ASUS Lamborghini VX2 review

Hmmmm the specs of the screen does not seem that good..only 200nits brightness is quite standard and low if compared to the qosmio dual lamp of 450nits brightness

 

YA... reaction time is 16ms? This is terrible...

 

It may well say that on paper, but this screen is gorgeous and super bright.

 

More photos! More photos!

 

Yeahhhh more photos!!!! Alsooooo more user opinions pleaseee ubercool!!

 

We're talking about a laptop display. By laptop standards 16ms is really quite good.

 

The regular notebook LCD reaction time is 21ms I believe.

The G1 has 8ms though.

 

I'm so sorry I've had no time to take more pix. I will do so this weekend, I'm taking this lappy on the road today to Boston and New York, but will post many more observations, like battery life, etc. next.

Maybe on the road pix?

 

Take your laptop out in public places and start working. See how many stares or looks you get.

And as said above, 16ms for a laptop screen is not "terrible." It's a laptop, not a monitor.

 

Hey. I got my VX2 10 days ago. It did not come with any cooling platform....I want one.. Is that a special treat for North-American buyers? I bought mine a month ago in Norway. I don`t game that much (yet) but I guess it is quite practical with an extra coolingsystem.

 

the g2 has 8 ms. the g1 has this same screen with 16 ms


16 ms is very good for a laptop screen. most are 25 ms. Very few are 8 ms
I have seen one 12 ms also I think that is the sony AR but most laptop screens are 25, 16 or 8
the lcd on the sager 5670 is 25 ms response time

this response time measurement is not even using the same scale as a desktop lcd. Maybe a 25 ms rspe time laptop lcd would be like a 12 ms response time desktop lcd.

Nobody asked for an explanation and Im not good at explaining. response time is supposedly a timing of the black to white change in one pixel. An lcd made for ac power only is different because its only measured at one setting.

 

yup, the G1, V1, & VX2 all have the exact same screen as I recall. 16ms is indeed better than the 25ms standard for many notebook screens, although CMO has some 15.4" notebook displays either out now or coming soon that have as low as 5ms, which is very impressive and competes well with desktop LCDs. The brightness is rather low in comparison, but I'm guessing that part of the reason for that lies in the screen resolution, as WSXGA+ (1680x1050) is the highest 15.4" resolution CMO makes (or at least the highest that they mention on their website). Perhaps that makes it more difficult to backlight?

 

OK, let's cut to the chase. How's this lappy on the road? Well, you can already guess that it's basically a portable heatsink. Using the PowerGear4 Battery Saving mode helps quite a bit, but it still gets very hot, particularly cranked up to full power.

Today, while traveling, I noticed that the unit was still on in my bag. Now, I've had that problem sporadically with my W5F too, but this was the first time I'd been far away from home with a brand-new lappy. Recommendation, don't do it.

Turns out, some program I must have installed over the weekend, made it impossible to shut the unit down, put it to sleep or make it hibernate. In all instances the hard disk kept spinning, the fan kept running and the "status" and Power light stayed on.

Now, when I first got the Lambo, it did this after being put to sleep, I guess, because CPU cooling is thermostat-controlled. So the fan kep whirring after it was put to sleep. But then it went off alltogether.

Now, I have to turn it off manually by forcing a shutdown by holding the Power switch down for four seconds.

I'm going to roll back to before Snag It 8.1 and see if that's the problem. Keep your fingers crossed. Oh, BTW, even with a full load of two batteries (including modular bay), don't expect more than three hours of this notebook. The CPU, and Vista, which keeps hitting the hard disk updating that insanely big hard disk index (900MB compared to Google's 300MB), are the cause for the increased power drain.

 

Actually all lcd measurements are misleading. This industry is snake oil.

The screen on my a8js has 220 nits. So Ive seen it next to this g1 screen at 200 nits and i promise you the g1 screen is brighter.

