ASUS notebooks question

Does anyone know what material ASUS uses on their notebook chassis? I don't mind the battery issue on ASUS notebooks as long as the notebooks are solidly built/durable and provides high performance.
Are the notebook LCDs of good quality?

I don't know anything about ASUS notebooks but their desktop boards are solid and I like ASUS desktop boards. So maybe their notebooks are just as good as their desktop boards.

Any recommendation for use on engineering field and IT field? no games.

15.4" WSXGA or WSUXGA?
Good graphics?
Good LCD quality?
Chassis Material: Magnesium Alloy, Carbon Fiber, or Plastic(hope not)? Which one is stronger?

I have been on other sections of the notebook forum and someone posted that ASUS is made more of plastic. Is this true?

 

It varies from notebook to notebook... it really depends on which series you get. Most Asus notebooks are made out of a carbon fiber and plastic alloy... it's pretty strong and holds up well - probably noticeably stronger than the plastics that other brands use.

You should look at the Asus C90S or V1S... both are quite high quality and quite popular on this forum.

 

Yes, both build quality and screen quality varies between models (as expected of course). While build quality is predictable: e.g., V and W are at the top and F and A at the bottom (& still pretty good quality even so), screen quality is not so predictable. Just choose two or three models and look for reviews with pictures of the screen & user feedback.

I suggest the V1S over the C90. The latter is more of a desktop replacement, and also has a larger amount of issues than the V1S.

I think carbon fiber is the strongest, or possibly magnesium alloy; of course it depends on the thickness Brushed aluminum is another thing, and I think the best, but it;s not on current ASUS notebooks.

The V1S has no plastic in it. I think something (LCD cover or palmrest) is magnesium but I don't know... Check the V1J/p reviews, they have the same materials.

 

I noticed you didn't mention the U series... would they be at the top with the V and W?
How would you compare the screen quality between the u3s-a1b and v2s-b1? I understand there's a resolution difference btw the 2. Does more resolution necessarily mean better screen quality?

I'm still contemplating on which one I should get... I'm impressed with both. I used to have an Asus L-8400 (I think) business laptop and it lasted 4 yrs, and the only prob I had with it was the fan was clogged, which caused a chip to melt.

 

I thought V1S had more >->

C90S main ones are 2GB ram stick and GPU heat

 

Well the V1S only has (on the serious side) the "modular battery kills main battery" issue. If you don't plan to use modular battery then it's no problem; on the other hand if you do, then I agree that this issue is an absolute killer & I wouldn't recommend the laptop to anyone that wants to use modular batt. Supposedly a BIOS fix is in the works but I have come not to trust ASUS BIOS fixes (see the G1S "CPU capped under 90% battery charging" issue and its "fix" which didn't work).

I would put the U series near the top, indeed. I dislike the preference in that series for shiny laptops (fingerprint galore) and for strange and rather ugly (in my opinion) black-white combinations.

I don't know the U3 and V2 screens. This can't by any means be used for accurate predictions, but among two LCDs from the same generation and in the same price range, the one with the higher resolution might be worse in quality. But if depends very much on the manufacturer and many other factors... the only way to get a reliable indication is to read reviews & look at pictures...

Clogged fan can be easily fixed... don't let this be a problem in the future! Check the ASUS Info booth for coriolis' cleaning guide.

 

*Sigh*

The V1s has carbon fiber case, and no matter what some people seem to think, that is plastic, and no that's not the same material used in the cars in Formula One since I don't think that those cars flex as much as some notebooks do. ThinkPads (only outside) and Premium Sony models use carbon fibre as well and here is where all complaints about flex come from, that's simply an overrated material, at least this used in notebooks is more of a weight saving measure than anything else...

The lid of the V1s is so called "magnesium alloy" but I haven't seen metal that flexes that much before, so it's utter crap.

I think I described the V1s very well in this thread and yes I'm aware this is the most fanboish section here but I'm always open to a flame war.

And, if the V1s is a high quality notebook, then I'm Santa Clause and you can choose your gift for Christmas already.

 

Like I said, it all depends on the thickness. Furthermore (and perhaps even more importantly) it also depends on the particular composition of the alloy. Any amount of carbon fiber in the plastic, and the manufacturer can already market the laptop as "carbon fiber casing"; while of course, the quality can vary as a result of the actual alloy composition.

But the fact remains, all the "carbon fiber" notebook cases are, certainly, "carbon fiber alloys with plastic" (& probably other stuff as well).

