Asus UX302

yikes, mine is definitely not that bad! here's hoping it doesn't get worse...

 

Hey guys i am having a problem. My wifi download speeds in ux302la are being capped at 10Mb/s. i tried a speedtest on my desktop and i get 25MB/s. but whenever i do it on my laptop i get 10Mb/s. even wifi file transfer caps. Can someone help me
i tried reinstalling the driver and also getting the latest from Intels website

EDIT


After getting a usb wifi from a friend my speed were still capped... it more a windows problem than WIFi

 

Is your desktop wireless?

 

yes

but after using a lan and usb wifi, my speed are still capped.....Windows is doing something and i have no idea what doing that.


EDIT

Problem solved. it was my router. i factory reset my router and it was fixed.. still i have no idea what was wrong. but now it works great

 

Skyrim plays decently on FHD, medium settings AA off. I was getting 30-45 fps with occasional drops when too much was going on at once. Starcraft 2 plays horribly but I don't think the settings are right. For some reason my GPU clock speed is only 560 MHz when I play. I'm only getting 10-20 fps on medium at 1600x900. The laptop is a little warm but certainly not hot. That cooling vent to the screen is very efficient.

Edit: Ok, that was stupid of me. For some reason when I reinstalled Windows, power management decided to set my max CPU rate to 5% on High performance. My Skyrim fps were unaffected but SC2 played much better now. I got 20-25fps on high settings at FHD, 25-28fps on high settings at 1600x900, 30-35fps on medium settings at 1600x900. SC2 actually played better on this machine over the Acer V7-482PG. I think the game on the Acer is throttled by the CPU, even though it has a GT750M.

I'm getting happier with this machine but the keyboard warp is unacceptable. I too have the frame resting above the center keys. Really hard to type like that. If I don't return it as a defect, I will be exchanging it.

 

After I bent my frame down, it came back up a bit, so I tried putting a small block of wood on the keyboard and then stacking two textbooks on top of that to weight it down. The block of wood was about 3 keys on the keyboard wide and 2 keys tall. I left it there for the day today while I was at work, and now that I'm back, it appears to be staying down.

So this might be another thing to try: instead of pulling everything apart and bending it a lot for a short period of time, just put some weight on it to hold it flat for a long period of time. It doesn't appear to have done anything to the keys, and the frame is now much flatter than before. Worth a shot, and much less work than pulling everything apart.

 

Is this warping effect synonymous only to the UX302LA? Have any UX302LG users had this problem? It sounds like most of the models have this flaw, yet the few reviews that have surfaced make no mention of this potentially huge oversight. I wonder why.

 

Yes I bought the UX302LG and was lucky enough to get the 3 dreaded "imperfections", keyboard warp, screen bleeding and dead pixel(s). As for what the reviews concern, I have only found 2 serious reviews about this model, ultrabookreview and notebookcheck. So it could be that Asus handpicked the models to send for review or they simply got lucky.

 

You may want to try this and leave the PC on so it gets warm. This will soften the metal. leave it like this for the day. Then, turn the PC off and let it cool. Then remove the textbooks.

 

Received my UX302LG-C4007P yesterday. There is no keyboard warp at all in my unit. There is some bleeding in the edges, but it is only noticeable with a completely black screen, so I don't really consider it an issue (and to be fair, I have never seen a LCD screen with absolutely no bleeding at all).

The battery life while browsing and watching videos is around 5 hours, which is a bit lower than I would like, but no surprises. The windows energy report (from powercfg -energy) reveals that PCI Express Active-State Power Management (ASPM) is disabled in this device "due to a known hardware incompatibility". After some research this seems to be flagged in the system ACPI, and so fixing it would likely require a BIOS update from Asus.

This model comes with a 16 GB caching SSD, which is implemented in software by Conclusiv's ExpressCache. I am not entirely sure about this software, I have not had a lot of success finding any benchmarks and it seems to keep the HDD active very often, while at the same time using a low amount of CPU, but likely enough to keep the CPU awake and affect the battery life. Getting rid of it and replacing the HDD with a large SSD seems to be the way to go.

