ASUS U Series Bamboo Collection Owners Thread (U33JC/U43JC/U53JC)

I live in Australia and I'm considering a U43JC.
The model that they have the the shops is the "U43JC-ZBD-WX080V". Does anyone know what the difference is between this model and the U43JC-X1/U43JC-A1?

Tried to search the thread and found it hard to find the answers to the following questions.
1) What is the battery life is like if I just wanted to surf the web, email and do word processing?
2) Is it possible to switch out the original HDD for a SSD? And will this be difficult?
3) Where will I find a 9-cell battery for the laptop?

Thanks in advance for the help!

 

I've had my U43 now for a while and one of my concerns was that the bamboo surfaces would wear quickly, particularly when compared to plastic or metal. It turns out that this is definitely the case. In about two months, the bamboo on the palm rest, most notably in the trackpad area, is wearing away and forming a noticeable discoloration/texture change. This notebook certainly looks pretty out of the box, but shows wear significantly faster than any I've ever had before. I am not optimistic about how this thing will look after a year of constant use. This is a bit ironic, as one of the main selling points of this model was its appearance.

 

This is something I've been thinking about as I just received my model (U33). I'm wondering if a specialized oil will help? Check this response I did a little while back...

http://forum.notebookreview.com/asus/526082-cleaning-asus-bamboo-u43jc.html

 

Real noob question. Is the U33 faster with SHE on or Off ??

 

SHE's a user friendly overclocking tool, so yeah, I think it's safe to say that it 'll increase the speed of the processor (at the cost of battery life)

 

has anyone been successful at undervolting the u33 yet? what tool are you using?

 

I own a U43JC.

Does anyone else notice that when their headphones are plugged in, there is a large amount of noise coming from the right ear piece?

 

Actually, the U33 is faster with SHE off. On my U33JC, with SHE off, cpuz reports 2568.x MHz max and with SHE on, cpuz reports 2300 MHz max. So, with SHE on, the battery life would be longer (link has U33 with longer battery life when SHE is on). The system appears to come "overclocked" since the stock shoud be 2400 MHz

http://event.asus.com/2010/nb/she_legal_disclaimer/

 

iso, I have also noticed my U33 seems faster with SHE off.

Also my HD is amazingly slow, and anything that accesses the HD is slooooow. Do you folks think I should wipe the HD and reinstall Windows 7 ??

 

Hey guys. I tried to extend my C partition. but Extend Volume is grayed out and nothing I do allows me to extend C. I tried everything including deleting the D partition, with no success.

Any idea how I can get the option to Extend Volume in C ??

 

Actually, if you turn SHE off and boot into the BIOS, you get an overclock option that allows you to choose between Stock, Overclock and Turbo Overclock options. Turn SHE back on, and ASUS's software controls it, under and overclocking when necessary.

 

I don't know if this link has been posted yet (I'm not going to be looking back through 166 pages) but for those of you looking to buy a u33jc here's a really awesome review I found

Asus' bamboo-infused U33Jc 13-inch notebook - The Tech Report - Page 1

This is definitely the most in-depth one I've come across, I hope it's of some use!

Also a question; does anyone have an idea about the difference between the i3-370M that the US are getting and the i5-430M that ships with the UK models? (alos sorry if this has been mentioned before!)

 

When opening Nvidia control panel all i have is 4 things i can adjust.. Do y'all have more then 4 things you can adjust? All i have is the 3d settings and video. I know there are more things that can exist here because i use it on my home pc.

 

What is it you're looking to adjust that you're not finding?

 

Im looking option to turn on the optimus widget

 

Hello, does anyone know how to
-change f1, f2, f3, ... to action keys
-manually switch graphics

Thank you.

 

Oh. That's easy. Open "NVIDIA Control Panel". In the upper menu bar, open "View" and tick "Display GPU Activity Icon in Notification area".

Then in your lower right, an ugly frog-green box will appear. Whenever you click on it, in your upper left screen, an nVidia box will appear telling you if the GPU is on or not.

I don't think you can remap those. They appear to be fixed.

 

i taught there was a way to get something that appears where the windows sidebar is that says if the gpu is on or off

 

There is. Go HERE to download the NVIDIA Optimus Test Tool gadget.

HERE is the direct link location for the Win 7 x64 version. This is the one I mostly use, though I don't always keep it on (though you can if you wish.)

