ASUS S400CA 14-Inch Laptop (OLD VERSION)
$249.95
Price: $249.95
(as of Jan 06, 2025 07:38:41 UTC – Details)
Intel Core i5 3317U 1.7 GHz
4 GB DDR3
Hard Drive- 500 GB, Flash memory – 24 GB SSD
14.0-Inch Screen
Windows 8, 5-hour battery life
Customers say
Customers find the laptop offers good value for money. It has a nice touch screen and multi-gesture mouse pad. Many of them appreciate its lightweight design and portability. However, some have mixed opinions on its functionality and WiFi connectivity.
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2 reviews for ASUS S400CA 14-Inch Laptop (OLD VERSION)
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Tim –
Fantastic laptop for budget-conscious with decent power and portability
Summary: This is a perfect laptop for budget-conscious folks who want decent power and portability at a low-cost.So far, I believe this to be one of the best bangs for your buck in terms of thin/light PC laptops. I was personally also looking at the Aspire S3 which was in a similar price range and about 1 lb lighter. I’ll list my primary reasons for purchase and how I chose between the two later:My primary criteria for selection with a new laptop:* A 3rd generation i5 or higher/later (and I checked passmark.com on benchmarks repeatedly, debating with myself)* At least 4GB RAM (upgradeable to higher preferred obviously)* Either 13.3″ or 14″ screen-size – to me, this is the sweet-spot for functional and portable* Portability/lightness* Fast boot-up* Minimum of 4.5 hrs battery life (e.g. a flight coast-to-coast in the U.S., not including take-off/landing)* PC – Windows; and despite the concern over Win 8.x, I preferred to get the latest OS just out of longevity* USB 3.0 port(s), HDMI; an RJ45 (preferred, just for wired situations)* Cost: In the $500 range or lower* Something that should hopefully last at least 2 years with reasonable performanceIt was a really tough battle for me to decide between this and the Acer Aspire S3 (391-6811), but here were my deciding factors between this and the S3:- Touchscreen- Upgradeability for RAM (8GB max vs. S3’s 4GB max)- Slightly higher price for S3 with similar internal specs (at least when I purchased)The competing S3 was lighter, has a slightly better CPU (i5-3337 vs. i5-3317) and probably a better wi-fi card. I loved the form factor on the S3 too, but am pretty fond of the S400CA’s looks too now. Both were upgradeable in terms of changing to a full-on Solid State Drive (SSD)– but for the value, the S400CA seemed like too good a deal to pass up. Obviously, I’d prefer a true SSD, but the Hybrid SSD (which is present in both models) does work decently well in boot-ups at least in my first week of use.The Cons – everything always has some trade-offs; I personally found these acceptable:- WiFi card isn’t the greatest; some other comments have mentioned this. It is replaceable for relatively cheap though.- Resolution: it’s pretty much ‘standard’ resolution, but definitely many premier ultrabooks have way better (again, price is a factor)- You will almost certainly have to do a lot of Windows updates (first on Windows 8.0, and then to 8.1) after purchasing. I am not used to Windows 8.x myself, but am growing to get used to it honestly. I don’t think it’s as bad as some people say, though my two cents is that I wish it integrated with non-Microsoft stuff better – e.g. Google Calendar (which I use frequently)- At about 4 lbs, it isn’t the lightest laptop (though definitely light enough IMHO)- 2 of the 3 USB ports are USB 2.0 for whatever reason (but at least one of them was made into USB 3.0, right?)- Yes, the screen lid and the screen itself does get smudgy. Not a deal killer in my opinion as of yet.Also, may not be relevant for everyone and mileage may vary, but I ordered on a Sunday from Amazon as a Prime member with two-day shipping. This may not happen for everyone, but I was pleasantly surprised when it not only shipped on Sunday, but arrived at my house the next day (Monday). That has got to be one of the most incredible, fastest buy-to-receive times I’ve ever had without paying for one-day shipping. Thank you, Amazon!If you’re trying to get a laptop on budget, to me, this seems like a good deal. If anything bad happens, I’ll try to update my review though. You generally get what you pay for, but in my opinion, you’re getting a strong value for this package.
