The rise of software distribution over the Internet and content streaming services have greatly reduced the value of optical disc drives for the average consumer. At the same time, the trend towards thinner laptops persuaded PC makers to remove ODDs from notebooks. As a result, it is now rather uncommon to find a new mobile PC with a BD or DVD drive, a pity for those with large collections of discs. But optical drives aren't entirely dead quite yet, and to address the market for customers who still need a drive, ASUS Japan this week introduced its X545FA laptop, an Intel Comet Lake-based machine that includes a DVD drive.
The ASUS X545FA notebook is equipped with a 15.6-inch Full-HD display and comes in a "Slate Gray" or "Transparent Silver" body that is 23 mm thick. In line with other machines in this class, the laptop weighs 1.9 kilograms. At the heart of the mobile PC are Intel's 10th gen quad-core Core i3-10110U and Core i7-10510U processors with built-in Intel UHD graphics, accompanied by up to 8 GB of DDR4 SDRAM, and a 512 GB M.2 PCIe 3.0 x2 SSD.
The system comes with a Super Multi DVD drive that can read and burn various types of CD and DVD media. Meanwhile, DVD playback software is not included. Yes, you read that right, it's just a DVD drive in 2020, lacking support for more modern Blu-ray discs. We're not too sure what ASUS' rationale here is - it's possible DVDs are still very popular in Japan?
On the connectivity side of matters, the X545FA notebook supports Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth, GbE, USB, HDMI, microSD, and an audio jack. As for multimedia, the laptop features a webcam, stereo speakers, and a microphone array. In addition, the machine has a fingerprint reader.
ASUS says that its X545FA notebook can work for 6.7 ~ 6.8 hours on one charge. This is below what you expect from a modern 15.6-inch class machine, but which may indicate that the manufacturer largely positions the notebook as a cheap desktop replacement machine rather than a PC for work on the go.
Depending on exact SKU, the ASUS X545FA costs from ¥77,556 to ¥99,818 ($705 – $908) without tax.
| The ASUS X545FA Notebooks | ||
| X545FA-BQ140T X545FA-BQ075T X545FA-BQ139T X545FA-BQ138T | ||
| Display | 15.6-inch 1920×1080 | |
| CPU | Intel Core i3-10110U Intel Core i7-10510U | |
| Graphics | Intel UHD Graphics | |
| RAM | 8 GB | |
| SSD | 512 GB PCIe 3.0 x2 SSD | |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) | |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.0 | |
| USB | 1 × USB 2.0 Type-A 2 × USB 3.0 Type-A | |
| GbE | GbE | |
| Card Reader | microSD | |
| Other I/O | HDMI, microphone, stereo speakers, audio jack | |
| Battery | 6.7 ~ 6.8 hours | |
| Dimensions | Width: 360.2 mm Depth: 234.8 mm Thickness: 23 mm | |
| Weight | 1.9 kilograms | |
| Additional Information | Slate Gray or Transparent Silver body | |
| Price | Fom ¥77,556 to ¥99,818 without tax From $705 to $908 without tax | |
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