14 DAY TRIAL // European notebook buyers have had the chance of getting their hands on Asus' ultra-slim U46SV for a few months now, and soon this laptop will also start selling in the US as one online retailer has made it available for pre-order with shipments estimated to start in early October.
Asus' take on the bezeless notebook design measures a little less than 1-inch (254mm) in thickness, while being powered by standard voltage Intel Core i3 and Core i5 processors.
Users have the option of choosing from three such Sandy Bridge chips, including the Core i3-2310M, the Core i5-2410M and the i5-2520M, which can be paired with as much as 8GB of system memory.
Various hard drive options are also available, ranging in size from 320GB to 750GB, and two of the listed models come with a spindle speed for 7200RPM for faster data access.
As far as graphics is concerned, the U46SV pairs the integrated Intel HD 3000 GPU with an Nvidia GeForce GT 540M discrete graphics card sporting 1GB of GDDR3 video memory and support for the company's Optimus technology.
The rest of the specifications list is pretty much standard for this type of notebook design, with features ranging from a built-in 0.3MP webcam and HDMI output to optional Bluetooth 3.0 connectivity, but it's important to note that, unlike other manufacturers, Asus has even included a Super-Multi DVD drive and a pair of USB 3.0 ports.
Users interested in purchasing Asus' newly introduced ultrathin laptop will also be glad to know that three battery options are available, ranging from the standard 4-cells 2950mAh to an 8-cells 5900mAh option that can provide up to 10 hours of use.
All of these components are housed inside an elegant chassis with durable spun aluminum covers, a hinge-forward design, thin screen bezels, and optional soft-touch palm rests.
If all this sounds good to you, then head on over to EXcaliberPC as the retailer has the Core i5-2410M version of the U46SV notebook available for pre-order at $879.00 (641 Euros), with shipping starting on October 1st. (via Laptoping)