an already eminent company at that time asked in a loud and displeased voice: "...? Who is that? Explain to him that this is not a passage yard and I don’t have time for each client. "" It was a real blow for me, - the failed visitor later admitted, day sold his Ferrari. The scoundrel Ferrari still recognizes me!" That's actually the whole parable, as you already guessed, of course, it was none other than Ferruccio Lamborghini, at that time already a very influential and wealthy man in Italy, whose name was known thanks to the production of competitive tractors, especially relevant to agriculture in the postwar period.
It so happened that the decision to create a company was made under the pressure of emotions, it’s very simple “we are starting to build cars” and that’s it, economic calculations were “overboard”, the main goal is to build a sports car that is superior in quality to the products of the famous Scuderia. At the beginning of 1963, at the Turin Motor Show, the first swallow, the Lamborghini 350 GT, was presented to the public. Further, the history of the company flowed with varying success, the models succeeded each other, like the owners, from 1998 to this moment "Automobili Lamborghini" belongs to Audi, which in turn is a division of Volkswagen AG. Thanks to the “fresh ideological breath” introduced by the new owners, the legendary Diablo and Murcielago appeared, and at the Geneva Motor Show in 2003 the debut of the long-awaited and relatively miniature Gallardo model took place (power 500 hp, maximum speed exceeds 300 km / h, and acceleration time to 100 km/h is only 4 seconds).
Lamborghini Gallardo
Actually, this model inspired the designers and engineers of another eminent brand only computer ASUSTeK to produce in "God's light" together with their colleagues from Lamborghini a portable computer with the proud name of ASUS Lamborghini VX1, saturated with racing spirit, squeaking brakes, puffs of smoke from under the wheels and the roar of engines, whose debut took place in Bologna (Italy) directly on the territory of the legendary factory for the production of sports and racing cars. This event kicked off a new phase of laptop car racing, bringing back the long-standing rivalry between Ferrari and Lamborghini in the auto industry and continuing to shift the scales between slightly less long-standing rivals Acer and ASUS.
ASUS Lamborghini VX1
ASUS Lamborghini VX1 is like a sports coupe: bold, bright, aggressive. Every detail is honed to the smallest detail, a stylish lacquered top cover, magnesium-aluminum inserts, strict and at the same time elegant lines. Under the hood, crowned with the eminent "Automobili Lamborghini" logo in the form of a bull (in fact, it is not a bull, but a taurus - the zodiac sign under which Ferrucho Lamborghini was born), a maximum power "motor", a high-performance video card, like all other high-tech " insides" and strive for the laptop to "leave" from the start and in the blink of an eye turn into a point.
Of course, it would be more correct to compare the "racing creations" of Acer and ASUS with each other, but the Acer Ferrari 4005WLMi is built on a single-processor solution from AMD, opposite the dual-core "heart" of the ASUS Lamborghini VX1. The new dual-core Ferrari model has not yet reached the domestic market. That's why ASUSTeK's race car will be opposed today by ASUS V6J, on the "chassis" of which our today's guest is installed. In terms of interior, both laptops are very similar, only processor frequencies and volume are a noticeable difference. random access memory, both of these parameters are lower for ASUS V6J. By the way, when the top cover is raised, the exterior of mobile cars is visually very close.
ASUS Lamborghini VX1: packaging and delivery
The packaging box of ASUS Lamborghini VX1 is different from those in the budget version. On the visible sides with a black background, the "bonnet" part of a portable computer with an "Automobili Lamborghini" bull is depicted, exactly the same logo is duplicated in the upper right corner. The name of the model and the name of the manufacturer of the portable computer are printed in white so that even with relatively small letter sizes they are perfectly visible. The principle of nesting dolls, typical for products from ASUSTeK, is also present. The box with the laptop itself and the smallest accessories is placed in a larger one along with a bag to carry the "portable car".
ASUS Lamborghini VX1: packing box
The appearance of the ASUS Lamborghini VX1 package is quite consistent with its content, for whatever reason, laptops from ASUSTeK have always been famous for the richness of the delivery set, and today's bright representative of the family, sharpened for "laptop racing", is no exception. In addition to the laptop itself, the following was found in the box: a 5200 mAh rechargeable battery; adapter alternating current with indicator light; modem cable; quick start guide "Quick Installation Guide"; two-year warranty card for a laptop; a list of authorized service centers around the world; user manual (in Russian); ZBD LCD Monthly Warranty Brochure; a small Bluetooth mouse from Logitech with ASUS and Lamborghini inscribed in the middle along with installation instructions; bag and case for carrying a laptop with Lamborghini symbols, booklet "ASUS-LAMBORGHINI VX1", monitor cleaning cloth (I think not only it) and a set of disks, which included:
ASUS Lamborghini VX1: delivery package
Two system recovery disks (Recovery);
Disk Driver&Utility ver. 1.0;
Nero v. 6.6.0.15;
[email protected] SE 2.0;
PowerDirector DE v 3.0.1208;
ASUS DVD v.6.0.
"Rodent" with Bluetooth interface, produced, as already mentioned, Logitech, powered by standard AA batteries. To replace the batteries, you just need to pull the top cover in the opposite direction from the buttons. A wireless mouse is certainly convenient, but it obliges you to monitor the battery level in a timely manner so that you do not have to switch to working with the Touchpad at the most inopportune moment.
ASUS Lamborghini VX1: Bluetooth mouse
In the course of the "play" another question arose why a black mouse was attached to the yellow laptop (ASUS Lamborghini VX1 arrived for testing in yellow). It should be assumed that this is probably a special order from ASUS and the designers did not have the opportunity to vary the colors.
ASUS Lamborghini VX1: design and ergonomics
Moving from the packaging to a direct examination of today's "hero", the eyes stop at the bright yellow lid-hood of the "portable car" (in general, ASUS Lamborghini VX1 is available in two color variations, in addition to yellow, there is also a burning black no less polished and bright, thereby ASUSTeK puts a potential owner in front of a difficult choice, because both colors are really good). The lines are strict and in geometry, coupled with color, strongly resemble the true Lamborghini. Both edges are decoratively raised to the back with narrow strips, forming between them a kind of "air intake", in the middle of which, with the lowered top cover, the duplicated indicators of the system are clearly lit.
ASUS Lamborghini VX1 front view
In the middle, closer to the protruding part of the cover, designed to raise the display, there is an Automobili Lamborghini logo with a body inside. The inscription of the manufacturer of the laptop itself modestly found a place for itself on the very edge of the "air intake" or, in other words, "pseudo-poller".
ASUS Lamborghini VX1: lid logo
The group of indicators on the cover included (from left to right):
ASUS Lamborghini VX1: status indicators
on the top cover
Power indicator (on when the laptop is on; blinking when the PC is in standby mode; when the computer is off or in "sleep" (STD) mode, the indicator is off);
There is no display lock, there is a small protrusion on the end of the top cover, holding which it is not difficult to open the laptop. Inside, the color scheme changes dramatically from yellow to black, which is quite logical, because. if what was contained under the "hood" had such a bright color, then it could be distracting and simply trite to interfere with its owner, dazzling in the eyes with its relatively "poisonous" color. The interior is very much reminiscent of ASUS V6J, from which we can make a bold assumption that they have one "base", because. and overall dimensions, with the exception of the thickness due to the built-in "air intake", are the same. The ASUS logo flaunts in the center of the frame around the display, rubber pads are placed around its perimeter for a softer fit to the bottom. At the base of the screen, between the two hinges, the battery clearly fits into the entire thickness of the bottom of the laptop computer, which fits snugly against the second group of indicators, together with the PC power button and the quick launch keys, located a little closer to the keyboard, and forming a small black " edging".
