14 DAY TRIAL // Even though NVIDIA still hasn't managed to release its DirectX 11 graphics cards, the GPU maker did launch an interesting technology not so long ago, namely the Optimus for mobile personal computers with two graphics solutions. ASUS was revealed to have been working on laptops with this functionality at about the same time as the technology was formally introduced. The first Optimus-enabled notebooks were scheduled to come out by the end of the month and it seems that the ASUS N61JV-X2 and N71JV-X1 are right on time.
The Optimus technology automatically keeps track of what applications the user is running on his notebook PC. When running basic tasks like web browsing or document viewing, the machine runs on the power-efficient integrated graphics. When better capabilities of the high-performance GPU are required, however, Optimus automatically switches between the two. This allows the laptop to more efficiently use its battery power, resulting in a longer life. The N61JV-X2 and N71JV-X1 are the first of five laptops that ASUS plans on releasing.
The ASUS N61JV-X2 has a screen size of 16 inches and runs on the Intel Core i7-430M central processing unit. This CPU has a frequency of 2.53GHz and is paired with 4GB RAM (up to 8GB of DDR3 memory), a hard drive with 500GB of storage, the NVIDIA GT 325M graphics engine, 802.11 bgn WiFi and a Super Multi Optical Disk Drive.
The second laptop, the ASUS N71JV-X1, runs on the Intel Core i3 350M, with a clock speed of 2.26GHz, and has the same memory and storage capabilities as its sibling. The two are also alike through their use of the same NVIDIA GeForce GT 325M.
The 16-inch N61JV-X2 notebook can be found on Amazon, whereas the 17-inch ASUS N71JV-X1 is available for order on Newegg. Both devices carry the same price tag of $900.