2014 Asus N550JK -DS71T quick mini review and opinion so far

all what I want to know is my temp range normal I mean you guys have the same temp when heavy load your system?? if not ...to take it to the warranty maybe there is something wrong with it

 

Is the canadian 12gb model 8gb base or 4gb base?

 

Not sure. My task manager seems to say I have 12gb of ram using only 2 of 4 slots. Makes me think there is an 8 and a 4 with two more slots open.

 

Thanks, will try today.

 

Is it just me, or does the left side speaker seem louder than the right? I'm not hearing much from the furthest right speaker cone.

 

the speakers on the left side there is no speakers on right

 

Aren't there 4 speakers under the front center? It seems like I'm only hearing 3 though.

 

Also, I may be spoiled on Macbooks,but does anyone have a problem with the touchpad not being perfectly flushed and centered? The edge with the left/right click sticks out making it difficult to click. Is there a way to adjust it once the back cover is removed?

 

This is a common issue with many asus laptops.

2 out of 3 N series laptops I've had, had this flaw. Nothing to do about it as far as I know. The first I got I returned (it had other issues as well), then I got an new with same flaw, decided to just live with it.

 

Got the g550jk yesterday. Since I got a lot of help from this forum, wanted to give a shout out to everyone who posted. I know that there has been a few ppl who have asked about g550jk. Here is a screenshot of HWiNFO summary, let me know if you have any specific queries, shall try and answer them.

 

Hey Guys.
I was digging around my file system and noticed the esupport folder on the C partition contains all of the ASUS drivers for a fresh install of windows. I looked it up and found this https://www.asus.com/support/FAQ/115155/

I guess you could run the installation utility and easily choose which drivers you want to install.

I'm considering ordering a 250gb Samsung EVO 840 but I'm worried about clean installing windows and having problems. Does anyone have the link to the exact ISO I need? Am I able to make a bootable installation usb using the app called Rufus? How large does the drive need to be?

I also have Windows 8.1 Pro available to me free as my school subscribes to Microsoft Dreamspark. Is it easier to use that or does it just make sense to let the BIOS authenticate the OEM install (does this really work?)

Sorry for so many questions. I'd really hate to end up with a non working machine after simply trying to replace the internal drive.

 

You could just set your hdd aside untouched for now. Then you can fiddle with your new ssd all you want knowing your hdd is completely untouched. Try several different methods of install, hell try a few Linux distros. When you're satisfied that your laptop is working exactly as you want it to, then you can format the hdd and set it up for storage.

Sent via sub-space radio from NCC-1701.

 

Hey guys,

Did a fresh install on this machine and everything is working fine except for the webcam which doesn't seem to be installed. Installed all the drivers on the asus site but there doesn't seem to be any specific webcam driver?

Any help greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

So, i lowered voltage on CPU by 75mV, but don't see any noticeable difference. Max few degrees, definitely not more than 5.

 

I hear that same exact sound on mine. Anyone else have it?

 

Could anyone please post a Windows Experience Index screenshot? I've seen one on the internet with some terrible points. But didn't understand a word. (it was some kind of Russian site)

 

I had the same issue, but it ceased to occur after few restarts.

Regarding the optical drive caddy not going back in... well, it's a recurring problem, every N-series generation has a fair amount of units with that flaw. There are two options - either returning it back to the vendor, grabbing yourself another one or keeping it, reminding yourself that before closing the caddy you need to lift it a little, and then gently close it. That should solve it.

I had the same problem, but I decided to live with it. Well, at least for the next 50 minutes, after which I found out there was something off with audio. Returned it. The caddy was working this time, but audio was broken again.
Then I realized the broken audio it wasn't an issue, it was a feature.
Oh, well.
If I could turn back time, I'd keep it. The third unit, which I kept, has the working caddy (which I never use, tbh), but has the dead-area in the touchpad's far corners plus some minor finish flaws, which were pissing me for quite some time. The second unit had only the caddy issue, which is totally bearable - I mean, who uses the optical drive on a daily basis nowadays?

(bear in mind the GPU test was running on the HD Graphics, not GTX 850m)

Cheers.

 

Broken sound? , What kind of feature that is and what it does? :O

 

It does... well, whatever the N550JK does with sound so it sounds utter rubbish .

 

So, haven't had an SSD before, just ran CrystalDiskMark on the Evo 240 that I installed last week. Does anyone know if this is looking okay?



I just used the defaults for CDM.

 

I've discovered a stuck/dead red subpixel hiding under the task bar. Should I worry that it might get worse or send it back for a replacement? I'm not sure if it's normal for laptop displays today to not be perfectly immaculate.

 

You can try to do an exchange but some vendors may not replace it for you since this imperfection can happen with brand new units.