ASUS Lamborghini VX1: open
Of the mentions of Lamborghini, only the inscription with the name of the brand is displayed in white.
ASUS Lamborghini VX1: inscription under the keyboard
The display mounting mechanism is no different from ASUS V6J, the hinged bases are a continuation of the top cover, this method makes it possible to move the screen away from the user by several centimeters, but at the same time, the maximum opening angle of the laptop is limited and relatively far from 180 degrees, which can be seen in the photo below:
ASUS Lamborghini VX1: opening angle
ASUS Lamborghini VX1 is equipped with a 15.0-inch matrix with a maximum resolution of 1400x1050 pixels with a classic 4:3 aspect ratio (SXGA+). Subjectively, the viewing angles vertically and horizontally are quite decent, as it should be for expensive models. The "glass" display cover is also present, adding richness to the image on the one hand and on the other displaying any well-lit object or light source located behind. For this reason, the potential owner of a "racing car" is provided with a search for the most favorable incidence of light.
The nature of "glassiness" is hidden in the use of branded ASUS ASUS technology Color Shine (special resin coating) is a "glassy" liquid crystal display technology that delivers exceptional picture quality and color saturation for a more vivid and colorful image.
ASUS Color Shine Technology
In addition to Color Shine, ASUS Lamborghini VX1 has another proprietary technology from ASUSTeK - ASUS Splendid Video Enhancement.
ASUS Splendid Video Enhancement technology is an intelligent image control that allows you to adjust the picture on the screen using predefined modes (controlled by the Fn + C key combination).
ASUS Splendid Video Enhancement Technology
For the Lamborghini VX1 series of laptops, as well as for the V6J, the manufacturer provides a one-time thirty-day LCD Zero Bright Dot warranty, which entitles the owner of the laptop to replace the display in support if bright dots are found. To do this, you need a sales receipt or any other document confirming the fact of purchase.
LCD Zero Bright Dot Warranty
Asus Lamborghini VX1 traditionally has sixteen gradations of brightness, when the lowest levels are set, the visible on the screen is rapidly approaching "zero".
ASUS Lamborghini VX1:
brightness levels
With the help of a special Pantone ColorVision Spyder device and the OptiCAL ver. 3.7.8 were made measurements of the brightness and contrast of the monitor. When powered by mains and battery, the brightness value was set to the maximum position, after which the test was started. When changing the power supply to the battery, its performance dropped significantly, thanks to the power-saving systems installed in ASUS laptops that work by default. The brightness values are quite impressive, which cannot be said about the contrast:
Values from mains:
contrast: 40:1;
brightness: 132.3 cd/sq.m.
Battery values:
contrast: 41:1;
brightness: 104.7 cd/sq.m.
The portable computer is equipped with an 87-key black keyboard. "Enter" classic L-shaped. Cursor buttons are in line with the bottom of the keyboard, making them more likely to be pressed accidentally. The "Fn" key is located in the lower left corner, typical of ASUS, which is not very convenient for those who often use the "Ctrl + C", "Ctrl + V" combinations, because. the risk of erroneous pressing it increases, instead of Ctrl. There is an integrated numeric keypad and two dedicated Microsoft Windows buttons. One of them is located in the bottom row of the keyboard, to the right of the space bar through the key and launches the "properties" menu or works similarly to clicking the right mouse button on an object. The second "Windows", which opens the "Start" menu, is located in the same place, symmetrically to the left of the space. Function keys are slightly reduced. Home, PgUp, PgDn and End are lined up vertically on the right side; Pause, Print Scrn, Ins and Del are in line with the function keys. Latin letters are highlighted in white, Russian letters are pale green, function keys are colored blue (the functions hidden under them can be used after pressing and holding Fn).
ASUS Lamborghini VX1: keyboard
Touchpad ASUS Lamborghini VX1 is the twin brother of his "colleague" ASUS V6J. The color and "metallized" structure matches the surrounding surface. The touchpad is as close to black as possible and has a dedicated scrolling area on the right side. There is no additional joystick for scrolling text. A distinctive feature of this Touchpad is the presence between the keys that replace the right and left button an ordinary mouse, with the laptop turned on and the block itself not turned off, the original blue backlight.
ASUS Lamborghini VX1: Touchpad
The Touchpad is locked by pressing a special key, the location of which will be described below. This process will be displayed on the screen as follows:
Touchpad Lock
The entire front edge of the lower part of the portable computer is literally drilled with tiny decorative holes with a "smooth" rounding "of the Touchpad, hiding under them two relatively loud stereo speakers, thereby bringing the sound as close as possible to the user and simultaneously making it possible to block the stereo speakers with your hands. Changing the volume settings is done with By pressing the "Fn" and "F10", "F11", "F12" keys together, this is displayed on the screen as the following images:
Changing volume settings
On the left side of the strip "riddled" with holes, there are status indicators duplicated on the top cover, plus one, the point of which was absolutely not to bring up (from left to right):
ASUS Lamborghini VX1: status indicators
Touchpad disable indicator (lights up when the corresponding button is pressed);
Power indicator (lights blue when the laptop is on; blinks when the PC is in standby mode; when the computer is turned off or in sleep mode (STD) the indicator is off);
Battery charging indicator (lights up when the battery is charging; off - the battery is charged or completely discharged);
Bluetooth indicator (lights up when the Bluetooth function is activated);
Wireless LED (blinks when packets are being transmitted or received using the built-in wireless network adapter).
The visibility of this group of indicators is low, because light penetrates all the same tiny holes, though a little larger in diameter than those surrounding them. You can see the work of the block only in close proximity and then not from all angles.
Another group of status indicators, together with the laptop power button (illuminated by two blue LEDs), nestled next to the right hinge and retracted along the battery to the left, including:
ASUS Lamborghini VX1: status lights above the keyboard
Activity indicator (shows the computer is accessing storage devices: hard disk or optical drive);
Numeric keypad indicator Num Lock (lights when the numeric keypad is activated);
Caps Lock upper case indicator (lights up if the typed letters are converted to upper case);
Scroll Lock arrow keypad indicator (Lights when the Scr Lk mode is activated, which allows some letter keys to be used to move the cursor).
Symmetrically to this group of status indicators, only at the left hinge, there are quick launch keys (from left to right):
ASUS Lamborghini VX1: Quick Launch Keys
Touchpad lock key (locks the touchpad when using an external mouse and helps to avoid accidental cursor movement while typing, when pressed, the corresponding indicator lights up, and the backlight between the left and right Touchpad keys goes out);
Launch key for ASUS' proprietary Power4 Gear+ power saving utility (allows you to switch between various power saving modes that allow you to control many aspects of your laptop to improve performance or battery life, such as changing the processor frequency, screen brightness, and power management schemes Windows). When using mains power, three operating modes are available, when using battery power, seven;
Bluetooth key (pressing turns on or off the built-in Bluetooth function, when turned on, the indicator lights up);
Internet access key (pressing activates the Internet browser);
Wireless LAN key, pressing which activates the wireless network.