The reason this screen has a lower nits rating even though its probably got a larger bulb behind it is that what it uses is a light guiding panel prism. this is what gives it a better viewing angle
the ratings they assign this are not based on reality what they do is just subtract 10% if it uses a prism etc. Many 200 nit screens are going to be vastly different. I can tell you though this one is going to be near the top in actual brightness.

 

The V1JP has 3 hours of battery life with the 8-cell and Vista. Does the Go 7700 really take away an hour of battery life compared to the X1700???

 

Eight-cell plus modular bay battery with screen cranked down to half, there are fifteen discrete steps, so seven down from brightest setting, will give you about 3 hours and 10 minutes, as suggested by the battery life indicator.

 

Hey ubercool, thanks for all the great info on the Lamborghini VX2. I am looking to buy this computer and I was just wondering where you purchased it from? Also, do you know of any other good Asus distributors (especially those that allow you to customize this model) or, better yet, any that I should stay away from? I don't know too much about computers, but I know that I would like this one, and I just want to make sure that I get it from a reputable Asus distributor. Thanks for the help!

 

Customize it? The specs are maxed out. What would you want to customize?

 

Here are some of the many reputable Asus distributors on the forums:

proportable.com
milestonepc.com
btotech.com
gentechpc.com

Most of those dealers should carry the VX2. I would also check out Newegg; I doubt they carry the VX2, but they usually carry a wide selection of Asus notebooks. You'll find that the resellers on the forums have the lowest prices compared to Newegg.

As for your customization comment, I agree with djembe. What is there to upgrade? The T7400 is top of the line, and upgrading to a T7600 is just crazy. There's a 160 GB HD already that offers similar performance to a 7200 RPM hard drive. There a Go 7700, which is currently the best graphics card possible in a 15.4" laptop. It's already equipped with 2 GB of RAM and Vista Ultimate.

 

hey fren...thanks for the reply. I know that it seems crazy to want to upgrade the processor and the hard drive, but my school has given me $5000 to buy a new laptop, so I'm trying to max this one out to get the most for their money. Anyway, I will check out the distributors that you recommended. Thanks again!

 

I bought it from PROPortable. He's the only reseller who carries this model, if I'm not mistaken. What's there to customize? This lappy is loaded!

 

Customise does not mean to improve it If i could customise it, i would lower the specs to 2.0ghz core 2 duo processor for the lower cost it would bring. Makes it more affordable and powerful enough Maybe even lower the harddisk to just the standard 120gig 5400tpm if its still too expensive. But too bad its not possible i guess..

 

Doh, let's take the Lambo and turn it into a VW!

 

I do not mind having the vw engine in the lambo body It still turn heads!! I have a sager 5760 with the 7950gtx and 2.33ghz core 2 duo which is powerful for a lappy!! But it does not turn heads So im like having a lambo engine in a vw body. I may prefer it the other way around

 

FYI, agearnotebook.com and xoticpc.com carry this model and allow you to customize the processor, hard drive, and alot of other options. And as for why I would ever want to spend the $ to upgrade this stuff, see my last reply on page 7.

 

If you have a $5000 budget, I recommend looking at other notebooks besides VX2. If you want your money's worth, and you want sheer power, get a 17" notebook. The 17" Sager 5760 from powernotebooks.com is a start, with a Geforce Go 7950GTX (twice as powerful as the Go 7700), equippable up to a T7600, 2 GB RAM, 7200 RPM hard drive. It's a great value (maxed out you'll spend around $3000) from a well known and respected online retailer.

I doubt you want to go bigger, but with a $5000 budget you can basically get anything you want. For instance, you could get a 17" or even 19" SLI notebook. Check out http://powernotebooks.com/configure.php?special=444

If you don't want to carry a laptop around, and want the most powerful laptop on the planet, buy this laptop. For about $4500:

17" WUXGA display (1900x1200)
Dual Nvidia Geforce Go 7950GTX in SLI (1 GB GDDR3 memory total)
Intel Core 2 Extreme X6800 processor
2 GB DDR2-667 RAM
Triple 160 GB 7200 RPM hard drives in RAID-5
Dual Layer CD/DVD Burner
Built-in Intel a/b/g wireless
Built-in Bluetooth 2.0
12-cell battery
Microsoft Vista Home Premium

This is the most powerful laptop on the planet, and with your budget, you can get it.

