* Asus N61JQ Owners Lounge *

Good to hear somebody else's thoughts on the tablet issue. I'm looking to get one myself, but I'm not sure the size or OS I want yet. I'm pretty sure I want to get a Honeycomb tablet, but there are just so many options right now it's getting to the point where you have to do so much research. It's like buying a laptop again!

 

Its good to hear hear from 2 of the founders hear. I'm about ready to put mine up on ebay and pick up a tablet. These have been going for around $400 at auction. If you know anyone that needs one I would let mine go for $400 + shipping. It has a new battery. It has only been used for surfing so it has never been over heated, and it has the added value of being the Laptop that started this owners lounge.

EDIT- UPDATE, An N61JQ-X1 just went for $655 on ebay yesterday.
ASUS N61JQ X1 Laptop Quad Core i7 720QM ATI 5730 - eBay (item 300537414768 end time Mar-21-11 19:00:02 PDT)

 

hello guys...
i just received my new asus n61jq-b1.
i dont know how to check the bios version so please help me with it.
also i would like to know which bios version is stable & is there any need to update the factory installed bios.
also tell me if there are other updates that i need to carry out.
thanks.

 

Well, remember that the Macbook Pro does have Flash. Just not Apple's portable devices. As the web moves to HTML5, it becomes less and less of an issue. Plus, there are about 100,000 apps in the App Store to compensate for iPad's not having flash. ;-)

Since you can get a Nook Color for under $200, it may be something that you could play around with without investing too much. Plus, first gen iPad's are $399 now.

Greg, give me a call later today. I'm sure I have a tablet or something to trade you for that laptop. ;-)

 

Hard to believe how much the value of a laptop can decrease over a year even while being used. Mine is still running as good as the day I got it and haven't had any real problems with it yet (knock on wood). What tablet are you looking to get?

Use this thread for all your driver needs. It is regularly updated and makes it very easy to update all your drivers. As for what you should update, that is really up to you. I highly recommend updating the graphics drivers if you plan on playing games as you can see a noticeable increase in performance.

The BIOS can be found in that thread as well, but see this thread for more information about it.

 

Hey, I've been using this laptop until september and for three months I see strange pixel errors or something like that on my screen. I figured out that it is not about the heat and also not the battery. I updated my ati driver on my 64 bit win7 but still I get the same boring problem. Here is the problem (it is turkish but I think you can get the point)




hata 19.01.2011

Sorun imzası:
Sorunlu Olay Adı: BlueScreen
OS Sürümü: 6.1.7600.2.0.0.768.3
Yerel Kimlik: 1055

Sorun hakkında ek bilgiler:
BCCode: 116
BCP1: FFFFFA800446E160
BCP2: FFFFF88004014FB8
BCP3: 0000000000000000
BCP4: 0000000000000002
OS Version: 6_1_7600
Service Pack: 0_0
Product: 768_1

Sorunu açıklamaya yardımcı olan dosyalar:
C:\Windows\Minidump\011911-30934-01.dmp
C:\Users\Seko\AppData\Local\Temp\WER-88811-0.sysdata.xml

does anyone have the same problem, I need some help.

 

Yeah I'm thinking about a Honeycomb tablet myself. Samsung just announced a pair of them today that look pretty nice. Honestly, if I had a desktop like you did I would probably go that route, that way I would have the desktop for power when I need it (gaming pretty much) and the tablet for browsing and such everywhere else. My N61 is my only machine right now though, so I'm probably going to hold onto it for a while.

You have a good point about the value though. It might decline pretty sharply over the next few months. Always hard to tell with that kind of stuff though.

 

Sending my N61 in this week for heat and that funny graphics issue. I've got an authorized repair center an hour south of me, but haven't heard any reports on the Colorado repair center. Does anyone have any recommendations as to repair centers to avoid or use?

On a side not, I went to B&N today to look at the Nook Color after David's post. Looks pretty cool, especially since I can run CM7 on it (it's what my Droid is running). But I'm thinking I might hold out till Netflix can run on some Android tablets before pulling the trigger. The $250 price point on the nook sure is good though..

