UL80v information

Along with the guy that wants to know the frame rate of the UL80V on team fortress 2 and left 4 dead, I also want to know how well it runs RTS(real-time strategies).

I want to know if recent RTS can be run smoothly because RTS generally tax not only the GPU but also the CPU whereas l4d and tf2 tax the GPU much more.

I really want to know the power of the CULV 1.3 ghz on games like warhammer40k: dawnofwar2, command and conquer:red alert, and company of heroes. If any of you UL50V or UL80V owners can answer that, I will love you forever.

Not only that, but if all goes well and smoothly, perhaps you will have convinced me to be a fellow asus UL owner as well

 

Calm down mate, 8.85hrs while loading webpages that contains a few flash ads, not even playing youtube videos, not even HD youtube videos. Full on power consumption is running 3dmark and prime95 over and over. I would guesstimate 3.5 - 4.5 hrs full on usage.

 

On the topic of the multi-touch trackpad:

In Gizmodo's recent laptop battlemodo, they commented that the multi-touch touchpad of the UL30a-A1 "actually worked". I guess that the UL80Vt, since it's of the same line, would have the same parts and thus performance, though this could be a very wrong assumption.

It's nice to hear that the UL80Vt is such a solid machine. I'm personally waiting for the UL30Vt, but if it never comes to market, the UL80Vt is tied with the UL50Vt as my most wanted!

}:^)~

 

I admit, I'm really excited as well! Many laptops I've tested and read about seem to only eek out this type of life in light usage scenarios. Considering that I'd likely be next to a plug whilst gaming anyway, this is a huge win.

If your estimates are correct, for the serious gamer taking a transcontinental flight, an extra battery is all that's needed to game non-stop for the duration. Epic.

On the gaming performance front:
Does anyone know how well this laptop can run the PCSX2 emulator? I'm thinking/hoping that it can do so well, with fluid gameplay and few dropped frames.

}:^)~

 

Yeah, you're right that 8.85 hours probably wasn't full on, but it sounded like it was probably looped youtube videos or something similar to that, so it'd be pretty close. If you activated the 210M graphics and then ran it full on by playing a 3d game, yeah, you'd probably see 4-5 hours of gaming before it died, but if you're talking about continuously watching youtube videos, etc, with the integrated graphics, you are probably talking about 8+ hours.

 

We'll just have to see, now won't we.

 

About the G210M, is it possible to deactivate it from BIOS? Or is it possible only by software?

 

You press a button to the upper left of the keyboard to turn the G210M off. I don't see why you would want to disable it completely.

}:^)~

 

If you want to use another OS (linux-based for ex.) AFAIK there is no software to power it off. That's I would want to know if you can enable/disable it from the BIOS. That would not bother me to switch from BIOS to G210M if I want to play some games and reboot to go back to IGP when needed.

 

Yeah there is the UL80AG if you do not want it

 

One thing that I worry about is 0.3 megapixel webcam. I might be switching from macbook pro to asus ul80vt. Is the webcam really bad for those who have it ?

 

Apple webcams imo are the best ones out there. I've used Dell, Sony and Asus webcams and they do not even come close to the quality of an Apple cam.

 

I do want it but I only when gaming. As I work with linux, I'd like to know if I can disable the G210M from BIOS and then boot into linux with IGP.

 

As a person that uses linux 90% of the time, I can completely sympathize with this wish. Thanks for the explanation.

Personally, I'm planning on buying the UL30Vt/UL80Vt and running linux in a virtualized environment within Windows 7. I've never run a virtualized environment before, and I don't know how feasible/smart this is, but I figure that the vast majority of tasks that I do in Linux revolve around typing code, running scripts, and compilation. That said, I do not really require the performance of linux as the host os, and running a virtualbox session for my linux needs would be more than acceptable.

In this case, most of the apps that I would otherwise use (open source apps) can be found in windows, which I would be comfortable to use in that environment (perhaps a shared data partition or something could be arranged for interoperability); including, as you mentioned, games. (I'm looking forward to using the PCSX2 playstation 2 emulator on the UL30/80Vt as I would bet it would run quite well).

