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

I've noticed that my trackpad and areas of the lid that my fingers have touched have become a little greasy, despite me trying to keep my fingers clean! Anyone have any ideas about what I can use to keep the bamboo surfaces clean, but obviously something that won't damage the bamboo or the screen when the lid is closed

 

13yren use a damp microfiber cloth with water ONLY do not use anything with chemicals this does it every time for me.

 

I just got the U43JC-X1 and had a few questions.

1). If I were to do a clean install without the F9 quick recovery tool will I lose Fn functionality? Or is that built into the firmware? If I do, where would I find the drivers for this?

2). Will this laptop support 2 x 4GB of DDR3-1333MHz? I know it comes default with 1066MHz, but I can't seem to find any information about what speeds it supports.

3). How good are the safety mechanisms in this laptop? If I tried to overclock the CPU/GPU/RAM is there an unacceptable risk of bricking it?

4). Is it worth the ~$120 to upgrade from the default Momentus 500GB 5400RPM to the Momentus XT 500GB 7200RPM?

5). How hard is it to convert the DVD drive into a second hard drive bay? Would this laptop support an SSD in the DVD drive? If it does, does the ASUS quick recovery tool have the functionality to set up two drives properly?

Thanks in advance.

 

So the U43JC has been at the top of my list of laptops for a while due to being ridiculously stylish, but while I'm mostly sold, I'm not 100% because of some bad comments I've read regarding construction and stuff.

Function-wise, I'm looking for a computer that will be able to video edit, maybe some light gaming (I have a desktop to fall back on), and probably 3D rendering. Most importantly, I don't want it to look terrible and I would like it to last for a number of years.

Can any of the longer term U series owners say how their laptop is holding up, and if it performs as well as it seems like it would?

 

You'd lose F9 functionality only if you repartitioned the HDD or asked Windows to do it. The F9 function looks for & activates an ASUS program (AI Recovery Utility) that looks for the hidden partition on your HDD where the Win 7 OS install files are kept.

I've installed a new HDD with no hidden partition and I did not reinstall the ASUS AI Recovery Utility. When I boot up, pressing F9 does nothing.

Yes to the 8GB RAM, but it will run it at 1066MHz even if you put in 1333MHz.

Depends. The i5-450M is certainly overclockable as is the 310M GPU. Unless you're editing the registry for the overclock, most overclocks the fail will freeze the OS and lock the machine until reboot. Same for the GPU overclock. I never set my GPU overclock to be permanent after a reboot. That way I alsways have an out, and most laptops don't need the extra heat & battery loss of a 24/7 o'c. I do it when I need it (on my GPU. My i3 isn't o'c-able.)

But you won't "brick" it unless you do a faulty firmware flash.

Depends on you & who's doing the upgrade. That's a personal choice.

GenTechPC asks for $135 to do the upgrade. If you buy the XT from Amazon and install it & the OS yourself, you pay $120 and after the swap, you have an extra HDD you can put in a USB enclosure and use for backups.

I have the XT 500. It cut my boot up in half, but as I use sleep mode (or resume) most of the time, that is a meaningless plus for me. Word 2007 used to open in 5 sec the first time and 1.5 sec every time after that. With the XT, it opens in 3 sec the first time and in 1 sec every time after that.

Better, but not a speed demon.

Probably fairly easy. It is easy on my U30Jc and I'd doubt the ODD on the U43Jc is much different. There are threads on this site for doing that (in general).

 

I've found good discussions on here distinguishing the U43JC-A1 from the U43JC-X1, but I can't find what distinguishes the A1 from the U43JC-B1 -- any thoughts? Thanks.

 

Is anyone else's wifi dropping? Mine drops every five minutes or so and it's really starting to annoy me
Does this seem to be the card, or is this windows 7/ a driver issue?

 

well,probably some driver issue-try use your old windows 7 backup-it's strange i had the same problem few days ago and it def helped me...

or try reinstall drivers again...

 

I have three questions about my new Asus U43F recently purchased from BestBuy after a good deal of research including this very informative thread.

1. The touchpad (Achilles?) is moving very slowly over applications open on the display while inadvertently clicking on items it should not be. This is after a few adjustments. I am coming off my old Dell Inspiron E1505 clicker and touchpad and working to adjust the way I operate my input commands and scrolling. What settings or adjustments do you recommend?

2. The clicker on the touchpad is extremely resistant, causing strain in my wrist and elbow pretty quickly.

If I can't resolve the touch/clickpad issues, I will likely have to return this computer that I otherwise am liking quite well. And there is one more concern at this point:

3. It took HOURS to load about 53 gigabytes of data off of my external hard disk that I used to transfer files from my old laptop. 8 and a half hours! Just now it took about 90 seconds to read the folder properties on the C: drive when I went to check the amount of data in the folder I moved. My old Dell ran through those tasks in minutes and instants, respectively. The U34F's hard drive is running unacceptably slowly -- what is up?!!?

