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    Asus Model: Q501LA-BBI5T03

    Discussion in 'Asus' started by ironmike86, Aug 4, 2013.

  1. NaplesBill

    NaplesBill Newbie

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    So, I just picked up this laptop yesterday afternoon. I have not done any extensive typing but I have not experienced any unusual amount of errors or missing characters. I generally type between 70-90 words a minute, depending on my mood. I do find the numeric keys a little bit narrow but I don't use them that often anyway.

    I absolutely love the display. I prefer the warm tones and the 1080P resolution provides outstanding pixel density. The display is the first thing I noticed in the store. I do plan on upgrading the memory to at least 8GB. I do find it curious how it is running in dual channel memory mode with mismatched memory sizes. I have read a few things online that suggest that the Haswell chipsets will provide for dual channel up to the matching memory amount and use the remainder in single channel mode. I have not confirmed this but I do find it interesting.

    I don't look at the keyboard so I leave the backlighting turned off. I don't really find backlit keyboards as a necessity.

    I am glad that all the USB ports are 3.0 and super speed. I have no need to connect to a vga device, as this is a personal machine. I appreciate the HDMI port but I do wish it included a thunderbolt or mini display port option. Not a deal-breaker by any means though.

    I feel very good about this purchase and I think it is a great value for the money. It will definitely do anything I need it to do. The gaming version of this laptop was just too thick for me. I don't do extensive gaming so I saw no reason to spend an additional $150 for something thicker, heavier and with features I wouldn't need.

    I do appreciate having the touchscreen capability, even if it is not used all the time. Just having the ability to use it when needed is worth the cost to me.
     
  2. NewToAsus

    NewToAsus Newbie

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    I've had a hard time figuring out the backlit keyboard on this model. It does seem to be lit up just to the right degree given the lighting in the room, but I don't seem to be able to adjust it at all if I want to. Using the fn+F3 and fn+F4 buttons just make it light up for a few seconds and then go off again. Also, I have no idea where the ambient light sensor is. Any thoughts?
     
  3. dboothbynh

    dboothbynh Newbie

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    I have same problem as "NewToAsus", when on AC Power. But if I unplug the AC power, keyboard backlighting works correctly. The floor model at Best Buy in Nashua has backlighting working correctly on AC Power.
     
  4. WuMyster

    WuMyster Notebook Enthusiast

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    No keyboard problems here either. I did have a few keys missing when typing on the first day but i guess i got used to how this KB works. Lucky you, while typing this (low usage) i can hear the fan from 4 - 5 metres away, and its actually "quiet" compared to what ive heard. Quite dissappointed with this, though, i hope i can set my own fan curves since the fans is practically always on even when the laptop is cool.
    I also wouldnt bother with another touchscreen laptop. When i bought it, i had wished it hadnt had it so that the screen can be a bit thinner for the more sleek look. After about a month with the laptop, i NEVER use the touchscreen. ITs a computer...... not a tablet.

    That is weird. Mine works fine with the AC on and off. However, the feature that it supposedly changes with the "ambient light" doesnt work. im sure the webcam is what detects the light (other laptops use the webcam) but it simply doesnt work for me
     
  5. qwertyuip9

    qwertyuip9 Notebook Enthusiast

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    The same thing happens to me with the fan. It's quite loud even at the 20 C to 26 C range and neither SpeedFan nor HWMonitor detect the fan. Will you let me know if you figure out how to set the fan curves?
     
  6. kentliu

    kentliu Newbie

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    Same problem here and even worse. Mine has the problem doesn't matter on AC or battery. Sometime the keyboard doesn't work with the password entering when I start up the windows, but it works after I enter the windows. Don't know why and I couldn't find anywhere to adjust the keyboard setting. :<
     
  7. kentliu

    kentliu Newbie

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    Got some information about this keyboard backlight problem on a Chinese website. It said if the Bios has been updated the problem would be there, since the backlight default value is off for every Asus's Bios. I did update my Bios:<
     
  8. NewToAsus

    NewToAsus Newbie

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    I spoke to an Asus support rep about the keyboard backlight problem and he said he'd never heard of it and speculated that it was a hardware issue to do with how the computer was drawing power from the AC adapter. So I took my computer back to Best Buy within the 15 day return period to see if they could figure out the problem. They were going to just give me a new unit, but they checked it out first and the new one had the same issue. So did the next one they tried. They shipped both of those units back to Asus as defective. The floor model at Best Buy did not have the issue and the Geek Squad folks speculated that it was because it was running their demo software and was pretty stripped down in terms of what was installed on it. They also tried different power adapters and exploring the bios for a setting that might effect it. One of the geeks said he could reproduce the problem outside of Windows and another one said he could not. The Geek Squad at my local store had never encountered this issue before, but according to their forums, it is a known issue and the other stores have encountered it frequently. Given that the floor model did not have the problem, they were pretty convinced that it is a software issue but that there is currently no fix available. I decided not to exchange the computer for a different laptop because I do really like this one and this isn't a big problem. If I really need the backlight, I can always unplug the computer.
     
