Asus U35JC/U45JC

What's another week?

That actually doesn't apply to me, since I need this thing to get here by the 27th! I'm going nuts over here.

 

Like I said, the newer U33/43/35/45Jc models appear to have their 310M clocks similar to the UL30Vt's. The U30Jc appears to be an exception.

So you CAN o'c, but not to the levels of the U30Jc since you are starting lower. You can at least "overclock" it to the stock speed of the U30Jc, which will pull your score up to a respectable 3700 or so (and higher). I'm guessing you'll be able to o'c to the levels of the UL30Vt in the Expert Laptop article I referenced.

 

anyone buy the u33JC over the u35jc? I;m getting mixed results from the internet, saying the size is 1.48 inches while others say its 0.98 inches

 

1. No. If you get the U35jc, you have the best of both worlds. Discrete graphics GPU when you need it. Integrated GPU when you don't.

2. Yes. Not only that, the programs will run quicker while you're operating them (spreadsheets refresh faster, etc.).

3. Not much. Maybe 20 -30 mins. less, which out of 7 -8 hrs, is a small price to pay to have the benefit of a dedicated GPU at your disposal.

You may want to take a look at the Acer 3820TG (see my signature for specs and avatar for a pic). It's like the U35jc except its a little thinner, smaller, lighther, and has a more powerful GPU graphics card (still has switchable graphics like the U35jc).

 

Wow. So ASUS deliberately underclocked their GPUs in those laptops, much as HP did for the Envy 14? Not good (even though it can be overclocked).

 

I wouldn't.

The main reason to get the U33jc is if you really want the bamboo-themed laptop skin.

Otherwise, the U35jc offers much more value for the price in a cost-benefit analysis.

Either Notebookreview.com or Anandtech.com had a good review on the U33jc and came to the same conclusion.

 

Don't you remember the $500 bet we had on this? I won!

Just kidding! Doesn't apply to me either!

But isn't the North America release date 8/28/10?

 

I don't even know anymore
I actually don't mind asking my parents to ship it to my school. It'll probably cost $10-15, which is the amount that J&R originally charged me for shipping before they decided to ship it for free!

With regards to what Quatro said about the U35JC's gpu being similar to the UL30/80VT's 210m: this actually makes quite a bit of sense. Whatever slight advantage the 310m had over its predecessor is pretty much nullified by the slower clock speeds. But I'm not too worried, since the 210m seemed to do fine on the handful of games I will be running on it. My desktop is more than capable of handling the rest!

 

Is there a way to order the 3820TG in the US? How did you manage it?

According to Redline, a reviewer at AnandTech, it's not so much they underclocked the 310M as that they used slower (& therefore cheaper) VRAM for the GPU. I think it's because they think (correctly) that the average consumer will look at the type of GPU (310M) but give no thought to the spped of the VRAM it's using. So it's the same core but inferior RAM for the GPU.

Slower GPU speeds may increase battery life somewhat, but I've no idea how much in real-world use.

 

Where did you get yours? I can't seem to find anyone selling it online in the US. Is the battery life as good as the U35JC?

 

Quatro... I know you'd asked this a few pages back and so though Banker will be able to give the full answer, I'll say briefly that he and several others in the 3820tg North America Availability forums ordered the units from Taiwan (PChome). Total cost including shipping was a around $1000 U.S. Downside, and the reason I didn't jump on the deal, is that since the units were meant to be sold overseas they do not carry full warranties that can be used in the States. You would have access to a travelers warranty, though who knows what that covers exactly.

Likewise, you can order the 3820tg in Canada at Staples.ca, but it has a worse graphics card and you'd still be dealing with the warranty issues. And...depending on where you order, tax is quite high (15% in Quebec).

 

Agreed. And I'll add that the Nvidia 310m is anemic as far as graphically intense games go (with its 3DMark06 score of 3400).

 

I thought the amount AND type of VRAM didn't make much of a difference when it came to GPU processing speeds. At least, that's what others have been saying in the various forums on this website. In other words, there is supposedly little difference between 1066 Mhz and 1333 Mhz RAM speeds, and a slightly greater difference between 0.5 GB and 1 GB of VRAM.

