ZT Affinity N4004i-17 review: ZT Affinity N4004i-17

While its performance is on par with other mainstream laptops that hover around the $1,000 mark, the ZT Affinity N4004i simply can't compete on design or features. Under the hood, this 15-inch laptop features a modern configuration--based on the Intel Centrino 2 platform--and has 64-bit Windows Vista. Unfortunately, that hood is a cheap piece of plastic. Overall, the laptop doesn't feel well constructed, from the thin and flimsy hinges that hold the display to the keyboard that flexes under the slightest pressure. The keyboard is littered with shortened keys, too--a sacrifice made to accommodate the separate number pad. Missing features include multimedia shortcut keys, HDMI and eSATA ports, and an LED backlit screen. These features are offered on the 13-inch HP Pavilion dv3510nr, which costs only $100 more and also includes a backlit keyboard, a fingerprint reader, a remote control, a budget GeForce graphics card, and a longer warranty. If your budget doesn't stretch beyond $1,000, we'd instead steer you toward the 16-inch Gateway MC7803u (or the cheaper MC7801u) or the $849 Dell Studio S1535-143B.

5.3

ZT Affinity N4004i-17

The Good

Long-lasting battery; dedicated number pad (for those few who want one on a 15-inch laptop); roomy touch pad; no bloatware; ships with Vista recovery CD.

The Bad

Cheap plastic chassis; flimsy display hinges; keyboard has many shortened keys and flexes too much; no HDMI, eSATA, or FireWire ports.

The Bottom Line

The ZT Affinity N4004i offers decent performance and great battery life, but it can't compete with the superior build quality found on competing mainstream laptops from big names such as Dell, Gateway, HP, and Toshiba.

The ZT Affinity N4004i, from the New Jersey-based ZT Systems (formerly ZT Group), features a MacBook-like silver-and black color scheme. The lid, the screen bezel, the strip above the keyboard, and the keyboard itself are a matte black, while the wrist rest, touch pad, and mouse buttons are silver. Like a MacBook, the Affinity has a sparse design, with only a small, orange ZT logo in the center of the lid.

You won't find anything resembling the MacBook's new unibody construction, however. Build quality here is--how should we put this?--lacking. The Affinity N4004i uses an unattractive, boxy, and flimsy, plastic chassis. The two hinges that hold the display measure a narrow 0.5 inch wide, which result in the screen wobbling with the slightest bump or nudge. Even something simple such as the slide release to unlock and open the laptop is done poorly; it has spiky, raised tabs that are uncomfortable to the touch.

The keyboard flexes under normal pressure, though I must admit I'm a fairly heavy and loud typist. The keys also provide a bit too much travel, either that, or the keyboard is set too low because you'll feel the sharp front edge against the side of your thumbs when hitting the Space bar or any of the keys in the bottom row of the keyboard. And to make room for the dedicated number pad to its right, the keyboard is forced to shorten some of its keys. Heavily used keys including the question mark, period, and right Shift keys are all shortened. In all, not the greatest keyboard design. The touch pad is roomy and comfortable to use and features a responsive vertical scroll area along its right edge.

The screen isn't half-bad either. At 15.4 inches diagonal, it has a standard 1,280x800-pixel resolution. Some 15-inch laptops feature a finer 1,440x900-pixel resolution, so you'll sacrifice a bit of screen real estate here but the result is that icons and text are large and legible. It has a glossy finish, but not so glossy that you'll be bobbing and weaving to avoid glare and reflections. The two small stereo speakers located in the back corners of the laptop produce decent sound for an integrated set.

Despite there being plenty of room above the keyboard, you won't find any media shortcut keys. To the right of the power button is a small strip of four buttons to start Outlook and Internet Explorer and enable or disable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

It's a longer list to describe the ports and connections missing from ZT Affinity N4004i than the one used to describe its inclusions. Missing: HDMI, DisplayPort, eSATA, and FireWire. Included: USB 2.0, ExpressCard slot, and a media card reader. Wireless networking options are covered, with both Draft N Wi-Fi and Bluetooth onboard.

In CNET Labs testing, The ZT Affinity finished in the middle of the $1,000-or-so laptop pack, though its multitasking score was a tad disappointing. Still, any Centrino 2 laptop will suffice for the majority of users. With integrated Intel GMA 4500 graphics, this isn't the laptop for you if you have even a passing interest in 3D games. Many laptops at this price, such as the HP Pavilion dv3510nr and the Asus X83VM-X1 feature a low-end Nvidia GeForce card that allows for casual gaming. And in general, we've seen better graphics performance from ATI's current integrated Radeon HD3200 graphics than Intel's. See the HP dv4-1155se review for more on that.

The Affinity N4004i ships with an extended-cell battery--nine cells compared with the standard six cells. It sticks out of the back of the laptop for three-quarters of an inch but offers superlative battery life. The Affinity N4004i ran nearly 5 hours, impressive even for a nine-cell battery. It ran 30 minutes longer than the Dell Studio 1535 and its nine-cell battery.

ZT backs the Affinity N4004i with a one-year parts-and-labor warranty. Free phone support lasts as long as you own the laptop and is a toll-free call. You can e-mail technical support through ZT System's Web site, but most of the rest of the online support options are geared toward servers and Media Center inquires. Lastly, we appreciate the fact that ZT includes a Vista recovery CD, saving us the trouble of creating one ourselves, and no bloatware with the system.

Find out more about how we test Windows laptops.

System configurations:
ZT Affinity N4004i
Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 (64-bit); 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P7350; 4,096MB DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz; integrated Intel GMA4500; 320GB Western Digital 5,400rpm

Asus X83VM-X1
Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 (64-bit); 2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P8400; 4,096MB DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz; 1GB Nvidia GeForce 9600M GS; 320GB Seagate 5,400rpm.

Dell Studio 1525-143B
Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 (64-bit); 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5800; 4,096MB DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz; 128MB Mobile Intel 965GM; 320GB Western Digital 5,400rpm.

Gateway MC7803u
Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 (64-bit); 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5800; 4,096MB DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz; 512MB ATI Radeon HD3650; 320GB Hitachi 5,400rpm.

HP Pavilion dv3510nr
Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 (64-bit); 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P7350; 4,096MB DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz; 512MB Nvidia GeForce 9600M GS; 320GB Toshiba 5,400rpm.

HP Pavilion dv4-1155se
Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 (64-bit); 2.19GHz AMD Turion X2 Ultra Dual-Core ZM-82; 4,096MB DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz; 256MB ATI Radeon HD3200; 320GB Toshiba 5,400rpm.

Toshiba Satellite E105-S1402
Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 (64-bit); 2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P8400; 4,096MB DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz; Mobile Intel 4500MHD; 320GB Toshiba 5,400rpm.