Asus N550JV - user review and owners lounge

This is the one I used. Works great. Ineo Technology 2.5-Inch SATA I/II External Hard Drive Enclosure with Built-In USB 3.0 Cable

 

Thanks for the response. Sorry, I wasn't really clear. I was thinking about something internal that would go into the optical drive bay, rather than something external.

I was looking at something like this: Amazon.com: NEW SATA 2nd HDD caddy for 9.5mm Universal CD/DVD-ROM ACER BENQ HP DELL ASUS: Computers & Accessories

However, the reviews for this one suggest that the laptop might not shut down correctly after installation. So I was wondering if anyone on this thread has already installed a HDD caddy that is known to work. Thanks in advance!

 

Ops missed that. Try GenTech PC I think they have a caddy that works.

 

Did you have any noticeable difference in speed, responsiveness, etc. compared to the stock atheros card? Were there any issues with it (win 8 compatible, airplane mode didn't work, etc)? I was gonna install this card, but now I'm not so sure seeing how many instances I saw on the internet of people having issues with this card on various different laptops.

 

Which card?

 

Intel Centrino 2230N

 

hi

i experienced so much problems with my notebook, bought the unit last July in Singapore.
1. it does not detect headphones easily. i have to plug/unplug it over and over again
2. the usb port seems to be loose, it keeps on making a sound like i have just plugged in a device. (example: i plugged my mouse, my notebook will just make a sound and my mouse will stop then another sound again then the mouse will work again)
3. it's a bit laggy. when i do my 3d, its very lag. (take note that it is just basic 3d, sketchup)
4. i cannot customize what vdeocard to use.. it will not use my gt nvidia 750m.. i disabled the intel vcard so that it will be forced to use the nvidia vcard. but what happened instead is that both vdeocard was disabled. nvdia cannot be detected if i disable the intel

im a little disappointed knowing this notebook has the latest processor, vdeo card and has a large memory.

anybody experiencing the sameeeee????

 

Got mine in Singapore Full HD touch screen
n550jv-cm041h

 

According to EASUS Partitiion Manager, I've got 8 partitions on my hard drive including a recovery partition that's invisible to windows. How many of these can I trash?

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/27736599/screenshot.png

Also, are there any special steps I need to take to install Linux Mint as a dual boot with Windows 8? (besides partitioning, obviously)

As an aside, is there any reason to chose dual-booting over virtualization?

 

Hello all!

I got my N550JV today. So far it seems like a good machine, but there's one thing that's bugging me: Like several other members experienced, the fans are always on and rather annoyingly loud, even when I'm just on the Windows desktop. There's no audible difference in the noise level, i.e. the fan speed doesn't seem to change, even if I choose a different energy profile. I'm running BIOS 206. Is there a way to check and change the fan control?

 

No fan control as far as i know, but this is strange: although the fans never stop spinning, this is one of the quietest machines I've ever seen.

Are you sure what you're hearing is fan noise and not HDD noise/vibration?

 

Well to be honest I can't be 100% sure yet because Windows is constantly accessing the HDD making it impossible for the drive to shutdown yet. But it does sound like a fan and the noise seems to come out from the entire rear. Maybe there's a tiny bit more noise coming from the left hand rear side - is that where the HDD is located?

 

No, that would be the fan location.

 

Honestly i highly doubt that it is possible for anyone to mistake the fan noise for a HDD activity noise, they don't even sound similar in any way.

 

Does anybody else experience sound issues? I am running Windows 8 and there's an issue with no sound after waking up from sleep. Also there seems to be a problem with the subwoofer. The realtek drivers recognize that I am connecting the subwoofer but it does not use the subwoofer in any way, it just completely ignores it and plays audio just like there was no sub connected. Always have to hard reset the machine to make the subwoofer work again. Also there are weird crackling noises coming from the speakers at some frequencies but the noise also comes out if I use headphones instead so I am almost certain that all of these problems are driver-related. It really annoys the hell out of me.