 

@kullanici111 the 0x116 stop code is VIDEO_TDR_ERROR, it's probably a problem with your graphics drivers. You should try removing them completely and maybe use a driver cleaner utility. Then try installing the graphics driver again. Also run a disk check.

How to use CHKDSK (Check Disk) - Windows 7
Check your hard disk for errors

There are some suggestions related to ati hardware here:
STOP 0x116: VIDEO_TDR_ERROR troubleshooting - Windows 7 Forums

 

Sometimes I get occasional screen freeze when I turn on (or boot) my computer. It happens right after the Asus logo disappears. It shows black screen with horizontal streak of colorful pixels on the top left corner. I think it happens just when it's about to access Win7, so I don't think it's a software problem. I can turn it off with the power button, turn it back on and it boots without a problem. I suspect it must have something to do with the Bios problem since Bios 1.08. I'm using 1.12 now, and it still has this problem.
I have no problem once it boots into Win7. Usually Win7 doesn't even complain a boot failure & check for disk, so I'm pretty sure it happens even before Windows starts.

Anyone with this anomaly ?

 

Just so everyone knows, I will be trading Greg for his ASUS. I told him that his ASUS was worth about $100, so we are trading for an old Xbox that I have. It's not a 360, just an original, so no RROD issues.

As well, no matter how much he resisted, I forced him into getting an eBook reader and hacking it into an Android Tablet. This one usually costs around $80 but, I was able to sell it to him for $400. It is a nice b&w ereader so, it wont be too harsh on his eyes. The 200Mhz processor and 64MB of RAM should be fine for running Android.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Had you all going there for a bit. ;-) Now for the truth. HA!

I am trading Greg a barely used 13" laptop for his ASUS. His ASUS is in decent shape so, I thought it was worth it. Plus, he is a friend and I am sure he wouldn't trade me something that he thought was having issues. He is going to love the new laptop and I am getting a backup system in case mine ever, GOD forbid, dies. I will let him fill you guys in on the details, if he wants.

I did talk him into getting a NookColor and helped him root it yesterday. I think it is going to get him by, while he waits for Android Tablet's to come into their own. I have one and love it. I barely use my iPad anymore because of it.

All-in-all, he is going to learn a lot about Android and he will know exactly what he wants when he gets a different tablet in about a year. The NookColor can be hacked into a great little tablet. He is going to learn a lot about Android and its ability to be customized. After this, he will know exactly what he is going to want in a tablet!

If anyone else is interested in hacking a NookColor, just let Greg or I know and we are more than happy to help. I just created Greg an image for testing 6 different ROMs on the nook and am happy to share it as well.

 

@LordDavon, so you have two N61JQs now? Or did you sell your old one?

 

@Lord Davon: why you gotta do that?

I almost bought a nook color after reading your post about running CM7 on it. I went to the local B&N to check them out. Luckily I realized I was suffering from gadget acquire-itis, and talked myself out of it.

Now you go posting about how great the nook is, and I'm second guessing myself again.. You may have talked me into it... Especially after I saw it running Honeycomb..

 

any idea what exactly they fixed, was it just cleaning out the dust?

 

I have to second the Nook Color. First they rooted it, then they put FroYo on it, and now Honeycomb and CM7 with bluetooth. I just keep getting more for my money. Plus, it's awesome to take along to class.

 

I am going to have 2. Greg's is going to be my spare.

Ummm... I am not sure why or how you could have talked yourself out of it. I love my Nook. Greg couldn't put his down yesterday!

 

I have a question.
Is it normal to see the CPU multiplier for each core jumping around wildly when Power4Gear is set at High Performance mode ?
Using ArgusMonitor, each core's multiplier keeps changing from 9x to 20x, to 12x, etc within a fraction of a second, even when idle.
When Power4Gear in Entertainment mode, they will all stop fluctuating and stay at 7x.

I'm trying to solve why my CPU score in 3DMark 2006 is only around 2300-2400 now , compared to around 2900+ several months ago. My 3DMark score recently dropped to around 6500 - 7400 compared to 7900+ previously.
The 3Dmark test result become very inconsistent ranging from 6500 to 7400 between each test. The SM2.0 & 3.0 score is within range, but the CPU score is the culprit based on number.

