Ivy Bridge Zenbook with FHD IPS screen UX21A UX31A UX32A UX32VD

I gave up. Originally ordered through jr.com (who have been WONDERFUL) and returned it since it was died after I swapped the RAM and SSD--but it had light bleed issues and a flexy keyboard. Jr.com said they had no idea when more were coming so they let me swap over to an S9. Not thrilled about not being able to upgrade the RAM, but a new msata SSD is already on the way and the build quality sounds like it's much better. You don't hear near as many complaints in the S9 thread. Oh well, I guess the specs were too good to be true, at least for me.

Too bad I have a 8gb Mushkin memory stick and a SSD I can't return or install in my new S9 :-\

 

asus should really just stop selling the 31A until they've fixed all these issues. never seen anything like this before with a new product, they must be swimming in returned units.

 

i bought mine on August 9th from Amazon and I got one with an ADATA drive

 

They really can't... The A series will be replaced at the latest in oct/nov when windows 8 comes out. So it has a limited sale life... They will fix some of the problems in the next version I'm sure.

 

I'm no so sure you are going to see a lot of touch screen laptops very soon. They say they will be upwards of $2000 early on.

 

I did the same a few weeks back. It's not perfect either. I like the size and weight much more than the ASUS but absoultely hate the keyboard backlighting and Sandisk SSD. At least it can be changed out in this as you said. I am also not all that fond of the full matte screen, I much prefer the semi-matte that ASUS employed. Both are IPS like so viewing angles are good but the S9 is still overpriced. At least I got a $100 gift card from Amazon when I bought it, it will go towards the SSD upgrade when I get around to doing it.

BTW, did you go with the Mushkin SSD? That thing is insanely fast compared to anything else at the moment.

 

I agree completely with this. Alchemist keeps coming back to Windows 8 + Touchscreen + Oct/Nov. #1, It won't happen, #2, It'll be first gen type stuff and we all know how that goes, #3, Expensive.

I really think you are going to see a very slow uptake and some pushback from Windows 8 on desktops/laptops.

 

I'm also not sure I am even going to like them. All of the guts (Processor, ram, SSD, FANS) will be in the case holding the display because most of the keyboards will be detachable. At best it will make the display thick again and at worse it will be top heavy. Will it also be noisy because the fans are in the top? I have an ipad and I think that is all the tablet I need for awhile.

 

I think that price is a bit exaggerated. Everything coming out of compudex this year was that touch models would run about $150 higher than their non touch counterparts.

Microsoft may fail, but they are really pushing for touch hardware since (the desktop formerly known as Metro) doesn't play all that well with a mouse. In the ultrabook space alone there are 40+ machines set for release this fall that are touch enabled.

Some will be clamshells with touch, others will be convertibles with sliding / rotating screens and others will be detachable keyboard models.

 

If it don't happen microsoft is really screwed since they are betting alot on it. You also need to remember that these aren't first gen products, or 2nd gen, or 3rd for that matter. There are been touch enabled windows machines for over a decade... as a rule they have been clunky and over priced. This is the first time they are doing it in the post iPad world which has done a great job of setting expectations and user experience that just wasn't there before.

Of course im on the development side of things, one of those developing touch centric apps for Windows and Windows RT so I tend to take a 'if you build it, they will come' approach. lol.

 

The ipad is a great tablet... I had the first, 2nd and now the 3rd generation and use it daily. That said its not a great device for creating things, its best for consuming thing. Im hoping the windows tablets will be better at creating.

On the size, weight, fans, etc. of windows tablets... there are going to be both windows (intel) and windows RT (arm) devices. The windows RT devices have the ability to be every bit as thin as the android devices out.

In the next 6 months the PC landscape should change quite a bit... which is a good thing since its been fairly stagnant and uninteresting for a while now.

 

Ugh, one of the reasons this thread is so long is because people forget that there is a Multi-Quote option :x

Anyway, it is absolutely 1st gen in the sense of what they are trying to accomplish. Previous touch screen existence or not. They are simultaneously having to use a new OS with (hopefully) significantly updated specs.

Additionally, if Windows 8 doesn't play nice with a mouse and keyboard, it will absolutely fail. It needs to do both well if it wants to succeed, while introducing new concepts/technology. At this point, touchscreen input is "cute" but you can't do anything productive with it.

 

Can anyone here recommend an SSD upgrade for the Asus UX32VD. I am having a hard time looking for a 7mm one. Most are 9mm.

 

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Get the Samsung 830 ssd it is fast and low power consumption.

 

I'm not sure how it would effect Microsoft one way or another..it's just another OS for them..people will buy it when they EOL Windows 7 anyway. There will be a version without Metro as there has to be for companies. MS will get rich whether there is a single touchscreen or not. They will get richer if they manage to sell their new tablet.

 

Is it just me or does all UX31A laptops get really hot.

