Asus Q551LN-BBI706 15.6″ Convertible Laptop with Intel i7 & Nvidia 840M
Convertible laptops with 360-degree hinges are gaining momentum on the market. One of the new models is the 15.6-inch Asus Q551LN-BBI706. It’s the first laptop with the fully-foldable design to have a dedicated video card. When you add a fast processor, large RAM and hard drive sizes, Full HD display resolution, and IPS display technology, it’s clear that the Q551LN-BBI706 is one of the best equipped models in the convertible category. Along with these specs, notebook’s slim design, and keyboard backlight to the mix, clearly puts it in the premium-class segment.
Although the included Nvidia GeForce GT 840M 2GB video card is a far cry from the GTX 860M and other faster GPUs found in the gaming notebooks, it has enough power to play the latest AAA games. Users will have to dial down graphics settings to medium levels in order to get stutter-free gaming. But, it’s still a much better solution than the common Intel HD 4400 integrated graphics, which enables fluid gameplay only on low settings. The main computing is done on the Intel Core i7-4510U processor. With a PassMark CPU benchmark score of almost 4,000 points, the i7-4510U is among the fastest dual-core laptop processors available. It provides faster computing than the widely adopted i5-4210U, which scores around 3,600 points. In day-to-day tasks like web surfing, document editing, and multimedia playback, the difference won’t be noticeable. But as soon as you throw something more demanding on the system, such as high-resolution video and photo editing, you’ll see the benefits of the i7-4510U. True, it still lags behind the quad-core i7 CPUs (~8,000+ PassMark points) a lot, but there are no quad-core i7-powered convertibles on the market at the time of this writing. If your video and photo editing applications support GPU acceleration, the included video card will additionally speed up processing, so the Asus Q551LN-BBI706 can be a quite compelling multimedia creation machine.
8GB of RAM memory ensures that this part of the system won’t be a performance bottleneck even in the most complex scenarios. Hard drive size of 1 Terabyte is twice larger than the usual 500GB found in the vast majority of mainstream laptops. The Q551LN-BBI706 has a built-in DVD drive, which is a rarity among convertible laptops.
The laptop has great screen specifications. The 1920×1080 resolution provides a sharp picture, while IPS ensures wide viewing angles and good color accuracy.
As for audio, the Q551LN-BBI706 provides stereo speakers. Video chat services like Skype or Google Hangouts are enabled via a frontal 1-megapixel camera. For Internet connection, there are Wi-Fi wireless supporting the latest 802.11AC standard and Gigabit Ethernet LAN port. The laptop has three USB 3.0 ports, HDMI video output, media card reader, and Bluetooth, and Intel Wireless Display technology.
Regarding design, this minimalistic and elegant looking laptop comes in black color. The baclit keyboard has chiclet style keys in silver color. The trackpad has buttons integrated in the surface. The profile is 0.9″ high and the system weighs 5.1 pounds. It’s quite light considering it has a DVD drive and a dedicated video card. But, keep in mind that it will be very hard to hold it in hands as a classic tablet for a prolonged period of time.
The battery has 4240 mAh capacity, but there’s no official info on battery life. Judging from the specifications, we assume it can last five hours with light tasks involved.
Specifications of the Asus Q551LN-BBI706
Here are the specs of the Asus Q551LN-BBI706 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 i7-4510U 4th Gen dual-core 2-3.1GHz 4MB cache (User Benchmark CPU score: 41) |
Graphics (GPU) | Nvidia GeForce GT 840M 2GB Dedicated Video Card |
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. |
Data Storage | 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 As usual, the device features a pair of built-in stereo speakers. |
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. |
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. |
Other Features | Intel Wireless Display (Wi-Di) |
Battery | 3-cell polymer battery, 4240 mAh capacity |
Weight | 5.1 pounds |
Height | 0.9" |
Width | 15" |
Depth | 10.2" |
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. |
User Reviews and Q&A on the Asus Q551LN-BBI706
Below you can read and submit user reviews, questions, and answers about the laptop. Thank you for your contribution.
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Question
clemente –
hi there!
is any body using this laptop for 4k video editing? if so what do you upgrade to make it work for 4k video edting?
thanks
clemente
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jawad –
don’t waste your money you can’t edit in laptop
Question
Logan –
I have had my Q-551 for some time now(older model). I have used it a lot with school and playing games. Only recently after a shut down for a full day, I had turn it on and I had noticed my screen turning a green color and when using applications there are pink-purplish lines forming. I have narrowed it down to either wires being loose or my video card hitting the proverbial fan. It is an old NVIDIA GeForce 840m and I have no idea what is happening. If anyone of y’all reading this has an answer, please feel free to share.
