ASUS U36SG-AS71 13.3-Inch Laptop (Black)

by Asus

• Intel 2.7 GHz ( Cache)
• 6 GB DIMM
• 750 GB 5400 rpm Hard Drive
• 13.3-Inch ScreenNvidia GT 610M
• Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

ASUS U36SG-AS71 Notebook

Optimized Performance for up to 9 Hours of Mobility

The ultra-slim 13.3-inch U36SG-AS71 has incredible features that take you far beyond standard entertainment notebooks. It's powered by the Intel Core i7-2620M processor that's smarter and faster with Intel Hyper-Threading Technology for enhanced multitasking. Plus, the U36SG-AS71 features NVIDIA GeForce graphics with NVIDIA Optimus Technology that seamlessly switches between powerful NVIDIA graphics and Intel embedded graphics to give you smart visual performance and battery-savings when you need it. With Full HD playback capability and HDMI connectivity, you can easily connect to any HDMI-enabled HDTV and enjoy a complete cinematic experience.

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Achieve More, Longer

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The U36SG-AS71 offers up to 9 hours of battery life¹ to take you further than most notebooks can with efficient multitasking performance by intelligently blending together innovative, battery-saving features. With the ASUS Power4Gear utility, you can optimize power management with a push of a button and select the energy profile of your choice.

Plus, with 6GB DDR3 system memory, it provides not only faster performance but also promotes energy efficiency. The LED-backlit screen also improves energy savings compared to that of notebooks without it. The U36SG-AS71 is powered by an ultra high-density 6-cell battery that is one of the largest in comparable 13.3-inch models.

Latest in Mobile Graphics Technology

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NVIDIA GeForce Graphics

The U36SG-AS71 features NVIDIA GeForce GT 610M with 2GB DDR3 VRAM for HD performance and amazing multimedia capabilities. With DirectX 10.1 compatibility, the U36SG-AS71 lets you play light to casual games with textured detail, better dynamics, and greater special effects than traditional embedded graphics.

NVIDIA Optimus Technology

Like a hybrid car seamlessly switches from gas to electric, the U36SG-AS71 features NVIDIA Optimus Technology that automatically optimizes system performance by switching between powerful NVIDIA graphics and energy-efficient Intel graphics to let you do what you want without interruptions.

Efficient Multitasking

The U36SG-AS71 is built with the new smarter and faster Intel Core i7 processor which provides better multitasking performance. Plus, it also features NVIDIA Geforce graphics that efficiently powers HD content while maintaining optimal battery savings.

The Complete Multimedia Package

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Bring the magic of the theatres where you want with the U36SG-AS71. Featuring a 13.3-inch HD display and Altec Lansing speakers, you get premium visual and audio playback to enjoy your favorite movies online in a size that's big on entertainment and small for ultimate portability.

The U36SG-AS71 also doubles as a portable home media center with HDMI connectivity, so you can sync to any compatible HDTV for a Full 1080p HD experience.

Enhanced Connectivity

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The U36SG-AS71 lets you surf the Web in wave-shredding speed with wireless N connectivity (802.11 b/g/n @ 2.4GHz). Wireless-N has a longer range and faster transfer rates that keeps you connected further and saves you time when downloading content or exploring Web pages. The U36SG-AS71 also features a LAN port to directly connect to a router for an even faster and more secure connection.

Relax, ASUS Has You Covered

Ranked as the #1 most reliable PC brand by 3 independent sources¹, readers and editors alike choose ASUS as their trusted notebook and netbook. ASUS tirelessly strives to exceed expectations of quality to ensure you an unmatched peace of mind every time you start your PC.

This notebook is also backed by the industry's most comprehensive warranty.

1 Year Accidental Damage Protection (ADP)²

Whether your notebook is damaged by accidental spills, drops, electrical surges, or fire, ASUS will fix it or replace it for you during the first year after purchase.

