Home | Forums | Article Search | Subscribe & Shop | Contact Us | Log Out Asus Z62F Notebook Email This Print This View My Personal Library Heavy Gear April 2006 • Vol.6 Issue 4 Page(s) 31 in print issue Add To My Personal Library Asus Z62F Notebook Jump to first occurrence of: [Z62F] Z62F $595 Asus (510) 739-3777 www.asus.com CPU Rating: 4 Specs: Socket 479 for Intel Core Duo processors; Intel 945GM and ICH7-M chipset; DDR2-667 support; 2 SODIMM slots; 14-inch WXGA TFT display; HD Audio; Gigabit Ethernet; 0.35MP camera; DVD writer New laptops are expensive. As we demonstrated in the September 2005 issue (page 54), however, building a notebook can be cheaper than buying a brand-new one. Back then it was Intel’s Sonoma platform in the spotlight, based on a first-generation PCI Express/DDR2 chipset with the familiar Dothan Pentium M processor. Now it’s the Napa platform showcasing Intel’s first dual-core mobile chip, Core Duo. And just like last time, Asus is one of the first vendors with a Napa whitebook—that is, an empty notebook chassis ready for the processor, memory, hard drive, and wireless module of your choice. Asus’ Z62F is a polished product, evolving from several iterations of build-your-own designs. Truth be told, most whitebooks go to system builders who slap their own badges on the finished product and resell. However, power users have access to mobile hardware now through e-tailers and consumer-friendly distributors. For example, the Z62F is already available online. Core Duo processors are slowly trickling in, as are 667MHz SODIMM memory modules. And Intel’s PRO/Wireless 3945ABG module is starting to see availability, as well. In order to get a feel for building one of these new Napa platforms, I kitted out my own Asus Z62F using Intel’s Core Duo T2600 processor at 2.13GHz, 1GB of Kingston ValueRAM memory (two 512MB modules) running at 667MHz, Seagate’s new 160GB 5,400rpm notebook drive manufactured using perpendicular recording technology, and an Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG wireless mini-PCI-E card. The chassis didn't come with an instruction manual, but the build process was easy enough to improvise. One panel under the notebook lifts up to reveal a processor socket—just unfasten the screw-down heatpipe, unlock the socket interface, drop in a chip, and lock it back up. Another chassis panel exposes two memory slots. You line up the bottom slot at a 45-degree angle, insert, and then push down until the module snaps into place. Rinse and repeat for the top slot. A third and final piece of plastic covers the wireless slot and hard drive bay. Screw the hard drive into its included guide and drop it down into the bay. Sliding it forward engages the parallel ATA interface (no SATA support). Wireless networking, if you choose to install it, is also a drop-in upgrade. Line up the mini-PCI-E module as though it were a memory card and snap it down. The only tricky part is figuring out the two antennas. You have black and white wires coming from the chassis. Intel’s card has main and auxiliary outputs. Push the black wire onto the output labeled Main and the white wire onto Aux. Screw all of the panels back on, charge the battery, and Asus’ Z62F should fire right up. Unlike the Z71V (evaluated in the May 2005 issue of CPU on page 24), the Z62F has a built-in DVD burner. Unfortunately, the Z62F sports integrated video (Intel’s GMA950), so you will not be using it to game. I set up the Napa platform against the older Sonoma system, both with 2.13GHz CPUs, 1GB of memory, and 5,400rpm hard drives. In 3DMark06 the Z62F scored just 141 points compared to 797 from Asus’ Z71V outfit with a GeForce Go 6600 GPU. CPU scores were a different story, though. The dual-core 2.13GHz raked in 1,752 points vs. 906 for the Dothan-based Pentium M 770. PCMark05 tells a similar tale with the Z62F on top 3130 to 2936. Switching over to Windows Media Encoder, the Z62F just obliterates the Sonoma machine, finishing a 1080p file conversion in 5:07 (minutes:seconds) vs. 10:06. What more is there to say? The Z62F is light for a 14-inch notebook, its screen is incredibly vibrant, construction is easy, and the available power is quite remarkable. If you’re looking to build for the first time and can do without discrete graphics, Asus’ latest Napa system rocks. If you need an ATI or Nvidia chip, just wait, they should emerge in the next month or two. by Chris Angelini  User Reviews Be the first to write a review of this product Want more information about a topic you found of interest while reading this article? Type a word or phrase that identifies the topic and click "Search" to find relevant articles from within our editorial database. Enter A Subject (key words or a phrase): ALL Words (‘digital’ AND ‘photography’) ANY Words (‘digital’ OR ‘photography’) Exact Match ('digital photography'- all words MUST appear together) Home      Copyright & Legal Information      Privacy Policy      Site Map      Contact Us Copyright © 2010 Sandhills Publishing Company U.S.A. All rights reserved.