ASUS K42J is newest laptop from the K series, within which affordable, but at the same time quite functional models have always been offered. This 14-inch laptop includes a powerful processor Intel Core i5, discrete graphics with support for Nvidia Optimus technology and a starting price of less than $900. Isn't this the perfect laptop that can be used for both gaming and multimedia? Well, let's find out.

ASUS K42J Specifications:

Display: 14″, 1366×768, LED backlight
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
CPU: Intel Core i5 430M, 2.27 GHz
Graphic arts: Nvidia GeForce 310M with 1 GB of video memory (Switching to built-in using Optimus technology)
RAM: 4 GB DDR3 1066 MHz
HDD: 500 GB 7200 rpm
Net: WiFi 802.11n
Optical drive: DVD Super Multi
Battery: 6-section, Li-ion, 10.8 V, 4400 mAh, 47 Wh
Dimensions: 34.8 x 23.9 x 3.81 cm
Weight: 2.27 kg

Appearance, quality of materials

The K42J has a traditional design and shape, almost identical to the previous generation of laptops in this class, ASUS K40IN. In other words, it looks like a boring, coffee-colored laptop with nothing fancy. It combines matte and semi-gloss surfaces, brown and black. All corners are rounded, giving the laptop a sleeker look, and the textured touchpad and wrist rests look quite nice. The glossy display lid is covered with the same textured pattern as the wrist rests, but even this could not give the laptop any more or less stylish look. It looks very simple.

The build quality of the ASUS K42J is quite ordinary when compared to other budget laptops from ASUS that we have written reviews about. The case is quite durable, there are practically no areas where anything bends or creaks. The internal frame offers excellent pressure resistance, and the display hinges strike a very good balance of strength (they're neither too tight nor too weak). The display cover bends under pressure, but even with strong pressure this does not affect the screen in any way - no distortion.

The bottom of the laptop includes two panels quick access- to memory modules and to the hard drive. And this is quite enough, because most buyers of a laptop of this class are unlikely to want to upgrade other components other than these. Of course, for us - those who like to delve into the insides of laptops - such access is not enough, but for most users it will be just right.

Display

The K42JC-A1 has a 14-inch display with LED backlight and aspect ratio 16:9. The overall quality of the display can be assessed as “very good”; its only drawback is that the viewing angles are not very wide. Brightness, contrast and color rendition are quite good. If you will be using this laptop for graphics work, it is best if you look at the display directly, without horizontal or vertical deviations, because otherwise the colors may become distorted. The backlight level is also slightly uneven - a lighter area is visible at the bottom.

A resolution of 1366x768 is standard for most laptops at this level. Horizontal resolution is very good, but only 768 pixels vertically means a lot of scrolling up and down when viewing web pages or Word documents.

Audio

The K42J has Altec Lansing speakers located under the wrist rests on the front edge of the laptop. Despite the big brand name, these speakers do not provide sufficient sound quality. The sound is muffled and distorted; there are no mid-tones or bass at all. So if you need high quality sound, then it’s better to use good headphones.

Input Devices

The ASUS K42J has a full-size island-type keyboard, the keys of which are soft to press and have a size and distance from each other that ensures very comfortable typing and the absence of accidentally pressing the wrong key. The keys are flat and have a matte finish that is very durable and will likely last a long time. When pressed lightly, the keyboard does not bend. The keys do not click, the sound from them is quite quiet and unobtrusive. The keyboard lacks separate multimedia keys, but they are duplicated by the arrow keys if you use Fn.

ELAN's touchpad is a mixture of good and bad. Its surface provides excellent finger gliding, but touches are processed with a delay. There are multi-touch functions, which, however, suffer the most from the slowness of the touchpad. Also somewhat annoying is the lack of a separate scrolling area. The touchpad keys have very little feedback and make a loud click when pressed.

Ports

The ASUS K42J is clearly a step up from previous K-series laptops in terms of number of ports. The K42JC-A1 adds much-needed HDMI, although of course we'd be even happier if there was an ExpressCard slot. Then it would be possible to connect an adapter to USB 3.0, which would significantly expand the capabilities of the laptop, since similar ports are now appearing in all more devices.

