Choosing between U36 and U31

Hello everyone,

I need to buy a new 13" in the US within the next month, and I've reduced my choices to the U36 or the U31. I've seen several reviews of the U36 already, but none of the (cheaper, and thus in principle more appealing) U31. I've also seen that the big thread on the U41/31 deals mostly with the 41, so it's of no help.

I'd really appreciate some advice on how these two laptops compare:

1) with regard to screen quality;
2) with regard the power of the GPU (i.e. 310 v. 415), and
3) with regard to portability, build quality and battery life.

Thanks a lot!

 

Hi markom,

I actually had a similar dilemma a few weeks back, but I decided to go with the U31JG-a1. You are completely right, there are almost no opinions of the U31 out there so I kinda took a chance. I've had it for a few days now, and here's what I think:

1. The screen seems to be of decent quality to me. Colors are bright and fairly accurate. Horizontal viewing angles are good, but the vertical, not so much. It's really not terrible, I have definitely used worse laptop screens in the past. Keep in mind it is a glare-type screen, as this gets annoying sometimes (with the benefit of better colors/ brighter display).

2. I find the gt 415m quite impressive compared to the predecessor, the 310m. I did a quick 3dmark06 and got 4306 on the default resolution. That is approximately 1000 points greater than the average U35 with the 310m. Additionally it is a newer architecture, so it's performance may be greater in ways that 3dmark06 cannot show.
The only game I had time to play so far was portal. It played at native resolution, max settings, with 2xaa without any slowdowns (sorry no fraps yet).
This machine is no gaming rig, but it will play most games at mid settings easily.

3. As I am a college student, portability was probably the most important criteria for me, which is why I did not opt for a U41. This machine is very light, and I often forget I am carrying it in my backpack. Keep in mind however, the charger is quite bulky (thankfully i no longer have to carry a charger anymore).
Build quality is quite subjective, but so far I am pleased with this laptop's build quality. Coming from a 15" Hp, this laptop feels noticeably more solid and well made. The lid is beautifully crafted aluminum, with the rest of the machine being made of sturdy plastics (including the palm-rests, which is plastic that resembles aluminum.) A few important things to mention: The keyboard does have noticeable flex, but that is something that doesn't bother me at all. Additionally, When the lid is closed and you press down on the lid near the battery, you will notice flex. This is because there are 2 hinges on the sides, with nothing supporting the middle. It's really not a big issue, just something to note.
Battery life is good as expected. Light web browsing in quite office mode and low brightness will yield 7 hours battery life easily (maybe more). Video watching ~4hours, gaming ~2-3. Nvidia optimus works well at determining which applications should use the integrated or dedicated graphics, or you can control that yourself (through the nvidia control panel)

Other things of note: The laptop is quiet for the most part when unstressed. The cooling system seems quite efficient, as I have seen no temperatures above 76C with no additional cooling during heavy load.
One oddity, in battery saver mode, the fan seems to constantly be on max, even if you change the mode to quiet office again. It stays this way until the computer is restarted or hibernated. I end up just leaving it on quiet office to avoid this hassle. The battery life hit seems to be minimal. If I'm gaming or plugged in, I switch to high performance.

Conclusion: I think this laptop fit my needs perfectly as a small, lightweight, powerful (cpu and gpu), computer with a great battery life. I dont think the markup on the u36 for the magnesium and usb 3.0, but with a slower gpu are worth it at all. Well that's my opinion anyways, hope it helps!

 

I'm also in the market for a U31JG and had similar questions.

Thanks a ton CrazyGuy for the detailed review, that really helps address some of my concerns about the 415m chip being a worthy upgrade.

Still not sure if I'll hold out for a SB 13.3" with decent graphics or get a U31jg just yet.

 

Build quality wise, the U36 has the upper hand. The chassis and keyboard is virtually flex-free.
If you gaming is a high priority, then the U31 would be a better choice. However, this isn't to say the U36 is incompetent either. The CPU on the U36 is a much stronger processor and would perform you play RTS games, a faster processor would benefit you much more.

