Updates from Asus

Quote whole posts, dont just edit out parts you like. Thats just being a bad sport there. If you look at my whole post im not accusing him, but the company which i dont intend to praise even if/when they release a new vBios that actually works, since they just ignored the issues (and all my and other users emails and complaints) for so long (not to mention that such issues as the keyboard lagg shouldnt even exist anymore since theyve been around for years and i cant believe how such a huge company can afford to release a laptop with such bad known bugs). And im only asking the man to give me something i can work with. Im prepared to do something myself if im provided with the tools - thats not a bad thing is it now? Im just very frustrated i cant do anything myself and have to rely on Asus doing something, so if you think i was offensive to Gary Key, i appologize and again ask if i could get some tool to do what i said? Please with cherries on top Mr. Gary Key?

Ampedconfusion if you did have GSODs than your machine isnt perfectly stable is it? There might be a vBios release soon, or perhaps after months still or perhaps never (there is no guarantee they will or even can give us all a solution), you have to choose what youll believe yourself. The choice is absolutely yours and you should do what you think is best. I know what id do and i tell that to people who ask for advice but in the end im not the one making choices for them. If you decided to stick with the machine i can only say good luck to us both, were in the same boat then.

 

I'm feeling much better now about buying the G73 if the issue being addressed. Hpwever , Gary , do u have anything on the Thermal paste application issue? You did say u'd get back to us in one of ur posts.

 

HellCry, I feel your pain. And while I don't blame you for not reading the book I wrote in my earlier entry -

I did make point to note that your frustration in the delay of software and driver updates from Asus is not a frustration that is limited to Asus at all. And that I'd urge you to check out the Alienware M11x forum.

As a new owner of a Dell/Alienware M11x, Asus has nothing on Dell when it comes to being late with driver and software updates.

Dell/Alienware is 4 proper driver updates behind Nvidia on what the M11x needs to properly play games.

And even worse, if you try to install the drivers off of Nvidia's website - stupid corporate controlling Dell won't even recognize them, causing users to have to go into the drivers and re-write IMF files so the Alienware will accept the Nvidia driver.

At least with Asus and ATI you can just download and update.

My point is, that particular frustration you're going to find from every major company and notebook manufacturer. And the only way I know to avoid such a hassle is to build your own rig.

So, getting heated about that particular issue is kinda a waste of time and energy imho, because there's no way to avoid it when buying a gaming machine from a major brand like Dell or Asus.

The fixes will arrive. Just game on it, don't worry about the high temps, and chill. Stock drivers may suck for any kind of professional CAD work or whatever, but for plain gaming, there isn't a game they can't handle including Metro 2033.

But I feel your pain. What's the retail store situation like in your part of the world? Does that make going through a return/exchange more of a hassle?

I have to remind myself it's easy to call shots like that when I'm living in evil corporate USA with a Best Buy, Starbucks and McDonald's on every street corner.

Cheers

 

What tools are you hoping Asus to provide you with? You say you want an editing program for VBios's and an instruction manual and you're going to figure it out and fix it yourself?

You have the Clevo Vbios, I'm pretty sure Asus would rather fix the Asus Vbios to work on an Asus. I know you're pretty frustrated but some of us want a real solution, not a quick-fix that you're asking for.

And btw, I don't requote entire posts for very good reason. Take a look at this page here, you made one post yet it appears in its entirety 3 full times here. People only need to see specifics of what I am addressing, you can stop being paranoid that I am trying to manipulate and misconstrue how you feel about Asus.

 

Like I said, I don't think we need to kiss his feet either, so no need for the cherries. I know that wasn't addressed to me, but still.

I don't think I ever said it was perfectly stable, more that I'm content with where it is (technically has never GSODed during a game, only a benchmark when I was toying with overclocks). I think I'm more in agreement with you than it seems, especially on the need for a GSOD fix. I'm quite sure that I'm one of the lucky ones, but I do still think a fix is necessary- I was even one of the ones to post a semi-futile rant on the facebook page.

I just got into the FFXIV beta, where I can hopefully lay all of my fears about the machine to rest.

In all honesty, it wasn't so much a choice as a necessity- I already spent a lot on the Asus, and my budget is a fragile thing right now... boy do I wish college tuition paid for itself.

But anyway-- yes, it seems like we're at Asus' mercy together.

 

I don't think anything needs to be sugarcoated and served on a plate to any rep who comes in here. People are experiencing problems that have no answers for yet so rightfully they will be angry and have a few things to say about it.

Look up dell xps 1645 throttling and see what you find. There is a 400+ post thread in there where two reps from dell came in after a couple of months of people yelling about blatant problems with that laptop. The words said here by a few is nothing compared to what the dell reps had to deal with. At least they got the problems ironed out somewhat though.

