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    Ivy Bridge Zenbook with FHD IPS screen UX21A UX31A UX32A UX32VD

    Discussion in 'Asus' started by Mech0z, Apr 25, 2012.

  1. Croak

    Croak Notebook Consultant

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    As a fellow Vancouverite, I should mention as of this morning, NCIX on Broadway has the UX32VD in stock. Might want to look at the new model, the build quality has went up a bit, the new KB improves the feel.

    And the 2012 Series 9 looks quite a bit different than the 2011 model. It's a different material, different chassis, it's more "industrial" looking, losing the curves. You may not be as smitten.

    All that said, while I was going to get the UX32VD, I ended up going another direction entirely and bought an i7 Ivy Bridge Sony S series 15".

    Decided I preferred a bit larger screen, a real (not ULV) CPU, and it has a much better GPU as well (Kepler 640LE). The GPU is important to me, I'm a Windows game developer. It's also 1080p IPS semi-matte display, and looks great.

    And equally important to me, it was in stock at my local Sony Style store late last week.

    Since I'm going to be flying to London UK tomorrow, and will be there for a month I wouldn't have had time to set the UX32VD up for my trip (SSD upgrade, RAM upgrade, installs, etc) seeing as today after 10AM was the earliest I could have it in my hands and I have a buttload of things to do today and tomorrow to get prepped for the trip already.

    Anyway, the Sony isn't an ultrabook, but with the SSD installed it's 4.2 pounds, less than the listed weight of the MBP Retina. It's also not as sexy as the Series 9 or Zenbooks, but it's not bad...it doesn't look like it's trying to be a MacBook Pro or Air, and it's nicely understated. It does have a full-metal exterior (magnesium) going for it as well. Has a surface that looks and feels like, well, an HTC One S. :)
     
    Croak, Jun 21, 2012
    #851
  2. lasko25

    lasko25 Notebook Enthusiast

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    I was going to purchase this instead of the UX32VD simply because it was available a few weeks ago when I really really wanted to get a new computer. Though the price tag was just too high, even after I upgrade the memory (to 10gb not 8) and the HDD with a SSD, the price is still lower than the Sony S. AND the Sony S has its graphics card as an external device (as far as I'm aware).
    That said, I was stunned by the Sony S when I first came across it, unfortunately no stores had it in stock near me, otherwise I just might have purchased it.
     
    lasko25, Jun 21, 2012
    #852
  3. merkman

    merkman Notebook Consultant

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    My morning discovery. Was pretty smitten with the 32. Had it in my cart at NewEgg with the Corsair 8GB memory module upgrade. But I wondered about the graphics performance from the video card. So I found these results here...

    NVIDIA GeForce GT 620M Review - Performance

    Now I didn't expect these graphics to blow away the ATI 5870 Mobility in my ASUS G73 laptop, it's a dedicated gaming rig for crying out loud. But the under 1000 score kinda put me off. THAT bad for a dedicated video solution?

    Figured this MUST be better than the built in graphics, so I looked up the Intel 4000 solution on the same site and found these results...

    Intel HD Graphics 4000 Review - Performance

    And I was like ? Why would they even bother with the Nvidia solution if these benchmarks are correct? Maybe I'm missing something, so if anyone can comment on the gfx performance of the UX32VD with it's GT 620M video, I'd sure love to hear it. Otherwise, I'm out for now.
     
    merkman, Jun 21, 2012
    #853
  4. ComradeNF

    ComradeNF Notebook Evangelist

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    Regarding the 1080p display, does the laptop upscale the display, or is it just standard 1080p? If it is standard wouldn't text be very difficult to read on such a small screen and high resolution?
     
    ComradeNF, Jun 21, 2012
    #854
  5. Industrie13

    Industrie13 Notebook Enthusiast

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    oh wow...that is extremely odd.

    I definitely want someone to justify the fact that intel hd 4000 is getting better results on gaming performance than the Nvidia 620m?? Is there something I'm missing as well?
     