The left end of the laptop is loaded with the following components (from left to right):
ASUS Lamborghini VX1: left side view
Port for Kensington lock;
15-pin port for connecting an external D-sub monitor;
Four-pin IEEE1394 (FireWire) port, marked "DV" (Digital Video Port) and can be used in high-end digital equipment;
Infrared module port (IrDa);
26-pin ExpressCard/54;
ASUS Lamborghini VX1: ExpressCard slot
An optical disc drive with an activity light, a CD eject button, and an emergency opening.
On the right side of the ASUS Lamborghini VX1 are:
ASUS Lamborghini VX1: right side view
Hi-Speed USB (USB 2.0);
4-in-1 card reader (Memory Stick/Memory Stick Pro/MultiMedia Card/Secure Digital);
ASUS Lamborghini VX1: flash memory socket
S/PDIF digital output connector (headphone jack);
Connector for connecting a microphone (Mic-Input);
Modem port (RJ-11);
Two high speed ports USB (USB 2.0);
Connector for connecting a laptop to local network(LAN port RJ-45);
Connector for connecting the power supply.
On the back of the laptop is only a battery that fits exactly between the hinges. Its height is absolutely identical to the thickness of the bottom of the laptop, which quite harmoniously closes the whole picture.
ASUS Lamborghini VX1: rear view
The "new racing car" comes with a 5200 mAh battery. There are two rubber feet attached to the bottom of the battery that partly bear the weight of the back of the laptop.
ASUS Lamborghini VX1: Battery
Turning the laptop over, we find the following: covers for the compartments of the central processor and RAM modules, hard drive and mini-PCI slot; battery pack with two clamps (manual and spring); owner's personal card holder; reload hole (in case the key combination Ctrl + Alt + Del does not work); stickers with information about the model and serial number of the operating system.
ASUS Lamborghini VX1: lower part
The cover of the combined compartment of the central processor and random access memory hides under itself two slots occupied by memory modules of 1024 MB each. This fact means that it is impossible to improve, namely, add more RAM, because. 2048 is its maximum size.
What is inside
The ASUS Lamborghini VX1 is powered by a dual-core Intel Core Duo processor rated T2500 and clocked at 2.00 GHz, based on the Yonah core, produced using a 65 nm process technology, which has a 2 MB L2 cache shared between the two cores.
Intel Core Duo T2500 in different power modes
In addition to the traditionally used Enhanced Intel SpeedStep energy saving technology, thanks to which the software and laptop BIOS get control over the CPU clock frequency multiplier, reducing it at times of incomplete loading, on board there is Dynamic Power Coordination technology, with the help of which the cores can independently change power consumption depending on the current load on the processor, up to the confluence of the second core to the Deep Sleep state, in other words, the minimum energy consumption. Also used technology Dynamic Cache Sizing - "dynamic change in the size of the cache", disabling idle blocks. For a more detailed acquaintance with the device of Intel Core Duo processors, refer to the following material - " Review mobile platform Centrino Duo".
The NAPA platform also includes the Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG wireless network adapter and the Intel Calistoga 945PM chipset. The 945-family NMSs have the ability to work with high-speed DDR2 SODIMM modules, thus increasing memory bandwidth and reducing power consumption. The i945PM logic set is equipped with a PCI Express x16 bus for connecting an external video card. The ICH7-M chip is used as the south bridge, the north bridge is connected to it using a specialized Direct Media Interface (DMI) bus. The southbridge supports one Parallel ATA port, two Serial ATA ports, eight USB 2.0 ports and has an integrated Intel High Definition Audio solution. In addition, it supports six PCI Express x1 lines, which are supposed to be used to connect external devices. More detailed specifications of the platform can be found at manufacturer's website.
Chipset Intel 945PM
In addition to the powerful computing engine, the ASUS Lamborghini VX1 features a NVIDIA GeForce GO 7400VX discrete GPU with TurboCache support and 128MB of 0.09 micron hardware video memory, which significantly reduces power consumption, designed specifically for thin, light and ultra-portable solutions. . TurboCache allows the GPU to share the amount and bandwidth of the dedicated video memory and the dynamically available system memory, thus increasing the performance and amount of graphics memory for the PC. Due to the fact that two 1 GB modules are installed in the laptop, each GeForce GO 7400VX can take up to 512 MB. The video adapter from NVIDIA uses NVIDIA PureVideo technology, which provides high-quality HD video. Another PowerMizer 6.0 power management technology optimizes power delivery and also reduces heat generation. More detailed technical specifications of the NVIDIA GeForce GO 7400 are summarized in the table, and they can also be viewed at manufacturer's website:
The laptop is equipped with a Seagate Momentus ST9160821A 2.5" form factor hard drive with a spindle speed of 5400 rpm and a capacity of 160 GB. The laptop is also equipped with a MATSHITA UJ-832S optical DVD writer with the following speed characteristics:
Recording:
CD-R/RW (24x/10x);
DVD-R/RW (4x/2x);
DVD+R/RW (4x/2.4x);
DVD+RDL (2.4x);
DVD-RAM (2x).
Reading:
CD-R/RW (24x/10x);
DVD-ROM (8x);
DVD-R/RW (4x/4x);
DVD+R/RW (4x/4x);
DVD+RDL (4x);
DVD-RAM (2x).
The ASUS Lamborghini VX1 uses the fastest DDR2 RAM at 667 MHz. Both slots are easily accessible, but this accessibility is irrelevant due to the fact that the installed two modules in total exhaust the entire possible memory limit. "RAM" works in dual-channel mode, as you can see by looking at the following screenshot:
Dual channel memory mode
In the process of passing the Battery Eater Pro 2.60 test, after 30 minutes of work in the "classic" mode, the temperatures were taken from the surface of the laptop with an infrared thermometer (the temperature in the room was maintained at 22 degrees). On each of the surfaces, a point with a maximum temperature was searched for. As a result, the following values were obtained:
LCD panel - 35 degrees;
Keyboard - 36 degrees;
Bottom surface - 39 deg.
And since ASUS Lamborghini VX1 and ASUS V6J have one “base”, then for greater clarity, below is a comparative diagram of the heating of individual elements of laptops, from which it can be seen that the laptops are very close in these indicators, the minimum difference can be attributed to measurement errors.
Below is a comparison table with detailed technical characteristics of the tested "mobile coupe" and ASUS V6J:
Test Methodology
Before starting testing, the ASUS Lamborghini VX1 had its hard drive formatted for the NTFS file system, then the operating system was installed. Microsoft system Windows XP Professional SP2 (English version) with DirectX 9.0c and drivers from the supplied CD. Windows Media Encoder 9.0 was also additionally installed along with Windows Media Player 9.0 movie player (Windows Media Player 10.0 was shipped separately for some tests, such as PCMark 2005 and SYSmark 2004 SE).During testing, the following parameters were set:
Power Saving Services - Disabled;
Sound card - disabled;
Network services - disabled;
The screen brightness is set to the maximum possible position;
Resolution of the liquid crystal matrix - maximum, 1400x1050;
"Docking the taskbar" (in the properties of the taskbar) - disabled;
"Auto hide the taskbar" - enabled;
Desktop theme - "classic";
Background image - disabled;
Screen saver - disabled;
The security level is set to low;
Pop-up blocker - disabled.
