Ivy Bridge Zenbook with FHD IPS screen UX21A UX31A UX32A UX32VD

I was first to order Windows 7 but there is absolutely nothing compelling me to buy Windows 8. I am totally turned off by the Metro/Modern interface.

We have 5-6 computers in our house that would require upgrading. Not gonna happen.

 

Anyone tried to order from PCNation.com?
They say they have it in stock "Limited stock - order soon"

 

Sorry, this thread is too long to read everything and search doesnt seem to be working. Judging from the ifixit tear down it looks like they ditched the proprietary SSD in favor of a 2.5" drive. Can anyone confirm this can be upgraded with an off the shelf drive? I have no need for the i7 model of the prime, but 128gb in the i5 version is too small for my needs. Thanks.

Ready to pull the trigger on this if its upgradable.

 

the 32vd is upgradeable. Buy a thin (7mm) SSD and it will fit right in. Two of the screws are under the battery, so you'll need to loosen it, but you don't have to remove it or unhook anything.

 

What about the UX31A ??

 

Nobody has been able to upgrade the UX31A to date.

 

Ugh.. just cant find anything the meets my needs exactly. When do we expect to see a UX32VD i5 variant? I dont see one anywhere.

 

soo after praising my ux31a, i just started having problems, for the past 2 days my cpu has randomly shut off 4 times..idk whats going on..i called asus and they are telling me its malware from me backing up my data on my external harddrive which i doubt since other people have this problem as well, then he said i could be keeping it on the charger for too long or not shutting it down enough so its getting over worked..anyway, has anyone thought of a solution to this problem?..i start classes in a few days and i def do not want my cpu shutting down on me in the middle of something important

 

Does anyone know if the ram can be upgraded on the UX32-DB51 (non-HD screen)? There's that deal going on and I'm tempted to jump on it.

 

I have a problem I would appreciate some help with.

After I formatted my UX32VD, it has slowed down, both during start-up, and while installing some programs

Anyone got any ideas for what I can do?

 

Malware lol. This is why I returned mine. I'm certain it's a manufacturing defect as I've seen the random shutdown pop up more and more as people buy these machines. Sad that Asus blames the customer.

Sent from my XT910 using Tapatalk 2

 

Does anyone have a list of bloatware on the UX31A that is not necessary? I'm not certain if the power software is necessary as I have battery bar.

 

Yeah and I don't want to return in, my law school classes start on Monday so I have to make this work, I called my school's helpdesk since asus is just telling me its my fault when I know its not, the helpdesk is going to do a clean install of the cpu so hopefully that helps..the bright side is that after every shutoff none of the data I was working on was lost so that's good, I've had it for a month so I doubt I can just walk in a store and ask for another one instead without them first working on it, which will leave me computer less

 

Does anyone here have any experience RMAing any of their zenbook primes? Im RMAing my UX32VD since the screen has a cluster of dead pixels, 2 stuck pixels, and very severe light bleed and warping issues. About how long does it take to get the thing back in your hands?

 

Did someone test some games on it?
I saw some videos on YouTube but I'd like more games thanks!

 

..................:laugh:

 

This gets sadder every day..so even if you get one that seems ok out of the box chances are it will self destruct a month later.

 

6 weeks of daily operation here. Works just as good as it did day 1. Not a single problem.

 

The UX31A hard disk is not the standard 2.5" form factor. The is a review on notebookcheck.net showing the internal components. Here is a picture of the ADATA SSD.

 

Looks to be soldered too, isn't it?

 

The SSD is not soldered.

 

Has anyone gotten any updates on their UX32VD backorders? I'm getting a little anxious.... I need it for school.

 

Screw it. Gonna cancel my RMA with Asus. School starts in a week, and I dont have time to wait for for a 1-2 month RMA turnaround time. There are no guarantees the display I get will be better than the one I have if not worse.

This thing is going to be plugged into a monitor for the majority of its lifespan anyways, so I am not that concerned about screen issues. It still sucks that Asus's quality control and driver support is complete . This thing will probably be the last Asus product I ever buy unless they really step up in fixing these QC issues.

 

HD4000 is decently capable. Just expect to run lots of things on Low - medium. I can live with that for the portability.

