Just got a Z96Js -- Have Questions

I just purhcased this laptop from eBAY.

It has WSXGA+ screen. (It's grainy, but I will fix that )
Intel 3945 abg wireless
80 GB Hitachi Travelstart 7200 rpm HDD
Intel T7200 CPU
2 GB Corsair RAM @ 667 Mhz
XP Media Center Edition
ATI X1600 GPU with 256 MB dedicated RAM
DVD RW

All for $1,549 including shipping. ($1,500 w/o shipping and no tax)


1) Is this a good price for this config?

2) I looked in my Device Manager and the DVD Burner that I received with my laptop is :

HL-DT-ST DVD-RW GWA-4082N

How can I find out how many "Xs" that is ? My guess is that it is a 2X DVD +/- RW, but I am not sure.

I am also not sure if it is a dual layer DVD RW drive.

3) In XP, I go to Accessories -> System Tools -> System Information,

but nowhere in there does it say that my CPU is T7200.

It says something like X36 @ 1.99 Ghz or something like that.

Is there a good program that scans all your hard drive and
tells you what you have in your laptop?


Thanks for all your help!

 

I guess I can add to that list of questions what the best drivers are to use with the X1600 that comes with the laptop.

I browsed through and found out that :

- There are drivers in the ATI Support Website.

https://support.ati.com/ics/support/default.asp?deptID=894&task=knowledge&folderID=27

- There are drivers on the Intel Website.

http://downloadfinder.intel.com/scr...+Center+Edition&lang=eng&strOSs=88&submit=Go!

And yet there are drivers on www.omegadrivers.net


I found out that the Omega drivers are best to use, but they cause some "green bars" to appear on the screen after they are installed!

Apparently, you can get around this problem by updating to the Radeon display driver v8.233 from the Intel website.

However, in that case, you cannot Catalyst Mobility 6.6 (Radeon display driver v8.263) from ATI. Well, this is the newer driver, so I would think it would give me better performance in games, etc.

But then again, Omega drivers have very good reputation.

So, in between all this digging, I am extremely confused as to which drivers are better.

 

Get cpu-z to tell about the memory and CPU specs. PowerStrip will tell you the model # of the TFT. NHC will tell you the battery capacity and wear level.

I recommend calling up tech support right now and asking if there is any record on the unit, whether its refurb, or previously RMAed or has any reported issues against it.

Also, out of curiousity could you post a link to the eBay auction and seller info?

Thnx,
Cat

P.S. I see you added a new post a few secs before I made this one, but I won't try to address that here. You can check the drive speed and capacities from Nero, Nero Express should have been included with the software that came with the laptop. Along with the free laptop case.

 

Here it is :

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...20033862406&rd=1&sspagename=STRK:MEWA:IT&rd=1

Do you think it is a good deal?

I also got free bluetooth headphones and a Gamebridge TV, but I really don't care about those two.

 

Do you mean Asus tech support?

I will do that.

The seller was a gentleman named Ben Buchanan from Pensacola, FL.

He sells under the nickname alphaomega1368

His e-mail address is [email protected].

The unit looks brand new.

He installed the HDD, CPU, Wireless, ODD, etc.

I paid on Tuesday, and in 2 days (this morning) I got my PC.

Therefore, so far, I am happy with my purchase.

Just trying to validate the notebook's components.

If I can successfully do that, I will give him positive feedback and recommend him to everybody as he was very prompt.



PS: Don't just look at his items for sale in ebay. I would e-mail him to see what he has in stock if you need something.

 

Depends - install the apps and do the tests I mentioned above and see .

If its stable over a PCMark and a few 3DMark runs it should be ok. I don't like buying things used, especially hard drives and batteries since it's so easy to mistreat them and hard to tell how long they'll last.

Also do a Memtest - you'll need to make a bootable CD/floppy for that and leave it to run a cylce or 2 to make sure the RAM is good. Out of all the components I bought for my last laptop the RAM had to be changed twice due to crashes while everything else worked fine.

P.S. I'm in Canada so I can't get anything from him anyway - but it was just a curiousity thing though and to help me know if theres anything else to say in this post. Also I'll keep it on file if I need any good sales pitch for my Z96JS in future : p - and some of the accessories he includes look cool too.

Yours is slightly less than mine, mostly because it doesn't have tax on it. Mine is only a T2500 tho and a bigger Seagate HDD. But is it used is the question. Him providing Photoshop and Office 2003 free with it in full versions... while no OS seems odd...

Also, he says on eBay that it will be an extra $110 for the upgrade to 2GB - but you say it was included in the $1500 price?