A few more random thoughts: the WiFi seem pretty good on one of my APs, getting over 100 Mbps effective bandwidth with a good range, but unfortunately didn't work at all in 802.11n mode with a different AP - I had to force it into 802.11g mode to get it to work. The keyboard backlighting is good enough for me, but once I had it blinking in 1-2 seconds intervals once after returning from sleep. Turning the backlight off or setting it to full brightness fixed the issue, so I believe it was caused by some problem with the timer that continually turns the LEDs on and off to get the intermediate brightness levels. There is a USB 3 gigabit ethernet adapter included in the package, and it seems to work pretty well. The touchpad is very good overall, but it is not possible to press it down (to make a left click) on upper part (the part closer to the keyboard), which reduces the useful area of the touchpad a bit and can be annoying. Ignoring the minor bleeding, the screen looks very good, it is very bright, has good contrast, and the resolution is awesome, but on the downside Windows 8.1 DPI scaling is still awful. The speakers are above average and are good enough for gaming and general usage, but I wouldn't find myself listening to music with them.

Overall I am very satisfied with it and I disagree with the complains about the build quality (but maybe I got a lucky unit), but for me the selling point was the 730M GPU and probably would have looked at other models if I didn't need it, but as it stands, it is probably one of the best ultrabook available today that can run games decently.

 

It is also worth pointing that the thermal design of this laptop is nothing short of impressive, it manages to stay very cool while rarely spinning the fans at all.

 

FYI, Here's are the benchmark scores of the UX302LG using this 128GB msata as the boot drive.

3DMark 11 - P1778
3DMark 13 - Fire Strike 1003, Cloudgate 5247, Ice Storm 41377
PCMark7 - 5208

 

hey guys..

i was setting my express cache after some problem and i accidentally formatted my HDD. I had made a backup of the key and installed windows 8. My brother told me that if you mess with the HDD partitions they void you warranty. is that true. if yes how can i restore my laptop to factory setings

 

My girlfriend plans on purchasing the Asus UX302LA from Best Buy this week while the sale is still in effect. I've prepared a checklist for her to go over to make sure the quality is up to par:
1. How do the keys feel on the keyboard?
2. Are there any dead pixels? LCD Dead Pixel Test Backgrounds
3. Is there really nasty backlight bleeding?

Are there any others you guys would recommend in case she should exchange hers?

---

One more question: Should she upgrade to Windows 8.1 right away or are there any broken drivers/functions we should be wary of?

 

The feel of the keys isn't the issue, it's the warping of the metal frame around the keys. She should make sure that the frame doesn't look like this:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/attachments/asus/106927d1388718887-asus-ux302-imag0026.jpg

And as for backlight bleeding, don't be too worried about what it looks like on the initial bootscreen. Mine is pretty bright along the bottom there, but you don't even notice it after that, even during dark scenes in a movie and such.

 

By the way, how did you find this out? Is there somewhere I can change the settings for it if I want to?

 

Anyone having problems with Win8.1?

 

Not sure if it is Windows 8.1 but even for me, the icons and the taskbar become unbearably small when my laptop wakes up from sleep. but when I do a restart they all come back to a normal size. It is a bit annoying.

 

8.1 is great for me. Fast to turn off, fast to turn on, scaling is always great.

 

Can you describe the steps you took to upgrade to 8.1? Did you upgrade immediately after you got your laptop or later after use and W8 updates?

 

I found it looking through the software preinstalled on the computer. It is in C:\Program Files\Condusiv Technologies\ExpressCache and it has a command line tool (ECCmd.exe) with some options but I couldn't find anything useful to do with it.

 

Is there anyplace other than NCIX selling the UX302LG that does international shipping? NCIX's system doesn't support Unicode, so my Japanese PayPal address comes out as gibberish to them and they refuse to acknowledge the issue.

 

They take orders over the phone

 

I installed ALL the drivers and updates and then updated to 8.1. Safest way from my experience. Under Display, I checked the box "Let me choose one scaling level for all displays and then chose 125%. That seemed better than the default because windows like Device Manager and Chrome look really fuzzy. Haven't had any probs with 8.1 yet

 

I think at 125%, there will still be a slight blur. Also, if you plug in an external monitor, things will appear much bigger than they should.

