Asus UL30VT FAQ / Official Owners Lounge redux

Try a second HDMI cable and or second HDMI port in another TV..what happens?

 

meh, what pricks.

 

I tried that along with another tv today and im still getting the same problem. Its only in mkv files though so im not sure why its doing that. This just started in the last month. Maybe its the video card on my laptop. I hope I can fix but I may have to contact asus to see what they say.

What do you all think.

 

"Some of your MKV files"?...probally bad encode.

I was thinking everything out on your HDMI port was ghosting. Try AVI, QT, or a DVD rip if no distortion then you have a some bad MKV encodes. Try VLC versus Media Player Classic.

You mentioned in your first post that everything looked good on laptop..this means the 210M is OK or it would be distorted as well. It's possible that something between video card and HDMI port including the HDMI port is damaged. Like trying other cables you did not mention which other video file type you tried...anyone?

 

well it its happening to all my mkv files. even ones that are very old and some full 1080p full hd (no compressed) files also. Im thinking its the laptop. I removed my video driver and reinstalled them. It looks to have helped some. I always have my laptop hooked up though the hdmi cable. It could just be the hdmi port going bad. Need to call asus when I get some time.

 

ATM, I don't have a spare HDMI cable to try to see if it's possible to select wrong refresh or other setting to see if it would cause ghosting. I know that my TV would report resolution of input source, like 720P@60hz.

The signal is digital while ghosting sounds analog. I have seen screens break up to a pixilated mess or freeze when signal is interrupted.

Sorry, I'm no help but curious as to your problem. Good luck with Asus, let us know.

 

I've installed and have been using the new intel 6300 card for 2 weeks now and I thought it might help anyone else looking into changing out the old card to be aware of a few things.

First, there is definitely a significant difference in performance. I can connect to networks far more easily than before in a high traffic environment and stay connected for longer periods of time than I did with the intel 1000bgn. This is on only 2 antennas as well.

Second, there is also a significant drain on battery life depending on the settings. If you leave the settings on lower transmit power and B/G mode the battery life is only reduced by about 1 hour. However, putting the settings at max transmit/ABG will reduce battery estimate by half (about 4 hours). It also builds up quite a bit of heat. This is probably all obvious but since I'd never found any of this information before, here's confirmation.

Third, taking out the old card from the harddrive space is definitely possible however the tape is a bit bothersome. I had to basically take out the old card with the tape still attached (lifting with toothpicks was impossible, couldn't even lift it with the flat of a screw driver), and then stick it onto the new card when installing it.

Aside from that there were no issues.

 

Hello everybody,
I have an Asus UL30VT, black, with a 5600mAh battery (if that's important), and I'm trying to get my Nvidia to work - driver problem.
Anyway, at the moment I have a Win7 32 on it, but I want to install x64 version and I'm trying to do a clean install from a usb stick (sandisk 4gb). At the moment, I can't install it because it's giving me a "no CD/DVD device drivers found". I have searched in every forum, but no avail. Maybe somebody here has run into same problem and hopefuly has the solution.

BTW, I have tried looking for drivers (even for motherboard), different copy of win7 iso, win2flash and sbb tool for mounting/burning iso, changed some BIOS settings....

 

All you need is Windows home premium x64 oem version which you can find links to on nbr in the software forum. then download the tool by microsoft called Windows to USB/DVD tool. This tool will put the downloaded iso onto your usb and the install will go smoothly and easily. Just remember that after windows finishes "expanding files," unplug the usb during that restart cycle. The installation will continue from there without the usb plugged in. Otherwise you'll keep booting into the installation from scratch.

Let me know if that helps.

 

Well I did what you told me, but the ISO file I've found was bigger than my 4GB stick.. so I went and bought 8GB. With those 2 and win download tool, it couldn't even boot. Then I tried the older ISO file with win download and new stick on win7 32 system (I was doing it in xp previously) and ... its working!!!
I don't know if it was a stick or system version or something else but my 3 days of installation trouble is over!
Now to solve that Nvidia problem, though.
Thank you for your help!

 

Have any of you guys ever run into the problem where usually flash player or any other streaming audio and the computer will just freeze and the audio will stutter for a couple minutes. Maybe a driver issue? Got any ideas?

 

My old desktop used to do that whenever it overheated. Can you monitor your temps when you're doing something that causes the issue? If you don't have anything to monitor your temps, I recommend CPUID HWMonitor.

 

It's not the temps. I've been monitoring those for a while now, and they're always fine. I've noticed that this happens more often after resuming from sleep. So it might be an ACPI driver issue. Got any other ideas?