But I can appreciate booting into linux as a host. Hopefully there is an answer for disabling the G210M! Perhaps it's as simple as compiling a kernel with support for the integrated graphics and excluding the G210M, or configuring X as such.

}:^)~

 

Well I'm also in search of kind of ultraportable that would allow some gaming. First I looked at the ACERs (3810TG) but was afraid of the bad reputation. Now this ASUS looks gorgeous, but here are the infos I have about GC switching:
whith the ACERs, you can also switch from IGP to the Radeon 4330. But this is a bit tricky from linux: in the BIOS you have an option for the GC, "switchable" or "discrete", for getting it work in linux you have to choose "switchable" from BIOS then use a program that deactivates the discrete GC. If you choose discrete you cannot deactivate it. Several linux users found that even if they chose the IGP inside xorg.conf both cards were running, badly hurting the battery.
The point is, I'm afraid this program works only with ATI based cards. So if there is no way in the BIOS to deactivate the G210M I'm afraid you would have both GC running and no way to shut the G210M off. That's my threat and that's why I'm asking that.

 

About these reviews for the people that have received there's..

 

There's an Owner's Lounge for this computer, some interesting info there. Linky: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=428368

I checked the bios for a switch for the graphics and didn't see anything.
You could always try emailing them your situation, see if it's something they would look in to.

 

How about hearing some more detailed opinions guys? lol

But how about we move from this thread over to the Official lounge...

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=428368

 

Hey guys, this is a tough decision to make.

I was gonna buy ul80vt but now that I read the this thread to the end, I don't know if ul80 is a better choice than u80.

I rarely play games, and do mostly web browsing, office, and photoshop.
So ul80 should be sufficient but u80 sounds too good as well.

Is there any other laptops from other makers that are on par with u80?

I am looking for at least 7hrs of battery, dualcore, 13-14in, light and decent graphics power.

Help me out guys.
Thanks!

 

It sounds to me like the you don't need a graphics card. I'd go with something a little smaller, maybe the UL30, unless you really think you need the graphics power, in which case I'd definitely recommend the UL80VT-A1 or the upcoming UL30VT

 

Sure, he doesn't sound as if he needs the dedicated graphics card but the TurboBoost (overclock) feature is going to be useful for Photoshop.

 

Thanks guys for the comments.
I would definitely go for ul80vt over ul30vt just for some graphics jobs and occasional gaming.

Anybody waiting for the SU9400? It seems like this isnt much of a issue here.

 

Just for clarification, the UL80VT and the UL30VT (coming in december) will both have video cards that are switchable (210M). It's the UL30A that doesn't have a video card.

 

Wait a minute! Don't dismiss the graphics card so fast!

I would recommend that one strongly consider a discreet gpu with any modern notebook/computer. With OpenCL/Cuda/Stream, there are many programs coming out that take advantage of the GPU's ability to do many calculations very fast, and thus greatly improve performance for optimized apps over the CPU alone.

You were planning on using photoshop, right? Well, it would seem that photoshop can receive quite a performance boost via Nvida's upcoming Cuda plugin. You can read about one report here:
http://www.fudzilla.com/index.php?Itemid=34&id=9602&option=com_content&task=view

Other apps could include: video editing, video encoding, 3D rendering, audio encoding, graphics program filters.

Additionally, the web is about to be opened up to the world of 3D. With technologies like googles O3D, we will be seeing much more 3D online ( check this out) for interfaces, visualizations, and games alike.

The GPU has a much larger role than just games, and this trend will continue upwards. To 'future-proof' your laptop, it would be wise to have a discreet GPU.At the very least, it would be prudent to at least consider it.

}:^)~

 

I just picked one up in Taipei. There are some slight differences compared to the US version:

Broadcom bluetooth chipset
500GB Seagate hdd
2GB ram, single sodimm
Intel Wi-Fi Link 1000 chipset

The keyboard isn't as nice as the one on the U6 series, but I'm getting used to it. I installed Mini Ninjas last night and unfortunately, this system is not fast enough to play that game.

