Reviews Fujitsu LIFEBOOK U554. Storage devices

N laptops from the Japanese company Fujitsu have considerable success among similar laptops. What can we say about compact ultra-thin devices, which are really in demand among a fairly wide audience. We repeatedly got acquainted with the laptops of the LIFEBOOK U line. Among them were Fujitsu LIFEBOOK U772, LIFEBOOK U574 and U904, and the latter two were equipped touch display. Each of these models can hardly be called budget, and the style of execution here can be seen in the best possible way: the body of the mentioned devices perfectly combines black and red colors.

Now it’s the turn to get acquainted with another representative of ultra-thin laptops - Fujitsu LIFEBOOK U554. Like the U574, it is 13.3-inch, runs on a fourth-generation dual-core low-voltage processor Intel Core i5-4200U. There are many similarities between these models, for example, DTS Boost acoustics, lack discrete graphics. Well, let's try to understand the features of LIFEBOOK U554 in order to exclude the possibility of calling it a clone of the U574 model.

Specifications

CPU:	Intel Core i5-4200U 1600 MHz
RAM:	4 GB DDR3 1600 MHz
Data storage:	500 GB HDD 5400 rpm
Display:	13.3" 1366x768 WXGA LED, matte
Video card:	Intel HD Graphics 4400
Drive unit:	absent
Wireless connection:	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0+HS
Audio:	DTS Boost, 2 speakers
Interfaces:	2xUSB 3.0, USB 2.0, HDMI, SD/MS/MSPro/SDXC card reader, SIM card slot, combined audio jack
Additionally:	1.3 MP webcam
Battery:	4-cell lithium polymer 2840 mAh
Dimensions, weight:	322x225x17.5mm, 1.5 kg
Operating system:	Windows 8.1 64-bit
Equipment:	Fujitsu LIFEBOOK U554 (VFY:U5540M65D2RU)

Design

The appearance of the laptop is very attractive. Black and red colors look appropriate here, as well as a body with a minimum of curves. Plus, the sharply defined edges of the panels create a certain rugged look, but that doesn't make the Fujitsu LIFEBOOK U554 look too boring. The materials used are aluminum and plastic, so calling the laptop unreliable is unlikely. In addition, it is not too easily soiled due to the matte polished surface of the interior and exterior.

The laptop is assembled very well, however, its body is a little twisted. But the gaps are almost invisible. By the way, the strong hinges that hold the display still do not allow it to sway slightly. As for the case dimensions, they are 322x225x17.5mm. At the same time, the weight of LIFEBOOK U554 does not exceed one and a half kilograms.

Display, sound, webcam

The laptop screen has a 13.3-inch diagonal and a resolution of 1366x768 pixels. The display has a good level of brightness and realistic color reproduction. In addition, it has a matte finish, which avoids glare and reduces reflections. As for the viewing angles, in a TN matrix they are far from ideal, however, the image is distorted only with a significant deviation of the screen, so you will only have to adjust occasionally. The laptop display does not have a touch surface, which is different from the Fujitsu LIFEBOOK U574.

The device sounds very mediocre, despite support for DTS Boost acoustics. Low frequencies It’s not audible at all, at the maximum volume level you can hear small squeaks and noises. In general, the sound coming out through two stereo speakers is unimpressive and lacks, at a minimum, depth. With headphones, music will sound better, although not flawlessly.

The camera in LIFEBOOK U554 has standard definition 1.3 MP. As a rule, it is enough to communicate normally, for example, on Skype.

Keyboard and touchpad

The keyboard is not full-size; perhaps, people with large fingers may find it a little cramped. It also does not have a numpad, which is quite explained by the 13-inch form factor. However, overall the keyboard is very comfortable, there is a clear feedback when pressing the buttons, and the key travel itself is not too tight. Typing texts will not be difficult at all, even if it takes a significant part of your time. It is worth noting the waterproof surface, which will protect the internal components from small amounts of spilled liquid.

The touchpad in the laptop is made without buttons. It is slightly smooth, medium in size, and practically not deep. In addition, the touchpad perfectly recognizes multi-touch gestures. On the sensitive surface of the touchpad there is a special marking that separates the zone of the right and left mouse. The pressure in this part is much stronger.

