Crap - should I have gotten the Z70va instead of the Z83V?

Just for the fact that it would be miles ahead in terms of build quality, due to the carbon fibre chasis. Crap, Im sitting here, crying thinking maybe i should have got it, as I was 99% about to, until I found out about the Z83v. And screw the 17'' LCD that i have now, and hello to the carbon fibre. That is the ONLY reason i was even interested in the Z70va is the metal casing. Both were the same amount of money, bit more features on the Z83v deal though. Same specs, just built in tv tuner which is cool, free bluetooth (not that ill ever used it), etc.

 

Carbon fibre isn't metal

 

oh i know, but carbon fibre is like a magnesium alloy. and its tougher than plastic.,

Not saying im unhappy of the build one mine, frankly the build on this blows toshibas out of the water, even their tecra business line. There was only a couple minor quirks I had out of the box.

1. It didnt lie completely flat, the left foot towards me was bit raised, but the distance was like the thickness of 2 thin sheets of tape. So it wasnt a bit deal and i just put some black tape on that foot underneath, now its fine.

2. The keyboard flexes a bit. If i press down andhold on certain parts, particularly the left side is more flexy than the centre and right. The caps, tab, and left shift is fine, but inbetween the Q,A,Z and RFV keys there is some. Really only noticeable if i type bit harder, but if i type super soft, then i wont notice it. I would like to get rid of it if possible though. the space, enter and backspace keys feel amazing though - thoose are the most important for feel...they have to feel nice and solid for me. Ive used so many toshibas where every key will press diffferently, definitely a sign of cheap quality. Also, my period key feels bit different than the others.

 

Don't stress it. The Z70 may be CF/ but it is indistinguishable from plastic on its looks. CF is stronger, but they make it super thin, so the notebook itself isn't stronger, it’s just lighter. If that makes sense.

Also, there have been a couple of complaints that the back hinge area of the Z70 (M6) cracks over time. Also, the screen frame was manufactured to fit either a widescreen or a standard, so there is a large unneeded gap on the top and bottom of the screen. I’m not saying any of these things are necessarily bad, but that no matter what notebook you buy, you will find things that bug you. The screen thing bugged me about the Z70, and that’s why I didn’t get it.

There are pro’s and con’s to every notebook. Enjoy what you have, it is an excellent notebook. If you really want to feel better, go to a local university and look at all the Dell’s. Then say to yourself “I’m glad I didn’t end up with that piece of crap!”

 

GregM is on the dot, its stronger, yes, but isn't as thick. Also its slightly more rigid then plastic, but in some cases, more of a 'gimmick'

 

Thanks for the comments mate.

So far im very happy with the unit. Once i took it out of the box i thought it looked so nice with the black accents but not as nice as others. but remember to me now, Build quality>Looks. And as time as passed, im loving the simple looks of it more and more. Simple, nothing out of this world, but very classy. Ex - look at the powerbook, nothing mind blowing, but simple is always better.

Thanks for clearing that up about the CF. Like I said the only gripe I have with mine is the keyboard, though its still better than any toshiba to date. I would still like to get rid of the flex though. You know what it sounds like when a key is pressed and it flexes right? sounds bit hollow underneath. Normally when you press a key you should just hear the key itself being pressed, but when it flexes you always hear a hollow sound.

Its wierd, the left tab, caps, shift keys, up along the edge are rock solid. Just the Q,W,A,S,Z,X,P and period keys.

Im going to post pics shortly.

This machine runs freakin loud, wouldnt mind it running quieter. I notice my fan always on, is there a way to adjust that? could that be why? not sure if its the Hard drive or fan.

 

is it easy to pop off asus keyboards like it is on toshibas?

 

oh, and im fallin in love with my built in tv tuner hehe.

 

The keyboard shouldn't be hard.

On the bottom, there should be two screws marked 'K'. First of all, tighten those and see if the flex still exists.

If you want to remove it, take the K screws out, then above your keyboard, above the F-1, etc. keys, try to look for tabs, that is where you take a flat edge and 'poke' the tabs so it unlocks the keyboard out.

