Asus N550JX-DS71T & N550JX-DS74T Multimedia Touch Laptops

The Asus N550JX-DS71T and N550JX-DS74T are 15.6-inch multimedia powerhouse laptops with touchscreen support, great internal component specifications, and stylish aluminum chassis.

Both the N550JX-DS71T and N550JX-DS74T feature Full HD display resolution and IPS technology for 178-degree wide viewing angles, the powerful Intel Core i7-4720HQ quad-core processor which is one of the fastest on the market and the mid-range Nvidia GeForce GTX 950M mid-range graphics card with 4GB of dedicated video memory. The only differences between the N550JX models are in system memory and storage departments. The cheaper ~$1,000-dollar Asus N550JX-DS71T comes with 8GB of RAM and a mechanical 1-Terabyte 5,400rpm hard disk drive, while the N550JX-DS74T for around $300 more includes 16GB RAM and a 256GB of storage based on fast solid state drive technology.

Other highlights include a better-than-average Bang & Olufsen ICEpower-branded sound system with an external subwoofer included in the package, keyboard backlight, built-in DVD burner drive, 720p web camera, and an admirable networking and connectivity set including 802.11AC wireless and Ethernet LAN connections, HDMI and mini DisplayPort video output jacks, three USB 3.0 ports, Bluetooth, a multi-in-one memory card reader, and a combo audio jack.

The N550JX has aluminum palmrest and display lid, while the rest of the chassis is made of quality plastics. It weighs in at six pounds and measures 1.1 inch in profile.

The battery life provided by the built-in 59 WHr unit can last “up to five hours”, which is an excellent one if you take into consideration powerful components and 15.6″ display size.

Besides the standard 1-year warranty, Asus has additionally provided a 1-year Accidental Damage Protection against accidental drops, spills, and power surges.

Overall, the Asus N550JX-DS71T and N550JX-DS74T offer a great computing potential not only for the daily home and office chores, but also for more demanding tasks like multimedia creation and photography editing. If you need more gaming power in the same 15.6″ form factor, you should check out gaming notebooks such as the similar Asus GL551JW-DS74 / DS71 with a better Nvidia GTX 960M video card.

Specifications of the Asus N550JX-DS71T and N550JX-DS74T

Here are the specs of the Asus N550JX-DS71T and N550JX-DS74T with descriptions of its features. For comparison against other laptops, you can use the "Compare Specs" button.

Brand	Asus
Screen Size	15.6-inch This is by far the most popular laptop screen size. It provides a lot of screen real estate, while avoiding bulkiness of the 17.3" laptops.
Screen Resolution	1920x1080 pixels Full HD Full HD is the most common laptop screen resolution today. It provides a good image sharpness and a decent amount of space on the display for the user interface and programs. However, it isn't as good as the top-tier 4K Ultra HD.
Touchscreen	Finger multi-touch input The screen supports finger touch input, including multi-touch gestures.
Other Display Specs	IPS type Displays based on IPS technology provide much wider viewing angles than the budget-class TN screens.
Processor (CPU)	Intel Core i7-4720HQ 4th Gen quad-core 2.6-3.6GHz 6MB cache (~8,200 PassMark benchmark points)
Graphics (GPU)	Nvidia GeForce GTX 950M 2GB GDDR5 dedicated video card (for light gaming, but with improved smoothness)
System Memory (RAM) Size	8GB RAM The 8GB RAM size is the standard one in 2023. It provides comfortable multi-tasking for the most home and office users. 16GB RAM 16GB and greater RAM sizes are recommended for heavy multitasking, gaming, and specialized programs that require a lot of RAM.
Data Storage	256GB SSD 256GB is a decent capacity. If you tend to download and store a lot of large files like movies and install many programs, 512GB or more is a better choice. 1000GB (1TB) HDD 1TB is an excellent storage capacity, but HDD is a slow type of storage.
DVD Optical Drive	DVD writer
Keyboard & Input	Backlit keyboard with dedicated number pad The keyboard has backlit keys and a separate numeric pad on the right side of the keyboard. Touchpad with click buttons built into the surface The left and right click buttons are built into the surface of the touchpad, as opposed to separate physical buttons. Touchscreen
Speakers & Audio	Stereo speakers with subwoofer Besides the standard stereo speakers, the laptop additionally features a built-in subwoofer speaker for a better bass sound. Combo microphone and headphones audio jack This laptop has the ordinary 3.5mm combo audio jack that supports both headphone output and microphone input simultaneously.
Camera	Front-facing web camera Laptops usually feature a frontal webcam located on the display bezel. This laptop is no exception.
Wi-Fi Wireless	802.11AC The 802.11AC is the previous-generation wireless networking standard. It's also known as Wi-Fi 5. 802.11AC is succeeded by 802.11AX Wi-Fi 6 with data transfer speed and multi-device connectivity improvements.
Ethernet Network Port	Yes This laptop has an Ethernet LAN port for wired internet and networking connectivity.
Mobile broadband (4G LTE)	No
Bluetooth	Yes This laptop has a built-in Bluetooth module. It enables you to connect the computer to Bluetooth mice and other Bluetooth peripherals, smartphones, and other Bluetooth-equipped devices.
USB Ports	3 x USB 3.0 Three full-size USB Type A ports.
Video Output Ports	1 x HDMI HDMI is a widely used digital video output port. You can find HDMI-in ports on most computer monitors and TVs. 1 x mini DisplayPort DisplayPort is a digital video output port. It is not as widely used as HDMI. The laptop has a compact "mini" version of DisplayPort on its side.
Media Card Reader	SD card reader The laptop has a slot for full-size SD memory cards, used in many digital cameras. You can also use microSD cards with a card adapter.
Battery	"Up to 5 hours" battery life, 59 WHr
Weight	6 pounds
Height	1.1"
Width	15.1"
Depth	10"
Windows Version	Windows 8.1 Windows 8.1 is eligible for free upgrade to Windows 10 Home. Check Windows.com for more info.
Warranty	1-year A typical laptop warranty.