 

I don't know, I will call them monday asking what magic they did.

 

Yeah, that sounds like the same error as a bunch of us. Unfortunately nobody's figured out a way to fix it, it seems.

Someone suggested earlier (sorry I can't find your name) that we clear our page file, and that seemed to allow me to boot normally again, but I don't think it solved the graphics pixelation issue

 

Graphic pixelation might indicate an issue with the GPU. It might be a broken GPU or an unstable overclock.

 

Wow that sucks, i'll see what it says for me, i sometimes get a bit of lag in windows 7 sometimes...

Well, all that i can say is open power for gear hybrid (Right click on the battery icon) and then copy the settings from "High performance" to Entertainment mode, the multiplier doesn't fluctuate around that much. However in high performance mode it doesn't fluctuate around with the burn test. Still is possibly causing you the crappy(ish) scores in 3Dmark..

Try doing that with 3DMark, otherwise i don't know...

-Mat

 

ok. I found the cause. It's the CPU temperature being too hot. The processor shot above 100C and it throttled down to 933Mhz for all cores.
When I opened the cpu cover, everything back to normal. It will stay around 88-90C fullload.
Strangely it didn't happen before. Something is amiss here.
It used to be around only 88-90C. Intel burn test also ended up the CPU being around 90-92C. Now, even when I set the processor
power management at 80%, it still reaches 100C.
I've checked the fan & heatsink, everything is still very clean.
I don't know why it gets so much worse now.
The only thing I haven't tried is to replace the thermal paste, but it will void the warranty. I just don't know what to do. Is the factory's thermal paste so bad ?
I see the CPU & GPU is covered by a transparent orange plastic sheet . What is it? Is it glued to the CPU? I wonder if I have to tamper with the CPU's thermal paste and void the warranty.

 

thank you, very curious to find out !

 

Me too, even though i'm barely going to use my laptop once i get a desktop power supply..

Aaanyway could still be useful..

 

Well its true David has fleeced me out of my N61. I miss the thing already as I'm writing this on my phone. I didn't give up on the n61 out of disappointed in its performance. On the contrary I was just not using its full potential. David rescued it from this mistreatment and will give it a good home.
Thanks to all for being so helpful and making this forum a useful resource. This was my first laptop and I started this lounge hoping to attract people who could teach me about it. I never thought it would take off like this and I would learn so much from so many.
Now that David has 2 of these I think he will be around for awhile. So I will leave him the keys to the lounge with access to the first page. Just be careful not to click on any link he puts up that adds to his vast collection of free stuff.

May your N61's never die!

Greg Woodfill
[email protected]

 

Indeed, my friend!

Holy moly, I can run Crysis 1 MAXED at 1080p ( except for post processing ) with texture mods ( Rygel's texture mod, High-res foliage, custom terrain with increase POM usage, pretty much everywhere ) that increase the VRAM usage to 1GB, at a steady 15-20 FPS! My God! This lappy never lets me down!!!

 

playing Crysis 2 on my system and temps go up to 97 C

used the vacuum at the exhaust and now my temps hover at 89 - 91C

 

Hello guys,

I read a couple pages of this awesome thread regarding my heat issue (max 88C at idling) and saw that i need to clean the fan and the heat sink.

I did just that and now idling temp stabilised at 65C.

However, just want to check, is there a particular way to clean the fan and heat sink for maximum cleanliness? I didnt have the chance to get compressed air around here however I did manage to get a blower which blows out pressured air when u press it. Kinda like some rubber thing from the science lab.

Anyone got a pic of a step by step cleaning process of the fan and the heatsink?

And should I update my ATI to the latest version or just leave it as its working fine now, currently using ATI V8.760.0.0

 

You're my savior. I have the same problem. My CPU reached >100C running 3DMark06 or IntelBurn test, even at 70% processor.
Although the exhaust looks clean to me, I did what you suggested.
To my surprise, it did solve my heat issue. Now my CPU runs IntelBurn test at max 87-88C even with 100% processor power. Idling at 62-65C.
Problem solved. Thank you

 

Hello all.

