Ivy Bridge Zenbook with FHD IPS screen UX21A UX31A UX32A UX32VD

Just got my UX32VD-DB71 from NCIX Canada and here is my initial feedback after using it for 5 minutes (that's all I have for now):
1. No keyboard flex like others are talking about.
2. There is some backlight bleeding but only noticeable on initial boot (full black screen). On future boots, I didn't really notice it at all for some reason. So, no problems from my end.
3. The matte IPS 1080p screen is outstanding and blows my mind.
4. Boot time with the HDD+SDD stock is pretty decent. Can't wait to upgrade it.

WEI is at 7.1 / 5.9 / 6.3 / 6.3 / 5.9

More to come...

 

Why couldnt they just make one that was quality and worked out of the box??

 

I was just being a smart ..i have a MBA 2011 11.5" and it is great..I just hate one key on the keyboard, the delete key and how it works. If the new MBA had a reasonably better screen than the old one I would have probably gotten that but it doesn't. I do want a 13.3 this time though. Hoped this would be it but packed mine up this morning to send back.

 

helpless , what you smokin ? this is still planet earth, where companys save on personel as much as possible ,so one quality control less , hence the duds xD

 

If you're commenting on the quality of recently-acquired Zenbooks, could you please be sure to post the model number that you purchased? Or at least have it in your forum signature.

Thanks!

( Just like Inios!)

 

@breakdown234 what can I say, Im a dreamer...

 

lols

p.s: chicgeek ,after several million posts, everyone knows that im with the 32vd

 

Well you're not the only one... ♫

No, no we don't. Because you're not a special little flower that we keep tabs on - it's hard to keep track with so many names and voices.

 

oh snap! and here i thought i was xD , ill add it to my sig asap

 

Don't listen to her! I know you have a 32...I'm not sure about the flower part though

 

flower... not quite sure ,who knows maybe i am a special flower..BUT with a 32vd , one without faults , in your face !, buyahh!!! xD

 

A request, not a demand. I've been here for about 100 pages and names get mushy in my head... I'm sure I'm not alone.

And I lied, you're as lovely as a rhododendron.

 

Cool it worked out for you breakdown, it's a wonderful machine if you manage to get a good one.

Are you absolutely certain the fans don't have a 'yo-yo' effect under light load? Mine always does this after a while browsin' on firefox. The fans turn on and off in short (1-3 second) bursts after some time. I was under the impression that this is a BIOS issue that all VDs are currently affected by.

That's currently the main issue with this model in my opinion. But Asus could easily fix it with a BIOS update. Let's hope they are aware of the issue, and plan to fix it reasonably soon.

I tried contacting them about it, but the customer service guy just sent me copypasted information about how to return it.

 

Congrats. Would you mind letting me know how your track pad feels like on the UX32VD? Mine feels like it's a bit mushy and doesn't register a click until it's pressed a bit harder. I am thinking whether I should give Asus a call to file a warranty claim or go through Newegg.

Here's my post at #1681 for your reference http://forum.notebookreview.com/asus/659073-ivy-bridge-zenbook-fhd-ips-screen-ux21a-ux31a-ux32a-ux32vd-169.html#post8659937

 

no rattling and no cheap and no mush and the click registers with a regular click your not supposed to smash it nor wipe your finger over it and expect it to register lols, thou the rattling isnt normal do you have a youtube video for us to hear and see ?


p.s: for returns always go through your retailer first

havent noticed but if it exists im sure asus will take care of it with a bios update as youve already contacted support , remember im still waiting for my ssd and ram so i cant really confirm the issue from bootup and should it be so ,you can count on me and bugging the hell out of asus till they release an update ASAP!! as ive done for my rampage 3 extreme for wich ive received an bios update in a week

 

No. I will try to make one when I go home. So have you ever played with a MBA? Or ideally, if you have one and compare them side by side, would you say the build quality of the track pad is similar?

 

well first i wanted a mba but then the zenbook popped into view and the rest is history, will be waiting for that clip

 

Well, crap...Newegg cancelled my order.

Anywhere else I can get one of these?

 

Anyone noticing slightly garbled sound quality from the speakers?

 

I just called Asus. They said the touch pad is supposed to be a bit soft but not "mushy". I also contacted Newegg, who was willing to process a return for me but would not ship out a replacement until I ship this one back.

Given how people are having issues with the fan/screen/dead pixels, I am going to go down to Datavision now to play with the old Zenbook to see if the button are just poorly designed or if I do in fact having a defective touchpad.

