Asus N56V Notebook

This is the first notebook where Intel has jumped from Sandy Bridge to Ivy Bridge, the 3rd generation core processor. It uses 22nm tri-gate transistor technology, which employs a single gate stacked on top of two vertical gates allowing for essentially three times the surface area for electrons to travel. This translates to lesser power consumption and higher speed of processing as compared to Sandy Bridge processors. This burly notebook weighs 2.73 kg and has a solid matte body. It has a 15.6 inch wide HD matte display which translates into stunning visuals. The N56V boasts of integrated Intel HD Graphics 4000 (and 2500) along with a dedicated NVidia GeForce GT 630M GPU. One can switch between the CPU and GPU with commensurate ease. The touchpad is wide and supports multi-touch gestures, but is a little hard to use. The full keyboard is a lot better with soft backlit keys that look very attractive on the metallic base.

For sound, it has built-in Bang & Olufsen ICE power audio, which provides for excellent sound quality. It is graced with numerous connectivity ports like 4 USB 3.0 ports, a VGA port, an Ethernet port, DVD/Blu-ray drive, HDMI port, etc. Its performance with Intel HD Graphics, in the PCMark Vantage benchmark was impressive with an 8359 score but was average in the 3D Mark 2006 at just 5605. In CineBench graphics test, it scored 22.48 fps while the Battery Mark showed it can run uninterrupted for 4.56 hrs.

Bottomline: This Ivy Bridge processor-based notebook is a powerhouse and a must buy for gamers and power users.