Asus N550JV - user review and owners lounge

Thank you for the quick response coercitiv! I'm sad to hear that there's a problem with my touchpad (but also glad that it's not a feature of this model). I ordered my laptop from XoticPC in September and just got it, so I'd rather not send it back despite how annoying it is...

Do you happen to know if it's possible to fix my touchpad on my own in the future? I haven't heard of people fixing a touchpad that wasn't mounted properly.

 

Concerning battery life, I've done almost everything adviced some pages ago (XTU apart), but I still get 13-15mW of consumptions and battery is at 30% after 2h30m of videos and browsing.
What can I do in order to improve it? After completely disabling bluetooth and ethernet I still get 14-15 mW of consumption.

 

Other than pressing from outside there's little you can do without a complete disassembly.

 

hi, i bought an Asus N550JV-CN228D, and after installing Windows 8.1, I noticed that if I try to use headphones to listen to anything.. no sound came from them (of course the headphones work ok on other devices). Subwoofer and speakers sound really good, only issue is the headphones. I read somewhere that it works if you uninstall the driver from device manager, reboot and then let windows find it's own driver. I managed to do that and yesterday headphones worked, but today again no sound from them. They worked fine yesterday so it must be a software problem, any tips? I thought maybe it's the new windows and faulty drivers, and maybe if I install Windows 8 it will work ok, and probably will try this next.

So anyone else has this headphones issue and knows how to fix it?

 

No problems with headphones on Windows 8.1 here (with and without Realtek drivers).

Have you tried Realtek driver at all?

 

Yes I tried both drivers from ASUS driver official site and the one from the laptop CD

 

Received my new laptop today!

Im really disappointed in the speakers. Anyone know how to get the subwoofer to work with my externals?

 

Darn. I guess I will email Xotic and ask if I need to send it in now or if I can send it later. I might also check if there's any place nearby where I can get it fixed at a decent price. What I've noticed is, if I use my finger to slide the touchpad lower and then click in the corners, they work. So maybe I'll just live with it. I'm just worried the metal will bend if I keep accidentally pushing it but I don't think that should be the case. Thank you, though.

I downloaded the Asus Console but I don't know how to set up the hotkey. Does anyone know how to do this?

 

If there is no other issue, they only work with the realtek drivers. I for one have another problem, my audio jack is not sending anything to my headphones, although detects that I put something in and in the Mixer @ Volume shows that sounds are coming out... on headphones nothing. Like I said above, once I got them to work by uninstalling all audio in device Manager, rebooted then let windows install it's own drivers (but then I had no sound from subwoofer, just like you)

later edit : got it working, was a lame issue, nothing ASUS related

 

Hi folks.

I bought an Asus N550-CN214H (Portuguese model) with:

8Gb Ram
Hitachi HTS727575A9E364 7200RPM drive

The HDD is not too noisy, but it's audible. Also, when on battery saving mode, I noticed some distinct clicks coming from the HDD. I already tested the HDD for malfunctions with crystaldisk and hd tune (full test over 3 hours, not a single flawed sector).

Given the apparent good state of the drive, I think that the noise is related with the power management of the drive. I know a possible solution in linux, but is there anyone in the same situation as me?

Also, how long does your model take to go to sleep? Altough the screen turns off almost imediatly, the drive takes a couple of seconds to turn completely off. When I resume operation, the drive takes about 2-4 seconds to respond.

I may be exagerating, but I wanted to confirm if the computer is working properly since I'm still in the 15 day return period.

Thanks in advance.

 

Sorry for all the questions. When I open certain programs, they're muddy/blurry. It almost looks like the resolution is incorrect (which it's not). I tried disabling display scaling on high DPI settings (program properties -> compatibility) but nothing happens. Anyone know how to solve this?

 

control panel>appearance and personalization>display

Check "let me choose one scaling level...."

change the text zoom level to 100% (when upgrading to !in 8.1, it puts it at 125%)

 

Any idea on how to stop the headphones static noise from Realtek drivers or how to make the subwoofer work without them?

I have tried disabling beep service, installed driver for N56VZ (subwoofer not recognized, the same noise) and the latest one from their site (6.0.1.7071, subwoofer works, but the noise stays).

 

And another question: has anyone tried HDMI on Windows 8.1?
I cannot get sound working. And I have a High Definition Audio Device with a yellow triangle in the Device Manager (STATUS_DEVICE_POWER_FAILURE).

