ASUS EAH 5850 TOP DirectCU

A few months ago AMD released their new Radeon HD 5800 Series of graphic cards which quickly became a big success due to the numerous improvements made over previous generations. Up to recently all cards available from all manufacturers were reference design cards which means they were all made to the same specifications, using the same components and then a sticker was added on the cooler depending on the AIB.

Now we are seeing more and more custom designed HD 5850 cards that use both a non-reference cooler and a non-reference PCB design. While this allows for considerable production optimizations and reduction in manufacturing cost it also introduces the risk that the product might not work as optimally as intended by AMD.

With this card ASUS is introducing a new cooler concept called "DirectCU". The basic design princicle is that the cooler's heatpipes make direct contact with the GPU die - without any cooling baseplate in between. According to ASUS the new cooler delivers better cooling performance at less fan noise than the reference design. ASUS has also increased the clock speeds to 765 / 1125, which is a decent, but not spectacular increase over the reference values.

When comparing this card to the ASUS EAH 5830 DirectCU that we reviewed recently, the only difference is the GPU core and the red stripes on the cooler. The PCB design and component selection is 100% identical. Of course both cards have a different BIOS with different clock, voltage and fan settings, but otherwise the cards are the same.

	Radeon HD 5830	GeForce GTX 275	Radeon HD 5850	ASUS EAH5850 TOP DirectCu	Radeon HD 5870
Shader units	1120	240	1440	1440	1600
ROPs	16	28	32	32	32
GPU	Cypress	GT200	Cypress	Cypress	Cypress
Transistors	2154M	1404M	2154M	2154M	2154M
Memory Size	1024 MB	896 MB	1024 MB	1024 MB	1024 MB
Memory Bus Width	256 bit	448 bit	256 bit	256 bit	256 bit
Core Clock	800 MHz	602 MHz	725 MHz	765 MHz	850 MHz
Memory Clock	1000 MHz	1107 MHz	1000 MHz	1125 MHz	1200 MHz
Price	$220	$230	$310	$320	$400

ASUS UL30A-X5 Thin and Light 13.3-Inch Black Laptop - 12 Hours of Battery Life (Windows 7 Home Premium)

Product Features and Reviews

Product Features

• 1.3GHz Intel SU7300 Core 2 Duo Processor
• 4GB of DDR3 RAM, 2 slots, 4GB Max
• 500GB SATA Hard Drive (5400 RPM)
• 13.3" HD LED LCD Display, Intel GMA 4500MHD, Wi-Fi 802.11 bgn, 0.3M Webcam
• Windows 7 Home Premium Operating System (64 bit)

Processor, Memory, and Motherboard

• Processor: 1.3 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
• RAM: 4 GB
• RAM Type: SDRAM

Cases and Expandability

• Size (LWH): 12.9 inches, 9.28 inches, 0.98 inches
• Weight: 3.74 pounds

Reviews

Free yourself from power cords and start exploring with up to an amazing 12 hours of all-day battery life with the ASUS UL30A-X5, thanks to its Ultra Low Voltage (ULV) Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300 processor and 13.3-inch LED-backlit display, which combines vibrant visuals with advanced energy efficiency. This stylish, ultra-portable notebook features a brushed aluminum lid that not only looks magnificent, but also helps in maintaining its stylish exterior day after day. The UL30A also features a multi-gesture touchpad, which enables you to intuitively zoom in or out of pictures via pinching, or navigate up and down pages by sliding your finger.

The chiclet style keyboard and spacious keys allow for a comfortable typing experience and also prevents dust buildup (silver model shown).

Pre-installed with the Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium operating system (64-bit version), you'll be able to easily create a home network and share all of your favorite photos, videos, and music. Windows 7 is the easiest, fastest, and most engaging version of Windows yet. Better ways to find and manage files, like Jump Lists and improved taskbar previews, help you speed through everyday tasks. Windows 7 is designed for faster and more reliable performance, so your PC just works the way you want it to. (Learn more about Windows 7 Home Premium below.)

Experience FastBoot, the unique performance boost for Windows 7 made possible by ASUS's close partnership with Microsoft. With ASUS exclusive FastBoot technology, this Windows 7-enabled ASUS notebook starts up in a staggering 30 seconds.

Compact and under 1-inch thin, you can fit the UL30A virtually anywhere--freeing space for books, files, or whatever else you need to enjoy a spacious workspace. The UL30A includes Altec Lansing speakers plus SRS surround for a virtual home theater experience on the go, as well as an HDMI port for connecting to an HDTV at home. You'll be able to store all of your favorite applications, most important documents, and large video and audio libraries with the generous 500 GB hard drive. Other features include 4 GB of DDR3 RAM (maximum capacity), integrated webcam, Draft-N Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g/n), Intel GMA 4500MHD integrated video graphics, and multi-format memory card reader.

Now there is an even bigger reason to get the UL Series by ASUS. Adding to a whole trophy case of awards is the latest 2009 Editor's Choice Award by Engadget. Voted by Engadget's editorial staff as LAPTOP OF THE YEAR, the UL series is the ultimate companion for your mobile computing needs.

And in addition to a 1 year global warranty, the ASUS UL30A-X5 includes a 1 year Accidental Damage Warranty (ADW).

Key Features

• High-gloss 13.3-inch LED-backlit HD high definition display with 1366 x 768 resolution (16:9 aspect ratio) that uses less energy and still gives you an immersive cinematic experience
  
• Up to 12 hours of battery life from 8-cell battery(4400mAh)
• Windows 7 Home Premium makes it easy to create a home network and share all of your favorite photos, videos, and music. And you can watch shows for free when and where you want with Internet TV on Windows Media Center. Get the best entertainment experience with Windows 7 Home Premium.
  
• Get more features with Windows Anytime Upgrade. It's the best way to add features to Windows 7, takes as few as ten minutes, requires no software or downloads, and you'll keep your existing programs, files, and settings. Windows will walk you through the simple upgrade process.
• Chiclet style keyboard and multi-touch trackpad for comfortable and intuitive use (Learn more)
• ASUS IceCool Technology for cool-to-the-touch palm rest
• Exclusive Express Gate feature enables ultra-fast boot so you can connect to the web in just 10 seconds
• Energy efficient, dual core 1.3 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300 processor with ultra-low voltage for extended battery life (Learn more)
• 500 GB SATA hard drive (5400 RPM)
• 4 GB of installed DDR3 RAM (1066 MHz; 2 x SODIMM slots; 4 GB maximum capacity)
• Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD integrated video processing
• 0.3-megapixel webcam for connecting with friends and family over video chats
• ASUS SmartLogon facial recognition system detects your face and logs on automatically
• Draft-N Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g/n)
• HDMI high-definition audio/video output allows a single cable to transmit uncompressed high-definition video to your digital TV or LCD
• Altec Lansing speakers enhanced with SRS Premium Sound for home theatre quality acoustics
  
• ASUS Super Hybrid Engine for extended battery life
• Dimensions: 12.9 x 9.28 x 0.98 inches (WxDxH)
• Weight: 3.74 pounds (with battery
• Warranty: 1 year global warranty and 1 year accidental damage warranty