When it comes to gaming notebook, most of them are either too costly or they are short of power. Asus's F80S is not exactly a hardcore gaming machine but it has got enough power. Coupled with a price tag of 47k, it qualifies easily as a value-for-money notebook.

The lid of the F80S has got an infusion surface on which makes the top scratch proof. But sadly, it's also glossy which makes it a fingerprint magnet. It comes with a 14” display which we thought was a bit too reflective. It comes with 3 USB ports, HDMI out, Ethernet, express card slot as well as a media card reader. I particularly liked the placement of the heat vent at the back as it directs the airflow away from the notebook very efficiently. The trackpad is just average, but the spill proof keyboard is a nice addition. One issue with the keyboard was the rather narrow cursor keys.

The notebook comes preloaded with Windows Vista Home premium and is powered by an Intel Core2Duo T5750 processor running at 2 GHz. It comes ith 4 GB DDR2 667 MHz RAM, 320 GB hard drive, and ATi Mobility Radeon HD 3470 graphics card with 256 MB RAM.

For testing, we ran the 3DMark 06 benchmark on the machine and it gave us an above average score of 1196 3Dmarks, whereas in PCmark05 it scored an impressive 4293 PCMarks. Even the temperature of the notebook did not go over 70 degrees under constant load which is quite good. The graphics card is good enough to run most of the games at medium to low resolution. This makes this machine stand at par with the Dell XPS M1330 and better than the similarly priced Acer Aspire 6920 notebook.

This notebook is rich in terms of features and performs splendidly, but couldn't do without a couple of glitches. It didn't do well in couple of areas-its sound quality and battery life is an issue. Though it comes with built-in speakers, the volume that it delivers is abysmally low. You won't find it good enough for personal listening if there are some ambient noises. The battery life is just 1hour and 39 minutes which is not something to boast of. At a cost of just 47k it is an attractive replacement for the now discontinued Dell XPS 1330, but it could have done with a few extra features and a little more in-your-face design.

Asus F80S Rs 46,890	Performance Coolness
Pros Features, performance, looks Cons Battery life, reflective screen Sold by Asus India, http://in.asus.com	Specs Intel Core 2 Duo T5750 @2 GHz, 4 GB RAM, ATi HD 3470, 320 GB HDD, 14.1” 1280 x 800 pixel LCD, WiFi, Bluetooth, DVD R/W, HDMI + VGA out, 3 USB , card reader, Windows Vista Home Premiun, 2.2 kg Verdict