Asus UX31 Ultrabook

No its not working....When I hit the power button for 2-3 second it go into sleep mode. NO option will appear on the screen....

 

When will comу out new one UX31A with Ivy Bridge and Matte 1920HD ISP display?

 

Hi guys,

I got a fu*** CPU whine on my UX31...

Plus, the fan is working every 1 minute , even in battery saving mode and only chrome opened

My temp are always between 48 and 50 °C , in battery saving and without doing anything.

Can someone give me his/her temp ?

Tks

Edit ; ha, and look at this : https://docs.google.com/open?id=0BxGvz2QXC8IDOXNhNE9DU09rLWM
I don't know if i can put any glue to fix this >.>

 

For those of you with the UX31E, how has it been for you? I've heard of the mediocre screens, mushy keyboards, slow ssds, etc. So I'm curious what you think? How is the physical quality of the hardware over time? Has anything been broken?

I'm asking since I'm looking to purchase a UX31A or UX32VD. I know a lot of these issues were fixed, but I'm wondering if there are other issues that weren't clearly addressed.

Thanks

 

The design and build quality are great (consistently earns compliments and such). I haven't noticed any unusual wear - only physical sticking point is very minor: the serial number is on a tiny metallic sticker at the bottom that starts slightly peeling from the edges, making the bottom less than smooth. Should be printed on the machine directly (as Apple does).

Main problem for me has been the POS SanDisk U100 SSD (fine for light work, but I multitask quite heavily, and sometimes the machine completely freezes and stutters) -- defeats the purpose of the i7 (can't extract any more performance from it than the i5) and actually makes it slower than my old C2D Air. Keyboard sensitivity is an issue, but you mostly get used to it (i.e. you begin hitting keys harder)- touchpad (Sentelic) is also problematic but with some registry tweaks it's much more usable. The screen is immensely bright (much more than the Air) and has great resolution (thus far 1600x900 is the highest of any non-Sony 13") but has poor black levels and contrast-- I reworked the color profiles, but ultimately the panel's the problem.

On the Prime (UX31A), they've added the 1080p IPS display option, which is probably one of the best LCDs ever in a laptop (even though I'm personally a fan of glossy displays' perceived contrast). Keyboard travel has been increased, though unfortunately in order to add backlighting, they sacrificed the metal key finish (one of the most unique aspects of the UX). Touchpad is the same Elantech one that later UX31Es received (not Apple-quality, but workable).

So Asus has addressed most of the issues, but the big problem I see is that not only have they not replaced the SanDisk U100 SSD, but they've actually standardized on it for all SSD Primes (on the UX31E, some 128GB models used the vastly superior SandForce-powered ADATA SSD). I really hope someone comes out with a Zenbook SSD upgrade (or you could always get the UX32VD and replace the HDD) - the poor SSD really ruins the experience, at least for me.

 

Thanks so much for your feedback on this! I'm familar with the changes made between the Zenbook to the Zenbook Prime, especially in the screen since I'm in graphic design and this is the most important to me. But I was curious on your thoughts on everything else.

My concern is the same as yours with the Sandisk U100. This is the reason I am inclined to get the UX32VD. I'm starting to think it'll even be cheaper than the UX31A. The only drawback is losing that unibody structure and having a plastic bottom. Notebookcheck.com seemed to criticize the VD for this, but from pictures/videos they look nearly identical minus being slightly thicker. Assuming the HDD & RAM can be upgraded on the VD, the positives far outweigh the negative.

I'm thinking of taking the HDD out and popping this baby in (if possible)

Amazon.com: SanDisk Extreme SSD 240GB SATA 6.0 Gb-s 2.5-Inch Solid State Drive- SDSSDX-240G-G25: Computers & Accessories

 

Was going to get a UX32VD, but found a UX31E-DH53 with 256GB SSD for $800. Wanted the UX32VD for the better screen and Ivy, but it would have ended up being $300 or more extra, and with the hybrid HDD/SSD.

I really want a backlit keyboard though. Think there will be a way to put the keyboard from the UX31A in the UX31E?

