Asus N56VJ-DH71 (N56 refresh)

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UPDATE: vendor listings as of 12/21/12
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Adorama - http://www.adorama.com/ASN56VJDH71.html?gclid=CLv_4Km5pLMCFao7MgoduloA3A
***BEST PRICE $899**** Amazon - Amazon.com: ASUS N56VJ-DH71 15.6-Inch Full-HD 1080P Laptop: Computers & Accessories
CostCentral - http://www.costcentral.com/proddeta...319/froogle/?gclid=CPn275C5pLMCFexFMgodPS4AaA
ExcaliberPC - ASUS N56VJ-DH71 15.6" Laptop. ASUS N56VJ-DH71
J&R - ASUS N56VJ-DH71 15.6" Notebook PC - Black in PC Notebook Computers | JR.com
MWave - http://www.mwave.com/mwave/SKUSearch.asp?px=FO&scriteria=BE04237
Pro-Star - http://www.pro-star.com/index.cfm?mainpage=productdetail&model=N56VJ-DH71 ( CLICK HERE for comparison page)
SuperBiiz - http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php...0771c2ac7d32&gclid=CJT1xMq4pLMCFYs7Mgod1jIAug
Tiger Direct - ASUS N56VJ-DH71 Laptop Computer - 3rd generation Intel Core i7-3630QM 2.4GHz, 8GB DDR3, 1TB HDD, DVDRW, 2GB NVIDIA GeForce GT 635M, 15.6 Full HD, Windows 8 64-bit at TigerDirect.com
XoticPC - ASUS N56VJ-DH71 - XOTIC PC - ASUS Custom 15.6" Notebook

Other variants of the N56VJ (careful - the WH71 may be 1366x768):

AsusLaptop (S4031H) - http://www.asuslaptop.co.uk/proddetail.php?prod=N56VJ-S4031H
BJs (WH71) - ASUS N56VJ-WH71 15.6" Premium Audio Laptop with 3rd Gen Intel Core i7-3630QM Processor with Turbo Boost 2.0, 6GB DDR3, 750GB HDD - BJ's Wholesale Club
CompUSA (WH71) - http://www.compusa.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4978351
SimplyAsus (S4031H) - http://www.simplyasus.com/ASUS_N56VJ-S4031H_1287205.html

Asus Support Page (note that the Specification tab generates a 404 error: http://support.asus.com/Download.aspx?SLanguage=en&m=N56VJ&p=3&s=390


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Original Post
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Anyone else notice the new N56VJ? One has popped up on Amazon for $999:

Amazon.com: ASUS N56VJ-DH71 15.6-Inch Full-HD 1080P Laptop: Computers & Accessories

Also mentioned on the N56VZ thread here (including a Canadian Best Buy version).

It's pretty much the same as its other N56 cousins (Core i7, FHD display, 8GB RAM), except for what appear to be two (or OK, maybe three) important updates:

(1) A downgrade to the not-so-hot GT 635m

(2) An apparent loss of 1lb in weight -- that's right -- it seems to be listed at a slim 5lbs

(3) Windows 8

Available for preorder at the moment, I'm assuming it will start shipping this Friday or so. Since (of course) there is no sign of it on the Asus site, there's no way of knowing whether the reported specs are accurate or not. I'm particularly suspicious of the loss of a pound -- if that's true, I would be very interested in trying it out (the 6lb N56VZ was just too big for my tastes).

-Matt

 

I noticed a model on the Best Buy website that had 12 GB RAM but otherwise had the same specs: N56vj-bh71

Best Buy Canada

I can find it in the quickview inventory but I get a 404 on the regular site. They obviously didn't intend to display it right now.

 

Why are Asus so terrible at designing websites and keeping them up to date? Other companies seem to manage.

 

I agree.
Moreover I had the very naive hope that in yesterday's Asus event the whole notebook line refresh with Windows 8 would have been presented, at least with official specs also on N56, N76 and so on.
But there is a disappointing lacks of details even about the new Zenbooks!

 

Hey, nice find! I see the Best Buy link I posted is dead now too. But I also went back to the N56VZ post I linked to and reread it and noticed that it's the same model with 12GB. Interesting! I would hope/assume there will be a US version too.

-Matt

 

Is someone knows how much RAM can take the laptop?

