*** ASUS Zephyrus M (GM501) Owner's Lounge ***

I just downloaded rog aura core from microsoft store, worked for a couple days then one day it just stopped launching. I can live with the colors my keyboard has but it just bothers me how I am unable to change them if I want to. I did go to the ASUS support site for the Zephyrus M, went to Driver's & Tools and they do not have the ROG Aura core program to download.

 

I don't know if it helps.
In this thread:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/asus-rog-zephyrus-gx501-owners-lounge.805107/page-112

Someone with similar problem as you have, asked if someone can upload the ASUS drivers folder...so i did.
And it solved the problem for him.
I left the download link there if you want to try.

Or someone nice here with the exact model as you own, can upload it for you.
I don't know if there is any difference between (drivers wise) the models.

Worth trying.

 

Was it that way out of the box or did it happen after windows/asus updates?

 

next time if you are not able to find the installer you reinstall the software from control panel

 

Yea mine did not even start. I had a clean install but like you rog aura core is nowhere to be found on the asus driver page but the microsoft store.

This will come in handy as the gx and gm should share most of the drivers including the keyboard. Just requested access. Thanks!

I installed a clean version of windows because I replaced my os drive. It shouldn't happen if you have a stock os drive.

 

Did you get a re-paste? Can you let us know what are the temps you are getting?

 

Yes, I got the LM repaste + thermal pads (best option from HID).

Currently, idle temps are at mid to high 50s on silent mode with a normal workload. I didn't have a chance to test gaming temps yet.

I have undervolted as per the vids I saw earlier in the forum, so
Core = -.125V
Cache = -.05V

and I am using a "battery" profile on my throttlestop as well (more aggressive cpu power management - so core clocks are around 1.9 ghz w/o boost)

 

In Bob's video that I posted he stated that if you change the battery profile it will mess with power management of the processers did happen to see that video?

 

No, I didn't change the battery profile on windows. I changed the Speedshift setting on Throttlestop to a higher number.

I also based my undervolting on notebookcheck.

 

Oh okay true when I get mine I need to keep all of this in mind.

 

is the undervolt improving the battery life at all?

 

I haven't used it on battery yet. Maybe @Solnev might know.

 

Haven't really experimented with it so I can't say for sure it did. But even with the undervolt the laptop stated about 2 hours 50 minutes with 0 screen brightness. I actually am about to do some homework in a coffee shop and see how long it lasts by tonight. I will let you know.

 

Thanks, I will see if it works. I'm not sure what happened but I think it could have been the clean install of windows that caused this. I'm also just hoping Asus would post up their ROG core aura for the Zephyrus M so this could be fixed.

 

That exactly what the other guy had.
A clean install.

Hope it will work out for you.

 

Hey I actually need permission to access the drivers.

 

Just authorized you.

 

It says the drivers are not compatible with the files. I think I am going to wait until someone uploads the standard drivers for the Zephyrus M. Now that I think about it, Zephyrus M keyboard is different from the GX501.

But thanks a lot I appreciate your help! Getting the drivers would most likely be the solution for this.

 

I had a look in the software folders (specifically aura core) and found out that they are empty. I have already opened a ticket with HID regarding this. Thanks anyways though.

 

So I arrived at the coffeeshop around 2:55 pm and started using it. It was already set on optimus mode. I didn't want to set it optimus while at the coffeeshop because it does that stupid reboot sound at the beginning haha. So just make sure you reset to optimus mode at home before even thinking bout using the battery on this thing.

Around 6:19 pm it hit 5% battery and it safely shut down itself to retain the amount of battery it has left. This is a pretty solid 3 hours 25 minutes with battery saving mode on, 25% screen brightness, and no keyboard light. It is already undervolted Core = -.125V, Cache = -.05V.
I haven't experimented without undervolt and I don't think I have to because I feel like it wouldn't even hit 3 hours. I also attached a photo the apps I used that drained the battery during my time there.

 

@Phoenix Thank you so much for your time helping with the tweaks!

