Asus ZenBook Pro UX501 Owner's Lounge

well, if you read again carefully what I wrote, you will see that the battery booster trick proves my point. Reducing fps = reducing ALUs utilization, thus lower power consumption.
For example, let's say that a games runs at 25fps at 4k and 60fps at FHD (same power draw). Then if you cap (battery booster trick) FHD framerate at 30fps, of course that you will consume less...

PS: nobody knows exactly how battery booster works, but I suspect it disables SMM blocks to achieve the desired framerate

 

I been waiting for the FHD model to come out for like a month now... I need a FHD model with 1TB HDD + SSD, or straight up 512GB SSD with 16GB RAM and 960M 4GB..... how much longer must I wait... omg

 

Does the 96whr battery fit in a model that originally use the smaller 60whr battery? There is a model of the G501 which has the specs I'm looking for but use the small 60whr battery which lasts 4 hours just like the ux501.

Judging from disassembly pictures the g501 has a pocket for a hdd in the bottom left corner and the ux501 seem to have screwholes for it aswell but are covered by the battery.

Ux501 disassembly: http://www.laptopultra.com/guide/asus-zenbook-pro-ux501-disassembly/

G501 disassembly: http://www.laptopultra.com/guide/asus-rog-g501-disassembly/

Theoreticly the battery life should increase to ~6 hours

 

There is a 96 whr version of the G501 as well, but with 4k display. I doubt you can purchase the 60 whr version and swap out the battery and it doesn't look like Asus is releasing a FHD version with the larger battery.

 

Asus do seem to be doing a lot of minor chassis variations at the moment so I don't think swapping the battery would be a simple job.

 

Very interesting model i was just dicussing this over with my friend today about having a type of machine like this pretty exactly to what i want spec wise. Now to read a lot of the thread, daunting task.

 

Would sticking a large matte (anti-glare)- screen protector thing help with the reflections? I've used one for my phone and it seemed to work well - what do you guys think?

 

You have to be careful with the application but yes it can work. It can be quite grainy though as it will be thicker than the coatings used at the factory.

 

Asus France has, as I got myself 2 G501JW with FHD PLS Matte screen (similar screen to the MSI GS60) and 96Wh battery. Rest of the setup is maxed out too (512GB PCI-E,16GB, 960M 4GB).

Battery life from my initial testing is around 5,5 hours with multimedia tasks and balance profile.

 

How much did it cost? Any yellow tint? And is the keyboard international or us? Thanks in advance
Cause it looks like you guys got the build everyone wants

 

Can somebody pls post their battery's capacity in mWh. How do we know if its 6 cell or 4 cell?

Mine's 60040 mWh. Is it 6 cell?

 

That's the 4 cell. The 6 cell is 96 Wh or 96000 mWh.

 

Then there is hope that I can someday buy a FHD panel replacement from Asus and swap out the 4K panel in my G501.

 

The screen is as good as the one on the MSI GS60, which means really gorgeous - there are plenty of reviews online. No yellow tint at all like on the 4K screen (which is a very common issue with 3K/4K screen)
The only cons is that the keyboard is the French layout (AZERTY) but keys can be swapped hopefully. Price was 1415€ Ex. VAT + shipping.

I think Meaker will be able to advise which connector is used - with the FHD model, I believe they use the eDP connector similarly to the MSI GS60's.

 

Thanks alot.
I have the gs60, the screen is absolutely gorgeous. I still get amused every now and then, looking at it.

 

Do you think GS60 is a good laptop? I'm Looking at the GS60 $1799 with 970M 6GB.... or the GE62 apache pro with 970m 3GB for $1499. What do you think?

 

I love it, I love it, I love it. Screen, perfect, hd space, perfect, just don't store or install anything to the c drive. Point Documents folder, Music folder Downloads folder to the D drive.
Keyboard perfect, TouchPad becomes perfect after update of drivers and tweaking. Heat?? Don't know what that is Lol.
Wireless card, is the best in the market.
See, the thing is this is one of those machines that doesn't need to brag. It's got everything you need, plus can pretty much do everything you ask. There is no laptop around that has the slim build, 15" that can compete with it right now.

So my only gripe is battery could be better. And for the price your getting yours, it's a steal.

 

The GS60 seems to be the best premium performance gaming laptop in 15" category. Only downside I can think of right now is the fan noise.

 

The fan noise of the GS60 ist the reason I would not recommend this laptop, because a key argument for this machine is the slim build which you would probably buy to take your laptop to the university or meetings or somewhere else where you gather with people.
Proof: http://www.notebookcheck.net/MSI-GS60-2QE-Ghost-Pro-4K-2QEUi716SR51G-Notebook-Review.134510.0.html

If I have my laptop only at home I don't know why I would buy a slim mashine if you can get a fatty with better specs, better cooling, etc.

