ASUS U500vz/UX51vz Owners' Lounge!

Are you aware of any way to back up those particular partitions? Say with either the built-in Windows 7 File Recovery image tool, or a third-party drive image tool? Should something like that work? I used to not worry about the partitions but since this laptop only has these, and no recovery DVD, I don't want to lose the only chance of restoring to factory settings in case I want to sell it eventually, etc.

 

You can use the built in "Create a recovery drive" feature that Windows 8 has in it. According to that program "If your PC came with a recovery partition, you can also copy it to the recovery drive so you can use it to refresh or reset your PC" Do a search in Windows for "recovery" and it will pop up. I've never used it myself though.

 

Just got a ux51vz with dual 256 SSDs. I actually bought a MBP retina with 512 SSD and 16G in an attempt to try mac (using for developing java / extjs apps) and I got nervous and returned it for this. Reading specs I thought performance would be close, although the MBP was 2.6GHZ and this was 2.1.

I was really disappointed. The Mac built my project and ran all tests in 30 seconds - which was amazing, my last laptop took 3 minutes+. This rig takes 1:30. What's up, is it really 3x slower than that MBP? It was a monster and now I think I gave it up because I hated doing ctrl-X.

Any thoughts? Am I hitting a throttling issue? How do I get around it, or is it just a lot slower? Even the graphics are giving me 5.8 on the windows experience index, thought it would be higher.

 

tsquared99,
Try Linux, beats the beejezus out of compiling under OSX.

Why are you focusing on HW when Java programming is highly dependent on the OS?

Just curious.

I do about 95% of my work on top of Linux, and only a tiny bit on Win 8.

This is a capable platform, in spite of the factory installed mess called Windows.

 

Yes. No. No idea, that must be a software issue and I don't know anything about your software environment. I have the same score but that's really not an indication of speed, I would ignore it completely.

OS X isn't especially fast and Windows isn't especially slow (no matter what some fanboys/girls say) and the hardware isn't that different performance wise - the only explanation would be that those figures just doesn't measure the same thing.

 

Hello everyone! The U500VZ has not been released here in the US, but I very much would like to find one. If you own the U500VZ, with TouchScreen, can you please post a link to the place where you bought it from?

Thank You so kindly!

-Jason :hi2:

 

Hi,
I got the U500VZ touch. Just wondering, is there any solution for the fan noise? And have anyone tried to clean the fans? If so, how do you access the fans?

 

Will anyone will be kind enough to check what is the Default Display (Make the text on your screen larger or smaller) in UX51VZ 15.6" FHD Display? Is it set (by default) to 100% or 125%? Also at default resolution whether the text is easy on eyes to read or they are too tiny for comfortable reading? I am asking the first question because if the resolution is set at 125% (as is the case with UX32VD) many software have problem displaying dialog box etc properly. Thanks in advance.

 

If it is 125% just change it - that's what I did for my UX32VD anyway. I didn't like my external 1080p 24" displays looking odd with the oversized text whenever I hooked them up for work and when I'd use all 3 displays I'd set the UX32VD to be a lower resolution that would match the others dpi. I'd say it's easy enough to read, but it's up to you and how good your eyes are and how far away you plan to use the laptop from your face.

Peter

 

Thanks Peter for your response. The problem with reducing display size from default 125% to 100% in UX32VD is that the fonts becomes very tiny and can not be read comfortably. On the other hand if we reduce the display resolution from the default 1920X1080 the text are not as sharp as in case of default resolution.

 

It will depend on the eyes and usual viewing distance of each person, though windows could do with much better display scaling options. Hopefully with the rise of super res displays this improves.

 

After months of seeing only "Out of stock" on the Microsoft Store site for the UX51VZ-US71T touchscreen model, tonight I saw it said "Add to cart" instead. I just ordered mine! Student discount available.

Get one NOW while you still can!