The exceptions are two tests: when working with PCMark 2005, the desktop theme "Windows XP" was returned, and for normal operation of SYSmark 2004 SE, all parameters were returned to the default state.
The tests were carried out in two modes by changing the settings of the power management scheme. The first part took place with mains power ("Always On" setting ("Always On" - in Russian version Windows), which maximizes laptop performance and minimizes battery life). The second part - when powered by a rechargeable battery ("Max Battery" setting ("Battery saving" - in the Russian version of Windows), in this case, the battery life is maximum).
Two groups of tests were used:
Group 1 - tests to measure system performance, which in turn consist of three subgroups:
Synthetic tests (SiSoftware Sandra 2005, SiSoftware Sandra 2007, PCMark 2004 1.3.0, PCMark 2005 1.1.0);
Performance tests in office and multimedia applications (SYSmark 2004 SE, Business Winstone 2004, Multimedia Content Creation Winstone 2004);
Game performance tests (3DMark 2003 3.6.0, 3DMark 2005 1.2.0, 3DMark 2006 1.0.2, Quake3, Quake4, Unreal Tournament 2003).
2nd group, consisting of one indicative test to determine the battery life of a laptop computer from a battery Battery Eater Pro 2.60.
The Battery Eater Pro 2.60 test contains three modes of operation:
Classic mode - uniform maximum load on the system (Classic);
And idle mode.
The first two perform basic manipulations provided by the program. In "idle mode", in which the battery life of a laptop is measured with no load from the Battery Eater Pro 2.60, a DVD movie was played.
Those who follow the reviews of laptops on our website will immediately notice the changes in the "test stand". The first thing that has changed is the use of the new SiSoftware Sandra 2007 diagnostic package (the program is designed for remote analysis, testing and diagnostics of computers, servers, PDAs, smartphones, small home and office networks, as well as enterprise networks). The 2007 version of the utility has an updated interface with improved functionality. The main features look like this:
Support for 3 platforms (Win32 x86, Win64 x64, WinCE ARM) in a single installer;
13 benchmarks developed separately for each platform;
34 modules with detailed information about the system components;
Official support for a huge number of different devices, thanks to direct cooperation with Intel, AMD, ATI, SiS and VIA;
Versions in 6 languages (Russian, English, German, French, Italian, Dutch) in a single installer;
Lite version (free for personal and educational use).
The version of SiSoftware Sandra 2005 will be used for the time being, but with the development of statistics on the latest version, it will be excluded from testing.
Also added is the SYSmark 2004 SE benchmark, which is aimed at identifying the overall performance of the system under various typical load patterns. It models the user's work aimed at solving specific problems in several of the most common applications, taking into account the possibility of multi-threaded work. As a result, the benchmark issues several indexes showing the performance of systems demonstrated under various scenarios of activity. SYSMark 2004 SE is primarily marketed as a desktop benchmark application. For this reason, this package also includes applications that are not quite typical as a typical workload for mobile computers. That is why the results of the benchmark will be presented in an "expanded" form, focusing separately on each type of load it creates.
A synthetic PCMark 2005 package has been added, continuing the tradition of complex benchmarks of this line, like PCMark04, it uses elements of real applications as tests, which increases its value compared to "fully synthetic" benchmarks. A series of eleven mandatory speed tests of various system components leads to the calculation of the overall result in some conventional units ("PCMarks"), based on the famous cartoon, traditionally referred to in the countries of the former "union" as "parrots". PCMark 2005 features HD video load testing, audio encoding, and advanced multi-threaded CPU and HDD load testing. The overall benchmark result is obtained by the formula: PCMark Score = 87 x (Geometric mean of the main tests), where the geometric mean is calculated as (result 1 x result 2 x ...) / number of results.
The update also affected another product of Futuremark Corporation - 3Dmark. Now 3DMark 2005 and 3DMark 2006 will take part in testing laptops with discrete video solutions. What changes have been made in 3DMark 2005 compared to the previous version - this is: the refusal to use Shader Model 1.x, the use of Shader Model 2.0x / 3.0 exclusively; full compatibility with Shader Model 2.0; the complexity of game tests has been increased (more than a million polygons per frame); using normal maps. New in 3DMark 2006: HDR support, Uniform Shadow Maps, support for multi-core CPUs and a focus on using Shader Model 3.0, although not completely - 2 out of four graphics tests work within Shader Model 2.0. 3DMark 2001SE Pro will be used, as before, only for integrated video.
And on top of all of the above, the test will take part a new version Quake4 games on a par with the old one. Because Since there was no special demo video at the time of the start of the tests, it was made by hand and will be used in each subsequent testing of laptops, thereby making it possible to compare the performance of different systems in absolutely equal conditions.
Testing
According to the established tradition, testing is opened by synthetic tests of SiSoftware Sandra only now in two versions 2005 and 2007 and two PCMarks 2004 and 2005.SiSoftware Sandra displays information about the computer and tests both the system as a whole and its individual components. PCMark is designed to measure computer performance when working with office and related applications, including tests to determine the overall performance and performance of individual subsystems (central processor, memory, graphics capabilities, disk subsystem).
First, let's talk about the good old SiSoftware Sandra 2005 and PCMark 2004. The results of processor tests are quite natural and predictable, they are completely proportional to the frequencies of the "hearts" installed in portable computers. When switching to a rechargeable battery, thanks to artificial throttling when using the "battery saving" mode and plus under the influence of enabled power saving systems, the processor frequencies drop to the lowest possible level of 1 GHz, as a result of which the values with a tiny error also become equal. The file system of both laptops is actually on the same level, because. hard drives have similar characteristics, with the exception of volume. The memory system of the ASUS Lamborghini VX1 wins a little thanks to the use of more "RAM" running in dual-channel mode. This fact, in addition to the higher frequency of the video adapter, also played a plus in PCMark 2004 in testing the graphics subsystem, giving a greater opportunity to fully use TurboCache in NVIDIA GeForce GO 7400VX.
As for SiSoftware Sandra 2007 and PCMark 2005, the test results are very decent in both cases of power supply and behave similarly to previous versions of the programs, so it makes no sense to repeat the above; data statistics for these applications has not been developed, then they are a kind of "starting point" for subsequent testing.
The Business Winstone 2004 test is designed to determine the performance of a computer when working with office applications (Microsoft Internet Explorer, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Access, Microsoft Project, Microsoft power Point, Microsoft Front Page, WinZip, Norton AntiVirus Professional Edition). Business Winstone runs several tasks at once, thereby realizing multitasking. The Multimedia Content Creation Winstone 2004 test is designed to determine the performance of a computer when working with multimedia applications (Microsoft Windows Media Encoder, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premiere, NewTek LightWave 3D, Steinberg WaveLab, Macromedia Dreamweaver MX, Macromedia Director MX).
The results obtained in the process of passing the Business Winstone 2004 and Multimedia Content Creation Winstone 2004 tests are summarized in a table and presented in diagrams for greater clarity:
Due to the fact that ASUS Lamborghini VX1 and ASUS V6J systems are very similar, the obtained values are predictable and directly close to their configurations. Due to the fact that the tested "car" has a more powerful "engine" together with dual-channel memory and a slightly more powerful GPU, it wins a little when powered from the mains. The results, obtained when changing the power supply to the battery, fall in accordance with the drop in frequencies and become almost the same, minus all the same measurement errors.