 

But is it portable?

 

I see guys carrying 17-inch notebooks on planes and they have to hold it outside their bags, what a joke! This 15-inch is the limit in portability. TG, I got used to the weight, because the first few days it freaked me out compared to the W5F!

 

Ubercool,

Can you confirm that the VX2 can drive 2 external monitors (using the dvi and vga ports)?

Much thanks,

-Peter

 

Peter, I do not use any external monitors. I do have a plasma TV but have never connected a computer to its DVI or VGA ports. Besides that wouldn't answer your question. And the manual provides zero information, sorry.

 

I am going to make a hunch-hypothesis and say that it will not. I am sure that most desktop PCI/AGP dual output gpus don't allow this, so there isn't a reason why it would be otherwise with a notebook. That doesn't mean that there isn't a workaround to it, though....

 

The VX2 is special. Enjoy!

You need this wallpaper though. http://www.deviantart.com/deviation...50&qh=boost:popular+age_sigma:24h+age_scale:5

 

Are you sure? i used 2 screens (1 on vga and 1 on dvi) with my old 9800pro, and I'm fairly sure even older work in the same way (why wouldn't they?)... Unless i completly missunderstood you, which is quite possible.

 

Thanks for that link, I've downloaded it ready for when my VX2 arrives (hurry up already mr delivery man!)

 

He means dual-display when the Monitors show different outputs.
And for the laptops AFAIK one of the GPU outputs is already occupied (the LCD).

 

Hi All,

More detailed pics on this link
http://eng.mobile01.com/newsdetail.php?id=3230

Can someone also confirm as stated on this link if it has a HDMI output?

Thanks

 

Well, this post indicates the G1 can drive 2 external monitors, and this post shows the V1J can. Since the G1 uses the same video card as the VX2, and the V1J uses the same docking station (which seems to support dual external monitors), my guess is that the VX2 does as well. I'd just like someone to confirm....anyone?

-Peter

 

well the a8js has the same video card
and it has vga and dvi outputs

and the vga output is just a mirror of the dvi output. It can not be seperate from the dvi output.

the lcd and the external monitor can be two different displays. The vga has to be the same as the dvi.

the vga output is just an adapter to the dvi provided for convenience.

 

Interesting. Can anyone comfirm this to be (or not be) the case on the VX2?

-Peter

 

I can only assume the vx2 is the same because if it wasnt I think it would be very rare if not unique and it would describe it in its marketing literature.

It would say, drives two seperate external displays, only laptop in its class that does and show a picture.

You have to realize that most people dont even want to connect one vga and one hdmi monitor at all for any reason. If you have 2 hdmi monitors there is a gadget you can buy for two seperate displays.
the vga port adds 1$ to the cost of'\ the laptop so its "why not?". now another video output circuit adds more than that...so I cant imagine why they would

and if they did.... theyd have two hdmi outputs anyway wouldnt they? and you could put your own vga adapter on one.

 

[stuff edited - I responded to an old post that I thought was new. oops]

I've heard the Lenovo's have supported it for a while. So it's not unheard of in notebooks.

-Peter

 

Hi AHSOOS peeps! I have not deserted you, just too busy traveling to be able to post.

Anyway, I'm getting PMs about my new lappy and I thought it might be easier to respond here, so everyone can enjoy my answers and so I don't have to answer questions repetitively. Here's one PM:

If you run the VX2 on full power, it gets very hot and the fan runs continuously, even beyond shutdown, so I run it mostly in "Battery Saving" mode, which sucks less power and reduces fan noise to unnoticeable. The palm rests never get hot, but yes it might get too hot on your lap if you game for more than three hours.