 

Hello everybody,

I'm going to raise up a quite common question in here, thought it has not been clarified well. It's about your Zen's temperature. I don't mean the inner temp which can be benchmarked by software but the real temperature ON your zen. To be more specific, i'm talking about your feeling on the metal area right above the Function buttons especially the upper right corner near the power input.

Mine always reach the burn point (can feel very clearly when touching it: you cannot keep touching it more than about 5 seconds) whenever i plug it into the wall. Even when i leave it idle without multitasking or programs running, the thing's heated "abnormally".

I've done all possible testing method such as changing power plans, tuning power options. I even went to an Asus distributor to test with another Zen but that one was the same.

I can confirm that when i received my Zen in Nov 2011, it was very normal with cool metal surface and never hot like this.

But as my test's result, does it appear to be the Zen series' common defect? If that, then all of Asus annoucements about Zenbook's cooling system (and also my experience with my own Zen before) were quite wrong.

So I want to ask you about your own experiences on this particular problem. Do you notice irregular heat on your Zen?

Thank you for your concerns,

Jilee.

 

I have a question for all of you longtime Zenbook owners. With a plastic computer, the palmrest area usually gets faded/worn out due to the oils from your hand and wrist. Does the Zenbook do the same thing?

 

I have it since Jan 12, running it around 9 hours/day on power adapter, no problem on heat at all.

The problems I have is on SD Card slot. The grip is loosen every time I plug/unplug SD Card. Now, it is completely useless because it can't read SD Card memory anymore.

USB 2.0 port seem loosen too although not as bad as SD Card Slot.

 

No, but, I have own it only for about 5 months. But its cover traps your fingers mark. You can swipe with cloth to remove it.

 

Grazie incendio that is good to know. Anyone else have their zenbook for a long time and can tell me if their palmrest area has worn off?

 

When I first received mine it felt like it was fresh out of a refrigerator

On a more serious note, as I'm typing this my UX31 is definitely still very cold, the metal strip above the F-keys is about 35C(approximating by comparing to my body temperature). I've got 64 processes running, and I'm guessing that Firefox is taking up the most CPU activity(the utilization hovers around 1 to 5%).

The cooling system works just fine though, I play Dungeon Defenders and Team Fortress 2, and at that point the fan revs up to max, and yet the metal strip is definitely touch-able, but obviously more warm compared to light load.

Mine's pretty new though(about 3 months), and it's practically always in the pouch you got with it, and when in use it's mostly on a clean table as to avoid dust clogging up the fans.

I'd definitely start by reinstalling Windows 7 all over again, especially if you're still using the factory preinstalled version(that has some bloat that at least *I* think are unnecessary).

On an unrelated note, I'm looking for a laptop "support", like when I'm in bed the intake is obviously blocked by the sheets. The ideal stand/support would be a flat piece of metal, perhaps with rounded edges and of course roughly the same size as the Zenbook. I'm not very fond of the various plastic variants out there, as they tend to be, well plastic, and usually takes up a lot of space, which I in turn do not have a lot of when out and about. (Or rather, the space might get suddenly occupied, and having a pretty much flat piece of metal would definitely make it easier to carry around)

 

Got mine today, trackpad was barely usable before installing an up to date driver. Now its not too bad, but keyboard is going to take some getting used to.

 

Anyone else beside me experiences less battery life after flashing to 212? I noticed it right away. Cant understand why Asus will not let you down grade bios....

 

Mine was also very cold before some RMA things and also a replacement. My story is: my previous Zen got some issue -> brought to Asus center -> fixed that issue but it started to be overheated -> asked and requested many times -> were allowed a replacement -> the brandnew replacement is also hot, same like its predecessor -> bring to Asus to test with another brandnew Zen -> find out that this issue seems to affect EVERY Zen nowaday

What the heck??

 

I've searched on the internet but failed to find 9.2.0.1011 version of the driver (ioStor.sys). Could you send a copy of your file to me at [email protected] ?

