Laptop Asus K52D: specifications, tests and reviews.

When buying a laptop each is based on its own priorities: performance, design, screen size, build quality, no problems in operation and, of course, price. Each class of devices, whether it's a business series or a budget option, has both pluses and minuses.

The hero of today's review is the ASUS K52D, whose technical characteristics we will consider in detail in the article. A device from a series of multimedia and inexpensive laptops. We will try to identify all its advantages together with the shortcomings, based on feedback from ordinary users and taking into account the opinions of specialists. The average price of the device in Russia is about 25 000 rubles.

Laptop ASUS K52D: specifications

Models K52 line have a lot of modifications with a variety of fillings. They use modern processors of famous brands AMD or Intel: from low-power single-core to high-frequency quad-core models.

The modification considered and tested in the review is equipped with a dual-core processor from AMD - Turion II X2 P520, built on the Champlain core. The board has a built-in DDR3 controller with two megabytes of L2 cache with support for all modern instruction sets. The maximum clock frequency of the model in question is 2300 MHz with 128 kilobytes of the first level cache.

ASUS K52D is equipped with four gigabytes of RAM from the company A-Data - two gigabytes each bar. RAM operates in two-channel mode at a maximum frequency of 1066 MHz.

The graphic filling is made in the face of a discrete video adapter from ATI Radeon model HD 5470. This option belongs to the budget series of graphics accelerators, so it's useless to count on good FPS in modern games. The card has on its board 1024 MB of GDDR3 standard memory without the support of ATI HyperMemory technology.

But even in spite of some weaknesses of the graphics core, it is several times greater than the built-in analogs. Plus, during heavy loads the card does not affect the maximum speed of the cooling fan and the temperature of the device as a whole, which is an important detail when using external video cards.

Contents of delivery

ASUS K52D comes in a standard branded and easily recognizable package with labels on the date of production, serial number and specific marks. Inside there is an operation manual, warranty card, driver disk, power supply and actually the device itself.

The dimensions of the laptop are 390x260x36 mm with a weight of 2690 grams. The power unit (130x55x30 mm) adds to the final value of another 470 grams.

Like many other similar "Asus" models, the K52D device goes without a preinstalled "Vindous" operating system and is equipped with a free DOS. Therefore, reviews recommend before buying a laptop to stock up a disk with the necessary software. The company introduced this practice after numerous complaints from users complaining about the total amount of the installation and the licensed code of the installed OS. A weighty plus for the average user is quite obvious - he can choose any operating system himself, without overpaying for the already installed in the store.

Appearance and build quality

The tested laptop ASUS K52D is made of very high quality plastic. Any metal inserts that have become popular in the business series are not available. The outer cover of the lid is lacquered and consists of a beautiful brown pattern in the form of diamonds.

Users who leave feedback about the device are not always happy with this surface: fingerprints are easily left on it, it gets dirty quickly, and it will not be difficult to scratch it.

The plastic on the display cover is quite thick, and it's extremely difficult to press it up before the appearance of stains on the screen. The internal part of the laptop consists mainly of a relief material of a light brown shade in matt style, which relieves the user of the above problems at least from the inside of the ASUS K52D device.

Characteristics of the keyboard and touchpad are similar to similar budget models from "Asus". The laptop does not have an additional block of function keys, and all the usual operations are performed with the combination Fn + F1-F12. In addition, the panel has secondary buttons that allow you to control additional functions (Fn + right Enter = calculator, etc.).

Indication

At the bottom of the laptop are several LED indicators of low power, indicating the state of the device: the hard drive, battery power, operating mode, WiFi, Caps Lock and Scroll Lock. The on / off button is located on the upper right side of the work surface. The left part is made by LED, right - by the button. The blue diode does not hit the eyes even in the dark.

The working surface of the device is almost free from stickers of brands and manufacturers, but AMD logos are still present.