 

Yeah, that's why I'm thinking it's fan noise, it's a constant swoosh, varying only very slightly. Morv, you wrote about a similar problem. Are you still having issues with fan noise?

 

On the contrary, it is quite easy to mistake the constant HDD vibration noise for some kind of fan noise. Disk access noise shape on the other hand is quite unique.

 

Yes, sometimes it's rather quiet but sometimes it's loud.
I was watching a video in my bed last time as i did already before and it was audible all the time while it was nearly silent some time before...it's strange.
Hope they can fix it soon, i'm on BIOS 206 but lower versions i tested didn't change something.

Also, if I launch into BIOS it gets totally quiet.

At least I haven't heard any HDD vibration, i only hear it when it's working but I don't know, as some have fan noise issues some may hear their HDD vibrate.

 

Has everyone that has downgraded to Windows 7 now been able to get everything working properly? Or are there still a few things that just don't work right once you downgrade?

 

User dej12 had some trouble with that but figured it out eventually.

You will need drivers for the USB3 hub and maybe the Realtek PCIe Gigabit Ethernet drivers from their website.

 

Hi.

I got my laptop two days ago. I am planning to replace the existing 1 TB 5400 HDD with a Samsung 840 EVO 750GB 2.5-Inch SATA III SSD. If I do it by myself, will that void the warranty? Is there any kind of warranty seal on the HDD or RAM?

Thanks.

 

As far as I know there are no seals, also on the first page in the first post it is already stated that you are allowed to change it but if you need to send it in you must change it back to the HDD.

Also, if you do it, maybe be that kind and document how you open the bottom case to change it.

 

Thanks for the quick reply

 

Yes everything works fine. Ethernet and USB driver I installed from realtek and intel site and others from Asus website/dvd although it said that is for win8

 

Windows 7 Drivers:

Geforce 750M: Drivers | GeForce
Ethernet: Realtek
Audio: Realtek
USB: Intel
- you might not use it, before I installed some driver it work correctly but then i had to install this one

Intel Graphics Driver, Chipset Intel INF Update Driver, Card Reader, ASUS Smart Gesture (Touchpad Driver), ASUS InstantKey Utility, Qualcomm Atheros Wireless Lan Driver and Application, and Keyboard Device Filter Utility(I'm not sure) from ASUS
But I'm not sure if I remember it correctly but I hope it helps someone

 

I would like to hear other owners thoughts about the built in speakers of this laptop. I myself am very disappointed by the sound. Without the subwoofer the sound is just very, very thin. When turning the volume just a bit past the low level, the sounds gets very distorted. I know that you can not expect deep bass from such small speakers, but there is just no bass at all and the mids does not seem to perform that well either. I went from a Sony Vaio E-series which I thought had very poor sound thinking that this notebook would crush it in terms of sound, although now the Vaio wins in my book. When seeing the Bang & Olufsen logo I expect better performing sound. I know that it is just the sound processor that has been co-developed with B&O but why then built in such bad performing speakers? I have tried to make all sorts of adjustments in the MAXXaudio equalizer but nothing gets any better. What do you guys think?

 

Hi,

is there any solution to use fn+f2 to turn on and off Wifi + BT under Win7?

Thanks!

 

@itx: It works for me Try install Keyboard Device Filter or ATKACPI driver and hotkey-related utilities. I'm not sure now which one i have installed

 

I don't have a problem with them as they are and I can't hear any distortion, played some death metal, with both growls and screams to hear the extrema.
Sure, it's not an overwhelming experience but they're pretty good for what they are and i haven't even tried the subwoofer yet(mostly because i don't listen music over notebook speakers...).

I don't know but if you're some sort of audiophile you shouldn't expect notebook speakers to match your needs and to be honest i think these cooperations with audio system manufacturers are only some sort of marketing, i mean who says "Yeah i buy exactly this notebook because it has such good speakers of XYZ although it doesn't match any other of my requirements".
Though, as they're better than standard speakers, I still welcome it.

But if you really expected something overwhelming i guess you've just fallen for their "trick".
Buy a sound system or headphones if you want to listen to music, plug it and be happy.

