There aren't that many laptops available with displays as high resolution as the Microsoft Surface Book (3000 x 2000 with a 13.5" diagonal). And since Cube Thinker i35 is one of them, and its cost is almost 2 times lower than Surface Book, the more interesting it is to get acquainted with these and other features of the laptop in more detail within the framework of this review.
Moreover, the screen is not the only thing that makes the Thinker i35 from AlldoCube stand out. The laptop has a fairly high level of performance due to the powerful Intel Kaby hardware platform Lake, impressive amounts of memory (8 GB RAM and 256 GB SSD), as well as stereo speakers and a built-in scanner fingerprints. The device runs on 64-bit Windows 10 OS (multilingual system).
Design, features of the case and elements on it
By modern standards, the Cube Thinker i35 is not considered particularly light - its weight is approximately 1.6 kg. But the main thing is that the case is durable, since it is made of magnesium alloy, and its build quality is at the highest level.
The metal base of the keyboard unit prevents flexion when pressed and during typing. Also, the user will not have to worry about the risk of tearing out the hinges holding the screen, since the mechanism connecting both halves of the structure opens 180 degrees. The stability of the screen fixation is ensured by a tight-moving hinge.
For reliable docking with the table surface and to prevent the device from sliding, there are 4 rubber feet on the bottom of the case
Display and stylus
The pride of the Cube Thinker i35 is a 13.5-inch IPS display with a resolution of 3K2K (3000×2000). Thanks to the high pixel density, images, including fonts and interface elements, are rendered with excellent clarity. In addition, the screen has excellent viewing angles, sufficient brightness and optimal color rendering, contrast and saturation parameters. As a result, viewing photos in high resolution is a pleasure.
Supports touch controls with 10-point multi-touch and good touch sensitivity. The screen will also be appreciated by those users who work with graphics: in addition to high image quality, the display supports the N-Trig digitizer. This means that the device is compatible with any N-Trig stylus. For example, the Chuwi HiPen H3 or Surface Pen works without problems with the Cube Thinker i35. The screen cover is scratch-resistant glass.
The laptop stands out from the predominance of widescreen screens due to its 3:2 aspect ratio. That is, more information will fit vertically on the Thinker i35 screen than on devices with a similar diagonal and 16:9 aspect ratio. This has certain benefits when editing photos, browsing the web, working with spreadsheets, etc. Naturally, during video playback there will be unoccupied space at the top and bottom. Which is not a hindrance for users for whom watching videos is not on the list of priority and most important tasks.
Keyboard and touchpad
The main keys are full-size, with a travel of 1.3 mm, which is enough for comfortable typing. In general, the ergonomics of the keyboard are quite good, the only issue is the lack of backlighting, as well as the location of the power button. Some users may need some time to get used to the fact that accidentally pressing the Power button instead of Backspace puts the device into sleep mode.
The trackpad has good sensitivity, fairly high recognition accuracy and supports gestures such as scrolling the page with two fingers, etc. The touchpad has a fingerprint scanner compatible with Windows Hello for convenient and secure user identification in the system. The fingerprint sensor copes with its task flawlessly - it works quickly and accurately.
Connectors, camera and other housing elements
All connectors are located on the sides. To connect external devices, there are 2 USB 3.0 ports and symmetrical USB Type-C 3.0, providing high data transfer speeds (up to 10 Gbit/s). There is a separate power jack, a 3.5 mm jack for connecting headphones/microphone and an LED charging indicator.
Three more indicator lights can be found above the keyboard block. A 2 MP front webcam is located above the screen. The shooting quality is not outstanding, but it is suitable for video calls, since the resulting photos and videos have an acceptable level of detail.
Audio
The device is equipped with a dedicated Realtek HD Audio chip and two stereo speakers that produce moderately loud sound for a laptop. The sound quality is also good, even low frequencies are audible, although you shouldn't expect deep bass. To record sound in stereo, there are 2 microphones, the holes of which can be found on both sides of the webcam.
Hardware component
The hardware platform is a 2-core Intel Core m3-7Y30 processor based on the Kaby Lake architecture. Its base clock frequency is 1 GHz, and the maximum (in Turbo Boost mode) is 2.6 GHz. The device is also equipped with an integrated Intel HD Graphics 615 video core.
