ASUS's UL30Vt announced, somehow finds room for discrete graphics

ASUS impressed the world with its lightweight, inexpensive 13.3-inch UL30 over the summer, and just last week impressed us with its switchable-graphics packing bigger cousin, the UL80Vt. Now the 30 is getting the discrete treatment, enabling users to choose from molasses rendering and "all-day computing" battery life or slightly more robust graphics and slightly (about an hour) shorter longevity. The system also packs DDR3 memory, a 1.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300 processor (able to be overclocked), and that "stylishly robust" aluminum lid. No word on release or price, but the earlier Vt models didn't come with a massive leap in MSRP, so we'd expect this one not to fall too far from UL30's $749 street price.

ASUS UL30Vt

[Thanks, Neti_Neti]

[AlO Posted Nov 17th 2009 7:38AM]

now that is a good looking laptop

[kickace Posted Nov 19th 2009 10:08PM]

yes indeedy do.

[Region2 Posted Nov 17th 2009 10:20AM]

Agreed.

I drooled a bit when I saw that.

[VenQWish Posted Nov 17th 2009 12:42PM]

besides being good looking, the specs are spot on! It's about friggin' time someone made this. I simply cannot imagine why no-one made this before, all the ingredients have been out there for some time already. The ultimate cherry on top would be a 40 or 80 Gb SDD option but regardless, this one is on my shortlist.

[Techie Posted Nov 17th 2009 7:50AM]

Keep it up Asus, always will be a fan...

[Duckman Posted Nov 17th 2009 8:11AM]

I too am a big fan of Asus that is an amazing price point, but I'm also a big fan of your Avatar. who is that?

[Techie Posted Nov 17th 2009 8:13AM]

No idea but here's the link "http://img684.imageshack.us/img684/3218/avatar2k.jpg"

[Bryce Posted Nov 17th 2009 10:11AM]

i think im falling in love with your avatar......

[sibyy Posted Nov 17th 2009 7:51AM]

Awesome, ASUS just hit the sweet spot with this laptop. First time time that I find the perfect compromise between weight, battery, power, connectivity, build quality & price (probable).

I wish they could find room for discrete graphics in their UL20 series as well... but that would be just asking too much!

[DaveBrubeck Posted Nov 17th 2009 7:55AM]

Wow, nice Vaio-style keyboard. Usually, attempts by other companies to bring this style of keyboard to laptops are really tacky but I gotta say, this looks great!

[Argot Posted Nov 17th 2009 8:10AM]

I dunno... I don't like the Vaio style keyboard. Reminds me of ZX Spectrum - and not in a good way! :)

[morissen3k8 Posted Nov 17th 2009 7:52PM]

Yeah the sinclair keys look mighty good even apple, sony, and the other odm companies copied them. If the letters in the keys were coated in lacquer like the toshiba satellite's that would make it nice as it takes awhile to rub the letters off.

[Jonny Posted Nov 17th 2009 7:57AM]

...

Holy crap, thats beautiful, both design wise and spec wise.

Definitely considering that now to replace my aging DV8000 with something more portable but still with some graphics punch. (I use my laptop to play WoW at friends houses with them)

How well does the GeForce 210m perform?

[robamb2002 Posted Nov 17th 2009 8:18AM]

The GT 210M is a die-shrink of the 9600 GT, a pretty capable midrange card (it will handle crysis on low/medium settings)

this is a pretty wild rig! definately what all the ODMs should be striving for! I'm stoked

[mschira Posted Nov 17th 2009 7:58AM]

beautiful!
Discrete graphics but not cd drive to carry around!
Love it Love it, Love it!
Now all I have to do is slip a nice intel SSD in,
Oh man.
M.

[CJ Posted Nov 17th 2009 8:12AM]

You uhhh... Want a tissue there, sport?

[bob e Posted Nov 17th 2009 7:58AM]

I've got the U30, and it is nearly a perfect laptop.
Only thing missing IMO is backlit keyboard.
Windows 7 is smooth on this PC

[IppikiOkami Posted Nov 17th 2009 9:27AM]

What is so important about a backlit keyboard?

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 17th 2009 11:59AM]

According to the Asus rep on Amazon, this should go on sale in December. I just hope Amazon throws in the $100 dollar gift card with it.

[kojo87 Posted Nov 17th 2009 4:00PM]

once you have used a backlit keyboard its near impossible to go back.

[Conceyted Posted Nov 17th 2009 8:00AM]

This is HUGE! What an amazing little system. Portability and super thin, what appears to be aluminum enclosure, chicklet keyboard, insane battery life (if its anything like its 14 inch cousin, which rivals the 1005HA), overclockability and impressive switchable discreet graphics. Please come out near 749 so I can buy you. Thanks.

[Conceyted Posted Nov 17th 2009 8:01AM]

This is HUGE! What an amazing little system. Portability and super thin, what appears to be aluminum enclosure, chicklet keyboard, insane battery life (if its anything like its 14 inch cousin, which rivals the 1005HA), overclockability and impressive switchable discreet graphics.

My one concern, from the angles they shot these photos at, it appears they could be hiding a hump on the bottom. Someone say it isn't so!

Please come out near 749 so I can buy you. Thanks.

