Ivy Bridge Zenbook with FHD IPS screen UX21A UX31A UX32A UX32VD

I wanted to buy the ux31a-DB51, but I notice that they're either:

• out of stock
• low stock, not getting restocked
• discontinued

And this is at pretty much every retailer (or e-tailer). Is there a new model on the way or something?

 

They have the Zenbook Prime U500 coming out with windows 8. It's quite a monster. 15.6" IPS display, quad-core CPU, DUAL hard drives (for SSD+HD or RAID 0), powerful GPU.

Possibly they'll have other machines for Windows 8 too...? But they're not Apple. They don't keep secrets until the last minute, do they? I dunno, I suppose they could.

(Btw, the main reason they don't do 8 GB of ram is not because they want to save $20, but because it uses battery life esp in standby.)

EDIT: Actually, I strongly suspect they'll release touchscreen versions of Zenbooks with Windows 8. They previewed one back in June.

 

BestBuy is selling it for $899 now...I am guessing something new is coming..maybe even one with a proper display and keypad. In fact they have discounted all the ultrabooks.

 

Asus is shipping zenbooks with different keypads? Which one is the good one?

 

Good call. Just did some quick research, and the dates would make a lot of sense.

All the articles seem to show a Zenbook Touch with a glossy screen though. Any idea if the final version will be glossy or matte?

If it's glossy, I'm sticking to my UX31A. If it's matte, the UX31A goes back, crappy Sandisk drive and all.

 

ASUS reveals TAICHI convertible notebook / tablet with dual 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch displays (update: hands-on photos and video) -- Engadget

ASUS Transformer Book Ultrabook Specifications, Price, Reviews and Gallery

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 | Convertible Laptop & Tablet | Lenovo Yoga Laptop (GB)

 

just got my new ux31a! so far its pretty awsome cant seem to have any fan noise problems, or bleed atm. tho i did get the sandisk ssd
just a quick question, is there a way to get out of sleep mode other than the power button? it realy annoys me :\

 

BIOS setting on my UX32VD.... BUT then it sometimes wakes up on its own in your bag and kills its battery

 

Hello
I have a ux32vd of which I have formatted the 32gb iSSD and sometimes used it for storage, although rarely. Last week I started getting a warning message from windows saying the iSSD isnt doing so well and that I should backup the files and contact the manufacturer. Now, since I rarely use that drive anyway Im not too worried, but its definitely annoying to get that message every startup for such a new machine. Considering sending it to asus and wondering if they have done anything to fix the monitor backlight bleed in newer batches?

On another note I have noticed that sometimes the nvidia gt620m is undetected after bootup. If you notice decreased graphics performance, you can go into device manager and check if the gt620m is listed along with the hd4000. If not, right click the category and choose search for hardware changes. A helpful thing if this happens to you is to go into nvidia control panel -> Desktop(on the top bar) -> show GPU activity icon. If I dont see this icon at all that will generally remind me to check for this annoyance.

Furthermore I have a silly and perhaps too precautious question regarding nvidia drivers: Is it important to only get drivers approved for the ux32vd from the asus website for any reason(such as the fact that I have two different graphics cards?) Im guessing its fine to get the latest from nvidia directly since the double gpu thing shouldnt be too uncommon but still want to make sure.

 

Still unable to find a solution to this problem. Give it a try.
Set the computer to full performance and compare your framerates with the HD4000. It's drastically different between plugged in and not with the same power profile.

 

less fun :\ but why would it wake up on its own? due to keyboard flex?

 

A model that works 100% out of the box, nothing needing repair, replacement or improving to make it a great $1,000 laptop!

 

On a different note, any thoughts on whether the UX31A can drive three external digital monitors?

I don't need to game or anything, just need it for work (MS Office, Matlab, etc.) and surfing.

Would using something like this to hook up two external monitors and using the mini HDMI port on the laptop for the third get me there? Does the Intel HD 4000 have enough grunt to do this?

 

I'm in Ireland and there's very limited availability of the UX31A here - the only option is to get the top speced one from the uk - costs $2,500! Luckily my sister is going to Chicago on 11/08/12 & returning on 11/13/12 I plan to preorder the 128 gig i5 UX31A from Best Buy (they make this very easy for International buyers).
How accurate are their delivery estimates as the time window is quite tight? I was hoping that if she picked it up on day 1 of her trip she would have time to exchange it if there were any major problems with it.

Does the power supply come with a UK plug?

I see a bit of speculation about a new Asus ultrabook with a touchscreen to launch with the release of Windows 8. I presume this won't lead to the pulling of the UX31A? Personally I'm not sure that a touchscreen laptop makes sense - Apple certainly don't think so. Besides I already have an iPad 3 I could never go back to a crappy 1376 x 768 TN panel.

I'm not quite clear on the difference between these two models: UX31A-R5102H vs UX31A-R5102F.

 

1 - Not if you buy it in the US, you will have to change it.

2 - It's not speculation it has been announced. There is a link to it on the previous page of this thread. It will be out before Christmas, probably as soon as Windows 8.

 

Thanks for that Don1 was hoping the power supply came with interchangeable plugs. I'll probably send a UK one over with my sister - might help to get it past customs, US keyboard would be a bit of a give away. Any idea of pricing for the touch Zenbook? Touch is not something I think I'd use that often on an ultrabook so wouldn't be willing to pay a premium for it.

 

Asus have the ux32vd on display outside bullring. Problem is.. You cannot find it in the uk lol

 

The power supply uses the same mechanism on some Apple gear (eg, first-gen iPod charger). You pull out the US plug, and either put in an ASUS EU plug or a standard cord. I don't know what the standard is called, but it's very common (an old Soviet cord fit).

There'll be plenty of touchscreen ultrabooks when Windows 8 comes out) I doubt it'll add anything to the cost. I think it's a very good feature considering how MS is shoving a tablet OS onto our PCs.

 

So pretty much like the charger for the new iPad - it takes a figure of 8 power cord. I guess I shouldn't knock touchscreen windows 8 notebooks until I've tried one!

 

Despite a lot of searching I'm still not clear on the differences between the various models of Zenbook 31A listed on the Best Buy site. The only ones in stock are the R5102H and the R5102F. I might also be interested in the UX31A-R5202H if/when they get more stock. My primary concern is resolution - do the 3 models above all have 1920 x 1080 IPS panels?

 

Anyone try to upgrade the Wifi card in their zenbook? Wondering if you've had the same issue: http://forum.notebookreview.com/asu...asus-ux32vd-owners-lounge-14.html#post8843346

 

What a mess. The Microsoft Store lists the R5102H as "Prime" (which should mean FullHD IPS), but the specs say 1600x900. The BestBuy website doesn't list ANY screen specs!

Stupid ASUS. It's ok not to be as extreme as Apple in the limited model selection, but come on! Who are you helping with this confusion? The retailers who get to sell the wrong thing to ignorant customers?

 

Yeah ironic that they don't list resultions for an ultrabook whose main selling point is a full HD IPS panel. After a bit more research I agree with you that the R5012H model is probably 1600 x 900. A few sites are reporting the R5012F as 1920 x 1080 with IPS which would tally with the customer reviews on the Best Buy website although it's certainly not unknown for reviews from different models to be aggregated. I have started a thread on the Best Buy forums so hopefully will get a definitive answer soon.

 

No mention on price but the fact it has dual IPS displays would make me think it won't be cheap. I believe the current one does have interchangeable plugs but you only get the US version in the box.

Take a look at the videos and see why I don't think it will be cheap.

ASUS reveals TAICHI convertible notebook / tablet with dual 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch displays (update: hands-on photos and video) -- Engadget

 

The BB version does have the IPS full HD display. The MS version does not (at least according to their site..I have yet to see on in their store, seems stores only have the expensive version which of course has the good display).

 

Don1 - are you speaking form personal experience of the BB R5102H? I wonder how it differs (apart from the price) from the R5102F? Maybe BB got their model numbers mixed up as Office depot also list the R5102H as 1600 x 900. I'll post my response from BB if/when I get one.

 

anyone have performance benchmarks, ie pc mark etc., for a ux32vd-71 w/ SSD and 10mb of ram?(or if it's been covered in this or another thread, a link) Curious to see how it compares. Thanks

 

Is it at all possible to disable Hyper-Threading in the BIOS?

With Hyper-Threading disabled we should be able to run about 2-3C cooler fixing that annoying fan ON/OFF issue.

 

----->

That's with a Samsung 830 256GB SSD.

 

I think that's the hard drive performance, I'm looking for system performance. Thanks

 

Hey everyone, just an FYI for anyone having slow USB 3.0 performance from their USB Ports. Go to this download site on Asus's driver page: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. -Support- Drivers and Download USB3.0

I downloaded the newest USB 3.0 Intel drivers and my Lexar Triton went from 20-40 MB/sec (pitiful for this flash drive) to 140-160 MB/sec write and 170-240 MB/sec read (that's more like it!).

 

Yes.......but I am referring to the 5102F which is what BB is now selling for 899, not 999. I have no idea what the 5102H is. The 5102H is being sold at BB for 999 which can only mean the full HD IPS display has been such a disaster they are just trying to get rid of them as fast as they can.

 

Thanks for clearing that up - still no response from BB. I'm guessing that the 5102H must have a non IPS 1600 x 900 panel. Seems strange that they're selling the full HD IPS cheaper but maybe the average buyer isn't aware of font scaling and finds text too small to read comfortably. I used to have a Sony Z series (great machine but unfortunately not soup proof ) with a 13 inch 1600 x 900 screen and had to scale to 150% and needed to use the no-squint add-on for Firefox. I'd imagine things are even easier now with pinch to zoom.

