Asus U35JC-A1 review: Asus U35JC-A1

Well over a year ago, we found a hidden gem in the Asus UL30A, a very thin 13-inch laptop that had a great combination of performance, battery life, and price. A virtual successor to that UL30A can be found in the Asus U35Jc-A1, a Core i3 laptop with entry-level Nvidia GeForce 310M dedicated graphics and Nvidia Optimus automatically switching graphics.

8.1

Asus U35JC-A1

The Good

Great size, thin chassis, fast performance; Nvidia Optimus graphics; good battery life.

The Bad

Lacks an optical drive; graphics performance is OK but not great; poor viewing angles.

The Bottom Line

The Asus U35Jc-A1 is a thin, but solid, 13-inch laptop with no processor compromises and Nvidia Optimus graphics, covering all the basics--except an optical drive.

Unlike Optimus laptops, such as the underwhelming Asus UL80JT, the U35Jc-A1 is a winner both in terms of battery life and performance. A standard-voltage Core i3 processor offers few compromises, and the battery life is very good despite having dedicated graphics. Though it's not exactly cheap at $849, and it lacks an optical drive, this is a very, very nice little laptop, and a good MacBook alternative.