It seems to be widespread and Windows 8.1 related...
HP, HP 2
Dell
Sony
Alienware

UPD: reinstalling the High Definition Audio Device with a yellow triangle and rebooting solved this issue for me.

 

Great, thank you!

 

Just one more information about the weight: Mine weighs 2.306kg. I measured it today on a kitchen scale for up to 5 kg with 3 decimal places.
Though I've switched the ODD with a HDD caddy and put in a SSD in the HDD slot I think it's only a bit heavier with the ODD if it is at all.

Also I've bought the CoolerMaster Notepal U3 but I can't find any improvements regarding the temperature.
I had 2 fans under the slots on the bottom and put them a bit higher afterwards but it doesn't seem to cool anything in a noticeable way, not even while idling.
So, if you only want something to put the notebook on, you can go with the Notepal U2 with 2 fans or something else.
As a stand the Notepal is nice though.

 

I need help to figure out what is needed to replace my 750GB WD HDD with a 1 TB Samsung Evo 840 SSD.

Earlier a post said to use the Samsung migration software and then use Easeus Todo to clone the HDD recovery section to the SSD.

If I buy a larger SSD than 500 GB (e.g. 750 GB or 1 TB) then the migration kit is not available with the SSD in a package. If I'm going to do this I'm going big on size so I don't have to do it again.

So i have a couple of questions to ask.
1. It appears I need an adapter to go from USB 3 to SATA III to connect the SSD externally to the laptop.
2. Now do I use the Samsung migration software to copy what it can and then use EaseUs Todo to copy the recovery section, if the Samsung can't do everything then why don't I just use EasuUs Todo for everything?
3. Which version of EaseUs Todo do I need? Will the freeware version suffice? Do I just clone (or what command(s) is(are) required the entire HDD C: and D: partions to the SSD)? What if the SSD is larger in capacity than the HDD - would all 1 TB on the SSD still be available (current HDD = 250 GB C: plus 500 GB D:, would the SSD be 250+500, 250+750 or 500+500?)?
4. What if any BIOS modifications are needed to install the SSD in place of the HDD?
5. At this point would I just swap out the HDD for the SDD, turn in back on and pray that it will boot up with all drivers in place and ready to go?
6. Will I need a copy of Windows 8 64 bit somewhere to install? I just have the 16 GB recovery USB but I may try to use the W7 recovery programs in W8 to burn images to DVD now with the existing HDD not used for much beyond the basic ASUS load.

I've searched this N550JV thread reading every page and haven't quite found all the answers I think I need in order to proceed with a high level of comfort and chance of success. There seems to have been a lot of Linux specific tasks which have have thrown me slightly for a loop in trying to sort this all out.

Thanks
DDL

 

Power4Gear Hybrid.

Anyone using it? what would I miss if I remove it?

So far, it looks like the same as my windows setting.

 

So i have a couple of questions to ask.
1. It appears I need an adapter to go from USB 3 to SATA III to connect the SSD externally to the laptop.
==> buy the adapter via amazon or MicroCenter or any computer accessories. I bought my external USB3-SATA3 caddy so I can keep the original harddrive in it.

2. Now do I use the Samsung migration software to copy what it can and then use EaseUs Todo to copy the recovery section, if the Samsung can't do everything then why don't I just use EasuUs Todo for everything?
I used EAsus the freeware version. However, Easus software does not align the partition correctly after you clone the drive. (I found this out afterwards)
You can try to look into PartitionMagic.
All you need is a disk/partition clone software, and support for SSD cloning with ability to clone from a 1TB to a smaller SSD.

3. Which version of EaseUs Todo do I need? Will the freeware version suffice? Do I just clone (or what command(s) is(are) required the entire HDD C: and D: partions to the SSD)? What if the SSD is larger in capacity than the HDD - would all 1 TB on the SSD still be available (current HDD = 250 GB C: plus 500 GB D:, would the SSD be 250+500, 250+750 or 500+500?)?
^^^^ check for answer above. If you are not familiar with doing it and not sure, it is best to pay someone to do it.
You can read a bit around on different tool. The process does not take much time.

4. What if any BIOS modifications are needed to install the SSD in place of the HDD?
NOPE.

5. At this point would I just swap out the HDD for the SDD, turn in back on and pray that it will boot up with all drivers in place and ready to go?
After you successfully clone to SSD with the right software, you should remove the harddrive from the computer. (even plug it in via USB). It should be fine.