 

I did not buy the notebook because of the built in speakers and I just wanted to hear other peoples experience and thoughts regarding the sound quality. Sure, if I want to hear music I plug in my head phones, but as I said I expected a better performance given that this is a top model from Asus.

 

Just adding my voice to the pile, could anyone please post a video tutorial of opening this thing up? I'm a little apprehensive about pulling the bottom cover off without damaging it and would love a video or photo tutorial to help me out. Thanks :hi2:

 

Asking the other way round: Can you give an example of a better sounding notebook of that price range? I had the Samsung 770Z5E as stated some time before and this had actually better sound but my guess is that it was simply better because of the built-in subwoofer.
Not that you aren't allowed to complain or dislike the sound but it just still seems to me that you're having wrong expectations.

+1

 

I compared the sound performance to an entry model from Sony (the E-series) - expecting this new notebook from Asus to perform better or on par at double the price. Alas, I think it falls just short of that. I can also compare the sound to my moms Acer Ultrabook, which, despite its "thinness", still has equal or better performance.

 

The speakers are kind of lame, i have to admit. They totally gone mad the other day and started to vibrate like crazy even on 30% volume. So i opened the lap for the 10th time and it turned out that the speakers were not secured enough. So i glued them and now it's back to normal.

 

Ok, now it's at least explained with examples though I can't compare it myself.
I just don't like plain "Naw, it's bad" statements.

If you are experienced in opening this thing, may you make a video or photos for the people that are unsure about this?
That would be really nice.

 

Just tried listening to music with HQ head phones (over ear). The performance of the sound card is superb! Thank god

 

Yea, with head phones it's definitely way better

 

@dej12:
Doesn't work for me. I have installed those things but all I get is OSD confirmation (All wireless device on - All wireless device off).

I also tried to install Asus Wireless Radio Control but it ends with an error (runs probably only on win8).

Have you flashed bios to the newest version 206?

 

You are right, it doesnt work, just OSD.... i didnt flashed bios

 

Hey,
I'm getting this laptop soon enough, with a 250GB Samsung 840 Evo (unless anyone can recommend a better SSD?).
My plan is to remove the ODD in favor of the SSD.

My question is though - does it matter if you place the SSD in the original location of the HDD, and the original HDD in place of the ODD, OR place the SSD in place of the ODD and keep the original HDD in place?
I'm speaking speed wise (are both SATA connectors, the HDD's and the ODD's the same speed etc), as well as heat-wise - which drive needs more cooling, and where in the casing the air flow is better?
As well as any other aspects I might have missed.

On another note, I'd like to bump up the RAM to 16GB, from the original 8GB the computer comes with. I read it comes with a single stick of 8GB, so I should be able to just buy another stick and place it in the second slot, correct? (or does it come with 2x4GB sticks?).
Also, will this stick work for the machine? Kingston Model KVR16S11/8 Laptop Memory - Newegg.com

Thanks for the help.

 

Samsung 840 Evo 250 GB should be fine, wanted to buy this one too.
The only remarkable thing is that it uses TLC(or 3 Bit MLC as Samsung calls it, too) instead of usual MLC and that there aren't any long term experiences yet, though it should be fine.

If both the HDD and the ODD SATA slots are SATA III I'd let the HDD stay where it is as it was thought to be there regarding cooling and put the SSD in the ODD bay as it produces less heat anyway.

For the RAM part I guess you'll have to see yourself, i have 2x4 GB as well as Kallogan but I think someone else had a single 8 GB stick too, so yea, you see what it is like.

 

Thanks for the quick reply.
I guess I'll check out the RAM then when I get the machine, but does the model fit, generally speaking? So if I do get 2x4GB, I can just buy 2 of the sticks I linked to?

As for the replacement of the SSD - that's part of my question - are both ports SATA III? .
Also, would you recommend any other SSD yourself? Needs to be a ~240-256GB one.