Also don't expect to do much gaming unplugged as usual

 

Nothing from Amazon yet. I've talked to about five different service reps, each one gives me the standard "we don't know when we'll be getting the laptops in, but it will ship to you the moment we receive it" spiel. The most I've gotten out of them is a confirmation that they've been in constant contact with ASUS about getting more.

 

I just checked ASUS specification pages for UX32VD and they list a 256GB SSD storage option.

As far as I am aware there are ( were rather, as they are out of stock everywhere) no current models with this option. Does this perhaps indicate new models just released/on the way? Or just a mistake from the webmonkey at ASUS?

 

How is it attached in the 31A..I didn't see any screws in that picture.

 

The UX31A's SSD drive has an mSATA-like connector.

 

Just received my last replacement UX31A from Best Buy the other day. I did not have time to look over the computer before I left the store and I wish I had. The right side of the mouse seems to be broken. When I click the right side of the mouse it makes a loud click, that sounds like I had hit it twice. In addition, when the lid is closed it wobbles to the left.... Lastly, about 5 keys feel like they are about to pop off when I hit them with any force at all, but the rest of the keys are fine...

Very sad that Asus has some serious quality control issues, because this is by far the nicest looking laptop with the best specs.

 

Hey folks, I thought id drop you a quick note about my ultrabook solution. I went through four UX31a models with various issues (screens, fan, sandisk ssd, etc) before finally giving up on the zenbook lottery. Next i tried out a 11.6" samsung series 9 and ran into the wifi issues with that model. I looked at just about everything out there, and finally found a good solution for me.

I was a bit surprised at my solution, I went with the vizio 14 thin and light. Its specs aren't bad. ivybridge 1.8ghz i3, 128gb toshiba ssd, 4gb ram, intel 4000 video, 2 usb 3, full size hdmi and a 1600x900 screen in a 3.4lb aluminum unibody case, and walmart.com has them for well under $700. Now heres the kicker... out of the box it all worked and everything was as described in the feature list. No hunting for a good one, no trying to talk yourself into living with problems, etc. I find it odd that the new game in town actually gave me the best experience.

Its not perfect... the keyboard isn't backlit and the screen is glossy. but on a features for price perspective its a winner in my book, and it was really nice to buy something that actually worked as expected.

 

I'm really surprised that a lot of people are having trouble with this laptop. I've had mine for about 2 weeks and it's been near perfect aside for a bit of light bleed on the bottom right corner, but that's a given for these type of displays.

Are they really that hard to purchase anywhere else other than Canada? They have them everywhere here including BestBuy, Futureshop, and where I bought mine: NCIX. In the states, the first place I'd look is TigerDirect.com Real reliable, and I'm sure they'd have them in stock.

The computer will be great for school and a little light gaming as well. Just installed the new Counter Strike: Global Offensive on it last night and it doesn't look half bad

 

Same here, ordered mine in June. I just think the complainers make more noise than us folks who are perfectly content with our machines.

 

How does it run?

 

Obviously. Why would you be making any noise if your laptops are running as they should be?

I've got a few issues with my UX32VD:
- a constant and noticeable scratching noise
- random fan noise
- light bleed.

I guess you can't really do much about the light bleed and with the help of updated drivers the fan can be improved but the scratching is unbearable. I'm going to get it exchanged tomorrow. Fingers crossed the replacement is fine.

 

It seems to be $900 on Walmart's website.

 

Newegg has select ultrabooks with a $100 gift card and 1 year extended warranty. They do not have the ux31a with i5 though.

 

Doesn't appear to be any ultrabook.

 

My first and last ASUS product. Keyboard flex is visible now only on flat desk but not on my bed, so I thought it was okay. I am mainly use it on my bed so it doesn't bother me. But I would of loved to return this laptop when I had the chance now pass 30 days.

 

Wow, your right. I checked the walmart.com site when I posted to make sure the price was still $641 rollback from 798. Now its showing 899.

I definitely got mine for $641 they must have just ended their rollback.

 

I don't buy what people keep selling that IPS displays all have light bleed. Im sure its more prevalent than on TN displays but go to any best buy or apple store and check out all their IPS display models or check out the 15" vizio with its matte IPS display and light bleed is usually not an issue at all.

You read about light bleed issues on ipad 2/3 and other IPS screen units but its the exception not the rule. On the zenbooks it seems to be present on every single unit.