I can say from personal experience that the M6Ne case (carbon fiber alloy) is bloody strong My M6Ne was through a car accident (rear of the car completely smashed, M6Ne was in the bag in the boot -- is that the American or English word? I have no idea), and while the LCD and chassis were cracked, there was no significant mechanical damage to any inside component.

I also agree that magnesium is overrated as a strong material. The V6J magnesium lid also flexes (not worryingly though). However, what magnesium IS good at is avoiding scratches and oily prints etc. It looks as new after 1 year.

I know that some people complain about the V1S quality... I do not have personal experience with the notebook, but if the V1S as a flagship of the ASUS business line is of poor quality, then I don't know what ASUS notebook to recommend...

I stand by my opinion that brushed aluminum is the best material you can get in a notebook today. Virtually impossible to scratch, print-resistant, and definitely stronger than any carbon fiber alloy & magnesium out there.

 

It's called carbon fiber reinforced plastic, and yes it depends on many things...

Magnesuim alloy is probably the best solution, as long as it's properly made, try the ThinkPad's rollcage or Dell Latitude's case and you will see what they call magnesium alloy and why these notebooks are TRUE business-class.

The MBP is anodized aluminum but it cannot be beaten like a ThinkPad but that's a different story.

Back to Asus, this notebook isn't worth the money you're paying for it, that's just not business class, it's just something ridiculous compared to the notebooks that HP, Dell and Lenovo market as business class... everyone who has used these notebooks would admit that, it's a rip off to me.

And, I don't know what Asus think but hell, I can't stand when people (mostly 12-15 yo) keep repeating "great quality", "not everyone needs battery life"...etc. Well, Asus aren't stupid, it seems that people get exactly what they deserve. Of course, they won't fix problems like the famous battery issue...and why would they do it when everyone is happy?

It's just ridiculous, see Lenovo just off-centered the screen and people went crazy bashing them in thead after thread, even I called them idiots since they are but hell that's nothing. And then you have Asus that offer all of their notebooks with sub par battery life and people don't even complain...I'm sorry I don't get it.

 

Oh I am complaining about the battery life, and the unbelievable number of ASUS firmware bugs that creep up in all the new models (are ASUS BIOSes programmed by computer-science drop-outs?!?), and all the mistakes they make...

And I used to complain about the V6J battery wear issue as well, but I found it is pointless... cause it will never be fixed.

Still, with all the downsides, I still believe my V6 to have been the best notebook around when I bought it, and it's at least close to the best currently, with the possible exception of Dell XPS M1330. This is my personal assessment, and it stems for many reasons into which I will not go here.

To clarify: the V1S is not as good a notebook as the V6 in my opinion I would take a Dell XPS M1330 anyday over it. Perhaps a HP Compaq, as well. Maybe the U3 is an option but that has other drawbacks (battery life, color choice, probability of BIOS bugs etc.)

"CF alloy" versus "CF-reinforced plastic": I used the first term since I actually saw it on a manufacturer's website. To be precise: it is not an alloy in the usual definition of the term, since it's not a homogeneous substance: it is a carbon fiber matrix with plastic filling (as far as I understand it).

 

The Dell XPS M1330 is fine, there were complains but they usually fix the problems... this notebook isn't Asus anyway.

As for the material, I don't care how they call it, I want to see, touch and feel it... and their marketing departments are something that I don't care about.

As for the best, my ThinkPad has a "true" (they claim) titanium lid and find it quite durable...

Btw, would they put the fan on the right side if they weren't left-handed?

 

Well I don't care it's not an ASUS as long as it has what I want

Unfortunately, many people can't touch the material before they buy since they have to buy online.

W.r.t. the fan: I think they wanted to avoid the left-hand placement of the heatsink which would heat up the area where the left hand sits on the NB during gaming (i.e. the condition that generates most heat). So they made a compromise & decided that warm air for the right hand is better than warm palmrest for the left hand)

It's up to every person to decide if they like this compromise or not. I don't care much about it

 

Out of curiosity, don't you like the Sony SZ or you find it flimsy?

I know, that's way we have forums and videos and people that can talk at the end. I didn't expect miracles from the V1s since a friend of mine has the V1jp but I never paid too much attention to his complains...

Well, Lenovo also have very good explanation about the off-centered screen so....don't get me started on that.

I don't know but I think that it's a matter of designer's idiocy...

 

I think off-centered screen is undoubtedly idiocy.

But vent on the right-hand side is a compromise that some people like, some people don't (like you), and some people just don't care (like me). It's not necessarily idiocy.

I don't know the Sony SZ never got the occasion to read about it. I will certainly consider a Sony for my next notebook.

