Questions about N81VP-D2. Need Opinions too

I was recently looking for a laptop and I came across this one. I searched Google and forums and found hardly any information on this laptop. So I have a few questions that hopefully some of you can answer

Well, to start it off, does anyone have this laptop? If so, what's your opinion on it?

I was looking at the specs on this laptop, and WOW amazing how they have all this in a 14' laptop. So then my thoughts jumped to, hows the battery going handle this?
So, how long does the battery last on an full charge? Is there a power saver mode that would save battery, but at the same time giving decent performance?

Also, I have one of those crappy HP laptop and I don't really like how it overheats. Does this one have any overheating problems? Like leaving it on your lap for a while will toast it?

I was also looking at the x83vp-a1... Which one would you recommend and why? Cause there's like a $100 difference. Then again, you get a faster processor, hd, and other minor things.

Also, some people have been bashing on the screen ratio. Why is it so bad?

Also, does it have a under clocked 4670?

Here's the specs:

Display

* 14" WXGA HD (1366x768) LED backlight,Color-Shine (Glare-type)

Processor & Chipset

* Intel® Core™2 Duo Mobile Processors
* Intel® PM45 Express Chipset +ICH9M
* Up to 1066 MHz System Front Side Bus Speed

Storage & Drives

* 1 Detachable 2.5" 9.5mm (H) SATA Hard Disk Drives
* 1 12.7mm (H) Optical Drive Bay, ATA Interface,
Interchangeable with DVD±R/RW Combo drive, Blu-ray/DVD±R/RW Combo Drive

Memory

* 64-bit wide DDRII data channel
* Two 200Pin SODIMM sockets
* Expandable up to 4GB DDRII 800MHz

Video Controller

* ATI Mobility™ Radeon® HD 4650, 1G DDR3 VRAM
* PCI-Express™ 16X
* Microsoft® DirectX® 10 Compatible
* Dual-View capable Supports two different applications open at one time; one on the External Monitor, and one on the Laptop Screen. Multi-tasking has never been more convenient.

Audio & Multimedia Features

* Built-in Azalia compliant audio chip, with 3D effect & full duplex
* 3D Stereo Enhanced Sound System
* S/PDIF output
* 1 Built-in Microphone
* 2 Built-in Altec Lansing Speakers
* Sound Blaster compatible

Network / Communication

* Integrated V.92 MDC Fax/Modem, with AC-Link Version. 2.1 Compliant
* Built-in Gigabit Ethernet LAN
* Built-in Bluetooth™ V2.0+EDR
* Integrated 802.11 b/g/n

Keyboard / Pointing Device

* 19.02mm size 87 Key Full Sized Keyboard
* Windows Hot keys
* Integrated Touchpad with Scrolling function

Operating System / Utilities

* Genuine Windows 7® Home Premium 64-Bit
* Asus Data Security Management(ADSM)
* ASUS SmartLogon
* Asus Live Update
* Asus NB Probe +
* ASUS Life Frame 3
* ASUS Wireless Console
* ASUS Splendid
* ASUS Express Gate
* ASUS Zoom In
* Virtual Camera
* ASUS WinFlash

Slots

* 1 Express Card 34 / 54 Slot
* 8 in 1 card reader, SD,MMC,MS,MS-Pro,xD,mini SD w/ adapter,MS-Duo,MS-Pro Duo via adapter


Hot Keys

* Function Keys:
Fn+F1 Suspend switch
Fn+F2 WLAN switch
Fn+F2 Bluetooth switch
Fn+F3 Access to the E-mail
Fn+F4 Access to the Internet
Fn+F5 Brightness down
Fn+F6 Brightness up
Fn+F7 LCD on/off
Fn+F8 LCD/CRT switch display
Fn+F9 TouchPad Lock
Fn+F10 Volume on/mute
Fn+F11 Volume down
Fn+F12 Volume up
Fn+Space Power 4Gear
Fn+C Splendid
Fn+V Camera capture

Input / Output Ports

* 1 x Microphone-in jack
* 1 x Headphone-out jack (S/PDIF)
* 1 x VGA port/Mini D-sub 15-pin for external monitor
* 5 x USB 2.0 ports
* 1 x IEEE 1394 port
* 1 x RJ45 LAN
* 1 x RJ11 Modem jack for phone line
* 1 x HDMI
* 1 x CIR for remote controller
* 1 x E-SATA