I was playing a game (that had no graphics card requirements, only 1GB ram, XP or higher and internet), and my temperatures were around the 80 degree mark (using SpeedFan). Is this normal?

 

I was thinking the m4 due to price and one benchmark I saw had the m4 going faster in the S9 than the Mushkin, even though the Mushkin had better specs. Either way I don't think there would be a lot of *real* world difference.

 

UX32VD is back in stock at Newegg, for 1299 with 1 yr extended warranty. Not bad, but unlike all the other new Asus ultrabooks, this one still doesn't seem to apply for the $100 gift card... damn.

 

I'm not seeing it. Are you sure you aren't looking at the UX32A?

 

Probably not but people said that about the Sandisk too and while I'm not sure what real world really means I know just about everything I do is slower than when I had an Adata.

 

Ever since I upgraded to the new BIOS, I have been having problems with my touchpad. If I don't shut my laptop off for lets say 4 days keep it in hibernate and sleep mode, then on the fifth day the touchpad stops responding whenever I turn it on from sleep or hibernate mode. It takes a minute for it to start responding or i have to complete shut the laptop off. Anyone have a solution or had gone through this problem. Also anyone found a fix for the fan noise? I am past thirty days so I can't exchange it now, just have it sent to ASUS to repair it.


Also anyone found a fix for the fan issue? I remember someone mentioned thermal work or something, by having it uninstalled or installing it?

 

Newegg.com - ASUS Zenbook UX32VD-DB71 Notebook Intel Core i7 3517U(1.90GHz) 13.3" 4GB Memory DDR3 1333 500GB HDD NVIDIA GeForce GT 620M
I'm positive... pretty easy to find if you just type in "UX32VD" in newegg's search.

 

Got my UX31A last week. What bothers me is the fan noise. The fan freaking kicks up when I am browsing on these forums! Does anyone know the fix for this? It is getting very annoying.

 

Get Core Temp and let me know what your temps are when you're browsing. Mine seems to be running hot, around 50-53C just with browsing, which seems rather high. I heard of one system being in the 30's, so I'm concerned mine is running too hot....

 

What program to see the temperature?

 

50-53C doesn't sound hot to me using CoreTemp to read CPU temps. Remember, this is a thin machine with relatively little cooling and max temp is 105C for the CPU.

 

i think it might be too much to ask for an ultrabook to keep a CPU at 5 degrees over room. My fan kicks up once it hits 50. A little too aggressive in my opinion, but is definitely functional. I'd like to have it kick up at 60, even if it gets a little warm. Unfortunately, I don't think there's any way to change it unless the fan controller is added to speedfan.

 

I get 49-59C (52C on average) with just browsing; @ ~1600MHz and with a 6-10% load on each core. The fan is not a problem.

This is after a reboot. I'll test after sleep/hibernate and report later.

 

Hi all

Quick question. Try turning off your screen from fn + f7. Does the screen turn on again from just moving the touchpad or pressing any key?

I don't remember it doing until now, bit frustrating...

 

More hard lockups and sudden reboots. Nothing that destroyed data though. I am just about ready to give up and try the Series 9. However, I love the full HD screen. As a developer I can really use the increased resolution.

I wonder if the ADATA SSD has issues. Have these been reliable for others?

 

Just tried it ... the screen does turn on from just moving the touchpad or pressing any key.

 

I've had the UX31A with the ADATA drive for a month and use it daily. No lockups or reboots.

 

Hello guys.

I am looking for a notebook for Illustration/Photography/3D modeling.
Some of you use it for any of this?
I need a decent cpu/gpu and a VERY good display (viewing angles - more or less sRGB color gamut - 1920x1080, etc). Mobility is not an issue.

I am considering the next options in order of relevance:
1°-Samsung Series 7 Chronos NP700Z7
2°-Asus Zenbook UX32VD
3°-Asus N76VZ

What do you think?
Thanks.

 

I was considering your top 2 choices for the exact same reason/usage. I can tell you that I ordered the UX32VD for these reasons (have yet to receive it though): Series 7 is a bit more powerful and has a more powerful GPU. However, the Zenbook has a much better screen (in terms of resolution and definitely color reproduction, full sRGB), probably the best screen of any PC Laptop out there for the money. Not only that, I figured the portability and build quality of the Asus would do me better than the S7. I'll still be able to do quite a bit with the power provided and if I seriously needed anything more powerful, I'd probably just need to go on a desktop system anyway.

 

Anyone know where to find the Win7 product key for our computers? Trying to register for Windows 8 and this lovely thing has no sticker on it

 

Hi all,

Quick question - anyone ordered UX32VD from XOTICPC? They can customize the config. I am thinking about placing an order with them.

Any advice about this? Or should I opt for Amazon or Newegg? If I go for the latter two routes I will have to do the SSD and RAM upgrade myself.

I much rather prefer enjoying using the laptop right out of the box than spending time removing all the bloatwares etc. from the installed OS.

Thanks in advance.