The UX501 with the FHD would be a great option if they would ship it with the 96W battery...... but this would ruin the marketing strategy of Asus when people would start reporting that the lower configuration model is better in battery lifetime and in display quality.

IMHO, if they would just make a 15 inch version of the UX303LN with a quad CPU and GTX 950M (without throttling) this would be a laptop which could be sold in almost every laptop segment:
- for all multimedia purpouses
- for gamers
- for music and video producers
- for graphic designers
- for premium users

Basically, the market would have finally a windows alternative to the MacBooks.

 

GS60 is on top of my list for laptops I might buy, I am also looking at the GE62 Apache Pro. When you say "If I have my laptop only at home I don't know why I would buy a slim mashine if you can get a fatty with better specs, better cooling, etc." what laptops are you thinking of? about 80% of the time, I will be using the laptop at home, but I also don't want something that is like 17.3 inch or weighing over 7 lbs. Definitely looking for something with 970M. If it means anything, I had a Alienware 15 previously and thought it was going to be the best laptop ever, but with that horrible cooling system, that thing ran so hot I had to return. Any suggestions on potential laptops?

 

Hmmmmm !!!!!

Do you actually own a gs60 or your just running your mouth. I have the g60 with 970m and the fan is not loud at all, actually my laptop is very quiet. I also own a razer blade 2012 and my gs60 is way more quiet. I know this is an UX501 thread, so i wont go any further, please see this video


Please stop spreading wrong information

Also the video shows it runs cooler, than the older build, and also very quiet.

 

This is the the new MSI GS60:

http://www.notebookcheck.net/MSI-GS60-2QE-Ghost-Pro-4K-2QEUi716SR51G-Notebook-Review.134510.0.html

So bringing your laptop to a meeting or the university could disturb people. But this is not the propagated purpouse of the GS60 (although, I still don't know why I should buy a slim laptop if I am only playing games at home). The battery lifetime is also not really suited for mobile use.

- - - - -

And this is the noise that the ASUS UX501 4k can produce:

http://www.notebookcheck.net/Asus-ZenBook-Pro-UX501JW-Notebook-Review.142308.0.html

I am using my Precison m4700 for roughly 80% at home and 20% on the go. And after 3 years it really gets annoying that you can't pack more than 2 booklets with your notebook in a 30 x 40cm standard 15 inch bag. Because the UX501 has a slim build height and enough power to do some video editing, I thought that this is my laptop for the next 3 years.

However, ASUS's new flagship was basically ruined with the 4k abomination.

 

Hey did you see my post on the last page,

 

Note that this thread is not about you only^^

 

What other laptops do you suggest if not the GS60. I also mentioned the GE62 apache pro but people are saying the gs60 is better because it is "budget" line

 

MSI just unveiled their refreshed laptops with Broadwell quad core i7 5700HQ. I was all set on buying the Asus UX501 (most likely tomorrow), but now I'm debating between it and the new MSI GS60 Ghost Pro 607. Each has its pros and cons.

 

Wrong. I just confirmed with Asus Tech Support. They said its 6 cell.

So 6 cell = 60040 mwh

 

Xotic PC has 2 models of the GS60 for the same price at $1699:

4710HQ
970M (6GB VRAM)

or

5700HQ
970M (3GB VRAM)

Which is the better deal?
I wonder why they don't have a model with both the 5700HQ and 970M 6GB.

 

Straight from the Asus UX501 Specification page at: http://www.asus.com/Notebooks_Ultrabooks/ZenBook_Pro_UX501/specifications/

6Cells 96 Whrs Polymer Battery
4Cells 60 Whrs Polymer Battery

 

Hello all... I am thinking about purchasing the UX501 or the GS 60 Ghost Pro (607 version with i7-5700 processor) but I need to know which has a better battery life?

I heard the UX501 has an unbearable glossy screen with incorrect color calibration. I also do color grading for a living, so incorrect color is a big no-no. I am fine with a minimum of 90% sRGB.

I need it on flights (5+ hours) and long bus rides (2+ hours).

 

Both of the models lasts about 4 hours or less when doing daily stuff. Im not sure about the gs60 since I havent tried it but the battery life is not that good on judging by the reviews and comments.

 

That sucks... the search for a performance laptop, or at least half-decent performance laptop with good battery is impossible.

 

A laptop using a dualcore i7 processor is pretty much the only decent power laptop atm (non apple) with good batterylife. Im not even sure if Im ever gonna need 4 cores but Im a bit tired of working at 13 inch screens so a powerful 15 inch laptop is my only option at this point. 15 inch laptops has a more luxurious feel for some resason.