 

I really hope that the BIOS 211 "turn the fan on high faster" wasn't an idea from Gary's team because that has nothing to do with the overheating issue. People that have overheating laptops will still overheat. BIOS 211 makes the laptop worse across the board. It's a Q&A mistake. A big one.

People that don't have heating problems because they fixed it or got a good paste job from the factory are punished by this BIOS.

It is really amazing to me that a laptop that was marketing targeted at "strike with silence" has so many faults and in the end with BIOS 211 becomes what it shouldn't have been. Let's see what happens in the next week.


If Asus wants me to update my negative reviews in The Netherlands with a remark that the laptop is save to buy again they have to:

- issue a proper video BIOS(GSOD fixed, all options open, proper downclocking);
- create a new BIOS with a proper fan profile;
- let people repaste their own GPU without warranty loss and issue instructions so RMA and the factory properly apply the correct paste. Not that crappy pad paste. It's rubbish.

After all these years Asus still doesn't understand that you can't use this mass production paste technique on high end laptops.

 

Let's hope they find a solution indeed... I am also an owner of a G73 because I needed horse power for gaming and don't have the place for a full desktop.

So I began my search in the begin of 2010... After finding the "perfect notebook" (G73), I ordered it. Since the Benelux market aint supplied as fast as UK/US/... I had to wait longer then most people who pre-ordered it in other countries. (like 3-4 weeks extra).

The first day I had it, it already crashed while gaming... To be honest, I never had such a crap laptop like this one... I already work for over 4 years in an IT-store and sold more laptops then I care to count...
What I don't understand is how Asus (or any other company) can afford it, that their top model has so many troubles? If you buy a top car from BMW/Mercedes even Ferrari and the most expensive ones, you get a fine tuned car with top service. Why? Coz the people pay for it...
Asus their netbooks runs more stable and cost like 200-300 €/$... While the G73 goes to 2.000 €/$
I didn't want to believe it when my colleagues said it takes about 2 months to send an Asus laptop in... Well, guess I found out the hard way

Anyway... Let's hope they find a solution because I know, if a customers ask me for an Asus, well... You know the answer I guess

Q

 

Perhaps asus never expected ATI to release mobility drivers. It would have been a lovely laptop provided we couldn't update drivers. I know it sounds weird but think about it. It was only recently that ATI started to release mobility drivers. In the past we would have to wait for the manufacturer. But i do agree, they could have done a better job with the thermal paste. Kind of pointless to make a design like this for improve cooling but use crap thermal paste on it. And i really wished all i had to do was remove a few screws and thats it. Just looking at the dissembly video, it makes me think again whether i should do a re-paste or not.

 

I think it's good that both Ati and NVidia decided to release drivers themselves for notebooks. A notebook is no more different than a PC. Video card drivers change often because they are so complex. New games make use of functions not used before or use them in a different way which makes a new driver release necessary so that it displays properly or performs properly.

Since laptop manufacturers are late with driver releases or suddenly stop support they really brought this on their selves.

And if you look at it then my opinion is simple. MSI, Clevo, Alienware all released a new video BIOS for their 5870m video cards because Ati needed that for their newer driver releases. It's seems that Asus really didn't understand what was going on and that they didn't understand this new graphic card landscape. That is why they are so late with a new video BIOS. The 5870m product has matured and requires a new BIOS while Asus still ships with one of the first BIOS.

Let's hope that they understand now that if Ati releases a new video BIOS it does it because it needs it for their generic drivers.

 

Mo Money Mo Problems, am I right?

 

I want a tool that will allow me to properly edit a vBios. I have the working Clevo / MSI one to compare so i could perhaps find out what so different and make the Asus one work together with HDMI and VGA.
I know software like that isnt something meant to be released to the public, but come on, throw us a bone. Perhpas it will be too complex for me or perhaps ill be able to do something with it. It couldnt hurt to get SoMeThInG...

And its true that its annoying that Dell doesnt allow to use reference drivers and updates the ones on their site with a big delay, but you can mod the inf and still install them and they work unlike with this Asus, so the situation there is still much better... Its better to have some hassle installing the newest drivers than having problems with them not working...

 

Gary already requested an updated vBIOS to match the new Cats. ATI has already given him a timetable for it. Just sit tight.

 

Where did you get this information from?

 

The last public statement I see is " ...we do not think this is a hardware issue, rather one of firmware, software, and driver combinations although we are doing our absolute best to rule out any hardware problems first...".

Sounds like the problem has been absolutely solved, right?

 

She is our built in spy at Asus!

 

Didn't you guys catch Gary's post about his all-nighter with his R&D crew and ATI?

 

I did, but somehow I missed the "I've got a timetable" thing

I hope the fix they come up with will be super serial.