Power System

* 6 cells: 4800 mAh, smart Lithium-Ion battery pack
* Output: 16 V DC, 4.7 A, 90W
* Input: 100-240V V AC, 50/60 Hz universal

Cooling

* Arctic Silver 5 thermal compound optional
* Copper CPU Heatsink

Size & Weight

* 5.2lbs with 6-cell battery
* 13.46" x 10.08" x 1.24 x 1" - 1.42" (W x D x H)

Additional Features

* Kensington® Lock
* Built-in 1.3M Digital Video Camera
* Optical Mouse & Carrying Bag Included

Warranty

* ASUS 2-year limited global hardware warranty
* 24/7 ASUS Telephone Technical Support
* 1 Year Accidental Damage Protection. (Must be registered in 60 days of order. North American Only)
* Free two-way standard overnight shipping when sending laptops in for repair/service


Thanks for your time, I greatly appreciate it.

 

i own an d1.
aspect ratio - *I* like it since I prefer the stuff on the screen to be large, and I prefer not to scroll sideways when reading comics. Some people don't like the width and/or the low resolution

battery life - ~2 hrs in ubuntu jaunty, ~2.5 hrs in karmic (all doing typing/wifi), ~2.5 hrs in XP, didn't use vista/win7 long enough to test the battery life there.

underclocked 4670 - AFAIK, its a 4650, although some people (see newegg reviews) have claimed that they have an underclocked 4670 to 4650 specs... i think what happened is that guy has a x83, which has almost the same specs as n81 (but with 4670), but with 16:10 aspect ratio, but ships in the same box as n81
(i might be wrong though)

heat - zero problems; it can take cpu intensive tasks with no problems ~50C with both cores running at 100%
I don't game beyond flash games and starcraft, so I can't tell you how it holds up under hours of gaming, but when running 3dmark, it goes to ~65C for GPU, 50C for cpu
HDD is ~ 45C for me
IDLE comparison: GPU 40, CPU 30, HDD 40

even when the CPU's at max, you don't feel any heat except at the vent
as far as the price diff, i'd get the n81 for above reasons (personal preference)
but i think i saw the n81 for ~900 on buy.com a couple of weeks ago... not sure if its still valid

in any case, the d1 (with vista instead of win7 - just get your free upgrade from asus) is only 850:
http://www.buy.com/prod/asus-n81vp-...hz-4gb-320gb-hdd-ati/q/loc/101/211471539.html

 

So, the max you can get out of the battery is 2.5 hrs?

It's a nice deal for the D1, but there's a rebate for the D2 for $100 and it comes down to $900 off ebay. $50 more for a faster processor...

Does anyone own a D2 and share temperature rating and battery life?

Also, hows the build quality on this?

~~thanks

 

Does one side of the screen lag also? If anyone knows please post thanks

 

wow that buy.com price is so tempting. 2.8 ghz cpu, 4650 gpu. its alot of machine for 850. i would buy that in a second if i didnt already have an n80.

 

Heh, I might as well get it...

 

hey does the T9550 still have the 6 MB of l2 cache? That looks like an awesome deal, and you don't have to deal with a mail in rebate... is buy.com a good website to buy from? Ive never bought anything from them before.

 

buy.com and overstock.com both have them , but just make sure you guys check it out first with asus make sure they are Asus resellers , and don't forget about Bing cash back. Lowest I seem on the D2s are around 1000 and it was from excaliberpc which is a asus reseller (I don't think they have any left , I was looking @ ebay...so 10% cashback if it's still on otherwise 8%. ) . Also I think the D2 are 4650 instead of the X83's 4870 but they are almost the same anyway. I picked my X83vp-a1 just because it looks better and have a longer battery life since everything else it's the same except CPU and screen resolution (led back lit too , I confirmed this with an Asus contact back in china.) Just click on the link on my sig ..you will see.

 

How much battery life are you getting out of the x83?
Not only is the cpu different, but there are a lot of different things also. Also, I thought that the d2 and the A1 both came with downclocked 4670 to conserve power? I think you can clock the 4650 (underclocked 4670) back up the the 4670.

I was looking at the specs and the difference between the two were:
D2 has:
14' screen (not 14'1)
more l2 cache
faster HD (7200 rpm compared to the 5400 the x83 comes with)


Also, for anyone out there:
I was wondering how the build quality is on the n81vp-d2 (or any n81vps...) compared to the ul80vt is.. Is the quality on the n81 much more sturdy than the ul80?