HD video compressed with h264 plays fine.

The piano black finish around the screen and keyboard is a dust and fingerprint magnet. It's just too bad Asus didn't come out with a full aluminum version.

Feel free to ask more questions.

 

I just ordered the UL80VT through Amazon. Should receive it Friday. I currently use the U6S model. Do you think the UL80VT is good enough to replace my beloved U6? You said the keyboard was not as nice, is it because the U6 has a metallic looking keyboard? Thanks for the reply.

 

I looked up the specs on the mini ninjas game, and it seems like the UL80VT should be able to run that game no problem. You have the one with the Nvidia 210M, right? And I assume that the video card was activated? (I don't mean to imply that you're stupid; I just want to make sure.)

 

Well seeing as how the nVidia GT210M will play Call of Duty 4 (Just the first one, Modern Warfare) just fine, it should play Mini Ninja's just fine, aswell.

 

posted another video of the backlit keyboard here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1ixYft7p0o

 

The keyboard feels softer than the one on the U6 and to some extend, it's almost too soft for my tastes. Battery life is definitely much longer than the U6 and the touchpad/buttons are a big improvement. I do miss the leather palm rest, since the piano black material just doesn't feel as nice and gets dirty with very little use.

As for Mini Ninjas, I was able to run the game, but part way through the game just didn't work (where you're trying the targeting attacks). It could be an issue with the game, but I'll need to test on another system later today to be sure. I have a feeling it's an issue with the CPU rather than GPU. And yes, the video card and turbo were both turned on.

I'll try running Demogod and DOW 2 on it today to see how they run.

 

could it be a compatibility problem between the game and win 7?

 

This is good news for me! I leave for a 9 month trip in like 10 days time from Australia. I was considering importing a UL80VT for my trip but I'm almost certainly not going to have enough time to get it here before I leave.

My first stop is Thailand and I was considering trying to pick up there laptop there but was unsure if it was released in Asia. Hearing that you were able to get it in China is good news. Does anyone know for sure if it is released in Thailand?

Also, how much was it in China?

 

I'm not sure if it's available in Thailand. Cost wise, it's more expensive to buy in Taiwan than US, if you excluded taxes. You can't really do a direct comparison, since the specs are different.

 

would still like to know what you paid. I'm not in the US anyway. I'm almost certain its more expensive in Australia.

 

I was reading the Anandtech review of the UL80VT. At the end of the article they said "ASUS has informed us that the Best Buy model of the UL80Vt will have a rubberized palm rest." Does Best Buy provide their own warranty for Asus laptops or does it still qualify for 2 years? I had just bought the UL80 from Amazon. I will return it if the Best Buy model holds true.

 

@eugenes: could you look at the BIOS and see if it is possible to deactivate the G210M from BIOS please?

 

Asus laptops sold from Best Buy do not carry the 2 year global or the 1 year accidental...

 

Not possible with the 205 BIOS. However, the power management software does have an option to power down either graphics chip.

 

Well that is bad news for linux users, if the only way to switch between GC is with the windows drivers/software; that means you may go into problems using a linux OS on it, for ex. both cards may be active or worse ... except if the GC keeps powered down when rebooting, that would mean this is necessary to boot into windows to choose the GC before booting into linux. Could you confirm that?

 

Could you run a virtual Linux session from within windows? You could just use Windows 7 unless you needed to do something in Linux. (Don't crucify me for saying that... lol) Windows 7 really isn't that bad, but I understand if you have to use linux for work (or if you just want to...).

 

well ... I just want to ... and I without a doubt crucify you arghhhh lol ...
Seriously that's a lot of years I almost never used windows at home, I never bought a software and always used free software for dealing with home work (and I use a virtualized Windows session for using VERY RARELY softwares that do not work in wine, as for ex. a software for configuring my philips SRU 9400 remote), I use wine for games and I'm happy with it ... So it is important for me to have a satisfactory laptop that does not mess GC with linux, so am I asking eugenes to test all that stuff ...