I'm desperately suffering from a really slow writing speed of my Sandisk U100 256GB (8-10MB/second). Please help me.... Orz

 

My Elan "Smart Detector" does not work. After recently buying my UX31E I spent a few days updating everything (ASUS drivers, Windows), installing / configuring all my software, and copying over my data. While doing these things, I was constantly annoyed when my palms would come in contact with the touchpad. Before buying this PC, I had read there are touchpad issues so I thought what I was experiencing must be one of them and would just have to live with it. Then the other day, I was reviewing the "ASUS Tutor" and read about the "Smart Detector"... I thought, that's exactly what I need so I'll enable it. Well it was already enabled... so that was when I realized it just wasn't working. So I wrote ASUS support and their advice is to set the PC back to factory settings (this is exactly the kind of advise I used to get from HP and one of the reasons I decided to try ASUS). Well I hope this drastic action can be avoided and that there is a smarter way to get the "Smart Detector" to work. In the meantime, I re-installed ASUS' most current touchpad driver (Touchpad_Elantech_Win7_64_Z10590)... but the "Smart Detector" is still not working. I look forward to any advice any of you have for me. Thanks.

 

weird problem:
since today the fan is making more noise than usual. even when i put it in battery saving mode with cpu throttled down. what i also notice is that with the battery saving mode, windows still shows the transparency effects and all, which was not the case before. usually in battery saving mode, all effects were off...

any help appreciated

 

For me the smart detector works as advertised, but I've it turned off since I found it more of a nuisance than a help. The touchpad is pretty much centered physically(around the keyboard), and my hands are rather small so I rarely, if ever, touch the touchpad while typing. It did happen a couple of times in the beginning, but I've learned to not touch the touchpad while writing now. Pretty easy, in my opinion. I prefer learning that over using the smart detector.

Also, I'd definitely recommend reinstalling Windows 7 Home Premium manually and then only get the drivers you're interested in. That would probably solve the issue.

The "standard" implementation is usually better though, which is basically that the touchpad will be off when writing, and when one haven't written anything for maybe 500ms-1s, the touchpad will respond again.

I wish that Asus would make an unlocked version of the Elan control panel, I'd like to map three-finger swipe up and down to other actions and maybe add four-finger swipes if possible. As it stands, you can only toggle things on and off unless you dive into the registry. Perhaps one could make an alternative program for setting settings.

 

Anybody got an idea????

 

Anybody know how to disassemble the LCD ? Need to replace the LCD on a UX31E.

 

This is NOT normal. IN Power4Gear High Performance mode my Zenbook get hots, especially around the adapter socket and function keys. But it is not too much so you can not touch. Its 4-7 degrees more than other parts, thats all.

This Performance is NORMAL for Sandisk U100. If you want much higher and better benchmark performance than you need to get a Zenbook with AData SSD.

Zenbook Prime i7 comes with 256 A-Data SSD, if you get this you can have better benchmark scores. (not better system performance just the benchmark is better)

 

Just wondering if you know this for certain? Im anticipating the arrival of Asus zenbook prime UX31A i7 256GB with Win 7 Pro next wednesday.

However I'm sort of wondering which SSD I will get, out of the Sandisk vs Adata.

Now assuming I get the Sandisk, what will be the NOTABLE disadvantages that can actually be perceived as opposed to having an A-data SSD.

A response answering this would be appreciated and would help settle my anxieties, as I am hesitant about paying premium for a laptop if the SSD is bottleneck.

 

I am not sure but as I know two of my friends got their i7 processor UX31A Zenbooks with A-Data SSDs (but these Zenbooks were Europe version).

But most of the reviews has been done with Zenbooks which they have Sandisk SSD.

IF you compare benchmark results, A-Data is much faster write speed on small, multi-part files. But on everyday use, internet, some gaming, office applications, etc. you can not see any system performance difference. However, if you do picture, video or mp3 editing frequently, then A-Data SSD will be a lot faster than Sandisk.

My Zenbook is more than enough for office and internet usage. It boots less than 22 sec and shutsdown in 20 secs.

 

Oh right see I thought having an Sandisk rather than an A-data wouldve meant my laptop booted slower...programs didnt launch as fast... and anything else like that type of system performance stuff. It actually had me concerned haha.

But yeah I don't do any of that editing stuff...

 

Speaking of SSD's, I looked at a teardown(UX31E, AKA last generation) where I noticed the SSD is a separate card with its own connector. Looked about the same as the Macbook Air. Anybody has any experience in exchanging the SSD's? I'd love to get a ADATA SSD instead, the SanDisk isn't bad but sometimes it does stall the computer for a couple of seconds(usually when unpacking something using 7zip).