Now let's test our "racing" laptop in the SYSmark 2004 SE benchmark, which, as mentioned above, simulates the user's work in popular applications and actively uses multitasking. And since SYSMark 2004 SE is primarily positioned as a test application for determining the performance of desktop systems, for this reason the benchmark results will be given in an "expanded" form, focusing separately on each type of load it creates.
In this case, the work of a user is simulated, who, in the 3ds max 5.1 package, renders an image to a bmp file and at the same time prepares web pages in Dreamweaver MX. After the completion of these operations, the creation of 3D animation in vector graphics format is performed.
Because If the system is loaded with quite "heavy" tasks that require processor resources, and ASUS Lamborghini VX1 has 2.0 GHz - the "stone" of the Intel Core Duo T2500, then the result obtained during the test is quite justified and directly corresponds to the level of the CPU. When changing the power supply to the battery, for the same reasons as in the previous tests, the values drop by almost half, exactly like the core frequency.
2D Creation simulates the user's work in Premiere 6.5, which creates video from several raw clips and individual audio tracks. While waiting for the end of the operation, the user also prepares an image in Photoshop 7.01, modifying the existing image and saving it to disk. Once the video is completed, the user edits it and adds special effects in After Effects 5.5.
All three applications used are optimized for multithreading. And, consequently, the result shown by the dual-core architecture fully satisfies the tasks assigned to it.
This benchmark simulates the work of a professional webmaster. The pseudo-user unzips the website content from the zip archive while using Flash MX to open the exported 3D vector graphic movie. Then the same user modifies it by including other pictures and optimizes it for faster animation. The resulting special effects video is compressed using Windows Media Encoder 9 for broadcast over the Internet. The resulting website is then built in Dreamweaver MX, and in parallel the system is scanned for viruses using VirusScan 7.0.
Again, we obtain values proportional to the frequency of the "engine" installed under the "hood".
In this case, when measuring performance, a scenario that is quite typical for an ordinary user is used. A person receives an email in Outlook 2002 that contains a set of documents in a zip archive. While received files are being scanned for viruses using VirusScan 7.0, the user views email and makes notes in the Outlook calendar, then opens the corporate website and some documents using Internet Explorer 6.0.
The result is quite high, even when the power supply scheme is changed, the drop does not occur twice for one simple reason, in this benchmark the processor frequency is not as relevant as in previous applications.
In this benchmark, a hypothetical user edits text in Word 2002 and also uses Dragon NaturallySpeaking 6 to convert an audio file into a text document, which is already converted to pdf format using Acrobat 5.0.5. Then, when using the generated document, a presentation is created in PowerPoint 2002.
Here again, the high result is justified when powered from the mains, when switching to the battery, the processor frequency drops.
The model of the final SYSmark 2004 SE application is as follows: the user opens the database in Access 2002 and executes a series of queries. Documents are archived using WinZip 8.1. Query results are exported to Excel 2002 and a chart is built based on them.
However, in this test, the result is somewhat underestimated. When powered by battery, the values assume their true size.
Due to the fact that both portable computers that came to us are equipped with NVIDIA GeForce GO 7400 discrete graphics solutions only with different GPU frequencies, testing in 3Dmark was carried out in three versions: 3DMark 2003 3.6.0, 3DMark 2005 1.2.0 and 3DMark 2006 1.0 .2.
The 3DMark test program is a set of 3D scenes based on its own graphics engine that load the video subsystem in various ways.
The results shown in 3DMark 2003, where we can compare two video solutions from NVIDIA with a difference in the name of two letters VX, indicate a slight advantage in favor of ASUS Lamborghini VX1. But it is impossible to unequivocally give all the awards to the more productive NVIDIA GeForce GO 7400 VX, because. do not forget that our today's hero has twice as much RAM, and even working in dual-channel mode, which certainly also affects the values obtained.
As for 3DMark 2005 and 3DMark 2006, the results are quite acceptable and they can also be considered a "starting point" for future comparisons and analyses. It is also worth noting that the parameters of graphic solutions were set to the maximum performance level, and for this reason, there was no noticeable drop in the performance of video cards when changing the power mode.
The portable computer was tested in Quake3 in two image quality settings:
First mode settings - 640x480; 16bit; Lighting: Vertex Detail: Low; Texture Quality: 16bit Texture Filter: Bilinear;
Second mode settings - 1024x768; 32bit; Lighting: Lightmap; Detail: High; Texture Quality: 32bit Texture Filter: Trilinear.
There was only one scheme in Quake4 - General quality: High; Resolution: 1024x768; Format 4:3; Multi-core optimization: Yes. All other settings were set to default.
As in previous gaming tests in Quake3, NVIDIA GeForce GO 7400 with VX is the winner. It is simply impossible to evaluate and compare the obtained results in Quake4, because the demo video, due to the absence of the latter in nature today, was created independently, and, therefore, it will be possible to compare the high or low level of values only according to subsequent testing, i.e. the current results are nothing but a "basis". However, we immediately note that the difference in the values from the network and the battery is not large, the reason for this is the maximum performance of the video card.
In today's latest test of graphics performance on mains power, the ASUS Lamborghini VX1 is half a frame ahead. The frequency of the processor, coupled with a dual-channel "RAM" and a slightly better video card, are confidently doing their job. However, as soon as the plug was removed from the socket, the results were almost equal, which is not surprising, because. systems are almost aligned with each other. As a summary of a series of higher tests, one thing can be said that ASUS Lamborghini VX1 fully justifies the status of a "racing coupe", if not the fastest in the world, but far from being the last.
At the end of testing, we use the Battery Eater Pro 2.60 program, which shows the maximum distance in kilometers (hours and minutes, of course) that our Lamborghini can travel with a tank filled to the brim.
Testing was carried out at maximum screen brightness in the following modes:
Classic mode - uniform maximum load on the system;
Reader mode - emulation of reading a book (in the Reader's test test mode, the page is rewound every 15 seconds);
Movie viewing mode (the movie was launched in Idle mode).
I must say a very, very impressive result for such a "sporty" configuration. Ceteris paribus, even a little more "weak" and theoretically less voracious "rival" ASUS V6J remains behind. Our "car" had enough fuel for a longer distance, almost four hours of non-stop measured movement, or 2.5, but at maximum speed.
Below are battery discharge diagrams for various operating modes:
Advantages and disadvantages of ASUS Lamborghini VX1
Advantages:
Bright design "racing" laptop;
Good performance in any applications;
An abundance of wireless interfaces and the presence of a Bluetooth-"rodent" with Lamborghini symbols;
Rich equipment;
Using a number of proprietary technologies from ASUSTeK to improve the image;
Long battery life.
