The endless proliferation of ASUS-branded laptops is growing by the minute—not that this is a bad thing. In ultraportables alone, the company has four different lines, with countless sub-models belonging to each. The ASUS U6S ($1,700 street) is the company's latest bid at challenging the likes of the Sony VAIO SZ series and the Dell XPS M1330 by cramming in as much raw horsepower as possible without climbing above the 4-pound mark. The standard-voltage processor and nVidia graphics are integral performance enhancers, while its signature leather interior is one of a kind. If only ASUS had paid more attention to the U6S's battery life, it would rank right up there with the Sony and the Dell.

ASUS has made quite a name for itself when it comes to industrial design. The U6S incorporates the same design principles as its ASUS ultraportable brethren, the S6F and the U1F. According to ASUS, the lacquer finish on the mocha-brown lid uses a new technique called "shimmering fiber," wherein blue sparkles are processed into the magnesium alloy cover. But the consistent theme, and an impressive one at that, has been ASUS's knack for integrating leather accents in the interior. The U6S has it draped across the palm rests, conveying the feel of leather car seats even if it's only meant for your hands. I've seen ASUS go as far as putting leather on the lid, a feat few can accomplish because of heat issues.

The U6S has several elements nailed down from an ultraportable perspective. First, it weighs 3.9 pounds (4.9 pounds travel), a welcome weight for frequent flyers. Like the Dell XPS M1330 and the Sony VAIO VGN-SZ791N, it integrates an optical drive, although the Dell's is a sleeker, slot-loading one, while the U6S is a tray-ejecting model. The third element, and a crucial one for typists, is a full-size keyboard. The keys were responsive, but not as responsive as those on the Dell XPS M1330 and the ThinkPad X61 Tablet. I was more alarmed by the mouse buttons, which are basically extensions of the touchpad, whereas the Dell M1330 and the Sony SZ791N have them as separate entities. Pressing the mouse buttons was difficult because doing so moved the touchpad as well.

The U6S's 12-inch LED screen is essentially the same as on the Fujitsu LifeBook P8010. Both are brilliant when you're watching videos or viewing photos, and they're energy savers in the long run. By contrast, the Apple MacBook Air, the Sony SZ791N, and the Dell M1330 have bigger, 13-inch LED screens. As more and more ultraportables emerge this year, LED screens will be the common denominator; the variables will be the screen size.

Besides having an integrated dual-layer DVD burner, the ASUS U6S is one of only two ultraportables to load an HDMI port—an ideal video-out option that streams both digital video and audio. The only other ultraportable to sport HDMI-out is the Dell M1330. Its four ports—impressive for an ultraportable—beat the heck out of the single USB port on the Apple MacBook Air. The U6S doesn't, however, have a FireWire port, which you can find on the Sony SZ791N, the Dell M1330, the Fujitsu P8010, and the Acer Ferrari 1100. Although both Wi-Fi (802.11n) and Bluetooth come standard on this system, I would have liked an option for a cellular modem, like Verizon's EV-DO, which ASUS doesn't offer on any of its laptops.

ASUS did everything right in selecting parts for raw performance on this ultraportable. The components are on a par with those of the Dell M1330 and the Sony SZ791N in that the U6S runs a standard-voltage processor—a 2.2-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7500—rather than the low-voltage (LV) and ultra-low-voltage (ULV) stuff that hampers performance over time. The Sony SZ791N bested the U6S by 13 percent on SYSmark 2007 Preview Overall scores because it has a new-generation Intel Penryn processor core. The U6S and the Dell M1330 have previous-generation Merom processors. Combined with 2GB of RAM, the U6S produced a very good SYSmark 2007 Preview Overall score. It easily beat out the Fujitsu P8010, which has a 1.2-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo L7100 low-voltage processor.

Broader game compatibility is another bragging point for the U6S, thanks to its nVidia GeForce 8400M GS graphics card. This same card is also available on the Dell M1330 and Sony SZ791N. Although a discrete option like the 8400M GS will undoubtedly deliver a richer gaming experience than integrated graphics, it's not enough to play games like World in Conflict and Crysis. The U6S's 3DMark score surpassed that of the Acer Ferrari 1100, with its ATI chipset, by 170 percent, but couldn't catch up to those of the Sony SZ791N, falling behind by almost 10 percent. One big drawback to loading powerful performance parts like these is that battery life takes a huge hit. The Sony SZ791N (63 Wh) and the Dell M1330 (85 Wh) come with big batteries to offset this issue. The U6S's 53-Wh battery produced only 2 hours 4 minutes on MobileMark 2007 tests, clearly not enough for an ultraportable.

Because of its faster parts, the U6S's energy consumption is higher than that of ultraportables that use low-voltage processors, like the Fujitsu LifeBook P8010 and the Apple MacBook Air. The 26W it consumed in idle mode is almost double that of Energy Star 4.0's maximum requirements, which explains why it is not certified for Energy Star. The same goes for EPEAT certification, because of the system's power draw. It does, however, follow RoHS standards for recycling.

The U6S is part of a growing list of ultraportables being introduced by ASUS, a powerful OEM and retail brand. Its knack for industrial design is comparable to that of companies like Apple and Sony, while the powerful innards reflect the philosophies of the Sony SZ791N and the Dell M1330. The one drawback that might raise some eyebrows is that ASUS failed to put in a big enough battery to offset the power drain from the Core 2 Duo T7500 processor and the nVidia discrete graphics.

Check out the ASUS U6S's test scores.

More Notebook Reviews: