Asus N551

Here you can find and post the latest information and ask questions about the Asus N551 announced at Computex 2014.

Source: ASUS Dominates Awards at Computex 2014 - Republic of Gamers

What we know so far:

• IPS screen
• 4k/UHD screen
• Touch screen
• intel i7 processor
• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 800 series GPU
• Release sometime in Q3 2014 (July-September)

I'll try to keep this first post updated with new information as we learn it.

 

Reserved for updated information

 

I am looking foward to more info on this one. It says "up to 4k" which could mean we will have the option of also choosing 1080? That would be awsome. I dont want 4k necessarily. What i really wonder is if it only comes as touch because i dont want touch either

Everything else seems perfect...

 

Yeah, personally I don't care about 4K either. Since when did this "up to" business start? I first noticed it with Lenovo, and now Asus is doing it too. It just makes it so unclear as to what the final specs will be.

On the other hand, I am pretty set on touch screen though. If you're against touch screen, would the G551 be a better fit for you? That one explicitly states that it will have the 860 in it and since it's an ROG laptop, I doubt that it will have touch screen. I guess the trade off would just be that ugly logo.

With this N551, I'm actually a little worried that they will use the 850 instead of the 860. I hope we find out more soon, because this seems to be the laptop I've been waiting for.

 

Yeah that logo... Only thing stopping me from getting it (and generally the flashy design like the red stripe etc).

As for 850, it's going to be gddr5 so ur only looking at minor speed decease like 5-10%. If it wouldve been gddr3 it wouldve been 35%. So im not tooooo worried about the graphics card. I am really not set on a touchscreen because it costs more, has an extra layer of glass which slightly changes viewing experience, and is half a pound heavier :-/

Guess im probably going to be dissapointed and it will only offer touchscreen. Hate this new trend :-/. In that case might settle for rog and just cover it up :-/

 

A short video on the N551. Available end of August, early September, somewhere. Hope they bring this one to Canada.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNmtYAGxXWQ

 

Thanks for that link.
Good to know that it should be shipping out already; but a bit disappointed that it won't go on sale until end of August/September. I was really hoping to get this before I leave the States on August 20th.

I'm still a little bothered by the placement of the power switch right beside the regular keys, but maybe accidental shutdowns won't be too much of a problem.

I'm really curious about the HD camera. I think I saw something before about a 3D camera, and in the video it looks like it indeed has 3 lenses.

 

It may be a mistake on the part of the writer, but on this link it says that:

The ASUS N551 and N751, respectively, will be available from the end of June and August, at a price not yet announced.

I'm inclined to believe it was a misinterpretation of the English where the guy said that they would begin shipping to resellers at the end of June, so a grain of salt till more information is officially available.

 

Seems like it's going to be a sweet laptop. Anyone have a rough estimate for the cost?

 

Yeah, I think it will be! My best guess based on Asus' past pricing: I would guess between $1100-1300 USD for a model with the 860m and 4k.

Since the N550JK is already priced around $1050, I think this is meant to upgrade/replace that. But it can't go too much higher I think, less it cut into G551, NX500, and GX500 sales which I imagine to be staggered in pricing between $1500-1900.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk

 

Any news? Seems like this is a hot laptop nobody is talking about...

 

I think that's a little optimistic. Don't get me wrong, it sure would be sweet, but I'm betting $1200-1300 for the base model with GTX860-1080p. With 4K maybe go up to $1500-1700. Just speculating like you, though.
Maybe the GTX860 will be exclusive to the 4K version. I hope not, let's see.

 

There haven't been any news since Computex, really. You can find more comments in this other thread, which is about the G551, basically this same laptop with a black body and the ROG logo.

 

Unbelievable the lack of information on this laptop. I've called Asus twice, and they claim to have no information. Looks like I'm going to pull the trigger on the N550JK. I hope I don't regret it. Can anyone working at Best Buy or any other retailer give any info as far as a release date?