I did, however, use it briefly this afternoon in performance mode and I noticed that even PowerPoint works faster, although that may have been a psychological effect of all that noise!

Battery life does not exceed three hours with two batteries installed. In fact, it typically says something like "2:54 left" -- and that's what you get. Based on my own observations, that might be a tad conservative because it hovers in the two-hour range for a long time, so YMMV.

I'm just going to say this once again, this is, without doubt, the best computer I've ever owned. It's superbly built, the accessories are out of control! I'm dying to take a pic of the leather mousepad and beautiful mouse. You've already seen that spectacular leather case made by Targus.

There's the "cooling stand," two, count them 2, slipcases, one of velvet and another that's zippered, which goes inside the Targus.

Anyway, this ASUS rocks and I'm happier than a pig in you-know-what. I just wish ASUS would back this up with a velvet-rope customer service Web site, but they have to learn a lot about that aspect of the business in marketing.

Let me know if you have any other questions. I'll answer them before I take off for London.

 

While that may be a very nice wallpaper for people who don't have the VX2, I wouldn't change the one that comes with this lappy, it's stunningly beautiful and features both the yellow and black VX2s, plus a yellow Lambo as a background in eye-dripping sharp (Photoshopped obviously), vivid colors. Now I want a real Lamborghini too!

 

That doesn't sound right - running the laptop in High Performance will cause it to shutdown? Are the vents blocked? Are you using the laptop in a very warm environment? I would expect any brand new laptop to be able to run more or less continuously regardless of load unless under exceptional circumstances.

Hmmm. I just re-read what you wrote. Do you mean that even after shutting down the laptop, the fans are running - like the radiator fan on my car after a long drive?

Any ideas what temps you are hitting?

-Peter

 

Yes, that's correct on max power the fan can run beyond powering down or going to sleep!

I wish I could measure the temperature, but Speedfan is not compatible with Vista, and only provides a single, unidentified reading.

* posted from BlackBerry!

 

OK, but can I watch a dvd movie thats 2:30mins long? Figure screen brightness around 85-100%

You said with two batteries? I thought this unit takes only one? And not that you know this but why does this unit claim 4hrs vs teh 2hrs in a g1, when they both use the same battery?

And the unit you got seems to come with alot of extras that I havn't seen elsewhere. I know about the carry bag (can you show pics of the bag when its open? To see pockets,etc) but I didn't know about TWO sleeves and a cooler stand..

 

I have not tested watching a movie yet, but will do so soon. I think it should be no problem. I the computer batteries last about 3 hours at 85% brightness.

Yes, that's two batteries. The VX2 can take a modular bay battery. I also have a second standard battery, so I get more than 5 hours between the three!

I will get back from London on Sunday and will post a picture early next week of the bag's interior. It's very nice, and has two compartments, plus zippered pockets, etc.!

 

Wait,wait you lost me. Some questions:
1) It will last 2:30(maybe) with the one battery?
2) The modular battery, thats not the same as another standard battery,right?
3) If you use both of those batteries, then you can't watch a dvd because it uses the dvd slot?
4) Its ok about bag pictures. There was someone else who posted pics. Hey I heard the LCD back cover has holes in it so it glows in the dark They said it looks like a nights sky? Is that true? Or I wonder if the person was talking about the status indicator lights on the cover?

 

1. Doh! I forgot about the DVD drive occupying the extra battery slot, I think a 2:30 movie is a stretch. Don't know if one battery will make that!

2. No, the modular bay battery is slightly less capacity than the standard battery.

3. See #1.

4. There is indeed another set of status indicator lights under a grille on the LCD cover that tell you if it's sleeping, etc.

 

Ok, but only those lights then. Not like there is pinhole lights that make the back of the lcd glow?

Also, now that I went to proportable, you paid extra for the extra battery, extra modular battery, and for the power station (Or are we actually talking about a cooling stand that actually came with the unit?)