Difficult choice, ATI or not.

Hello

I am considering the Asus B43/53 series. The problem is that the J-version, with ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5470 and i5 cpu, is only available in the 15" model (B53J). I prefer the 14" because it doesn't have the numeric keypad and 1366 x 768 seems better suited for 14", but then I will have to stick with Intel GMA and i3.

I surf the net, send emails and edit RAW-files in Photoshop. I don't play games at all. Is i3 + Intel GMA enough if I swap HDD with a fast SSD?

Kind regards
.lars

 

I can edit raw files even on my 10" netbook .. the question is only if you willing to give up processing speed.
In any case try to max up the ram.

 

Hello

Sure, it's possible, but is it painfully slow ?

Kind regards
.lars

 

If only need to fix color and cut a few then it is ok .. but if I would have to do it on a series shoot 100+ then it would be pain and long.

Look up ps cs test scores at sites like :
Photoshop Benchmark Results Database

 

The B43J comes with a 5470 too (at least in the US/Canada).

With switchable graphics, you can choose to run either the ATI GPU or intel integrated, and frankly, the intel is more than enough for web surfing and even HD movies (shows its limits playing 1080p on the external monitor).

I can't tell you about editing RAW files because I've never done it on my 43J, but I'll agree with sama98, you need to plan on maxing out the ram. The 7200rpm stock hard drive is actually very snappy and you can delay the SSD upgrade until they get cheaper.

Just a word of caution, it's actually very heavy and very big for a 14-inch laptop (as wide as my G1S, a 15.4in gaming laptop)

 

Unfortunately the B43J is not available where I live, only the B43F.
The B 53J is available though, but I am not too thrilled about 15" display with 1366x768 resolution. B53J is also bigger....approx 3cm wider and 0.5 kilo heavier.

Kind regards
.lars

 

I have to agree, the process will be slow at times to the point you will be checking to see if you may be locked up!
I have tried doing this on an Atom processor and a I3 and the I3 is faster but not that much and if you have a large file you will be waiting .
So it comes down to how much your time is worth and if you can stand by and wait for the process to get done.

If I where you I would not go lower than an I5 Processor for what you are wanting to do.
One of the reasons beyond gaming that I got the G73 for was I do Video Forensic's and this Notebook is really awesome at doing just this type of work.

And as for the Intel GMA Video you will have limits put on you on things that you can process. The GMA is great or surfing the web but for video work and photo work it is really not the type of video processor that you would need to do your work.

 

Hmm.....that seems strange. Right now I am working on a Pentium M 1.6 Ghz with 2GB RAM and Intel GPU. This laptop is 7 years old. I have no problems with Lightroom 3 editing 10MB RAW files. That means, it is a little slow, but acceptable. The i3 370M is a 2.4 GHZ dual core.....

Kind regards
.lars

 

How is the sound emission when surfing or idling? According to a review (sorry, I don't remember where I read it) The Lenovo L412 measured less than 30 dB while the B53 a little more. Do you notice the fan at all?

Kind regards
.lars

 

I don't have an L412 to compare to but the fan is rather quiet (average I guess), pretty hard to notice unless you're running prime95 or furmark, but then again I've seen quieter (and also much, much louder with my G1s and desktops). It has the advantage of being a pretty low frequency sound, not the annoying high-pitched hissing of tiny fans.
The cooling is quite amazing though, mine came with an i5-560 and I just cannot get it to go over 60C no matter how hard I load it.

 

With the Video Edit programs that I have there are functions that are blocked out when I try to use GMA Video chips. Now I do not know about lightroom as I do not know or use this software.
That is what I was speaking of when I posted. I would have to go back through the software and see what types of functions are blocked , and see if I can post that here . That may make it easier to understand what the change is.

As to playing videos and most normal consumer type video , yes it will play those fine and I have and do use some of them.

 

I'd go for the one with the switchable graphics, as said the intergrated it good for on the go on battery and just for web surfing, where as when your doing photo editing etc, the 5470 (or whatever it has) is alot better, its also decent for gaming. it's a 5 series so it also has Direct x 11.
and I have a 16 inch 1366 x 768 screen and i prefer it to my old Compaq with 1280x1024. You will get used to the extra inch, and it's not much heaver in comparison to the specs you get!

 

Ah, now I understand, you're talking about video editing. I edit photos, not motion picture.

Thanks. By the way, I just noticed that the B53J is available with i5 560M and ATI 5470. A bit pricey compared to the i3 version though.

Thanks, does the B43/53 have have power/energy pre-sets like the K52? In other words, you can press Fn+space to shift between pre-sets? I noticed that my friend's K52 became completely silent in "silent office" mode.

Kind regards
.lars

 

yes, it does