Regardless, it's still not good that ASUS made that decision. It's almost like they wrote off the Nvidia 310M has a gaming card and figured that they might as well cut costs on the GPU card at that point anyway.


Yes, there is. I ordered it through PCHome, a Taiwanese retailer. And I just learned that there may be a way to get a 1 yr warranty on it as well (originally thought that importing it from Taiwan would render the warranty useless). You have to use PayPal, but you can use your credit card to buy it via PayPal (instead of your checking account). They offer specials that vary by day (and even by hour!), so you have to keep your eyes open and check constantly.

The 3820TG in my signature came out to $980. Shipping (including customs fees, etc.) was $50. Then I got ripped off by PayPal to the tune of a $30 foreign exchange currency transaction fee. Total came to $1060.

While it's $200 more than the U35jc, keep in mind that the 3820TG has a more powerful GPU graphics card (3DMark06 score of 7700), is smaller, thinner, and maybe slightly lighter, same battery life, and very cool (2 internal fans for the CPU and GPU).

 

Thanks. I just answered Quatro's question, but you beat me to the punch.

What you're not aware of is that there may be a way to get a 1 year warranty on the 3820TG after all.

The travelers warranty would not cover buyers in the US, since we are not domiciled in Taiwan (where the seller of the laptop is domiciled). In other words, it's a warranty for Taiwanese buyers who travel outside of Taiwan (since the laptop was sold by a retailer in Taiwan).

That total cost of $1000 is either missing either 2 GB of RAM, the variant with the 5470 GPU, the variant with the i3-330M CPU, or maybe even an open-box laptop.

The 3820TG version that you see in my specs is $1060 USD at the cheapest from PCHome. It's the best special deal to date from them.

 

See my answer to Quatro.

 

i know this isn't proven yet (several things need to come together), but...

i just pre-ordered the u35jc from j&r. they list it at $799 free shipping and no tax. i used $10 coupon (geico10) and tried a cashback site called dealdigs. they offer 5% back at jr.com. this is my first time going with them (fingers crossed)

so...if all goes through it'd be $800 - $10 = $790 minus 5% cashback of $39.50 for a grand total of $750.50. that's $309.50 less than ordering the acer 3820tg from taiwan and you get the 2 year warranty, 1 year accident protection, and since i'm using my american express card, i get an additional year of warranty. seems like a good deal to me.

 

Sounds like a good deal. Mine was $760 after Bing Cashback, but that $10 coupon wouldn't have worked with BCB. Good luck!

 

That's a great price for the U35jc, especially if you don't need a laptop with a powerful GPU graphics card.

If you do, then it doesn't really make a difference how much money you save going with that laptop, as you can't upgrade a laptop's GPU.

The one thing that I've learned from others here (and from Ken Lee at GenTechPC.com) with regards to buying a laptop and never forgotten is find a couple of laptops that meets your needs, then pick the one with the best GPU, since it's the one thing that you can't upgrade in a laptop.

 

Oops. Sorry, I've not explained myself well. The difference between 1066 & 1333MHz had to so with discussions/questions on the system RAM and the BUS speed (or whatever i-processors call it now.) Of course, system RAM is different from the VRAM that works with the discrete GPU.

You're correct that there seems little benefit at this time between 512MB & 1GB VRAM amount on the 310M (since the core is the bottleneck).

So if the VRAM working exclusively with the GPU is slower memory, you can't just run it easily at a faster speed. RAM chips have a stated safe capacity. Very much over it and they begin to get errors.

As an example on system RAM, our i3-systems are rated to run at 1066MHz. If we put in 1333MHz, the CPU will still run it at 1066MHz, so no real benefit. But if you tried to overclock that 1066 to run at 1333 MHz or higher, you might get errors due to the o'c that you would not get if it were 1333MHz memory. It's in the capacity & quality of the memory, I think.

Sadly, it seems that the type of GPU memory ASUS is now using is inferior to what they were putting with the U30Jc's 310M.

 

Ok, I think I've settled on the U35JC. Quatro, you think it's worth it to pay the little bit extra to get it from Gentech right?

 

No, you explained yourself perfectly.