 

I think I'm more or less right about my statements. Both Ati and NVidia have taken control of driver releases on laptops because they have too. These video cards are for gamers and because there are more and more gamers on laptops and more and more games with all kinds of complex needs they have to fix drivers on a monthly basis. Fixing bugs and performance issues.

Laptop manufacturers choose not too do this but in the current gaming business this is not acceptable.

Ati identified critical issues with the 5870m BIOS months ago, fixed them, notified the manfacturers and released new drivers which need those fixes. Only one of them wasn't listening and that was Asus. This is a valuable lesson for them I guess. Both NVidia and Ati are in control of laptop driver releases now. Laptop manufacturers will have to get used to this.

 

Since Gary is the *NEW* Technical Marketing Manager, I would hazard a guess the person responsible for sitting on their arses and telling us "use the stock drivers only is acceptable" must have been the guy he replaced.

 

I hope that guy was not promoted to a higher rank

 

I'm quite suprised Gary had no update today.. considering he's giving one every day so far... I hope the Asus techs haven't given up.... but i really hope Asus solves this problem.. its really suprising that they didn't do this months ago..

 

I can somewhat agree with this, Alienware M17x with 5870's won't let you use ATI drivers, Dell has to release them. This may have been something Alienware recognized and locked their machines down so they didn't have the problems that Asus is facing.

However, this doesn't answer why MSI and Clevo machines seem to do fine with ATI driver releases.

 

You can update them on AW/Dell too, you just have to mod the inf file to install newer reference drivers and it will work.

 

I was told HQ already have new vBIOS and drivers that cures the SOD, but still a lot testing need to be done before release it.

 

They should have let us do the testing. Withing a day all the issues would have been listed out in a thread. Either way its very very good news. Finally i can soon recommend this laptop to friends...

 

Thanks for taking the time to pass along the update Ken Lee!

 

Nice!! Glad to hear they're working like bees on it. I'm pretty sure people in this community wouldn't mind helping with some beta testing.

 

Now thats some awesome news...
Thank you

 

Yeah as long as they are working on it that's good news.

 

I can understand that. Let's hope it's a proper video BIOS with proper downclocking and energy saving support.

And let's also hope it comes with BIOS 212 which resets the high GPU fan profile and also changes the low GPU fan profile. Because if it does downclock properly the fan can run a tad more silent.

 

yes, i agree. why not let users here do some beta testing? get faster results with some comments and suggestions..

I hope testing finishes soon

 

vBIOS update won't be part of system BIOS, that is why we can't find new vBIOS on BIOS 211 (rumor?) .

The vBIOS will just be vBIOS update itself.

 

So how are they testing it?? Installing on every unit and then what? Furmark? Games?

 

Keep in mind the pressure for Asus is pretty high now... So IF they release something, I think they want to be 100% sure it does help the G73 problems and not just a few of them

 

yeah, i hope they do.. its a pain to wait

THE GLORY OF THE G73JH SHALL RISE AGAIN!!

 

Would it be possible for us to get that vBios a bit ahead of schedule Ken or is it not just untested but unfinished?

 

No testing! I want a virgin bios

 

I don't think Ken has it, he was only tolld that Asus HQ allready has it. I don't think they will give it to any1 before they test it, because if it has a bug, then people would go rage and start yelling "Why did you gave it to me, if it's have a bug??"

 

I know Ken doesnt have it but he has more chances of getting it sooner than me . If he does get it a day sooner even id love to get my hands on it.

 

If Ken can really talk Asus into sending him that new vBIOS, it will be protected with a so thick NDA wall, that not even Manbearpig can break down

 

Yah, youre probably right. Wishful thinking.

 

Update-

Sorry about the late replies to PMs and I will catch up on the fourm questions shortly. I was at QuakeCon this week and internet access has been off and on for the most part. I will have an update from R&D and AMD shortly on the GSOD along with a few other items. We have been running a few G73s at QuakeCon and so far not a single GSOD during the tournament.

 

* along with a few other items*
excited

 

I hope those G73s at Quakecon are ones with new fixed driver/vBIOS and not carefully selected units that did not GSOD in the first place

 

I also hope they are being tested on software more demanding than Quake 4 and Doom 3!!!

 

I am about to leave for Dallas. It's a three hour drive. Thought I would stop by Quake Con for an hour or so. I hope I get a chance to meet you before you guys break down your displays and leave.

 

Looking forward to the Updates

 

I went to QuakeCon this afternoon. I was hoping to meet Gary Key but he was out on the BYOC floor helping someone with a computer problem. Oh well. Quake con was very cool.

The attached picture was taken at the Asus display. I believe this is their plan for improving the GPU cooling on the G73 series. You are all well versed in handling a dewar, I assume?

They were all wearing cool ROG t-shirts too and I didn't get one. They were out.

 

OMG, free liquid nitrogen for every1!!