Personally, I think they are putting the IPS panel into the same lid that hardware as the previous generation TN display and the IPS display is a touch thicker and the lid bezel pinches it. Opening and closing the lid causes further pinching over time which is why 2 of the 4 I had saw the backlight bleed get worse over time as the unit was used.

 

It's not really IPS-related, but rather LED backlight related. Backlight bleed is just a biproduct of LED backlight technology. I've never seen a LED display without it.

 

It is also pretty well documented that it is exceedingly difficult to see it in the bright lights of a big box store. So comparing the on the floor models and not seeing any isn't a great environment to make the comparative assessment.

 

True, it is hard to see in the big box stores... but if it was as common on other devices as it is on the zenbook I would have seen it before on my hardware (ipad, ipad2, ipad3, macbook air, macbook pro, asus g73sw-3de) or on that of friends hardware ive worked with (at least 6 other ipad 2/3 models, 2 more macbook pros, imacs, etc).

Also when I was having the issue on my zenbooks I went through bestbuy and got a big notebook case and dropped it over the various units, turned the theme to high contrast black and moved the task bar to the top... ONLY the zenbooks had this spotlight like bleed pattern on the bottom and right side.

The way I see it is that when windows 8 comes out it will be harder for them to get buy with selling displays like this... so they are pushing out all the old stock. Just like win8 supports hires screens better so everybody is selling the 1366x768 displays while they don't seem as dated as they will in a few months.

I see and work with too much hardware in my job and personal life... the bleed on the zenbooks is not NORMAL or due to IPS or LED technology. Some technologies are more prone to it than others im sure but having the problem on EVERY machine to some degree or another is a design flaw, either in the screen or the case design.

Since some users (including myself with 2 units) saw the backlight bleed get worse and worse over time that lends a little credibility to the idea that the case is pinching the screen and in some cases causes more damage the more its opened/closed.

 

Many posts here have suggested its due to the IPS technology so I was answering those posts. I don't think its really a byproduct of LED tech either as I own or have used many LED backlit display monitors and notebooks and the only thing ive considered bleed is when you can actually see the backlight at the edges of the screen. On some units there is a mild uniform area at the bottom of the screen which is lit up more but nothing like the spotlight pattern on the zenbooks.

Don't get me wrong... I REALLY wanted to like the zenbook. I wouldn't have gone through 4 of them if I didnt. But these things do have issues. I hope they address them before the touch pad notebooks come out with windows 8 in oct/november since asus has some of the most promising designs for these and I'll definitely be picking up something in that category come november.

 

I think many people are making too big a fuss out of the backlight bleeding (at least judging from my model)
I used to be that picky about my TVs when I was shopping IPS screens, but you really don't see them 99% of the time

All the screenshots you see are completely dark rooms with backlight up all the way and completely black background.

Battery bar is consistently estimating about 4 and a half hours of battery life
Seems a bit low, thought I don't know how accurate that is.

My unit is the UX31A-DB71 which should have the max battery, I know the UX32's have a slightly smaller battery.

 

I am also waiting on windows 8 now and not purchasing a zenbook due to the screen bleed issue. It's funny how you said you dropped a notebook case on the display models to see for screen bleed. From that I will choose to wait for a touchscreen ultrabook which I most likely will be purchasing on black Friday if a month after windows 8 will be enough as a release date. For now I will just pick up a laptop at Costco or sams club which has a 90 day return policy like I previously did in hope of waiting for the ux31a.

 

And there's the problem with that line of reasoning, you're judging from only a single point of data.

I've had five of these machines and the amount of bleed differs. The worst ones had spotlights that was very visible even when in a well lit environment. The best ones only had a slightly brighter edge and/or corner which was only noticeable in a completely dark room.

 

My order with PC World Business has now been cancelled. They say the UX32VD is end of line.. I imagine ASUS is holding back for launch of Win8

First my order was cancelled with insightuk. Really getting fed up!!

 

Anyone using samsung touchpad drivers? I tried 10.7.17.5 but I keep on getting an appcrash from ElanTPCfg64.exe in the asus atk directory. Using V1.0.0020 of the atk asus driver btw.

 

Yep, that they had been discontinued until Win8 is available in October was what I was told when I returned my last one.