Key Features

• Ultra slim 0.39 inches notebook with powerful Intel Core i7-2620M processor (Learn more)
• Up to 9 hours of battery life¹ of unplugged freedom (Learn more)
• 13.3-inch HD LED-backlit display for crisp visuals without compromising battery (Learn more)
• NVIDIA Optimus Technology instantly switches between power NVIDIA and energy-efficient Intel graphics for the task at hand (Learn more)
• Chiclet keyboard and multi-touch trackpad lets you intuitively navigate through Web pages, documents, and pictures

Specifications

• Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
• Display: 13.3-inch LED-backlit HD display (1366 x 768)
• Processor: Intel Core i7-2620M Processor (2.7 GHz)
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GT 610M 2G
• Wireless Data Network: 802.11 b/g/n (@ 2.4GHz), Intel WiDi support
• LAN: 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet
• Memory: 6GB DDR3 1066 MHz SDRAM, 2 x SODIMM socket for expansion up to 8GB SDRAM
• Storage: 750GB 5400RPM
• Camera: 0.3 Megapixel
• Speakers: Altec Lansing speakers with SRS premium sound
• Microphone: Digital Array Microphone
• Card Reader: 1 x 5-in-1 card reader (SD/MMC/MMC+/MS/XD)
• Input/ Output:
  • 1 x HDMI output
  • 1 x Headphone-out jack (S/PDIF support)
  • 1 x Microphone-in jack
  • 1 x VGA port/ Mini D-sub 15-pin for external monitor
  • 1 x RJ45 LAN Jack for LAN insert
  • 2 x USB 2.0 ports
  • 1 x USB 3.0
  • Bluetooth 3.0
• Battery: 6-cell 5600mAh battery (up to 9 hours)¹
• Dimensions: 12.7"x9.1"x 0.75" –inches (D x W x H)
• Weight: 3.7 lbs with 6-cell battery
• Color: Black

What's in the Box

• U36SG-AS71 Notebook
• AC Adapter
• 6-cell Battery Pack
• Warranty Information Card

© 2012 ASUS Computer International. All Rights Reserved. ASUS is a registered trademark of ASUSTeK Computer. All specifications and terms are subject to change without notice. Please check with your supplier for exact offers on selected models. Products may not be available in all markets. Product may not be exactly as shown in photos. All trademarks are registered to their respective companies. ASUS shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.

¹ Subject to system configuration and/or usage and the test method (estimated data only). Actual operation lifetime subject to product model, normal usage conditions and configurations.

² Rated number 1 PC brand according to SquareTrade, the leading direct-to-consumer warranty company (for more information visit http://www.squaretrade.com/pages/laptop-reliability-1109/). Rated number 1 reliable PC maker in Q2 2010's RESCUECOM report http://www.rescuecom.com/2010-2nd-Quarter-Computer-Reliability-Report.html

Product Description

ASUS U36SD-AS71 Notebook (Black) / 13.3" HD (1366 x 768) /Intel Core i7-2620M (2.70GHz)/ 6GB DDR3 / Nvidia GT 610M 1GB / 750GB 5400RPM / Windows 7 Premium (64bit) / 802.11BGN / 0.3MP Camera / Bluetooth 3.0 / 6 Cell Battery / HDMI Port / 1YR Global/1YR Accidental Damage/30-Day Zero Bright Dot/2-way FREE shipping/24-7 tech support

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Laptop and value but beware... June 25, 2012

By Jorge E. Roman

Amazon Verified Purchase

I don't usually write reviews in Amazon but seeing how this is a decently expensive buy and has a small amount of reviews I feel it is my duty to write a review for it. My 6 year old laptop was already dying on me by the time I decided I was gonna buy a new computer, so I did PLENTY of research throughout Amazon and other online sites such as Best Buy and found the U36-AS71 to be the best possible buy for the price.

Unless you're reading this at a much later date than mid year-ish 2012 I can assure you this will be the best value. Many other similarly priced thin and sexy looking laptops will have its drawback that will pull you towards a laptop such as this. These drawbacks could be things such as having an i3 processor, an Intel HD graphics card over an actually useful one, or a small hard drive. The Asus u36-as71 comes packd with an i7 processor [though not a quadcore or newer chipset but a sandybridge], an nVidia Geforce 610m graphics card with Optimus technology [aka it switches from the nVidia to the Intel HD graphics card when the computer doesn't require it] and a decently sized hard drive.

