Gateway NV51B05u: Poor Numbers, Good Value

According to each and every shred of evidence from our overall performance exams, we really should tell you to banish the Gateway NV51B05u from consideration. It is slow for an all-purpose laptop computer, it has constrained battery lifestyle, and its gaming frame prices are pathetic. At the checkout counter and in subjective use, however, it really is a diverse story. You are able to possess the NV51B05u for merely a bit a lot more coin than a high-end netbook ($470 as of April 26, 2011), but it offers a fifteen.6-inch widescreen display, a full-size keyboard, a full-size touchpad, and a DVD burner. Furthermore, it handles 1080p films with ease, and--numbers aside--its overall performance is adequate for several every day duties.

Portion with the reason for the NV51B05u's low obtain price could be the AMD Fusion E-350 dual-core CPU, which offers performance that is a substantial phase up from Intel's Atom processors at roughly the identical cost. However targeted at netbooks, Fusion is rapidly sufficient that someone was bound to try out it within a greater package--and that's what Gateway did with the NV51B05u. You can examine other NV5x-series laptops having a plethora of CPU choices in the event you treatment for one thing sprightlier.

Aside from your just satisfactory processor, the NV51B05u features a wholesome set of hardware, like Radeon High definition 6310 graphics (integrated into the Fusion CPU), 3GB of memory, a 5400-rpm 500GB hard disk, the aforementioned 15.6-inch 1366-by-768-pixel show, and an 8X DVD burner. Connectivity is about regular, covering 802.eleven b/g/n wireless, gigabit ethernet, and equally VGA and HDMI video clip output. The laptop also has 3 USB ports, microphone and headphone jacks, and an SD/MultiMediaCard slot.

The NV51B05u can be a good-looking laptop computer. It really is dark gray with clean lines as well as a faux-wood grain. (That seems a tad lame, but somehow it seems to operate. It undoubtedly will help with grip whenever you decide on up the device.) The keyboard deck sports the identical glimpse, with only the slightly recessed ability button along with the very small hard-drive, power, charging, and Wi-Fi indicators to interrupt things up.

A single doesn't necessarily expect fantastic issues ergonomically from a laptop with this price tag assortment, however the NV51B05u proved a primarily nice shock. The Chiclet-style keyboard with medium-throw keys has very good tactile response, even though the clicks possess a hollow sound that cheapens the audible effect.

As a result of big keypad integrated in to the keyboard, the NV51B05u's touchpad is offset significantly for the left in the keyboard deck. It can be in perfect placement for access when you happen to be typing, but right-handers will locate it an odd achieve when not. I wound up making use of my left hand on it most of the time--contrary to behavior. 1 warning: On our check product the Page Up important broke off in the beginning touch, which does not inspire optimism for the keyboard's long-term sturdiness.

The NV51B05u's efficiency is adequate, although not as snappy-feeling as that of a Core-based laptop--so will not expect that sort of speed. Its gaming frame prices were in the teenagers even at low-resolution, low-detail settings. In contrast, nonetheless, its 1080 video playback was as sleek as silk (with so-so audio through the speakers), so films are in excess of just doable--they're pleasant. Battery existence for that NV51B05u is 4.five hours, which can be sufficient for many customers but nevertheless 2 hrs shy of what we normally see. It can be not a especially svelte traveler at about 6 lbs with the AC adapter, but number of all-purpose laptops are.

Gateway bundles the de rigueur Workplace 2010 Starter and branding utilities, but also consists of Nero Necessities for burning discs and PowerDVD 10 for playing back again DVD videos. You will discover a utility for your high-res, 1280-by-1024-pixel Webcam, also. Still, taking a little of time for you to trim the fat wouldn't be from buy.

The Gateway NV51B05u can be a discount if your computing requirements are basic (or basic with a bent toward film viewing). This laptop computer isn't for anybody with gaming aspirations, but in any other case its features are first-tier--and you cannot argue with the price tag.