Left: security lock, ventilation grille, VGA, HDMI, two USB 2.0, headphone jack

On right: optical drive, one USB 2.0, Ethernet, slot for connecting a network adapter

Front: speakers, card reader (SD/MMC/MS)

Rear: nothing

Performance

ASUS K42JC-A1 offers excellent performance, which is achieved by combining Core processor i5, 4 GB random access memory and fast hard drive for 500 GB. The Nvidia GeForce 310M discrete graphics also helps with CUDA-enabled applications. So this laptop will cope well not only with the most common daily applications, but also with more demanding programs like Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Premiere.

The Intel Core i5 430M is one of the budget-level processors in the Core i5 family, and it has an advantage over the i3 models in terms of performance gains. So the performance here is much higher than that of the same Dell Inspiron 14 (1464) with Core i3.

The Nvidia GeForce 310M's graphics performance is sufficient for online gaming or older first-person shooters, but you'll want to forget about modern games like Mass Effect 2 or Modern Warfare 2. In addition, there is also integrated graphics from Intel, which you can switch to automatically, as it is supported Nvidia technology Optimus.

Wprime (processor test, the lower the result, the better):

PCMark05 (overall system performance, the higher the score, the better):

PCMark Vantage (overall system performance, the higher the score, the better):

CrystalDiskMark (hard drive test):

Temperature and noise

The ASUS K42J has done a great job of producing the least amount of heat and noise. The fan speed adjusts automatically based on load, and it's so quiet you'll barely hear it in a quiet room. The surface temperature is quite low everywhere, with the exception of the fan grille (but this is to be expected). Only when playing games that load the entire system did the laptop heat up, and even then within acceptable limits.

In any case, if you are looking for a fairly productive, but not hot laptop, then the ASUS K42JC-A1 will be an excellent option for you.

Autonomous operation

In Power Balanced mode, with the display brightness set to 75%, the K42JC-A1 lasted 4 hours and 3 minutes while browsing the Internet and using computers. text editor. Very good for a laptop with standard battery, however, we also saw better results from devices with the same performance - five hours or more. So this result can be called average. And, naturally, if you load the system, it will work even less.

conclusions

ASUS K42J is a balanced laptop with good build quality, excellent performance and excellent additional options. Intel Core i5 processor, discrete graphics from Nvidia and excellent HDD make it one of the most productive entry-level 14-inch laptops.

ASUS K42JC-A1 is ideal both as a machine for students and as a main home computer.

Fine:
- good build quality, excellent keyboard
- automatic graphics switching
— excellent performance with little heat release

Badly:
- medium display
- average battery life

I have been using the same laptop for many years and am glad that the keys have already been worn out, parts have been replaced, but the work is always stable. My dad is just a maniac in this matter. He changes computers every 2 years for sure.

He uses it at full capacity, then sells it for spare parts or to another user who does not need an expensive laptop and a used one will do, and then buys a new one. No one knows why he does this. But that is not what we are talking about.

I was chosen as an assistant to purchase a new victim. For what reason is also unclear, because I am not a brilliant programmer, but simply understand computers at the user level.

So, we came to the store. We prefer to buy equipment from Eldorado or M-video. We were immediately surrounded by smart consultants who asked what we wanted from a new laptop. After a short conversation and advertising from different companies, I was attracted to the ASUS K42J laptop.

Why ASUS K42J

Firstly, because I have never used equipment from this manufacturer before. And since daddy is constantly changing laptops, why not try something new and unfamiliar?

Secondly, it had a fairly attractive price. Only 18 thousand plus or minus a couple of hundred. I don’t remember exactly, because a lot of computers were reviewed.

Thirdly, he perfectly matched the characteristics that his father needed. It is ideal for both work and play. Whatever purpose you buy a laptop for, this one will suit you well. I was convinced of this myself while using the computer.

Video review

All(5)

K42J LAPTOP REVIEW

(dozens of current models)

Determine the purpose and target audience laptop ASUS K42Jr It's not easy the first time. This massive, if we take into account the price on the border of the budget and middle classes, laptop is distinguished by a modern, powerful computing system (based on Intel® Core™ i5 processor), a discrete video card with 1GB of video memory and other solid characteristics, which are enclosed in an elegant, glossy case.

It probably has everything for both everyday tasks and for playing 3D games, watching and editing HD videos. With such data, perhaps one and a half inches of screen diagonal was not enough for it to reach the category of multimedia laptops. So you can give him this brief description: A versatile laptop with rich multimedia capabilities.