 

Deathalo:
Thanks for answering !
What programs you will use?
I will be using PS cs6 / painter 12 / Zbrush and Modo
My concern with the UX32VD is the screen size and the power of the cpu.
The samsung has a 17.3 screen (its not an IPS like the ux32vd, but its said to be decent...) and a quad core cpu with higher clock....
Ahhh......choices....

 

It's on the power brick. As nice touch, imho (although I'm a Linux snob so I peeled it off and tossed it first thing).

 

I primarily use CS6 AE, PS, AI, as well as Maya, Max, and some Zbrush. I actually thought you were referring to the 15" S7, the 17" is essentially a desktop replacement, much more powerful than the 15" s7 or ux32vd. However, it's a beast, and if you travel with it even a little, you'll probably learn to dislike it's extra size. It's really up to you, do you want portability and do you have another workstation for really heavy lifting (large renders), or do you want your desktop to fit in a (relatively large) backpack.

 

Really? That number is worth a lot, you should've given it to me

 

Has anybody received UX32VD from newegg? Their details page states memory speed as DDR3 1333, whereas everywhere else I saw it being 1600. It this typo on their page or indeed they sell a model with slower RAM?

 

Well, I also received the following statement from one of the retailers: "The ASUS Zenbook UX32VD-DB71 13.3" Ultrabook comes with 1.70 GHz. According to Asus, Newegg has incorrectly listed as 1.90 Ghz. They are working with them to correct this."

Can some of the owners (not necessarily those who bought from newegg) confirm whether they have 1.7 processors? Or there are models with 1.9GHz?

Thanks!

 

Hey guys,

I got the UX31A-DB51-CBLI from bestbuy Canada, with the ty bilingual keyboard.

It was only $999 so I couldn't resist. I looked through about 5 UX31A-DB51-CBLIs and they were all Sandisk U100 SSDs, I suspect Canada got screwed again and ASUS only sends us Sandisks.

A few questions:

1) How are you guys dealing with the high resolution on a small screen problem ? Things are barely visible with 1080p on 13.3 inches, webpages are very hard to view. If you increase the DPI, non-native windows applications don't scale well but they look stretched. Zooming in on webpages to make them big enough often causes problems with widgets in webpages. This forum is an example.

2) What can be done about the touch pad is not disabling itself automatically during typing, this causes a lot of problems since the touchpad is so large.

I consider these 2 issues to make the laptop almost unusable, is there anything I can do about them ?

 

Good to hear. My fingers are crossed that my replacement will not have any issues.

 

That retailer is wrong and New egg is correct. The UX32VD has a 1.9 Ghz ULV i7 3517u processor.

 

Thank you for you reply!

I guess I'm completely confused then There are bunch of websites listing 1.7GHz

• ux32vd-db71 | B&H Photo Video
• Search Results for ux32vd-db71 | JR.com
• ASUS ZENBOOK UX32VD DB71 - 13.3" - Core i7 3517U - Windows 7 Home Premium - - UX32VD-DB71 - Notebook Computers - CDW.com

But then there are some with 1.9GHz:

• ASUS - Notebooks- ASUS ASUS ZENBOOK UX32VD
• Newegg.com - ASUS Zenbook UX32VD-DB71 Notebook Intel Core i7 3517U(1.90GHz) 13.3" 4GB Memory DDR3 1333 500GB HDD NVIDIA GeForce GT 620M

And the best of all is Amazon, which says 1.9GHz under "Product features" but 1.7GHz in the "Technical details" table.

I would like to buy 1.9GHz one so I'm leaning towards buying it from NewEgg and just hope it is the faster one, but then the NewEgg's listing says memory speed is 1333MHz instead of 1600MHz When I talked to them they said they have no idea if it's typo or not, saying that they just list whatever Asus gave them. Go figure...

 

A couple of things about the Zenbook:

1) I rest my palm on the silver finish quite a lot (beside the touchpad), will the paint start to wear? I really hope they designed it to prevent this.

2) The rubber feet are not so rubbery, they glide on every surface, they're like a matte texture. What can be done?

 

With an antivirus on Full Scan, it gave me 70-75C temp

 

It does turn on after a mouse move. Also, left the screen turned off by Fn+F7 overnight, it turned on during the night itself (there was no earthquake )

 

For me, anything lower than the native resolution (1920x1080) led to a blurry screen, ruining the idea of IPS.

So I left the native resolution and set WIndows to the 125% scale (Control Panel > Appearance and Personalisation > Display). Tried 150%, got it blurry again. So, kept 125%.

Then, in Chrome I use zoom when necessary. But most of the sites I could see ok with minimal zoom, e.g. google @ 125%, this forum @ 110% etc. Hotkeys for zooming are CTRL + <+> for zoom in, CTRL + <-> for zoom out and CTRL + 0 for reinstating "no zoom".

Someone has suggesting using the "Zoomy" plugin for Chrome, tried it but see no need using it, the Chrome zoom feather is enough.