Timothy –
Honest Review without any Bias
This laptop will end up on the books as a solid four-star ultrabook unless various “picky” reviewers show up and start downgrading the notebook below that, which can happen. However, as a fairly proficient PC user and one that has never been a “gamer” and thus I have never needed the high-end money laptops I have always searched for an affordable, fast, and stylish laptop that would see be pushing strong after 2 years of solid productivity use. This laptop is an absolute BARGAIN (I got it at 479.00). Anyone that thinks they could get anything with this package for less or the same is not being truthful. I spend hours researched, watching youtube reviews, and etc. I already knew ahead of time based upon reviews what to expect (pro and con) thus I wasn’t upset or surprised.PROS:Very Thin and Stylish3rd Generation i5 processor (never go with Celeron or AMD chips, stick with i3-i7. I chose i5 because my other laptop which my wife is getting is a solid i3 so I needed an upgrade)Hybrid SSD Hard Drive (this isn’t a full out SSD drive which reflects in the cost. You could easily purchase a full SSD for around 150 but it isn’t necessary. This drive does what you need it to do in efficiency and speed. Anyone going from HDD standalone to this will think they are in heaven)Screen Size: Love the 14 inch screen. This is of course what adds a bit more weight to this than other ultrabooks…however I am amused when I see people acting like 4lb total weight is like lugging around a desktop computer)Black Aluminum Top: I don’t find it to be a “fingerprint magnet” as many have described. I expected huge greasy smudges after touching it. Yes fingerprints show but not in the greasy way you envision. I don’t find this a big deal at all.Touchscreen: Takes a little getting used to at first. Found the screen to be very solid and doesn’t really shake when using the touchscreen features. Reflection and glare isn’t an issue to me because I typically don’t type and work on a laptop out in the park under a blazing sun. This shows fingerprints more than the cover but any touchscreen you use will do that.Fan Noise: Absolutely ZERO. This is one of the quietest laptops I have ever owned.Heat: Like any laptop it will give off heat but I don’t find it giving off a ton of heat at all like others I have owned. I always use an aluminum cooler for laptops.Windows 8: Ok I know that I am listing this under “pros” but it isn’t really a con or a pro for me. I personally like Windows 7 better but you can immediately install “START8” which gives you the desktop you typically would use in windows 7 or Ultra. I don’t need all the extra apps and fluff that Windows 8 uses. However, you get two start menus basically side by side when using “Start 8.” One is the APPS screen which you use your touchscreen for and the other is the classic start menu. However…immediately upgrade to the 8.1 version of Windows 8. I found that it fixed a few software kinks I was having.MEMORY: The 4GB memory was fine but I went ahead and ordered 4 GB more (Corsair Vengeance 4GB DDR3 1600mhz (PC3 12800) for around 35 dollars. Very easy to install. Search youtube for a video that shows how to install it. BE SURE YOU are grounded on something so you don’t get static output from your hands to the internal components. However, it is PLUG and PLAY memory…super easy…now I have 8GB!)CONS:Wireless: Ok…PLAN ON ORDERING A REPLACEMENT INTERNAL ADAPTER. Just trust me. Every review practically states this and most internet searches reveal major issues with Atheros Qualcomm adapters. I ordered the ($33.99) Intel 7260HMW IEEE 802.11AC, dual-band, 2×2 Wi-Fi – OEM from Newegg since it is a little cheaper and actually ships from the company whereas amazon ships from an external company. Trust me…ORDER THIS! It’s either that or plan on sending the laptop in to get them to either replace it with another junky Atheros model and wait all that extra time or be prepared 😉 )Keyboard: Ok…it isn’t a big deal at all and not a true CON. The keyboard is a little more spongy I guess than other keyboards I’ve used. However, I’m not a hard key banger so I don’t have issues. If you are a huge key slammer you may have to get used to the keyboard. Other than that…I type great with it and don’t mind it at all.TRACKPAD: This one takes a little getting used to for me. It is much more sensitive than other laptops I use. However…it is manageable. Just not the old drag and scrape pushpad I consider older laptops to have. Very sensitive and so you learn to just easily use your fingers and no problem. The “click” parts on the bottom of the track pad (right and left) have a little more “click” to them. You will see what I mean when you get the laptop.CONCLUSION:This is only four stars because of the WIFI needs to be replaced which ASUS should take care of. However, I promise you, for the price you cannot find a better laptop with the i5, hybrid SSD, the ability to upgrade to 8gb ram, the style, thinness, touchpad, etc. This is hands down one of the best laptops I have owned in this price range. I would take this any day over many of the other laptops which are higher priced. If anything changes I’ll let you know!