[Conceyted Posted Nov 17th 2009 8:02AM]

Double post fail :(

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 17th 2009 8:02AM]

Anyone know if that claimed battery life is just for the 8 cell version and what the 4 and 8 cell versions each weigh?

This is almost my holy grail. Put an LED display on it and I'm there.

[ImSpartacus Posted Nov 17th 2009 8:09AM]

It doesn't have an LED backlit LCD?

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 17th 2009 8:20AM]

@ImSpartacus

Not LED backlight...real LED. (Not LCD).

[willowtwf Posted Nov 17th 2009 9:42AM]

i think what you mean is OLED or AMOLED. not simply LED. LEDs are just lights that serve as the back lighting for LCD screens (and as direct lighting in light fixtures, etc.)

OLED and AMOLED are actually different technologies that are someday going to compete directly with LCD.

[Kungpao Posted Nov 18th 2009 2:38AM]

1.5 kg w/ 8 cell

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 17th 2009 8:11AM]

Wow, I must admit that I am quite impressed.

Jess

[robamb2002 Posted Nov 17th 2009 8:23AM]

I think it is safe to say this is a LED backlit LCD based on the chase design is the same as the UL30a which has the same LED backlit LCD :) so enjoy that little tidbit :-P

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 17th 2009 8:26AM]

I agree. Just saying that this beauty is one feature away from what I'm holding out for...nicely designed a thin and light around 4 pounds, with long life, real performance and an RGB LED display....from a manufacturer that's not in my brown file.

[IppikiOkami Posted Nov 17th 2009 9:27AM]

@michael

that's unfortunately not going to happen anytime soon. The Envy is an aberration as it's a halo type product. I'd be the first one to buy one if that does come out though.

[DoorsnotWindows Posted Nov 17th 2009 6:45PM]

xD! You all have first names as your user names!

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 17th 2009 8:36AM]

Just got UL80vt, and I thought that's a good deal, now ASUS surprises me again

[poached Posted Nov 17th 2009 11:47AM]

Yeah I just got the UL80vt myself (actually why isn't the 14 inch called the UL40vt?)

Looks like with the UL30VT there is no optical drive and missing the HDMI out on the left side. Personally I don't use the optical drive that much, but it's nice to have it for DVD watching on the road. What is the integrated graphics on this thing? Is it the 210M like the 14inch version?

I'm in the process of writing a review for the UL80VT and putting it on my blog. Great laptop and I'm sure between the UL30vt and the UL80vt there is enough to keep everyone happy.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 17th 2009 11:59AM]

The UL30VT will have no optical drive but will include HDMI and BT

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 17th 2009 11:37PM]

What do you two think of the screen on the UL80? I am trying to decide between the 13.3 and the 14 for my next laptop. I have read bad things about the screen on the 14"

I just wish it was > 1366x768. I am tempted to go with the Studio 14z for that reason.

[artshark Posted Nov 17th 2009 8:47AM]

probably my next laptop, no joke

[Sam of the Sun Posted Nov 17th 2009 4:41PM]

LOL

[Jeff Posted Nov 17th 2009 8:50AM]

Stick ion in it and call it a day. Im tired of thinking about how hot it would get with a full gpu like the 210.

[Boss Skill Posted Nov 17th 2009 9:15AM]

Probably not very, since the 210 only uses an extra 8 watts on top of the 10 by the rest of the system. And that's if you choose to run it.

[Jeff Posted Nov 17th 2009 12:58PM]

Hmm, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the Ion adjusts its power consumption with the intensity of it's task. Having the 210 and integrated gives you two options: high or low wattage.

And I looked up the 210 and it actually uses 14watts if that makes any difference (pretty sure it doesnt, but w/e)

[Peytral Posted Nov 17th 2009 2:58PM]

9400M is weaker than this, why would you want to decrease performance?

[Jeff Posted Nov 17th 2009 4:45PM]

It scores just as high as the 210 in 3DMark06.
Besides, I think it's more of a convenience thing. This is obviously not a gaming rig, and if the Ion would be a slightly better choice based on power consumption, then why not?

[zeroprime Posted Nov 17th 2009 11:37PM]

The 210m is essentially the 9400m at a higher clock rate with a smaller fab process (40nm vs 65nm). If that extra 2 watts really matters to you, there's the UL30A.

[Peytral Posted Nov 18th 2009 12:57AM]

Where did you get that data from? From notebookcheck.net the 210M scores double that of the 9400M.

[Jeff Posted Nov 18th 2009 12:33PM]

Yea, sorry I missed that the 9400M was in Mark05 and not Mark06 in the comparison chart.
I guess you're right. The 210 is the way to go.

[mullingitover Posted Nov 17th 2009 9:17AM]

Selling my MBP for one of these the day they drop.

[phobic99 Posted Nov 17th 2009 11:56AM]

I'm thinking about doing the same thing as well. Decisions, decisions...

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 17th 2009 9:20AM]

Behold! The power of design by committee:

http://www.amazon.com/UL30vt/forum/Fx1978M98LGJ2GT/Tx3TJDDWOALGBIS/1/ref=cm_cd_pg_newest?_encoding=UTF8&asin=B002Q8HK7K&cdSort=oldest

Asus listened and responded to a discussion thread on amazon.