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clemente –
it happened to me a year ago, i replace the screen and it’s working like champ again, i found a youtube video about how to replace the screen it’s fairly easy to do
Paul –
The screens go bad. I actually got mine for free because of this issue. I replaced the screen and it has been good ever since.
Vaishali Rajendran –
It has been exactly 5 years since I bought this laptop. Mostly used for graphic designing and 3D rendering. Still going good. There is a small crack on the lower right side of the screen (after dropping on a carpeted floor in 2017) and I have trouble opening/closing because of that (hinge did not break). That hasn’t affected the display in any way though. Battery sucks now but hey it has been 5 years. Overall it still works fine. Not sure if they still sell this model, not sure if this helps, thought I’d leave a comment. Still love it.
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Paul Morcombe –
Battery was rubbish – faded after a year
Habtamu Demis –
I have used this laptop only for one month. The battery have only worked for 30 minutes. The screen is black and white. Truly I am surprised for this. By now I am discussed with the lawyer. How the company to be accountable for this product. And I am warmly request the company to investigate this products.
Habtamu from Ethiopia, West Africa
Tell: +251911118754
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2 out of 5
Ben AC –
I have owned this model for 2 years. It has been great until recently. The screen frame is braking apart at the hinges. Has anyone else have this problem?
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Tyson –
Is this good for gaming? Skyrim? Fallout 4? Arma 3?
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Danijel Z –
I have tested Skyrim on the Nvidia 840M on 1080p resolution and it runs OK: http://laptoping.com/gpus/product/nvidia-geforce-gt-840m-review/
I assume Fallout 4 and Arma 3 will work OK too, but on low settings.
tyson duvall –
This laptop runs most games fine at medium-low settings. But CPU heavy games like HOI4 are another story. They run for awhile but eventually the CPU will make it unplayable.
Neil Joseph Tagagribay –
Yes this laptop is good. I also play call of duty, skyrim is also ok. I buy this laptop last jan. 2015. until now 2022 still run smooth, 7 years of age. there just a little problem in battery. but still ok..
David –
Is anybody still using this computer and have they had any issues I’m looking at buying one currently as a best buy refurbished. I’ve also seen another one that says asus refurbished. Can anybody tell me what does mean and if I will still be happy with this computer I probably will not be doing anything very taxing
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Steve –
Don’t buy it. My screen went out on this model after 1 year and 2 months. Asus and Best Buy did not stand behind it. Now I have a high dollar doorstop for a computer. Don’t buy Asus anything!!!
James Turner –
I have had my ASUS at least 7 years all I had to replace was the keyboard after a key broke off but it works great. Obviously not this model but at the time one of the best ASUS made in a gaming laptop.
trip –
what signs did it give you upon going out? or did it just go out all at once?
Dusty Lunn –
I love mine, i hametal case and seems to be well built. Ive had it about 21/2 years. It is not super charged but no sloch either. It has wifi ac standard that is pretty fast fo wifi I run linux mint on mine so I am not sure if thats a good comparison for you. It ran Windows 10 pro fine also.
Jc –
Display replaced twice and not my laptop is green & only two years old
4 out of 5
Grayden Cooper –
Very happy with laptop in current configuration. Had an issue with the original HGST 1 TB drive (errors/hd @ 100%). Bought a PNY 960GB SSD, Downloaded a copy of Windows 8, Installed with no problems. ASUS embeds the Windows key so you don’t need to put it in when installing, just need the correct version of Windows (Windows 8.1 home edition I believe). upgraded for free to Windows 10 and now boots up in 6 seconds.
Games work very well at medium settings and 1600 x 900.
If you have a chance to buy, get a new SSD at the same time.
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2 out of 5
sai manoj –
I had problem in battery. Eletrostatic discharge problem,my pc doesn’t on for 1 week . how to slove that problem.this problem is when while i shut down my pc at (10% or 100% charging or long press power button)
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Ravi Sriram –
Shopping around for a 2 in 1 or a touchscreen laptop that I can run graphics apps on ( Photoshop, Painter,etc). This just might be the one. Would I be able to use a wacom-enabled or capacitive stylus with this particular Asus?
Thanks very much.
Ravi Sriram
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Danijel Z –
The notebook doesn’t have active digitizer support, so you can use only a capacitive pen.
john –
My first Asus product, I bought the Q551-LN best buy version. I’ve only had it a few days which isn’t long enough to decide thumbs up or down. The touch pad doesn’t respond well, but, the rest of the system seems pretty solid. I may try an SSD as mentioned in another response. Can I replace the 1T with a 500 gig without any issues?
