Ivy Bridge Zenbook with FHD IPS screen UX21A UX31A UX32A UX32VD

There is no reason, ever, to buy a TN display if you have a IPS-display available. It's that much better*

* some very, very expensive and special TN-displays excepted

 

The 1366 TN display will behave much like any other 1366 TN display. See the Dell XPS 13 for a relative comparison. I'd expect the Asus TN display to be a bit better, but that will give you an idea.

Your best bet would be to go and see a few screens in person to judge if you are okay with 1366 TN or if you really prefer something more in the 900p or 1080p range. I don't care how bright and beautiful the screen is, if 1080p in a 13.3" form factor is going to give you a headache with or without scaling, it's not worth it.

 

Not sure if anyone shared this link :

Review Asus Zenbook UX32VD Ultrabook - Notebookcheck.net Reviews

It's a review of the UX32VD. According to them you can access and change the RAM and HDD without voiding the warranty. It looks pretty impressive and I am hoping it will be available in Rose Gold and Hot Pink

 

the tempetures are crazy. absolutely insane.

 

They aren't that bad, especially for prime95 and furmark simultaneously

If I pushed my desktop like that it would go easily 20% higher than 'full load' temps

 

Um, 13.3" 1080p is perfectly ok, if you get a headache then maybe you should buy some glasses. Like what was said earlier, no one should even be thinking of getting the TN version over the IPS. It's the BEST screen on laptop this size and the best windows laptop screen ever tested, how can you pass that up!? You will not be disappointed and it is probably the biggest reason (among the other great reasons) that I'm getting this at all. I mean it even puts other IPS displays to shame (better contrast than the retina!).

 

Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm definitely excited about the quality of the IPS panel on this thing - I've been grumbling about the lack of high quality, high resolution screens in this form factor for ages now. I'm just saying that as with all things like this YMMV and it's better to get a sense of that ahead of time by taking time to do the in-person research.

 

ASUS North America We should have more information shortly but as the saying goes all good things in time. Appreciate the support and patience. We spent aot of time improving the latest generation. Also please remember for items shown at Computex it is for preview of potential or upcoming hardware. Stay tuned for more information.

From their Facebook

HootSuite Photos | Facebook

 

UX32VD in stock (apparently) and 1 remaining at computeruniverse.net: ASUS Zenbook UX32VD-R4002V W7HP - Notebooks - computeruniverse

Pity it's not a UK layout keyboard..

Also courtesy of google translate on cyberport.at (where it is also supposedly in stock):



Suggests 10GB is fine

 

A Norwegian importer got a shipment of 240x UX31A i7 today, they got 60x for their own webshop and when i called this morning they had 6x left for sale.

 

and the name of this company and webshop ?

 

Yeah pretty much out in Germany right now. No where is else.

 

Does anyone know if the UX32VD is available in store in Germany or only online? Going to be there this week and wouldn't mind some hands-on time.

 

Dear Ranessin, Maelwys, Deathalo!

Thanks for your advises, I will consider your replies.

Regards

 

Does the UX32VD have a back-lit keyboard like the 21A and 31A?

 

Nice! More evidence of 10gb support, my mouth is watering...

 

ok f this! i bit the bait ok , ok you happy now ! xD

just ordered the 32vd getting it next week , hope the 10gb ram is true and an instruction how to upgrade it would be nice not to mention a link to the correct ram not that i buy the wrong kind

dont blame me , blame the sleek sexy thang the zenbook enbodies , only gripe i got atm is the non unibody ... life isnt always perfect , but itll have to do

p.s: gona get a m4 512 7mm aswell , if i could just squeeze a slotloader dvd or blueray id be a happy camper , and maybe a 680 but thats a couple more years down the road xD

 

Where did you order from?

 

from cyberport , forgive me for being impatient but you would too if youve been waiting the last 5 years for a replacement laptop that finally doesnt weigh 10 pounds

p.s: ordered the 512gb m4 7mm too, my main rig got the regular 2.5 normal sized version and it runs like a dream ,rock solid quality , only thing we need now is a link to the correct 8gb ram module and im/we are set , perhaps some

8GB Corsair Vengeance SO DDR3-1600 SO-DIMM CL10 Single module , or maybe something even better?

 

When you get it, please let us know how the memory swap goes!

 

well not sure if cl10 is gona create any incompatibilities thou ,any info on the exact specs of the soldered ram would be appreciated

p.s: gona get a 2tb 2.5 usb 3.0 external and external 2.5 slot loader dvd rw for good measure, dont need blueray ,a couple neato extension cords leading into your backpack and theyll hardly notice you using cables at all, just plug and play as needed for all your media on the go needs and once not needed just unplug , one way to bypass the dual hdd no show and non existent slot drive

 

The Asus product page seems to indicate that:

http://zenbook.asus.com/zenbook/?c=prime_ux32

 

Interested to hear if this works, seems to be the best option for a branded 1600mhz 8gb sodimm

There's a few CL11 branded ones but nothing faster than CL10 that I can see without going for silly stuff like 'Komputerbay'

 

sounds good to me , thats a buy buy situation then i suppose , one order of 8gb ram coming up, around next week i should get all the components , if nobody else has atempted this yet i shall post how it went anyhow

 

got my UX32VDR4002V today.
Removed the win7 and installed win8 release preview and debian testing. So far no problems.