 

My thoughts exactly. Quite frustrating to not find any information about it nearly 2 months later.

 

No news? My N550JK just arrived. Eager to open it, but wanna be sure.

 

Asus seems to not have very good distribution channels in North America. That combined with complex model numbers and location specific models makes it hard to know what we are actually getting (you can't read reviews for your exact product)

The N551 will likely come in ASUS' fall lineup as I have seen them announce high end products (like the t300) at spring trade shows that get released in October.

 

Thanks. I appreciate your observation. October is more what I'm thinking too for the reasons you listed: people say they release in Europe first, so those August/September estimates may be for Europe.

So I'll probably go ahead and keep the N550JK and maybe if over the next few months I feel like it doesn't satisfy all my needs, I'll get it's successor sometime late next year. Maybe at that time Broadwell and maybe nVidia 900 series versions will be available.

 

It looks like this will be in the same product release cycle as the nx500. Looking at the forum thread for it where someone has dine tests on a prerelease model, I can see that it has some heat issues.

At this point you may want to just wait for an n551 variant using broadwell inside the same chassis. Asus seems to use the same design for multiple models so I can see them doing this after 6 months. Broad well will run much cooler as well.

I just ordered an n550jk last week and everything is fine. I am using it for first year engineering so at this point I don't have anything strenuous to test its power until I start. I have yet to notice any heat at all and as soon as I perform my first SSD install this thing will run whisper quiet.

 

I definitely wish ASUS was more forthcoming with information. I need a laptop by late September and for me it's between this and the UX303LN, but the LN model I want hasn't been announced for the US yet...

 

Isn't this it on Xoticpc? XOTIC PC | ASUS UX303LN-DH71T - 13" ASUS Zenbook

 

Sorry, should have clarified. Waiting for the 1080p model with a matte screen.

 

Since ASUS decided not to release the LN in 1080p it looks like I'm waiting for the N551 now, which has a rumored release date of November 1st.

*sigh*

 

The last I heard was the end of August, beginning of Sept. and I haven't heard anything new about it since it was first "announced." Where did you read that rumor?

 

Someone posted this a day ago, considering he asked them about a bulk order I expect his answer came from higher up than the usual support peons we get to speak with, so sadly I believe it:

I browse this forum (and many others) regularly although I have already purchased my personal laptop. However, I head the graphic design department at Uni and contacted Asus regarding the release of the N551 series. This is their response. : SuggestA

 

Ugh. I guess I'll go with the N550JK then. I don't want to wait another 3 months. Thanks for the info. It does seem legitimate.

 

No problem. I'm frustrated too. I just don't want to put an SSD in the N550JK myself, just don't want to deal with it. And the one they're about to come out with including an SSD is too expensive. I don't want to, but I'll probably wait for the N551. They better damn well release it with a matte 1080p screen though... I also want the better video card.

 

According to the title of the pdf, it looks like the N551 might inherit the JK suffix from the N550. Or going off the page title, it may be JM to match the G551. You can find the N551JM/K support page here and the pdf manual here online.

 

Actually - when looking at the design and construction of the N551/N751 - I like it much less than the N550/N750.

Reasons:
When you watch the N551 from the side you can see the black chassis part looks like a Wave-Pattern. For one, this doesn't look as good as the simple straight line dividing the sections, for another it indicates something much worse:

It indicates, that the bottom panel is not clearly separated to the aluminum chassis, but interwoven. In the old N550/N750 it was clearly separated and you could lift off the WHOLE bottom plate easily, by unscrewing the outer screws. But on the new N551/N751 it looks like the bottom panel is now merged to the remaining chassis, with only 1-2 small plate segments to access RAM and HD - but not the whole guts anymore.

This is exactly what makes notebooks cheap quality. That they hinder you maintaining the notebook's insides. If you want to exchange the cooling paste or clean some dust off, then you need to open the notebook. With a fully lift-able bottom lid this is no problem, but with an interwoven panel it is a problem. While taking apart you will mess up screw holders and plastic hooks. And the N551/751 just happens to be that way.