 

There used to be a thing with XP, don't know if 7 has the same issue. It had to do with the bitrate quality of your audio settings. If you right click the taskbar volume icon and select playback devices you should get a list. Right click the default playback device and select properties. Go to the advanced tab and try using a different bitrate from the drop down list. Of course thats an old problem only for audio and may not apply here.

Otherwise just try the usual, update all drivers, software, windows updates, directx, nvidia hdmi audio and everything you can think of until you narrow down the possibilities. Leave no stone un-turned.

Something else I always tell people who are experiencing stuttering, check your hard drive for errors with seatools. I'm assuming you have a seagate like I do. If you don't you'll need a different tool to check it.

Hope one of these options clears it up for you.

 

I have EXACTLY the same problem since a few days now

Especially when I watch a youtube video, it freezes for like 20 to 30 seconds, and the sound almost freezes (stutter/very slow)


----

By the way, I didn't find any updated driver for the graphic card, even if some here are talking about
When I try to install them, they just say that it's not for my card or something like that :/

 

I also have the same problem when I watch YouTube videos. I haven't tried
anything else to do any testing.

My problem doesn't last as long as your does, though. Mine lasts maybe 5 seconds at the most.

 

Was Apple right about Flash?

 

I upgraded to 8gb ddr3 and a 128gb Crucial M4 a couple of weeks ago.. the past weekend I managed to install the nautis 260 nvidia drivers, and it's working rock solid for now

 

Any switching problems or P4g having hissy fits? How about gaming benches..not W2! Any real improvements?

SSD + Drivers..good job!

 

longshot, but has anyone been able to run skyrim on the ul30vt?

 

How did you manage to install the 260 drivers?

 

Oh please do share in more detail what files you got, what you modded in those files, and in what order you did everything. I've tried modding numerous times. Install works, but far from stable. (Optimus was sweet while it lasted!) From what I can see though, I never did any version 260.

Come back and share a little with us, please!?

Edit: Was this to get optimus functionality or just to get more up to date drivers (or both)?

 

Why would anyone want Otimus? I can switch, correctly!, the wanted GPU for the application.

A huge complaint is Optimus auto guesses wrong when wanting the nvidia GPU but switches to the Intel.

The video drivers that give me a 10 fps boost in my game of choice...
In 15 years I have never found drivers such as these, but, most of the time I'm happy to just be allowed to have the game run with sometimes a loss in FPS!

My ul30vt still does the job; especially when I find that faster newer models will have you split apart laptop for a simple drive swap...the biggest reason I sold my 1201n.

cheers

 

For the short time I had it running I thought it much better. But perhaps it's because I've never got my hybrid drivers working that great or consistently. Sometimes all running program have to be shut down first, other times the same programs cause no issues. Switching takes several seconds of blackout. With Optimus I could switch whenever, in an instance, running programs caused no issues. It even had program-specific profiles. Seemed to be much nicer to me. But I didn't get/take the chance to evaluate it long enough to be able to say how reliable it was.

 

Geomancer explained how he managed to install 260.63 drivers here :

Hybrid Graphics Master Set Drivers - LaptopVideo2Go Forums - Page 24

I didn't try it yet, let me know if it worked for you! And please make a how-to with the files.

Btw, the o/c on mine is working great, here are the temps after 3 hours of L4D2 (maxxed out) :



I'm amazed by how cool this little thing can stay.

 

I didn't modded any file, I just downloaded this drivers HGMS_N26063_I2020_x64, and installed them.. You just have to uninstall the previous drivers..

The nvidia drivers are easy to uninstall, the problem is with the intel ones, because Windows keeps installing them automatically.. With a clean windows install is easy, because there are no previous drivers installed, but if you already have installed the driver you have to delete them from the Windows 7 drivers repository.. that's explained in my laptopvideo2go post..

And then you have to sign the two files using the drivers overrider, as stated in the nautis tutorials..

Just as a note, the 260 drivers aren't optimus drivers, they're hybrid, you still have to switch manually, or detecting power/battery..

 

Try running ORTHOS to see how well your cores behave

At 1.9gHz one of my cores gave it up so i bumped up VID as per my sig

 

Rockstable with occt, but i'm still @1.73ghz. ^^

Maybe i'll try to go @2ghz one day, i don't need it for now.

 

Does anybody know why don't I have any sign of Intel graphic card in Device manager? I have Asus UL30Vt with Intel+ Nvidia hybrid, but if I deinstall Nvidia I get only standard VGA adapter shown - if I deinstall it through Device Manager, nothing shows. I know that Device manager should show both of them. Any tools to check if Intel integrated card is "broken"??

 

The fact that your able to get to a destop shows your intel, default, is working.

Use your driver DVD to re-install originals or give Geomancer's link a try.