The RAM is represented by a fast 2-channel LPDDR3 memory controller with a frequency of 1866 MHz and a capacity of 8 GB. While most devices with a similar processor (Asus ZenBook UX330CA, Xiaomi Mi Notebook Air 12.5, Asus Transformer 3 T305CA) offer a maximum of 4 GB of RAM. A 256 GB SSD drive is responsible for storing user data and installed software. Plus, you can always connect an additional external drive to any of the USB ports.
Performance
Thanks to the combination of a Core M3 Kaby Lake processor, ample RAM and a fast SSD, the Cube Thinker i35 has excellent performance. The laptop easily passes the test for multitasking and the ability to work with a large number of open browser tabs, and copes with 4K streaming via YouTube. The performance reserve is enough even for trouble-free editing of 1080p video, but editing videos in 4K resolution is no longer so easy for it.
The power of the built-in video core is not enough to play demanding games at a resolution of 3000 x 2000. But when setting the FullHD resolution, you can count on a completely acceptable level of frame rate. For example, Call of Duty Black Ops can be completed at 45 FPS. Even GTA V can be played quite comfortably with properly selected graphics settings at 30-35 FPS.
Cooling system
During operation, the laptop does not make any noise, since it is equipped with a passive cooling system, which is represented by a large copper radiator that absorbs the generated heat. At minimal and moderate load intensity, the cooling system does its job well, keeping the heating level within acceptable limits.
But when running games that require system resources, the heating of the case will be felt even to the touch. In general, there is nothing wrong with this; the temperature does not rise above a critical level. Moreover, a small “trick” using Thermal Mod in this model helps reduce the maximum temperature threshold by 25°C.
Wireless technologies
Cube Thinker i35 is equipped with a dual-band (2.4 and 5 GHz) Wi-Fi module standard 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, which is characterized by high speed of data reception and transmission. Bluetooth 4.0 is also supported - not the newest standard, but it is more than enough to connect a wireless mouse and keyboard to a laptop.
Mains and battery operation
If the laptop is not connected to a power source via the included adapter (100-240V, 12V 3A), operation will be provided by a 5000 mAh battery with a voltage of 7.6V. You can charge the battery either through a special DC interface, using the adapter included in the kit, or via a USB Type-C connector (though not any cable will do). The power supply and cable must support the transmission of appropriate power.
On average, a laptop can work for 6-7 hours on a single charge under moderate loads. For example, such as web surfing, working with email, text documents and spreadsheets. Intense loads (games, for example) will drain the battery in just 3 hours. Not the most impressive result, but we must not forget that the main power consumer in this device is the screen with a huge resolution and a high maximum brightness.
Pros and cons of Cube Thinker i35, conclusions
Advantages:
- chic touch display;
- Stylus input support;
- good assembly;
- high-speed interfaces (2 USB 3.0 and Type-C 3.0 ports);
- speed and productivity when performing everyday tasks;
- accurate, fast touchpad;
- high-quality fingerprint scanner;
- Quiet operation due to the absence of fans.
Flaws:
- no HDMI port;
- there is no slot for installing a removable storage device (MicroSD or SD);
- keys are not backlit.
The Cube Thinker i35 is a great option for those looking for a quiet, relatively compact, high-quality laptop, while paying particular attention to the display and performance. For its price, the Thinker i35 has some pretty impressive specs, and as a result it can make quite a serious competitor to Xiaomi Air 12, which lags behind in some technical specifications. For example, in the more expensive version of the Air 12 (with 256 GB SDD), the RAM capacity is only 4 GB. And its 1920 x 1080 resolution display is not touch-sensitive and does not support stylus input.
The device can also be considered as an affordable analogue Surface Book, thanks to the ultra-clear touchscreen with support for pen input. Although it is somewhat inferior to the Microsoft laptop in terms of the power reserve of the hardware platform, the Cube Thinker i35 is much cheaper.
Now thinker i35 can be purchased for $590. The promotion will last for another 2 weeks, until July 31. But even after this, the laptop will be much cheaper than even a used Surface Book.
