If you are looking for a premium and versatile laptop that can handle both work and entertainment, you might want to check out the Asus 2-in-1 q535. This is a convertible laptop that can switch between four modes: laptop, tablet, stand, and tent. It has a 15.6-inch 4K touch-screen display, an 8th generation Intel Core i7 processor, a Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 graphics card, 16GB of RAM, and a combination of 2TB HDD and 256GB SSD for storage. In this review, we will take a closer look at the design, performance, display quality, battery life, price, and value of the Asus 2-in-1 q535.
Design and Build Quality
The Asus 2-in-1 q535 has a sleek and elegant design with a gun metal gray color and an aluminum chassis. It weighs 4.6 pounds and measures 0.8 inches thick, which is relatively light and thin for a 15.6-inch laptop. The hinges are sturdy and smooth, allowing you to rotate the screen 360 degrees and switch between different modes easily. The keyboard is backlit and comfortable to type on, with decent key travel and feedback. The touchpad is large and responsive, supporting multi-touch gestures. The laptop also has an IR camera that supports Windows Hello facial recognition for easy and secure log-in.
The Asus 2-in-1 q535 has a decent selection of ports and connectivity options. On the left side, you will find a USB 2.0 port, a headphone/microphone combo jack, and a power button. On the right side, you will find a USB 3.0 port, an HDMI port, a Thunderbolt 3 port, a media card reader, and a volume rocker. The Thunderbolt 3 port supports data transfer speeds up to 40 Gbps, as well as charging and connecting to external displays. The laptop also has Wi-Fi 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.1 for wireless connectivity.
Performance
The Asus 2-in-1 q535 is powered by an Intel Core i7-8550U processor, which is a quad-core CPU with a base speed of 1.8 GHz and a turbo boost up to 4 GHz. This processor is part of the 8th generation of Intel chips, which offer improved performance and efficiency compared to the previous generation. The processor is paired with 16GB of DDR4 RAM, which is more than enough for multitasking and running multiple programs smoothly.
The Asus 2-in-1 q535 also has a dedicated Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 graphics card with 2GB of GDDR5 memory. This is a mid-range GPU that can handle most games on medium to high settings at full HD resolution. However, it might struggle with some demanding games or higher resolutions, especially on the 4K display of the laptop. The graphics card also supports video editing, photo editing, and other creative tasks that require more graphics power.
The Asus 2-in-1 q535 has a dual storage solution that combines a huge 2TB HDD with a fast 256GB SSD. The HDD offers plenty of space for storing your files, photos, videos, music, games, etc., while the SSD improves the boot-up speed, loading time, and overall responsiveness of the system. You can also upgrade or replace the storage drives if you need more space or speed.
Display Quality
One of the main attractions of the Asus 2-in-1 q535 is its stunning 15.6-inch touch-screen display with a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels (4K). This display offers sharp details, vivid colors, wide viewing angles, and excellent contrast thanks to its IPS technology and anti-glare coating. The touch-screen is responsive and supports finger input as well as stylus input (stylus not included). The display also has very thin bezels around it, giving it a modern and immersive look.
The only downside of the display is that it consumes more battery power than a lower-resolution display would. Also, some applications or websites might not scale well on the high-resolution screen, resulting in small or blurry text or icons.
Battery Life
The Asus 2-in-1 q535 has a 57 Wh battery that can last up to 5 hours on a single charge according to Asus. However, this will vary depending on your usage habits, settings, and mode of operation. For example, using the laptop in tablet mode or watching videos on the 4K display will drain the battery faster than using it in laptop mode or browsing the web on lower brightness settings.
The laptop supports fast charging via its Thunderbolt 3 port or its power adapter. You can charge it up to 60% in about 50 minutes, which is convenient if you need some extra juice on the go.
Price and Value
The Asus 2-in-1 q535 is a premium laptop that comes with a premium price tag. It costs around $1,500 on Best Buy, which is quite expensive for a 15.6-inch laptop. However, considering the features and specifications that it offers, such as the 4K touch-screen display, the Intel Core i7 processor, the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 graphics card, the 16GB of RAM, and the dual storage solution, it might be worth the investment if you are looking for a versatile and powerful laptop that can handle both work and entertainment.
The Asus 2-in-1 q535 is not for everyone, though. If you are on a tight budget or you don't need the 4K display or the dedicated graphics card, you might want to look for cheaper alternatives that still offer good performance and quality. For example, you can check out the Lenovo Flex 5 or the Dell Inspiron 15 7000, which are also 15.6-inch 2-in-1 laptops with similar processors and RAM, but lower-resolution displays and integrated graphics cards.
Conclusion
The Asus 2-in-1 q535 is a great laptop for those who want a premium and versatile device that can handle both work and entertainment. It has a sleek and elegant design, a stunning 4K touch-screen display, a powerful processor, a dedicated graphics card, plenty of RAM, and a dual storage solution. It also has a decent selection of ports and connectivity options, a comfortable keyboard and touchpad, an IR camera with Windows Hello support, and a fast charging feature.
However, the Asus 2-in-1 q535 is also quite expensive, heavy, and power-hungry. It might not be the best choice for those who are on a budget or who need a long battery life or a lightweight device. It might also struggle with some demanding games or applications on its high-resolution display.
Overall, the Asus 2-in-1 q535 is a laptop that offers a lot of features and performance, but also comes with some trade-offs and compromises. You should weigh the pros and cons carefully before deciding if this is the right laptop for you.