Micro Express NBL5125 Review: Great Screen, Awful Speakers

At a Glance

Skilled's Evaluation

Pros

Switchable graphics
Bright, flirtatious cover

Cons

Keyboard is uncomfortable, keys are decreased
Speakers are the worst things we've of all time heard

Our Verdict

If you're looking for a multimedia system powerhouse–where "multimedia" doesn't include using the inherent speakers–you should check out this laptop.

Micro Express NBL5125 all-purpose laptop

The Little Express NBL5125 is a basic almost-a-desktop-replacement notebook. This all-purpose laptop is an excellent performer with a nice, bright screen, simply its speakers and keyboard leave something to be desired.

Our review conformation ($799 Eastern Samoa of June 28, 2020) is packed with a 2.5GHz Intel Core i5-2520M processor, 4GB of installed RAM (upgradable to 8GB), and a 320GB disc drive. The 15.6-inch social unit also features an Nvidia GeForce GT 540M discrete graphics card with 1GB of video memory, a built-in webcam and microphone, and a multitouch touchpad, and it runs the 64-morsel version of Windows 7 Home Premium. The NBL5125 is decently affined, with 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a gigabit ethernet left.

In our WorldBench 6 benchmark tests, the Micro Express NBL5125 earned a score of 123, an excellent resultant role for such an cheap laptop. In comparison, the AVADirect Clevo P151HM, which is number ii along our list of top all-purpose notebooks, reached a score of 132, while the total three model, the Gateway ID49C13u, posted a Mark of 106.

The NBL5125 likewise scored pretty well in our graphics tests. In our Unreal Tournament 3 tests, the NBL5125 produced 96 frames per second (superiority settings, at a resolution of 1024 by 768 pixels). Past comparison, the Asus N53SV generated 101 fps with the same settings, piece the Gateway ID49C13u managed single 72 fps with the same settings.

A sturdy plastic shape houses the NBL5125. The unit's cover, successful of shiny angry plastic, sports a tapered edge and a subtle dotted design. Unfortunately, the shiny surface attracts fingerprints like nobody's business.

In other respects the laptop computer is fairly unassuming, with a brushed black wrist rest and a shiny black bezel surrounding the covert. The NBL5125 is only unbranded happening the outside, simply along the inside a small Small State tag sits below the 15.6-inch screen. Aside from the power release, which is set on the top right and illuminated with a white light, a some other "convenience" buttons are ready, including a webcam on/slay switch, a mute button, and a Wisconsin-Fi on-off switch. Over in the top side-left corner is a VGA button, which allows you to turn out the discrete graphics card to maximize assault and battery life.

When it comes to ports, the NBL5125 offers a good selection. It has four total USB ports, and deuce of them are USB 3.0, which is always a nice touch. The NBL5125 likewise provides VGA and HDMI-out ports, gigabit ethernet, an eSATA port wine, headphone/microphone jacks, and a multiformat card subscriber. As for optical drives, you get just a underlying DVD-RW drive, which is pretty much what I expected.

The laptop is a bit connected the heavy side, considering that it has only a 15.6-inch covert. The entire thing weighs 5.8 pounds aside itself; add the power brick, and IT's a hefty 6.9 pounds. The NBL5125 measures 14.7 by 9.9 by 1.6 inches, which is large just not unmanageable.

The large keyboard takes up much of the indoor, referable the included number pad. The keyboard is an "island-style" keyboard, which means that the keys are separate and widely spaced. I usually the like island-style keys, but I found this keyboard knotty to type on: The keys were small and hard to press, and that combination caused my fingers to slip disconnected perpetually. The multitouch touchpad is flatness black, which makes it easy to distinguish from the touched articulatio radiocarpea-rest surface. Below the touchpad are two discrete mouse buttons, which are uncomplicated to press but give little feedback. A fingermark subscriber is jammed between the ii buttons.

The NBL5125's 15.6-edge in, lustrelessness-surface LCD has an LED backlight and a endemic resolve of 1600 past 900 pixels. The screen is big and extremely bright–in earnest, you can take this baby outside in direct sun, and you'll have no more problems doing your work. Colors look good, the contrast is decent, and the off-axis screening angles are acceptable (the horizontal angle is slimly better than the vertical angle).

If you wish medicine–or sound, or hearing things in common–do yourself a favor and do not even endeavour to mind to the speakers on the NBL5125. This motorcar honestly has the worst speakers I've e'er listened to, even for a laptop. The speakers are located on the bottom front of the system, and their effect is worse than your customary "tinny" or "not full enough"–the audio sounds as if Micro Express took some cheap headphones that airlines give away, shoved 'em into the data processor, and then turned the volume completely the elbow room upwards. The sound has no fullness to speak of, and information technology's strangely distorted. Gratuitous to say, you'll absolutely demand to plug some headphones into this laptop if you want to hear to anything at all.

The Little Express NBL5125 is a adequate laptop if you ignore the filthy speakers. I love the big, bright screen, but overall the system is a bit bulky for something that isn't a truthful desktop refilling.