In this review we’re going to analyses the Asus X555 series.
We actually have two X555 models here, as Asus will offer the laptops in this family in a couple of different configurations and either with a plastic case available in a few different colors, or a Dark Blue metallic option.
Based on that and the exact hardware specs, there will be a few different X555 variants, like the X555LA (without dedicated graphics) and the X555LD (with Nvidia graphics). And in some regions the metallic model will be sold as the K555LN, as a higher end configuration of the X555 models.
And yes, that sounds incredibly complicated and confusing, but in reality all these laptops are built on mostly the same barebone, with a few configuration aspects and small features varying between them, that’s why I’ve treated the two models in the same article.
Later update: Follow-up articles on more recent Asus mid-range laptops are available on our sister website Ultrabookreview.com, and you should also check out this article that will guide you through the processor of getting the best for your money when shopping for a budget laptop.
Asus X555 series Video Review
The specs – Asus X555 series
Before we get in deep, let’s have a look at the specs, so you’ll know what we’re dealing with here. We have two devices for this review, an Asus X555LD with a Core i5-4210U processor, 6 GB of RAM, Nividia GT 820M graphics and a 500 GB 7200 rpm HDD, and an Asus K555LN model, with a Core i3-4030U processor, 8 GB of RAM, Nvidia GT 820M graphics and a 1 TB 5400 rpm HDD.
Asus X555LD / K555LN series | |
Screen | 15.6 inch, 1366 x 768 px resolution, TN, glossy, non-touch |
Processor | Intel Haswell Core i5-4210U / Core i3-4030U |
Chipset | Intel HM86 |
Video | integrated Intel 4400 HD and dedicated Nvidia 820M graphics |
Memory | 6/8 GB DDR3 |
Hard-disk | 2.5″ HDDs |
Connectivity | Wireless N, Gigabit Lan, Bluetooth 4.0 |
Ports | 2 x USB 3.0, 1 x USB 2.0, HDMI, VGA, LAN, card-reader, webcam, Kensington lock |
Baterry | 37 Wh, removable |
Operating system | Windows 8.1 |
Size | 38.2 x 25.6 x 2.58 cm |
Weight | about 2.3 kg (5.1 pounds) |
Choosing one over the other is mostly a matter a personal taste and somewhat a matter of budget, as the aluminum covered models will be slightly more expensive and only bundle higher end hardware, but except for a few configuration differences, the two variants share most of their features and traits.
These X555 laptops start at about 500 Euros over here, or $500 USD in the US, and that puts them in the affordable notebooks category. They do pack Intel Haswell hardware, but some corners were cut in order to meet the lower price point. For example, there are only HD screens with TN panels on these computers, there’s no backlit keyboard and there’s only a an average sized battery. But even so, the overall package isn’t bad at all.
Design and build quality
Both laptops look alright and are fairly well made. The plastic version comes with a textured lid cover and a Silver interior visually cut in two distinct halves, the palm-rest with a brushed finishing and the area around the keyboard, with a slightly different texture. We have the Dark Blue version in here, but the X555 line will also be available with a Red, Yellow or White case.
The metallic version feels more premium and stronger, as it won’t flex as easily as the plastic model, but at the same time the aluminum hood shows smudges and finger oil easily. The interior is cast from a single piece of smooth metal which also stretches around the edges.
These aside, the two X555s share the same hinge design, the same matte plastic bezel around the display and the same underbellies. Unlike the previous X550 laptops though, these ones only offer quick access to the memory module and not the HDD, while the battery is no longer removable and the cooling solution no longer blows hot air towards the left side, but through the grills hidden behind the display’s hinge, as we’ve seen on some higher end Asus laptop before. We’ll talk about that a bit later.
For now, let’s have a look at the IO: there’s the PSU, the Lan adapter, VGA and HDMI outputs, two USB 3.0 ports and a Kensington lock on the left edge, plus an optical drive, an USB 2.0 slot, the microphone/headphone jack and a card-reader on the right. Or in other words, pretty much everything you should expect from a mainstream 15 inch laptop. You also get a few discrete status LEDs on the front lip and a webcam on top of the displays.
Screens
Speaking of those, I was definitely not expecting much from these laptops in terms of screen quality, but even so, I was a bit disappointed with Asus’s choice of panels.