I recommend everyone who buys from HID go to this guy ESPECIALLY if you don't really tweak your PC. Very patient and very knowledgeable. I have learned quite a few tips on managing and organizing my PC that I never knew before.

 

I think 3 and a half hours is acceptable thanks for this

 

Would anyone know how to upgrade the ssd on this laptop? I have a 512gb ssd that I have on my old laptop I would like to put it into my zephyrus M when it arrives. How can I transfer the bigger SSD to the Zephyrus M and retain the OS?

 

You can disable the boot sound in bios I think. I already ask Zoltan/the build team to disable mine during the build process (you can disable the red light at the bottom opening too as a matter of fact)

Replacing the storage is EZ on this laptop, consult Bob's video here. You use software like Macrium Reflect to create a backup and restore once in the OS.

 

is it possible to keep the program files on the 512gb and transfer it to the Zephyrus M while keeping the Zephyrus M OS?

 

Technically you can save the program files folder into a usb and transfer it but I wouldn't do that since the registry on your new pc will be messed up. I would recommend putting installers for all your programs into a folder and transfer that and reinstall them.

 

Hey please let me know what they say. I should have probably sent them a ticket but I thought I could have solved this on my own. I think they will probably get to you earlier.

 

They are trying to figure out too. At the moment there is no download on the asus driver website, and apparently the esupport folders that came with the os or from hid are suffering the same problem in which some folders like aura core are blank (at least mine did)

 

would you think that this would work:
https://www.easeus.com/pc-transfer/free-pc-mover-for-windows8-7.html

 

This is the wondows 10 version:
https://www.easeus.com/pc-transfer/windows-10-migration-assistant.html

 

Anyone have the exact ram specs for the 16gb ddr4 2666 ram that comes in the GM501? Looking to put in another 16gb stick, but not a fan of mismatched memory.

Further, I appreciate all the information shared in here. I just got my Zypherus M in yesterday. Already have LM and fujipoly thermal pads on the way.

Thank you for sharing bob's video on the teardown. I'm going to try to get you all some info on temp results when I repaste. To hopefully help the best I can I plan to get the following measurements (all @overboost fan mode and same room temp (best I can))
Stock temps: CPU stress, GPU stress, Combined stress
Undervolt temps: CPU stress, Combined stress
Repaste with kryonaut or LM but @ stock voltage: CPU stress, GPU stress, Combined stress
Repaste + Undervolt temps: CPU stress, Combined stress

What tweaks are we talking about? Is this a paid service? I'm just curious. I've been custom building and overclocking PC's since early 2000, but new to actually modifying/playing with a laptop. I'm assuming this is a paid service?

 

The "Phoenix" tweaks are a perk for HIDevolution customers who can enjoy a tweak session from @Phoenix himself.

Anyway, I've got some temps for you all (all temps. in Celsius):
Undevolts are same across all profiles.
In case you missed my post above, here are the numbers again -
-125 mV Core
-50mV Cache

Idle
Undervolted + Silent Fans = 55-60, Balanced fans = low 50s
"Silent" still means fans turning on if temps are over 60.



ThrottleStop settings (FIVR settings same across all profiles)

Gaming Temps.
Frostpunk maxed (30 min.): Undervolt + 250 mhz core and memory OC on GPU + Overboost fans
CPU = Max 78
GPU = Max 74



Gaming ThrottleStop Settings


Temps


GPU OC settings

 

Ughhhh I can't decide between this and the new Razer Blade...does anyone have some magicial advice to help me decide

 

I'm in the same boat, but I'm leaning strongly toward the Asus. Asus has a better track record with gaming laptops in general and this GM501 is about perfect. The ONLY things that the new Razer has going for it are looks and maybe speaker placement. Performance, cooling, and screen response are all better on the Asus (less expensive, too.) I suppose the Razer will have better battery life, maybe a bit quieter, but those are not that important to me. I think this new Razer will prove to be better than the other models, which is great, but not good enough to go with it over the GM501. That's how I feel so far. Perhaps more reviews on the Razer will sway me the other way, but I doubt it.