Performance

Fujitsu LIFEBOOK U554 (VFY:U5540M65D2RU) comes with a pre-installed operating system Windows system 8.1 64-bit version. The possibility of installing other operating systems, in particular Windows 7 or 8, including professional versions, is not excluded.

The laptop case is equipped with a low-voltage processor of the Haswell generation – Intel Core i5-4200U. The chip has a clock speed of 1.6 GHz and a third level cache of 3 MB. Two processor cores can simultaneously process up to four data streams thanks to Hyper-Threading. In addition, with the support of technology Turbo Boost The frequency can reach up to 2.6 GHz, which will lead to improved performance. As for power consumption, its level does not exceed 15 W. Productivity Core processor The i5-4200U is enough for many daily tasks.

The laptop has enough RAM to run many applications without lag. It provides 4 GB of DDR3-1600 MHz standard, which is optimal today. True, under system memory Only one slot is allocated, so you can increase it up to 8 GB by replacing it with a higher-capacity stick.

All information is stored on a 500 GB hard drive operating at a speed of 5400 rpm. For media files and documentation this is quite enough. By the way, SSD lovers are also offered this configuration, and there are options with 256 GB, 128 GB solid state drive SATA III or hybrid SSHD, like Fujitsu LIFEBOOK U574.

The graphics subsystem of the device is represented by a built-in Intel HD Graphics 4400 video card with support for DirectX 11.1. This is a good option if you work on a laptop and watch videos in your spare time. True, its performance will not always be enough for gaming battles, but in F1 2013 or Total War: Rome II can still be played on medium settings and native resolution with a frequency of over 30 fps.

Ports and communications

Interfaces in the laptop are present on the left and right ends, while they are placed on the working surface symbols, which makes it easier to find the required connector when connecting devices. Front end and back panel free from connectors.

On the left you can see HDMI, two USB 3.0, and a Kensington lock slot. One of the USBs can be used to charge smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices. There's another one on the opposite side USB standard 2.0, a charging socket for Fujitsu LIFEBOOK U554, a card reader that reads SD/MS/MSPro/SDXC formats, and a SIM card slot, which is required for models with 3G support. In addition, there is a combined audio jack for connecting headphones and a microphone. As you can see, there is no RJ-45 network connector.

It can be seen that all ports and connectors are located away from the front end, so there is less chance that wires and connected devices will interfere.

The laptop's wireless communications are Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0+HS. There is no support for WiDi technology.

Battery

The Fujitsu LIFEBOOK U554 has a 4-section lithium polymer battery capacity 2840 mAh (48.8 Wh). The manufacturer claims that with it the autonomy will reach 11 hours. True, it does not indicate in what mode. But the operating time of the laptop maximum load and 100% display brightness is no secret - just over 2 hours 30 minutes.

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Conclusion

It is unlikely that you will come across quite cheap Fujitsu laptops, because Japanese quality costs money and it is difficult to argue with that. LIFEBOOK U554, discussed in the review, has a price tag of up to $900. Whether this cost is justified or not is up to you to judge. We will summarize that this laptop, intended mainly for office tasks and less often for entertainment, equipped modern processor Haswell, a necessary set of interfaces, a thin stylish case made of aluminum, and a moisture-resistant keyboard. Unfortunately, the device’s screen is not touch-sensitive, and this configuration does not include 3G among the wireless modules. However, there are no critical shortcomings, so the device will most likely be competitive, but one way or another you will have to fight for a place. Type laptop operating system Win 7 Professional 64 / Win 8 64 / Win 8 Pro 64 / No OS

CPU

Processor type Core i3 / Core i5 Processor code 4010U / 4200U Processor core Haswell CPU frequency 1600...1700 MHz Number of processor cores 2 L2 cache size 512 KB L3 cache size 2 MB / 3 MB

Memory

RAM size 4...8 GB Memory type DDR3 Memory frequency 1600 MHz Maximum size memory 8 GB Number of memory slots 1

Screen

Screen size 13.3" Screen resolution 1366x768 Widescreen yes Screen type matte Touch screen no Multi-touch screen no LED screen backlight yes 3D support no

