The Asus F555LA-AB31 is a modestly priced mid-range desktop replacement laptop with the latest 5th Gen Intel Core i3 processor, 15.6-inch Full HD non-touch display, performance Better than average graphics, and elegant design.
The Asus F555LA-AB31 is a budget-friendly Windows 10 laptop if you’re looking for a desktop replacement laptop that will always be in one place, like on your home office desk, most of the time up. It comes with an Intel i3-5010u processor, 4GB RAM, 500GB hard drive, regular HD display, and Windows 10.
However, it has to trade some points for its powerful 15.6-inch screen, namely the lack of a flash drive and no touch screen (but for the price it is acceptable). However, the ASUS F555LA-AB31 seems to be a suitable choice thanks to the 5th Gen Intel Core i3-5010U Processor, pre-installed Windows 10, Full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution, and a collection of ports rich among other nice.
Design And Features
The ASUS F555LA-AB31 comes in at about 1 x 15 x 10 inches (HWD), and with a light weight of 5.1 pounds it probably won’t just slide into your pocket the way a few magazines do. Almost every other system in this same price band feels a bit massive once you set it next to the F555LA-AB31, though you might still prefer the Asus VivoBook 15 in the same general area. Besides the size, the whole thing has a sort of clean, polished look, a matte finish on the gray palm area and concentric circles on a few other surfaces, which are nice for scratch resistance and fingerprints too.
The 15.6-inch screen on the F555LA-AB31 reaches 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) at maximum resolution, and it shows bright colors along with crisp, easy to read text. Since it’s a non-touch panel, photos, videos, and games tend to look sharper and clearer. For graphics, it uses Intel HD 5500, which is an upgrade over the earlier Intel HD 4400—still it’s not a gaming powerhouse, more like it’s comfortable for older titles running smoothly (for example Battlefield 4 around 30fps, give or take), and the newer games can be played if you dial the settings down to very low.
The non-backlit keyboard with 10 Numpad keys is ergonomically designed and comfortable, and with IceCool technology, your palm rest stays cool – never in uncomfortable temperatures. Loudspeakers and ASUS SonicMaster deliver clearer sound and deeper bass – better than most budget PCs.
Display
The ASUS F555LA-AB31 i ncl udes a 15.6-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080) screen and honestly it’s a pretty standout thing for money like this. The panel gives solid sharpness and clarity, so for web browsing, document work, even streaming it feels fairly comfortable. Colors look decently faithful, and brightness is enough for indoor lighting, not, you know, some crazy bright outdoor situation.
Still, the viewing angles aren’t that wide, which is pretty usual for a budget laptop using a TN panel. If you move your head around the colors can start to drift, and the contrast tends to flatten. Even with that downside, the Full HD resolution is a nice bonus because it really improves the overall look while you’re using it.
Performance
Inside, the ASUS F555LA-AB31 runs on an Intel Core i3-5010U , it’s a dual-core CPU built on the Broadwell architecture. It runs at a 2.1 GHz base clock, and there’s no Turbo Boost support. For memory, you get 4GB of DDR3 RAM, plus a 500GB 5400 RPM traditional hard drive, so you’re basically getting straightforward everyday capability, not anything fancy.
In day to day life the laptop handles web browsing, word processing, and media playback without much drama. Microsoft Office, and browsers with several tabs can move along fine, though once you try heavier stuff like video editing or gaming, it quickly falls outside what it can do. Also 4GB of RAM is kind of the bare minimum for Windows 10, so if you multitask too much, slowdowns may show up and it can feel a bit sluggish, especially when a bunch of apps are open at once.
The built in Intel HD Graphics 5500 should be ok for basic visual work, like everyday browsing, but it really cannot take on current games or the heavy visual stuff. You might get through some casual games and older titles if you lower the settings a lot, though honestly this laptop isn’t meant for gaming , not even close.
Keyboard and Touchpad
The ASUS F555LA-AB31 keyboard kind of feels like it has most of what you’d expect, it’s full sized and it even includes a numeric keypad as well, which comes in handy if you spend a lot of time on numbers. The keys are spaced well enough and they also have a decent amount of travel , so typing ends up feeling pretty comfortable. The keycaps have a matte surface , so you get fewer noticeable fingerprints and smudges. On the flip side it’s not back lit though, so working in darker rooms can get annoying pretty fast.
The touchpad is pretty large and it does multi touch gestures, so moving around the operating system is easy. The surface seems smooth and the response is quick , however the precision isn’t quite on par with pricier laptops. The mouse buttons are integrated into the touchpad area , and they can feel a bit stiff, but they still work properly and you get decent feedback when you press them.
Ports And Storage
Connectivity is basically what you expect on a budget laptop, you get 2 USB 3.0 ports and also 1 USB 2.0 port, plus HDMI out, a VGA port that’s meant for an external display, an audio jack, Ethernet, Wi‑Fi, and a 3‑in‑1 card reader (MMC/SD/MS). There are also the usual add‑ons: 802.11ac wireless which can run up to three times quicker than 802.11bgn, plus Gigabit Ethernet through an RJ‑45 connector. You’ll find Bluetooth 4.0 too, and a Super Multi DL DVD±RW/CD‑RW optical drive.