 

Alright, I won't argue about that, but it's poor design to me and yes people are different but that doesn't mean that they should put up with everything...anyway. I don't want it on the right side, and I don't want a vacuum cleaner too, and if they released one with vent on the front I wouldn't want it either...or .. wait ..that might have it pros...

I mentioned the SZ since these two notebooks usually come "together", it's always between them...

 

A bit off-topic, but I checked out the Vaio SZ... and all I can say is "WOW!" Very, very nice.

Unfortunately the pricing is steep (around the same with what I paid for my V6J) and it has only 2 USB ports? And both PCMCIA + Express slots? I mean, what were they thinking? What is the ratio of USB devices to extension slot devices used in real-life? 100? 1000?

In a year much will change, but currently, VAIO SZ and XPS 1330, together with the U3S are the notebooks that I like the most.

 

The Sony and Dell are the only real competitors in terms of graphics power and battery life...

Here are two reviews if you haven't read them yet...
- http://www.mobiletechreview.com/notebooks/Sony-Vaio-SZ650.htm
- http://www.trustedreviews.com/notebooks/review/2007/09/19/Sony-VAIO-VGN-SZ61VN/p1

However, keep in mind there are a few different version, the magnesium alloy models and more expensive and obviously a bit ligher/thinner carbon fiber and premium models (careful here)...

And you could always check Sony models out in stores...

 

E.B.E,

"I don't know the U3 and V2 screens. This can't by any means be used for accurate predictions, but among two LCDs from the same generation and in the same price range, the one with the higher resolution might be worse in quality. But if depends very much on the manufacturer and many other factors... the only way to get a reliable indication is to read reviews & look at pictures..."

I'm curious about your comment about higher resolution may be worse in quality. I always thought that more resolution equals more detail and crisp picture. I guess it's like how they market hdtvs... 1080 p is better than 720 p.

I saw the screen of g1s at bestbuy.com and compared it to Sony Vaios and the only difference I noticed was that the icons and desktop for the g1s were a lot smaller. Also, some g1s users have commented about light bleed near the bottom.

I've read several reviews and seen pictures of both models, v2s and u3s, but I guess it's still hard to tell. Right now, I'm typing on a VAIO CR 120e and it has the same resolution as the u3s, so I would imagine it would be something similar.

 

Well, my only experience with Asus laptops is the G1s which I bought a few months ago. And well, while I had some issues with it (I had to send in in twice for dead/stuck pixels) Asus customer support is pretty good, even paying for 2nd day air shipping!

Otherwise, I've been pretty much completely satisfied by my laptop. Some people think it looks silly, but I think the looks make it more gamer like, which is what I want anyway. It has plenty of power for its size, however the battery life sucks maxing out at around 2 hours...but, then again I never stray to far away from a plug anyway. The quality of the build is quite good...better than most laptops I've seen. However, I cannot compare it to other Asus models since I don't own anything else from them. Probably the weakest spot in my G1s is the optical drive...everything is pretty rock solid and I can pick it up with one hand on any of the 4 corners and it won't creak. To me, that means pretty damned good quality.

Anyway, if I were looking for a 14.1" laptop or below my choices would be between the XPS 1330 (it is so sexy and somewhat cheap), and the Asus U3s (Its dirt cheap compared to the Sonys and the XPS), or maybe even smaller like the U6...

 

The Asus U3s has a weaker video card and battery life, so it's not a real competitor to the SZ6 and XPS M1330...

As for the G1s, I don't want my notebook to look like that since I use it for business as well. Plus, there are at least 3 other (non Asus) notebooks that offer the same power but much more battery life, portability and better build quality as well, so I personally would choose one of them...

Otherwise, the G1s is fine for a consumer notebook as long as you are fine with its design, battery life and weight/dimensions...

Anyway, the opinions about G1s' design vary from ridiculously ugly to great looking, so let's don't start that again...

 

I was basing my statement on the (rather doubtful) fact that using the same technology to produce larger pixels would give better quality and less defects than producing smaller pixels. And I was also basing it on vague memories that something has been posted to this effect long ago.

For instance, (under this assumption) I would expect a WUXGA screen produced in 2007 to be about the same quality as a WXGA produced in 2005. Consequently, a WXGA produced in 2007 should be much crisper and have better brightness, etc.

But of course the quality as a function of pixel size need not be linear... Add this on top of manufacturer variability, and there really is no way to make good predictions.

A better indicator might be the screen size, for instance I have heard many times that the 14" screens are usually of poorer quality than both their 13" and 15" counterparts. But from my experience with the single 14" screen that I've used, it's better than my 15" so...