 

It's not the same and the replacement for Macbook Air will not fit either (I've asked company producing these).

 

can someone with the computers clarify me how the microphone works?
i cant make it work when plugged in the 3.5 jack...
i tried with 2 mic/earphone and it just works if i press any button in the controls (volume up or down) while depressed mic doesnt work
what headphones mic combo u guys using ??????

 

Hi everbody,

I have a problem with my WifI Card.

I have own it for about 5 months. It was ok, but recently, after using it for a while, about 1- 2 hours, my UX31 become very slow and not responsive.

I managed to locate the problem, it came from Wifi Card.

Suddenly Wifi became unknown to Windows (when boot up, it was ok). I have to disable Wifi Card and install again the driver to solve this problem. I have installed latest driver.

But this is only temporary. The problem occurs again after a few hours using.

Is this a hardware problem or software problem? I am pretty sure that my computer doesn't have viruses.

Hoping to get some help/advice about what to do.

Thanks and regards,
Incendio

 

I have a UX-31 with 256 SSD and running out of room. Has anyone successfully upgraded their SSD?

I've had my UX-31 open and it seems pretty straight forward. THe SSD is not soldiered onto the board as is the memory unfortunately but I was wondering if anyone has:

1. Tried and failed?

a. What brand and model SSD?​

2. Tried and succeeded?

a. What brand and model SSD?​

3. What issues did you run into?

a. BIOS​

b. MOBO​

c. OS / Asus Settings​

d. Size (i.e., fit of new SSD)​

e. Anything else???​

Since we all are in the same boat and we know we will always fill up the HUGE HD, I know someone has already figured it out and I'm not about reinventing the wheel.

In closing, have had my UX-31 i5 (i7 was sold out at the time) since a week after it came out. This is my replacement UX-31. First one did the hardest crash I've ever had with any computer in 20 years but, Asus' warranty and response was AAA+!!! I am sold on Asus from here on out.

1. Keyboard could have been better!!! 1st unit was BAD this unit is much better and only took a little getting used to.
2. Battery life:

a. I run mine at PERFORMANCE settings almost always and easily get 3-5 hours no problem.​

b. I've also run the battery out 7 hours without the wifi and BT turned on. I've been able to stretch 10% battery remaining into almost 70 minutes on a flight when there were no power outlets in 1st.​

3. Startup from sleep is instant and I'm online in less than 5 seconds if it is a recognized access point.
4. Restart is less than a minute from SHUTDOWN to online surfing.
5. Display, hope you have good eyes or your prescription glasses are up to date. With default settings on a 1600x900 screen, text is a little small at least for my eyes but ULTRA CLEAR!!!
6. HEAT - I've read a few post where users complained. This is the COOLEST laptop i've ever used and the hottest it has ever gotten is WARM to the touch. When at home, I'm usually in shorts and this thing is in my lap and warm definitely at times but NEVER HOT!

OVERALL, I LOVE THIS LAPTOP and the fact that it cost less than half of what my first laptop cost $2300 for a Micron XPE MMX166 with 2.1 gb HD and 32 mb memory.

 

As to the SSD in the Asus: I had a total failure as documented in the DEAD Ultrabook forum. I wanted to recover my data from the SSD, so I started looking around. My computer wasn't covered by warranty as it had an unrelated ding in the case, so I had free reign to open it up.
You saw the same as me inside: the SSD is in the "memory stick" format, and the contacts were very small indeed. I didn't find any other SSDs for sale in this format (they all use Mini- or Micro-Sata). That doesn't mean that they don't exist as aftermarket parts, I just wasn't looking.
What I wanted was an adapter so that I could extract the data, and none of the ordinary adapters were small enough. HOWEVER - I noticed that the SSD is almost exactly the same format as the MacBook Air SSD, so I ordered a housing that claimed to be compatible with MacBook Air. Received it in the mail, plugged in my SSD after extraction from the dead Asus, but couldn't get anything to recognize the disk even though it said that the whole thing was Windows or Mac compatible. Maybe the driver circuitry on the adapter board has some Apple-specificity, I don't know.
So the moral of the story is that MacBook Air (later model years SSD) disks will FIT in the Asus, but I can't tell you if they work or not. Mercury Aura Pro has a 480Gb MacBook SSD (for $760!!) but no real easy way to know if it will work in the ASUS under Windows. Good luck!