 

From what I've read... GS60 ghost pro is definitely not the laptop that you want if you are want good battery life.

 

Do yourself a favor and scratch the UX501 of the list right now, it is NOT the laptop for you. Actually, neither is the GS60 i believe.

 

No, it isn't if you can live with the Apple on the front. Lenovo probably have a few good options as well. Might consider Dell as well.

 

Ok, if I can deal with a 3-4 battery life on normal usage because I am doing heavy image editing work is the Gs60 at least a fast machine?

 

Yes. I own the gs60. It's the best machine in its class period. 3-4 is what you will get. With video editing. There is no laptop that will give you more than that with as powerful a gpu, while gaming. The screen is unmatched. I don't want to go on and on with this. Buy the laptop, if you don't like it return it. But I will tell you right now, that is the best portable 15“ laptop in its class. Plus you will not destroy your bank account

 

Ok, I am sold on it! Where is the best place to buy a laptop?

I am thinking PowerNotebooks, however, I am worried about import charges from USA to Canada. Otherwise, NCIX.

 

I can't really help you their, cause I am not from Canada. I but mine through Amazon - vendor xotic pc.

 

Just got my US UX501JW. My impressions are overall positive. The case does flex, but not severely. Yellows are definitely meh but you tend not to notice it if you're not looking for it. Scaling is pretty good, though some applications become basically unusable...

I set up a second user profile with the 1920x1080 resolution/text scaling so I can quickly switch users when I want to game.

 

How about gaming in 1080p? Does games scale correct in full screen 1080p?

 

The main problem with the UX501 and the reason for me returning it isn't that it is total crap. It's that for me, it just isn't good enough compared to what Asus marketing promises and for the price it commands. Asus market this as a premium best in class laptop but unfortunately, it just isn't. Of course, this is my personal opinion, everyone decide for themselves what they like or not.

 

Yes, it scales correctly. Sometimes the issue will be the text scaling, however, ie) League of Legends with bad scaling UI, but then you have to go into control panel and change the text scaling back to 100% from 200%.

Yes, back when this laptop was $1799, it was a really hard sell for me. When the price dropped, I kinda bit the bullet and went for it. It's no longer the "no compromise" premium laptop as before, but a good value for the price.

Also like to mention the speakers - they are really bad. Probably average for laptop speakers, but really don't expect anything.

 

Im not sure if Im breaking any rule now but a friend told me about this: http://www.forbes.com/sites/brookec...on-windows-10-apple-retina-macbook-pro-rival/

If we assuming Dell wont use the old xps 15 case with heating issues this could be a nice laptop considering the battery life (6-7 hours?) and other known Dell qualities. Asus will probably release another version of the ux501 by then but since both the ux501 and nx500 had minor flaws the next one will most likely have (atleast) a few as well.

 

That is probably a good and reasonable decision. For the right price, the UX501 is probably a good purchase. I have to admit, part of my frustration with the UX501 isn't really the UX501 itself but the fact that there still doesn't seem to be a PC manufacturer that can make a better laptop than Apple. I am a 99,9% Windows user as I am a .NET programmer and I don't want to buy a Mac, I want to buy a PC. Still, my last three "PCs" have all been MacBook Pros, just because there haven't been a PC that can match it. And as much as I hate saying so, I get the impression there still isn't. Lenovo is probably the closest, and if Dell manage to get their act together overall and update the XPS15 , that could also be a worthy contender. My attempt to replace my MacBook Pro with an UX501 however just was a failure unfortunately

 

The UX501/G501 is still ~1800USD here (NOK 13990) and compared to the N551JM (picked up for NOK 6990,- / ~900 USD) it is just not worth it. Yes the N551JM is with regular HDD, which I replaced with an 500GB SSD, price is still good.

N551JM has better performance since it doesn't throttle during gaming
Battery time is about the same
N551JM keyboard doesn't flex.

So what you pay for is lower weight and thinner casing, and honestly, that is not worth double the price. If price was lowered to around 1100 USD it would be worth considering, since it comes with lightning fast SSD pre-installed.

 

you can't really compare the xps15 with the ux501 though. the xps15 does not have a dedicated graphics card

 

If that is the case, why does every Dell xps 15 available right now have a gt 750m ? http://www.amazon.com/Dell-XPS-15-Touchscreen-Performance/dp/B00N3FPZ5E/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1433494453&sr=8-7&keywords=dell xps 15 2015

It doesn't really matter if I look at amazon or a Swedish shop where I usually order this stuff, every single one says there is a gt 750m in the Dell xps 15. If you were pointing out that it has a worse dedicated graphics card you are correct but it still has one.

 

yes, sorry I meant a worse card of course. my bad