Video

Video adapter type Built-in Video Processor Intel HD Graphics 4400 Two video adapters no Video memory type SMA

Storage devices

Optical drive No DVD Storage capacity 128...532 GB Type hard drive HDD / HDD+SSD / HDD+SSD Cache / SSD Hard interface disk/ Serial ATA Rotational speed/ 5400 rpm First disk capacity 0...500 GB Second disk capacity 0...16 GB

Expansion slots

ExpressCard slot no

Memory cards

Flash card reader There is Compact Flash support No Memory Stick support yes SD support yes SDHC support yes SDXC support yes miniSD support no microSD support no microSDHC support no microSDXC support no SmartMedia support no xD-Picture Card support No

Wireless connection

Wi-Fi available Wi-Fi standard 802.11n WiDi support no Bluetooth yes Bluetooth version 4.0 4G LTE no WiMAX no GPRS support no 3G optional EDGE support optional HSDPA support no

Connection

Built-in LAN card No Built-in fax modem No Number of USB 2.0 interfaces 1 Number of USB 3.0 Type A interfaces 2 USB interface 3.0 Type-C No USB 3.1 Type-C interface no FireWire interface no FireWire 800 interface no eSATA interface no Infrared port (IRDA) no LPT interface no COM port no PS/2 interface no VGA output (D-Sub) no mini VGA output no DVI output no HDMI output yes Micro HDMI output no DisplayPort output no Mini DisplayPort output no TV-in input no TV-out output no Connecting to a docking station no Audio input yes Microphone input No Audio/headphone output No Microphone input/headphone output Combo There is Digital audio output (S/PDIF) No

Nutrition

Operating time 11 hours Battery capacity 2840 mAh Number of battery cells 4 Battery type Li-Pol

no Remote control no Kensington Castle yes Stylus no Metal body There is Shockproof housing No Waterproof housing no Length 322 mm Width 225 mm Thickness 17.5 mm Weight 1.5 kg Additional Information USB connection to LAN (using adapter)

Please check before purchasing specifications and equipment from the seller

The laptop model that came to us today is a new product, and we will try to objectively and honestly discuss this laptop. Lifebook U554 from Fujitsu is quite interesting new product. This ultrabook immediately attracts attention thanks to its stylish appearance. Thin, light, elegant with a bright red border on the front side of the laptop creates the effect of uniqueness and recognition among other laptops. The weight of the laptop is only 1.5 kg and the thickness is 18 mm. The body consists of metal with longitudinal metallized veins. The surface of the laptop is smooth and cool.

Wide connectivity is achieved thanks to 3G/UMTS, Bluetooth, and WLAN modules. You will always be in touch anywhere and anytime. Support function available remote control(PXE) plus an optional TPM and enhanced anti-theft capabilities ensure your sensitive data doesn't fall into the wrong hands. Charge your phone or any other mobile device possible using USB port even when the laptop is turned off. This is extremely useful feature. Fujitsu Lifebook U554 is different the highest level mobility, this is exactly the laptop that you can safely take on any trip and be sure that it will not let you down.
Lifebook U554 has a 13.3-inch screen (diagonally 33.8 cm) with LED backlight and matte, anti-reflective coating, which makes it possible comfortable work on the street. The image resolution is 1366 x 768 dpi. By color scheme It can be noted that we did not notice any complaints in this aspect. Bright, clear, with deep contrast, the picture on the screen seems to be alive and it makes you happy. Color rendition is not bad, colors and shades are without visible distortion.

Now it remains to touch on the technical component, and this is perhaps the most important thing, because no matter how successful the design is, you can’t admire it for long, and if there is not enough performance, then all the advantages are reduced to nothing. In general, depending on the configuration, the manufacturer offers us the following option. Processor for two Core i3-4010U from Intel With clock frequency 1.7 GHz. 4 GB DDR3 1600 MHz RAM. The built-in Intel HD Graphics 4400 module is responsible for the graphics. The storage capacity is 500 GB, but you can also choose a hybrid option, thereby further increasing the storage capacity. Everyone chooses the configuration at their own discretion, based on their own needs.