 

Have any of you guys had any luck switching the graphics card between the Intel (I guess "integrated") and the dedicated Nvidia card in this machine on Windows 7? I have followed the guide someone has posted a while back for installing everything, and all other functions seem to work, but it always runs on the Intel graphics!
Both intel and nvidia show up in the Device manager, and I of course have installed drivers from Asus for both cards... However there is no option or button to switch the graphics! I know it runs off the Intel card all the time, since if I disable that one in the device manager, the screen goes black. Also, performance-wise the card is very slow.
On my other asus machine from way back there was an option on the power plan settings in windows, which GPU to use, but there don't seem to be one here...
Those of you running Windows 7, how are you dealing with this?
Also, those of you running stock (or otherwise) windows 8, can you actually switch graphics? Do you get a button or a setting in the power plan for this? Please help, I ran out of ideas on this one...

 

I'm on windows 8 and while there is no switch for which card is active I can choose programs to use either dedicated or integrated gpu in the nvidia control panel. Would be better if there was a switch as I had to deal with quake live (which runs through a browser) always using the integrated gpu.

 

In Windows 8 one can open the nvidia control panel, select "manage 3d settings" and under "global settings" set preferred graphics processor to "high performance nvidia processor". It's also possible to select specific settings for a certain programs. Can't help you sadly as I don't have a Windows 7 machine available :/

 

There should be options in the nvidia control panel just like windows 8.

 

Yep, that seems to be the way to do it. Checked with Asus support, and they confirmed it as well.

I can also confirm that it works the same way on Windows 7.

 

You should have the global option and the per program option.

 

I bit the bullet last week and ordered the UX51VZ-DH71. I've had it for a few hours and I'm pretty amazed with the quality, but the keyboard LEDs are being weird. They keep turning off and on. Anyone else have this problem, or a possible solution?

edit 2: Alright, in my excitement over finally getting my computer I forgot that you have to turn it off and let it run a bunch of updates. Having done that, the keyboard backlights and track pad are functioning normally. Now off to try out Skyrim!

 

It's because you had the ambient light sensor on. To turn it on/off, press fn+A.

Guys, still no solution for the fan noise. At night at times I don't turn my laptop off (when I'm revising, I sleep only like 3-4 hours a day), and I can hear the fan spinning, it is so annoying.

 

Why not sleep it?

 

I use the laptop as a hotspot, so I get wifi on my phone and tablet in my room (so I can save on my 3g data). I put it to sleep at times, but that's not really a solution. Is there kind of like a software to tweak the fans?

 

I want the touch one from he MS store..... But the new reviews of HasWell are stunning

 

Maybe it might be easier to get a router that will reach your room and let your phone and tablet connect.

 

I live in a University Hall, my room is small, so I don't really need a router. Thanks for the advise though.

The fan is quite an annoying issue, sometimes when I'm in class and everyone is silent, people can hear the fans, I have to turn into sleep mode then.

 

Hey guys, a more general question here. Is it OK to leave laptops plugged into the charger for long periods of time? I've had a couple friends inform me that I should be charging, unplugging, and then running the battery down to where it requests being plugged back in. Comments or suggestions?

 

Constantly cycling the battery will kill it since battery life is mostly measured in charge/discharge cycles.

 

Hey guys ... So Ive now had the UX51VZA (3632, touchscreen, 2x256) for about two months...

This is my second piece, the first one went straight back to the retailer as it was not put together well (crooked touchpad, loosened screws due to a piece of foam stuck between the chassis and bottom lid, etc.). This second piece looks better on the outside but up until a recent re-format and re-install some 2-3 weeks ago, I'd been experiencing data corruption on the D partition (not sure why the D partition only) upon waking up from the sleep mode. What would happen is that while I used to normally put the laptop to sleep and wake it by simply closing/opening the lid, after some time it started acting up a bit funny. The laptop would go to sleep after closing the lid as usually but after sleeping for a few hours, it would automatically fall into this weird hibernation mode (despite hibernation being disabled everywhere). Upon opening the lid, the power button was not flashing and I had to press it for the laptop to wake up (which would take as long if not longer than if i booted it up but all my programs and files were still open). If I had deleted let's say ten 1GB files from the D partition and copied over some new files prior to putting the computer to sleep, once I woke it up the data would either be corrupted/unplayable or would not even show up anymore. Putting the laptop into hibernation didn't present such problems. It was extremely frustrating. Upon a complete re-format and re-install it's been OK so far (so I suppose it was a software issue) but as I have exactly the same software and drivers installed now as I used to back then, I'm still quite uneasy about using the laptop the way I'd like to (and back up everything 3 times just to be sure).