My N61jq started having these infrequent whirring/clicking noises (about once every 3 seconds maybe?) on the right side from which appears to be underneath the numpad area. Does anyone know what is causing this and any fixes because it is quite irritating at times :/

 

Sounds like it might be the hard drive, or the optical drive.

As for fixes, I don't know of any. I'd make a backup of all my important data if I was you though.

 

glad to help !

 

Hopefully I can get a bit of additional help with my graphics drivers.

I installed 11.3 when it came out and I noticed a considerable drop in FPS in all games. For example, with Bad Company, it would drop from 60 FPS to 15FPS. I tried reverting back to 11.2 by uninstalling all I could with CCleaner and using Driver Cleaner in Safe Mode. However, the Catalyst Installer didn't display the "Display Driver" option to be installed, though I confirmed with GPU-Z that I was using the default Windows ATI driver. I tried this with a few older drivers like 11.1, 10.12, and 10.11, but they all only showed the option to install HydraVision and a few others. So then I went ahead and installed the 11.4 mobility mod from March 23, which installed fine. When I tested out some games, the framerate improved slightly by 5-10 FPS, but still very poor compared to 11.2.

So long story short, I'm able to uninstall my current ATI driver, but when attempting to install past versions from here, the option doesn't come up to select the Display driver. Does anyone know how to fix this or get around it? It's frustrating and all of my games are somewhat handicapped right now.

Blue, I believe your hard drive is below the number pad. That being said, clicking in hard drives is usually a symptom of failure, so the worst case would be that you need to have the HDD replaced. I suggest backing up all of your important files now just to stay on the safe side. After that, you should try updating your drive's firmware from here, which may or may not resolve the clicking. If nothing works, run Windows' Drive Error-checking tool to see if anything comes up. Other than that, I don't know if there's any more you can do without having it replaced--many people have similar or the same problems though, so you might find addition answers through a quick Google.

 

Last night I used the System recovery from the partition. Everything went fine and I spent forever uninstalling the bloatware. I guess I accidentally uninstalled the touch-pad utility. It works just fine. The problem is I don't want to use it. I never use it as I have a mouse that is always plugged in. I want to disable it when my mouse is plugged in. I have tried the drivers from the driver thread, but no luck. I also looked at the Asus official drivers page. I can't find it in device manager or anywhere on my computer. Any suggestions/help?

 

Just turn it on/off when you need it with fn + f9. (It's that for me)
'cos you might need it sometimes. You won't be able to get rid of it completly with drivers as Windows 7 has built in ones. If your 100% sure about not using the touchpad however, you can take the keyboard out, (if you know how to) and then disconnect the cable for the touchpad.

Anyway i came here, 'cos my webcams not working at all.. I was trying to skype someone and it just wont work now, it was like less then a week ago. It just stopped working.. and it wont work with anything, the settings and drivers are all right too. I've reinstalled skype and the drivers. Numerous times too.. Anyone else has this problem?

Oh and i reinstalled the drivers when skype was on and it said "Skype can detect your webcam" and then froze and skype died...

 

Well, in response to the clicking, it seems to have stopped once I swapped the power plan from POWER4GEAR's High Performance to Window's High Performance... maybe just co incidence but for now it works.

 

Hello guys, I recently bought the N61 JQ this christmas and I have a few questions regarding the laptop. I searched the forum and FAQ a bit but I couldnt find all the answers so I'm here to ask for some clarifications if you guys are willing.

First off, the hard drive is partitioned, and when I got the laptop, I created a backup of the system(using the preinstalled software, but I'm pretty sure I only burned the backup onto disks) which the ASUS N61 Bloatware removal guide available in the first post said was a good idea. This only matters because the hard drive is partitioned for some reason into 150 and 350 as I'm sure you are aware. Some backup i D:/ has a file size of 80 gb and it sort of irks me that I've effectively used half of my 500gb while only having about 12gb of files that I've put on plus 42gb of programs in the program folder of C://. Would unpartioning the hard drive have a noticeable effect on performance? Is the kind of space being taken up normal?