PS: actually the manual (thanks to the post above) seems to confirm my observations from youtube. They only give you access to RAM and HD, nothing else. Behold - in the old N550 you could even replace the DVD drive with another HD - but with the N551 you can't access it either. This is ridiculous... they made a top product line and now f***ed it up with their "upgrade". So if I were to buy a notebook, I'd go with the "old" N550/750.

 

I have no need or desire to get inside my laptop. I get enough of that from building/maintaining my desktop machine. Not a concern for me.

 

Well the G551 series will be releasing in two weeks or so. This means I'm quite surprised we haven't heard anything about the N551 yet. I have a G551 on pre-order but if they make a matte version of the N551 I prefer the silver over the gaming black.

 

Here is a video advertising n551/n751: ASUS N551 N751 on Vimeo I'm not sure when this was made, but thought to post it here as I don't recall seeing it before.

 

I saw that a video a few days ago when I was looking for more info about the release date. Still nothing though.

 

I found a link for the n551jm it is not in English though.


N551jm
【华硕N551JM4710参数】ASUS N551JM4710笔记本电脑参数_规æ¼_性能_功能-ZOL手机版

 

well guys, I found a pictures of the internals of N551, have a look

 

Interesting... they removed the 2nd fan again (compared to the N550). Not sure this is better, because the fan noise on the older models was praised (because lower noise than most models). I'm afraid this might become worse.

 

I ordered N550JK last week but changed my mind when I learned about this one. Waiting for it to be released. Would love to have a 15-inch laptop with 860M!

 

Hi guys, what do you think about this? Place for SSD mSATA?

 

Why one fan it seems so dumb

 

It actually makes me wonder if 1 fan or 2 fans are better. I recall in the years 1998-2005 most laptops having 2 fans - and hell these things were annoying. If one fan stops, the other runs, if the other stops the first runs. Sometimes the different fans ran alternating, sometimes both together - and with both having their individual noise signature it ended up in some kind of "fan noise concert".

No kidding here. At that point I said to myself "never ever again a notebook with 2 fans".

Now 10 years have passed and people claim 2 fans are better. Are they? Are they really? Or did they just forget the past? Do not underestimate this issue above in your daily use!

 

Of course two fans are better. Most notebooks with a good dual fan design seem to run a bit smooth and are not loud as hell.

 

Better for cooling - certainly. Better for noise signature - not certain.

Only time will tell, or hopefully some reviews.

 

Think about it. One fan would have to spin 2x the speed to make up for not having the speed of two. Thus more noise is created. I would say at least.

 

Doesn't work like that. A good magnetically suspended fan can move more than enough air to vent the fairly modest amount of heat a laptop will produce. And one radiator (the fan only blows on the radiator, not the rest of the assembly) will work just fine with a quality heat-pipe and a good block that transfers out the heat at the low temps a laptop assembly requires.

And Asus' hardware engineers know what they're doing, in spite of their software guys being utterly talentless.

 

Yeah that is true. I'm not saying it won't be great. It might. But I just like a two fan design it seems cool lol.

Let's just hope Asus does not skimp on design though.

 

Most of the time a two fan design is better, usually because notebooks tend to have undersized radiators, thus forcing very high fan speeds under load. The only real downside of a two fan design is the space requirement.

In my opinion the N551 will be an inferior product to the N550 as far as the chassis is concerned. It should also be cheaper though.

 

The n551 won't be any better than the n550. It will still feature a gtx 850m (and a 860m option) and probably a i7 4710HQ. No real upgrades.

 

Any word on availability? The GL-551 is already selling on Amazon.

 

Supposedly the GL551 has a TN screen not IPS, so if the N551 is the same I have no interest in it.

 

Same here. I swear, if it doesn't get IPS, it will be the N550JK for me. Besides, I like the chassis much more than this new design.