The reason I'm writing it here is that through a different forum, I've just got in touch with another person who's been experiencing the exact same issue with this laptop.. Anyone else noticed anything like this??

On a different note, I'm thinking about replacing my 4yo 23" monitor with a new one (still undecided whether to go with a 27" 2560x1440 or maybe go crazy with a 29" 2560x1080) and as there's no DVI or DP on this laptop, I was wondering if anyone here is using this laptop with an external screen like that over HDMI. It should be possible to get that kind of resolution out of 650M through HDMI if the screen supports HDMI 1.4. I'd just like to know if the 650M in the UX51VZ allows it and whether anyone here has any experience/advice with/on this.

Sorry about the long post and thanks a lot.

 

Usually not possible over hdmi practically to go beyond 1080p.

The sleep problem could be an msata problem if your machine has that.

 

I know that usually it's not possible, however, there are many people who successfully use high res external screens with their computers using HDMI. The details for 650M say "The improved feature set now includes support for up to 4 active displays. Furthermore, high resolution monitors of up to 3840x2160 pixels can now be connected using DisplayPort 1.2 or HDMI 1.4a if available." I've read that it is up to the manufacturer to decide what ports and versions to include in their products. What I'm trying to find out is if someone here who owns this laptop model is using a high res screen with it and how they do it (don't want to spend 500 EUR on a new screen that I won't be able to enjoy). I was quite disappointed the other day when I fully realized that what I had thought was a miniDP was actually a miniVGA (why the heck would anyone put that in a flagship laptop?)...

 

Any news on a HasWell refresh ? Only saw the 13.3"'prime

 

Haven't heard anything about a Haswell refresh but there's a new version with a 2880x1620 resolution screen (no touch) that will start to sell in Germany soon(ish). Asus Zenbook UX51VZ-DB114H 39,6 cm Notebook schwarz: Amazon.de: Computer & Zubehör

 

Hi folks,

Though I'm based in the UK, I'm looking to buy a UX51VZ from the US.. Prices seem to be marginally better and I'm heading out there next month.

One thing that is confusing however are all the variants. So far I've found a DH71 and XH71 and XB71.
Apologies if it's already been discussed on this forum (though I couldn't find anything) but could anyone tell me what the differences are between these versions ?

The XB71 seems to be a new listing in a brown finish which appears to be have a 2880 x 1660 panel.

So far the only thing I can tell is that the diffeence between the DH71 and XH71 seem to be the Windows version (Home Premium -> Pro) and SSD size (2x128 -> 2 x 256) Is there any memory, processor, Graphics card or Touch Screen difference between them ?

Thanks in advance

 

No, the OS and storage are the only two differences between DH71 and XH71. The touch screen version is yet another model.

 

Has anyone found a good sleeve for this laptop? The Banana sleeve is out of the question.

 

Am mobile, so can't easily look it up. But I reported in this thread that Tom Bihn makes a perfect fit. Love mine, it's s perfect fit!

 

Shocked no haswell. Would solve so many fan and TDP issues.

It's role on desktop is not existnt. In these thin and light I am amazed (look at Mac book air etc)

 

Screen Malfunction

I'm the proud owner of a ux51vz - xh71. I've had it for about 2 months, and love it so far. However, just the other day, when I powered up the laptop after it being off all day, no picture appeared on the screen, and it was just different-colored vertical lines all the way across:



After being on for a little while, my wallpaper photo slowly shows up. First, it's mixed with the vertical lines, then it looks fine with just a few off-colored vertical section, and then eventually, it's back to normal. This leads me to believe the screen is somehow "cold", and for some reason it need to "warm up". Very frustrating, especially given the amount I spent on the laptop, and the otherwise great quality of the machine.