    Industrie13, Jun 21, 2012
    #855
  6. Don1

    Don1 Notebook Deity

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    If you think that's bad imagine the new MB Pro at 2880x1800 if you couldn't adjust it.
     
    Don1, Jun 21, 2012
    #856
  7. Industrie13

    Industrie13 Notebook Enthusiast

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    Okay I figured out why the big discrepancy. Reason is, you've made a comparison with the 620M and the INTEL HD 4000, and NOT the Intel HD 4000 Mobility version, which is the onboard GPU used by the UX31A.

    NVIDIA GeForce GT 620M - Benchmarks

    Compare it with Intel HD 4000 Mobile

    Results =
    620m - 940
    intel HD 4000 - 590
     
    Industrie13, Jun 21, 2012
    #857
  8. Icete

    Icete Notebook Enthusiast

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    Don't forget the price...
    I was looking too for the SS9 but 15 inch and the price really high compared to the UX32VD and without full hd resolution only 1600x900 makes me choose the ux32vd... :)
     
    Icete, Jun 21, 2012
    #858
  9. Ishman

    Ishman Notebook Enthusiast

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    Ishman, Jun 21, 2012
    #859
  10. AlwaysSearching

    AlwaysSearching Notebook Evangelist

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    Obviously the 620M is not going to compare to a 5870 that was the top card available 2 yrs ago but the one review on the 620M that NotebookCheck has ( which btw was a UX32 ) shows a good 30-40% increase over the HD4000 ( both bench and ingame fps ).

    Not bad really imo. Of course I would like something that could play bf3 in the same size computer but will probably have to wait a couple months for that :)
     
    AlwaysSearching, Jun 21, 2012
    #860
  11. CKtalon

    CKtalon Notebook Enthusiast

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    It is standard. I guess it depends on yourself (eyes) and how you use Windows' DPI scaling settings (which aren't that great).
     
    CKtalon, Jun 21, 2012
    #861
  12. jaw4527

    jaw4527 Notebook Enthusiast

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    can i run two external monitors on this system (laptop screen closed with two monitors)? ive been getting conflicting answers on this

    thanks
     
    jaw4527, Jun 21, 2012
    #862
  13. Industrie13

    Industrie13 Notebook Enthusiast

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    Industrie13, Jun 21, 2012
    #863
  14. SniperJoe

    SniperJoe Notebook Enthusiast

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    EDIT: Ishman and AlwaysSearching have already posted this.

    NotebookCheck's review of performance between the two indicated that Diablo III using the 620M pushed roughly twice the frames per second of the HD 4000 integrated graphics.

    Review Asus Zenbook UX32VD Ultrabook - Notebookcheck.net Reviews

    I think the discrepancy lies in the fact that the number they're quoting in the comparison that Merkman posted is the pure GPU theoretical performance level of that chip, not any specific card. In the Notebookcheck review above, the comparison of 3D Mark Vantage for the UX32VD yielded a score of 3,671 with the 620M and 2,578 with the HD 4000.
     
    SniperJoe, Jun 21, 2012
    #864
  15. Industrie13

    Industrie13 Notebook Enthusiast

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    Hahah yeah thanks for the info, although I corrected the discrepancy soon after i posted :p The link he provided was not to the Mobility Intel HD4000 version.
     
    Industrie13, Jun 21, 2012
    #865
  16. ciabatta

    ciabatta Newbie

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    ciabatta, Jun 21, 2012
    #866
  17. zackiv31

    zackiv31 Notebook Consultant

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    As far as retailers go, B&H, ExcaliburPC, Amazon, NewEgg, Adorama... who has the best return policy for open box items?

    I know Best Buy has no restocking fee even for open box. Do any of these retailers have something similar if I just don't like it?
     
    zackiv31, Jun 21, 2012
    #867
  18. Mikers

    Mikers Notebook Guru

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    After performing a fresh install and getting everything set to where I want to, I've noticed the fan going a little crazy. The ambient temperature in the office is literally Room Temperature but the fan kicks in every few minutes and dies out slowly. Ugh. I updated the BIOS of 206 hoping that would address it but alas...nope.