6. Will I need a copy of Windows 8 64 bit somewhere to install? I just have the 16 GB recovery USB but I may try to use the W7 recovery programs in W8 to burn images to DVD now with the existing HDD not used for much beyond the basic ASUS load.
You could try to do it. I use BelArc Advisor to retrieve the product key of your Asus Win8 version prior to do any of this. This product key is your way to manually re-install win8.
the partition on your HDD or after clone already have all the restore and win8 version. You could just use it.


Hope this help.

 

I didn't even bother installing it (my unit came without OS).

I just stay on Balanced profile. Power Saver can improve battery life at the expense of somewhat slower responsiveness, while High Performance will bring a boost to random disk operations if you're using a fast SSD. (in my case 4K write speed jumps from ~80MB/s to ~97MB/s from Balanced to High Performance).

 

I just got a new N550JV and the touchpad mechanical "click pad" buttons seem very stiff -- particularly the right button. I can press the left "button" anywhere between the left edge of the touchpad and the center white line and I hear a good click, although it seems a bit stiffer near the left edge. I can't press the right button near the right edge of the touchpad at all -- it seems solidly attached to the chassis on the right side, but it does work as I move closer to the center of the touch pad. My question is, is that normal for this laptop? This is the first time I've used a clickpad, and it's stiffer than I'm used to, but I don't want to return this laptop if that's the way it's designed to work. The buttons do work near the center of the touchpad -- just not near the right edge. Any feedback is very much appreciated. Thanks!

 

Hey, just letting you guys know how I resolved the infamous "Code 43" Nvidia graphics driver error which seems to be a BIOS issue and not strictly caused by driver version issues and I've wrote a bit (sorry this post is long-winded) about what led up to a fix.

I got the computer within the last 2 weeks and since it came with Windows 8 I installed driver updates from the ASUS support page and also I updated the BIOS to 207 with Winflash. I decided to try an upgrade the install to 8.1 since it's faster and just improves a decent amount on 8 but the upgrade kept failing for whatever reason so I shrunk the windows 8 partition, made a new one and installed a fresh 8.1 to that (fyi, activation worked with the windows 8 key). I did the usual fresh-install tasks like install system drivers (and selectively chose which drivers/ASUS software to add).
I noticed the "Code 43" driver issue shortly after when I couldn't select the Nvidia GPU in a game to test, also boot ups were slow boots (you get black screen for around 30s) which I think is the nv driver crashing.
I'm not sure which BIOS version the computer shipped with and I don't think the original Windows 8 was getting Code 43 with the that BIOS but when I ended up booted back into windows 8 it too had code 43.

I had a look online and most people were suggesting a generic code 43 error was a driver issue or bad hardware so I tried the reinstalling the ASUS supplied version of the drivers, testing them, removing them and installing different versions from the Nvidia site which didn't help either.
Resetting the BIOS settings to defaults again didn't improve anything.
After reading that people had gotten past the code 43 for the N550JV after updating their BIOS versions I remember I had already upgraded to 207 so I thought I could downgrade might help.
Trying to downgrade to the BIOS in the built in flasher in the UEFI system isn't allowed but I did find out you can use Winflash to downgrade if you use a special command with it.
So Winflash wouldn't install and gave me a "Sorry, This program only supports ASUS notebook" error. Great, OK. A blog suggested this is because the ATK ACPI drivers must be installed first so I installed them and I was then allowed to install and use Winflash.

I installed BIOS 205,rebooted, booted to UEFI through advanced reset and did an optimized reset, booted to 8.1 and code 43 was gone and the GPU works
I'm yet to try BIOS 207 again or 206 after installing and testing 205 today but I'll see how it goes for now. I read somebody on this thread suggested a reflash of 207 worked for them so keep that in mind.


To downgrade using winflash you run winflash.exe with the argument /nodate, i.e. "winflash.exe /nodate" then select the BIOS file as usual :
here's a guide: How to flash an older bios version on ASUS laptop & desktops : General Software Programs


ATKACPI driver and hotkey-related utilities version used: V1.0.0030 (in Windows 8, Utilities section of support, latest available)
Winflash used: V2.42.0 (BIOS utilities section of support, latest available)
BIOS Version used: 205 (BIOS section of support)
FYI. I've noticed lately that sometimes the Drivers & Tools portion of the support page site won't load depbut this support.asus.com mirror seems to work.
ASUSTeK Computer Inc. -Support- Drivers and Download N550JV

Hopefully this helps you and let's hope ASUS releases an improved BIOS and more Windows 8.1 drivers.
As always be careful with changing anything BIOS related ... :thumbsup:

 

Bios 207 here, no NVIDIA card problems after the Win 8.1 upgrade (made a few days after update became available).

