Three months after Intel launched its Core i3, Core i5, and Core i7 processors, we still haven't seen modestly-priced lightweight and ultraportable laptops that don't sacrifice power for battery life. While the somewhat expensive Editors' Choice Sony VAIO VPC-Z116GXS ($1,800 direct, ) and Lenovo ThinkPad X201 ($1,625 direct, ) both come equipped with an Intel Core i5 CPU, affordable alternatives that run on these processors are woefully scarce. That's why the metal-clad Asus U30Jc-A1 is a welcome addition to the market: It's 13 inches of pure muscle, running on a Core i3 processor and two GPUs—an Intel integrated chipset and an Nvidia GeForce 310M graphics card. And because it scored 8 hours of battery life and does all of this for a delectable price ($899 list), handing it the Editors' Choice in the mainstream laptop category is a no-brainer.

Design
What people probably don't realize is that Asus has more aluminum-clad laptops than Apple, including the UL30A-A1 ($775 street, ), UL80Vt-A1 ($823 street, ), and UL50VF-A1 ($850 street, ). The U30Jc-A1 is just one of many that uses attractive metals on the lid and all over the palm rests (the rest of the body is made of plastics), whereas the Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch ($1,199.00 Direct, ) is completely covered in them. The U30Jc-A1 is a thicker laptop than the Asus UL80Vt and Asus UL50VF-A1 because a standard-voltage Core i3 processor requires more cooling (thus, bigger heat sinks) than a low-voltage one. For this reason, not to mention a big battery (84WH), the U30Jc-A1 weighs 4.7 pounds, about as much as the 4.6-pound MacBook Pro 13-inch (4.6 lbs) and 4.8-pound Dell Inspiron i1464-4382OBK ($749.98 list, ).

Features
In terms of physical size, the U30Jc-A1's 13.3-inch widescreen has as much workspace as the MacBook Pro 13-inch, despite having different screen resolutions (both are considered WXGA). A 14-inch widescreen, as seen on the Dell i1464-4382OBK and HP Pavilion dv4-2153cl ($749.99 list, ) would be the next size up. The Asus UL50VF-A1 bumps it up even further with a 15.6-inch screen and weighs about as much as the U30Jc-A1.

The island-style keyboard means the U30Jc-A1's square keys are non-interconnecting. It's not a traditional keyboard, like the one found in the Dell i1464 and HP dv4-2153cl, and it doesn't have a backlit function like the one on the MacBook Pro 13-inch. The mouse buttons are in the shape of a single chrome bar, which is click-friendly but picks up fingerprints in the process.

The feature set is the least exciting part about the U30Jc-A1. It has the essentials, like the three USB ports, an HDMI-Out, an SD slot, and a dual-layer DVD burner. A Webcam is placed above the screen, and timeless ports like VGA-Out and Ethernet are both present. It's missing a critical slot like ExpressCard, which you can find in many laptops. And while its 320GB hard drive is above average, the Dell Inspiron i1464 ships with a 500GB one.

Performance
Performance is the most exciting part. While everyone is anxiously waiting for Apple to update the MacBook Pro with new processors, the U30Jc-A1 is already running on the latest 2.27GHz Intel Core i3-350M processor. It's a higher-clocking Core i3 processor than the 2.13GHz Core i3 330M found in the HP dv4-2153cl and Dell i1464, and it easily trumps (in terms of speed) the ultra low voltage processors found in the UL30A-A1 and the UL50VF-A1. Paired with 4GB of DDR3 memory, the U30Jc-A1 (0:54) finished the video encoding tests in 54 seconds, outperforming the Dell i1464 (0:59) and HP dv4-2153cl (1:37). It also took top honors in PCMark Vantage (5,068) and Cinebench R10 (7,062) tests. But you'd expect that from a higher-clocked processor.

The U30Jc-A1 has other clear-cut advantages. For instance, it leverages two GPUs: One integrated (from Intel), and the other a discrete chipset—an Nvidia GeForce 310M (512MB). Switching between the two GPUs isn't done in the traditional sense, where you would have to flip a physical switch or make a change in the software. With Nvidia's Optimus technology, a proprietary software driver handles the switching seamlessly.

Each GPU has its own assignment, one dedicated to preserving battery life and the other to handle 3D-intensive tasks like gaming and watching HD videos. Among its peers, the U30Jc-A1, using the Nvidia chip, tallied the best scores in 3DMark06, Crysis, and World in Conflict tests. It's a better gaming machine than the Dell i1464 and the HP dv4-2153cl, both of which run on integrated graphics only.

When you're not 3D gaming or watching HD content, the U30Jc-A1 kicks into integrated graphics mode, a feature our MobileMark 2007 battery test took full advantage of. The 84WH drained in 8 hours flat, which easily outlasted the Dell i1464 (3:31) and HP dv4-2153cl (3:13).

The Asus U30Jc-A1 is one of the first 13-inch lightweight laptops I've seen to feature one of the newest Core i3 Core processors. It is also one of the few systems to take full advantage of Nvidia's Optimus switching technology to score both solid performance and battery benchmarks. It's as close to a complete package you will get in the 13-inch space, without spending an arm and a leg.

BENCHMARK TEST RESULTS
Check out the test scores for the Asus U30Jc-A1

COMPARISON TABLE
Compare the Asus U30Jc-A1 with several other laptops side by side.