Flaws:
"Mirror" display;
Marked cover;
Poor visibility of system indicators when the top cover is open;
High cost, but are there really cheap Lamborghinis. ;about)
Conclusion
The ASUS-Lamborghini team has something to oppose to the joint titanic efforts already united by several years in the field of the "royal races" of Acer-Ferrari. It seems that Ferrucho Lamborghini would now be happy with the mere thought that a racing car, even in the form of a portable computer with his name on the "hood", tickles the nerves, is a worthy competitor to his old enemy in the person of Scuderia Ferrari, surpassing him, even on a laptop field.Through the joint efforts of designers and engineers of the computer giant ASUSTeK and one of the leaders in the sports car industry, Automobili Lamborghini managed to realize a very adventurous idea - to create a racing laptop. ASUS Lamborghini VX1, with all the bright and aggressive exterior elements, turned out to be a well-balanced "car" of the Premium segment, with a rich "inner world" and, as a result, with excellent performance. Plus, a nice bonus, the laptop turned out to be one of the most "long-playing" autonomously in its class. A serious minus, of course, is the price, but who ever met a cheap Lamborghini. ;o)
ASUS Lamborghini VX1 has already appeared on sale with a "bored engine", namely with an updated dual-core NAPA platform. This means that it is based on the core of Merom, and not Yonah, like our today's "guest". It remains only to wait for a response step from Acer-Ferrari, made already in the form of presentations and announcements of a new "red car", which will not leave the pits, making its potential owners nervous. All this suggests that the confrontation between "Automobili Lamborghini" and "Scuderia Ferrari" is only gaining momentum, and we will be unwitting spectators of these "races" of laptops.
The first two models from the ASUS Lamboghini family had 15-inch screens, and this year the world saw the baby Lamborghini Gallardo L-140 in the world of laptops - the 12-inch ASUS Lamboghini VX3. Mal, yes daring! The specifications of the laptop are impressive: 3 GB of RAM, an Intel Core 2 Duo T9300 processor, a GeForce 9300M G graphics card (a kind of "double 9300") and a 320 GB hard drive. In addition, there is also an HDMI port. Even desktop replacement laptops (DTR) can envy such stuffing.
Specifications declared by the manufacturer
| OS | Windows Vista Ultimate |
| CPU | Intel Core 2 Duo T9300 (2.5GHz, 6MB L2 Cache) |
| Motherboard | ASUS VX3000 series |
| Chipset | Intel PM965+ICH8-DO |
| Video | NVIDIA GeForce 9300M G, 256 MB |
| Sound | Realtek ALC888 |
| LCD display | 12.1" 1280x800 |
| RAM | 3 GB (GU332G0AJERPR8H2L and GU331G0AJERPR8H2L) |
| HDD | 320 GB (WDC WD3200BEVT-22ZCT0) |
| optical drive | LG HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GSA-U10N |
| Interfaces | 4x USB 2.0 1x HDMI 1x VGA 1x Firewire (IEEE 1394a) 1x RJ-45 1x memory card slot 1x ExpressCard/54mm 1x headphone jack (S/PDIF) 1x microphone (line stereo input) |
| Wireless interfaces | 802.11a/b/g/n (Intel Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN), Bluetooth + EDR USB |
| Network adapter | 100/1000 Mbps (Realtek 8186/8111) |
| webcam | 2 MP |
| Battery | Li-Ion: three-cell (2400 mAh), nine-cell (7800 mAh) |
| Safety | BIOS Booting / HDD User Password Kensington Castle TPM (Trusted Platform Module) V1.2 (Optional) Fingerprint reader |
| Dimensions, mm | 305x220x31 |
| Weight, kg | 1.68 (with 3-cell battery) |
| Cost, rub. | 85 000 |
Contents of delivery
A test copy of the laptop got into the laboratory, so the package may differ slightly from commercial samples:- Charger;
- velvet cover;
- user's manual;
- system recovery disk (Windows Vista Ultimate 32 bit);
- disk with drivers;
- CD with Nero v7.9.6.2;
- disk with additional programs and utilities;
- RJ-11 modem cable;
- tie for wires;
- Bluetooth-manipulator "mouse";
- two AA power supplies;
- two lithium battery;
- mouse pad made of genuine leather with a soft roller under the wrist.
Design and ergonomics
For testing, as in the case of the VX2s model, there was a modification with a yellow case. From a subjective point of view, it is the yellow modification that will be the best solution for users who want to stand out. A black "lambo" looks stylish, but too strict. When folded, the lid of the laptop is somewhat reminiscent of the hood of a car; for complete similarity, there are not enough indicators stylized as headlights, as was done in some old models of LG phones. The yellow cover collects fingerprints quickly, but they are only noticeable when viewed from an acute angle.Scratches are also "glued" to the case reluctantly, and if they appear, they are also almost invisible. On the side panels there are decorative inserts made of plastic with a chrome-plated surface. The bottom panel is made of smooth black plastic. Unlike the VX2, there is no rim emulation above the ventilation grille. But the pads in the form of rims are installed at the corners of the case, in the area of the connecting loops.
The working area is decorated with metal inserts and a genuine leather overlay stitched with yellow threads, which is so reminiscent of the front panel and seats of a sports car. Unfortunately, the stitching threads get dirty quickly, and cleaning them is a very delicate and painstaking job.
The build quality is excellent, there is not a single defect, even the battery sits in its compartment like a glove, without the slightest backlash. When trying to twist and squeeze the case, it creaks only in the area where the optical disc drive is installed - due to the small thickness of the bottom.
Hidden on the display cover under the grille, which mimics the air intake of a sports car, are several system status indicators (network, battery status, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi adapter status) that are invisible when turned off. At the top edge, in the center, there is an embossed logo with a bull - the Lamborghini brand name.
On the front end there is only one speaker, protected by a grille.
Behind, to the left of the battery, there are communication ports Rj-11 and RJ-45, to the right - a VGA port.
On the right is a memory card reader, as well as an optical disc drive cover, a pair of standard audio jacks, one USB port, and a Kensington security lock hole.
On the left panel there is a ventilation grill, three USB ports, an HDMI port, an ExpressCard/54 slot, and a wireless interface slide switch.
There are two compartments on the bottom - for installation of a hard disk and a common compartment for installing memory modules, a processor, and expansion cards.
Most of the keys are standard width (17.5 mm), but the width of several letter keys on the right side and the arrow keys is reduced to 13.5 mm, which creates some inconvenience when typing, as well as in games of car and flight simulators. The keystroke is quite soft and crisp, and the actuation sound is very quiet.
The touchpad is not a traditional rectangular, but a trapezoidal shape, its upper part is slightly wider. The keys of the manipulator are also of a very specific shape. A fingerprint scanner is installed between the keys. It is planted deep enough, so accidental touches, accompanied by system messages about the wrong print, are practically excluded.
On the fastening of the laptop lid, there are symmetrically located the off buttons and an additional key for cyclic change of power saving modes. In the center are system status indicators - power supply, battery charge, wireless interface mode, hard disk activity and the key indicator. Slightly to the left of the power button is the built-in microphone hole.
On the top edge of the display is a camera - unlike the VX2s, not rotary.