Secondly, I get around 25fps in Bad Company 2 on high settings, a little bit of visible lag. Is this performance about what you guys get? I read someone's gaming review that said that Bad Company 2 ran without any noticeable lag but this doesn't seem to be the case for me.

Thirdly, is there anything I should do for my n61 to improve performance that I probably haven't done? Any tips?

Sorry for all the questions, Thanks to anyone who gives me a hand.

 

Oh well... I believe my journey with the N61Jq is over...

RMA'ing it for te 3rd time. I hope I will get another ASUS. If not an ASUS, then either toshiba or HP.

Was a nice ride, but eventually, it is over.

 

What happened to it this time?
And Don't get a HP, for the love of god.

Btw, i fixed my laptops webcam problem. It was on power saver on battery, which disables the webcam..
D'oh

 

CPU whinning, HDD corruption and odd sounds coming from it, RAM corruption, system restore corruption, BSOD's... Want me to go on?

Also, why not HP? In Portugal we are very limited, specially in the retailer store Fnac, we only have Samsung, HP, Toshiba, ASUS and Alienware...

 

The problem is that I uninstalled the utility or drivers that make that button work. I also cannot find them again. I do use it, like 1% of the time, when I do not have my mouse.

 

I second the, "Don't get an HP"

 

It SHOULD be in the driver thread if you require it, that's on the first post/page.

I know what you mean by "Limited Range" it's the same here in Tassie..
Anyway, if your into ordering online that could be a better option? But yeah stay away from HP's and Acers.. Out of that choice i recommend Samsung (They're great mostly). Toshiba (Build quality is excellent). Asus (do have some issues yes) and Alienware.. (Which are overpriced).

As you said, i do sometimes get hard drive clicky noises, but not too often. I and the BSOD's are probably from the graphics card driver.. i HAD that problem too once. Oh and the Ram corruption was probably a bad batch i'm guessing..

I'd probably get about the same on BC2, as people are running GTA IV full, and i don't either without lag.. It still runs it pretty well though. Remember it is a laptop after all..

Mine came with 1 partition and the 10gb recovery one. I never use the recovery i just reinstall windows. Having a 100Gb partition for all your movies and music can be good too, (like i do) so if you format you don't have to move everything all the time. It also keeps it cleaner.
Otherwise format the partitions, (if it will let you) and then "Delete them" then it should say "Unpartitioned space" or similar. Then right click "Expand" on the unallocated/unpartitioned spaces"

 

Yes, but the problem is:
IF, and it is a big IF, they let me exchange with another laptop, I can only exchange of which are in store. And the variety is not wide nor small.

Do you think the GTX260M is good or is it a little outdated?

 

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260M SLI - Notebookcheck.net Tech

Looking at the above specs, it's pretty sweet. Slightly better then the 5730M. Though it doesn't have DX11. (Which i guess kinda sucks nowadays?).
EDIT: 5730M is slightly betterish, i was going off my Dirt frames, but the 260 doesn't support DX11.

Anyway, for a comparison of them, the class 1 section is the best, then class 2 etc. This is a great site that's ALWAYS good to look at for laptops. If you didn't figure out the higher it is on the list on the right the better it is.
Basically see what you have (or want to run) and see what frames/settings you get.

Glad to have helped.

 

i am very sorry to see this happen to you, i initially did have all these problems of BSODs and CPU/ HDD whine etc, but now everything seems to have corrected itself. (i am a heavy user of the N61JQ)

see if reinstalling every driver would help, but i am sure you have done all that, hmm...

again i am sorry to hear this,

wish you better luck on your next purchase,

HP is not very good, never owned one but i have seen a few with friends, they feel awful.

 

Thanks!

If I go there, and they don't want to exchange, I will tell them to give me the N61Jq. If not, I will only exchange if there is an AMD GPU and has at least a 5850. Or a Nvidia equivalent that does not have optimus.

 

Anything but HP! Anything!!!

 

Wow, why so much HP hate?