However, thank you for taking the time to post and describe your problems. Gathering this info might be helpful.

 

Touch version discontinued? Newegg.com - ASUS N550JV-DB72T Intel Core i7 4700HQ(2.40GHz) 8GB Memory 1TB HDD 15.6" Touchscreen Notebook Windows 8 64-Bit

 

It doesn't make any difference which BIOS (207 or 205) you reflash to fix the code 43, really.

I'm on 207 and I've got 43 several times already (probably my fault, I need to experiment less) and I've always fixed it by reflashing 207 using winflash.exe /nodate

I would highly recommend using the nvidia driver from asus windows 8.1 section. It isn't exactly the newest one, but I never got 43 when using it, even after experimenting.
I have earlier written that it isn't any different from generic nvidia driver, but it actually is. The files in Optimus folder are completely different.

 

It seems that this model has even more problems than the first versions of the old N56... It is quite unacceptable from a high end notebook...

By the way I'm using last nvidia driver and it works like charm, is there any particular reason for using the ones uploaded to the asus site?

Inviato dal mio HTC Desire utilizzando Tapatalk

 

You got the subwoofer to work with external speakers/headphones?

 

No. I just tried different drivers to see if noise dissapers.

 

Notebookfancontrol is really awesome, the new fan tables is rock solid and it never crashes. Cooling system is totally quiet at low loads and more efficient at high loads. I'm really impressed. Why Asus can't do a decent fan table after several bios updates is beyond me. They just don't care i guess.

So i tried OCing on gpu, put +135mhz on core (maximum allowed by nvidia inspector, didn't dig into unlocking max yet) and +200mhz on memory (anything over that is not rock stable). So here the result, not impressive but decent :

NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M video card benchmark result - Intel Core i7-4700HQ,ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. N550JV

Keep in mind though that this gpu is limited by ddr3 memory, so overcloking gpu memory can bring substantial fps boost depending on the games, especially at 900p and over. 768p is less bandwidth limited. Read that to know what i mean, it's pretty spectacular in some games :

http://www.anandtech.com/show/7238/acer-v7482pg9884-review-everything-you-need/4

Here the gpu-z log attached, gpu (1294 mhz) and memory clocks (1100 mhz) are at max during each 3Dmark11 bench and temps are fine.
Cpu is at 2,8 ghz on 4 cores undervolted at -100mV.

I will try that in games during long sessions to try if it can sustain these clocks.

 

hey where can I download Notebookfancontrol? your help is greatly appreciated

 

[Vorstellung] NoteBook FanControl (NBFC) - ComputerBase Forum

 

Is Version 1.0.0.0 compatible?

 

Yes...we wouldn't have waited so long for the new version if the previous one would have been compatible.

 

Interesting, I didn't quite understand what you guys meant about the Code 43 Nvidia problem until I accidentally flipped (my mistake) the graphics setting on XTU which abruptly crashed the system and left the graphics card in limbo Code 43.
Do note, I am still running BIOS 203 because I haven't run into any problems even on Windows 8.1 (no major problems upgrading to it). I quit all changes to XTU because they might be a cause to some instability anyway ... like getting shutdowns without BSOD.

I figured that simply resetting CMOS got the graphics card going once more (and hasn't shown a problem since, Code 43 disappears). Pull both the button cell and whole battery out with the laptop unplugged. Hold the power button down to dissipate power for several seconds, then put it all back together and set the BIOS clock again. It's not likely an actual BIOS programming error (so flashing between them really isn't going to help... and I'm running practically the oldest BIOS)
Though I'm not exactly certain why... because the same trick worked with the Sager 7352 I tried out which had random boot error messages, but were cleared when the CMOS was reset.

 

Thanks Morv, that was a stupid question
BTW, what graphics driver are you using?

 

Latest drivers directly from Intel and Nvidia, on Windows 8.1.
Haven't noticed any problems.