They’re not very bright and they also suffer from very poor contrast, on top of the narrow viewing angles associated with cheap TN panels. In everyday use, as long as you’re not picky and look at these screens heads-on, you’ll probably find them them well, alright. And they are, but could have been better, especially since most other manufacturers offer higher end panels on their affordable 15 inchers.
The plastic Asus X555LD came with a Philips LGD045C panel, while the metallic K555LN model tested here cam with an AU Optronics AUO42EC panel, but both are just as… meh. Check out the numbers below for details:
Asus X555LD – plastic | Asus K555LN – metal | |
Panel HardwareID | Philips LGD045C | AU Optronics AUO42EC |
Coverage | 65% sRGB, 46% NTSC, 48% AdobeRGB | 61% sRGB, 43% NTSC, 45% AdobeRGB |
Measured gamma | 2.2 | 2.2 |
Max brightness middle | 189 cd/m2 on power | 181 cd/m2 on power |
Contrast at Max brightness | 90:1 | 80:1 |
White point | 7300K | 7300k |
Black at Max brightness | 2.15 cd/m2 | 2.26 cd/m2 |
Average DeltaE | 9.20 uncalibrated, 5.54 calibrated | 8.93 uncalibrated, 6.08 calibrated |
Keyboard and trackpad
Anyway, let’s move on. There’s not a lot to complain about the keyboard and the trackpad. Both models feature the same key layout and design, with a Numpad Area and rather cramped directional keys, a layout we’ve seen on many other Asus laptops before. There’s no back-lightning system and the actual keys do feel somewhat cheap, plasticky, but overall I’d say the typing experience on these X555s is OK.
It’s worth noting though that the plastic model does flex a lot more than the metallic version, which can steer you towards this side and which can actually make the keys feel jumpy and bother some users. So beware.
The trackpads are identical in size, but actually feel different. The one on the metallic K555 is smoother and is surrounded by a nice beveled edge, but is quite noisy when it comes to registering taps and physical clicks, while the one of the plastic model feels somewhat harsher, but is quieter. Both performed well in everyday use though, responding fast and accurate to my swipes, gestures and taps, so I’d say you should be happy with either variant.
Hardware and everyday use experience
Hardware wise, Asus plans to offer this laptop in more than a dozen different configurations, with either Core i3, i5 and even i7 Haswell processors, 4 to 8 GB of RAM, 500 GB or 1 TB hard-drives and options for Nvidia GT 820 or 840M graphics, or no dedicated graphics at all. They’ll range from about $500 for the cheapest configurations up to roughly 800 to 850 for the top options and I’ll tell you all about the available configurations further down in this post.
We do have two different models here, as mentioned in the beginning
- the X555LD model (plastic case), with a Core i5-4210U processor, 6 GB of RAM, Nvidia 820M graphics and a 500 GB HDD (Hitachi HTS725050A , 7200 rpm, 32 MB buffer)
- and the K555LN model (metallic case), with a Core i3-4030U processor, 8 GB of RAM, Nvidia 820M graphics and a 1 TB HDD (Hitachi HTS541010A, 5400 rpm, 8 MB buffer)
There a few things I should note here. First, there’s a 7 mm drive on the X555LD and a 9.5 mm one of the K555LN, but both units can take 7 and 9.5 mm drives. The storage bay is not easily accessible, you’d have to take apart the entire plastic cover to get to it and that might void warranty. The RAM is accessible on these two though and both come with a 4 GB DDR3 module . That means that the X555LD gets 2 GB of RAM soldered on the motherboard (and can take a total of up to 10 GB), while the K555LN gets 4 GB on the motherboard (and a total of 12).
Anyway, I’ve put the two configurations to test, in order to see how they fare with everyday tasks, how well they score in benchmarks, how well they handle video content and how well they can run some modern games. Check out the results below.
Asus X555LD – plastic | Asus K555LN – metal | |
3DMark | Ice Storm – 52439, Cloud Gate – 4599, Sky Driver – 2967, Fire Strike – 840 | Ice Storm – 47689, Cloud Gate – 4186, Sky Driver – 2918, Fire Strike – 832 |
PCMark 07 | 3133 | 2669 |
CineBench R11.5 | OpenGL 26.20 fps, CPU 2.60 pts | OpenGL 46.52 fps, CPU 2.07 pts |
CineBench R15 | OpenGL 32.15 fps, CPU 240 cb | OpenGL 36.66 fps, CPU 191 cb |
As expected the Core i5 unit gets higher scores in any CPU test and only slightly better results in Graphics benchmarks. Thus, it should come to no surprise that these two devices offer similar performance in games. The titles below are all running on 1366 x 768 px with medium/normal details, with the power plug connected or on battery when specified.