I've never had this problem with any other laptop. Any thoughts or advice? Or should I send back to ASUS for warranty repair?

 

I'd send it back for a repair/screen replacement. That just seems like too big of an issue for a two months old 2k+ laptop.

 

LOTDN, that sounds like a Windows video driver issue. Before doing anything radical, try running your system off of a Live Mint Linux CD/USB. No problems, then it's a Windoze problem.

 

I just got my UX51VZ and really love it. Not sure how they get this much power in such a thin machine! All is working well but I have one issue that I don't know is normal or not. Three times now, the machine has been shut down (not sleep or suspended, but completely powered off) with the charger plugged in to get the charge to 100% and the green light on. I didn't touch anything except unplug it from the wall and all 3 times the machine powered on within a few seconds. Seems odd that unplugging from the wall would power it on. Is that normal? I got my notebook from Xotic PC and I saw Hutsady on these boards earlier, so I was hoping he, or someone else could answer.

 

Hy all.

I have an UX51VZ with 128SSD and 500HDD. My problem is that once in 30-40 days is stopping instantly like someone just removed the battery. after thet everithing is allright for another 30-40 days. Does anyone noticed this issue, and what could it be.
Thanx

 

Hi,

Had my laptop for 3months and no problems although recently I've noticed when playing HD video full screen the video will freeze momentarily every 10seconds or so. The laptop itself is responsive and obviously it shouldn't struggle with 720 or 1080p youtube videos. Anyone have any idea what could be causing it?

Thanks

 

If its just a momentary stutter like a left-out movie frame then this is a snyc problem with your video source. The video does have a frame rate which is different to the LCD screens frame rate. For example 23,976 fps of the video vs. 24 fps of the screen. Then the video needs to catch up with the LCD screen's framerate in regular intervalls. A common problem. If this is the case you should check if the display can go with all framerates needed for various video sources. This may help: Guide: Perfect playback & Display calibration | MediaPortal Forum

 

I'm thinking about getting a UX51VZ for coding. Has anyone experienced any issues with their wifi with this laptop?

 

Not really. I've been using wifi until recently and the only problem was spikes during online gaming which is to be expected. Otherwise pretty reliable with the router in another room. Haven't done any official tests though, maybe someone else did?

 

Hi... It looks like the UX51VZ-XB71 variant is now available to buy in the US. Some places are showing it as 'In Stock'

This is the version supports 2880 x 1620 resolution

... But how comes no official announcement by Asus or any reviews on the web ?

 

HI,

I have just bough the u500vz-bd111p in Portugal.
It came with the non-touch display with the superb resolution of 2880x1620 (has to set the font size to 150%)
In the box there was a soft case for the laptop, the external ODD, a corded mouse, and the subwofer, Vga adapter and a micro usb cable.
So far everything is good and I am enjoying this laptop a lot.
In the next few days, I will have to find a way to clone the entire disc to restore in case i have any problem. Does any one knows out to make recover dvd or something like that?
I am asking, because I plan to install fedora, and I am afraid something goes wrong, so it would be nice to have a way to restore everything back, the partition, the date and also the Raid0 configuration.

One odd thing, is that i do not know if the Intel HD400 is enabled. I have run AIDA64 (former everest) and it says the Intel HD4000 is disbled. I can not find the HD4000 on the device manager either.
Is this normal??

Best Regards,
André

 

Got my UX51VZ-XH71 a few days ago, and I'm trying to figure out how to set my touchpad scrolling back to the tablet-like default.

While I was playing around with the Windows 8 UI and options, I somehow invoked the touchpad settings, and just to see how I liked it, I set the two-finger panning to the old method of "move the view (down motion = pan down)." Now I'd like to revert to Windows 8 default of "move the content (down motion = pan up)," but I cannot find the settings!

Anyone know where they are??

 

Hi,

In the desktop mode click on the show hidden icons arrow and double click "Asus Smart Gestures"
On the Scroll settings you have the option "Content moves in finger direction"
Hope this helps.

Bestr Regards,
André