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Building a good laptop is a game of compromises and building an all-rounder on a budget only heightens the challenge. The X555 is ASUS’s attempt at packing enough power for casual usage and a bit of gaming while maintaining a light profile.
The X555 comes with an all-plastic body, which is to be expected at this price-point. The body reveals some flex under pressure but is rigid enough to survive if treated well. Our review unit had a glossy black cover and opens up to a nicely textured silver surfacing around the keyboard and trackpad. ASUS has done well on the design front, going for a classy, understated look with minimal stickering.
ASUS has provided the standard complement of connectivity options on the laptop. Two USB 3.0 ports are available in addition to the single USB 2.0 port and video out is available either via HDMI or VGA.
The chiclet keyboard is full-sized and fairly comfortable to use, but is missing backlighting. The multi-touch trackpad is large and roomy but slightly sluggish to respond. The LED back-lit 15.6-inch display is capable of a rather weak 1366x768 resolution. Its colour reproduction is adequate for casual movie watching, but the glossy panel makes for a better mirror than it does a screen under certain lighting conditions.
The inbuilt stereo speakers are located on the front underside, delivering output completely lacking in bass and loudness.
PerformanceThe X555’s performance is only marginally better than its under-par multimedia capabilities. It is powered by an ultra low voltage Intel Core i5-5200U processor clocked at 2.2 GHz that is capable of dialling up to 2.7 GHz, if required.
Graphics processing is handled by an entry-level Nvidia GeForce 920M with 2 GB of RAM. Our review unit had a generous 8 GB allocation of RAM and 1 TB of hard disk space.
These internals will handle everyday tasks like browsing and multimedia usage with ease. As for gaming, all but the most demanding of titles will be playable, but only at the lowest possible settings. FIFA 15 worked great in our tests, while Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare and Far Cry 4 only worked at low detail levels.
A slightly better graphics card would have made the X555 a great deal, with the current configuration guaranteed to be obsolete in terms of gaming use within a year.
The X555 has a 37 WHr battery that survived about 4 hours of standard usage comprising web browsing and video playback with WiFi always on and brightness at 70 per cent. While gaming, usage times dropped to less than 2 hours.
VerdictThe X555 is priced at ₹48,000, which is fairly steep if ASUS is aiming for the entry level segment of college students on a budget and first-time buyers. While build quality is better than many of the cheaper options, the profusion of capable devices at significantly lower price points will provide stiff competition. Overall, the ASUS X555 is a laptop that checks a lot of boxes but does not excel at any particular task.
Love: Generous RAM and HD capacity
Hate: Glossy screen, speakers, weak processor
Price: ₹48,000
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