Asus X555LD – plastic | Asus K555LN – metal | |
Bioshock Infinite | 32 fps | 31 fps |
Bioshock Infinite on battery | 25 fps | 24 fps |
Tomb Raider | 38 fps | – |
NFS Most Wanted | 28 fps | 29 fps |
Metro Last Light | 22 fps | 23 fps |
Metro Last Light on batttery | 14 fps | 15 fps |
Dirt 3 | 49 fps | 49 fps |
I also ran stress tests with Prime 95 and Furmark for 1 hour. On the X555 configuration, the CPU settles to a 2294 Mhz frequency after about 10 minutes (ran slightly higher before that), while the graphics run at 950 Mhz for the entire duration of this test. In other words, there’s no throttling, although the internal temps do get a bit high, as you can see below.
On the metallic K555 model, the CPU runs at the default 1.9 Ghz freque3ncy for the entire test, with the graphics running at 950 Mhz. On top of these, the hardware barely hits 70 C under stress.
Temperatures, Noise, Wi-Fi and others
I will add that these two run fairly cool and quiet, even under load. Hot air is blown out through the grills behind the hinge, towards the screen, and even if the Core i5 model does reach somewhat higher body temperatures, there’s nothing to worry about in daily use. Check out the pictures below for stress-testing temperatures, which is basically the hottest you should expect these things to run.
I do believe the Core i7 metallic configurations will reach both inner and external higher temperatures though when severely pushed, but even those models shouldn’t really pose a problem.
You’ll also hear the fan inside these laptops pretty much all of the time, and the HDD’s as well. The cooler does become noisier when running games, my apps measuring roughly 46 dB for the Core i5 model at 50 cm, where a user’s head would normally reside.
The speakers, which are placed on the belly, but towards the laptops’ front lift, are actually loud enough to cover the noise easily. In fact, they are really punchy (running the Pharell- Happy clip from Youtube at max volume resulted in peaks of up to 95 dB, again, 50 cm away), although the sound coming out of them is average at best.
The two laptops also bundled Bluetooth, Gigabit Ethernet (a Realtek RTL8168 chip) and Wi-Fi N (Atheros AR9485). Both units can maximize my connection when next to the router and both perform alright even at 30 feet with 3 walls in between. But the metallic model does get somewhat slower than its plastic kin in this particular case, which is normal and expected.
Battery Life
There is however one more thing I don’t like about these laptops: Asus put a small 37 Wh battery on them, which only translates in about 4 hours of daily use, which is… meh.The K555 configuration with the Core i3 processor does last an average of about 30 minutes longer in everyday use.
On top of that, the battery is no longer removable, like on the older X550 and X552 versions, and I believe that’s going to bother a fair share of potential buyers.
Prices and availability
There are countless configurations available for these laptops, with different code names in different regions. I will only some of them here.
- Asus X555LA-DB51 – $649 – Core i5-4210U CPU, Intel HD 4400 graphics, 4 GB of RAM, 1 TB HDD
- Asus X555LA-DB71 – $749 – Core i7-4510U CPU, Intel HD 4400 graphics, 8 GB of RAM, 1 TB HDD
A Core i3-4030U version of the X555LA is also available, selling for around $500.
The Asus X555LD will offer Nvidia GT 820M graphics (or Nvidia 840M chips in some regions), paired with Core i3, i5 and i7 Haswell processors, 4 or 8 GB of RAM and either 500 GB or 1 TB HDDs, starting at about $550 for the basic models and going up to $800 for the top versions.