 

Coriolis, you mentioned couple days ago how you were playing with one that you reviewedand you noticed the top edge loose right? thats what happened to mine out of the box, i had to push on the top egde lightly and it clipped in better. whast up with that?

ill try that trick right now.

 

it is just carbon fiber composite, not woven carbon fiber so it is basically going to look and feel just like plastic.

 

i guess i should have gone with a seagate hd instead of samsung, for the fact that its quieter. but i heard samsungs are good too.

Toshibas are crap, thank god i didnt get one.

 

i just realized how asus was able to get mine so thin, cause its deeper than most other laptops. The palmrest is really big, wouldnt mind if it was bit shorter, but thats ok.

 

Coriolist, bottom of the unit or keyboard you mean? i dont see any screws visible around the keyboard. Unless theres a cover that comes off.

 

Hmmm, perhaps the keyboard wasn't on right for yours, thats why it 'clipped'?

I'm not sure.

But yea, I felt flex at the sides, but remember, to me, flex is when you BASH the keyboard

 

i just dont see how this keyboard comes off. theres no way anything comes off the top to reveal screws. hmmm, gotta fix this, i know thers got to be a way.

Do you normally type hard on laptops? My bro in laws, its best to type soft as you can, barely touching the keys. Even if you have to key in stuff with one hand.

 

OK, I don't see it neither heh.

Better if you phone/email Danny and ask where the screws are!

 

SexyBeast, I know you just got the notebook, but if it's running loud because the fan's kicking on you could try software undervolting and see if it makes a difference.

 

is it bad long term if the fan is always on? how do i undervolt?

 

bad idea, cause if i have problems in the future he might void the warranty or think i damaged it by opening part of it up, even ifits just the keyboard.

Cor - you have a z83v as well? wow

 

I don't think it's bad long term to have the fan on. These machines are made to run a little hotter than desktops.

As far as undervolting goes, what I had in mind is using RMClock or something similar that will modify the P states to a lower voltage than the default. I don't think it would void your warranty, but admittedly I'm not completely sure.

 

Nah, I wish

Hmmm, hard to say on the keyboard, but usually its easy, but your decision.

 

Is it normal for the computer to lag bad when transfering big files from cd to HDD? is it cause the dvd is only 8x? Like frigg, im transfering 1gb and its taking like 10mins

 

guess it works the cpu pretty hardwhen transfering

 

Actually, it's because reading the CD is slow... the thing spins pretty slow, afterall. I don't think the CPU has to work THAT hard...

 

You know if the keyboard bugs you that much. You can probably take it off and put something under it to stabilize it. like some paper in the areas it flexs. Ive heard of people doing that with some other brands.

 

would it ruin it long term? if not, i would do it...just have to find out how to get the keyboard off.

would this problem bother you at all? you know how we all are with new toys

 

I am like that with new toys. but ive had so many notebooks i have gotten used to the trate of flex. but none of the notebooks i have now have much of any. i dont see putting something under it causing any issues. if you have a question ask justin at proportable he will tell if if its possible on that model.

 

Its just bit surprisingly a laptop fan is on 24/7. Sounds and feels like im running a desktop

 

Is justin on this site?

Well i cant see any harm it would do, but maybe bent of reshape the keyboard overtime? But if its very little i dont see it doing anything bad.

Its just the matter figuring out how to get the keyboard off.

I dont know what it is, but all laptop keyboards are just flexy. Its always been something that has bothered me. Some are super flexy, as they go for the touch typing with springy keys (toshiba, acer), and they feel super cheap and annoying. And I do mean, super cheap and annoying. Just the other day I was playing with a Toshiba P100, and I swear the entire right half of t he keyboard sinks half an inch as it has a huge space gap under it. that is just awful, why would someone be ok wit hthat when spending 2k on a notebook. Especially for a duo core, they need to build them better. That is one of the big reasons ive given up on toshibas forever.

i just need to find a way to get this keyboard off.

hmmm, googled it and nothing.