Review and test of the ASUS K42Jr laptop. Specifications and equipment

The laptop is packaged in a gray cardboard box with a blue stripe and white lettering, traditional for many ASUS devices. Right choice" on top of it, in different languages. A convenient carrying handle is inserted into one of the sides of the box.

Inside we are greeted by an oblong box with an adapter alternating current and a cord connecting it to the power supply. Inside, in the middle, in cardboard straps, the laptop itself is located, which is adjacent to a plastic bag containing printed publications, a disk with software and a battery.

The specifications of the laptop in question are shown in the table below:

CPU:	Intel® Core™ i5-430M 2260 MHz (Arrandale)
Tire:	2.5 GT/s 3 MB cache 3 levels
RAM:	4096 MB DDR3-1066 MHz
Screen:	14", with LED backlight, mirror (Glare)
Permission:	1366x768 (HD)
Video card:	ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5470, 1024+1718 MB
Sound card:	Intel® High Definition Audio
HDD:	320 GB (5400 rpm), SATA II
CD drive:	DVD±RW (DL)
Connection:	LAN 10/100
Wireless connection:	Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n)
Ports:	3xUSB(2.0), Kensington security, Line-out, HDMI, VGA
Expansion slots:	Card reader (SD/MMC)
Camera:	1.3MP
Input Devices:	Windows keyboard Touch tablet Touch Pad
Battery:	Lithium-ion, 4300 mAh (up to 3.5 hours)
Weight:	2.20 kg
Color:	Dark brown
Keyboard color:	Black
Housing (L x W x H):	349x238x36 mm
Software:	MS Windows 7 Home Basic (64-bit)
Guarantee:	1 year international manufacturer's warranty

The computing power of the system is provided by Intel processor® Core™ i5-430M. This CPU occupies a middle position in the family Intel® Core™ i5 the company's 2010 generation processor line. Each of its cores operates at a frequency of 2260 MHz, and in Turbo Boost mode the operating frequency increases to 2533 MHz. The third level cache is 3 MB. The maximum thermal package is 35 Watt. The processor supports technologies such as Enhanced Intel SpeedStep, Idle State, Execute Disable Bit, Intel 64 Architecture, as well as Intel Virtualization and Trusted Execution. In progress Intel® Core™ i5 processor-430M is guided by a full set of SIMD instructions: MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSSE3, SSE 4.1, SSE 4.2. All the power and speed of the processor allows you to unleash a solid reserve of 4GB RAM. Theoretically, the memory controller supports twice the volume. But to upgrade you will have to get rid of installed memory, since both slots in the laptop are occupied, containing identical DDR3 RAM sticks (model Elpida EBJ21UE8BDS0-DJ-F) of 2 GB each. DDR3 memory is faster, consumes 40% less power and has an 8-bit prefetch buffer. The storage function in the laptop is performed by a 320 GB hard drive manufactured by Hitachi (model HTS545032B9A300, 5400 rpm, SATA-II). Its volume is minimal for multimedia laptops or mobile workstations, but overall it is quite average and will be sufficient in most situations.

The laptop's graphics capabilities are provided by the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5470 discrete graphics card. This is a fairly advanced graphics accelerator from the new 5000 series. The card supports DirectX 11, Shader 5.0, Eyefinity (up to 4 displays), Avivo HD (UVD2), Full Bitstream Audio (8-ch HD Audio over HDMI) technologies. The graphics core operates at 750 MHz. A card with such characteristics will cope with playback and processing of Full HD video, most modern 3D games with rare exceptions when the detail will have to be reduced to avoid artifacts.

In the laptop we find a standard set of ports and expansion slots for modern laptops (for some reason there is no support for MS and xD memory cards), a built-in camera with a good matrix resolution.

According to its characteristics, the ASUS K42Jr laptop can solve a very wide range of tasks, including very resource-demanding systems.

Review and test of the ASUS K42Jr laptop. Exterior, design, safety

The design of the laptop deserves nothing but praise, both in terms of aesthetics and design. The shape of the laptop is an almost regular symmetrical parallelepiped with rounded edges and smooth contours. The design is dominated by brown colors.

The glossy lacquer finish of the lid with a mesh pattern on a brown background evokes associations with a kind of sea stone, honed over hundreds of years to perfect smoothness, which has just been pulled out of the abyss. Of course, the coating easily “collects” fingerprints, but, firstly, they are not very visible due to the patterned dark design, and secondly, how can fingerprints distract from such beauty, and it is also not difficult to erase them. In addition, the varnish coating is actually resistant to mechanical damage.