 

It will get worse, my own experience with dead pixels.
I would strongly recommend you to replace it and if it's not possible then use ASUS warranty.

 

Yes, It's a typical EVO SSD speed tho I've seen even faster results.

 

Thanks! It's my first SSD. I guess the middling results are more due to the laptop architecture than anything I've done/haven't done. I'll look into how to tweak the performance.

So far so good, this machine is pretty damn fast overall.

Edit: I've gone through this guide from TheSSDReview.com and made the recommended changes. I'm going to run more tests after work.

 

Since this was your first SSD install, what method did you use? Did a fresh install work out OK?

Did you end up buying the Samsung with a notebook upgrade kit or buy a USB to SATA cable on your own to transfer files?

 

Fresh install using the Windows 8.1 Core ISO burned to DVD. Easy peasy. Activated an serial # entered automatically, so I g Iuess that was the BIOS doing its thing.

 

So it seems like everyone has a preference for for Samsung SSDs. I'm torn between spending an extra $30 on one or getting the crucial mx100. The crucial comes highly recommended for its price but it has much lower (300mb/s) write speeds and similar read speeds to Samsung's. However I like the idea that Samsung has included an SSD tuning utility (magician) to manage the drives features and firmware.

What are some thoughts on these two. Will I ever notice he difference or is Samsung the clear winner.

Here is a user benchmark comparison. http://ssd.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Samsung-840-Evo-250GB-vs-Crucial-MX100-256GB/1594vs2317

 

I ended up going with the mx100, and very happy with it. However I don't know how much better/if I would've noticed a difference with the Evo...

 

So you literally just restarted it a few times and the clicking noise went away? Do you mean a few times in a row, or just over an extended period of time?

 

How to solve random disconnects with the Qualcomm Atheros WiFi adapter without replacing it entirely
So you just spent a lot of money on this machine and you don't want to hassle with spending more money and taking the machine apart to just have it work properly on WiFi.
There is another solution, which seems to work perfectly. No more disconnects!
Simply update the driver to the latest version. Hard to find, but eventually I ended up at station-drivers.com
(The version I have installed now is 10.0.0.288 and was released on April 2nd this year.)

Tip for closing the wonly DVD drive tray with a 100 percent success rate
When I close the tray, I push it closed near the eject button. Works for me every single time so give it a try!

To make sure the nVidia GPU is used in all applications at all times, please right mouse click on your desktop and select "NVIDIA Control Panel".
Now click "Manage 3D settings" on the left side and in the right pane there should be a drop down menu called "Preferred graphics processor:", which has the default setting called "auto select".
Simply click on it and choose "High-performance NVIDIA processor" from the list, hit "Apply" down bellow and you are set.
Happy gaming!

Have the same problem, but far less extreme. It seems to be a general problem with this model.

Ok, so now I have a question for you guys. This has been driving me absolutely nuts and even my Google-fu couldn't help me with this one.
How on earth do you make the screen scale to fill the screen when running applications and games in a lower resolution?
Had no problems fixing this in the nVidia settings on my i7 PC, which of course also has the Intel graphics chip on board. However, it seems that the Intel chip is dominating the screen setup yet there is no option there to change this setting.
Some help with this would be highly appreciated. Many thanks in advance!

 

Just bought one of these from Lambda Tech N550JK-CJ375H ASUS N550JK-CJ375H, i7-4700HQ, 8G, 1TB, NVIDIA GeForce GTX850M (2G DDR3), DVD DL, Win 8.1 64B, AC, Webcam, 15.6" HD Touch LED Glare, 1 Year but have a couple of strange issues? Firstly it seems that there is no ability to turn on the backlit keyboard - have done some digging and seems that it should be FN + F3 ? Nothing happens when I press this and there's nothing printed on the function keys, does anyone else have a model without backlit keys or is there usually something printed on the F3 key to indicate that it does something.

More worrying is that despite it being listed as a full HD monitor, and I've checked it definitely has a 850m, but I can only choose resolutions up to 1366 x 768? I have downloaded and updated to the latest drivers but this hasn't seemed to change anything or remedy the problem. Does anyone have any ideas or know of any reason that this would be the case?

 

Does your keyboard look like this? Fun+f4 increases backlight.


You may have the wrong model. Can't see why you wouldn't have markings on the keyboard and no 1080p display.

 

It seems the website you have linked to has listed incorrect specs for your laptop. Here is a link to a CNET overview article for the CJ375H. It only lists a 1366x768 IPS display, not FHD. It also has no mention about a backlit keyboard. I would suggest you return it for the DS71T model if you want those features.

 

Hey guys i own now a n550jk cn002h with the atheros ar9485wb-eg, i meet so huge problem wifi connection drop .. how can i resolve the problem ?

 

I took a look at this laptop in my local store and it was almost a buy.

