ASUS have gathered some great user reviews with their 2-in-1 detachable series, the Transformer Book Chi, a sleek and rather versatile slim convertible notebook that will work great as an ultraportable device for those who don’t need a lot of computing power.
Review
The model we’re reviewing today is the T300CHI-F1-DB, the more affordable one from the two versions currently available. We think this is the one to go for, since it offers a balanced mix of processing power and battery life. Also, the price is very attractive for a 2-in-1 detachable. The ASUS Transformer Book Chi will work in 4 different modes: standard notebook, detached tablet, attached tablet and tent.
With a weight of just 3 pounds and a thickness of a sixth of an inch, the T300 Chi is a great travel mate to carry around wherever you go. Furthermore, the battery life is sufficient for a full day of usage without needing to charge it.
The battery stats are even more impressive considering it has a brilliant, Full HD display on a 12.5″ screen built with Zero Air Gap technology and scratch and shock resistant Corning Concore Glass.
The hardware it comes with is standing out as powerful enough to run many programs and apps simultaneously without a real thirst for energy. The processor is an Intel Core M-5Y10, which is specifically produced for ultraportable and lightweight devices. It has a cache size of 4 megabytes, a thermal design power of just 4.5 watts and a surprisingly high benchmark score of just under 2900 points. This detail alone makes the ASUS Transformer Book Chi T300CHI-F1-DB worthy of serious consideration when searching for a detachable 2-in-1.
The Acer has 4 gigabytes of system memory available. It’s not impressive, but it’s an adequate amount for the tasks it was designed for, such as browsing the internet, writing emails, moderate multitasking, media playing and other low to medium resource draining activities.
Check prices and read user reviews about the Transformer Chi on Amazon
Storage space may be insufficient for some users, since it has a 128 gigabytes iSSD. However, considering the advantages a small factor M.2 solid state drive comes with like decreased latency, improved access times and increased energy efficiency, I’d say the trade-off is equitable, especially since it supports SD cards up to 128 gigabytes. If you want to learn more about the small sized iSSD, check out a presentation brochure published by Sandisk.
Other interesting features we’ll find on the ASUS Transformer Book Chi are: Miracast (HDMI over WiFi) support, Stylus Pen support, machined aluminum chassis and a good looking backlit keyboard.
Technical Specifications
[table width =”100%” style =”table-simple table-hover” responsive =”true” class=”customtable”]
[table_head]
[th_column]Product[/th_column]
[th_column]ASUS Transformer Book Chi (T300CHI-F1-DB)[/th_column]
[/table_head]
[table_body]
[table_row]
[row_column]PROCESSOR[/row_column]
[row_column][/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]CPU Name[/row_column]
[row_column]Intel Core M-5Y10[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]CPU Type[/row_column]
[row_column]Dual Core[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]CPU Speed[/row_column]
[row_column]0.8 GHz up to 2.0 GHz[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]CPU Cache[/row_column]
[row_column]4 MB[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]SYSTEM MEMORY[/row_column]
[row_column][/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Installed Memory[/row_column]
[row_column]4 GB[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Maximum Memory[/row_column]
[row_column]4 GB[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Memory Type[/row_column]
[row_column]LPDDR3 @ 1600 MHz[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Total Memory Slots[/row_column]
[row_column]unknown[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]STORAGE[/row_column]
[row_column][/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Storage Capacity[/row_column]
[row_column]128 GB[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Storage Type[/row_column]
[row_column]iSSD[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Storage Technology[/row_column]
[row_column]SATA[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]DISPLAY[/row_column]
[row_column][/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Screen Size[/row_column]
[row_column]12.5″[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Screen Type[/row_column]
[row_column]Touchscreen LCD[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Screen Technology[/row_column]
[row_column]IPS, Corning Concore Glass[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Screen Resolution[/row_column]
[row_column]1920 x 1080[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Aspect Ratio[/row_column]
[row_column]16:9[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Touchscreen[/row_column]
[row_column]Yes[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]GRAPHICS[/row_column]
[row_column][/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Graphics Processing Unit[/row_column]
[row_column]Intel HD Graphics 5300[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Graphic Card Type[/row_column]
[row_column]Integrated[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Graphics Memory[/row_column]
[row_column]Shared[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]AUDIO & VIDEO[/row_column]
[row_column][/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Audio Technology[/row_column]
[row_column]ASUS SonicMaster[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Speakers[/row_column]
[row_column]2 x 2 W stereo speakers[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Webcam[/row_column]
[row_column]Yes, 2 MP[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]NETWORK AND COMMUNICATION[/row_column]
[row_column][/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Wireless LAN[/row_column]
[row_column]802.11 a/b/g/n dual band[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Bluetooth[/row_column]
[row_column]Bluetooth 4.0[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Ethernet[/row_column]
[row_column]No[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]INTERFACE[/row_column]
[row_column][/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]USB Ports[/row_column]
[row_column]1 x USB 3.0[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]HDMI[/row_column]
[row_column]Yes, Micro HDMI[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]VGA[/row_column]
[row_column]No[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Headphone/Mic[/row_column]
[row_column]Audio Combo Jack[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Multi Card Slot[/row_column]
[row_column]Micro SD card slot up to 128 GB[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]LAN (RJ45)[/row_column]
[row_column]No[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]INPUT DEVICES[/row_column]
[row_column][/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Touch Pad / Track Pad[/row_column]
[row_column]Precision Track Pad[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Keyboard[/row_column]
[row_column]Standard Notebook (84 keys)[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Backlit Keyboard[/row_column]
[row_column]No[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]BATTERY[/row_column]
[row_column][/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Battery Type[/row_column]
[row_column]Li-Polymer[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Battery Capacity[/row_column]
[row_column]31 Wh[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Maximum Battery Life[/row_column]
[row_column]Up to 8 hours[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Other Features[/row_column]
[row_column]Active Stylus Pen support
Miracast support[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Operating System[/row_column]
[row_column]Windows 8.1[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Dimensions (W x D x H)[/row_column]
[row_column]12.5″ x 7.5″ x 0.6″[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Weight[/row_column]
[row_column]3.2 lbs[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[/table_body]
[/table]
Scores, Pros and Cons
[row]
[column lg=”4″ md=”12″ sm=”12″ xs=”12″ ]
[progressbar value=”80″ bartype=”progress-bar-info” label=”Performance: 8/10″]
[/column]
[column lg=”4″ md=”12″ sm=”12″ xs=”12″ ]
[progressbar value=”90″ bartype=”progress-bar-success” label=”Functionality: 9/10″]
[/column]
[column lg=”4″ md=”12″ sm=”12″ xs=”12″ ]
[progressbar value=”90″ bartype=”progress-bar-success” label=”Price: 9/10″]
[/column]
[/row]
[list]
[li]Pros[/li]
[li type=”glyphicon-plus”]Good processing power via Intel M Series[/li]
[li type=”glyphicon-plus”]M.2 Solid State Drive[/li]
[li type=”glyphicon-plus”]Thin and lightweight[/li]
[li type=”glyphicon-plus”]Full HD display[/li]
[li type=”glyphicon-plus”]Above average battery life[/li]
[li type=”glyphicon-plus”]Great build quality[/li]
[li]Cons[/li]
[li type=”glyphicon-minus”]System memory size[/li]
[li type=”glyphicon-minus”]No 802.11ac support[/li]
[li type=”glyphicon-minus”]Just one USB port[/li]
[/list]
Final Thoughts
Considering the pros and cons mentioned earlier, I’d say the ASUS Transformer Book Chi T300CHI-F1-DB is a great device capable of surprising even the most demanding users when it comes to portability, features and hardware package.