  9. NewToAsus

    NewToAsus Newbie

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    Keyboard backlight update: I have no idea what changed, but it seems to be working fine on AC power now. I can use the f3 and f4 keys to adjust the brightness and it stays on. One of the Geek Squad guys uninstalled Power2Go and I'm now using the regular Windows power management, but I'm pretty sure the problem was still there after he uninstalled it and did a restart. I did personalize my power settings. On AC power, it's set to never dim the screen, turn of the display after 10 minutes, and never put the computer to sleep. I also have the computer set to go to sleep with the sleep button, hibernate with the power button, and do nothing when the lid is closed. Those settings apply to both AC and battery.
     
  10. WuMyster

    WuMyster Notebook Enthusiast

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    Uninstalling Power2Go may be the problem of it all. First thing I did when i got the laptop was uninstall all the bloatware before I even turned on the backlighting on the keyboard. No problems here.
    Maybe that is the solution to the problem
     
  11. kDrum

    kDrum Notebook Consultant

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    If nobody has mentioned it, DDR3 ram should support dual channel for any sizes. I don't know about before. But I had 12GB running on my 720QM laptop in 2+4GB pairs :)

    Also, I just picked it out for my friend who has had an HP for three years. Glad I found this thread, as I couldn't find reviews anywhere else! Seems like a very good laptop for $750.
     
  12. icekrystalz

    icekrystalz Notebook Guru

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    I finally decided to purchase this laptop from Best Buy for $800 including tax. I think it's a pretty solid laptop so far, although I do want to ask you guys something. My old laptop was a 10 year old Dell, so the performance factor was a huge jump for me. I expected this laptop to be blazingly fast and it is, for the most part. When I'm switching between desktop mode and Metro or between tabs, it feels pretty fluid. But I noticed that it freezes and lags when I do things like watching YouTube videos (not all videos do this), visiting certain web pages where the page loads slowly, and playing certain flash games on the web. This is kind of bothering me since my friend has an older HP laptop and it doesn't really show it. Is this because of the resolution (1080p)?
     
  13. Kevin@GenTechPC

    Kevin@GenTechPC Company Representative

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    CPU should be able to handle these tasks like nothing.
    But calling for plug-in sometimes can be glitchy, you can try,
    1. Updating Adobe Flash Player
    Download Adobe Flash Player 11.9 Beta for Desktops - Adobe Labs
    2. Try other browsers such as Google Chrome, or Mozilla Firefox.
     
  14. WuMyster

    WuMyster Notebook Enthusiast

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    Take Kevin's advice. The laptop should be able to do what youre saying smoothly. I dont have this issue so it could be a driver or software problem.
    What browser are you using? Im using Chrome without a problem.
     
  15. icekrystalz

    icekrystalz Notebook Guru

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    Thanks guys, I do notice that I get better performance with chrome than firefox and least with IE (although it is still fast). I will check to see if my plug ins and drivers are up to date later (have to study right now). By the way, if you guys are interested, I was playing this flash mmorpg game called transformice in the browser. I just wanted to see how it went since it lagged like hell on my old laptop. For the most part, lag doesn't show, but it freezes occasionally and it's not really fluid gameplay. Again, this might be a resolution thing or even a problem with the server. If you guys have free time and would like to play the game, please check it out and tell me how it runs on your machines. Thanks and have a good one.
     
  16. icekrystalz

    icekrystalz Notebook Guru

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    Another thing I just noticed and I can't believe that I didn't catch this earlier, but I frequently hear a static noise emitting from the top right corner of the laptop (keyboard, not screen). Do you guys get this noise? What could it be?
     
  17. pappy35

    pappy35 Notebook Enthusiast

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    I updated to 8.1 this weekend. The result? The screen clarity is ruined. Using Chrome and other apps I use the display is fuzzy. Anyone else? Maybe need to update the screen drivers? Anyone have any ideas?
     
  18. WuMyster

    WuMyster Notebook Enthusiast

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    When i opened up chrome, I thought i noticed this as well. Things looked more washed out and less defined.....
    Nothing in 8.1 appeals to me. Actually makes it worse. I think ill revert back if I can figure out how to
     
  19. coercitiv

    coercitiv Notebook Consultant

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    Is your DPI scaling set higher than 100%? (Control Panel > Appearance and Personalization > Display)

    If so you have two options to fix this:
    1. Set your DPI to 100% or
    2. if you wish to retain your current DPI settings, while in Explorer right click on on Chrome executable (or shortcut) and choose Properties > Compatibility > Disable scaling on high DPI settings.
     