Display
The notebook is equipped with a 12.1-inch WXGA (1280x800 pixels) LCD matrix with a glossy finish and LED backlight. Due to the use of LEDs, the thickness of the cover is small, and the illumination uniformity is good - only the upper and lower edges of the matrix are slightly overexposed. Horizontal viewing angles are large, and vertical ones are not always sufficient, and for the correct reproduction of colors, the display tilt has to be adjusted. When viewed at a right angle, color reproduction, contrast and clarity do not cause any complaints. The backlight power level changes over a wide range, but in steps. Too sharp a change in brightness occurs when moving from the first to the second level, then the change occurs more evenly. There are 15 gradations in total, which is more than enough to select the optimal brightness level. In bright sunlight, the image dims a little, but remains easy to read due to the fact that the matrix can work on reflected rays. You can connect external displays to a standard analog VGA port or digital HDMI - the latter is very rare on laptops with a screen diagonal of less than 14 inches.Sound subsystem
The sound subsystem is based on the Realtek ALC 888 codec. The characteristics of the sound controller declared by the manufacturer are 24 bit / 192 kHz, it is possible to connect eight-channel speaker systems in parallel with stereo. The signal-to-noise ratio of the DAC is up to 97 dB, the ADC is up to 90 dB. Compatibility with EAX/Direct Sound 3D/I3DL2/A3D and DTS is also declared. A more detailed description of the codec can be found on the manufacturer's website. The laptop has one built-in speaker. The developers considered that in order to reduce weight and dimensions, the second speaker can be sacrificed, because most users will choose headphones or external acoustics to listen to music anyway. The built-in speaker is only suitable for sounding system signals. Its frequency range is narrow, the sound is empty. Although it is worth noting that even if there is bass in the melody and at maximum volume, the speaker does not "choke". In headphones or on an external speaker system, the sound is many times better, and the RightMark Audio Analyzer 6.0.6 (hereinafter referred to as RMAA) test package rated the audio path as "good". But still, connoisseurs of high sound quality should purchase an external sound card with a USB interface or ExpressCard by the third "lambo". Overall RMAA results Operating mode: 16-bit, 44 kHzWireless interfaces
ASUS VX3 is equipped with an Intel Wireless Pro 4965AGN adapter and an EDR-enabled Bluetooth module. To manage wireless interfaces, use standard means OS, as well as dedicated control keys. Configuring the parameters of a local (including wireless) network is possible using the ASUS NetSwitch proprietary utility, which supports many self-created profiles. This greatly facilitates the work if the PC is used in different networks, with different settings.Noise level and thermal conditions
The cooling system is equipped with a fan with five fixed rotation speeds, but when changing modes, the rotation speed changes smoothly without creating acoustic discomfort. During testing, the following noise levels were recorded - 33.1, 35.1, 38.5, 40.2 and 42.1 dB. That is, on average, the levels differ by 2 dB. The last two modes are used extremely rarely, for example, in the process of video editing, when launching resource-demanding games or archiving a large package of files. LG's optical drive is very quiet, and even a "crooked" drive didn't make it outshine the cooling system - exactly 40 dB. Measurements were taken at a distance of 20 cm from the center of the front edge of the laptop. The temperature of the air discharged by the cooling system at any load is always almost the same - 46.2-48.3 degrees, only the speed of the air flow changes. The maximum temperature of the keys is 29.1 degrees, the bottom - from 27 to 32 degrees. Only in the area of the memory modules (and not the processor, as expected) did the temperature exceed 37 degrees. Measurements were made at an ambient temperature of 21 degrees Celsius.Performance
Due to the lack of direct competitors, the Samsung R700 laptop was chosen as an opponent, as well as ASUS VX3, which is equipped with a more powerful video subsystem.| Samsung R700 | ASUS Lamborghini VX2s | ||
| PCMark05 | 5376 | 4313 | 4025 |
| CPU | 6477 | 4562 | 5600 |
| Memory | 5023 | 3597 | 4558 |
| Graphics | 3088 | 3056 | 3679 |
| HDD | 4232 | 3585 | 2914 |
System Test |
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| HDD XP Startup, MB/s | 7,963 | 5,867 | 5,74 |
| Physics and 3D, fps | 193,123 | 152,129 | 199,33 |
| 2D Transparency Windows, windows/s | 4632,82 | 3903,12 | 240,49 |
| 3D Pixel Shader, FPS | 64,484 | 53,041 | 101,87 |
| Web Page Rendering, pages/s | 2,829 | 1,474 | 1,601 |
| File Decryption, MB/s | 72,142 | 49,852 | 61,57 |
| Graphics Memory - 64 lines, FPS | 517,696 | 595,895 | 950,43 |
| HDD - General Usage, MB/s | 4,474 | 3,943 | 3,62 |
| Audio Compression, KB/s | 2475,93 | 1758,5 | 2181,27 |
| Video Encoding, KB/s | 471,635 | 322,981 | 396,83 |
| Text edit, pages/s | 146,488 | 101,203 | 126,74 |
| 34,706 | 24,901 | 29,19 | |
| File Compression, MB/s | 6,056 | 4,003 | 4,95 |
| File Encryption, MB/s | 31,875 | 21,25 | 27,73 |
| HDD - Virus Scan, MB/s | 19,721 | 43,203 | 12,07 |
| Memory Latency - Random 16 MB, MAccesses/s | 9,912 | 7,918 | 8,797 |
CPU Test |
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| File Compression, MB/s | 11,609 | 8,085 | 10,079 |
| File Decompression, MB/s | 171,482 | 120,736 | 150,514 |
| File Encryption, MB/s | 71,85 | 49,815 | 61,302 |
| File Decryption, MB/s | 72,292 | 49,556 | 64,02 |
| Image Decompression, Mpixel/s | 37,25 | 25,858 | 32,42 |
| Audio Compression, KB/s | 3500,78 | 2321,82 | 2889,08 |
Multithreaded Test 1 |
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| File Compression, MB/s | 10,975 | 7,984 | 9,445 |
| File Encryption, MB/s | 65,693 | 47,459 | 58,205 |
Multithreaded Test 2 |
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| File Encryption, MB/s | 81,445 | 59,686 | 70,036 |
| File Decryption, MB/s | 32,846 | 23,802 | 29,225 |
| Audio Decompression, KB/s | 1335,06 | 915,326 | 1108,3 |
| Image Decompression, MPixel/s | 17,001 | 12,34 | 15,214 |
| 3D Mark 2006 | Samsung R700 | ASUS Lamborghini VX2s | |
| 3DMark Score, 3DMarks | 1643 | 1671 | 2958 |
| GT1 - Return To Proxycon, FPS | 5,346 | 5,378 | 9,718 |
| GT2 - Firefly Forest FPS | 4,289 | 5,096 | 10,188 |
| CPU Score, CPU Marks | 2263 | 1456 | 1877 |
| CPU Test 1, FPS | 0,717 | 0,458 | 0,592 |
| CPU Test 2 | 1,144 | 0.741S | 0,952 |
| Fill Rate (Single-Texturing), MTexels/s | 702,241 | 812,268 | 1303,67 |
| Fill Rate (Multi-Texturing), MTexels/s | 1924,55 | 1958,59 | 4589,39 |
| Pixel Shader, FPS | 49,346 | 48,095 | 76,531 |
| Vertex Shader - Simple, MVertices/s | 120,58 | 121,302 | 172,585 |
| Vertex Shader - Complex, MVertices/s | 28,446 | 38,094 | 45,192 |
Due to the fact that the Vantage series of "benchmarks" from Futuremark appeared not so long ago, and the base of the results of our measurements in these packages is still small, a laptop that was in the laboratory at the same time as the hero of the review, Sony VAIO, was chosen as an opponent in these tests. SZ7.
