Asus U36jc Review needed

Hello there,
I am deciding to buy a new laptop between Lenovo U460 and Asus 36jc
But I couldn't find any review on Asus u36jc. Did anyone find it on any website or your review if you own one ?
Thanks

 

Asus U36JC Laptop review

 

agree with the review above,

ordered one from b&h and recieved it on monday,
great laptop and has everything I need, Great for students or people
on the move. the keyboard has no flex and much more comfortable
than on previous U/UL models. the aluminium magnesium case in great
as well.

I think that on the long term the special coating on the case witch
prevents fingertips will suffer, but we will see...

any questions, ask...

 

Is it easy to replace the hard drive with SSD?

 

Congratulations with your new pc. I'm considering the U36 myself.
How long does the battery last? Can it live up to Asus' 10 hour claim?

 

10 hours? don't think so,

I have charged it only twice though,
LI-ion batteries need few cycles before they reach they full potential ,
so within a few weeks I can give more exact info about it,
As for now, the new battery held about 6 hours of moderate work with wi-fi activated, on battery saving mode, with some music between work.
I can guess It can reach 8 hours of MS office with light surfing.
(after battery break in)

there is no openable cover for the HDD compartment so I guess that you will
need to open all the back case to replace it.
the HDD placed on the right side of the palm rest (I have X-Rayed the
laptop to see it's components...) ,on the opposite side from fan vents.

The general impression is of a very sturdy, cool product well built which
I heartly recommend. This is my first laptop, but I made a 4 months research regarding my needs before buying this one and I am very satisfied.

 

Elka,

can you record the boot up time from a cold start and sleep?

How has the unit handled 1080p video?

 

hey!
so, im in doubt between the u36jc and the xps14...
the problem is that theres no review about the u36jc. i mean, technical reviews -- since is the first notebook with some specs ever made (slim, that proc default voltage) i'm afraid of overheating, i'd like to see some stress tests on it.

why there are no reviews about the u36jc? really, why?

 

I think that probably, because it's the same hardware than the u33jc or u35jc, but only thin...
If you are looking the xps14, the competition is the n43jf, and with more differences the u43jc

 

but my 1st option IS the u36jc. i loved the specs. but i`m afraid on buying it. really. no reviews, few ppl bought it. i just dont want to buy a problem, since i`m going to buy here in us and take it to brazil

 

It is listed as unavailable on Amazon so I think the lack of reviews is due to supply.

 

It's quite easy to replace the hdd, but be very careful with it. You have to remove the "foot rubbers" to remove the screws. Than do not lift the case to high, they are both connected ( i think maiboard with the keyboard and somthing other too). The HDD lays there where it is described before. You have to open the Display to remove the both parts of the Notebook ( cost a lot of time to get that out xD ). The HDD change is easy than , just be very careful and notice, your warranty is no more after HDD change ( so the Asus support says ) . But i found no seals or somthing like that , so do i do not know how they will know , you opened the case .... and no warings , so i believe you can anyway get the warranty.

Sorry for my poor english ; )

Good luck with you new ASUS U36JC WITH SSD , works really well, very silent and damn fast !


Btw. i do not like the keyboard as much as i liked it when i tested it the first time. I think it's pretty hard to press the keys ,and sometimes when i write somthing some letters are missing , don't know why. So be careful with the keyboard and test it before buying this Notebook. But really slim , light and it lasts like 1,5h with full CPU + GPU usage , and like 10h with WLAN and surfing. So there is a huge gap between this two battery lifetimes. But i5 + graphik card = high consumption

 

There seems to be a lot of bloatware for the U36jc. Anyone actually done a clean install and know which drivers/applications are necessary or very good to have?

Also, how easy is it to back up the driver directories, if they are archived neatly?

Thanks.

 

¨

Hello !
How to open the display ? more screws under the small rubber squares ?
Do i need to disconnect the "flat" cable under the lid where the RAM memory is placed ?

Gosh i wish i could managed to get my new ssd inside !!!!!

 

Yes, you should disconnect the 2 ribbon flat cables in the ram compartment BEFORE you remove the top case assembly as a safety precaution.

All four corners where there are rubber feet have screws underneath them which you have to remove first before removing the top case assembly.