  20. WuMyster

    WuMyster Notebook Enthusiast

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    Thank you! This has restored all the sharpness that was lost....... however, a lot of things are now much smaller than they were. And so small, that they make it hard things hard to read etc.

    EDIT: I switched back to "larger" 150% and the apps have stayed at 100 but windows itself has stayed how it came like. Big enough for me to read comfortably.
     
  21. coercitiv

    coercitiv Notebook Consultant

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    You can set the DPI to fit your needs, and if Chrome displays "blurry" just edit app Properties to "Disable scaling on high DPI settings". Doing that as a test at 150% "Larger Fonts" Windows setting resulted in big nice sharp fonts in Chrome, so you won't sacrifice anything (sharpness or size).

    It is a good temporary fix until problem gets adressed properly (MS side or Google side... don't really care)
     
  22. icekrystalz

    icekrystalz Notebook Guru

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    Hey everyone, I had this model for a week now, and the fan seems to be blowing non-stop. Even when I have like 3 tabs opened in chrome, the fan is very audible. My laptop doesn't feel like it's heating up (actually feels very cool). I don't why the fan keeps blowing so hard. It's not extremely loud, but I didn't expect the fan to turn on under such light load. Is this normal? How's everyone's fan doing.
     
  23. WuMyster

    WuMyster Notebook Enthusiast

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    Dont worry. Im thinking this is normal since mine does this. I dont think ive ever NOT heard the fan running. Most of the time, the PC is extremely cool (maybe due to weather) and temps are all fine. Idling sometimes makes the fan run louder than browsing the web. It makes no sense.
     
  24. icekrystalz

    icekrystalz Notebook Guru

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    What the heck. That is weird and completely unacceptable. My ten year old Dell wasn't this loud lol. Why does Asus feel the need to constantly blow their fans? I don't bring it to the library anymore because it is kind of distracting. I can hear the fan from 4 -5 feet away. My friend's gaming laptop Lenonvo y510p is not even this loud. It really sucks, because I like everything about this laptop except for the lack of a discreet graphics card. I think I'll have to return it while it's still within Best Buy's return period (hopefully).
     
  25. WuMyster

    WuMyster Notebook Enthusiast

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    Does anyone know how to downgrade 8.1? Its seriously slowing down the system. Slowdowns ive never seen before.
     
  26. Kevin@GenTechPC

    Kevin@GenTechPC Company Representative

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    It shouldn't be, check Task Manager and see if there's any process that hogs down your memory resources.
     
  27. WuMyster

    WuMyster Notebook Enthusiast

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    Done all the usual stuff. No extra processes. Memory is fine, cpu usage is fine and temps are nice and cool.
     
  28. Kevin@GenTechPC

    Kevin@GenTechPC Company Representative

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    Check Event Viewer and see if there's anything with errors.
     
  29. jdancer

    jdancer Notebook Enthusiast

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    OK, so got the thing today and did a clean install of Windows 8.1 on a SSD. Holy cow, this thing requires a ton of drivers.

    Got one last issue. The damn fan keeps going on and off. I have sensitive hearing and it's kinda driving me nuts.

    Do I have a defective unit?
     
  30. WuMyster

    WuMyster Notebook Enthusiast

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    Doubt you have a defective unit. Thats what happens with mine. What are the intervals for it coming on and off?
     
  31. Ishtumba

    Ishtumba Newbie

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    Has anybody been able to figure out how to boot to USB media? (Windows install USB). This is the first laptop I have ever owned where it's not intuitive. :)
     
  32. Kevin@GenTechPC

    Kevin@GenTechPC Company Representative

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  33. icekrystalz

    icekrystalz Notebook Guru

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    Has anyone been able to figure out why the fan is so loud? I always check task manager and my CPU usage is pretty low (less than 10%). But when I click on the performance tab, my CPU's utilization is 3% while the speed is anywhere from 2.37-2.45ghz. This is past maximum speed of 2.30 ghz listed on the right side. Is that why the fan is running so loud?
     
  34. coercitiv

    coercitiv Notebook Consultant

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    You mean your CPU usage, while idle, is 3% at 2.3Ghz+? If this is the case, then something is keeping your CPU from entering low power states. In idle your CPU usage should be 1-2% at 800Mhz, maybe with some the occasional spikes.
     