I've had about a week with the computer and while I am loving it I am pretty biased since my previous laptop is a VERY old Dell Latitude d620 that crashes on every chance it gets. Like any other laptop of this great value it has pros and cons and it'll depend on the reader whether the cons are enough to warrant looking another way.

Pros:
- i7 processor and nvidia graphics card for this price means the laptop is pretty fast in everything it does and can play some games decently.... Word of warning if you're looking for a top of the line gaming laptop you might look another way as this graphics card is useful to play most games in a medium or so setting, with upcoming games in a low/medium setting.

-The look and size of the laptop is incredibly sexy. If you're searching for a small and thin laptop that packs a punch then look no further since from the time of writing this review this is going to be the best of both worlds. It is extremely light weight too.

-It's an Asus so it comes with SOME useful software [more on this in the cons] that can be useful later on.

Cons:
-And this is the biggest con by far the heat. Another review mentions how hot this computer gets and I thought they were exaggerating but it is true to a certain extent. The laptop itself will be at a comfortable temperature for daily life tasks such as surfing the web, writing papers or even streaming videos. If that's all you ever do then hey you can pretty much ignore this con. But if you're planning on playing games then BEWARE. A lot [if not most] Asus laptops have the fan suction vent on the left side of the laptop where the left hand will rest when gaming. It gets to very uncomfortable temperatures when gaming to the point you might be putting your hand in weird positions as to not touch it. The keys can also get hot. I am planning on getting a cooler pad for when I decide to game on this thing but it IS bearable to play games without one, just very uncomfortable.

-Some of the Asus bloatware can get pretty annoying so I'd suggest researching online which ones are safe to uninstall.

-The speakers. Like most Asus laptops the speakers seem to come out of a cereal box and while you can listen to audio just fine, I would suggest getting some external speakers if you're not planning on connecting this to an HDMI or using headphones when using anything that is made more enjoyable with audio.

Problems that MIGHT arise:

-The soundcard that arrived with my computer would crackle and pop when I used it for the first 3-4 days. This got very annoying as this was the biggest problem I had with my laptop at the beginning. It might have just been my laptop and it might not happen to you but this was frustrating. It may have been the drivers but I found myself installing and reinstalling different drivers either from the Asus website or the Realtek site and tweaking the output quality of the speakers until I found something that wouldn't crackle as much. Currently it only crackles and pops VERY infrequently to the point you won't notice it for the long run.

-Installing the drivers for the 610m might have been the biggest pain of them all. I again found myself searching around for the latest drivers as the nVidia website itself won't recognize the 610m graphics card for some reason. This is a well known problem. The drivers at the time in the Asus website were outdated already, but search enough and you'll find the latest ones.

Suggestions:
-I'm planning on getting a laptop cooler for when I plan on playing games and USB speakers for better audio quality. These two are common things to need for a laptop of this size. Small laptops, especially Asus, come with mediocre speakers so definitely get this. A cooler on the other hand is a common bought item for people whose laptops can game decently but weren't equipped with a state of the art internal cooling system like many other big gaming laptops.

Final thoughts: Even though the list of cons and problems are way bigger than the list of pros, please keep in mind that I am very descriptive about the problems as Asus and Amazon already did a good job describing the pros in the description and the technical specs and people tend to describe the cons more. The pros imho outweigh the cons if you're willing to shed another $100 or so in laptop accesories such as the cooler and the speakers you'll have a pretty decent entertainment laptop in your hands. The power this computer packs in such a small and compact design gives no surprise to the temperatures it can get when at full graphical power.

In conclusion ff you're looking for a graphical power laptop or a small notebook with somewhat decent speeds you need to look elsewhere. If you're looking for a hybrid of the two, a jack of both trades master of none, then this is the laptop for you though since it's a hybrid it brings the problems of the two sides [speakers and temperature] so corrections might be made. I am very happy with my purchase and the two mentioned major drawbacks are the only reason it's not a 5/5. Read more ›

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Heat Heat Heat....Asus what did you do to such an awesome laptop :( May 29, 2012

By A. Kollara

Amazon Verified Purchase

Hello,

Here is my review for asus u36sg.

