Asus U35JC/U45JC

I've been babying my U45JC the past few days because I realized how thin the screen really is. I'm almost afraid to put too much pressure on the lid! That little flap above the battery slot seems very fragile as well. Everything else is still very solid, though.

Has anyone found a fix for the wobbly battery? I'm not worried about the battery falling out (I trust the locking mechanism), but it is a bit annoying to feel the battery moving around when I pick up the laptop.

 

Has anyone here had the chance to try out the ASUS U35F-X1? I was considering the UL30-A2 but it looks like theyve already refreshed the lines with core i3 models.

Im looking for something that matches the UL30-A2's battery life.

 

Hello all, finally got my U35jc from NCIX yesterday..! It was close to out-of-stock again, so I ditched Canada Computers and ran there to secure mine xD.
I have a few questions for fellow U35jc users:
1.How exactly does the Super Hybrid Engine works? Do I turn it on or off?
2.What is the best power setting for gaming? Power4go Entertainment or High Performance?
3.Which is better with your experience? Power4go configurations or Asus configurations for power options. i.e. battery save mode by power4go and normal Asus one
*4.I saw people talking about downloading some driver updates would improve the performance of this machine, I think it was for the BIOS, can someone remind me what it does and where to download that? Is there anything else I should update for this machine?
5. How do I change the sensibility of the scrolling of the touchpad? i.e. two fingers action on the touchpad. It's a little too sensitive for me as it is right now


Please and thank you in advance!

So far I have almost no problem with the u35jc, loving every bits of it. It's light(esp. without the battery haha), slim, fast and stable for my purpose, and the temperature stays nice and cool.

 

I don't know too much about SHE, but I'll try and address your other concerns:

Power4Gear isn't necessarily more or less efficient than the default Windows power options. I just like how easy it is to tweak each setting to my liking. I personally use High Performance for games, since there is no CPU throttling of any sort (if memory serves me right, Entertainment mode has a minimum CPU usage, whereas High Performance has the CPU running at 100% all the time).

As for drivers, I get good framerates with the 257.37 drivers, which work without a BIOS update. I think a few users reported worse framerates with the latest 258.xx drivers.

Two finger scrolling can be slowed down by going into the ELAN touchpad option in the notification area. There will be a menu for scrolling somewhere in there.

 

they use it for ur integrated gpu i guess..

1. im not using s.h.e for now, juz quiet office mode is enuff for me..
2. hi performance mode will set min n max proc state to 100%, so the proc will run full power even whn u not using it
3. i prefer quiet office mode as battery saving will hide my taskba..
4. bios update u can get it at asus site... latest 208 can make u install latest driver for ur 310m which is 258.96.
5. i dun use multi touch for my trackpad, sori

 

Actually I think you are referring to memory? If so, it's because the system is optimus which use both integrated and dedicated video. System reserve 1-200 mb worth of RAM space to be used as video memory thus you dont' see the full 4GB usable.

 

Hey, what is the newest gpu driver out for the u45jc? And where do you guys download it from, nvidia or asus' site?
And how can I notice when the computer switches from 310m to the integrated graphic card?

 

These are the Nvidia test tools that show when the GPU is being used.

The latest driver from Nvidia is 258.96, but the latest from Asus is 257.37. The 258.96 drivers require a BIOS update that isn't officially available for the U45JC yet. I'm using the 257.37 drivers and am getting great framerates in Unreal/Source engine games.

 

The links for downloading the optimus tool doesn't work for me, i only get Error: The request for '/404' was not found on this server.

And I already installed 258.96, and the 207 bios update, should I install the 257.37 driver instead?

 

You should be fine. I didn't know that the 207 update worked with the 258.96 drivers.

The test tool download links seem to be working for me...let me know if they still don't work for you, I can upload them to a mediafire account.

 

Thanks, but the links worked now, I guess their server was just down for a bit.

Just wondering, how much does your computer estimate your battery time left to be when its on 100% non charging and with power saving mode on?

 

With brightness at lowest setting with wifi on, screen turn off every 1 mins, widget still on, aero off, power saver mode, fluctuate between 7 hours 30 mins to 10 hours when at 99% battery.