 

miloofr, my initial impressions with this laptop running linux is that almost everything works perfectly. I was running ubuntu 9.10 RC off of the disc and the system detected the intel graphics and set it up properly. It also prompted me that there were drivers available for the nvidia card. I would assume that if you just don't install the nvidia drivers, that device will be ignored. For my purposes, I'm only going to use the intel graphics with linux and I think it would work fine in that configuration. Were you planning on using the nvidia graphics with linux? I'm not sure what would happen if both drivers were enabled.

I'm downloading the 64-bit version of ubuntu 9.10 right now so I could do more testing. I'll let you all know if I learn anything new.

 

UL80VT-A1 is back in Amazon for $823.00 with free shipping.
$20 bucks cheaper than Newegg

 

Xoticpc.com has them for a little cheaper: $819 + Free UPS Ground shipping (which is faster than the Amazon Super Savor 5-9 day shipping).

Plus xoticpc.com has a 100% refund with no restocking fees... Amazon has a 15% restocking fee...

 

phrizek: thank you a lot for your thoughts ... That's a goo thing to know that eveything works nicely ...
What make me suspiscious about GC though is that even you don't install nvidia drivers, the GC is not powered off and sucks power. You should test battery life in that conditions. It is known linux is less efficient for saving power. However a nice test would be to measure for the same condtions, battery life with nvidia drivers loaded first and battery life with nvidia drivers unloaded and intel drivers loaded. If there is a difference, then you are right, if there is no difference, that means that both GC are on whatever the drivers loaded ...
I follow french forum where someone got a UL80V and was rather unhappy with it, in particular he found that:

1) the software switch between both cards often lead to a crash
2) the vent was always on and rather noisy while using the G210M GC.
3) the touchpad was not very nice to use (that's rather personal though)

What do you think of these critics (mainly the first 2 points) ?

 

Keep in mind the GC drivers are provided by Nvidia for both the G210M and 4500HD. From a factory install, the Intel drivers won't even install, so I'm inclined to believe that power management on the GCs will not be functioning in Linux.

Replies to the above:

1. I haven't encountered any crashes from switching GC. This could be done manually or set to automatic.
2. If you have turbo and G210M on, then you'll hear the vent in a quiet environment. Turn on some music or play a game and the exhause noise get drowned out.
3. I find the touchpad to be better than others provided by Asus in the same size category. It's definitely an improvement over the U6 and EEE 1000HE. However, because the touchpad is flush with the palm rest, I do find myself accidentally clicking on it once in a while. I do still use a mouse with this notebook when I could.

 

Could someone test it at BIOS OS +5% and Turbo33 Enabled with PassMark CPU Benchmark? I'm only interested in CPU result.

 

CPU - Integer Math: 509.7
CPU - Floating Point Math: 742.0
CPU - Find Prime Numbers: 392.0
CPU - SSE: 3.0
CPU - Compression: 1835.0
CPU - Encryption: 5.2
CPU - Physics: 93.8
CPU - String Sorting: 1019.4
CPU Mark: 1437.7
PassMark Rating: 618.2

System information: This Computer
CPU Manufacturer: GenuineIntel
Number of CPU: 1
Cores per CPU: 2
CPU Type: Intel U7300 @ 1.30GHz
CPU Speed: 1553.9 MHz
Cache size: 3072KB
O/S: Windows 7 (64-bit)
Total RAM: 2013.0 MB.
Available RAM: 871.0 MB.
Video settings: 1366x768x32
Video driver:
DESCRIPTION: Mobile Intel(R) 4 Series Express Chipset Family
MANUFACTURER: NVIDIA
BIOS: Intel Video BIOS
DATE: 8-28-2009
Drive Letter: C
Total Disk Space: 232.9 GBytes
Cluster Size: 4.0 KBytes
File system: NTFS

 

Curious...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220602&Tpk=ul80vt

Listed on Newegg's specification page, it says this unit has a 3-year warranty. Doesn't ASUS include the warranty as 2-year limited, first year ADW? (accidental) What Newegg is stating, is 2-years limited, 1-year extra ADW...