I am thinking the issue is either with a) the Asus not reading the Western Digital hard disk data properly (unlikely though as it can't even read it's own drive quickly) or b) more likely, the hard drive installed on the Asus being faulty or deficient in quality.

I just checked the hard drive in the system's Device Manager, which confirmed that it is running properly and that the latest drivers for the hard drive have been installed.

Device Manager describes the hard drive as an ST9640320AS and shows 620 gigabytes of storage. Specs indicated 640GB Serial ATA hard drive (5400 rpm), "spacious storage and fast read/write time" on the promo.

Is this POS hardware they have stuffed into the U43F for BestBuy or the downside to standard massive drives on offer now? What is wrong here?

Your expert input is much appreciated, all. Cheers - LeibnizNotation

 

The trackpad resistance gets better with time after usage. Mine is totally smooth now. You can adjust the sensitivity settings in the touchpad's device setting to your liking. I have no major issues with the trackpad.

Use some kind of hard drive benchmark to test the speed of the drive (ie, hd tune). Is it running at speeds that it is suppose to? Also, use seagate's diagnosis software to test it. it will tell you if there are any issues. Mine drive is not slow.

 

Thanks for your feedback, isosunrise.

I used the machine a couple more days trying to make some of the adjustments to my operations and settings on the touchpad. One thing I noted was the absence of any barrier informing you when you are off the pad and on the palmrest and I wondered about taping a strip around it. Of course you could add an external mouse but defeats the purpose of a laptop, for my purposes anyhow.

But I just could not get comfortable with the touchpad and with such an extremely resistant clickbar. So I returned it this weekend to Best Buy for full credit.

The hard drive issue was secondary, though I never figured why it ran so slowly. I ran Avira to see if there was a virus on the machine, which took hours but came up negative fortunately.

Before this experience, I had not understood why reviewers make so much fuss over touchpads, with major knocks on comparable highly-reviewed machines like the Samsung QX-410 and HP Envy. Now I do get that and have ordered a Dell XPS 14, which according to CNET has the best touchpad in the class and at very least will be more familiar to me coming off of my present Inspiron E1505.

I'm glad yours works for you. I was sorry to have to return such a nice looking laptop and not to have the benefits I associate with Asus. My wife's UL-30 has delivered tops in battery life, reliability, performance, value and design. Seems like Asus needs to work on their distribution/branding in general and the quality of the touch pad area, at least on this machine. I do not get their model naming scheme at all, and it is difficult finding retailers carrying their models in order to look at them before buying.

Does anyone know if Asus is doing anything to improve the touchpad on future releases and/or if there are other comparable models of Asus that have a better designed touchpad and clickbar area?

 

Hi, i've reading some pages from this topic, trying to find why my new u33j's webcam has this awful lag or some kind of solution for this problem... are you serious? I dont understand why does it work so bad, its disapointing and annoying for a new laptop... :'(

 

The 2.0MP webcam is much higher resolution than normal. That means you'll need to have more bandwidth to use it smoothly.

And be sure you have a fast connection on BOTH ends of your web chat or you will get video slow-down.

 

in this case, it doesnt matter because it happens also in lifeframe3 (that doesnt requires internet conection) or just testing the camera with any recorder software. the hardware (or something that i cant comprehend) just works laggy... id prefer much more a 1.3 mpx camera with an acceptable frame ratio (25-30 fps)
pd: i have 20mbps feeding directly to my u33j throught an rj45 cable, so i dont think that the conection could be the problem (im testing with another pc in my lan net)

 

Hi all, I just picked up a U33JC - my next step will be to put an SSD in, so I'm just wondering if anyone has any experience of doing this?

And if so what advice would you give regarding ease of install, driver/OS reinstall issues etc that arose following it?

 

I've just received my U43JC-X1 from amazon. First impressions are good, but since this is the first laptop I've purchased in many years it won't take much to impress me.

A lot of the drawbacks of the laptop were expected, as they've come up in several reviews. The touchpad buttons are awful, but I'm going to be using a wireless mouse with this most of the time anyway. I think there's a bit too much friction on the touchpad (as compared to my Acer netbook), and at times it isn't very responsive. But it's definitely not unusable for simple tasks like web-browsing.

Speakers aren't the greatest, but here again it won't affect me much as I tend to use headphones.

The screen looks nice enough - but in any case, I am getting a Dell monitor to hook up to this so I can watch movies in full HD. I also use a dual display at work, so I've become quite accustomed to it. It's a lot easier to multi-task.

I've heard some complaints about the keyboard, but I have no problems with it. I've never used a computer with a backlit keyboard, so it's not a feature I'm going to miss.

It's a little bit heavier than I was anticipating, but it still feels lighter than the Thinkpad I use for work.