 

I've got my u33 in UK (from SimplyAsus) and is got a i5-450M at 2.4Ghz. Also I haven't seen any trace of WIDI but US models seems to have it. Apart from that I don't think there are much differences, still an amazing laptop

 

Thanks for replying! I'm not that fussed about WiDi tbh, I'd never use it

How quick were simplyasus to dispatch?

 

There is a very powerful command line utility called diskpart

A Description of the Diskpart Command-Line Utility

 

HERE is a great explanation that was just posted today.

 

I initially ordered at the end of August and been hoping to get it delays after delays (due to ASUS). Finally got it last Friday after a dispatch on Thursday. I don't know if SimplyAsus still have some in stock but worth checking with them, they've been quite helpful every time I ask them an update on the situation. Good luck!

 

My U53 arrived at my house today after a 4-month wait, so some of them are finally shipping. I won't be there until the weekend, though.

 

Thx Madhouse and Quatro... Quatro's method was the easiest for me!

 

Hey guys does anyone know where the best place to sell a slightly used u43jc would be? Doesn't seem to be many people searching for this particular laptop on craigslist or ebay.

 

You don't like it? Did you get a different model?

I just did a search for it on eBay (US-site) and found 17 offerings for the U43Jc. Why not try to sell it there with a minimum bid you need to reach before you sell it?

It is a fairly new laptop.

 

Dunno if this has been covered, but have you guys noticed that there are three different versions of the U33JC?

-The US version which ships with the i3-370m
-A UK version which ships with the i5-430m
-ANOTHER version available to the uk which ships with the i5-460m

Judging from intel's website the 460 seems better since it can reach higher clock speeds when overclocked (plus that version seems to come with WiDi/ costs the same as the others in most cases)

Compare Intel® Products,

These are the google results for the different model numbers...

U33JC-RX068V
U33JC-RX126V

Any idea what this is all about/ any insights into these differing models that cost the same amount but are more powerful? =\

 

i got a u43 about a month ago now, everything is perfectly fine except a couple of things that me off..... one bottom right corner of the body doesnt touch the table when rested, about 2 mm above the table :S .... and the CD Drive makes a noise if keeps are tapped with putting your palms on the laptop, this is because the CD drive is not tightly in place or something so it vibrates when the body is tapped. this is disappointing me, any i ideas???

 

For the U43JC / Linux folks around, I posted a howto on the Ubuntu forums on getting the U43JC working as best I could under 10.10 Maverick, including disabling the Nvidia card (which I only use in Windows anyway):

[ubuntu] Asus U43JC - Ubuntu Forums

Included are the (complete) kernel recompilation steps to change the DSDT. If anybody has a better solution, please come forward! I'm specially eager to find a solution where I can use the nvidia binary drivers *on the same installation* by some mechanism such as vga_switcheroo.

Adolfo R. Brandes

 

Hello my friends,
I am very upset
Friday I just receive my new U53JC. I order it from Btotech
Unfortunately the touchpad doesn't work almost at all and some times is moving by himself
I try everything ... start/stop with Fn+; uninstall Elan software; setup high and less sensitivity ...
No results ...
Because I am from Romania it's a little bit complicate to send it back

Do you have any idea what can be ?



Thank you in advance for your help.

 

Is there a Matte screen replacement for the U33JC? That glossy screen causes me much eye strain and is the only thing preventing me from buying it .

U33JC Owners, any fix for this high-tempearture heat anomoly many are reporting in the base? (do the vents need to be dremeled larger or what?) Lastly, can the webcam recording resolution be reduced to eliminate the reported stuttering video lag?

 

Anybody knows what kind of defrag software is good with a hybride XT?

 

I use the O&O Defrag 12 Pro (they're up to ver 14 now). It works well w/ Win 7 x64 and my 500GB XT Hybrid HDD.

I suppose any defrag program that works with 64-bit would work well. The XT, beyond the 4GB NAND flash memory, is really just a 7200rpm HDD.

 

I agree...just about any recommended 64-bit defrag program including the built in one will work...however, keep in mind that you "don't" want to defrag as often as they "may" mess with how the NAND is reading the drive

 

what version of the elan software are you using?

 

I haven't experienced any high temp issues with my machine. It gets warm when I play L4D2 but when I render videos in Premiere it is surprisingly cool and quiet. Not sure what others are experiencing but I have not had problems.

 

I made the update.
Is the last one.
I tried also without elan and is the same.

