ASUS UX31A-R5102F-B (1080P IPS & Intel IB) $519.00

Newegg is selling refurbished ASUS UX31A-R5102F-B ultrabooks for $519.00

I had to pick one up It's hard enough to find an Ivy Bridge laptop for $500, much less one with a 1080P IPS display.

Newegg's eBay store:

Asus UX31A R5102F B Intel Core i5 3317U 1 70GHz 13 3" 4GB Memory 128GB SSD | eBay

Newegg.com:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834230838

 

This looks like a great deal. Its hard to turn this down, but I am broke =(

 

Are you positive that it is full HD? I know BB sold a version of this that was 1600x900 for awhile and I can't find anywhere what the -B in the model number means, UX31A-R5102F-B. Of course there is no mention of the display in the description either.

 

That's a good question. I'll post here when mine arrives.

I can't find anything about the -B model number either, but hopefully it just denotes a refurbished machine.

 

I called Newegg, and the representative told me that -B indicates it's a grade B(refurbished) system.

 

The B denotes it as a B grade, or in most manufacturer's standpoint, a B grade product can be simply a returned product that was used or not wanted and has been refurbished, or perfectly good products that have been damaged in shipping in terms of box damage or missing parts.

However, the F letter in the ultraportable's product code is a good thing -- this model is the one with the 1080p IPS screen. The 900p model is the R5102H.

 

How are Asus refurb products?

 

I purchased a refurbished Asus G50 4 years ago and, according to my friend who I sold it to, it's still running strong.

 

Nice pick up Mr Mischief. I love the Zenbook feel.

Sent from My 32GB Oppo Find 5

 

Do these have a backlit kybd?

 

Hey! Great to see you here!

According to PC Magazine's review of this model, it does.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2407271,00.asp

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Good to know. This is a great deal for those looking for a secondary computer too

 

I'd jump on this if the RAM could be upgraded. Bummer.

 

is it soldered?

 

Yes, it is. Deal is sold out now.

 

eh 4 GB is a definite no to me. 8GB is min to me..My ram usage has been very small lately and i am still using 5-6GB and that is small for me.

 

The Asus UX31A's were highly defective in their first 6 months of production (check the Amazon and Newegg buyer reviews. Thus the refurbs are actually a better deal than new ones. The one thing I worry about is the "R" designation in the model number. I never did find out what it referred to, but it may have been a Best Buy exclusive and in any event I'm fairly certain these were inferior in some respects to the models with Suffixes DB and DH. It bears researching to be sure, but if they are fully equipped as all the UX31A's this is a steal of a deal. You just can't expect a 1080p IPS super bright (350 nit) display in an Ultrabook that is still a current model selling for over $1,000 to also have upgradeable RAM and SSD. You can do as well on basic specs for the price, but not for a 3 lb. UB with that kind of screen. For that kind of money and a 13" screen, you are pretty much looking at a Lenovo Thinkpad Edge, a perfectly fine laptop with an AMD cpu and a terrible screen.

One other "sleeper" in this price class is a refurbished or lightly used HP Envy 14 Spectre either on HP's Outlet or from a quality seller on eBay. These are a bit heavier than the Asus (3.7 lbs vs. 3.1) and they have 900p TN screens, but the screen is nonetheless one of the best non-IPS 900p screens out there. This model is my pick for the most aesthetically beautiful and comfortable (eg, keyboard, trackpad) Ultrabooks yet produced and they were way overpriced at $1,399 new but you can pick up a little used, still in-wtty one for as little as $500 on eBay. I made just such a purchase (for a "third" family laptop, living mostly in the family room, as, for us, a better choice than an iPad for a comparable price. If you check professional reviews of this model you will find them unanimously positive and I can tell you that after 5 months mine has been trouble free. Regrettably, the RAM is very hard to upgrade - it can be done but you virtually have to dismantle the laptop - but you can easily expand the mSATA SSD as there is an open slot for a second one. Not really a "Tech Bargain" as there is no major retailer selling refurbs at the price of the Asus, but they are fairly easy to buy at that price on eBay and are truly unsung heroes among Ultrabooks as HP stupidly abandoned the line after just one refresh for Ivy Bridge and they have been replaced by the Spectre 13, an excellent machine with a mediocre HD only screen and the Spectre 15, a great machine with a beautiful screen, but terrible battery life (3 hrs vs. the Spectre 14's 5-6) and a higher price. Sorry to go overboard about this model but I have recommended it to many after having such a great experience myself.

EDIT: Turns out both Newegg and Amazon have the HP's new/refurbished for around $600

 

It has a 13.3" 1080p screen?

 

According to the model number, yes.

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No question it did, "did" being the operative phrase

 

Just received mine, it's 1080P

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Nice, any flaws or imperfections? So far it looks like a screamin' deal.

 

Aside from a small scratch on the lid(it can only be seen a certain angles), it's perfect. The touchpad is definitely a step up from the one on my Envy 14. Fit and finish is excellent.

 

You are a very lucky man, Mr. Mischief, as we all deserve to be in our time Use in good health!

 

It's back guys! I ordered one.

 

Is there at least one RAM expansion slot inside or is it all soldered? And is the screen matte or glossy? For $519.00 you get a decent CPU, 1080p IPS, 128GB SSD, just wish it was more than 4GB RAM, but I guess that's fine. I may get one as well. Not that I need any more laptops, lol.

 

Soldered RAM. Semi-matte screen. It's not gloss, but it's not fully matte.

 

I received a 1600x900 model (definitely not IPS). Quite confident they sent me this model which is different than the R5102F-B that I ordered. It's got an ADATA XM11. No scratches or dents, but part of the bezel is messed up to the point that I'm worried it'll fall apart with moderate usage. I'm sending it back for a replacement but they're out of stock now, so we'll see what happens. Newegg was kind enough to pay for the return shipping.