In a momentary lapse of concentration, I confused system RAM for VRAM with the speeds and all.

 

Now you got me second guessing myself. I think I'll have to cancel my pre-order and just hope that the 5% goes through without the coupon. I'm sending a message to J&R and the Dealdigs site to see what they think. More than likely I'll cancel and re-order later today.

 

My vote is yes. Keep in mind that GenTechPC often price-matches as well (as long as you're comparing apples to apples).

 

Oh, I thought Bing cashback was stopping after July 31st.

 

It did. I think he just wanted to check and see if his coupon would end up cancelling the cashback.

 

You're right. Bing's cashback program ended July 31, but I'm going to try this other site's cashback offer.

 

Does anyone know if the 5600 mAh battery that comes with the U35JC is the same one that comes with the UL series? I was thinking of getting this spare battery at Amazon, but don't know if it would fit. Model number is 90-NWT3B3000Y.

 

I used to like the black MUCH more than the silver and wanted to get the black no matter what. But the more I look at them, the more I think silver is the better option not only because it will catch less fingerprints but also it gives this model a more "durable" look, so like u don't get tired of it too soon. So I have no problem getting the silver~ looking forward to it actually

 

I know! When I saw the N82 specs and reviews I wanted to get it so bad, and then I saw the colour ..and actual pics of it don't help either. The brown is just...too unique.

 

The only reason to buy the U33jc instead of U35jc is that if you:
1. Need the USB 3.0 port
2. Want a better laptop webcam
3. Like the bamboo themed skin

These two models were also my final options and I went with the U35jc because I don't need USB 3.0 and I have a good external webcam, and the bamboo skin is cool, but I don't think it will last as long for the eyes. The main difference for me that made the cut was that U35jc is slighter and slimmer, and that's what I wanted

 

Assuming you haven't already bought the U35jc, have you looked at the Acer 3820TG?

The specs are in my signature and a pic of it is my avatar.

I'm also writing a blog of my just getting it over in the 3820TG Owners forum.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/acer...ml#post6605990

I'm not here to troll. I actually like ASUS laptops and am curious to hear owner's feedback as they start to get them.

 

Sorry, bankergolfer. Can you repost the link? It is incomplete (the forum truncated it).

Oh, you received your 3820TG! Congrats!!!! Very nice looking. I predict you will keep the 3820TG and send back the R705.

HERE it is. I think I found it:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/ace...rks-tweaks-mods-upgrades-347.html#post6605990

 

4. And bluetooth
5. and WiDi.
6. Solid brushed aluminum around the keyboard.

 

black or silver, both looks great imho... i've got a black version and it still looks good to me everyday.... i would have considered silver as well if it's sold here anyway....

 

Wait. u35JC doesnt have aluminum arond keyboard?

edit: I think im sticking with the u35JC whenever it comes to Canada. Acer is nice and all, but some little things prevent me from buying (dislike the Acer keyboards + dont need it for gaming)

 

build quality on my cousin's Acer 3820TG is really not that great either. he returned the 3820TG and went with the u35jc in taiwan.

 

That's it Quatro. Thanks for posting the correct link!

I believe you're absolutely correct about my picking the 3820TG. While I can't make the final decision until I see the R705 at BestBuy, everything so far is trending in the Acer laptop's favor.

Thanks for the kind words too!

 

If you don't see yourself gaming at least part of the time, then the U35jc is the way to go.

It's build quality is better than Acer as a whole, and it has a longer warranty on top of that.

I think the 3820TG's keyboard is just as nice as any that ASUS makes. I do prefer the ASUS traditional chiclet style vs. the 3820TG's floating chiclet style (more prone to having dust and debris accumulate underneath).

We think Acer chose that style to help serve as a massive air intake to assist its 2 internal fans as they cool down the CPU and GPU. I'll need to run some tests though to confirm this.

 

Here here! The acer keyboards are so so wrong! The acer bankergolfer has imported from Taiwan has been available in the UK for around 3 months. I could have bought one ages ago instead of my endless wait for the U33JC, but I played with one in a store here and when you have one up close and in your hands, you soon realise it's just cheap and nasty. The flex in the lid is scary! I just knew if I bought i'd end up regretting it. Keep your faith and hold out for your Asus.