The K555LN models will be available with the metallic design present in this review, as well as an 1920 x 1080 px display. Can’t say how good that’s going to be, but from what I can tell right now, it’s still a TN panel. See the configurations below:
- $749 – Core i3-4030U CPU, Nvidia 840M graphics, 4 GB of RAM, 1 TB HDD
- $849 – Core i5-4210U CPU, Nvidia 840M graphics, 8 GB of RAM, 1 TB HDD
- $949 – Core i7-4510U CPU, Nvidia 840M graphics, 8 GB of RAM, 1 TB HDD
Wrap up
At the end of the day, I’m having a hard time drawing the line on these laptops. I could probably summarize Asus’s X555 line as “average”. They are not the cheapest out there or the fastest and they don’t even pack the most or the best features. But they mostly check the right boxes, again, as long as we’re fare and keep the price in mind.
Even so, I still don’t think these would be my first choice of an affordable 15 incher. On one side there’s the metallic option, which is a novelty in the X500 line (albeit it’s called the K555 in some regions), but at the same time closely priced to the slimmer and lighter Vivobook V551/S551 or the more versatile Transformer Book Flip TP500 series, which has a touchscreen and a convertible form-factor.
On the other there are the plastic X555 models, whose only major selling point are the colorful cases. They are more expensive than some of the other similarly configured Asus laptops, like a few of the X550 or the X552 models, they lack the removable batteries and actually pack poorer displays.
And then there are also the competitors to consider. Acer, Lenovo, HP, Dell are just some of the other manufacturers who offer good laptops for around $500.
So in conclusion, these Asus X555 models aren’t bad, but they’re not very good either. I wasn’t expecting much, and even so, I ended up disappointed with the screens and the battery life. Even so, if you can find them cheap (and I mean significantly cheaper than they are right now, at launch), they might be worth buying. But I’d check out the competitors closely, there are plenty of better 15 inchers out there and they don’t sell for a lot more than these X555S.
Anyway, that’s about it for now, these were my impressions on the Asus X555 and K555 lines. The comments section is open, so if you have anything to add or any questions, make sure to post them below, I’ll be around to reply.
Michael Angelo
December 15, 2014 at 1:44 pm
Hi, I have bought an ASUS X555LD. I have noticed that the screen has vertical lines, this lines are visible when you using the bright colors (Sky Blue, lighter pink, neon green and etc). I have already refer this issue to the store where I purchased the unit. But, all of their replacement units has this vertical lines. Is this the quality of ASUS X555LD?
Thanks!
helloorraine
February 23, 2015 at 3:28 am
I just bought an x555ld and noticed the vertical lines also. It’s really bugging me since I’m used to the great quality of my desktop monitor. So is this normal?
Regina
March 4, 2015 at 5:34 pm
Hi, I just bought the asus k555ln-xo133h and I’m having troubles with the colors, that are too vivid and bright. The greens are too green, it’s not good as I expected it to be.
Do you think this can be fixed with color calibration?
Thank you!!!!!
Jim donaldson
December 19, 2014 at 7:58 pm
how many memory slots does the x555 series have? could i upgrade 4gb to 8gb with the purchase of an additional 4gb or would i need to buy one 8gb
anil
December 23, 2014 at 2:53 am
does it worth to buy k555LN i7 processor with 1Tb hdd and 6gb ram on 950$?
angieg
December 29, 2014 at 4:13 pm
hi, i would be glad-full f someone could help me with the following questions, really i’m worrying about those things.
can i remove the battery of this asus x555l? in the back there’s only access to the RAM.
how often should i let my battery drain to 5% of it’s charge to have a long life battery.
please help me
Andrei Girbea
January 3, 2015 at 12:27 pm
The battery is encased.
jkd
January 2, 2015 at 8:50 pm
Do you think a Asus X555 LD, i7 with 8gb ram would be good for graphic design? What other laptop can u recmmend from the same price range?
Alan Malone
January 22, 2015 at 7:47 pm
Does the x555la have bluetooth capability?
wangchuk
February 24, 2015 at 10:52 pm
What do you think will be good for a 4gb ram and 500gb hard drive with graphic card. Can you please recommend me with something good. Thank you
Erfan
August 4, 2015 at 11:19 pm
I think Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E440 would be for who want power and high graphic.
kr
March 11, 2015 at 5:14 am
anyone have any thoughts on why my brand new x555l won’t recognize when headphones are plugged in? ive not seen a dual mic/headphone jack before so im not sure if i need to configure anything first. thanks!
KenLivo
March 22, 2015 at 9:11 pm
I had the same issue. Turned out it was a hardware fault with the headphone/mic jack. Once that was identified, the retailer replaced the machine. If working properly, when you plug in your headphones you should get a dialogue box come up for you to select headphones.