What I liked was:

1) The chassis, while not light, is solid and well made.
2) The keyboard is excellent, I spent a good 10 mins typing on it and I was incredibly fast and accurate. Almost s good as my business Thinkpad.
3) Speakers nothing special but not bad either.
4) Felt cool to the touch.

What I didn't like was:

1) The IPS screen is surprisingly dim (as in, not bright). The IPS on my Acer is maybe twice as bright at maximum brightness settings. Very dissappointing
2) I know I would feel limited by the 850M DDR3 within a year. It's such a shame they don't offer a version with an 850M or 860M DDR5 on a 1050 EUR laptop that perform better at 1080p and heavy details, plus can be overclocked a good amount.

If they bring out a new revision with GDDR5 and touch then I shall be heavily tempted.

If rue then that IS a deal breaker. However, why owuld it not work? Every other laptop with HDMI and an NV GPU has worked for me... is the HDMI port part of the Intel mobo now, and not the NV GPU?

 

Do you have problem with WiFi ?

 

I didn't buy it...

 

Can someone help me ? i already install the last driver nothing change...

 

What router do you have? Try changing the router wireless channels and frequency strength.

 

How and where did you find the driver?
Is the latest version installed 10.0.0.288?
(If no, please check my post at the top of the previous page how to install the very latest driver available. It has solved my WiFi drops and had this machine on 3 different routers to test it out, thus far.)


Ok,a question for you guys. This has been driving me absolutely nuts and even my Google-fu couldn't help me with this one.
How on earth do you make the screen scale to fill the screen when running applications and games in a lower resolution?
Had no problems fixing this in the nVidia settings on my i7 PC, which of course also has the Intel graphics chip on board. However, it seems that the Intel chip is dominating the screen setup yet there is no option there to change this setting.
Some help with this would be highly appreciated. Many thanks in advance!

 

Hey i already install the last driver.. Internet connection is doing Yoyo going to 1mbs them 800kbs 500kbs 100kbs 0kbs then go up

 

Extended period of time, where "extended" stands for like 2-3 days.

Did you try pinging google.com and see if it's loosing any packets? Also, how far are you from your access point/router? Any thick, concrete walls between?

 

Hi,
I'm concerned about battery inside this notebook as it's non-removable, And it's quite mess to remove battery and off course you won't be running on AC all the time, so you need the batteries occasionally.

I wanted to know that will charging this laptop at any % level of battery while gaming / leaving it all the time on the charger will effect battery life or not?
I've heard modern laptop's comes with modern technology which automatically stops charging once laptop is fully charged, is it true?

Also is there's any software which prevents charging to battery one charger has been plugged in?

Thanks in advance.

 

I did it and the result was no packets loose but high ping like 170..

Thank dude

 

Yes. Modern batteries stop charging when they are full.
There is a caveat of course. Batteries don't like to be kept in either a full or empty state for long periods of time. My previous laptop was kept exclusively as a desk computer. It remained plugged in for most of a 4 year period. After 4 years of being kept at 100% the battery will no longer hold a charge and lasts for 30 min.

What's best to do is to unplug the computer some of the time (when you are not gaming) I leave mine to charge at night and unplug it in the morning.

The best way to treat these batteries which have no charge memory is to simply use them. Try not to drain them fully (this is the opposite if previous technology) the battery should last the equivalent of 1000 full charge cycles before losing 80% of its charge. A 50% drain counts as half a cycle.

Hope that helped.

 

Thanks a lot, It really helped!
I'm quite pleased with the quality and performance of this machine but I have noticed some things:
1. Battery life won't last for more than 3.5 hours, While Battery profile on saving and CPU constant at 0.87GHz, WiFi Off and using Ethernet and browsing with only 3-4 tabs.
Isn't it too bad? I least expected this new machine to last for 4.5 hours while on Battery saving profile.

2. Speakers balance seams quite unusual to me, The left side of speakers are noticeably and reasonably loud but speakers on the right side are extremely dim.
When I move speakers balance in realtek to extreme right side and play the sound, It feels like sound is coming again from left side instead of right.
Even after testing all settings, The sound isn't perfectly aligned.
I wanted to know that is it a manufacturing defect or they are working as they are supposed to?

Thanks in advance!

 

I have a strong feeling that the speaker problem is occurring because the internal hard drive is on the right side. It seems to be quite loud.

My SSD is coming this week so I will test with it to see if it changes. I should get better battery with it too since I have a 7200rpm drive which uses much more power. All in all I have hardly heard the fans or felt any heat from it but the hard drive is constantly on.

 

I don't think HDD is conflicting with the speakers and neither it should, theoretically not.
I think more like a software problem, I think ASUS should release the updates for their drivers because its quite much time since they released last update.

 

Which SSD are you getting? Some can be quite power hungry if you are not careful.