I just left the "Let me choose..." box unchecked, and ran the compatibility troubleshooter (or similarly, the compatibility tab of the properties dialog for the .exe) for each program I wanted to fix, and fixed the blurry display problems that way.

In Chrome in particular, once I had everything displaying nice and sharp, the web pages were too small to see, so I changed the default zoom level in chrome settings. Now I'm quite happy with the way things are displaying.

 

I bought mine from these guys on Dec. 6 (first place in Canada to sell the UX302LG as far as I can tell)

Buy Asus NB UX302LG-DH71T-CA 13.3 IPS FHD 1920x1080 Ci7-4500U 1.8GHz Retail - UX302LG-DH71T-CA in Canada

Talk to guy named Barry, he was great for me...

 

Any word on UK availability? I've gone through all posts so far and can't see anything, unless I've missed something. Currently considering either this, the 301LA or the ativ book 9 plus. The book 9 plus can be had for about £1450 and the 301LA for roughly the same. However, the dedicated graphics is what is drawing me to the ux302LG. I've done a google search and cannot find any definitive info regarding UK availability or pricing. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Did you guys leave the msata 16GB caching drive in there, when you upgraded the HDD to a SSD?

 

So my girlfriend got the laptop today and found bubbles behind the screen. She tried to push them out to no avail. Has anybody seen this before?



EDIT: That was the last one in stock so she couldn't get an exchange. Gotta wait a week for more to ship. GG.

 

hey guys..

I was setting my express cache after some problem and i accidentally formatted my HDD. I had made a backup of the key and installed windows 8. My brother told me that if you mess with the HDD partitions they void you warranty.

Is that true. if yes how can i restore my laptop to factory setings


Thanks a lot

 

Ordered a Samsung 840EVO SSD and Mushkin 8GB DDR3 1.35V ,installed them today
Pretty impressive results,I really do not see why anyone would want to buy the UX301 and get stuck with proprietary ssd slots.That was the only thing I didnt like about the UX31A I had.
IMAG0122_zps4e355e1b.jpg Photo by purplehazey09 | Photobucket
IMAG0123_zpscf8caf17.jpg Photo by purplehazey09 | Photobucket
IMAG0124_zps2b473b74.jpg Photo by purplehazey09 | Photobucket

 

I looked at the UX302LA in Best Buy today. Looks very nice.
I plan on buying one tomorrow.

I want to check the unit they supply me in store to make sure it does not have the warped keyboard problem.

How obvious is this and what's the best way to check?
Anything else I should check for before heading home?

Thanks and look forward to joining the club.

 

It won't hurt you to leave it in, but I would disable caching in Intel Rapid Storage so it doesn't attempt to use it as a cache drive. I replaced mine with a 128GB but you should be able to right click on "this PC" click "Manage" and then format your SSD to use for whatever you choose. This was the easiest laptop I've been able to set the msata up as a boot drive. Most make you choose funky bios settings first.

 

It will be obvious. There might be slight flex, which I usually think is acceptable but in my case, the frame comes all the way up to the top of the G and H keys. I can push it down and it rests for 5 minutes before coming back up. I also can't see the backlight around the edges of the keys for RTYFGHJCVBN. Typing on it now and can tell you that I can't type as fast either. Getting my replacement from NCIX early next week, as I decided to use this laptop as my primary over the Acer V7(pending of course I can get a non-defective unit).

 

Thanks. It looks like of the 4 BB stores in my area none of them have any in stock.
I will need to order for 3-5 day delivery.
Hopefully I get a good one.

It's really sad that as consumers we have to play this lottery not just with Asus but with many of the other manufacturers as well.
Having to exchange a machine costs everyone in both time and money.

 

It's indeed very sad. I was all ready to spring for the UX302LG, but reading this issue of the keyboard warp has given me pause.

