Asus-Automobili Lamborghini VX7 user reviews
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User reviews2
Marco Hemminga 20 November 2012
Good: Stats
Bad: Grotesk
Comment: Dear all,
Currently I found this company that is willing to sell it new to me for 475 euro. I´m a student and my only goals is a quick laptop that doesnt stall/pass whilst Im on the Internet and have too many programs open. My goal is not to game, but just to have a quick laptop.
Is this something for me? I figured since it has an i7 at least it would be value for money?
BR, Marco
Baxter2308 2 June 2012
Good: Great gaming machine with premium hardware!
Bad: Terrible build quality and less than brilliant screen!
Comment: I bought my VX7 from simplyASUS and this review is in no way a reflection of their service, it was brilliant. The laptop however was a different story. I wanted this machine to be great and hoped for a great experience but the VX7 let's itself down in critical areas. I had this laptop three days and this was long enought to decide that it was not for me.
It all starts out nicely as the laptop comes in a nice Lamborghini branded box with a branded carry case and wireless mouse (if you buy this version), and the average price seems to be about £1200. For this I got the following specification:
CPU: Intel Core i7-2630QM Quad Core 2.0GHz
RAM: 8GB DDR3 (1333MHz)
Storage: 2x 750GB (7200rpm) RAID 0 configuration
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460QM w/ 3GB VRAM
Optics: 4x Blu-Ray ROM Drive
Display: 15.6" ASUS Color-Shine, 1920x1080 FULL HD
WLAN: 802.11b/g/n + Bluetooth 2.1+ EDR
LAN: 10/100/1000 Gigabit Fast Ethernet
USB: USB 3.0 x1, USB 2.0 x3
Other Connectivity: VGA x1, HDMI x1
Card Reader: 8-in-1 (SD, MMC, MS, MS-Pro, mini SD, MS-Duo, MS-Pro)
Warranty: ASUS 2 Year Global Hardware
Security: Kensington Lock Slot
Weight: 3.86kg
Other: Integrated 2.0MP Webcam
Battery Life: 2-3 hours with power management
Dimensions: 40.2cm (W) x 30.9cm (D) x 5.70cm (H)
Box Contents:
1x ASUS VX7 Lamborghini Edition Laptop
1x Power cable + Transformer
1x Li-ion Battery
1x Drivers + utilities disc
1x Instruction manual
1x Warranty booklet
1x Branded Lamborghini Carry Case
1x Logitech USB Mouse
1x ASUS screen cleaner
So it's quite a packed system with a nippy processor, enough RAM to be future proof for years and 1.5 terabytes of storage space. You even get a Blu-Ray writer and 3GB of VRAM in the nVidia GeForce GPU which does run very nicely. Independent reviewers also find that the VX7 scores heavily in the usual benchmark tests. You get 4 USB ports as you would expect from such a machine, 3 USB 2.0 and 1 USB 3.0. You also get plenty of extras including a carry case, wireless mouse and a screen cloth which is more than can be said for other machines. There is also some imagination in the packaging, which you'll see if you buy one, I'll not spoil it for you.
Then there's the looks. The system does look better than many others I've seen, even the old Dell XPS systems which were coated in leather. The VX7 boasts stitched leather either side of the mouse pad and the power button even says 'Start Engine' to make you feel as though you're behind the wheel of a Gallardo or Murcielago. The rear of the laptop is constructed to resemble those unique lights of a Lamborghini and the grills function as two heat outlets, so this laptop does stay very cool even with that powerful GPU.
The Windows 7 Experience Index Rating gives the system a score of 5.9 (highest is 7.9) which is decent. It is let down only by the primary HDD which scores 5.9 although adding an SSD would upgrade this score, all other categories score over 6. The graphics system scored 6.7 which is very good, it could even run Crysis 2, albeit with some slight reductions in frame rate and object definition.
Now here's the annoying thing, ASUS troubled themselves to install a Blu-Ray drive, fast CPU and GPU but then forgot to install a display which can support them. The description states that it is full HD but... It just isn't. My old Dell XPS 16 only had a standard WLED screen but could still support 1080p video. This screen by contrast looks washed out and colours have little depth or contrast. The viewing angles are also quite poor, you might be able to see perfectly if you're sat in front of the machine but your friend sat next to you doesn't get anywhere near the same experience.
Then there's the sound system, it is powered by Realtek and for a £1200 machine is simply not good enough. When you boot up the machine the user is met with the roar of a Lamborghini engine but all it succeeds in doing is making your ears bleed. There is a high pitched whine during this also, this does not continue when you listen to music you'll be glad to hear. However, the quality is still poor unless you spend ages tweaking the settings with THX SoundStudio, which is included along with a billion other pieces of bloatware, even though this is nothing which can't be solved with a visit to Add/Remove programs. There is no bass from the built in speakers and the function keys which control the sound don't always work, and sometimes perform the functions of other buttons which is annoying.
Now those problems I could just about live with, but then we come to the build quality. I know most laptops are made of plastic but I think they made this out of an old mark 2 Vauxhall Cavalier, for international readers, this is an old GM car which wasn't built very well. The keyboard flexes extensively just breathing on it and only some of the function keys work which is frustrating if you want to, for example, turn the wireless on. The Fn keys are the only option for these devices as there is no manual switch for the wireless or Bluetooth adapters. They added fine stitched leather on either side of the mouse pad and then seemingly forgot about the rest of the casing. The mousepad itself is quite nice, but then you have the Italian styled Lamborghini Murciélago to thank for that.
It is useful to note that like other systems nowadays, you do not get a copy of Windows on a disc but rather on a separate partition. So if you like to format your system before you use it, don't delete the recovery partition or you'll spend six months in the hands of engineers. Which reminds me, you do get 2 years of cover as standard which is admirable.
Overall I expected more from a reputable computer manufacturer who went through all the trouble of installing quality hardware and encasing it in an old bin liner. If you can get past this, with the exception of sound and the display, you will get a great system with a ton of space to store all your media but you really need all these together for the whole experience.
This may sound harsh but if you have bought one, you've paid probably over £1200. For this kind of money you could get a Dell M14x which would have been made from machined aluminium which you know will take a few knocks. I saved for a while and paid the extra for an Alienware M17x, yes it's expensive but it will last and has the same hardware, or better of you get the R4 which is updated for this year. I do like ASUS products but this was a bit of a disaster, if I were you, I'd save your money and purchase the N75 which has similar hardware but has much better build quality. It's not quite the same gaming powerhouse but it won't fall to pieces as you take it out of the box.