 

Yeah, he included the +1 GB upgrade (making the total 2 GB) in exchange for me paying shipping ($49).

So, $1,549 came out to be the total.

I already verified that it has 2 GB RAM.

He says that the RAM brand is Corsair. (Need a way to check that, as well)

He has so much positive feedback in ebay that I don't think he sells anything used, but gotta make sure

 

Please read my first post - I already gave you a way to check that and much much much more

 

Thanks, CCz Cataphract.

I appreciate all your help.

I will do all of the things you said, and let you know how what the outcome turns out to be.

It'd be nice if I could get some feedback on the X1600 drivers, though.

 

Okay, as per CPU-Z, I have an Intel T7200 with 4 MB L2 cache,

2 GB RAM @ 332.5 Mhz FSB (FSB / DRAM : 1/2) ==> 667 Mhz

 

Powerstrip Results :

 

NHC Results:

Battery wear = 0%

 

Your burner is 8x, just so you know. Same model in my a8jm and my sister's acer TM2428. it also says so on the eBAY page.

 

Thanks for the clarification about the DVD drive.

The 1 and only complaint I have about this system, is that the Hitachi Travelstart HDD, although very fast, runs very loud!

There is absolutely no sound coming from anywhere else in the laptop. (Including the fan).

And I find it to be a relatively cool running laptop.

(My previous laptop was an Acer 5672! I guess anything is considered cooler than that LOL )

But the heat is at OK levels for now. I have not tried gaming with the laptop yet.

 

I have downloaded Motherboard BIOS 11.01 for my Z96Js and created a bootable CD using Nero.

However, when I boot, and switch to D:\ , here is what happens:

- I run AFLASH2.EXE in DOS Command Prompt.
- The Z96J.ROM file that contains the BIOS is in the same folder as the AFLASH2.EXE
- It gives me 2 options :
1) Save current BIOS to a file.
2) Flash the BIOS from an existing file

If I choose 1 and try to save the current BIOS into a file, it asks a filename. When I enter something like "ABC.ROM", it gives the error "File Not Open!"

If I choose 2 and try to flash the BIOS with the Z96J.ROM, at the bottom of the screen, it reads "Loading File..."

However, it does NOTHING. It just hangs after that. I have waited for a minute or two and had to shut down the computer in the middle of the BIOS flash.

Luckily, it didn't give me any problems; however, I couldn't upgrade my BIOS, either.

Also, does anybody have an idea about which drivers ar the best for the ATI X1600?

 

http://www.notebookforums.com/thread173555-3.html - You can use that. I personally got the file from the ASUS Tech there and used the original file but GenTech made a bootable .nrg file which a lot of people used and say is good. Give that a shot

Good to hear, looks like you got a real bargain on the system from what we've seen here - only thing I got better is the Seagate 7200.1 100 GB which is quite quiet, outside of that you got the better sys by far. Just hope the screen does not flicker

Cat

 

I believe that is the VGA BIOS update, and not the Motherboard BIOS update.

(That would really sound like a dumb question if they are the same LOL)

But from what I have read, they sounded like they were seperate things.

One for the motherboard, and one for the VGA Bios.

I got the MoBo BIOS Update from here :

http://geared2play.com/store/products/laptops/asus/z96j/z96j.rom


That didn't do anything, so I will just use this instead:
http://geared2play.com/store/products/laptops/asus/z96j/S96Jv1001.zip

I will just boot up with a CD and type "Update"

LOL I actually contacted the seller and I will ship the laptop back to him, and he will change the HDD with a Seagate. What a nice guy!

I also asked him if he could change it with a 100 GB Seagate or an 80 GB Seagate. ( I am willing to pay the price difference, anyways)

But I will let you know how that goes.

 

Well, my suggestion is to take the hard drive out yourself . It has 2 screws holding it in, take out the HDD with the cage and its 1/50th the size/weight of the entire system.

You don't update the VGA BIOS on its own, not unless your working at ATI or ASUS and are working with it directly in 99.9% of the cases. This update updates both the mobo BIOS from the original (now has Memrom support) and the VGA (no more grainyness!). It's both updates in one

Get the 1101 BIOS Update for both Merom Support and the Grainyness fix - it will overwrite your old one. Use that boot image I sent you and you get both updates in a package that takes about 1 minute to install, and since you had so many problems the other way this is also good since it should be straightforward and easy.

 

Thanks. I will try and let you know how it goes.

The difference between 100 GB Seagate @ 7200 rpm

and 80 GB Seagate @ 7200 rpm is $80.

I am thinking which one I should replace my HDD with.

If I pick the 80 GB, I won't have to pay anything.