 

What about the thickness of the u31? The u41 seem pretty thick compare to the u36 or the Macbook Pro. I've got a 15inc Macbook Pro which is quite slim so I hope its not too thick in comparison. If you could take some pictures that would be awesome.

 

The U31 is about a quarter of an inch thicker than the U36. You can see all three new U series laptops in this video, although there is no direct thickness comparison. Note also that the presenter mistakenly calls the U36 a U31 at the beginning of the video.

YouTube - Asus U36, U31 and U41 hands on

 

Thanks to everyone for your comments, especially to CrazyGuy for his detailed review of the U31. It really is starting to look appealing - there is a U31JG-XA1 available for pre-order on Amazon for just 700$. I hope they get it soon!

 

I agree with the OP, there are virtually no reviews out there for the u31. Great review crazyguy, btw. I am going to way for the pre-order on from amazon. Sounds like a great all around machine.

 

Hi guys.

Thanks crazyguy248 for your review. i've a questions:
Which is the battery? 8cell 6cell 4cell?
Could you make some photos? (I am interested to the prominence of the battery, in the case there was)

anyway thanks for the review, it's only complete.

 

Thanks for review Crazyguy, I've been looking at this laptop as a good compromise between portability and still being able to do some gaming and based on your comments it looks like this is the case.

Following a couple of comments here I checked out Amazon's site and see the U31JG-A1 listed as available for $814 and the U31JG-XA1 as pre-order for $699. Specs-wise these look identical so does anyone know why there is such a large saving on the XA1?

 

I'm not completely sure, but I think it has something to du with the warranty. I think i've read somewhere in this ( http://forum.notebookreview.com/asus/532537-asus-u41jf-u31jg-21.html) thread about only one year warranty on the U31JG-XA1 modell and not Asus normal two year warranty + one year accidental (which exists in the US. Correct me if I'm wrong).

R

 

Just took another look at the Amazon page and there is indeed a difference in the warranty periods like you mentioned. I know giving customers choice is probably a priority but I think Asus make this stuff just too confusing sometimes

I'm going to be ordering this from New Zealand and have just noticed on Amazon that with the 2 year warranty it is available internationally but the XA1 with the 1 year warranty is not. I wonder if the 2 year warranty is also an international warranty.

I also just came across this model U31JG-RX104V which seems to be the variant available locally in NZ that comes with an i5-480M so I guess that's another one to consider.

 

I'm not that into all the warranty stuff from Asus, but I think Asus Nordic only offers 2 year global warranty on all models present on the market here. So it differs a bit. Just don't take my word for granted, but double check these things before you make any decision.

R

 

Hello,

any idea if it's possible to put SSD and regular spinning drive together into U31JG? I mean is there enough physical space for the two drives? If so what SSD shall I think about, 2.5'' or 3.5''?
I'm asking cause i thought it'd be nice to have OS and programs on SSD while everything else on regular HD.

Regards,
Matt.

 

There's not enough space to put 2 drives in the U31. Plus, AFAIK, no laptop ever made was able to fit a 3.5" hard drive.

 

Thank you for your reply.
In such a case I'm thinking about replacing the spinning HD with SSD. What 100-240GB SSD would you recommend to put into the U31JG: OCZ, INTEL, or something else? I assume 2.5'' 34nm TRIM.

Best,
zumulko.

 

How bad is the keyboard? is the flex significant, like when you type the keyboard flexes (kind of like on the U41), or is it only if you really put some pressure on it?

 

My research, abeit limited, concluded that if you want reliability then Intel is the choice. If you want price-value OCZ. Corsair, Samsung, G.Skill, etc..are all good also.

I bought Intel and I have to say I did not regret it a bit. I particularly like the Intel SSD tool kit.

 

Have any of you that have the U31 experienced the high pitched whine that many ASUS laptop owners have heard? Also, is the U31 XA1 from Amazon the same machine as the regular U31 except for the warrantee and color, or does ASUS alter any internal parts for it to be less money?