 

Maximum on the N56VZ is 8GB -- I'm guessing the VJ is the same.

-Matt

 

Thanks Matt. It seems as a good deal under $1000. I’m reading the user reviews on Amazon now. Good finding.

 

Oh hey be CAREFUL about those reviews. You're probably seeing comments from owners of the earlier models (VZ and VM). I tried to look for any specifically for the new VJ this morning and failed -- Amazon was acting a bit strange! I suspect we'll see VJ comments in a few days. In any case there is a great N56VZ thread here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/asu...48-n56vz-review-owners-lounge-techno-art.html. It was started by Nipsen, who is an outstanding member of the forum.

-Matt

 

Thanks again Matt for the note! About Nipsen I’m sharing your words. I hope soon to have more info about the temperatures of this new model. The balance between performance, temperatures, weight and battery life is very interesting. I think that 16GB are possible 2x8GB. If the laptop is a downgraded N56VZ/VM version it will be great for me.

 

Yeah, I have the same suspicion that 16GB is possible too -- but I'll feel better when Asus adds the model to their website. Regarding temperature, I think overall the N56VZ performs very well. Unfortunately, I seem to have very sensitive palms, and need a laptop that keeps things like the HDD and CPU away from the palmrest -- in the case of the N56VZ, that area was typically a bit warmer than room temperature, and didn't work out for me. Anyway, for that CPU/GPU and screen combination, the price is super.

-Matt

 

I know the N56vz is limited to 8GB, which is why the N56vj specs caught my attention. I haven't seen enough about the new unit to determine max RAM capacity. Even though the vj appears to feature a lesser video card (gt 635m as opposed to gt 650m in the vz) the RAM boost and lighter weight make up the difference for me. I've been researching the N56 line from Asus for a while now with the intent to buy the vz and swap out the HDD for a 512GB Crucial M4 SSD.

I suspect the vj is being held for a November launch on Win8, and BestBuy only released the specs by mistake. They probably want to clear existing mode stock first.

 

The mobile version of the HM76 chipset supports up to 16 GB RAM and I hope that there will not be some Asus surprise. I prefer W7 instead of W8 or even without OS. My hands love lower temperatures too. It is real challenge to make the palm area comfortable especially for sensitive or greasy hands.

Edit: It supports 16 GB RAM, Amazon Spec:

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ASUS N56VJ-DH71 Laptop Computer - 3rd generation Intel Core i7-3630QM 2.4GHz, 8GB DDR3, 1TB HDD, DVDRW, 2GB NVIDIA GeForce GT 635M, 15.6 Full HD, Windows 8 64-bit at TigerDirect.com

 

Ah, excellent! I totally forgot about the Tiger Direct/Circuit City listing. They also put it at 5lbs, which eliminates the theory that it's a typo at Amazon. I'll still believe it when I see it but that's very encouraging.

The other thing I remember about the VZ is that it's battery life was...kinda...unremarkable. It was a stretch to get 4 hours with just wifi, dim screen, and web browsing. I wonder how the VJ will fare.

-Matt

 

J&R lists it at 6 lbs ASUS N56VJ-DH71 15.6" Notebook PC - Black in PC Notebook Computers | JR.com, Pro-Star lists it as 5.95 lbs Best Notebook Computers | Best Gaming Notebooks | Sager Notebook | Pro-Star.com. Could it be a rounding error, as in they "rounded" 5.95 to 5?

I can't imagine what they could've changed to take off one pound. It has pretty much the same components as N56VZ; different CPU/GPU/optical, but nothing missing that could explain a pound off...

 

Matt if I have ~4h for browsing, reading, listens to music - that will be enough for me.
Good point Pebezo! It could be an error but if it isn’t then this laptop will be the hit of the season.


Edit: Pebezo, thanks for the Pro-Star’s link. A web page with a clear view, easy to compare the different models and a customize option – W7 wow! It seems my dreams come through.
I’m afraid to not hit the 3D model.

N56VJ-DH71 customize

 

I found that through the official Asus website Xotic also has that capability: ASUS N56VJ-DH71 - XOTIC PC - ASUS Custom 15.6" Notebook

I'm not familiar with either so I'm not making endorsements

 

Thanks @pebezo and others for the URLs -- I've updated the OP with vendor listings, and will add more as they arrive. Looking over them, I think it's looking less and less likely that the 5lb claim is correct. We'll see, I guess.