Edit:
Except for some keybindings like backlight dimming and volume

 

How and where did you get the UX32VD? If possible, would you mind taking the bottom lid off and snap a pic for us to show what the internals look like?

 

Prob in Europe, since its out in Germany already.

 

Yes, europe (germany).
I had in open but didn't took any pictures.
Looks exactly like the one notebookcheck had.
Review Asus Zenbook UX32VD Ultrabook - Notebookcheck.net Reviews
I think I'll replace the HDD with an SSD. Also i will upgrade the RAM.

 

Awesome! Thanks for chiming in. So it's for sure that this is possible? If so, and you do, can you report back if you can get around using the cached 32GB SSD?

Also, how is the quality? Does the plastic feel cheap? Does the device feel slim to you? I'm just curious how it compares to the UX31A in this area.

Thanks

 

If you buy Cas10 ram, there is no gurantee it will run Cas10. It will default to whatever the system is previously set to, and I highly doubt ASUS has put the option in the BIOS to adjust timings. I know they didnt in any of their other laptops Ive had.

The cheapest 8GB stick of DDR3-1600 will work the same as the most expensive ones in a laptop. The "performance" laptop memory is for desktop boards that use them, like some of the Brazos systems, etc...

 

Everything is replaceable.
If you remove the screws from the buttom (there are a lot) you have a great view on the internals (like on notebookcheck).
There is 4 GB RAM installed (2GB soldered to the board, 2 GB removeable).
The SSD is from SanDISK - SanDisk SSD i100 - 32 GB.
I've installed the debian OS on the SSD. Feels very good. Had a Acer 1810t (1,3 ULV CPU) with an 120GB Intel SSD before. Compared to that it feels really great.

The laptop itself feels well build. only clicking on the touchpad sounds a liitle cheap.
Typing is great, if you get used to it. I really like the background light from the keyboard.
The plastic doesn't feel cheap at all. Also the buttom is made of aluminium.
If you pull the laptop out of it's "envelope case" it seems like this thing is ultra slim.

To the RAM discussion:
*-memory
description: System Memory
physical id: b
slot: System board or motherboard
size: 4GiB
*-bank:0
description: SODIMM DDR3 Synchronous 1600 MHz (0.6 ns)
product: SSZ302G08-GGNED
vendor: Asint
physical id: 0
serial: 0000009E
slot: ChannelA-DIMM0
size: 2GiB
width: 64 bits
clock: 1600MHz (0.6ns)
*-bank:1
description: DIMM [empty]
product: [Empty]
vendor: [Empty]
physical id: 1
serial: [Empty]
slot: ChannelA-DIMM1
*-bank:2
description: SODIMM DDR3 Synchronous 1600 MHz (0.6 ns)
product: HMT325S6CFR8C-PB
vendor: Hynix/Hyundai
physical id: 2
serial: 00000000
slot: ChannelB-DIMM0
size: 2GiB
width: 64 bits
clock: 1600MHz (0.6ns)
*-bank:3
description: DIMM [empty]
product: [Empty]
vendor: [Empty]
physical id: 3
serial: [Empty]
slot: ChannelB-DIMM1

At the end there is to say: the display is awesome!

 

Great. Thanks for your input nicedeath! It's a shame about the cheap feeling touchpad. I would like the UX31A but the fact it can't be modified worries me. Especially with what I've heard about the U100 Sandisks.

I MIGHT get the UX31A with 256GB already but I'm not sure. That dedicated NVidia GPU interests me too since I'm a graphic designer. Tough decision....

 

nicedeath, would you mind posting lspci and lsusb output?

Also, how is the trackpad behavior in Linux, does click-and-drag work? What's the output from

Code:

dmesg | grep -i input

 

I tried portal2 today. just a little bit. that worked just fine. Not with all settings to it's max i can't complain.
If you have any questions, just ask. I think i'm lucky to have that device and I'm willing to share anyhting i can

Edit:
dmesg | grep -i input (removed output from external logitech keyboard and microsoft mouse)

lspci

lsusb

Edit2:
What do you mean by "click and drop"? I can move text and data with the mouse by clicking and moving, if you mean that.
I had to enable the two-finger scrolling but that was just a click in the options. Now everything works just fine.

 

Could you post pics of the laptop if u have time? Please

 

Hei Kay Rune

Psdata.no

How is the fan noise? At "idle" does the fan(s) ever completely stop?

 

That's great, thanks nicedeath! Yes, I meant click and then move while still holding the mouse down. Some clickpads have problems with this (like my X220).

Have you tried using the backlit keyboard in Linux? If it doesn't work automatically, you can try this.