 

Alright, so either Apple uses their own proprietary pinout(more likely), or there simply isn't any standard - although that sounds less likely.

The manual mentions that you need to change mode to get the jack working as a microphone input. Not sure how though, since I've yet to see a audio control panel.

Try reinstalling Windows(or Ubuntu live usb), if that doesn't work you should probably call Asus and get them to repair/replace the laptop.

 

I've had mine since March, but it's developed an annoying problem. Windows will randomly think there's no battery (crosses out the icon in red) although the machine stays on. After a random period of time though (a minute to an hour) it shuts down. Turning back on gives the "Windows shut down as the battery got low" message, but then when it comes back up the battery still has lots of charge!
When this started happening, the "instant on" when opening the lid stopped working too (it does the slower resume option).
If I press the chassis in random places I make the battery icon come back, so it seems a dodgy connection for the cable / wire that tells windows how much charge there is.
I also have always had the "buzzing when charging" but I assumed it was normal until I came here.

It's a pain RMAing it as i've already been without it when PC World had a look before sending it back with "no accidental damage" - they said they were sending it to Asus! Grr.

Is it worth me opening it to check the leads are connected okay given that the warranty sticker is only on the SSD? Or would they be able to tell some other way?

 

Again, right now there are NO aftermarket SSD's for this ultrabook, only ADATA/SANDISK manufactured for this laptop, available as a spare will fit.

I've looked into this couple months ago, and the closest one is in Macbook Air, it seems similar in pins/size, but it is actually longer and will not fit.

OWC does large replacement SSDs for the MBA and I have enquired about it, they confirmed these SSDs will not fit and they have no replacement for Asus in plans.
Also OWC's SSDs have chips on both sides of the board so they will not fit because of it - in addition to the length.

 

issue with my zenbook

plug in or unplug will shut off the zenbook. anyone else have this problem, any solution to this ?

 

Same here. For me the shut off is random. Just like you plug or unplug will cause it to shut down. Very annoying. I re install Win7 and its been two days now without a shut off (when using the charger) btw I believe this issue started for me when i flashed t the latest bios.

 

I had this problem just once, while plug-in. I thought the battery is very low so the notebook shutdown itself. But it was not, it was a very sudden shut-off.

I believe, its a problem which is not related with Windows.

 

Yeah looks like its a hardware issue not Windows issue. Reformat my UX31 this weekend and today I had my first shutdown. Battery was at 100% and went to unplug the charger from the notebook and it shut off......Thanks Asus

 

I have a UX31 that lives in a drawer now. Every three months or so, (when the battery is completely dead), I can plug it in and it will re-boot, just once, but correctly. After that, it won't start again until the battery is completely drained again. Even if I disconnect the battery, it won't start.

So, I think this is likely to be a problem in the software that handles "sleep" or "instant-on" mode, and/or linked to some hardware between the power button and the boot rom?

It's all very confusing, and very frustrating. This is a great computer in many ways, but I wish ASUS would be more forthcoming with some solutions for owners of bad machines.

Can anybody think of a workaround for this "power-on"-"power-off" problem?
All I want is a hard switch that powers it up, no more cranky suspended modes that stay suspended, or turns the machine off whenever you plug it in or unplug it!

 

For those of you who are looking for a way to utilize that SD slot, the 'Nifty MiniDrive' might just be the thing. Unfortunately the UX31E SD slot is a mere 16mm deep, while the MiniDrive is 22mm deep, so it will still stick out a bit. But it might be interesting if you, for instance, are running something other than Windows, use the USB2 port and want to gain extra storage(the USB3 port does not - what I know of - work while running Linux).
The Nifty MiniDrive by niftydrives — Kickstarter
PS: I don't gain anything for posting this link, I don't know the creator at all so be rest assured I'm not gaining any profit from this.
PPS: I'm not sure if the Pro/Air/Retina versions have different measurements, I've contacted them regarding this.
EDIT: The Retina version is 1mm longer, so that'll stick out even further. The Pro & Air versions are supposedly exactly as long, only the "cap"/the end that point outwards differ.