PS: browsing non-flash sites and office documents.

 

Okay, same as me then Thanks for the help. Just have to wait and see how long it actually will be tomorow on school then

 

Do let me know~

 

So the SHE and Power 4 Gear are two separate, independent programs?

Are they power management add-ons that override Win 7 settings or actual components of the OS?

 

Yeah my new bottleneck is the 2D Aero score (4.5). My 3D Gaming Graphics score is 5.8. I saw your thread about overclocking 310M and I'm gonna give it a try later.

 

Hi people,

I need help to find one solution for my new U35JC notebook from Asus:

How can I secure lock the notebook if asus forgot to make a Kensington slot in the U35JC-A1 ???

The only hole that I found was a little one close to the DC plug.

Thanks,

 

Its like 4 lbs bro...just take it w/you lol.....no charger needed even.

 

hehe, funny..

But I really need a solution to lock it in my office, why Asus did not make a Kensignton hole in this notebook??

 

I was required to sign for mine too from UPS. Missed it and ended driving half an hour to pick it up the same night. =)

Win Experience Index is 4.5 for me. Bottleneck is windows Aero i believe.

 

I am actually very disappointed about this too. A few sites claimed it does have a kensington lock slot and i was counting on that to lock it up in my dorm when it isnt in use. If anyone has any solutions for a lock please let us know!

 

I've been following this thread for awhile, and I am pretty ready to pull the trigger for the U35 from Gentech. Just waiting for a couple good reviews/videos of the laptop. I'm surprised there hasn't been any for it yet while the U33 has some good reviews out already. It's so hard to choose between the U35 and U33.

 

Similar enough laptops to boil down to one question: is any/all of the extra stuff on the u33 worth $150+ to you! U33 is the U35 PLUS: bamboo, WIDI, USB 3.0, bluetooth, and a better camera (2.0MP with a hardware 'privacy' switch vs 0.3MP)... if any/all of these add up to $150 for you and you are willing to wait... the U33 is probably the right answer for you... ! Messed with the U43 and the bamboo feels awesome, but if, like me, you won't really use any of these 'features', you may be better off saving the $$ and getting the U35 now

 

Keep in mind that (apparently) the U35's dedicated graphic memory is of a cheaper quality then the U30, hence why ASUS downclocked it.

So please do watch your GPU temps. Putting it back up to normal clock speed will hardly strain it. Pushing to see what o'c you can reach should be fun.

But, for me, once I found my GPU's limit (also affected by VRAM speed & cooling ability & housing space), I keep mine at the default speed for battery life & heat.

Then if I am in a demanding game (recently played Braid & Monkey Island SE ... neither of which qualify as demanding!) then I o'c again via my saved profile in nVidia Control Panel and go play!

 

I need some help. I'm only getting 4.9 for my WEI score and 4.3 on my Aero score. Others seem to get above 6 for their processor and a little higher for Aero. I did a completely new install of Windows 7 and only installed what I wanted and I do have Power4Gear and didn't turn on SHE. I also uninstalled Power4Gear and it still gives me 4.9. I also did a BIOS update to 208 if that does anything. I also ran CPU-Zand it said it was running at 2.4.



Edit: One weird thing I noticed was that in CPU-Z it says that my i3-370M has only one core...but task manager shows 2 graphs.

 

Not sure if that's true about cheaper quality or not, but I do have couple hypothesis on the down clock.

1) U30JC is 512mb ram, less memory = less heat than U35JC so can be clocked higher.

2) While 512mb "may" be negligeable ,but U30JC is thicker (has dvd drive) and has more space to disscipate heat while U35jc has very precious little space. Asus may have down clocked it for that reason.

Of course its just my hypothesis but a reasonable one I think. I played hours of SC2 with no slow down no problem. But then I did that intentionally to stress test it. So far so good.

 

Hey so I saw a post about new touch pad drivers a while back. But i can't seem to find this latest version anywhere... Ideas?

 

Sounds like one of your cores is turned off, CPU-Z shows 2 cores 4 threads and task manager has 4 graphs for me.