I'd highly discourage anyone to remove the screen bezel as it is extremely likely that you'd break the fragile clips that secures it to the screen cover. You do not need to remove this if you're just planning to upgrade your hard drive. However, if you still choose to do so just for fun, simply remove all rubber cushions that surround the screen bezel to reveal the screws and unscrew it. From there you'll have to pry open the bezel from the screen cover. BE VERY CAREFUL.

 

Hello,

please tell what size of SSD shall I buy to put in U36JC, 9.5mm? (or smaller, I assume)

Can you tell which SSD exactly did you put in (Intel x-25m g2, OCZ vertex? something else?)

 

Any SSD with a SATA interface and a form size of 2.5"/9.5mm will fit in the U36JC.

Personally, I have a G.Skill Falcon 256GB SSD in my U36JC which has worked marvelously for the past couple years. However, if I were to buy a new SSD now, I'd most likely go for the the Crucial C300 series SSD.

 

I have a little problem.

I open the case to change the HDD to a SSD.
Install win7, the touchpad don't work, i try to install the touchpad driver but that don't change a think.

Someone had the same problem ?
I hope there is not a cable i forget to branch or cut :/

Ps: excuse my english, it is not my native language.

 

Sounds like a cable might be loose, or if in worst case scenario something might have fried from static electricity (rare but possible). I'd probably open it all up and double check the connections especially to the touchpad *

 

Check your BIOS settings to see if the touchpad was accidentally disabled. If not, then check your cable. There should be 2 cables on the top case assembly that connects to the motherboard. The larger one is for the keyboard and the smaller is the touchpad. Make sure the smaller touchpad cable is secured in the socket.

 

putting this thread back on track =)

ASUS U36Jc review -- Engadget

 

I have to disagree with engadget where they mention that th keyboard is the same as previous U series laptops for the last couple years. This is false given that the keyboard on the U36JC is nothing like the the previous generation U series.

 

from the looks of it, the keyboard is integrated into the chassis, where as previous generations the keyboard is a separate piece. i own the u80v, and the u36's keyboard looks waaaaaaaay better in quality.

 

David in your review you mentioned the screen wasn't as nice -- but Engadget says the screen is actually better.... ??

 

Engadget doesn't mention anything about brightness or contrast. They comment on viewing angles and how it's better than other Asus displays which I do not entirely agree. The screen is decent enough for casual use but certainly does not "outdo" other Asus displays since the U36JC's screen is rated at 200 nits (industry standard for consumer-class notebooks) with a 600:1 contrast ratio (slightly above average). The actual difference in quality is hardly distinguishable from the U30 series and certainly does not outdo some of the larger screens such as on the G73 and even the older C90 series notebooks. That being said, the screen on the U36JC is not bad by any means, and to me it seems fairly average. It would be nice to see a brighter screen given the glossy coating but it's still very manageable for indoor use.

 

Have you tried any of the newer Eee keyboards? Like the 1015 for example... That keyboard is great, it's not as spongy as my U20A. I was just wondering if it's similar on the U36, the older chicklet keyboards had less clicky tactile feedback. I prefer clicky over squishy.

 

one of my gripes about the keyboard is that it's screen printed... i wish it had backlit type keys even w/o the light... i just hate having a keyboard that looks like after a year or 2 of use having part of the letters scrubbed off

 

Has anyone attempted to use this computer for minor gaming on low settings and if so what were the results. I only game about 10-15% of the time I'm on mostly sc1 and sc2, FIFA, civ v, cod mwf, and diablo. Other than the lack of a better gpu, this laptop suites me pretty well. I use mine for basic office, Internet, and movies, but the gaming was a concern I have prior to purchase. I'm basically looking for a net book capable of playing the above.

 

Thanks for the clarification! I'm trying to compare it to my Asus W7sg, and kinda get a more real life comparison. However I can't seem to find the contrast ratio/brightness specs on the screen -- could you maybe point to where you find these specs?