| PC Mark Vantage | Sony VAIO SZ7 | |
| PC Mark Suite | 3407 | 2939 |
| Memories Suite | 1939 | 1610 |
| TV and Movie Suite | 2199 | 989 |
| Gaming Suite | 2481 | 2218 |
| Music Suite | 3566 | 2973 |
| Communication Suite | 3418 | 2902 |
| Productivity Suite | 3456 | 2729 |
| HDD Test Suite | 2384 | 2255 |
Power supply and battery life
ASUSTeK has always spoiled its customers with chic bundles, and even with the most affordable laptop models, the user always gets a bag and a mouse. The VX3 package includes, among other things, an additional nine-cell lithium battery with an impressive capacity of 7800 mAh. The main battery is three-cell and has a capacity of 2400 mAh. The additional battery is quite large and protrudes 39 mm beyond the back wall of the case, while the main battery is on the same level with the laptop case. Testing of both batteries was carried out in the Battery Eater Pro 2.7 package in the "classic" mode.conclusions
Notebooks of the ASUS-Lamborghini series, like Lamborghini supercars, do not leave anyone indifferent. In cafes, in the office, just on the street - wherever you had to work with VX3, he attracted the views of others. Everyone wants to look at the laptop itself and see what kind of logo is in the center of its lid. Often one hears exclamations in the style of "Yes, it's ASUS" Lambo "!" Why pretend - it's nice when your laptop is so interesting not only to yourself, but also to others. At this point, it is worth stopping the rave reviews and clearly listing what is good and what is not very good (the hand does not rise to use "bad" for the characteristics of the VX3) ASUS Lamborghini VX3 laptop. Minuses: the only speaker with poor sound quality, slight backlighting of the upper and lower edges of the matrix, a few narrow keys. Pros: stylish and bright design, good build quality, four USB ports, HDMI connector, LED screen backlight, low case temperature, relatively low noise level, high performance, chic package bundle (including two batteries with a total capacity of 10,200 mAh) and… price. Yes, yes, its considerable cost is also a plus, because powerful "kids" are usually very expensive, and often more expensive than the hero of the review. Among the 12-inch models for the ASUS Lamborghini VX3, it is difficult to find a worthy competitor in terms of performance, so the laptop rightly deserves a distinction from 3DNews. We thank the representative office of ASUS in Ukraine for the provided equipment.7 years ago
8 years ago
Excellent design, build quality is also on top, the materials used are very good. He pulls all his applications and games for 5+. Runs silently and doesn't get hot at all. The display is just great (now there are few places where they use Full HD on laptops). About the sound of the speakers, I can say that it is quite good for a laptop (but I still listen to music on a 5.1 system) Believe me if there is good speakers and connecting a laptop to a plasma is just a great option - a replacement for everything)))
8 years ago
A lot of nice features and goodies, such as adjustable keyboard backlight, multi-touch (like on a phone you can zoom in/zoom out with two fingers), nice design, good screen (comparing with the old HP), quite suitable for modern games, a lot of convenient quick keys, almost does not heat up (except for games, but even that is relatively weak, although I will still get a cooling pad), a quiet keyboard, for example, compared to many acers. Ventilation grilles not only from below, but also from behind.
8 years ago
Luxurious design, solid assembly, MATTE SCREEN (very important for me), powerful stuffing, the ability to install a second hard drive and add RAM (16 Gig!).
8 years ago
1. Very powerful filling. 2. Gorgeous appearance. 3. Better picture quality than Samsung LED TV. 4. Quiet. 5. Does not heat up.
8 years ago
Insanely beautiful design, keyboard backlight (only available for poppies), stuffing.
8 years ago
1. High-quality display. 2. Solid body assembly, and not all laptops can boast of this. 3. Comfortable keyboard, quiet and soft, pleasant backlight that does not hurt the eyes. 4. A worthy replacement for a desktop computer.
8 years ago
T \\ This is not a laptop, but a portable computer. Keep this in mind when looking at it. The car is only for aesthetes who are ready to sacrifice almost everything related to a mobile laptop for the sake of quality.
8 years ago
handsome. great design. leather panel. does not heat up at all. very well thought out case, cooling. when unpacking, the lower jaw falls off) the iron is no different. but that's more of a disadvantage.
9 years ago
Excellent build quality, expensive materials, performance, beautiful body, bright display, noiselessness, does not heat up, excellent, expensive packaging...
7 years ago
Due to the fact that the battery runs out very quickly, I had to constantly keep it on charge. A year passed, everything inside was fused and covered with erosion. Handed over to the service, 16 thousand repairs.
8 years ago
Among the shortcomings, I can single out a fast-discharging battery (for example, it only lasts for 1 trip on a peregrine falcon (4 hours) with active work or watching a couple of movies in low backlight and with reduced performance parameters. Weight, if you decide that system performance is above all for you - then you will immediately forget about the weight (I carry it around the city myself and have already got used to its 4kg behind my back).In principle, if you pack everything in a branded bag, then it turns out by weight like a travel bag with clothes))) set 5+ kg. Another important point. Sometimes firewood flies to the backlight and additional keys ... but this is treated))
8 years ago
Sits down quickly. If you turn on the most economical mode, then it holds about 3 hours, if you turn on all the bells and whistles, then a little more than an hour. Gloss, prints everywhere. It was hard to find a bag. As a result, it fits into the selected one without gaps. It can be attributed to the disadvantages of a large charge and considerable weight. At first it was unusual with the resolution, yet it is large, and the screen is not so large, but I got used to it quickly. During Skype conferences, the microphone often makes a “robot voice”. Often, but not always, and may be related to the overall load at a particular moment. The keyboard flexes somewhat if you type very quickly and emotionally.
8 years ago
Purely subjective: All the characters on the keyboard are of the same color, the huge weight of the device itself and (the saddest thing) the power supply. And a glossy touchpad!
8 years ago
1. Really weakly holds a charge. 2. Empty kit (no mouse, no case). 3. Huge charger.
8 years ago
have not yet been identified. but in Europe this model comes with a mouse in the kit, but in our country (at home) it seems to have been taken out of the box, because there is a free compartment in the box where the laptop is (you can see the mouse in all its glory on YouTube), I had to use the mouse buy separately (also with an icon like on a laptop) costs around 1400r.
8 years ago
1. The speakers cannot boast of a cool sound (although, it is unlikely that admirers of high-quality sound will listen to music from laptop or mobile devices at all, there are speakers or good headphones for this, so I don’t consider the speakers to be such a gross drawback). 2. Marky building. 3. Not the best location for the sockets for the power cord and VGA, HDMI.
8 years ago
for a couple of months of exploit - not yet. Do not build illusions - the car weighs almost 4 kilos, I personally know it heats up and quite strongly, although the cooling system controls the temperature quite well. But it heats up - consider this when buying. The back part protrudes beyond the screen spread by almost 5 cm - so I need a bag under 17, I bought under 18.5 with a margin. The power supply is quite large. System performance on Windows 7 - 5.9 bottleneck screw. The battery is only for the sake of appearance and no more - sit down very quickly - working on it, the video seems to be on the primary main vidyuha will only start when you turn it on
8 years ago
the battery runs out quickly (compared to the previous HP). quiet sound. Often the spacebar is not pressed, apparently if I click on the edges of the key. there should not be such a beech, where everything, in theory, should be thought out. after delivery by courier and unpacking, it turned out that the keyboard was not fully latched into the case. Another point that strained me, a huge charger. although I could be wrong. Sony found a charger of the same size. charging socket in the middle of the right side of the beech. very uncomfortable.
9 years ago
It's heavy, a large power supply, a soiled case, there is no mouse and bag included, and that's it.