 

The linked RAM has to much voltage, me and Kallogan have both built in Kingston RAM by Asus with a voltage of 1.35V, your linked one has 1.5V.
You have to take these, it's DDR3 L: Newegg.com - Kingston 8GB 204-Pin DDR3 SO-DIMM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Laptop Memory Model KVR16LS11/8
They should be fine.

For the SATA III ports: The chipset is the Intel "Lynx Point" 8-series and they have only got SATA III ports anymore, no more SATA II.
Also it would be unlikely that Asus would put another SATA II controller on the board for one ODD.
Apart from that i can only find the Intel SATA ports in the Windows device manager, so we only have SATA III ports and it doesn't matter where we put the SSD.

For SSDs: I am new to them myself but as far as I've read one shouldn't be too sparingly at a purchase so the too cheap ones are falling sideways.
Also, look for comments before purchase rather one time too much than one too less.
Intel SSDs are expensive but are the best ones as far as I know because they built their own controllers into their SSDs.
Samsung is doing this as well which is why their SSDs are very good, too.

But that is only what I think to know from reading and hearing, I'm really not that much into it yet.
At last I'd say you are still fine with the Samsung one but if you want to be 100% secure buy a Intel SSD.

 

I'm pretty sure the ODD is a PATA (IDE) slot. That's why it needs the converter in the caddy.

Ideally the SSD should go in the primary HDD slot and move the HDD to the ODD slot, but honestly, I don't think it would matter that much.

 

There's really not much to show.

Get a proper torx t5 screwdriver. When you put the driver in the top of each screw, it should fit firmly, i.e., it should not be loose at all. The only real risk you have in this process is using an improper size or not getting the screwdriver right into the top of the screws, which might damage the screws. Apply a bit of pressure to keep the driver in the top of the screw, and evenly unscrew each one.

Once you unscrew all of them, you can just sort of gently loosen the bottom of the case and slowly lift it off. I did not have to force anything to do this, although it was a bit tight in places.

That's all that you need to do. Putting it back together is easy, just the same in reverse.

 

I agree with you. I find the sound surprisingly poor. With the subwoofer in it is average (but that is not really a portable solution), without it poor to very poor.

I also have a mid range Sony Vaio and it has much better sound than the Asus, despite not bragging about any partnership with any fancy hi fi brands.

The "subwoofer" actually picks up a lot of midtones too and improves things significantly.

Without the subwoofer I have noticed that even the position of your hands can really affect the sound coming out.

My main complaints are a total lack of bass without the subwoofer plugged in, and really, really muddy midtones. Music is basically unlistenable IMHO. It's fine (though uninspiring) for games. I think the main problem is that the speakers are sealed away inside a metal case, so it's basically like listening to a radio sealed inside a metal box - not surprising that it sounds muddy. Quite a lot of sound seems to come out near the touchpad, which is strange.

 

Anyone found a suitable HDD caddy that matches?

Gen tech offer it as a customisation but I can't see where to purchase it outright.

Sent from my Galaxy Note 2

 

Also, anyone know what this first post is talking about in regards to replacing the hdd with a caddy to support two msata drives? Would that be possible?

http://forums.adobe.com/message/5577045

Sent from my Galaxy Note 2

 

Then I have to say you that you are pretty sure wrong, it's SATA not IDE.
Why does one come to think they would use IDE anymore in these devices?

Here you can clearly see in the middle right that it is SATA: Click

Also there is no converter in these caddys, there's only one internal SATA to plug the HDD into and then there's another on the outside of the caddy to plug the whole thing into the notebook's mainboard SATA slot.
That's all, no magic.

You can use every 9.5mm HDD caddy that you can find, so you can simply search for "9.5mm HDD caddy".

I don't think this can work.
You can put an adapter SATA to mSATA on it to have one mSATA SSD/HDD placed there but not two of them over one SATA slot.
At least I haven't heard or seen anything like this.

 

i just put a bit piece of foam inside the case to block the speakers and avoid them to vibrate when increasing the volume. Now i have a decent sound and volume and the speakers don't vibrate even at 95% of volume. The speakers are very loose, not secured enough at stock.

As for a video for opening the case, there's no need for one, it's a piece of cake.