  35. icekrystalz

    icekrystalz Notebook Guru

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    Hey thanks for your response. I just got this computer last weekend. Could be the preinstalled bloatware? I haven't uninstalled anything except for WildTangent games yet. I took some of screenshots of my task manager when the fan was one. Here they are, please take a look at them.

    Screenshot (1).png

    Screenshot (2).png
     
  36. WuMyster

    WuMyster Notebook Enthusiast

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    Is anyone having issues with the trackpad not working? Once woken up from sleep or from it being shut down, it will work for a couple of seconds and then stop until i either put it to sleep or turn it off.
    Does anyone have any solutions to this? I bought this from the UK through someone and so returning it to America is really not an option

    SOLVED: ASUS Gesture software was showing an error symbol and when looking around the keyboard, i spotted the disable touchpad option. Weirdly, it toggles itself on after login so pressing it has stopped it! Doh
     
  37. Kevin@GenTechPC

    Kevin@GenTechPC Company Representative

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    Glad that you've resolved the issue. :thumbsup:
    The software overrides the hardware function so when it was waking up the software was simply trying to regain control over the touchpad.
     
  38. jdancer

    jdancer Notebook Enthusiast

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    This machine has a UEFI bios. So, I suggest you use the free Rufus USB boot maker program. That's what I used to create a Windows 8.1 bootable USB. The Windows 8.1 ISO requires an 8GB flash drive to boot from. 4GB is too small.
     
  39. pappy35

    pappy35 Notebook Enthusiast

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    My Q501LA just died after an incremental upgrade last night (did the 8.1 upgrade shortly after it was released). It's a brick. No ASUS splash screen, no hard drive activity, black screen, etc. I've got the box to ship it back to ASAS sitting on my desk. God I HATE Microsoft...
     
  40. NaplesBill

    NaplesBill Newbie

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    It sounds more likely related to a reboot than the update. The splash screen occurs before any OS comes into play. I doubt it was caused by a Microsoft update.

    Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk
     
  41. lcting

    lcting Newbie

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    regarding keyboard backlit not working when using AC power, I had the same issue with BIOS 207 and Geek Squad fixed that by installing BIOS 209.
     
  42. icekrystalz

    icekrystalz Notebook Guru

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    I think I might have a defective battery or a problem with my battery display software. I'm on pretty much the lowest settings, but according to my battery meter, the battery life is dropping 1% every 4 minutes. That's like 4 hours total for the battery life? I should be getting between 6-8 hours of battery life, especially since I'm on the lowest settings (power 4gear power saving) right? Should I go back to Best Buy?
     
  43. WuMyster

    WuMyster Notebook Enthusiast

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    Try running the actual "Power Saver" config and not the Power 4 gear one
     
  44. korisha

    korisha Newbie

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    hi got an asus Q501L and it has stopped working in about a week...the power light comes on and thats all...nothing else as the screen is left blank
     
  45. pappy35

    pappy35 Notebook Enthusiast

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    That just happened to mine. I sent it back to ASUS and will post what they find here. If your's is just a week old I'd just return it for a new one. Mine's about three months old.
     
  46. pappy35

    pappy35 Notebook Enthusiast

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    Reurned Mon, Nov. 4th. Received by ASUS on Friday Nov. 8th. Apparently they repaired it the same day and it's on way back. Not bad. Should be here Wednesday.
     
  47. icekrystalz

    icekrystalz Notebook Guru

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    My right CTRL key came loose and it cannot be reattached because the one of plastic thingy that holds it into place is broken. I'm past Best Buy's 15-day return policy and don't really want to ship my laptop all the way to Asus. Should I just try Best Buy again? I can't find a replacement CTRL-key online for Asus.
     
  48. pappy35

    pappy35 Notebook Enthusiast

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    I was quite impressed with their turn-time (same-day) on my repair. I does suck having to ship it there but at least it didn't sit for a month. Food for thought...
     
  49. pappy35

    pappy35 Notebook Enthusiast

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    Got it back last night which works out to a total turn-time of 11 calendar (9 business) days. Same day repair turn time. They replaced the HDD, the back plate (?), and the processor. It sucked that it failed but the overall process seems to have worked quite well and it wasn't gone half the time I feared it would be.
     
  50. trentmh

    trentmh Newbie

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    Has anyone tried to replace the wifi adapter with an Intel model that supports Widi, such as the 7260? Widi is a must for me and from what I can see, even if I were to find one with an Intel wifi adapter already installed, like in the Asus N541 model that ships with the Intel 5100, it would not be one that supports Widi. I know some bios' prevent one from replacing components like this. I'd buy this laptop quickly if I knew I could install a Widi card.
     
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