I have a pa-1650-93 power supply, what other power adapters are compatible with it or suitable for this computer.
Thanks
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Kenny –
I just picked up this laptop from BB 2 weeks ago. It was just what I was looking for with the screen able to fold flat or tent mode. So far I’ve replaced the RAM with a 8gig module, so I’m maxed out at 12gigs, I’ve replaced the 1TB drive with a Sammy 512 Pro, and the DVD drive with a Panny Blu-ray Burner. As far as a power supply I use a universal AC adapter. I got it off of amazon, it’s a 65W with 12 included adapters. Link http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KAWROYS?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00
rocketride –
One striking thing about this model is that there appears to be no service manual available.
I’d like, eventually, to install an SSD and max out the RAM.
Since you have apparently gotten yours open without munging anything, is getting at the HDD bay and the RAM slots as simple as removing the 10 small Torx screws and lifting the bottom cover off or are here other complications?
What size Torx driver do those screws need?
Danijel Z –
Here’s a how-to guide for HDD/SSD/RAM upgrade, where you can see the internals and detailed upgrade process:
4 out of 5
Soren Beiler –
I have had this laptop for a few months. I game a lot. This serves my purposes in most game situations. It’s best to turn the res down to 720p and get better effects, this 840 will not handle newer games at 1080p.
I have upgraded the ram to 12gigs, added a second hard drive in place of the optical drive.
Replaced the 1tb with a 7200 SHDD, updated to newest nvidia drivers, even thought asus says it cant.
works great, i7 is a bit weak as well but, for mobile gaming, its fine.
asus does not support this laptop anymore.
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John –
ASUS does support this laptop. This page has all of the downloads:
http://support.asus.com/download.aspx?SLanguage=en&m=Q551LN&p=3&s=704&os=41&hashedid=n/a
5 out of 5
John –
I’ve owned this computer for 2 weeks and am very pleased with it to date. The screen is beautiful. The internal speakers are satisfactory but a tad weak. The hard drive concerns me and is sluggish but overall the laptop is still fast. I will be replacing it with a SSD soon.
Otherwise I have had zero problems or complaints. It is my first Asus laptop and I was surprised to see no crapware/bloatware installed on the computer. The keyboard is very comfortable, touchscreen extremely responsive, battery life is as good as I expected.
If you’re searching for a solid laptop or convertible I strongly suggest you take a look at this model at Best Buy. I originally purchased an HP that I could not stand and returned two days later and upgraded to this.
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3 out of 5
DianneW –
I bought this computer a few weeks ago. I am having trouble with the cursor sometimes not responding properly when I try to direct it with the track pad. It will roll around and not allow me to click on what I am trying to click on. I have to reboot it to get it to work again, however, this is difficult when the cursor won’t go where you want it to. Additionally, other times when I try to left click on something with the bottom of the touch pad, it acts as though I right clicked it and brings up the right click little window. This is very maddening. Does anyone have similar problems or suggestions to fix this? I would be most grateful, right now I’m thinking of taking it back to Best Buy.
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DON –
I have the same problem with my Asus q501la. I think this is a common problem with Asus.
Grant –
How long does the battery last when it’s unplugged? How about while gaming?
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5 out of 5
Chelsea Archer –
I get about 2-3 hours unplugged while playing Diablo 3, best graphic settings, while set to maximize performance vs battery life.
Love this laptop so much.
Steve –
Don’t buy it. My screen went out on this model after 1 year and 2 months. Asus and Best Buy did not stand behind it. Now I have a high dollar doorstop for a computer. Don’t buy Asus anything!!!
5 out of 5
Mark –
I love this computer. I bought it to be a powerful, versatile, 2-in-1 laptop that I could use for work, couch browsing, and gaming. The first thing I did was replace the hard drive with an ssd. It is amazingly fast now. It boots and is ready to use in about 8 seconds, not exaggerating. It is very versatile as it has a full assortment of ports and connections, including a DVD drive! I can type for hours on it without issue. I play the latest games without sacrificing too much detail (mid to high settings on everything I’ve tried), and it’s battery life is decent when not gaming. The trackpad buttons are not very good and it’s too big and too heavy to carry around and use as a tablet. But as a couch tablet, it works. I would assume most people are not going to use it in tablet mode very often as soon as they feel the weight (about 5 lb) or see how big it is. It is a 15″ laptop after all. Overall, it’s exactly what I wanted and it seems to be the only laptop of its kind. It’s like a 2-in-1 ultrabook that decided to not sacrifice anything as far as connections, power, graphics, and features.