 

I've been wondering the same thing

 

Well it should be capable of minor gaming -the cpu should definitely keep up

Go to NVIDIA GeForce 310M - Notebookcheck.net Tech for performance of the GPU it should be similar

e.g. Crysis Warhead at low settings 48fps

 

What do you guys think, in most stores this laptop is sold for at least over $900, but with Google I found an online store called ElectroTechZone that sells this laptop for under $700 ASUS U36JC-B2B Thin and Light 13.3-Inch Laptop (Black) [U36JC-B2B] - $670.00 : electrotechzone.com

Am I missing something? Nowhere else can you find this so cheap and the reason why I haven't bought it yet is because I'm doubtful if this store is actually legit. Can this be right?

 

Can the UC36JC be connected to two external monitors simultaneously in extented mode and laptops display is off.

(2x Lenovo L220x)

*1920x1200 through HDMI->DVI
*1920x1200 through VGA

Could this computer handle this without a problem?

 

It's a scam website. Stick with reputable resellers listed in the info booth sticky.

The U36JC can only connect to one external monitor at a time.

 

Sorry if it was posted before but haven't found info about the issue.
I bought my U36JC with WinPro preinstalled and with no OS on CD/DVD.
I want to replace the HDD with SSD. Do I need to buy new OS or is there a way to transfer the installed OS onto the SSD?

Any help appreciated,
zumulko.

 

@zumulko You can use the recovery partition if it has one (F9 at startup) or you can clean install windows 7:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/win...-7-download-links-just-like-vista-before.html

The above will work with the license key you have now.

If you mean windows xp, you'll need to either call asus to get the CD or use the recovery partition if it has xp.

 

You could also use Acronis True Image to clone your existing HDD to your new SSD. Some folks may not like this method due to potential alignment issues but I've used this numerous times without a hitch. You'll need an external USB hard drive enclosure for cloning.

 

Thank you for your replies.

 

here is another review from notebookcheck, they do pretty extensive tests on it

Review Asus U36JC-RX081V Notebook - Notebookcheck.net Reviews

 

@ edub.de

What exactly do you mean by "opening the display"? Could you please describe this part a little bit more detailed? I'm planning to swap the HDD for SSD during the weekend and since you succeeded I'd really appreciate your help.

 

EDIT: will post new review after SSD and extra RAM installed this week!

 

Hello,

I want to install Win7 from my bootable usb.
But I have no USB boot option in BIOS Boot Menu.
Any idea how to sort it out?

Best,
zumulko.

I simpy found it, it was there, sorry....

 

I tried to remove the bottom of the notebook (U36JC-RX167X), but it seems harder than expected.
I removed 4 screws under the rubber feet, 4 screws under the battery, 2 screws near the touch pad, removed RAM lid, then I tried to lift the bottom cover but it didn't move at all (like it was glued or sth). I don't want to user a screwdriver as a lever because I don't want to break anything.
Did your cover let go easily? Did you use any lever? If so, where exactly?

 

You don't remove from the bottom, you need to remove the top case which is the palmrest with the keyboard together.

 

Hi, just received my asus. Did you remove the keyboard connector when opening the case, or did you leave everything connected when chaging the hd.

thx

 

yes you do need to remove the keyboard and the other ribbon before remove the top case.

 

MY Quick Review

I jut received one of these fine machines.. and i can say i'm quite pleased with it.
Out the box the bloatware is a bit much, but easily taken care of.. the computer was quick. Compared to my G73SW-A1 with a Intel X25-M SSD, it was about 15 seconds slower in starting.. Opening applications like office, adobe, showed where the SSD was winning the battle.

So after about 2 hours of playing with the new machine, i removed the HDD, and installed a spare X25-M SSD (160GB) in the U36..
HOLY CRAP batman, This little machine can move out. The latop starts in 23 seconds CONSISTANTLY FROM BEING OFF... not after post...
in fact i'm wondering where i screwed up with the G73 as the U36 starts about 10-12 seconds FASTER than the bigger machine....

Only difference between the 2 other than the obvious, is the fact that the G73 is running UEFI and the U36 i left alone using BIOS.

The computer is LIGHT, Slim, fares well against the G73 for what it is...
IMO this is the perfect travel laptop... and that will be my intended

Overall i'm super pleased with it and the price of it also helped a bunch..

 

oppppsss.........

 

This is an old thread but for anyone who finds this:
I have the U36JC-A1 and I have been running 3 displays as extended desktop at once: one hdmi at 1600*1050, one vga at 1600*1050 and the laptop display.