Im also running bios 208

My WEI Scores are:
CPU 6.7
Memory 5.9
Aero Graphics 4.4
Gaming Graphics 5.8
HDD 5.8

 

One technique on the Asus site... you can look for drivers by model number (Notebook/U35 Series/U35JC) but they also put the very latest by component in the: Notebook/Drivers section... this is model independent, so you need to ensure your model is compatible... but all elan touchpads (the one in this laptop) use the same driver, so you can always try the latest elan driver. These drivers are in: Notebook/Drivers/touchpad. Latest version is the 7.0.5.12 that was uploaded on 2 Sep. As stated in earlier posts, this seems out of order as there was a 7.0.5.12 in July and a 7.0.5.13 in August. Hope that helps

 

Hmm..that's weird. I realized it's because I changed number of processors in advances options in Boot in msconfig because I just unchecked that and now I have 2 cores again. I wonder why that happened. I clicked 2 in the dropdown menu.

Edit: I just went back and did the advanced options in Boot again and changed it to 2 cores. It again went back down to one core. Weird. Anyone have any ideas? Setting it to 4 cores makes everything ok.

 

Quick question to people like Quatro,

Hopefully I'll be able to order my laptop by Thursday, and it seems neither of my two retailers have the U35Jc in stock (Amazon and DirectCanada). That's why I'm thinking of getting the U30 instead. The only problem is that BestBuy is having this pretty sweet deal where you can get an HP DV5 for $899 w/ a free Xbox 360. I already have a PS3 and the chances are close to 0 that I will get Xbox Live, so I need some opinions.

Would you rather get the DV5 (i3-350M, Intel HD, 14.5" screen, 6-cell for around 3-4 hours of web surfing) or the U30Jc?


P.S. Ergonomics count.

 

You may well be right. I was thinking the same on underclocking based on heat management, but it was Redline, who posts here, and is an official reviewer over at AnandTech, who felt the issue was cheaper quality VRAM.

I can't remember the reasoning now (he was posting over on the U33Jc bamboo thread) but in part it was due to the same GPU underclocking of ALL of ASUS' recent U models: U33/43/35/45 ... and those include DVD models that are thicker like the U30Jc. So the thicker 14" ones w/ an ODD should have the same cooling advantage of the U30Jc.

 

Well, I'm biased. I'd prefer the longer battery life and faster processor of the U30Jc-B1. And I like the build on my U30.

But if you prefer the 14.5" screen (is it 16:10 or 16:9?) and you like the feel of the HP DV5, go for that. The XBOX 360 is a pretty nice extra. You could always sell it on eBay or Craigslist. That would make it even cheaper.

But I've not researched or used the DV5 so I have no opinions on it.

 

The DV5's screen is 1366 x 768 (16:9).

 

Just purchased by walking into a NCIX here in Toronto for 889.99, I like it so far. It does come with a lot of bloatware, so is my best option do a clean fresh install? Will it really change the performance? How would I go about that process, sorry I'm a computer newb. Now about the drivers and all, how do I get the latest ones?

PLUS How do I check that Windows experience score?

 

Absolutely no HP for me, used a few and conducted research of recent HP laptops all with same conclusion. While quality is good, most of the review (expert or user) felt the HP runs noticeably louder than Asus. I don't like my laptop louder and shorter battery life.

Even their elite line of Envy laptop have loud fan issue, just google it. While i3 may be cooler and fare batter, I wouldn't take the chance, especially with 50% battery life than U35. Just wait a few, they will be in stock.

 

Like the guy who posted on the last page, I kinda needed this laptop to have a Kensington Lock Slot. Most retailers listed it with one too. Does anyone have a solution for locking the U35Jc to something?

I'd really appreciate it, thanks.

 

I am also looking for a lock for my UL30VT. It has the same situation as the U35JC with the small hole behind the power port. So if anyone has a solution, or knows what the hole is for, please do tell.

 

Google and searching this forum can give you lots of How-To tips.

To get to the WEI scores, go to:
Control Panel>System and Security>System>Check the Windows Experience Index

Or in the Start Menu, in the Search box, type "Windows Experience Index" and you'll see the choice of "Check the Windows Experience Index".