 

Amazon is selling two versions of the UX31A, specs are the same (128 GB SSD / 4 GB 1600 / 1080 IPS) except:

UX31A-DB51:
- $980 ($1080 - $100 included Amazon gift card promo)
- i5-3317U

UX31A-AB71:
- $1200 ($1300 - $100 GC)
- i7-3517U

If my planned usage is light-to-moderate (little to no gaming), is the i7 upgrade worth $220?

 

Nope its not worth it really. Even when ur gaming, given this machine is not a gaming machine it doesnt make sense spending more for that upgrade. Stick with core i5, the only upgrade I would say to check for would be the 256 gb one.

 

depends on the game you are playing (the difference in fps). Otherwise, faster CPU also affects the speed of integrated graphics, you will probably see a 0.1 difference in WEI score.

 

I bought my UX31E last June. Surprisingly enough, two weeks later the left hinge derailed when closing the ultrabook lid. After writing to ASUS service and sending them pictures of the faulty hinge as per their request, they now tell me (after 16 days!!) that the guarantee does not cover such failure!!!!!!!!! Outrageous for a 1000+ euro laptop!!!!!!!!!!! I may try to fix it myself if I find a service guide for this model. Can anyone provide me some help with a link to it?
Thanks folks (and never ever buy an ASUS ultrabook...)

 

Chembill you can follow this link to post your problem. I found it the shortest way to contact to Asus, as a representative of the Brand called Jeffrey will go online almost everyday and will reply your problem with a available mailbox and even a Case ID

Hope this helps

 

Since the UX31E has a combijack, is it possible to use an adapter like this one to be able to connect both headphones and a microphone at the same time? Anybody tested?

 

Thanks a lot, jilee. Now I understand why the link you mention contains 93.4% of negative comments about the ASUS Customer Service. Actually, as I mentioned in my post, they sent me an e-mail one day after my phone call. The incredible situation was that (i) they asked my for pictures of the problem (no other customer service did so ever before); (ii) 16 days later after sending them the pictures immediately, and only after my reminder by e-mail, they send me a second e-mail stating that my problem was NOT covered by the ASUS "limited" guarantee; (iii) in the same mail they offered me to have alook at the problem themselves if I was sending them my brand-new ultrabook (of course, paying for the returning charges) and paying them just for having a look at it (25 eur+VAT if I did not accept their repair cost estimate)!!!
Even without having a Service Guide book, I dared to open the ultrabook and have a look at the problem just to realize that the left hinge was faulty: the two screws that fix it to the metal block on the LCD lid bottom edge did not screw properly in their sockets (those in the the right one were firmly tighten though); that's why the hinge derailed when closing the lid). A small amount of metal-filled 2-comp epoxy and 10 min work (not taking into account 24 h allowed for the adhesive hardening) did a wonderful job and my ultrabook is back to work with the lid opening/closing normally. ¿The cost of my repair? About 8 eur (ca. 10 bucks) of the smallest size epoxy glue and 5 eur of the torx screwdriver to open the ultrabook bottom plate ( ASUS Zenbook UX31E-DH72 13.3 Inch Disassembly and Teardown)...

 

Hi there,

has anybody tried to replace the keyboard like Hakkan suggested?
I heard one could simply order the replacement keyboards from asusparts.eu around 40 EUR?
In this review i found pictures of replacing the keyboard from english to german layout.

Wonder if that works for UX31E to UX31A keyboard as well and if backlit is working as well?


thanks for letting me know,
mb277

 

I just contacted Asusparts and asked if the keyboards share the same dimensions and connectors. The backlight toggle might be all software, then you could probably just download the ATKACPI utility from the UX31A page and the toggle should work. I *believe* that the WiFi indicator is done in software(since it toggles both BT and WiFi, and shows the status as well), so I'd assume that the backlight is done in the same manner.

Fun trivia: I live about an hour from where Asusparts have their headquarters(and perhaps their warehouse).