U36sg is an awesome laptop with a very fast processor and a very sleek and thin body. People who miss the performance in ultrabooks can definitely go ahead with this one as its thickness and weight is comparable to the ultrabooks available in the market. The i7 processor along with the Nvidia gpu makes it a powerful laptop. But there is always a trade-off. ----------"Heat". ------- After 20 -30 mins of average use, the base of the laptop gets heated up to such an extend that you cannot keep it on your lap anymore. For users who need better performance in terms of speed and graphics and are okay with heat and noisy clickpad, this one is meant for you.

PROS
--------
1. Really fast computer.
2. Good graphics card 1 gb (not 2gb) nvidia 610m with optimus
3. Good chicklet keyboard.
4. Nice trackpad (but noisy click buttons)
5. Decent screen
6. Very light and easy to carry (might be the lightest one with a non ULV i7 processor)
7. Amazing battery backup (6.5 to 7 hrs).
8. Value for money.

CONS
--------=
1. Heat
2. noisy clickpad
3. Poor build quality/product finish ( non aligned screen bezel - can find gaps between screen and bezel, low quality keys on keyboard- etc)

My only problem with the laptop is the heat. I really wish if this laptop never had heating problems... :( coz its such a gr8 design.

A thin and light design will always make it a good one to use it as a lap--top. But this heat problem doesn't qualify it for a 'lap'top. I will explain the heat scenario now. The left half of the laptop is generally cool because the laptop fan is taking care of the temperature of that side.... But in the case of right half of the laptop, its always hot. We can hear feeble noise from this side and once it get heated up (say after first 20-30 mins use of the laptop) the heat in this right half will persist there as there is no fan to expel the generated heat. Some hardware located here on the right top of the base is heating up. To be more specific it is the position where the windows serial no is located. If you listen to that area you can hear a feeble noise. To sum up, the right half of the laptop is really hot most of the time... making it a bad laptop.

I have owned 3 other laptops before using this. And none of the laptops ever got hot like this (atleast when it was a brand new one). In Asus u36 web page, they say their engineers have designed some new stuff to make it cool, couldn't feel any of those effect in this laptop. Few websites like pcmag.com and tlbhd had mentioned about this heat problem in their review of this laptop. But only found it after purchasing the laptop.

Hope this review helps future buyers.
Thanks! Read more ›

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Value for a powerful, lightweight, compact notebook October 17, 2012

By J. Johnson

Amazon Verified Purchase

Bought this notebook to replace an Asus UL30A which I had for several years and loved (my daughter is now using it). The only drawback of the old notebook was that it lacked the power to do heavy duty video editing using Adobe Premiere. I saw that the U36SG had dual core with hyper threading, double the base clock speed, and an additional turbo mode that adds another 25% or so with turbo mode, and finally 2 GB more memory (option to go to 8GB). Well, let me tell you this small, lightweight notebook is awesome! I am now able to create video/slideshow compositions with no hesitation, even as we travel. No more waiting until we get home. I am getting about 9 hours on battery using the recommended power settings and could probably squeeze out another hour by fine tuning. The best part is that I only paid about $50 more than I did for the older notebook....a great value. I absolutely recommend this notebook for travelers who want a lightweight but powerful do everything personal computer that is very close to the size and weight of an iPad.

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome replacement for my huge gateway May 23, 2013

By Sticz

Amazon Verified Purchase

This laptop has alot of power and is alot lighter, smaller and more versitile than my previous laptop. It does NOT have a CD drive, but I have an external one.

4.0 out of 5 stars Good computer. March 26, 2013

By Colby Dollens

Amazon Verified Purchase

This compute is great for the price. It gets 4 stars because it gets a little hot, but the power in this little guy is undeniable.

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Computer Only for Specific Uses March 5, 2013

By Christine

Amazon Verified Purchase

This computer is good only because it is an Intel i7 with nvidia graphics for $730 (it was a Lightning Deal in May 2012). That means its primary purpose is to play games. You can play games like Dragon Nest or Dragon Age on the highest settings and not lag (although if there are too many objects on the field, it'll lag a little anyway). But if you're getting this laptop for general use, you should think again. If you're getting this laptop to play hardcore games, you should also think again.