 

@hydra
I am supposed to have two graphic cards - Intel and Nvidia. Only one (I assume Nvidia) is showing up.

 

I managed to have Intel 2020+ Nvidia 260.63 drivers installed, it seems to work.

Indeed, you have to sign them once installed using this method :
Driver Signing & Test Mode for Unofficial 64bit Drivers
1.)Download Driver Signature Enforcement Overrider
Driver Signature Enforcement Overrider 1.3b
2.)Disable UAC (Can usually be done by typing MSCONFIG in run and going to the Tools tab. You can re-enable it after installing the same way.)
3.)Run the Driver Signature Enforcement Overrider and choose "enable test mode"
4.)Reboot. (You should see Test Mode at the bottom right corner after reboot.)
5.)Run the Driver Signature Enforcement Overrider again and choose "Sign a System File"
6.)In the box type "C:\Windows\System32\drivers\nvlddmkm.sys" and click ok (do not include the quotes.)
7.)Click "Sign a System File" again and this time put "C:\Windows\System32\drivers\igdkmd64.sys" (do not include the quotes.)
8.)Reboot and all should work.

The switch is not working anymore but i have to mess with the ATK/P4G hybrid drivers...
I didn't do a 3Dmark06 test yet but i'll try to see whether it's better or not.

 

You do have two video cards. The Intel, which is integrated, and the Nvidia which is discrete.

I'm scratching my head over what exactly you have disabled..or why. NP.

Your intel/vga card is default when all else is broke or doing clean installed.

If nothing showing up in device manager, I would suggest you use your driver DVD to reinstall intel drivers, if all checks good, then install your nvidia after you insure all of old drivers uninstalled.

Or, back up your files and do a sytem restore if you have a restore point before you went into file manager..sometimes you get lucky!

You also should have the full restore partition on your HD if not removed or damaged. Again back up your work files.

I'm way out of practice, so, if anyone has simpler routine please jump in!

 

I'm fighting with son's new Optimus laptop. Way powerful laptop but Optimus is just a royal pain; instead of just switching to what I need. I hate it, need more work from nvidia, imho.

 

Just bumping this to see if anyone has found a solution. I'm having the exact same problem. I think you'll find the same problem can happen playing a video in VLC or Windows Media Player too. I've checked temps and loads and they never are unusually high when this happens. I've since run Prime95 and memtest+ with no problems. Prior to this starting I made no driver or configuration changes to my system. I'm worried it's a hardware failure somewhere.

 

I've gotten audio stutters. But only last for 2 or 3 seconds. Happens seemingly at random when playing games (fullscreen opengl; first time yesterday actually... but I don't play much), watching movies in media player, and watching youtube clips. With it lasting only 2 seconds and only occuring approx. once a week I don't care much. I wrote it down to windows (7)/driver hickup. But don't know what actually causes it.

PS: Havent tried the suggested drivers (Geomancer) yet.

 

Thanks Fendora for your instructions, I've now got the Nvidia 260.63 driver running and it seems more stable using hardware accelerated programs than the old driver offered by ASUS.

Surfing the net I stumbled upon this nVidia Mobility Modder Tool, which is alleged to mod any Nvidia driver to install on your laptop!
NVIDIA MobilityModder

Anyone tried it?

 

A quick question, is there any bios update (at least a beta), which fixes the vga switch under linux? I found a bios 213, but it's only for the UL50vt and UL80vt, and I really would like to install a distro without switching the Sata mode on the bios, because it really kills the performance gain from the SSD...

 

The original Seagate got bad sectors and had to move to SSD, kept this as clean installation notes:
1. create bootable USB from win7 sp1 dvd, use dism to add patches (download via wsu offline update) to install.wim (see
Add or Remove Packages Offline)
2. download asus drivers and install them via dism (see Add and Remove Drivers Offline)
The ACPI, Touch panel, LAN, Intel chipset, Intel Rapid Storage, Intel Wifi, and Realtek HD Audio can be added this way.
3. install win7 from usb, then run the vga patch from asus, install general function service, ATK hotkey, ATK OSD, wireless console, reboot
4. get 263.08/2020 driver from http://forum.notebookreview.com/sony/342947-my-discoveries-vaio-z-s-hybrid-graphics.html and get attached nvmvsz.txt as to display.driver\nvmvsz.inf, run setup, no need to do clean install, then reboot
5. install power4gear 1.1.24 and now the hybrid switching would work.

things not working:
1. hotkey doesn't switch between nvidia and intel, but the systray icon can do the switch.
2. gpu-z doesn't show opencl, cuda, physx on.

 

Fendora.. is this possible with the newest drivers.. those 260.63 drivers are from early '10?