The front edge of the laptop, if you look at the lower half, has a small ledge, a couple of millimeters, on which the laptop status indicators are located. A card reader is built into the sloping surface in the middle of the topcase. The SD card is not fully inserted and is held in place by a spring latch. Inserting and removing a card requires some effort, but perhaps these are the characteristics of a particular device, and even in this case the mechanism must be developed. This surface itself has an interesting three-dimensional pattern, reminiscent of either brickwork or weaving with a thick thread. This decor creates a certain feeling of homeliness and warmth.

On the left side, if we move from left to right, from the cover fastening to the edge, we first find the Kensington security port, after which the heated air outlet grille begins. Then the VGA D-SUB port, HDMI, two in a row are found in succession USB port and finally - a headphone jack. The location of the ports is too close; not all types of devices can be inserted at the same time. When I tried to insert a standard flash drive and a standard cable, the devices worked, but stood at an angle.

On the right, when looking from the edge of the device, we see the cover of the optical disc tray, to the right of which the engineers placed a pedestal with three connectors (USB, RJ-45 network port and a socket for the cable from the adapter).

There are no connectors on the back, only the lid hinges and the back of the battery. It is curious that the bolt heads are visible on the outside of the lid hinges.

On the underside of the laptop you can only find three small slots for ventilation. Separate hatches are provided for quick access to the memory modules and hard drive.

The battery attaches easily to the slot between the mounting loops and is held tightly by two clamps.

Review and test of the ASUS K42Jr laptop. Screen, camera and sound

The cover with the monitor is secured with two wide (about 1.8 cm) hinges recessed into the body. The opening mechanism involves lowering the lid relative to the topcase, but the screen is located high enough and is comfortable for work. Both the screen itself and the frame are glossy.

The mirror-type screen matrix (Glare) manufactured by Chi Mei Corporation (model N140B6-L08) has physical size 14" (visible area 31x17 cm or diagonal 13.9"), aspect ratio 17:9 (not quite standard) and maximum resolution 1366 x 768 pixels (HD). It has very good viewing angles in all directions. The picture on the display is very contrasty, distinguished by rich colors and a soft, eye-pleasing tone (again, one cannot fail to note the positive effect of ASUS Splendid Utility).

The camera viewfinder eye is built exactly in the middle of the top plastic edge of the screen. By moving to the right you can find nearby led indicator her work and even further to the right, on a short distance- built-in microphone window. A camera with not the smallest resolution (1.3 megapixels) perfectly performs two basic functions: video communication and user identification.

The laptop's acoustics are represented by an Altec Lansing stereo system with SRS Premium Sound surround sound technology. The sound volume did not seem subjectively as strong as expected from a mid-size laptop. Still, it is quite enough for listening to music, audio tracks movies, and game sounds. The sound quality, spatial localization, and detail were excellent. The speakers produced not strong, but dense and confident bass.

Review and test of the ASUS K42Jr laptop. Input Devices

In the laptop, the keyboard is made of an island type, it is slightly recessed into the surface of the topcase, the entire block with the keys is recessed and surrounded by smooth contours around the perimeter.

The keys are black, flat and made of matte plastic that sparkles in the light. Traditionally, the designations for ASUS are very clear: Latin letters are white, Russian letters are green, functional symbols are blue. The letter keys are square, side 1.9 cm. The top row is flattened (1.9x0.7 cm). There is a 1-2 mm distance between the buttons. Typing on the keyboard is comfortable, but its deflection was noticeable (more pronounced on the right side) with moderate pressure.

The touchpad with multitouch support has medium dimensions (8x4.7 cm) and its surface follows the adjacent surface of the topcase. However, it is slightly, 1 mm, recessed into the body, having a clear boundary. The buttons are hidden under a single strip painted silver. The depth and recoil force of pressing is quite familiar. The laptop features Palm Proof anti-accident technology, which can distinguish between finger presses and full palm presses, which helps prevent uncontrolled cursor movement.

Review and test of the ASUS K42Jr laptop. Wireless connection

The laptop supports two standards wireless communication, via Bluetooth (version 2.1 + EDR) and Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n). Connections are managed as standard Windows utilities, and branded ASUS program Wireless Control. Sensitivity and signal level are adequate to modern expectations.