    Just a heads up on anyone else planning on performing a clean install.
     
    Mikers, Jun 21, 2012
    #868
  19. AlwaysSearching

    AlwaysSearching Notebook Evangelist

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    Anyone have a idea on what the UX32VD will run with the i5 and 768p? Can't seem to find this anywhere although someone in this thread has already bought this configuration.
     
    AlwaysSearching, Jun 21, 2012
    #869
  20. Industrie13

    Industrie13 Notebook Enthusiast

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    Hey Just wondering if you could check which SSD you got in your UX31A? Would be helpful to know as people are speculating on wether the new zenbooks are coming with Sandisks or SandForce A-data.

    As far as I can see having a Sandisk SSD might be a deterrent from me paying premium for a laptop.
     
    Industrie13, Jun 21, 2012
    #870
  21. reddd123

    reddd123 Notebook Consultant

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    If I am not mistaken the prime has 2 USB 3.0 ports and the ss9 has 1. Now I'm just waiting for amazon to give it retail price, some andro store has it for 1029.
     
    reddd123, Jun 21, 2012
    #871
  22. chicgeek

    chicgeek Notebook Consultant

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    NCIX is on my way home, I'll check it out today. Thanks for the heads up!
     
    chicgeek, Jun 21, 2012
    #872
  23. deprest

    deprest Notebook Enthusiast

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    deprest, Jun 21, 2012
    #873
  24. Mikers

    Mikers Notebook Guru

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    A-Data. So says the Disk Management console in Windows. I believe the lower end models actually shipped with the slower Sandisk drives.
     
    Mikers, Jun 21, 2012
    #874
  25. Don1

    Don1 Notebook Deity

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    It has always been a crapshoot since the original UX31..about one in 5 come with the A-data and the rest with Sandisk..there is no "norm" with these.
     
    Don1, Jun 21, 2012
    #875
  26. deteplete2

    deteplete2 Newbie

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    Just bought the UX31A with the following specs:
    i5, 4gb ddr1333, full hd ips 1920 x 1080, 128 gb adata sata3 drive for 980 euro inc. euro vat 18% tax.

    Small review:
    - This laptop is a work of art. The screen resolution is amazing, the viewing angles and colors are best I've seen so far on a laptop screen or any screen for a matter of fact. Angles/Colors/Brightness/0 dead pixels - and honestly I don't feel I miss a retina display, something I was considering as well (the Macbook pro with retina).

    - Form factor: you can't ask anything more.

    - Speakers: nice and clear and reasonable, unlike on an Acer ultrabook I had before. For this form factor, I'm perfectly satisfied.

    - Charger: tiny! you can carry it in your pocket!

    - Noise, even when the fun is running, when watching 1080p youtube videos or working with cpu intensive tasks, it's inaudible, it spins but you have to be in a silent room to be able to find it obtrusive. No complaints here at all.


    Ok, I will avoid listing the positives since there are so many, I'll just list the negatives:

    - Laptop came setup with 40Hz refresh rate for the display, ? Looked slow and horrible. Did have to use the intel utility to set it up to 60hz and it's perfect now.

    - Touchpad, it's bad if you don't tweak it. Disable the inertia scroll - it sux, disable bunch of options since they suck and you can replicate a macbook touchpad experience. Virtually I disabled like 80% of the crap they had enabled by default.

    - Bloatware, tons of it, if you have time better install your own version of windows.

    - Exterior finish is a fingerprint magnet, the polished lid exterior especially. Oily fat fingers easily show up.

    8.5/10, for the above negatives + the price (I feel it should be 800euro max, perhaps it will fall down to that level in 2 moths but considering the macbook air always keeps the high price tag, it's doubtful, unless they clear inventory to make way for new models.