 

Could you try doing the following:
1. install the latest nvidia driver from nvidia.com, do a clean install if you had something else before
(each of the following steps caused BSOD with code 43 for me)
2. try installing atheros wifi driver from asus
3. try killing xtuservice.exe in Task Manager
4. if you have a htc phone, try installing the HTC Sync Manager

If any of this steps won't cause BSOD we will have a fairly confirmed information that resetting CMOS fixes it.

 

Well tweaking XTU was what screwed over mine in the first place, but after the crash (with no BSOD), code 43 was what showed up and XTU's watchdog automatically puts settings back to default due to said instability. XTU is not the wide problem, nor is the BIOS since I've been chugging through with this laptop for now over two months without ever knowing about the "code 43 nvidia problem" until tinkering, which was fixed as soon as I reset CMOS. The symptom I experienced whist the card was in limbo was that Nvidia Control Panel does not open regardless of which Nvidia driver was installed (Asus or the more recent R331 versions). That's when I pulled the batteries and everything went back to normal.
Obviously I don't know if this will work with other systems that are having problems, but that was the fastest fix I had after messing with XTU. I already had the latest Atheros driver from Asus prior to the mishap. I would doubt that the HTC sync manager software would affect anything in this situation even if I had an HTC (which I don't).

 

If its not too much trouble, can you give the exact driver versions please?

 

After installing the update from Windows 8 to 8.1 i have problems with my GT750m windows 8.1 64-bit version.

I have the latest BIOS from ASUS installed (207). But NVIDIA and the ASUS nvidia drivers dont support the graphics card anymore.

What can be a fix?

 

I don't know if anyone else has been having this problem with their N550JV, but I frequently find that, after shutting down and restarting, several keys on the keyboard fail to work. My solution is to shut down and restart a few times and then the keyboard suddenly starts working. Everytime it's the same set of keys that fails to work (notably- space bar, enterkey, left side Ctrl, Fn and Alt keys and the letters B and N). Any ideas folks as to what could be the issue? I swapped out the HDD with an SSD and replaced the DVD driver with the HDD that came with the system, if that's of any help.
Many thanks, and I hope someone can give a fix for this - other than this, it has been a pleasure to own this laptop!

thanks
Bob

 

It's been two weeks since the "mod" and the keyboard did not exhibit any weird behavior anymore. I was going to call it a "fix" after a month bug free usage.

 

Could those of you who have replaced the optical drive with a hard drive caddy and second drive please link the caddy that you purchased?

I am looking for one that will both fit and hopefully match the aluminum on the sides. My laptop is coming in today

I have searched through this thread but have not found examples of exact models people used or how they did it. I found a youtube video with a link to one that is sold in Europe, but it has a black faux-dvd drive face.

Would like to put a SATA III SSD where the stock hard drive is and move the stock one to a caddy.

Can someone also confirm that both SATAs (primary hard drive and optical drive) are SATA III? Or is only the primary, or neither?

 

Thanks Coercitiv, I'm also guessing this is what's causing it because when I press down on the trackpad, the keyboard seems to work fine, so definitely seems to be a connection related issue. Will give it a shot and report back. thanks!

 

I got this one and it fit the N550JV perfectly- Amazon.com: Protronix SATA Optical Bay 2nd Hard Drive Caddy, Universal for 9.5mm CD / DVD Drive Slot (for SSD and HDD): Computers & Accessories

 

Thanks. Were you able to remove the bezel from stock OD and put on that one to match the rest of the sides? I've used my own home-built desktops for ~20 years, and this is my first laptop

 

Yep, a flat screwdriver and some gentle prying around and it comes out in about 10 seconds...Fits the caddy pretty well too.

 

playin' BF4 with + 135 mhz on core and +200mhz on memory. Not a single crash. Gpu first peaks at 72°C because the fan kicks late with notebookfancontrol and then gpu and cpu go back below 65°C the whole time. What a great little software. Now we can see that the Asus N550JV cooling system is in fact a beast when properly configured. Cpu is at 3ghz on 4 cores and -100mV. Anyway, the gpu is the bottleneck here, there's room for OCing it even more.

I just playin' BF4 solo, MP should be more power hungry.

 

Yeah anything below the 780M is going to be mostly GPU bottlenecked with a haswell, did not realise that voltage control was unlocked with the HQ series too, that's cool.

 

I started to experience the same issue with keyboard. Would you mind to have a bit more details on how your reposition the keyboard connection?

a picture would be awesome (knowing that you already closed it ). I need to figure out how to replicate what you did.

Thanks.