Ergonomics

The widescreen display of the 15.6-inch model under test rests on two plastic hinges, which though look safe, but user reviews sometimes have complaints about cracks and other breakages after one to two years of operation. When you open the lid, you have to hold the laptop with your hand, otherwise it throws back.

The maximum level of disclosure of the display part is 135 degrees. For some, such a value is too small, so amateurs should work in non-standard positions to keep this in mind.

The display frame, made in a glossy format, quickly becomes covered with rubs and micro-scratching, as the testimonies indicate. The screen will become your second mirror, and from dust, which it attracts like a magnet, you have to get rid of almost daily.

At the top of the frame is a regular webcam with a work indicator and a resolution of 0.3 megapixels. Naturally, the quality of shooting such a device does not shine and boast of something distinctive can not.

The base ASUS K52D is made of rough plastic of black color. Support for the work are four rubber feet, located in the corners of the laptop. Under a single cover are all the main elements of the laptop, and by the way, it does not bend anywhere and does not creak while using the device. In the model K52D access to the hard drive and RAM free without any warranty seals - change the hard drive with the memory, as and when you like. Many users comment on this brand attitude is very flattering.

The overall build quality of the model is quite high. Any backlash has not been noticed, all the details are adjusted to each other quite tightly, and the device does not differ by the presence of a squeak or a crunch during operation.

Laptop ASUS K52D: characteristics of input devices

The keyboard of the tested model is of the standard type (island-style), which prevents clogging and moisture penetration inside the device. The unit itself is full-sized, with additional digital functionality. The keys are standardized to a size of 15x15 mm with medium stroke. The upper row is characterized by a reduced size and occupies only 11 mm in width.

In general, the layout of the keys along with the progress can be called comfortable, and the only thing that is noted in user reviews as minus this model is a glossy plastic between the buttons, which successfully collects fingerprints and dust.

The material of the touchpad is similar to other models in palmrest, and the feel of ripples is felt. The manipulator's working area is 75x45 mm, which is a lot for a tandem with a screen of 15.6 inches. Working with the touchpad is comfortable, and the cursor moves smoothly, without jerking. From casual touches while working with the keyboard, the manipulator is saved by the Palm-Prof system, which is very convenient.

Ports

A variety of interfaces the model does not shine, but for a budget laptop they are quite enough.

Connectors and communications:

• Microphone input;
• Headphone output;
• D-Sub;
• USB inputs 2.0 - 3 pieces;
• Internet connection RJ45;
• HDMI port;
• A card reader of the type SD / MMC / MS;
• Slot for the charger.

On the front of the laptop is the IR receiver, and the DVD player is on the left side of the device.

Display

The ASUS K52D screen is black when turned on, and afterwards acquires its usual glossy shade. The stated diagonal of the display is 15.6 inches, although the "Everest" program shows a maximum of 15.3 inches. The working resolution of the screen is 1366x768 Px with a 16: 9 aspect ratio. For a display with this size, the resolution is not enough, so the items on the desktop look somewhat exaggerated, but the problem is solved by reducing the icons in the settings of the "Vindous".

Due to their peculiarities, the "Asus" displays on test stands can sometimes give out unpleasant numbers. Users quite often complain that the ASUS K52D does not turn on the screen when the OS boots. In most cases, it helps to remove the battery for a few minutes, and after that the display starts working again. If this does not happen, you should contact the service center.

Many users ask if it is possible and how to launch the ASUS K52D laptop without a video card in case of breakdowns or device failure. It's not recommended to boot OS without a card with a discrete videochip only, it's better to contact a specialist in the service center, otherwise you risk burning the elements of the motherboard.

Summarizing

Model K52D is perfect for everyday tasks, especially since the line has a huge choice of modifications, where everyone can choose the best option for themselves. Modern games will be launched on this laptop, but the bar of graphic settings will have to be reduced to a minimum.

Spending on ASUS K52D 20-25 thousand rubles, you get an excellent build quality, an excellent price / quality ratio and a two-year warranty from the manufacturer.