I'm still looking for a windows laptop with a 13" screen, dedicated graphics card, under 1.7kg and (hopefully) built-in DVD-writer, but there doesn't seem to be any out there. I'm still using my Sony Vaio Z which has served me faithfully for over 5 years, which fit those specs perfectly then. One would have thought that after 5 years and with technology advance, there would be something similarly specced and reliable. Is there any laptop that meets this currently? (And no, Iris 5100/5200 doesn't count as dedicated graphics, for me at least)

 

I doubt you'll ever find a laptop that light with a DVD writer ever again. DVDs are nearly obsolete in the PC world. Everything is cloud now. And everyone wants their laptop as thin as possible. Tough to fit a DVD writer in a .66" thick ultrabook

 

I would like to order UX302LG-DH71T-CA from NCIX but I need Win 8 Pro, not Win 8 since it's for the office with Domain.

Does anyone have this model and can show me the picture of the Windows 8? or can confirm it does have Win 8 Pro for this model?

Thanks.

 

It's not Pro... At least not for mine

 

Any ideas on why the F2 button has an illuminated square? What's special about that key?

 

Anybody have a screen protector recommendation?

 

I think it shows you that wifi is on or off.

 

hmm? I thought it was this "Condusiv Technologies ExpressCache" that was managing the cache drive. I can't find a program called Intel Rapid Storage but the conclusiv program is there. Where do I configure the Intel Rapid Storage?

 

I really wish there is a way to turn that light off

 

I just picked up a UX302LA from Best Buy.
In store it looked like the keyboard was OK.
When I got home and fired it up with the keyboard back light on the keyboard warp problem was quite obvious.
T Y F G H V B and N showed no light from around them until the keyboard backing plate was pushed using a chopstick.
The plate stays down for a few seconds and then pops back up again.

I don't know if its related but the keyboard has a lot more flex in this area than toward the side of the keyboard.
I also notice that the R key slopes from left to right ie.higher on the left and lower on the right regardless of what I do to the backing plate.

Everything else works very well. I have downloaded all the latest drivers, upgraded the BIOS and installed 8.1.

I just have to decide how much the keyboard will irritate me and whether or not I want to do something about it.
I could go back to BB and see if the next one they give me is better or send this one to Asus and run the risk of them sending it back no better.

I just checked BB in my area. About 10 stores some of whom had some stock yesterday, now none of them do. It appears that other than BB there are very few Asus dealers stocking this machine in the USA. I wonder if it's being phased out already?

Decision decisions!

 

The problem is not with the keyboard itself,or the keys,but the composite that was utilized for the backing plate is thinner, more flexible than what was used on the Ux31A
In fact,I cannot budge the backing plate on the UX31A even applying alot of pressure.Also,look at the pics of the two models,and see the way each back plate is designed,honestly from a quality of manufacturing standpoint,the prior generation of Zenbooks are much better constructed in my opinion.

Ux302LA Photo by purplehazey09 | Photobucket
Ux31A Photo by purplehazey09 | Photobucket

 

It's all about the race for the final gram unfortunately, hopefully they reinforce it a little more in the next one.

 

There really is not much to choose from in the 13.3" size machines. Not from Best Buy anyway. Mine was bought using a gift card so I'm tied in to them even if I return this one.
The guys in store will sat consistently stay away from Dell, Sony and HP which if you listen to them narrows the options down even more.
They punt Asus and Lenovo.

I need a 13.3" machine with an i5 and 500GB or more. IPS HD+ screen is nice but not an absolute requirement as I use an external monitor most of the time. Most importantly though, something that works out of the box without us as end users having to be beat testers or fault finders.

So far Dell and Asus have let me down and my 4 year old Toshiba Satellite has continued to work faultlessly. It looks like it may have to continue doing so for a while longer!

 

For anyone that has done a fresh install of Windows 8.1 with a new ssd, have there been any issues whatsoever?? Such as display sizing problems or driver problems??

I'm contemplating on whether to clone the current 500GB hard drive to my samsung ssd or do a fresh install. Any insight would be helpful....thanks a bunch!

 

It might be - I always just assume IRST is in control with all Intel processors. It might not be. I have a fresh install up now, so I can't tell you for sure. Whatever Asus has you install in their driver list is what you should be looking for.