Luís Canto
March 20, 2015 at 6:20 pm
So my question is this one, I play some video games, and they are, Minecraft, WoT, LoL, Dota 2 Cs Nexus and others, is this computer good For Games?
Or just for Work?.
And Im going to Buy This Asus: Asus X555LD-XO730H
If any one can give me a answer, I would be very grateful.
Have a good Day
Ir
March 28, 2015 at 4:44 am
Im using x555ld for 3 months.. I haven’t detected any vertical lines on display and after installin asus splendid utility display quality incresed a bit.. And also it is litewaight than my friends hp, dell and toshiba laps.. Battery is charging very fast and pretty good battery life(allways using balanced plan) .. Cooling system is very good.. It doesn’t get too hot even playing nfs rivels, farcry 3….also can’t detect any heat in normal use… :-).. I recommend this to buy..
Bobby
March 29, 2015 at 4:21 am
I too have an issue with the headphone microphone jack being inoperative. Please comment! Thanks!
kr
April 1, 2015 at 11:31 pm
Hi bobby, somehow i figured out how to do what ken livo was suggesting.. there is a place where you can choose headphone or mic.. it seems to have worked after that.. although then i managed to lose the power cord 3 days after purchasing it so it’s been unusable since then :/ Otherwise i’d fiddle around and tell you where i found it!
Fahad Yousuf
April 6, 2015 at 11:29 am
Does the K555LD have an mSATA slot?
Janne Heinonen
April 23, 2015 at 6:27 pm
X555 — Is there a service hatch on the back side, or is it one of those laptops you have to take completely apart in order to change the hdd to SSD drive?
Andrei Girbea
April 25, 2015 at 3:14 pm
There’s only a service bay for the RAM. You’ll need to remove the back panel to access the HDD
shapol
September 10, 2015 at 10:55 pm
hi Andrei
many thanks for the comprehensive review. i decided to by x555LN which in known as K555 LN here and i thought its among N series but just got it was false assumption. i appreciate if you help me by around 750 USD which laptop has worth to buy.I spend around two months of my salary so i don’t want to be regretted. its weight is important for me. my previous one was HP pavilion.i prefer do not by HP anymore.
thanks a lot
shapol
September 10, 2015 at 10:58 pm
sorry i thought its K series not N! the sellers tell that
louis
September 16, 2015 at 2:53 pm
So, when the battery is finished – in 3 or 4 years – or defective, you throw the laptop in the bin. The computer will be useless because the battery cannot be changed. For me this pc is off.
Andrei Girbea
September 18, 2015 at 3:07 pm
That’s not true, the battery can be changed, but the process is a bit more complicated than with older laptops. You should get used to this, in order to make devices more compact and lighter, most manufacturers encase the batteries on most of the units and that’s not going to change in the years to come
Daniel
November 5, 2015 at 6:40 pm
Love the new redesigned series from Asus especially the color.
Jay
April 30, 2016 at 6:38 am
I bought this ASUS, because of the reputation they have/had. WOW! That was the wrong thing to do.
My first mistake was not checking were this thing was made. I avoid products made in China, because of cheap, poor quality, but this is not China’s fault at all, they manufacture only from company spec’s. The companies want cheap products to sale as high end quality products that cost as much as a quality product, you already have free trade, but that’s not enough. I will be happy to pay as much as 2 times for the “quality” from my other brand.
Try putting this quality into aircraft and strap your butt into the aircraft depending on your quality to get you from N.Y. to Paris and back, never mind you would not make to Paris.
This ASUS X555L goes into the trash and I am returning to my original brand name for reliability, trust and performance.
Issues:
Mouse Pad: you can not turn off the mouse pad. The FN keys do not function and I have researched the I-net all over. Just another waste of my time!
Sound quality: they speak about this above, sound really stinks. You can’t hear the system speakers unless in an environment with no noise.
Microphone: does not work and there are no other places to input a mic.
Battery: enclosed and can not be detached when you use D/C majority of the time.
Frame Quality: Don’t drop it! Handle like eggs!