Unless you want the experience of finding & downloading an ISO image file to make a Win 7 DVD, installing the OS and then installing the drivers from the DVD ... I'd recommend you just remove what programs & trialware you don't want. It'll take you perhaps an hour.

A fresh install is better, but if you're not experienced or have a friend to help you, it may become quite complicated.

It's up to you.

Do be sure and look at the various ASUS apps before you remove them. Some are quite useful.

If you choose the uninstall route, there are various registry cleaner apps around (use a reputable one) that can clean your registry, once done, of any left over references of a program in your Windows registry.

 

My U30Jc's fan is very quiet as well.

Yeah, I wouldn't like a noisy laptop either. A friend had a very nice Lenovo Y560, but it was just so loud (& hot) much of the time.

 

Thanks for the advice, are there any particualr asus apps that you would reccomend people get rid off? As for that .iso option, I believe I saw you post a link a couple pages back to a link of the Win 7 Home .iso, do you happen to still know that link/guide?

 

Google Asus Bloatware Utilities guide. It's a thread on notebookreview.

 

Does anyone know how to make it so that when you open back up the U35JC, the computer will wake up?

 

Thanks but don't happen to see a link to a Win 7 .iso file or guide on that thread?

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/asus/380681-asus-utility-bloatware-guide.html

http://forum.notebookreview.com/win...-7-download-links-just-like-vista-before.html

 

You can go to control panel, then click hardware and sounds, then power options. On the left side of the window go to "choose what closing the lid does"

 

Do a search on this forum. You'll find it for sure.

Thank you for finding that, Doberman.

The easiest on that link is to look halfway down the page until you find the section entitled "ISO Method".

HERE is the direct link to the ISO image file for Win 7 64-bit Home Premium. That link will download a file entitled X15-65733.ISO. Do you know how to turn the ISO file into a bootable Win 7 Install DVD? You don't just burn it over to a DVD (a few did try that.)

And be careful with that bloatware guide as it tells you what is safe to take out but not what to be sure and put in (if it's a fresh install.) If a fresh install, do be sure and include "Intel Management Engine" as it is needed.

My Dell did that. But I don't think ASUS or Win 7 do when it's asleep. I still must press a key (any key) to wake it up.

But that's not much trouble for me.

I may have misunderstood him, but I believe he was asking how to make it come on automatically when the lid is opened (like my Dell), not how to put it to sleep when he closes the lid.

 

That's exactly the point that I am on the fence about. The webcam I don't care so much about, things like USB 3.0 and WiDi are nice little bonuses, but the big thing is the bamboo looks really nice to me. Is it worth $150? That's hard to tell until I can see it in person. (My Best Buy doesn't have any on display.)

To make things more complicated, the U30Jc-B1 is looking like a probable contender too with its aluminum build and slightly better graphics card. But then it has the 0.8lbs extra along with a bulkier body.

I'm on some sort of weird three-side fence!

 

there are so many pages in this thread, it sems impossible to go through them all.

I am strongly considering the U35JC-A1. I am a bit hesitant because they do not sell these models in the stores; buying online means I can't return the machine without a restocking fee.

I am looking for a 13" lightweight machine with long battery life.
I was wondering if someone can tell me how the speakers are on this machine?

also, since there are so many Ausus models, I was wondering if you felt this was the right one for me; being that my main desires are having a lightweight machine with long battery life with a newer i3 processor. I would like one with an optical drive, but the ones I have seen with the drive weigh about a pound more. are there any other models I should be considering? Are there any models with the optical drive that weigh under 4lbs?

I appreciate your help.

Thank you.

 

Hi Relentless,

I, as well, have been doing a ton of research on the purchase of my next laptop and am strongly considering the U35JC-A1 for its long battery life and light weight portability.

I was wondering if you have recieved your machine yet,
and what your impressions are.
the websites say the laptop weighs 3.7 lbs.

I was wondering how the speakers are, as well?

all the information you can give me
will be helpful in solidifying my decision.

Thank you,