Review and test of the ASUS K42Jr laptop. Software and General Notes

The laptop system runs on Windows 7 Home Basic 64-bit OS. As part of the additionally installed software, a multimedia orientation can be traced.

Adobe is available for working with documents. Acrobat Reader 9.0 and MS Office 2010 but only 60-day trial version. Virus protection is enhanced with Trend Micro Internet Security 2009.

But in the multimedia block we find a multifunctional utility for working with content ASUSDVD 8 with a beautiful, intuitive interface, as well as the CyberLink Blue-Ray Disc Cuite program. Also in this group, we note Virtual Camera and Catalyst Control Center - a utility for managing the parameters of a discrete graphics card, as well as SRS Labs - a program for managing sound parameters and effects.

Review and test of the ASUS K42Jr laptop. Benchmarks

For objective and comprehensive performance assessment ASUS laptop K42Jr we used the following tests:

Everest - withdrawal complete information about the system and comprehensive testing, including hard drive;

PCMark04 And PCMark05- a test designed to measure computer performance when working with office and other similar applications;

Battery Eater- duration test battery life laptop in reading mode.

The measurement results can be viewed by clicking on the corresponding mini-pictures.

2 years ago 0

Compact, stylish and quite fast.

2 years ago 0

1) light weight. 2) a disk with firewood (you won’t have to download firewood and software for win7) 3) it’s very productive for beech. 4) good video card

2 years ago 0

Small size, high-quality plastic case, comfortable keyboard (it’s almost impossible to miss the right key when typing), modern processor, discrete video. Acceptable price.

2 years ago 0

Excellent performance. Quiet railway (relatively old) Video works quickly.

2 years ago 0

I bought it for 26,000 rubles. And I was pleased. The laptop is small, almost like a netbook, but at the same time very productive. Played many games on it. Half of them are at maximum settings. For example MAFIA 2 and Test Drive Unlimited. And also GTA 4 is running on medium (the screen twitches a little due to lack of video memory). I wouldn't say it's getting hot. I calmly played MAFIA 2 for 8 hours, and after that I watched movies for 4-5 hours.

2 years ago 0

Quite compact, fast modern processor, supports HDMI

2 years ago 0

Copes with everyday tasks with ease. Convenient to use. The 14" screen allows you to quite comfortably edit video on your knees, and the i3 processor does not make you wait long when processing video material from a camcorder. The battery life corresponds to the performance of the laptop; in the "Maximum Performance" mode it is possible to work autonomously for no more than 1.5-2 hours About watching one movie and ~30 minutes of internet.

2 years ago 0

What upset me most was the only audio input, because... I took it under field conditions for working with sound. There is no built-in microphone; I use an external webcam as a microphone to communicate on Skype.

2 years ago 0

1) the case is disturbing... very thin plastic.
2) the cover and screen are very easily soiled
3) current SD card reader(((
4) there are not enough ports

2 years ago 0

The battery is weak; in “quiet office” mode it lasts a little more than two hours; if you set the Power4Gear to maximum, it lasts less than 2 hours.

2 years ago 0

[Addition] 802.11n support is deliberately blocked. those. By Wifi speed There will be no more than 54Mbit. Moreover, the chip supports up to 150 Mbit. And the description states support. In general, be careful!
A huge pile of unnecessary software from ASUS
Easily soiled.
Doesn't last too long on battery power (although with its power this is quite normal)
Very weak sound. Especially the low frequencies.
No microphone input. (but there is a built-in microphone and you can connect a BlueTooth headset)

2 years ago 0

The battery charge only lasts for 2 hours (at maximum brightness), but if you play or watch a movie it will last for 1-1.5 hours. I didn't really like the microphone and camera. I changed the drivers but the quality is still not very good. I didn't notice anything else.

2 years ago 0

All glossy! (including the screen) - I have already turned it into a manual for a novice fingerprint operator, there is no connector for connecting a microphone, some kind of flimsy keyboard - it is noticeably pressed under the pressure of your fingers.

2 years ago 0

Lack of external microphone jack. The quality of the built-in microphone leaves much to be desired. But for me this is not a problem, because... I use stereo BlueTooth headset as a means of communication and multimedia.
Gloss on the lid and screen, if you have laptop care products, will not be a problem.