    Overall perfectly pleased and I would recommend this product to others. My guess is that in the future, it should be easy to install OSX as well once the hackintosh developers get a hang of it, perhaps it might be possible even now.
     
    deteplete2, Jun 21, 2012
    #876
  27. reddd123

    reddd123 Notebook Consultant

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    There is no return policy on androama correct?
     
    reddd123, Jun 21, 2012
    #877
  28. unsped

    unsped Newbie

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    I think the idea is that these are aimed at Windows 8 and Metro which supposedly handles scaling decently, however your desktop and legacy apps will be teeeny tiny yes.
     
    unsped, Jun 21, 2012
    #878
  29. unsped

    unsped Newbie

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    Decisions, desicions ... ux21a ... wait for the transformer note / surface tablet
     
    unsped, Jun 21, 2012
    #879
  30. Don1

    Don1 Notebook Deity

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    Their policy is that you can't return laptops period. I guess that wouldn't include anything dead on delivery.
     
    Don1, Jun 21, 2012
    #880
  31. CKtalon

    CKtalon Notebook Enthusiast

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    For future reference, could you list the settings you disabled on the trackpad?
     
    CKtalon, Jun 21, 2012
    #881
  32. CompUG

    CompUG Notebook Evangelist

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    Yup none. 10 charrr
     
    CompUG, Jun 21, 2012
    #882
  33. conscriptvirus

    conscriptvirus Notebook Evangelist

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    Thinking of getting this from the deal on androama

    Questions:
    Is the RAM upgradable? Like, is it easy to open up the laptop to access the ram? or do I have to take out the keyboard and everything..
    and
    How heavy is the AC adapter?


    Thankss
     
    conscriptvirus, Jun 21, 2012
    #883
  34. vindicator83

    vindicator83 Notebook Consultant

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    NewEgg.com is now out of Stock on the ASUS UX32VD-DB71!!! These things are selling out like crazy!
     
    vindicator83, Jun 21, 2012
    #884
  35. Honey Badger

    Honey Badger Newbie

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    Has anybody heard anything about when Best Buy may have any of the Prime models in stock/online? I have about $600 in gift cards/RZ certificates I am itching to use!
     
    Honey Badger, Jun 21, 2012
    #885
  36. Derpistan208

    Derpistan208 Newbie

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    I recently purchased the 2012 13" MBA with a student discount/back to school promo. It is my first mac and I'm a little disaspointed with the quality of the MBA 1440x900 res screen. I'm very seriously considering returning the MBA to apple and snagging a UX31A-51.

    Is that a good idea? I'm a little worried about the quality of the trackpad and a backlight bleed on the UX31A models.
     
    Derpistan208, Jun 21, 2012
    #886
  37. merkman

    merkman Notebook Consultant

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    Damn. I had it in my cart earlier, but I like the video card scare me off. Seems like most apps will run great with the Nvidia, you just can't expect it to be a serious gaming platform, and considering that is NOT what it's designed for... I guess I should have ordered when I had the chance. :(

    Personally, I thought $50 something for overnight shipping of the laptop and memory was VERY reasonable. Compared to the $200 I paid for laptop overnight shipping for my G73 though Amazon... it's VERY reasonable. Though now that I think about it, I did Saturday delivery on my G73.

    Anywho... guess this gives me the chance to think about it. But I'm certainly feeling a tinge of regret for not just jumping on this earlier today. :(
     
    merkman, Jun 21, 2012
    #887
  38. vindicator83

    vindicator83 Notebook Consultant

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    I was in the same spot but decided just to pull the trigger and return it if I didn't like it. I refuse to pay restocking fees to anyone -- so I'm not worried about that. I signed up for the Shoprunner free 30 day trial to get free 2day shipping. They also give you free return shipping...I will cancel it before the 30 days is up!
     
    vindicator83, Jun 21, 2012
    #888
  39. Croak

    Croak Notebook Consultant

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    I got the S, not the Z. The Z Series is the one with the external card, and the "ultrabook-like" form factor (but without low power ultrabook internals).

    My i7/640LE/8Gb RAM/750GB HDD model cost $1299. I did a Crucial M4 256GB SSD upgrade for another $190, the default 8GB RAM is plenty for me. Later I'll install the 750Gb HDD in the DVD drive bay.
     