Inside is a 1TB 5,400rpm hard drive, which probably offers plenty of storage space for your files, although yesterday 5,400rpm was too long and 7,200rpm would have been better. Plus, add 4GB of storage and you have a laptop suitable for everyday use. All of these are upgradable, with RAM reaching up to 16GB when supported by the processor, while you can swap out a traditional hard drive for a faster solid-state drive (SSD).
Configuration
With a 2.1GHz Intel “Broadwell” Core i3-5010U, Intel HD graphics, and 4GB of RAM, the system isn’t the most powerful, but it does the numbers that matter – basic everyday computing. This combination makes it possible for the system to handle a mix of light multimedia usage, Web browsing, and productivity without issue.
During testing, I managed to multitask by browsing the Web in Google Chrome, being able to stream the latest episode of “Minutes from Disaster” at 1080p from YouTube while simultaneously importing my account. data in OpenOffice.
To test its resilience, I pushed it a little higher with more browser tabs, and felt squished at nine tabs, but was still able to import documents without any serious lag. This is on par with its direct competitors including the Acer Aspire 1, although the latter offers impressive battery life, an eighth-generation processor, and the inclusion of a Type-C port.
The graphics card here is Intel HD Integrated – I just hope you love Solitaire, as this card can’t play any complex games. It’s fine for some Facebook and Flash games, though, but don’t expect much more from this budget system. Other than that, you have a webcam that matches Skype and other video call services, and it doesn’t promise anything beyond that.
Battery life
When it comes to battery life, the laptop ran for 4 hours and 8 minutes, which in the test meant nonstop video playback at full HD, plus multi-tab browsing the whole time. Honestly, that’s pretty impressive for a budget setup, but sure, the competition does better. Take the Acer Aspire E15, for instance it lasted 10 hours and 45 minutes, which is basically enough to sail through a full workday or even a Netflix binge without constantly hunting for a charger.
Audio and Webcam
The ASUS F555LA-AB31 comes with stereo speakers sitting above the keyboard. For what it is, the sound is okay, the mids and highs come through pretty clearly. Still though, the bass feels thin, and the max volume is kinda underwhelming. They’re totally workable for casual listening, watching videos, or quick video calls, but if you want a more enjoyable audio experience, external speakers or headphones are the smarter move.
On the webcam side, the laptop uses a VGA camera. It’s basic, so for everyday video calls the picture is serviceable. But by today’s standards the resolution is low, so you end up with images that look grainy, and a bit pixelated. It’s fine for occasional conferencing, yet if video calls are frequent, a separate webcam with higher resolution and cleaner image quality will likely be more satisfying.
Thermals and Noise
Managing heat really matters, and the ASUS F555LA-AB31 does a pretty solid job of it, though not perfectly. This model uses just one cooling fan, and it somehow keeps the temperatures in a decent range during normal day to day work. While doing lighter tasks, the fan noise stays pretty low , kind of easy to ignore, yet once you push it with heavier workloads the sound becomes more present, almost like it wakes up.
During our thermal tests , CPU temperatures sat roughly around 60-70°C for regular use. When we put the system under stress, it climbed to about 85°C. The palm rest and the keyboard zone also stayed relatively mild, so typing feels comfortable rather than hot or distracting. The plastic chassis does not shed heat like metal would, but overall the thermal balance is still satisfactory for a budget class laptop , even with that limitation.
Software and Additional Features
The ASUS F555LA-AB31 ships with Windows 10 Home already installed so you kind of get a familiar and friendly interface right away. Also, ASUS throws in a few utilities and stuff, for example ASUS Splendid, which lets you fine tune the display parameters, so it looks a bit more pleasant. There’s also ASUS Smart Gesture, which improves touchpad use with adjustable motions and other small controls.
As for extra software, there is not much bloat, which is a nice change, since it leaves more storage for your own apps and files. That said, it still includes some pre-loaded third party programs , the kind you can remove if you do not want them, as is usually the case with Windows laptops in general.
Conclusion
The ASUS F555LA-AB31 has enough features and performance to stand out as a above-average entry in the low-cost desktop replacement laptop class. It brings strong overall performance, solid build quality and design, plenty of storage capacity, and a full HD screen that’s easy to read. Still, the Acer Aspire E5-576-392H keeps our Editors’ Choice badge since it turns in noticeably better performance, mainly thanks to its 8th-generation processor, a good number of ports and battery life that lasts longer.
If you are working with a tight budget, and you need a 15-inch laptop for light college work or everyday office tasks, plus browsing, checking Facebook, or just doing word processing, the ASUS F555LA- AB31 is a pretty easy pick to suggest. It’s kind of a straightforward match.
Asus F555LA-AB31 15.6-Inch Laptop (2.1 GHz Core i3-5010U Processor,4 GB RAM,500 GB Hard Drive, Windows 10), Black: Buy it now
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Tech Reviewer & Product Analyst
Định Bia has spent over 10 years testing consumer electronics with a focus on smart technology. He work as a product advisor at Biareview where he helped customers find the right devices for their needs. He personally tests every product featured on this site using a consistent evaluation framework covering quality, durability, and value. All reviews are based on experience, not influenced by the manufacturer.