Also of note: Asus has a support page up, and there appear to be at least two other variants of the N56VJ with lesser specs. See original post for links.

-Matt

 

I’ve read the Supranium’s post #283 on “ Asus N56VZ-DS71 first impressions” thread where he wrote:

I’m little bit worried regarding to the Supranium statement.

On all my new systems I’m always running these two tests (Prime95 & 3DMark06). The goal of the stress test is to find out am I’m going to a throttle mode and how stable is the system under load. If everything is set right and throttle comes up it means that the cooling system is unable to deal with the amount of the produced heat on this mode in the current environment. There are solutions for a case like this but I prefer to avoid them when it is possible.

I’m guessing that N56VJ is using the same chassis as N56VZ. I saw the Nipsen’s temperatures and they are impressive. I hope mine to be even better with i7-3610QM / 635M 2GB GDDR3. Only the test will show the real picture of N56VJ.

Matt it is very useful and time saving to have OP with the all required links about the item, sellers and all kind of information before the purchase will be made.

Thanks for the thread!

 

I don't understand why Asus is refreshing the N56 with inferior graphics cards. The price is just a little less and I would rather pay an extra $50 for the 650M. Everything else is the exact same, even the old N56s come with Windows 8 now. Why?

 

Asus works in mysterious ways Are you saying that even current N56VZ (for example) would come with W8 even if advertised as coming with W7? Would this work if buying from Amazon? Thanks.

 

@helpmedecide
Because it’s better to sell these “inferior” 635M chips than keep them into the storage at first. Secondly there are customers which take into account the price differences. In example if your budget is $900 you can’t have a system for $950. Finally the W8 is the newest Microsoft OS.

Personally I like the N56VJ-DH71 specs because they suit me for my low demanding graphics tasks and as you I prefer W7. I would like to see some day a laptop coming with Linux i.e. Fedora :thumbsup:, Ubuntu as a primary OS.

Regarding to the GPU I prefer to be able to switch between different video card according to my needs. This good idea was abandoned by Asus since the C90S model and I’m very sorry about that. To be precise there are Asus models with switchable video adapters but if you try to upgrade or downgrade you will be surprised.

 

Hello,

PC World/Currys in the UK is selling this windows 8 n56vz-s4242, is this the proper refresh?

It has an i7-3610, not 3630 and it has a 1tb 5400rpm drive.. Slightly confused by the different name and windows 8:

ASUS N56VZ-S4242 15.6" Laptop - Free Delivery | Currys

Many thanks

 

Thanks @togg50! I think the VZ has been around for a while (since spring?). Note that it also has the zippier NVIDIA 650m. I guess they've added Win8 but kept the specs on that model the same as it originally was.

-Matt

 

Thanks for the reply, do you think it is still worth picking up the vz if there is this refresh coming out? The performance difference between 3610 and 3630 is quite small right? That seems to be the only difference..

 

That will depend on your needs -- all things being equal, the VZ is probably the better machine. However, I'm still checking sellers and a chunk of them are listing the weight on the VJ at 5lbs. If that were accurate, my personal preference for a lighter machine would outweigh (pun intended) giving up the 650m (which by the way is superb) for the slower 635m.

-Matt

 

OK, a bit of an update on the weight question. I just heard back from Tien at Asus, who handles questions and repair problems at Amazon.

I'd still like to get it from the horse's mouth (i.e., a new owner) but I think this confirms the suspicion that the N56VJ is pretty much the same chassis and internals, and weighs the same as the previous N56s.

-Matt

 

VJ-DH71 is just the VZ-DH71 with a lower powered graphics card (GT635 vs. GT650). I received my N56 Refreshed laptop the N56VZ-DH71 w/1080p panel, GT650M, i7-3630, Win8 UEFI, etc.. on October 18th and started a thread here:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/asu...1-rh71-owners-lounge-n56vz-w-windows-8-a.html



Z doesn't mean old - it just denotes the most powerful version in the lineup .

All the best,
Peter

 

Thats amazing boot speed!