 

Actually now when i think of it, i wouldnt mind if i had gotten the z70va instead because **** z83v is big lol. Danny at Canada sys warned me, its not to be moved around haha, and i said i know. but i never knew it was also 8.2lbs, yikes. Thank god i work out and have massive arms, but still lol

i dont think he will change it. as i read somewhere, they only do if defective, but then im sure if i ask for another model he would wonder why. Not a big deal...

My main goal is to fix the keyboard and find how to get it off.

 

Ok I have done some math, and now that I come to think of it, I made the best decision. Needs and value wise. Sure I have some things that I may never make use of = ex. Bluetooth. But the thing is, i would have been quite dumb NOT to get this over the z70va.

The deals CanadaSys offered me was

$1650 for Z70V with 1.73PM, X600 video (which is still doable for me), dvdrw, 1gb ram, 80gb 5400 hdd.

$1728 for Z70VA (no bluetooht), same specs but with X700 video. So basically $78 more to go from 64 to 128mb video.

Or just pay a measly $49cdn more and get a 17'' screen, built in tv tuner with remote, and bluetooth and FREE windows XP MCE edition. Now that is a deal, woudlnt you say? Making it $1777

$127 difference from tge Z70V to Z83VB
-X600 to X700 video
-FREE XP MCE edition
-15.4 to 17'' LCD
-tv tuner with remote
-BT

 

Well, it all depends on usage... 15.4" --> 17" isn't always considered an "upgrade" since many users prefer a smaller form factor.

And man do you keep beating yourself up over this...
Just be glad with what you have! You made your decision...stick with it; it wasn't a bad one.

 

Dude, seriously, download Notebook Hardware Control. There are instructions on how to use it on the site. Also, do a search on this forum & Notebookforums.com. You'll have plenty of info. It is the best thing you can do to your lappy. I dropped about 10 degrees just by undervolting.

Also, AuroraS is right - CHILL OUT! All notebooks have their quirks. The keyboard will only bug you if you let it. If the keyboard were perfect, you would find something else to bug you. I get the same way. The engineers motto is "if it aint broke, fix it till it is". - You are heading in that direction. You might break something or make it worse. Just enjoy it!

If you’re like this with everything – my advice it to never get married.

 

Trust me, I will never find a girl anyways

Im trying to relax but its hard. I just want to get rid of the flex on my keyboard and im all good. It was my birthday yesterday and all I thought about was this

 

Yeah, but you have to strength train, not just build muscle...

See this thread on strength training vs building muscle at John Stone Fitness (non-commercia fitness equivalent to Notebookreview.com ... some crossover members.)

/hijack

 

SB -- Happy Birthday

It's my birthday too -- (my first post.)

Been following your new journey - an awesome one indeed ASUS Z83VB
pretty **** nice!

My Z70Va shows up later this week, and I'm feelin' like a lil kid.

I am worried about the flex stuff, but I'm gonna take a lil time to get to know my new baby first.

Uhh, I appreciate your excitement -- hell, you even make me think bout the Fedex guy at my door even more. Guess I am kinda OCD, or whatever thats called.

I gotta say, don't tear your new lappy apart just yet -- give it a couple days, and look for a service manual -- IF you walk into this blind ya may just schmuck yourself major.

IF I have a **** flex problem -- I will probly be as bad, or worse than you !

I would never stuff paper in my lappy, I would look into something better -- maybe some kinda firm foam,-- give it some time bro-- love your lappy for the good points for a while first.

Sorry to sound like some idiot-- just my thoughts

Celadon

 

Awesome thing is -- either you are having tooooo much fun with your new lappy or ....

Celadon- green (w/ nv) kinda

 

Thanks for your comments. I've been wrestling with the issue of the Z70's size, its build idiosyncrasies and whether to skip into the next chipset/CPU genre.

That said as I noticed you use the Z63? I like the size v. weight/form of that model and would like to know it's pro/con and what material it's constructed from. I can't seem to find a list of materials that ID each case other than to make a list from reading reviews, here and there. Thanks.

 

Whitney: It's made out of a carbon fiber/ABS plastic alloy.

 

Thanks, Aurora! Wo...you have one, too? BTW, do you have any buyer's envy over the new Z62f coming out with Duo Core? Certainly, the Z63a has it all over that one on form and build materials...It's between them in the final run down.