Turn off updates: either this system is programed to turn updates back on after a certain period of time or windows does this. It does not matter which one has this program, if the owner does not want the updates then the system should not turn updates back on. A company got caught with over updating so that your computer would run around in circles producing slow speed and very poor performance sometimes even crashing, and you could get them to repair your system on line for a premium charge when nothing was really wrong with your computer.
I had this one lock up on me last night from a windows update. I purchased this product in January 2016. Less than six months ago.
STOP with the updates!
Incredible!
ASUS keep searching for incredible, because you surely have not found it yet!
A totally dissatisfied customer.
Raven
June 14, 2016 at 10:46 am
First off the touch pad it can be turned off, the speakers are low quality but not that bad in loudness as u say.
For the mic to work u need the drivers installed and from what i can see u have no clue what that is.
Updates are from windows, if u had a brain and read what it saying right next to the option u selected u will notice that it will reactivate after some time to keep it up to date.
Battery not removable? So what?
The display is bad but if u calibrate it its okish.
The FN keys not working? Must be a defectiv unit or something my FN works great.
So the conclusion is u have no ideea of how software works and on top of that u ask for top quality for a small price .. Sorry bud not gonna happen.
I
January 8, 2017 at 11:46 pm
I got this laptop (i3-5020) for 220$ last Black Friday (2015), it still works. It feels a bit cheap and cheap plastic is used, but hey what can you expect for 200 bucks. It is a fantastic laptop for the price, sufficient for every day home use.
Your statement: "The companies want cheap products to sale as high end quality products that cost as much as a quality product, you already have free trade, but that’s not enough. I will be happy to pay as much as 2 times for the “quality” from my other brand.", is ridiculous. If you paid 2 times more for any other brand (Asus included) you would get better quality.
VRSTAR
June 26, 2016 at 12:55 am
Bought the Asus K555L, damn, after a couple of months the plastic panel, LCD, and Hinge are disintegrating. I’m not moving the device out of my desk and left the laptop open at all times – even if the device is turned off, and one day when I check the plastic panel (LCD FRAME) is separating from the LCD and hinge without any cause (fall, mobility, etc.) called customer service and they told me that this is the most common problem of this device – Self Destruction? I’m worried to even close or bring this to the service center because it might totally disintegrate and DESTROY the screen wires etc. on the way- that might cause me much and out of the service warranty. If ASUS devices are SELF DESTRUCTING, well, better to stay away from this brand, costly, fragile, SUB STANDARD MATERIALS!
Gjoko
November 10, 2016 at 1:07 pm
Yes I have a same problem with my plastic panel of the LCD.
I have Asus K555L, and I agree with you.
Stay away from this brand.
By the way, did you fix the plastic panel?
teddy
December 31, 2016 at 6:52 pm
my wife and son bought me an asus x555ya series,8gb,1tb,but their is no odd,could i install one
Belen
January 15, 2017 at 4:33 pm
Hello. It happened the same to me, the back cover of the K555 detached from the rest of the computer. It is a factory defect because I am always very careful with it and I never dropped it. I need a new back cover to fix the computer but I can't find one. I was wondering if the X555 back cover, which is easier to find, would also fit the K555 notebook. Thanks
JONATHAN P. OYEN
March 1, 2017 at 3:37 pm
I bought two X555LA at the PX when on sale, then used a $30.00 off coupon per unit for an individual price of $269.00 each.
My youngest son has one and I, after putting it on three online sales sites, ended up donating the other one to a young Korean man who teaches at a college.
J
November 24, 2018 at 11:10 pm
I had the same problem as others above. The panel around the screen split open, and the hinge cover across the bottom snapped off, and now the righter hinge doesnt hold up the screen (it's entirely held by the left one alone).
Seeing others articulate the exact same problem means this is obviously a defect. My guess is that it's caused by the heat flowing out from the bottom of the laptop towards the screen – melting the glue and causing it to disintegrate. Very poor design.
I'm a little worried now because the only laptop which fits my needs is the Asus s530, and though I know all models are different, this has made me very suspicious of Asus products.
Andrei Girbea
November 27, 2018 at 10:11 pm
The S530 uses a different hinge design, as you can see in our review over here: https://www.ultrabookreview.com/20827-asus-vivobook-s15-s530-review/ . I can't tell for sure how well that will age, but Asus had hinges problems on multiple of their older series, and hopefully learned their lesson. I haven't heard many complains on the newer design, but that's not necessarily a guarantee