Probs with my F3sv, should I buy Asus again?

Hi all,

So I bought an Asus F3sv about two years back. It was my first foray into "non-namebrand" computers. At first I was stoked about getting so much for so cheap. However, since then there've been small (and one big) things along the way that makes me really question whether I should go ahead and get the upcoming n81vp.

Here's the list of problems I've had over the last few years:
1) on arrival the screen was terrible... I can't explain it well. The colors were washed out (not something correctable with gamma/contrast/brightness, etc.) and it appeared very grainy. I screwed around with it by flexing the screen (because that's what would provide a short term fix) then one day, I flexed the screen and it never went bad again.

2) this may not be on Asus, but my graphics card (nVidia 8600gs) stays really hot... we're talkin' about 74C at idle. Since this is the case, the fan NEVER shuts off, even when I put the computer in power-saving mode. It's so loud that I don't even bring my laptop with me to the library anymore, which is exactly why I have a laptop to begin with! I've read that nVidia blew it with a batch of 8600gs's, but I don't have a straight story from what I've pulled from the interwebs. Either way, my laptop is loud as hell, all the time.

3) periodically my webcam just ups and stops working. I have to uninstall the drivers, then reinstall them to get it functioning again.

I think the biggest thing for me is the heat/noise issue. It's about time for me to purchase a new computer, and I have my eye on the N81vp due to its size and its decent graphics card. But I'm hesitant to buy Asus again.

What's everybody's experience been like with Asus-es? Did I just get unlucky? The alternative I'm considering is the Sager np8660. It's a bit bigger, but for the extra size and more cash, it's a better graphics option with faster RAM (GDDR3 vs. DDR2). I think the Sager is a great deal too for what you get, and it has a silent mode which all the reviews say effectively kills the fan and that doesn't cause heat problems.

Thanks for reading and any advice or experience you can share is much appreciated.

 

I have a f3sv-b1 and the only similar "problem" I have is the 8600 GS. Yeah, mine idles at around your temperature but I don't have your fan issue. And I think the temperature is typical for this laptop so you're not exactly unlucky. Sometimes it might be your video drivers that may be causing higher temperatures. I often use desktop drivers for my 8600GS and the temperatures are definitely higher, but I remember I tried some alienware mobile driver from couple months back and my idle temps were in the 60s.

 

8600 problem is really not the asus notebooks fault the reason your notebook may be working like crazy is you were infected by the nvidia fiasco and that is causing you notebooks fan to go off like crazy to cool it down.

 

Were there problems with the Nvidias 2 years back? I thought it was just recently manufactured cards.

 

no it was the full 8 series range specifically 8400 and 8600 cards.

 

yeah that's what i was referring to about it maybe not being Asus's fault for the hot idle temp and incessant fan.

i'm just trying to gauge how often people have problems with Asus. i know any laptop, regardless of who brands it, is going to have problems at some point. it just seems to me my Asus had problems long before it should have, and want to know if this is an experience shared by many.

if it is, then i'll go with the Sager. if not, then maybe i'll go with the lighter weight/more-portability of the 14" n81vp coming up. thanks everyone for the input so far.

 

Why not look at MSI as well? There notebooks run pretty cool and they have great build/prices.

 

After owning a laptop that had many issues, I can certainly understand how you would be skeptical on purchasing another laptop from the same company. However, in all fairness, this really depends on the model that you purchase. The F3 series, for example, was one of the most problematic units Asus has manufactured. Other than the GPU issue, the chassis was poorly designed and many F3 owners have experienced the infamous crack near the bottom right corner of the keyboard. On the other hand, the F8 series proved to be one of the more reliable systems with almost no build quality issues.

The only significant issue I had with the numerous Asus notebooks I've had is the inability to use the card reader under XP on my U6V. Fortunately, Ken (from gentech) solved this issue within a day (Asus themselves couldn't provide any helpful support). All in all, I'd say a big part of purchasing an Asus notebook is where you purchase it from. Buying one from a reputable reseller will make a huge difference.

 

I gave them a look, too. I decided on the Sager np8660 for a few reasons.
1) better RAM
2) 9800gts
3) since i'm comparing the MSI GT627 here, the Sager doesn't have that red trim around the notebook

they're both priced about the same and in 15.4" screens, so i think the Sager provides more bang for the buck.

i don't know a whole lot about computers, just more than the average joe. if wanted to be able to play games like World in Conflict maxed out, would the faster RAM and slight edge given the GTS instead of GS make all that much of a difference?

 

The Sager NP8660 is a superb 15" gaming machine, however, you should know that the DDR3 offers little to no performance increase compared to DDR2 800mhz. This is because the current DDR3 ram offers very high CAS latency while the DDR2 ram can offer a CAS latency as low as 4.

 

Well i guess DDR3 DOES give you a couple of minutes of battery life

 

I would go for np8660 FTW!

Asus is a good overall quality tho.

 

The Alienware m15x is actually a decent choice as well the notebook starts at only *GASP* $1100. Now its actually worth the money.

 

True enough about the Alienware, but at that price that's with a slower CPU, an 8600GT, 1GB of RAM, and a smaller hard drive.

If you equipped the Alienware to be about equivalent to the Sager, you're looking at a $2000+ computer. For this poor student, that's a bit much, especially when I can get that from the Sager for $500 less... or, the not so well equipped but hopefully lighter almost as good N81vp.

Anyone know when people will be able to get their hands on the N81vp? I want to wait until reviews are out and people have had time to play around with it to clear it of any issues. That's another reason why the Sager is so appealing to me: it's been around for so long that by now (I guess) if there were any problems, people would've hashed them out on forums like these.