HAVE you ever taken a peek at the enterprise or commercial offerings of your favourite PC maker? This class of computers emphasises function over form, reliability over flair, security over hype, and quality over all else. They are made for professionals, after all. Maybe that’s why ASUS renamed its line of business-centric products the Expert Series.
For the past couple of weeks, I had the privilege of taking home the ExpertCenter D6, the modern and compact advanced entry in the ASUS Expert Series range.
The first thing that caught my eye was the three-year on-site warranty that comes standard with every ASUS ExpertCenter and ASUS ExpertBook. This can be upgraded to a four- or five-year ASUS Premium Care coverage for as low as RM312 for an ExpertBook, or RM80 for an ExpertCenter.
Warranty matters, because a PC is only useful if it works. Every day you spend sending a PC to a service centre and waiting for it to be fixed is time lost, even if you are just an everyday PC user.
The model of the ExpertCenter D6 I am using to write this review has the latest Intel Core i7-9700 processor, 8GB of memory, 256GB of solid-state storage, 1TB of storage, and all the ports you’ll ever need. In front of the PC alone, there are six USB-3.1 Type-A ports (4x Gen 1 and 2x Gen 2), a USB-C port, and audio ports for a microphone and headphones.
There is also a DVD RW drive and an external WiFi antenna. Of course, some of these ports are optional and can be configured as needed.
To most of us, this means that the ExpertCenter D6 is a speedy and reliable workhorse. It boots up quickly, generates reports and crunches numbers fast. The use of an integrated graphics processor and the modest amount of RAM means that the ExpertCenter D6 is not a powerhouse. However, this does not mean that it is not capable of doing some gaming or editing. Those are not its core purpose.
In the ASUS ExpertCenter family, the ExpertCenter D6 sits in the ‘Goldilocks zone’. It is built for performance, is capable, and is reliable. Its size affords some expandability and manageability features. In return, it does not take up a lot of space.
In the box, the ExpertCenter D6 came with everything I needed to get started: a mouse, a keyboard, cables, and an external WiFi antenna. What was missing was a display and an accompanying cable. But that was easy enough to remedy.
The first thing I did when I hooked up the ExpertCenter D6 was to reset the system, go through the initial setup, and apply all available updates. The whole process took minutes, which was surprising and impressive.
This is mainly thanks to the PC’s powerful processor, solid-state drive, and fast connectivity option, which makes restarts and boot ups almost instant. A few reboots later the ASUS ExpertCenter D6 was ready to go to work. It was certainly faster than I am.
On idle and during productivity functions, the ExpertCenter D6 is quiet. Only the taps of its whirring hard drive tell me that it is working in the background. However, sometimes, during a shutdown, the fan spins with a hum that imitates a jet engine.
ASUS claims that its Expert Series PCs passed US Military Grade Testing (MIL-STD 810G). The company has decades worth of experience, so I do not doubt the claim. Resistance to vibrations, drops, high temperature, and humidity, among others, means the ExpertCenter D6 and its family is reliable in our tropical climate.
However, as I have pointed out earlier, the ASUS Expert Series comes standard with three-year on-site warranty anyway. If it breaks, they will have to go and fix it. So it is in ASUS’ best interest to make its systems tough.
Low chances of downtime and failure make the ExpertCenter D6 an attractive option for business and enterprise applications.
Portable alternative
IF THE ExpertCenter D6 sounds useful to you, but you need something more portable, might I suggest taking a look at the ASUS ExpertBook P5.
Sporting a 14in display, the ExpertBook P5 also has the latest Intel Core i7 processor and 8GB of RAM. Additionally, it also has an Intel graphics card and 512GB of solid-state storage. It is also built tough as nails, just like the ExpertCenter D6.
Unlike the ExpertCenter D6, the ExpertBook P5 is built fashionably sophisticated, sleek, and light. And it comes with a three-year on-site warranty which can be upgraded to five years. I am mentioning this again because warranty, especially on-site warranty, is especially crucial for critical mobile devices like a laptop.
Want to know more? Go to the ASUS website HERE for more