 

I'm still trying to verify the specs of the N56VZ vs the N56VJ. The three differences I've seen listed are the processor (i7-3610 in VZ vs i7-3630 in VJ), the video card (GT650 in VZ vs GT635 in VJ) and the max RAM. (8GB in VZ vs 16 GB in VJ). Cataphract's comment above indicates that the VZ with Windows 8 has been upgraded to the 3630 processor, eliminating that gap. However, the specs he has on his machine still indicate a 8GB RAM capacity, which is still below the 16 GB capacity in the VJ. The specs on the Crucial website support this: you can get an upgrade to 16 GB RAM on the VJ but not on the VZ.

The HDD is really irrelevant to me since I plan to go to a 512GB Crucial M4 SSD.

Do I take the VJ, with a lesser video card but DOUBLE the RAM capacity?
OR do I take the VZ, with a better video card for gaming but no possibility of a RAM upgrade?

Logically, the VZ should allow the RAM upgrade if it has all the same components... so what's the issue? Maybe I'll just call Asus and ask directly.

Cheers!

G

 

Can someone give us a link for the N76VZ windows 8 refresh? Kinda disappointed at the 635M video cards?

EDIT: nevermind, found an N76 windows 8 refresh - any idea why they pop up at Canada first? how long till this gets to Amazon US?

http://www.amazon.ca/ASUS-N76VZ-DH71-CA-17-3-Inch-Entertainment-Blu-Ray-enabled/dp/B009PO9H56/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1353149422&sr=8-2

 

I really like this laptop, but I would like to run Windows 7 on it. Does anyone know if there are any issues when wiping the laptop and performing a clean install of Win 7?
Thanks!

 

I have the Asus N56VJ-DH71 purchased from xotic pc, It is Powered by the new nVIDIA GT 635M with 2GB VRAM w/ Optimus Technology, and paired with the new and higly anticipated 3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-3630QM processor i7 3630QM processor.

I measured the weight (with battery installed) on a new digital scale at 5.1 lbs. xotic lists it at 6lbs..., I guess depending how it is configured....mine only had a wireless card upgrade.

RE. memory it shows it can take two 8 gig sticks of memory

windows 8 is the operating system.

 

Thanks for the update -- that is awesome news! What is this magical Core i7 you speak of, can you elaborate on that??? I'm also just a bit surprised (in the good way!) that you came up with 5.1lbs. I'm curious what you mean by "how it is configured"? Since you're already including the battery, it doesn't seem like much else could tip the scales -- maybe replace the ODD with another HDD....? It would be awesome if we could get confirmation of that from owners from other sources (e.g., Amazon).

If you have the chance to post more details (like gaming framerates and temperatures or CPU benchmarks) we would all be EXTREMELY appreciative!

-Matt

 

Thanks for the update -- that is awesome news! What is this magical Core i7 you speak of, can you elaborate on that??? I'm also just a bit surprised (in the good way!) that you came up with 5.1lbs. I'm curious what you mean by "how it is configured"? Since you're already including the battery, it doesn't seem like much else could tip the scales -- maybe replace the ODD with another HDD....? It would be awesome if we could get confirmation of that from owners from other sources (e.g., Amazon).

If you have the chance to post more details (like gaming framerates and temperatures or CPU benchmarks) we would all be EXTREMELY appreciative!

-Matt

 

*check xotic pc site, good info there... I'm sure they could answer any tech questions
.
* RE weight, the scale I have is quite accurate and I checked against another type of scale and they match. I do not know why the list is at 6 lbs, mine is not.

* A casual observation... I watched "Hugo" which is three hour movie and found the palm rests were not warm at all and the exhaust from the fan was just barely warm.

*I thought I would have a hard time with W8 but it was not a steep leaning curve at all
.
Dan

 

Hi Everyone,

I have a quick favour for anyone with an Asus N56VJ- BH71. I have one too, and it seems my F3 + F4 function icons for the backlit keyboard aren't there, they are just plain. I would like to know if this model has a backlit keyboard? Anyone with the same model, please reply if you have no icons on those two buttons and no backlit keyboard. I'm asking because I just got this off Best Buy on sale, but in the product description they claim there is a backlit keyboard. I am also unable to find more specific info on the internet, so I came here. Let me know. I am pretty sure there isn't a backlit keyboard on this model, but I am just making sure.

Thanks

EDIT: Best Buy apologized and got me an Asus N56VZ for the same price I paid for the N56VJ ($979.99 CAD). I returned the N56VJ. GG Best Buy, however I had to go through 3 customer service reps, 1 of which didn't know what a backlit keyboard was and pronounced 15.6" LED Display as "one five six lead display", then to the supervisor after spending nearly 2 hours on the phone.