Also, whats the quality on the screen of the n81vp to the ul80? I was wondering which would be better if I was to watch movies with friends or family. I'm having a hard time deciding because I heard the build quality wasn't so good on the ul80, and I don't know how much gaming I'll be doing and what quality I want.

Could the n81 run CoD: MW 2 on high quality with AA on and stuff?

Thanks.

Also, whats the MAX number of hours on battery you could get on the n81? Cause the Ul80 could get up to 10+...


Hey saincteye, could CoD run on high quality with AA and stuff on your x83? Cause it's similar to the d2 and I was wondering if it could run it.

 

ok...here .... the UL80s are using an entire different line of CPUs that is why they can get 10hrs of battery life because they are way under power compare to the P and T serises. And 4650 and 4670 is almost the same that is right , but I am not sure if you can flash the 4650 vbios to a 4670 vbios. And also it's not just the speed different for the HDD , D2 is a 7.2k 320G and A1 is a 500G 5.4K , personally I don't see too much gain from 5.4K to 7.2K unless you running a lot of stuff or constantly transfer files. And I don't want know how will it run on with MW2 high with full AA because I don't really see need for it for such an low res . From my result 40-60 FPS , I would say on all high with AA is about 15 - 20 fps. Also N81 does not have a 14" , it has a 14.1 " , same as the X83VP-A1/N81E87Vp-SL Rihanna , notice it's an N81 serises too ? I would say if you put the computer on high performance , it will give you an hour and half to 2 hrs maybe less. But if on power saving you shall be looking at 3 hrs.

 

And if you want to watch movies with family , why buy a 14" not a 15.6 or the new 16" lines or even the 18.4" .....

 

Actually, I was mainly thinking on a really long trip somewhere I would be able to carry it and if someone wanted to watch a movie with me, it would be viewable.

Also, I read that the n81 has a 16:10 screen (wide screen) while the x83 has a 14' screen which is a 16:9. http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=434764

Also, not only is the HD different, the n81 comes with a 6mb l2 cache. Much faster for accessing those used files.

Have you tried keeping it on power saver battery and recording the time?

 

read the facts !!! ..... X83 have a 16:10 , N81 have a 16:9 ...... 1280:800 = 16 x 80 : 10 X 80 .!!! N81's 1366:768 = 16x 85.37:9x85.333333333 . If you want a long running notebook/netbook that playes HD movies , go for the UL series. 4670/4650 +T/P series notebook won't give you more than 5 hrs play time even if they do , their screen will have to be darken.

Also the 3mb vs 6mb is not gonna give you an noticeable performance increase in either gaming or movies. Maybe when you running CPU intensive programs (then again if you really do that why you choose a P/T series instead of I7ms ..)

The N81Vp is the world’s 1st notebook to be equipped with a 14” high definition display with a 16:9 golden aspect ratio, powered by a dedicated ATI Radeon HD 4650 graphics card with DDR3 1024MB of VRAM. Combined with Altec Lansing speakers powered by Dolby Home Theater technology to deliver equally high definition sound, the N81Vp takes multimedia entertainment to the streets effortlessly. Users can also enjoy wireless video conferencing with a built-in 1.3 megapixel webcam and microphone, as well as an optional Hybrid TV tuner which can be accessed through a highly convenient integrated remote control.

Maybe you shall read more carefully? ....

 

Woops, I accidentally switched them. But comparing the x83 and the n81, the battery gain is very minimal right?

 

Hmmm I don't know never test it , but I would say not too much difference , then again ...SL and SU cpus are each 10W and 17W too ....so 25W to 17W ..don't really know . I think CPU is not the one that uses a lot of power , it's the 4670 and how bright your screen is . But I would say the battery life difference is half an hr at max ...

 

Also, I heard the cache won't make such a big difference (after searching on the web.) You won't notice much of a difference between a 6mb vs 3mb cache. So, I'm actually debating on getting a x83 instead, just cause it uses less battery. Though, how would a 2.8 ghz vs 2.53 ghz go? I mean in gaming of course.

Also, would you assume this battery would work with the x83 or n81? Cause it looks pretty tempting to replace:
http://www.softarcade.net/New-Laptop-Battery-for-Asus-X80Le-A32-A8-5200mah-8-Cell_p_67374.html
Cause a 8-cell would be a great replacement or a backup. Just don't know if it would be compatible even though they state it would be.

 

If you really think it's worth it , go ahead ..but for 400 more mah ...and it could cost you your warranty too because you used non-OEM batteries .