 

Hello, I was interested to buy this notebook, but since I can't find any shop that in Europe changes the thermal compund, I wanted to ask is hard to do it?

 

Same goes for me. I was very happy when the Blade was announced, but now, I think the ASUS is the way to go. I mean, this user got temps of 99 degrees on the CPU when playing The Witcher 3, which is nuts and bad for the machine: http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/blade-15-6-announced-in-china.817185/page-12#post-10734872. And over on Razers own forums, a user got into the 90’s when playing Far Cry 5. Seems that the new vapor chamber is pretty useless: https://insider.razer.com/index.php?threads/i-present-to-you-firebats-blade-15-144hz.33466/page-2

Hi, welcome to the forums. As far as I have seen (and I’ve searched a lot), there isn’t a shop in Europe that does this. I ordered mine from HIDevolution, but it is more expensive due to import taxes. I can’t comment on if it’s difficult or not, have no experience with it. Sorry!

 

Can you give me a better idea of what "tweaks" you are talking about? I'm starting to think it's either hand holding through undervolting/oc'ing, or doing very basic items like text scaling and what the laptop does when you close the lid.

Anyway, thanks for sharing the temps!

 

1- Uninstallation of all the Windows Store Garbage Apps like 3D Paint, Print 3D, Alarms & Clock, Feedback Hub, Maps, Groove Music, News, Weather, etc.
2- Removing all Windows 10 Privacy Invasion stuff like Telemetry, sending your keystrokes to Microsoft, automatically installing suggested apps in the background, allowing Microsoft to conduct experiments on your laptop, disabling automatic driver updates through Windows updates, disabling Windows 10 ads, disabling Cortana, Cloud Search etc.
3- Removal of nVIDIA and Intel Telemetry
4- Adjusting a lot of options in PC Settings like disabling Windows Tablet Mode (you have a laptop not a tablet), disabling suggestions appearing in the start menu, disabling automatically connecting to Paid WiFi Hotspots, disabling Game DVR which reduced performance in games, and a lot more.
5- Replacing Cortana with a much better search tool that finds results instantly called Everything which finds any file you want as soon as you start typing even a few letters of its name and it doesn't even rely on the Windows Indexing Service to do this!
6- Restoring the classic Windows Photo Viewer
7- Restoring the Classic Windows 7 Start Menu
8- Removal of the new and useless 3D Objects Folder that appears when you open "Computer"
9- Completely disabling Windows Defender from its roots (including all scheduled tasks and startup files) for those who want to install their own AV. ESET NOD32 Antivirus is highly recommended if you want the utmost security with the least system performance impact.
10- Updating all drivers to the latest versions in case they weren't up to date.
11- Disabling the performance hit that is caused by the Meltdown and Spectre patches recently released by Microsoft (optional, only if you don't mind having this security vulnerability and would rather have your CPU's full performance back)
12- Overprovisioning your SSD anywhere between 10-20% depending on how much space you can spare to ensure optimal and consistent performance at all times.
13- Blocking the Google Chrome Software Reporter Tool (which causes a high system load when it is scanning files)
14- Updating all drivers
15- Creating a system restoration image using Macrium Reflect

Quoted from an earlier post.

 

It's not hard to do at all. Just don't use LM and go with a good non-conductive thermal compound and it's really easy.

Here's a great video where you can see exactly how to do it:

 

Sweet! Thanks for sharing!

I would highly recommend disabling and removing OneDrive from your PC too if you don't use it. I've had it screw up multiple games causing them to feel stuttery even though showing high fps's. Why on earth OneDrive impacts game performance is beyond me, but it 100% was the cause for me. (This was on a windows 10 desktop pc, not the zephyrus).

But something else to get rid of that causes issues.

 

Thanks, but after seeing all of those ribbon cables to remove I don't think I'm going to repaste it.

 

I think if it's syncing a lot of data it can use a decent amount of CPU. Definitely worth a look.

 

@dkevox were you able to do this all on your own?

 

New Zephyrus M owner here! Picked one up from HIDEvolution with the conductnaut repaste + thermal pads, added a second stick of memory.

