Asus K43U: Breaking the Php20k barrier with AMD C50

We’ve been seeing a number of full-sized (13.3″ and above) laptops that are hovering in the Php20k price range lately (a price range that has been predominantly populated by netbooks). With the introduction of AMD Fusion chipsets, we’re also seeing the big-sized ones entering the Php20k barrier.

I think it started back in June with Asus K-series notebooks powered by an AMD E-350 or C50. Last week, Samsung also introduced their 11.6-inch Series 3 notebooks powered by an AMD E-450 CPU but still in the Php24k range.

This one we saw today from Villman, an Asus K43U, has been around for a couple of months but is already under Php20k.

In fact Villman is offering a special cash price of Php17,500 (though they might change that again, just like what they did with the Dell Streak 5).

Asus K43U-VX018 specs:
14″ display @ 1366×768
AMD C50 1.0GHz
AMD A50M Chipset
AMD Radeon HD 6310
2GB DDR3 RAM (max 8GB)
500GB SATA HDD
Super-Multi DVD
4 -in-1 card reader
VGA webcam
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
Gigabit LAN
3 x USB 2.0 ports
1 x HDMI port
SonicFocus
Altec Lansing speakers
6-cell 5200mAh 56 Whrs battery
No OS
SRP: Php19,990
Special Cash Price: P17,500 (Villman)

The only full-sized laptops we used to see in this price category are the really old ones (EOL).

It’s a little odd to see this configuration that’s originally geared towards netbooks and ultraportables being used for full-sized laptops. The main differentiator, aside from the obvious screen size, would be the inclusion of a built-in optical drive.

Nevertheless, it’s an option that should be a fine welcome to those in a budget or students wanting a fully-functional laptop for basic use.