It's just frustrating that it's a high-end laptop with sub-par touchpad... ugh.

No. The sound on these speakers are one of the best I've heard from an ultraportable. It's far superior when compared to MBA speakers.

For those of you waiting on getting the Mushkin 8GB module. It's back in stock @ Newegg. Newegg.com - Mushkin Enhanced Essentials 8GB 204-Pin DDR3 SO-DIMM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Laptop Memory Model 992038

 

Haha, sounds good man. This is probably a really easy fix, so they should be able to fix it immediately. We just gotta make sure they are aware of it.

I've got some new details on the behaviors of the fans on the UX32VD.

The fans activate when the CPU temperature hits 50c, and then turn off when the temperature is below 44c. The issue is that when browsing the CPU is mostly around 38-42c, but can temporarily jump to over 50c for a millisecond when loading content.

In reality it seems like no cooling would be required when browsing, so the easiest fix would be to rise the fan activation temperature to 60c or so. Or, a better but more complicated fix would be to add a couple seconds delay so that it needs to break 50c for more than a millisecond for it to activate. The easy fix suggestion could literally be done in a coffee break, it only requires the numbers of a couple entries changed in the bios/firmware.

I've looked into the BIOS file, but can't identify any parameter that states 50c. So, it's probably in the EC firmware. Doesn't seem like any windows program is able to control the fan activation limit.

 

Have you tried Speedfan ( + see beta section)

SpeedFan - Access temperature sensor in your computer

 

Yes please. Model # postings sound key at this point

 

As much as I wanted to keep the UX32VD, after going to Best Buy and DataVision to check out the track pads of Zenbooks and other laptops, I decided to process an exchange request with Newegg. The corner of the touchpad is just too unresponsive. I can basically push the corner all the way down (a good 2mm+, see pic) before the physical click registers.

If I touch the touch pad, the touchpad rattles lightly.

Hopefully they will be able to process my exchange and get me a new laptop soon.

This one is before clicking.


This is fully pressed, but no physical click yet. If I put my finger on the corner, I can push it even further before it clicks. None of the other laptops have this far of a travel on the touch pads before it clicks (even Zenbook UX series - tested 2 of them in the stores).

 

want the UXVD so bad...........

costs 1700+ to get it with a 512GB SSD tho =(

close to approaching Macbook pro retina territory =/

 

For those with the UX32VD -when the screen is all black - do you have a white line at the bottom of the panel?

Here is what I used to check for dead pixels : LCD Dead Pixel Test Backgrounds , click on Black and Full Screen (F11) it. For some reason, I have a line of white pixels at the bottom (I don't have this on my LED Monitor at home). Is this normal?

 

Can you post a pic, my screen was black all the way around save a bit of backlight bleeding but pixels were perfect.

 

OK - I figured out what it was. In IE 9, a white line shows for the black background. I tested in Chrome, which I was using on my home PC, and all is well.

FYI - I didn't have any backlight bleeding on the black screen.

 

I just finished installing an OCZ Agility III into my UX32VD and am enjoying the performance improvements. Overall the process went smoothly, although, I had to void the warranty of my SSD by opening its case and breaking the seal. Therefore, I wouldn't recommend doing this with one of the larger and more expensive SSD's.

I originally intended to install a Patriot Pyro Drive which I thought would fit unmodified however I misread the measurements on NewEgg and it turned out to be 9.3mm. Therefore, to fit the SSD board had to be removed from its case. I didn’t have the tools necessary to open the Patriot case, so I switched to the OCZ since it was held together with a just a philips-head.

To secure the SSD to the laptop, I opted to drill two 1/16ths inch screw holes into the SSD's case. I prefer this method over the double sided tape technique I've seen elsewhere as you don’t have to worry about the tape coming loose due heat or vibration.

I put a video tutorial together as well which you can find here: How to Install a solid state drive (SSD) in an ASUS Zenbook UX32VD-DB71 - YouTube.

I’d be happy to answer any questions anyone has about the process.

 

512GB SSD on the Pro is 2700...........1700 Yeah you are pretty close to it......

 

My Apple Thunderbolt Display has backlight bleed. FYI to all people who think Apple products are perfect.

 

Thanks!