At the end of the review I would like to summarize in just a few sentences. Laptop Fujitsu Lifebook U554 is mobile laptop for all occasions, boasts enough for a long time battery operation. Also this model The laptop has a stylish, memorable design, a strong and durable body, thanks to the materials used. A bright, life-like picture on a screen with anti-glare coating. And high performance provides a compelling argument that this model still deserves great attention from users.
Of the minuses, it is worth noting that the lack optical drive It’s a little disappointing, but this is understandable, because the body is incredibly thin. The screen diagonal is small, which is also somewhat inconvenient, especially for those who do not like to peer into a small screen.

An ultrabook for people who value compactness, practicality and quality. He shows himself perfectly in all these manifestations

An ultrabook for people who value compactness, practicality and quality. He shows himself perfectly in all these manifestations.

Design

An excellent, bright and compact ultrabook - these words can briefly describe the device that came to our editorial office. A win-win option is used with a combination of black and red colors. This design move focuses attention on the thin red outline of the touchpad, which is visible through the mesh of speakers near the display and inserts on the side edges.

The device body is made of metal. There is a branded mirror logo on the lid, and a matte plastic insert at the top.

Above the display is a glossy area with a webcam.

Most working panel occupied by a matte keyboard with the same backing, slightly recessed into the surface.

The touchpad is large and comfortable, combined with two control keys. There are also markings for each connector on the side faces.

The weight of the Fujitsu LIFEBOOK U554 is 1.5 kg with a thickness of 1.75 cm.

Display

The ultrabook has a diagonal of 13.3 inches, but due to the wide margins at the bottom and top, it seems much larger. The matte finish allows you to work in bright sunlight. Color reproduction is good, the colors are quite saturated, and the brightness level is excellent. The screen resolution is 1366 x 758 pixels - more than enough for decent image clarity. Viewing angles are small vertically, but the picture is not greatly distorted with a slight deviation. Horizontally this indicator is much better.

Ergonomics

The assembly of the ultrabook is not satisfactory, and the opening angle is standard. It is still very convenient to work from your knees, and its compact dimensions allow you to transport it without unnecessary load.

The sound leaves much to be desired. It is characterized by creaks and noticeable distortion on maximum volume. The bass is not felt at all, and the sound itself seems to be coming from a cheap plastic speaker.

Another thing is listening to music on headphones. Everything immediately falls into place.

Performance

The operating speed is provided by a dual-core Intel Core i3-4010U processor with a clock frequency of 1.7 GHz. He is helped by an integrated Intel video card HD Graphics 4400. 4 GB of RAM is allocated for storing temporary data and processor programs, and a 500 GB hard drive is provided for user data.

The ultrabook will cope with any everyday tasks, as well as games from two years ago.

Software

The model we received did not have operating system, so choosing “What to install?” placed on your shoulders. But for the full functioning of your computer, we recommend taking a closer look at Windows 8.1. After the update was released, many errors were corrected, and using this version became much more convenient.

Communications

The user is provided with two HDMI, USB 3.0 connectors on the left side and a card reader, USB 2.0 and a combined audio jack on the right side.

Also installed wireless modules Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

Working hours

The lithium-polymer battery with a capacity of 2840 mAh is capable of providing, as the manufacturer assures, 11 hours of operation. In the battery life test, the ultrabook showed a good result - about 8 hours in reading mode. If you use battery power more actively (turn on Wi-Fi, watch a video, play games), then the operating time will be reduced by almost half.

Impression

High-quality, attractive and very compact ultrabook. If you still don’t know which brand to give preference to, then choosing Fujitsu LIFEBOOK U554 you definitely won’t go wrong. This is an excellent combination of price/(German) quality.

PECULIARITIES

Metal body.

Compact size.

Stylish design.

Matte display.

Good autonomy.

SPECIFICATIONS

• Model Fujitsu LIFEBOOK U554
• CPU Intel Core i3-4010U, 1.7 GHz, 3 MB cache
• Graphic arts Intel HD Graphics 4400
• Dimensions 32.2 x 22.5 x 1.75 cm
• Weight 1.5 kg
• Display 13,3”
• Permission 1366 x 768 pixels
• RAM 4 GB
• HDD 500 GB
• Communications Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth
• Ports 2 x USB 3.0, USB 2.0, HDMI, Mic In/Headphones Out, card reader