Turn it on:

Code:

echo 0x00050021 > /sys/kernel/debug/asus-nb-wmi/dev_id
echo 0x82 > /sys/kernel/debug/asus-nb-wmi/ctrl_param
cat /sys/kernel/debug/asus-nb-wmi/devs

Turn it off:

Code:

echo 0x00050021 > /sys/kernel/debug/asus-nb-wmi/dev_id
echo 0x80 > /sys/kernel/debug/asus-nb-wmi/ctrl_param
cat /sys/kernel/debug/asus-nb-wmi/devs

 

Here are some pics ... taken with my Galaxy S3 in the dark..so don't expect something special
















Windows 8 Release Preview!





Fans: i can't hear them when I'm sitting on my desk (notebook right in front of me) but they are moving. At kernel building the noise was noteable, but ok. The sound isn't getting really high
Edit: Backlight from the keyboard is on, but i can't change that. I will try your hints when I have been able to reduce the backlight from the screen. It's too bright

 

Nicedeath,

can you please play more Portal 2 and tell me if you can play it at 1920 x 1080 with medium settings, no anti alasing. I want to know if it feels smooth or laggy. Also could you try playing it at 1366 x 768 with anti alasing at 6x, and put everything on first Medium and then Second try on High. Is that playable?

Also after you watch a movie or play a game on it for an hour, please tell me how hot the laptop gets. Is it still comfortable for you?

thanks!

 

Lol, that's a lot to ask of him, but totally good questions, if he can do it all it would be great information.

Also, damn, a new zenbook AND a Galaxy S3? Lucky dude.

 

LOL I was thinking the same. But at least xeofreestyle is doing his/her research!

 

oh snap, well it seems ive been beat , no prob ill post my experience too ...once it all arrives xD

p.s: thought so about the ram ctmaudi , thanks for reconfirming that for me , still excellent ram and if it runs in cl10 or cl11 now doesnt really make a difference to me

oh btw got a question for you nicedeath is it possible to disable uefi bios and enable legacy in bios settings? and how bout some bios settings screens , would be mucho appreciated

 

@Nicedeath:
Three questions about your new zenbook:
- How does the trackpad compare to other pads, especially two-finger scrolling and two-finger rightclick.
- If you find the time, could you do a CPU/GPU throttling test like Anandtech did here ( AnandTech - Mobile Ivy Bridge HD 4000 Investigation: Real-Time iGPU Clocks on ULV vs. Quad-Core Just to see, if the Asus is better equipped to get rid of the heat.
- Also, it would be interesting to know, if Asus has the configurable TDP enabled for TDP up (meaning higher TDPs) and whether the fans can handle it

 

One more unboxing video in what appears to be German.

Asus Zenbook UX32VD - Unboxing - YouTube

Edit: A brief hands on. He says you can't open the bottom but I'm pretty sure he's wrong based on what we've been hearing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4ClhAwnsxQ

 

Okay, after a few hours sleep i will try to answer some questions:

The touchpad is very huge compared to the one on my acer 1810t so I make a few unwanted clicks or mouse movements. but thats getting better. two-finger scrolling is great. no problems at all (if the drivers work, a had a few problems on windows8). two-finger right click is also no problem.

perhaps i will do that later, sorry, have a few things to do today

I played at 1920x1080 and it was no problem. even with a little AA and high settings. If you don't push the AA to high its no problem. very smooth. I will report a few more games in a while.
I compiled a kernel (though i didn't watch movies on the laptop) and was getting warm and i heard the fans, but it still wasn't getting hot or anything on the top. So far no problems with that.

I was planing to buy a Sony Vaio Z so I saved a little money. After i heard from the zenbook i thought it would be better to have two devices for less money. So, I'm a poor student and now i feel liked robbed. The devices are great!




Here we go with the BIOS screens:

 

BIOS(2nd):

 

Just for you... photo of the back with cover removed. Sorry, really bad picture. I tried to remove the HDD but the speaker is in way. I think its glued, but I'm not sure. was afraid to break it so it let be


By null at 2012-06-14

 

thanks for answering the questions nicedeath

 

It's nice to be on the other side for once. normaly we are late in getting new device here in germany.
So, it's a pleasure

I think i have to correct myself: i told you that the fan were spinning all the time, even in idle mode. But now I think i was hearing the HDD. I not sure, but it's to quite to say it clear.
Sure thing: in idle/surfing the laptop is bearly hearable. VERY GOOD!

I made a 3dmark11 test.
Here is the result: NVIDIA GeForce GT 620M video card benchmark result - Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3517U CPU @ 1.90GHz,ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. UX32VD score: P581 3DMarks
So, the device wasn't getting hot at any time. The fans were spinning up but they didn't get disturbing loud.

On the test run I let the HWinfo tool run in background. I attach the output log (it's a .csv in a .zip) to this post. I hope you get all the info you need.

How to i find that out?

 

Quick question.. Does anyone know if the upgrade from i5 to the i7 cpu gives a significant boost in Diablo 3 with the ux32vd?
also.. is the version with 1600x900 resolution out yet?