And ... I have another question ... what was in yours U53JC box ?

later edit ... I found the answer here of this last question here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68XwuNiRu4Y

Thanks in advance for the answers ...

 

I ordered a U43F-BBA7 from Best Buy yesterday. happy face. I made this post because I was going to ask a bunch of questions, but then I realized I can't read, since the best buy product page clearly answers all my questions.

 

Yeah, I thought the same thing, but it seems like something you would get used to once you get a feel for the size of the touch pad.

It came down to the U43 and the dm4-1165dx ( http://www.bestbuy.com/site/HP+-+Pa...inum/1260528.p?id=1218243761774&skuId=1260528) , and I chose the U43. Hope I made a good choice! If I didn't, I'll just exchange it in a couple of weeks anyways.

 

There are distinct differences between the U43Jc and its Best Buy brother, the U43F. Are you aware that:
1) the U43F doesn't have dual graphics? (hence the "F") Only the Intel HD chip, not the nVidia 310M GPU? So no Optimus switchable-graphics either. The U43Jc does have dual graphics. Of course, that means the U43F has no VRAM dedicated RAM for graphics. It is shared RAM. The U43Jc's nVidia 310M has 1GB for dedicated VRAM which makes a lot of difference in gaming and even 1080p HD movies.

2) The U43F has no bluetooth. The U43Jc does.

3) Be sure and check the battery size in the Best Buy model as well. It should be 5600mAh 84Wh.

4) What is the MP size of the U43F's webcam? ASUS used 0.3MP in most of their recent models. The U43Jc has an unusual 2.0MP lens. Is the U43F 2.0MP or 0.3MP?

5) The BB U43F also only has a 1-yr warranty instead of the 2-yr that the U43Jc has. The U43F does not have the extra 1-yr accidental damage warranty. The U43Jc does.

 

Yeah, I know the U43F is < U43JC. The problem is that I have to get the laptop at best buy since I am getting this as a replacement for my old laptop which broke under warranty. The graphics really are not an issue for me. But for the cost, it might be better to get something like a QX410-J01 ( Samsung - Laptop / Intel® Core™ i5 Processor / 14" Display / 4GB Memory / 640GB Hard Drive - Aluminum - QX410-J01) instead. I'll see how I like it when I get it though. My budget is ~$1130 (tax must be also taken into account), so I am somewhat limited. Thanks for the info.

 

try this site from some threads ago

http://forum.notebookreview.com/asu...tion-owners-thread-u33jc-u43jc-u53jc-138.html

 

Yay, for whining noise. It really is unfortunate too, since this computer is by far the most gorgeous laptop I have ever seen. Oh well, back to best buy tomorrow to exchange it.

edit: Whine isn't as noticeable now. Whether it is due to something going on inside the computer or just that my ears were permanently damaged last night, I'm going to wait a few days before exchanging it. I really, really love this laptop.

 

I'm having a little bit of a problem with my U33Jc and putting it to sleep. Whenever I try putting it to sleep, the screen turns off and the computer just hangs. There's no way to wake it up, and I have to force power down and reboot. This happens when I manually put it to sleep and when the computer goes to sleep on its own after a certain time. The same thing also happens when I try to turn SHE on (the screen turns black to adjust settings and never turns back on). Meanwhile, all the lights stay on and it looks like the computer is still running.

The strange thing is that after a System Restore, I can put it to sleep fine, but after a day or two, the problem reoccurs. I installed an Intel SSD, but I really don't think that it's causing the problem. I'm wondering if anyone else can help out or have any idea before I systematically uninstall programs.

Any input would be appreciated.

 

Thanks.
Now the notebook is in Asus service.
They told me that they must to change: touchpad, toucboard and connection cables ...

 

Could be a recent windows update maybe? I've had a few of them screw with my desktop until a later update sorts it out. Not sure what else it could be I'm afraid, I'm not too read up on this problem.

 

I don't know if this is relevant, but do you have peripherals such as a printer hooked up to your laptop when engaging sleep mode? If you do, try to unplug the peripheral and try sleep mode again. On my old Asus, exactly what you are describing would occur when I had my printer hooked up.

same

 

I just got a U43JC and am loving it. I want to replace the Intel 1000BGN card with a 6200. For the life of me I can't figure out how to get to the wifi card in this thing. There is a door for the memory and one for the hard drive. Do I have to remove the entire bottom of the computer to gain access? Can someone that has changed the wifi card on a U43JC help me out with a quick pointer? Thanks in advance.