 

Oh yeah.. fendora.. is there anyway you could post a newer bios that's back to stock freqencies? I'm having issues with SWTOR.. and I think I may be overheating with the overclocked bios.. and when I try to reload the original 211 winflash tells me I can't cuz it's an older version... thanks in advance

 

Don't use winflash.

Just dl the UL30vt bios on the asus website and flash it with a usb key in the bios. (I think you can use EZ-flash, i don't remember if the ul30vt has it).


NEVER FLASH IN WINDOWS. It's bad.
-> If some program fails, your flash can fail. And there's a LOOOOT of programs running when in windows. That multiply your chances of bricking by a lot.


Check your temps ingame with HWMonitor or GPU-Z to see if you're really overheating. Below 75/80°c for your cpu and 80/85°c for your gpu and you'll be fine.
Also, keep in mind SWTOR is VERY, VERY buggy in windows seven. I didn't manage to run it myself, but i haven't work on it.

As for the drivers, 260.63 are the latest you can get with the manual switch.
You can install optimus ones (still hybrid) but i don't know where to find them.
Of course the Nvidia official ones are not supported anymore.

 

You can specify the link to download these drivers? thanks

 

I really wish people would post some bench marks, original to new, and or games that that won't work without the newer drivers. This is for the really lazy like me!

While the lack of drivers really gets under the skin this laptop is not really a gaming laptop where you want to test latest drivers. Someone posted this WAS marketed as a gaming laptop...OK.

I'm not making excuses for Asus not coming forth with any new drivers which leave us feeling a little abandoned?

Well, say hello to my new friend from Toshiba. This is a cheap fast laptop that IS marketed as a gaming laptop. However; the drivers are ancient and the whole line has throttling problems, in some games, out the box.

Some of the users have found work arounds but to say; the 30vt is not the only homeless child out there, no?

 

Fendora.. thanks for the info.. gonna do that when I get home. I'm thinking it could be a bug in SWTOR because I can play it for hours at a time and it works fine then when I get to a certain area it glitches.. screen goes to desktop and says something about nvidia kernel/driver failed and then it blinks and comes back on sometimes.. but usually I end up restarting it several times till it works. For anyone interested.. when it works it plays great.. I have everything set to medium settings at 1366 and it looks and runs smooth even in heavy populated areas.. this laptop fails to dissapoint.. i also played Skyrim on it... and it works good. If Asus would just give us some driver support!

I tried rivatuner.. but I can't get access to fan control? is it possible?

 

Thanks for the link. I'll look at it but my first impression is that it isn't made specifically for taking mobile drivers and making mobile hybrid drivers. It says it will take desktop drivers and make them mobile drivers. I think that leaves us hybrids out, but it might still be worth checking and researching further.

It looks a little out of my league but if I end up figuring something out I'll share with the crowd.

Hey, does anyone have a front lcd bezel complete with sticky screw covers that they'd like to sell me from a parted out ul30vt? It's ok if not, I can get it from Asus, but they are a huge ripoff. Thought I'd bring it up.

 

Funny, it's been almost 1 year since I posted in this thread. My last problem, a busted power adapter. After about 3-4 months of RMA hassle and nonsense, ASUS did finally get a replacement to me, a BTI brand adapter (can't remember what my original one was). Of course, hardly 8 months after I got it, it was fried again somehow. Yipee. So here I go, RMA process again...
And before you think my house power may somehow be blowing these things up, I have plenty of other things on these outlets that don't go crapping themselves - including the temporary power adapter I've been using, which came from my last laptop, and is almost 9 years old now. Come to think of it, I've probably used this substitute adapter on my UL30 more than I have the ASUS provided ones.
At least I can thank ASUS for non-proprietary power plug...

 

Mine is Asus branded, made by lite-on.

If asus does not ask for old one back cut the connector. You should also be able to find on line or with the universal supplies.

 

Hey everyone, i'm pretty new to this group but i've read a lot of posts. i've been trying to undervolt my cpu but i can only go to .975 using throttle stop. if i go any lower, my computer freezes =( i see a lot of ppl who were able to undervolt the cpu to like .875 or .9125. Is there something i'm doing wrong/different?

And is there a way to undervolt the gpu??

 

Nope, every CPU is different, yours cannot go under 0.975, that's it. ^^
Remember to test the stability under OCCT for atleast 30 minutes when undervolted.

No way known to undervolt the gpu, but do you really have to?
Mine is very fresh.. GPU @66°c max, thanks to the repasting.
The cooling system is very efficient and the fan stays quiet.

I still think it might be possible to undervolt the gpu, but i have no need in it, no temperatures nor battery problem, and with my overclock, the gpu couldn't handle an undervolt anymore.