Cooling with conductnaut repaste/thermal pads
Playing Overwatch for hours yesterday with settings cranked, framerates super high, cpu/gpu both stayed in the mid to upper 70's (C) at full load, and fan noise wasn't that bad. Room was 70 degrees (F) or so. This is the first time I've had a laptop with an LM repaste and I do travel quite a bit, so I'm a little worried, but I really wanted to tackle thermals so I wouldn't sound like a jet engine constantly (my biggest complaint of my last laptop, Razer 14.) Note that I had a second stick of memory which means dual channel -- maybe that helped keep the CPU from having to work as hard, I don't know.

Huge shout out to HIDEvolution who did a fantastic job with the build and getting me my laptop quickly -- pleasure to work with and I'll definitely be buying from them again in the future.

Razer 15 vs Zephyrus M
Like a few folks posted earlier, I was tempted by the Razer 15. This laptop replaces a Razer 14 and I've been happy with it, although I've also been "lucky" with it -- a lot of Razer owners have problems, and I've been super fortunate to not have those kinds of problems myself. I upgraded so I could have a beefier machine with a better screen for LAN gaming events. Ultimately I went with Asus over Razer for three reasons:
(1) Better quality -- Asus laptops are well built whereas Razer's QC is all over the place.
(2) Better support -- Related to #1, but Razer's support is legendary, and not for being good
(3) Full 1070 -- wanted a non-max-q gpu for the best performance.

That said, I'd consider the Razer 15 for anyone who is willing to take a risk in terms of reliability/support -- as I said, my 14 has been no trouble at all -- and who's looking for a smaller and lighter laptop. The Zephyrus M is not that light, the power brick is kind of huge and overall dimensions are bigger than Razer. You might also want the Razer if you want per-key lighting on the keyboard, since Asus only does four-zone lighting effects. (The cool "sparkling" effect on my Razer 14 looks way cooler than anything I can do on my Zephyrus.) I also think the Razer just looks ridiculously cool.

One thing I have no idea about is the 1080 144hz panel on the Razer 15. On the Zephyrus M, this is an *amazing* panel for gaming and worked awesome with Overwatch. I don't think the Razer 15 does GSync and I don't know the response rate or color profile of the panel; this might be another reason for folks to go with Asus. Personally I am a bit of a monitor geek and find the Zephyrus screen to be desktop-grade quality for gaming.

 

I hope you are liking the PC!

I just want to say I resonate with you in your reasons in getting the Asus in that it has the fastest responding screen @ 144 Hz (Other manufacturers never specified and judging from their better color gamut and accuracy, they should have slower responding screens) and also being the only thin and light with a full fat 1070. Also LM has allowed you some room to do minor OC to the GPU.

@Solnev I went thru a remote session with Zoltan from HID on Friday. He couldn't fix my problem with the keyboard either, but he has contacted Asus for help. I haven't heard back from him yet but the problem may be from Asus's end.

 

Yea its definitely on Asus's end. I'm still waiting for their Rog Aura Core driver for Zephyrus M to be put up. Their microsoft store rog aura core doesn't work and its pretty bad.

 

Sorry for the delayed reply.

I didn't do everything he listed. A lot of that is personal preference and I do some similar things when setting up my comps. A lot also doesn't really make a difference performance wise. For instance, back in the day having a page-file partition on the hdd would help, but overprovisioning an ssd doesn't really do anything unless you completely fill your ssd. Windows telemetry doesn't do anything so I don't bother with that stuff. Windows defender is fine (for me). I generally just re-install windows and start fresh every so often instead of dealing with antivirus/antimalware software. Always found them to be more of a pita than any actual virus's.

 

About to order mine from HIDevolution! @Phoenix

 

Thanks for the reply I guess I will just do a undervolt and follow whatever bob did in his youtube video. I already got the pads and LM paste I ordered mine from GentechPC.

 

I would still pick Zephyrus this is the thinnest laptop with a full 1070. Sure it has thick bezels but compare it to the size of all the other laptops with a full 1070.