    Croak, Jun 21, 2012
    #889
  40. merkman

    merkman Notebook Consultant

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    Well, I'll be anxious to hear what you think of it. Obviously the primary use for a rig like this is ultra portable I can take between work and home, etc. And that screen, while maybe TOO many pixels for one of it's size... just sounds amazing!

    Figure video editing, a few games, whatever you need with this unit. And my LG Blu-Ray burner will allow for burning discs, watching movies, light scribe... should be SWEET, as it is with my MacBook Air. But running Win 7 on an external drive without USB 3.0 slows everything. Think if I buy one of these I'll format my external I was supposed to use with the MBA and RARELY do since it's another thing to carry around.

    God, did I make a huge mistake? I do LOVE having new toys right away. ;)
     
    merkman, Jun 21, 2012
    #890
  41. deteplete2

    deteplete2 Newbie

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    Very small and light, smallest I've seen. 2 times lighter than a macbook one. Like 60-70 grams?
     
    deteplete2, Jun 21, 2012
    #891
  42. reddd123

    reddd123 Notebook Consultant

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    I am anxious to buy from androma for 1029 I think we will be seeing that on amazon too since amazon always sells for lowest competing price. And androma is regular price not a discount or anything so if we are lucky 1029 or less in a few months?

    This will be my primary pc for home and college for a few years.
     
    reddd123, Jun 21, 2012
    #892
  43. Jopty

    Jopty Notebook Geek

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    [​IMG]

    Help guys!
    Explain the differences betweeen these modifications!

    I need the best one:
    - Ivy Bridge i7 [there is an opinion that i5 will be preferable in terms of energy saving so I am still con$1dering the option]
    - 13.3' IPS Display Matte (?) the highest resolution HD
    - SSD 256Gb

    Please recommmend guys!
    Is there any other differences between them except of:
    -i7/i5
    -SSD 128/256
    - Hybrid Hard Drive?
    Thanks!
     
    Last edited by a moderator: May 6, 2015
    Jopty, Jun 21, 2012
    #893
  44. Don1

    Don1 Notebook Deity

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    They are quickly running out of inventory on the old models. I would expect to see "coming soon" within a week or less.
     
    Don1, Jun 21, 2012
    #894
  45. deteplete2

    deteplete2 Newbie

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    Ok one more thing for those that bought this beauty or or planning to buy it - the default pre-installed version comes with Asus splendid utility. Open it up and change the color temperature from 5700 (red/warm toned) to the more standard 6400-6500K to get good real whites. Otherwise it looks yellowish.
     
    deteplete2, Jun 21, 2012
    #895
  46. Don1

    Don1 Notebook Deity

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    The one that costs the most will always be the best in terms of options.
     
    Don1, Jun 21, 2012
    #896
  47. CompUG

    CompUG Notebook Evangelist

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    My Newegg order has shipped, but no tracking. I wonder if I will get it tomorrow. I have had it with Amazon 2day shipping I got my order the next day if I ordered around 9AM Est.
     
    CompUG, Jun 21, 2012
    #897
  48. Don1

    Don1 Notebook Deity

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    Those are huge differences..you said you NEED the best..the best is the one that cost $1599.
     
    Don1, Jun 21, 2012
    #898
  49. atseng

    atseng Notebook Enthusiast

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    I finally bit the bullet and ordered it from Newegg since it doesn't charge tax (NYC - no Adoroma or BHPhoto or Amazon for me). Used Shoprunner. I have Crucial m4/Samsung 830 256gb lined up (prefer to use the Samsung if they all fit). Also have the Crucial Vengeance 8gb memory lined up!

    I got the email confirmation that the laptop is shipped and received a tracking number.

    FYI - ordered the laptop @ 9:20pm EST Wednesday, received tracking # at 2:47pm EST Thursday.
     
    atseng, Jun 21, 2012
    #899
  50. Don1

    Don1 Notebook Deity

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    In the parlance of the 21st century, shipped really doesn't mean shipped but that they sent the paperwork out ahead of actually shipping it. You should see a tracking number by 6PM when they really ship it and it has been picked up.
     
    Don1, Jun 21, 2012
    #900
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