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3 out of 5
Javier Toledo –
I bought this laptop and not turn on yet, I prefer change the hard disk to a SSD and put the Win8.1 to the basket. I get screwdrivers to open it and looks great, well designed. The problem arrives when turn on. The laptop doesn’t starts until plugged to AC. And configure to boot from the USB to install Win7x64 Professional was a nightmare, many adjusts in setup to make boot correctly.
Tha installation was smooth and graceful. Now the real nightmare: Not drivers in Asus webpage, the model Q551LN doesn’t appears even in searcher.
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5 out of 5
Joseph –
are you out of your mind!why did you opened the back of your laptop?are you an authorize computer technician?did you read the manual carefully?
Rob –
You are the reason laptops aren’t less expensive
Mindsunwound –
Regarding the ac to power on, there are two things to keep in mind, when working on laptop internals it is SOP to remove batteries before doing anything with the ASUS sealed internal batteries you have to remember to reconnect them properly. 2nd it is also standard for laptops to have power on disabled when they are in the closed position, usually all the time but almost always when on battery, so make sure you reconnected the wiring to the hinge sensors correctly, and make sure the display is opened when trying to power on.
Sally –
Is there any sound if external speakers that come with the machine are not connected?
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Mark –
The “external speaker” that comes with it is a sub-woofer only. It doesn’t come with external speakers. But the speakers that are built in are good. With the sub-woofer connected, it’s really good. To answer your question exactly, you will hear sound even if you don’t plug any speakers into it.
5 out of 5
k houser –
This unit boots instantly. Evaluating it for the 30 days I have before I can return it, and it exceeds all expectations.
Frankly I am astonished that win 8.1 works so well with games and everything else. I already had a good bit of exposure to it, but it still managed to surprise me.
The designers seem to have thought of everything, from a backlit keyboard, to the graphics card, size of hard drive, and even wireless card and camera built in.
Seems worth the 1k expense, and with the i7 cores, will be a useful tool for years to come.
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K Quadrato –
I’ve had this computer for about a month thus far and am really enjoying it. The MAJOR , I find, is the lack of a good user manual. The eManual that comes with the computer is somewhat generic and misses guidance on some specific features (backlit key board, etc.).
Even when visiting the ASUS website, it is strangely absent. That doesn’t give me a lot of confidence on customer support.
I was trying to figure out if I could turn off the Ambient Light sensor so I can gain better control of my screen brightness settings for photo editing. Any thoughts?
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Skylar A Williams –
You have to push fn A there is a Auto thing there that toggles it on or off 🙂
Alvaro TE –
Hi. I’d like to know what the case material is. Is it aluminum? (if so, which parts of the laptop?), or just plain plastic?
I can’t tell from the description or images.
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Danijel Z –
Yeah, its hard to tell, so I’ve submitted a question about it on the Best Buy product page. Hope someone will answer it.
http://reviews.bestbuy.com/answers/3545mha/content/popup.htm?bvpage=http%3A%2F%2Freviews.bestbuy.com%2Fanswers%2F3545mha%2Fproduct%2F7289029%2Fquestions.htm%3Fformat%3Dembedded%26sort%3Dhelpfula%26dir%3Ddesc
You can ask it yourself if you want, too or just wait for answers on the page above or on this page, since I’ll re-post the answer here.
When a laptop has an aluminum case or lid at least, Best Buy usually brags about it on the product page, but this time they’re quiet about it.
Danijel Z –
Asus has answered the question with “It is made of metal and plastic.” They haven’t specified what parts are metal though.
4 out of 5
dwtock –
the outer case is metal
Spud Moore –
i know that the previous version had a mSATA port, but I’m not sure about this one, but i would like to know if it looks like you can just replace the standard hard drive with a SSD fairly easily. i don’t have this comp yet, but if i can do that, i would be very interested in it. Thanks!
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Danijel Z –
Is there anything similar to this part on the motherboard?
http://www.notebookcheck.net/fileadmin/Notebooks/Asus/ASUS_VivoBook_S551LB-CJ026H/Asus-VivoBook-S551LB-4.jpg
Cary –
Absolutely! I installed a 1TB Samsung 850 EVO. It improved the performance immensely.
4 out of 5
Dustin Sloan –
I really love this laptop so far. Had it about three or so days now and the feel and function is amazing. However can you tell me if this has a mSATA port? I took the back cover off and I’m not able to locate it anywhere.
Thanks
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Grayden Cooper –
No mSata, regular sata for hard drive and dvd drive. Don’t but the mSata version drives!