 

Can anyone on this planet guide me to a place where i can purchase a replacement battery for N56VJ-DH71??

How can asus not provide a place to purchase genuine battery replacement for its notebook lineup...

if i want to contact the asus customer care before buying a product.. there is no possibility.. can anyone on this planet give me an email to asus CC?

if suppose my notebook goes out of warranty and my battery dies.. what am i going to do?? throw away my investment and buy another notebook??

Please help me if there are some owners of this notebook.. dont u people have these questions?

Thanks for the help.

 

Advice please...I'm into HD video editing and RAW image editing (Photoshop) but not gaming. Doors it matter much whether I have 635M or 650M graphics?

 

I'd like to put in an msata SSD SATA III drive. Can anyone confirm that there's a mSata slot that's SATA III similar to what's available on Lenovo Y580?

 

It does make a difference. The new Adobe products make use of the GPU in rendering - with Nvidia cards we get the "CUDA Cores" which increases processing power especially for video editing and Photoshop work.

As far as I understand it, the 635M uses an older generation architecture to the 650M. The 650M specs read at having much more CUDA Cores than the older generation, not to mentioned increased speads and read through. I would go with the 650M model. Which I have

 

There is no mSATA slot available in N56 series:

 

Thanks gentech pc for showing us thi pics of the internals that i was not able to find anywhere else..

can you confirm if there are any internal screws/tapes holding the dvd rom drive due to which the full back cover has to be removed if i want to replace the dvd drive with a hdd caddy for an additional HDD?

And what screw driver do i need to have for opening the cover? any proprietary screws.

can i expect a disassenbly video of the n56vj? or if some more detailed pics of the internals that you can provide?

Thanks for supporting on this forum.

 

Can you please confirm if the wireless card is the little square card right beside the HDD slot? Can I remove it without having to remove the entire cover?

 

The DVD drive is assembled just like any other laptops with a bracket in the back of the drive and a screw to secured the drive at the bottom. the screw is covered by a round rubber at the bottom, so if you want to remove the DVD drive just remove the screw and pull out the drive while the DVD drive tray is open:



There is no tapes holding the drive.

It's not that difficult to disasemble the N56, just remove all screws you can find ( include two hidden srews covered by two round rubber) and the hard drive, also disconnect then you can lift the top case with the manboard and disconnect one of the connector and LVDS cable:

 

The DVD drive is assembled just like any other laptops with a bracket in the back of the drive and a screw to secured the drive at the bottom. the screw is covered by a round rubber at the bottom, so if you want to remove the DVD drive just remove the screw and pull out the drive while the DVD drive tray is open:

View attachment 91947

There is no tapes holding the drive.

It's not that difficult to disasemble the N56, just remove all screws you can find ( include two hidden srews covered by two round rubber) and the hard drive, also disconnect then you can lift the top case with the manboard and disconnect one of the connector and LVDS cable:

View attachment 91947
View attachment 91948
View attachment 91949
View attachment 91950

Yes the square card is the wireless card. you can remove it without remove the entire cover, just need to be careful don't strip the mainboard with your screw driver.

 

That is great. Thank you

 

Thanks gentechpc for the response..

One query.. i am going to use this notebook in india and would like to upgrade the ram to 16GB.
crucial says that the 16gb kit thats guaranteed to work with this notebook is here

but i cant buy from crucial as it does not ship internationally.. and because now i am in india...

but i have found a local seller that sells 8GB transcend RAM .. can you please look into the specs and suggest if its comparable to the specs of the one shown on crucial and if purchasing 2 nos of these would replicate the 16gb kit sold by crucial? (im an not a hardware techhie.. so please help me out)
flipkart

thanks very much for the help...

 

In my hw info ot says: "maximum ram speed supported 1300mhz"
I have 2x8GB sticks inside my n56vz
Its patriot 1600mhz ram
Is this normal?

 

You can't tell if it will work by memory brand since they may use different IC on different batch, check out this thread:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/asus/677457-asus-n56vz-16gb-ram-thread.html

Also most people having 8GB stick issues was with N56VZ and I haven't hear people having RAM compatibility issues with N56VJ.