The performance is good so far, but I haven't really pushed the machine yet. I don't intend this to be a gaming machine, but I might try a fewer older games on this to see how it runs. For those of you who own a U43JC, have you had any experience gaming with it?

The battery life is decent - obviously I can't see myself getting 10 hours of use from it, but it looks like I can stretch it to 5 hours while browsing the web using Wi-Fi and listening to music. It's a lot better than my netbook in this respect.

I expected the build quality to be poor due to the reviews. Initially, I couldn't see why, but then I noticed the flex just under the optical disk drive. It's quite alarming, but I suppose if I'm conscious of it when carrying around the laptop it should be okay.

In terms of aesthetics, I'm a sucker for dark wood, so I like the bamboo. I'm not a fan of the chrome accents though, and it does look a bit tacky. It didn't look as bad in the pictures I saw, but it's not a complete dealbreaker. The unfortunate aspect of the bamboo palmrest is that it does tend to pick up a lot of oily residue. I have sweaty hands, so that's not a good thing.

That's it, for my first impressions after roughly four hours of use.

 

I swapped my U33JC with a SSD and wrote instructions in this thread a while back. Look for it. Working fine for me.

 

I got the U43JC-B1 and I upgraded the BIO to 216 the last available. I tried to find a wake on Lan setting in the BIOS but I couldn't so I called ASUS tech support which confirmed it is under boot somewhere, I did not have the PC with me when I called, so when I had it I tried again but couldn't find it, does anybody know if this laptop really supports Wake On LAN? if yes how to set it?

 

An update for all!!!

For those who had camera issues (serious lag) I just downloaded and installed the newest drivers from December (first time I checked in a while) and my camera is grade a now. Very fast....as good as I have seen in a computer. I am very happy about this because before it was barely usable. Hope this helps others!

Update

Well I came home and tried it again and back slow again. Tried to reinstall the drivers and nothing. Frustrating to know how great it can be and now know that it is not performing as well as it should

 

Has anybody else been shipped a U43 with aluminium veneer raised up, like it's coming off, on the left side where it meets the bamboo? It's such a small thing but I can feel a sharp edge and the opposite side is totally flush well fitted. I'm thinking of returning it for this reason which makes me feel quite anal retentive.

I just had a terrible experience with the build of my last POS HP DV4 (which slowly fell to pieces). Made me weary of things like this. Otherwise the computer is great. Wondering if other have had this issue and if I should just live with it.

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/jXOMkPIQ_yZXnkbRcMoKscI-Z3JCsG9HCO9K6vaPeEM?feat=directlink

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/p7z1lhUTPDTDUWxI6dBzNMI-Z3JCsG9HCO9K6vaPeEM?feat=directlink

 

I'm looking into getting my laptop for university next year and the U43JC has been on the top of my list for quite some time, but this thread has been discouraging.

I want a laptop within a budget ~$1200. I'd like to be fairly futureproof for the 4-5 years of school ahead of me, so USB 3.0 is one thing on my list, but durability is definitely needed.

I'm looking at futureshop's envy 14 and pavilion DM4 as well, but neither have USB 3.0.

I'll be watching HD movies and buying an external blu-ray drive in the future. I'll also do some casual gaming (Halo 2, upcoming Knights of the Old Republic), as well as skyping home regularly.

An HDD of at least 500GB also has to be packed in because I'd like to dual boot Ubuntu with Windows 7.

Thanks!

 

I would recommend the U43 over an HP in a heartbeat. Despite the tiny flaw in mine it's miles above the two Pavilions I've owned. What I find most impressive about the U43 and ASUS in general is the excellent heat management. Especially when compared to my HP DV4.

Buy a Pavilion if you want a laptop that will simulate a leaf blower. The thing had such a tiny fan that it had to spin up to 238524657236742 RPM to circulate air in the slightest (even with regular cleaning). And then there were the cheap plastic panels and the hinge that committed suicide (over-tensioned).

 

Get your u43jc-b1 shipped from b&h video by purolator, you will only get the GST of 5% and the shipping of $20. It is on a special for US$849 which is even less in $Ca. The whole thing will cost you with tax, shipping and duties a little below $900. There is no better laptop that has all these features for that price.

I appreciate if somebody can give me an answer on that question please.

all i can tell you is that I don't have this problem. If you want to return it is your prerogative.

 

What is the difference between the B1 and A1? ..and I suppose X1 but I'm quite sure the A1 has better specs than the X1

 

B1 had 640HD and 2.53 Ghz processor, A1 has 500 and 2.4, X1 does not have bluetooth

 

Cheers man. I am going to try and get this B1, as soon as I can go test out the F model at Bestbuy, and see if our local Asus dealer will honour the warrenty. We have been buying out desktops from him for ten years so he won't be pleased I have gone somewhere else...but that's business. Really appreciate your help!

