Asus X551MAV-HCL1201E Cheap Full-Size Laptop

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Not too many laptops can be found on the market for under $250. The Asus X551MAV-HCL1201E, also known as X551MAV-HCL1103E and RCLN06, is one of them. The main drawback on these models are low performance processors. As expected, the X551MAV-HCL1201E has one of these. It’s the Intel Celeron N2830 CPU. You can use it for light tasks, such as web browsing, office document creation and editing, and multimedia playback. It will do these jobs pretty much easily, but as soon as you throw anything more complex on it (high-resolution photo editing, video production), it’ll start lagging. If you do these on daily basis, it’s better to get one of the laptops with Intel’s Core i5 or i7 CPUs. Among the cheapest ones are the Acer Aspire E15 E5-571P-59QA and HP 15-p100dx.

The Asus X551MAV-HCL1201E ships with 4GB of RAM memory, a 500GB hard drive, and 1366-by-768 screen resolution, just like the vast majority of budget laptops. The machine has a DVD writer built-in, as well as stereo speakers, a 0.3-megapixel webcam, Wi-Fi wireless and wired Ethernet LAN network interfaces, one USB 2.0 and one USB 3.0 port, HDMI and VGA video jacks, and a media card reader.

For data input, you can use its full-size keyboard with chiclet-style keys and navigate through Windows and programs via a spacious trackpad.

The battery inside the Asus X551MAV-HCL1201E has 3-cells and 2600 mAh capacity, but info on battery life isn’t provided.

Asus X551MAV-HCL1201E

Specifications of the Asus X551MAV-HCL1201E

Here are the specs of the Asus X551MAV-HCL1201E 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 1366x768 pixels HD

This is an entry-level screen resolution, oftentimes found on budget laptops. It doesn't deliver picture sharpness and space on the screen like the Full HD or higher resolution laptop displays do.
Touchscreen No

This laptop doesn't support touchscreen input.
Other Display Specs TN type

Displays based on the old TN technology lack wide viewing angles you can find on IPS screens. The colors may look washed out or inverted at certain viewing angles.
Processor (CPU) Intel Celeron N2830 dual-core 2.16-2.41GHz 1MB cache (User Benchmark CPU score: 12)
Graphics (GPU) Intel HD integrated graphics of low-end CPUs (only for the lightest gaming)
System Memory (RAM) Size 4GB RAM

4GB is a small RAM size for computing in 2023. For smooth operation of a laptop during everyday tasks, at least 8GB is recommended.
Data Storage 500GB HDD

This is a very good capacity, but HDD is a slow type of storage.
DVD Optical Drive DVD writer
Camera Front-facing web camera

Laptops usually feature a frontal webcam located on the display bezel. This laptop is no exception.
Speakers & Audio Stereo speakers

As usual, the device features a pair of built-in stereo speakers.
Wi-Fi Wireless 802.11N

802.11N is an old Wi-Fi standard, precursor of the 802.11AC and the latest 802.11AX with improved data transfer speeds and connectivity. 802.11N is rarely used in modern laptops.
Ethernet Network Port Yes

This laptop has an Ethernet LAN port for wired internet and networking connectivity.
Mobile broadband (4G LTE) No
Bluetooth No

This laptop has no built-in Bluetooth module.
USB Ports 1 x USB 3.0 + 1 x USB 2.0

A pair of standard full-size USB ports.
Video Output Ports 1 x HDMI + 1 x VGA

HDMI is a widely used digital video output port. You can find HDMI-in ports on most computer monitors and TVs. VGA is an old analog type of video connectivity used on older computers, monitors, TVs, and projectors.
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 3-Cell 2600 mAh
Weight 4.7 pounds
Height 1.2"
Width 15"
Depth 9.9"
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.

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User Reviews and Q&A on the Asus X551MAV-HCL1201E

Below you can read and submit user reviews, questions, and answers about the laptop. Thank you for your contribution.

Current rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  1. Sean

    Ram can be upgraded, went from the stock Kingston 4gb to a hyper x 8gb without any adjustments or aid from software for set up. Just pulled out the old one and set the new one in

  2. Robert

    Although this laptop “claims” that it can only have 4GB of RAM, I found elsewhere someone who was able to upgrade to 8GB of RAM! The person has screenshots of stress tests to prove it. See here https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/812220-8gb-ram-module-compatible-with-asus-x551mav-eb01-b/

    I am going to visit BestBuy “Geek Squad” and have them provide me a RAM to see if it works. Good luck to others if you want to test it out!

    • Robert

      [UPDATE] This laptop CAN be upgraded from 4GB to 8GB of RAM, ONLY if you have Linux installed. My wife has Elementary OS installed and it recognized it immediately. She now has 8GB of RAM, an upgraded SSD of 500GB, a new 4-cell battery(better than the original battery, lasts longer) and a USB Wi-Fi adapter to connect to 5.8GHZ for fast internet connection. Of course, all of these were purchased one at a time during the last 3 months but the end result is awesome! Boots in 12 seconds and shutsdown in 2 seconds.

  3. Carter

    Anyone crack this laptop open and look at the motherboard it has? I’m thinking about changing out the CPU for a better one and adding more ram/filling the 2nd slot available. It’s a good computer but i want it to do a bit more than it does.

    • bret

      I don’t think you can upgrade it, since the CPU is soldered onto the motherboard.

  4. 5 out of 5

    Adrien Beaudry

    I bought this laptop 6 months ago worth the money. liked that for the money u got a optical drive and the keyboard works well for me. i liked that the track pad worked and the computer
    did not over heat. I would say worth the money

  5. 4 out of 5

    adam

    The ram is not upgradable beyond 4 gigs it’s the max the system can handle. crucial.com search

    • Robert

      This laptop CAN be upgraded from 4GB to 8GB of RAM, ONLY if you have Linux installed. My wife has Elementary OS installed and it recognized it immediately. She now has 8GB of RAM, an upgraded SSD of 500GB, a new 4-cell battery(better than the original battery, lasts longer) and a USB Wi-Fi adapter to connect to 5.8GHZ for fast internet connection. Of course, all of these were purchased one at a time during the last 3 months but the end result is awesome! Boots in 12 seconds and shutsdown in 2 seconds.

  6. Amanda

    Does it handle watching movies, Youtube videos and streaming videos off a place like Hulu smoothly? I only need a computer for writing, browsing the internet and watching videos. Can this laptop do these without being slow and choppy?

    • Danijel Z

      Maybe this answer comes too late, but here it is:

      The CPU can handle video streams up to 1080p resolution well, without hiccups. Text editing and websurf also run smooth. More about the chip and its real life performance you can read in this review:
      http://laptoping.com/intel-celeron-n2830-n2820-specs-benchmark.html

      Overall, I think this laptop will suite your needs without being too slow.

  7. Chip

    $197 at BB today. I have the Toshiba C55-B5202, also with 4GB RAM and not upgradeable; can the RAM or HD on the ASUS be upgraded?

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