Things I don't like:

1. The Screen
Asus must have used a very cheap screen for this laptop model because unless you tilt the screen at an exact 90 degree angle to your eyes, you won't be able to see things on the screen very clearly. If you look at the laptop at even an 85 degree angle, everything will look blurred and grayish. If two people are sitting together trying to look at the laptop, both will not be able to see the colors vividly.

2. The Keyboard
The keyboard resistance is pretty bad. Compared to my old Asus and my sister's Asus laptop, the keys don't have the same bounce. It makes me push the keys harder than probably necessary. Actually, I think you do have to push the keys harder than you normally would on other laptops. It isn't that the keys feel cheap or flimsy, it just doesn't feel as good as the Asus W5F series or the Asus U46E.

3. The Ports
The USB 2.0 and 3.0 ports are very stiff. The first time I tried to push in my USB chord, I thought I might break the end off. It is very difficult to slide the USB chord out of the port as well. It's like they made all the holes one size too small. As a result, some of my USB devices have scratches on it now from sliding the things into the laptop.

4.... The Speakers
The speakers sound really terrible. Plus, they're located on the bottom of the laptop, right under the buttons of the touchpad. That means, if you put the laptop on your lap, you're blocking the speakers and the sound will be muffled. The speakers on this model are also worse than the ones on the previous Asus models I have.

5. The Microphone
The mic is really quiet on this computer--quiet to the point that you can't use it to Skype anyone. No one will be able to hear you if you turn the noise reduction on. If you turn the noise reduction off, then they'll be able to hear you, but it'll still be very quiet, plus now everyone gets to hear the background noise from the mic.

6. The Camera
It should be pretty obvious from the specs the page gives you, but the camera is very blurry. Don't think about using this to video call anyone.

7. Location of the A/C Port
The port is located at the top left corner of the laptop, not the back. This means you will always be bending that chord in some manner when you're charging, unless you let the chord fall right in front of the vent, which obviously has its own drawbacks, or you let the chord extend away from you. Since my outlets are usually under the table, to my side, or even behind me, the port position forces me to bend the A/C chord in some manner. I wouldn't be surprised if the wire bends so much that it ends up breaking one day (which happened to my old Asus laptop).

8. The Plastic Covering
This laptop's covering feels cheap. It doesn't feel like a $700+ computer. It's slightly rough feeling, which is good since it doesn't leave many fingerprints, but if you're hoping the laptop looks sleek and shiny, you'll be sorely disappointed.

9. Weight Distribution
This laptop was made to be slim and light. That said, they probably didn't think much of weight distribution when you're opening the laptop. When opening this laptop, you will always need two hands. It's so light that if you tried opening it with one hand, you'll just lift the bottom along with the top.

10. No OS CDs Included
This is probably pretty obvious in computers bought nowadays, but this laptop doesn't include any CDs at all. No OS recovery CDs or Drivers or anything. The laptop will ask you if you want to burn the OS "CD" or save it on a hard drive somewhere. Since the laptop doesn't have a CD/DVD drive, your only choice is to save it on the HD, unless you have an external CD/DVD drive.

Things I do like:

1. Location of the Fan
The fan is located on the left side. This means you can use your mouse when you're playing games without burning yourself up. Although, I haven't played a game that has made the fan discharge so much heat that it is uncomfortable yet.

2. Loading Speed
The games take less than 30 seconds to open and load. When you're actually playing, it doesn't take a long time to load from one screen to the next either.

As I said, this laptop is used mainly for playing games. You can play Assassin's Creed on high resolution and you won't lag. All that time spent loading on your old laptops will be no more. But since the speakers stink, you should use headphones. If you're playing online games, you might have to invest in a separate microphone if you want to chat with your teammates. I haven't tried to chat using a separate mic on this laptop, so I don't know how effective that solution would be.

Despite all the things I listed up there that I don't like, I actually do like this laptop in general. It perfectly suits the purpose that I bought it for, which is to play games. That said, if you want to do things other than play games on your laptop, you can definitely take your $700+ (or $900+ normal price) and spend it better elsewhere. Read more ›