 

I have the A1. It has a 640gb HD. As do all the other A1's. But yes it is 2.4. And the B1 is i5-460m (2.5).

 

A1 has been discontinued and replaced by B1 but the drop in price in B1 is an indication that B1 is to be retired too soon.

 

I was thinking this too. All Asus bamboo laptops are on sale everywhere. Does this mean a refresh? Or is it axing the line?

 

Does it make any difference? if you like the specs you get it for a better price, so why not!

 

Webcam is verrryyyyy slow. Essentially the webcam is useless. Is anyone else experiencing this with their U43JC? I've already installed the latest driver from the Asus website (Azurewave Camera Driver for Win7 64 bit Version V5.8.54000.204).

 

So I'm pretty sure I'll be getting a bamboo Asus but I'm confused about all the model types and numbers. Amazon has a few different model numbers and I want to order through them since it's tax free. Their tech specs aren't all that great though.
I'm trying to find the difference between the u43JC-x1 and the u43JC-B1.
The B1 seems to have a larger HDD an i5-460 (opposed to a 450 in the X1) and bluetooth? It doesn't specifically say "10 hour battery" but I can't see why it'd be any different from the X1, which does say that.
The thing is, the B1 is $30 cheaper (B1-$870/X1-$900)....with essentially better specs (right?).

What am I missing? And are either of these affected by this Sandy Bridge news?

Thanks for any help.

 

X1 - i5 450m, 500gb, no bluetooth, 1 year warranty
A1 - i5 450m, 640gb, bluetooth, 2 year warranty
B1 - i5 460m, 640gb, bluetooth, 2 year warranty

I think those are the differences. Definitely get the B1 if it's cheaper.

 

Someone just linked me to the B&H photography website for the u43B1 on sale. It's cheaper than amazon if you live in the States, and better than the A1 found on amazon.

 

Thanks. The warranty being different is probably the biggest deal, which I didn't realize. I'm probably going to SSD it anyway (hopefully via the optical drive).
Thanks for the heads up on B&H as well...I am in the US and it's $20 cheaper and no tax/free shipping like amazon.

 

Webcam is working a lot better after I uninstalled Azurewave Camera Driver for Win7 64 bit Version V5.8.54000.204 then installed Azurewave Camera Driver Version V5.8.55133.208.

 

Thanks -- where can Azurewave Camera Driver Version V5.8.55133.208 be found? it's not on the u33jc win7x64 download page (it has V5.8.54000.205). thank you

 

What are people's takes on the usefullness of USB 3.0 on the Bamboo laptops now that "thunderbolt"/light peak has been unveiled? So much for futureproofing

 

Firewire is slightly faster than USB 2.0; USB 2.0 is still the winner. Thunderbolt is slightly faster than USB 3.0; I hightly doubt it will be as adaptive as USB 3.0, since USB is backwards compatible and not much slower. Most manufacturers have already adopted USB 3.0 into their pc's and there are many devices already in the market; thunderbolt still has a ways to go.

 

Actually yes I had seen that, very useful thanks! Can I ask too - how did you install W7? Did you use a separate optical drive or download a copy for a USB flash drive?

 

Thanks -- the camera lag is really annoying me -- where can Azurewave Camera Driver Version V5.8.55133.208 be found? it's not on the u33jc win7x64 download page (it has V5.8.54000.205). thanks again

 

I used a USB optical drive, but I am sure a USB flash drive will work too. I downloaded the oem copy of Windows 7 HP x64 in this forum somewhere, and just use the serial on the bottom of the laptop. No issues. Remember to use the latest IRST drivers from intel, and not the ones from Asus for the SSD.

 

Might be getting my U43JC-B1 tomorrow! $949.99 from Canada Computers

 

I still do not understand why you don't get it from B&H photovideo, shipped to Canada and including taxes it was $910

 

it was $987 with duties and taxes and who knows any other hidden fees. I feel more comfortable buying from a retailer I can get extended warranty from as well.

 

Well, I was able to find and install Azurewave Camera Driver Version V5.8.55133.208. nonetheless, it did not fix the camera lag. so back to square one. please post if anyone is able to fix the camera lag. thanks

 

do U33jc has bluetooth? i cant find it...

 

$850+ GST (5%) plus shipping about $25, there are no duties on computers but you pay 1$ for brokerage and there are no other hidden fees. It arrived in 2 days. ASUS provides you with a 2 years global warranty no matter where you buy it from, and paying by credit card extends your warranty automatically from a year with your credit card company. That's more than enough for me but if you want to pay more, it is your choice.

 

The duties and taxes state $115 when I proceed to checkout.

B&H Shopping Cart | B&H Photo Video

So at that cost, for $150 more I can get two years more warrenty at a local retailer. Have yet to inquire at my current local shop because they keep poor hours

 

yes it does. works fine.