 

Well, got my UX32VD, love it, expect I have to send it back to get replaced (from vendor, not Asus) as there is a stripped screw on the bottom so I would never be able to add more memory or SSD! And of course, the vendor is out of stock.

As a side note, mine didn't seem to have bad screen bleed. The keyboard did flex, but I didn't really notice it as a problem when using it. The track pad seems to be level and fine.

 

I installed the latest Intel RST drivers, but I still can't figure out how to use the 24GB Sandisk SSD for cache acceleration. I'm reading the Intel RST help and looking for the "Enable Acceleration" under Status, but no such button exists.

 

If your vision is so poor, why do you want the IPS? Even with font scaling, I don't think you'll notice the crisper text. I guess colors are another advantage, although personally I can't say the difference is that great.

Speaking of tiny text, I just had the pleasure of reading a Bible the size of a quarter and stapled with a single staple. That thing was awesome.

 

Just an update on this - the 5102H and 5102F are now the same price on BB at $1000. Resolution is still not listed and the only difference I could see using the BB comparison feature was that the 5102H is listed as having a 1.7 Ghz i5 and the 5102F has a 1.7GHz (with Turbo Boost up to 2.6GHz)i5. Don't know too much about processors so not sure if this is significant or not.

My eyesight is not that bad! I just find it more comfortable to use font scaling. Text was very sharp on my Sony Z series 1600 x 900 even with font scaling - viewing angles weren't great though. If the there was an UX31A with an IPS 1600 x 900 with IPS I'd probably go for that. I hear font scaling is much better on windows 8.

 

I have found this to be a "feature" of some laptops. My ASUS G73JW gaming laptop does the same thing. I think the manufacturer feels that it will run the battery down too quickly.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

 

Where can I find the UX32VD in Europe with QWERTY layout? Amazon.de sells it for 1050€ but it's QWERTZ.

 

So it seems that I need RAID mode for Intel RST to work... Does anyone have the ability to set SATA mode to RAID in BIOS? I only have IDE and ACHI.

 

geokilla, the HM76 chipset in the UX32VD does not support RAID or Intel SRT (sources: ASUS Zenbook UX32VD Specification | Ultrabook Specification Intel Launches 7-Series Chipsets). ASUS ships with SanDisk's ExpressCache. There are lots of other SSD cache programs. I found ExpressCache to be awful (gave no speedup and caused win7 to crash often).

EDIT: I may be wrong that there is good third-party caching software you can install.

 

When will be available Asus UX32A with i3 ivy bridge ???

 

backlight bleed so much what can we do? can anyone make video to show how to pu electric tape in it?

 

Already available in Canada. Slow as . Do not get.

 

Hi!!

I have the UX31A-DB51 - have had it for about 2 months now, maybe....Everything was working great!! There was no fan noise (or very minimal and only when i was working the computer pretty hard but daily tasks like browsing the web and checking email didn't elicit any fan noise. However, maybe about a week or two ago, the fan started up. No idea why. I did download two programs, but I still have GB space left and they weren't that big. I'm not having problems when starting the computer from rest or hibernation mode - no fan revving noises coming out of sleep which is good. However, when I do something simple like opening up my email and checking email, the fan starts up!! Even if that's the ONLY thing i have opened. And it's an intermittent thing whereby, it'll rev up, then when i have the email open, it'll go quiet, then when i send something, or want to go back to my inbox, it'll rev up again. This was NOT happening before. I have no idea why it suddenly started!!

I was reading through some forums etc. and before trying anything drastic, i wanted to see if a Bios update to 212 would work. I currently have the 204 version i believe. However, I don't know how to update my bios. I downloaded the zip file, but when i went to open it, the computer didn't recognize the file type. I found a sticky about how to install Bios back from 2007 using something like Easy Flash or something?? Does that still apply?? Any help would be great!! This fan noise/issue is driving me crazy!!

 

Never mind!! I figured out how to install the updated Bios. Unfortunately, i don't think it has resolved the fan noise.....it might be just a slight bit softer but that's about it!! Any other ideas on how to deal with the fan??

 

Corban, would suggest you read through this thread (quite a long one I know!) and also another called "Fan goes on, off, on, off". There is no single solution on these forums that has worked for everyone, but there are a few ideas out there that have worked for some.

 

I am about to buy the 8GB ram upgrade. However I am concerned about lowered battery life with higher RAM - long battery life is one of the most important things for me (more so than performance). Is there a drop in battery life with more RAM installed?

 

Chances are that you just never really noticed it till now. It's normal to go from silent to about 3200 rpm, then back to silent. In anything other than a dead quiet environment, it's not noticeable.

Some people have complained about the fan going on high, like 5000 rpm, but I've never had that issue.

Download Speedfan and see what speeds it's going at.

 

Does anyone know if the UX31A R5202H comes with a HD IPS screen or not? I can't seem to find anything online specific about it. I see the the 5102F comes with a TN panel that is 1600x900