 

I think a lot of sacrifices had to be made to afford the 5650 into it without making it expensive as hell.

 

Have you been able to run 3DMark06 yet on your 3820TG? Your score, I'm guessing, will be 7000+. Scary compared to our wimpy 3400-3700 (or even my 4300 on o'c!) Very cool indeed. Id love to see 3DMk06 run without stuttering on a stronger GPU.

Oh well, in a newer laptop one day ...

By the way, tried Braid, the game yet? A friend introduced it to me. Strange but intriguing. 2D platform with time manipulation.

 

Hi Sprinkler!

Well, to be fair to the comparison, I find my U30Jc has a lot of flex in the lid, IMO. It easily bends in my hands, something I never had with a traditional plastic notebook.

 

I just ordered U43JC on amazon.

Good bye U35JC~

It's heavier, but has better CPU, USB, WiDi, Aluminum case~

 

Anyone interested in a u35jc in Taiwan, let me know. I really love the machine, but my wife wants a Macbook Pro for her bday. It's running perfectly, but I've taken out all the stickers (including the Intel and MS ones). Willing to sell for a few thousand NT$ less than current Taiwan prices.

 

I plan to do those tests and post their results also. Others have been seeing stock GPU clocks give average scores around 7500 with overclocks to 9500. One poster hit over 10000.

One of the features that allows the 3820TG to play games on overclocked GPUs is its 2 internal fans (CPU, GPU). Keeps everything cool. Or at least cooler than if it had 1 fan.

I'd never heard of Braid. I'll have to give it a shot! Thanks for the recommendation!

+1 Rep given for your suggestions and help.

 

I can only comment on my keyboard, Sprinkler. It doesn't have any flex. I used to own the MSI GX640. That keyboard had some flex near the Enter key, when you pressed down hard on it.

As for the lid, I never bothered checking to see if it had flex or not. I assumed that it did NOT, as it's made of brushed aluminum. Besides, I have no plans to bend my laptop in half and stuff it in my backpocket!

 

I went and saw the R705 at best buy a few days ago, the only con i took from it was that it was slightly warm on the top (either at body temp or slightly above it) while idling and even toastier on the bottom, also on idle. Id imagine some parts would be hot to the touch on load.

 

Well, time to eat humble pie here. I've been trying out BatteryBar and I have to admit that I like it better than BatteryMon. I'll probably buy it at the end of the trial.

It has limited uses for me, but what it does, it seems to do well. It even reports my battery wear (4% after 4 months? Ouch) and my mW discharge rate in real time. And I like the discrete pop up info panel from the battery life icon.

I'm using about -9,600 mW right now on battery saving and switching to Balanced, I find my battery use is about the same.

Rep+ for bankergolfer for recommending this app! Thanks!

Yea, HERE's their page with a curious video promo.

The demo is big enough to get a feel for this odd, quirky game (something like an old Nintendo game with watercolored-type graphics, slightly strange effects & logic, and with time-warping and various elements affected by time travel while others are not.)

Demo downloads are easy to find. HERE's one.

I ultimately bought it HERE at Direct2Drive for $9.95 as I find their versions easier to run than Steam's controlling interface.

I'm more of a FPS kind of player. I used to love Myst-style games, but found it tiring on my patience level after a while. Braid surprised me by actually hooking me into the game. I thought, "2D platform? Nintendo-ish characters? No thanks." But I did find its oddity strangely appealing ... like Nintendo on drugs.

 

Hello to everyone! I have been reading this thread for some time now and finally decided to register and get involved! This may be a dumb question, but just looking at boriskov's post of his GPU settings, is the default memory clock speed assumed to be the actual clock speed the VRam is set at or is that simply a result of whatever version of the driver you are running? The nVidia site for the 310m says that the chip supports memory clock speeds up to 800 MHz... so are we assuming that ASUS has put lower clocked VRam in the DGPU?

The NVIDIA® GeForce® 310M GPUs delivers great performance and amazing multimedia capabilities.

 

I also can't install the latest drivers without windows crashing at the login screen. Until I can get newer drivers installed what are the chances of the pci bus going from 8x to 16x?