I actually managed to fix the problem

The guy who screw the plate on did all the screws on one side first, then the other side, which resulted in some internal pressure in the plate. When I put it back on, carefully adjusting on each side, the UX32VD was not unstable anymore

Soo, for now; everything seems perfect. No fan issus, and not even a single dead pixel

 

Am trying to get more info on whether the UX32VD will be available, will let you guys know if I find out anthing.

I contacted Asus UK and they said they had no plans to release it there. This seems really weird considering there are variations available for much smaller European markets (Denmark and Norwegian keyboard variations seem to exist!)

I'd be happy if I could get a standard QWERTY one from anywhere in Europe but this does not seem possible at the moment

 

Did we decide that is the best possible module?

 

On paper (meaning no real noticeable differences in real life everyday use), yes. Any DDR3 SDRAM at 1600 Mhz with CL11 is best. A lower voltage than 1.5V is also bonus.

 

Is there any TRUE issues with WIFI signal, on the ux32vd?

i havent seen it brought up much now.

 

no that's not normal. it should be all black

 

Just wanted to chime in and say that I got my ux32vd today - and it's awesome. No fan issues yet (Haven't run the bios update), very minimal keyboard flex when pressing between keys (nothing to fuss over at all imo), barely noticeable back light bleed with a black background only, and no dead pixels! Very happy with my purchase.. cant wait to test out some games. I have a ram upgrade coming soon, holding off on the SSD upgrade until I can free up some funds.

 

No Wifi issues for me.

 

i received my ux32vd today. My build quality is perfect and the touchpad is huge improvement over the ux31. The backlight bleed is present but only on black wallpapers when the backlight is high. The fan issue isn't really that big of a deal. It only acts strange when browsing. Will probably be fixed by asus soon. The hard drive is very loud. Asus should have went with a different hard drive. Wasn't very happy with it. I'm currently going to install the OS on the SSD and will report on the noise. I have a samsung series 9 and this thing even with it's faults is a million times better. The screen on the SS9 just can't reproduce colors as well as the ux32. Overall fairly happy.

 

happened on the last generation as well. here's a video of my problem.
ASUS Zenbook UX31-DH72 - Trackpad issue? - YouTube

 

UGH just realized the UX32vd i ordered from amazon is actually the ux31a-ab71 lol. i clicked on my hard drive and it said only 70gb storage left, then I looked at the box, I wonder how long it will take for them to get more stock in.

 

i have a UX31A-DB51 and it's awesome, but there's one really annoying problem: the tab, function, caps lock, and `keys don't work like half the time. the rest of the keys work fine. i tried updating the driver but it didn't seem to do anything...anybody else have this problem? any help would be much appreciated!

 

yeah he should deffinitely do a exchange , dont have that issue ,not quite a youtube clip atseng, but pictures are ok too

 

I've got a quick strange question: are the key surfaces removable?

I'm about to cave and just buy one of these with a German keyboard, I was wondering if I could just set the language settings UK in windows, then 'snap' off the Y and Z keys and switch them over? They snap on and off with my current lappy, but its not backlit...

 

I have backlight bleed along the bottom of the screen. It's only slight and only noticeable on a black background. Every other part of it is truly flawless. Trackpad workin good, keyboard workin great everything else is in order. Should I accept the slight backlight bleed considering everything else is perfect or risk getting a replacement that may have worse problems?

My only problem is my envy 14 had 1TB + 128GB ssd. Now I only have less then half that space. Is it just me or has 1TB felt like a smaller and smaller amount of space over the years? When 1TB first came out I thought I'd never need more space now I need a 50TB drive to feel like I have a lot of space. I think HD video is what makes storage space feel so small. 15-20GB per 1080p movie is a drag.

Also, what is the best 8GB stick to buy. I know it will run at the same speed as the installed 2GB so no point in going over 1600Mhz but will getting the lowest latency help or will it default to the highest latency as well? Probably will grab an 8GBx1 1600Mhz Corsair Vengeance stick as they have worked very will in my alienware.

 

That would be a good solution to the lack of UK availability if it was an option, I'd be keen to know if it is also!

 

Try the zoomy plugin for chrome. It auto adjusts all web pages to horizontal %100.

I think there is some kind of hardware limiter which alters the volume if a loud music such as metal is playing. The peaks become normalized and the audio gets higher and lower in volume all the time. I hate it.

 

You'll need CL11 for it to maintain 1600mhz, if you pick up the Corsair CL9 or CL10 it will work at 1333mhz frequency.

 

HAs anybody received a UX31A without the backlight bleed issue yet?