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

Use purolator when choosing the shipping option, where is it you live anyway to get $150

 

Ontario, Canada. I misread the quote! it's $180 can't decide if the extra warrenty is worth it, and if the shop will actually give me any extra service by buying through them rather than just bringing my laptop in with regular service charges.



Thank you for your help.

 

Anyone have a disassembly guide for the U43JC-B1? I just got a B1 and I would like to replace the elcheapo Intel 1000 single band WIFI card with an Intel 6200 dual band card. It's not accessible from the RAM or Hard-drive door as was speculated earlier in this thread. Searching hasn't helped.
Oh... and has anyone performed the backlit keyboard mod to a U43 yet?
http://forum.notebookreview.com/asus/465841-ul30-backlit-keyboard-mod.html

 

Hey guys! U33 has been on the top of my list now that I'm close to choosing a new laptop. I've read the entire thread (phew!) and I guess now, my only concern would be the build, specifically the bamboo and the chrome. Those of you who've had this for awhile, is it still ok? I mean, the bamboo finish is not fading or whatever? The chrome trimmings still intact/ not chipping?

Also, I think I might have read somewhere that some of you guys changed your wifi card? How come? Is the default card crappy?

TIA!

 

the problem with ontario is that they charge you the HST, in QC they only charge GST since we don't have a harmonized tax so for me in QC it was $918 including duty taxes in shipping, in Ontario it is calculating to $987 all included. And that's all in US to even less in Canadian.

 

Ohh that clears things up quite a bit

 

Yeah. The card the U33/43 comes with is the low end Intel Centrino 1000 WiFi b/g/n card. It's single band, only capable of connecting to 2.4GHz networks. If you live in an area where with A LOT of 2.4GHz networks like I do, your wifi connection can be pretty compromised by interference from your neighbors wifi networks or wireless phones. Going to a dual band 802.11n access point allows you to broadcast your network on the 5GHz band, away from everyone else around your house.
Right now, inorder for me to acess my wifi at home, I have to use a dual band USB dongle. I'd like to replace the wifi card in the laptop so I don't need to rely on that.

 

Still searching for a take apart guide on the U43... found this old post.
Anyone have a pic as to where the card is on the U43JC-B1 like this one? It's definitely not by the HD like in the pic above, or by the RAM slots. I'd love for someone who has opened one of these to post their experience. I really do not want to damage any of the polished/brushed metal or wood trying to get this thing opened up the first time.

It really sucks that ASUS doesn't have their service guides posted on their site. Most manufactures do.

Thanks!

 

Hello all! Just got my U33Jc-A1 last week

does anyone else get high CPU temp readings? up to 81c with high threaded tasks (room temp around 26c)

also concerning this, is i3 370M's TJ 90c or 105c?

TIA!

 

Ah ok... maybe that's why my current laptop gets crappy wireless connection. We have a wireless phone and around 3-4 other wireless signals within range. I'm going to have to consider changing the wireless on my new laptop. (Still a toss up between U33 and U36 right now...)

 

My U43-B1 gets here on Thursday. Woohoo. Now I just gotta figure out how not to screw up the cloning process to the 128GB Crucial SSD I ordered with it...

 

I did a clean install following isosunrise's great mini-guide
This way yo get rid of all the bloatware Asus puts in there, dramatically improving performance.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/6789081-post1603.html

 

Hey everyone,

After a lot of research, I ordered a u43jc-b1 today. Pretty stoked about it.

Anyways, I remember seeing in one review that an owner, the day she got her computer, applied wood polish/some wood treatment liquid to all of the bamboo surfaces. That includes the trackpad. What do you all think about this? Is that risky? Seems like it could mess up the pad or alter its sensitivity.

I've heard that oils and things from your hands seep into the bamboo, especially in the trackpad part. Do you guys recommend anything to keep the bamboo on this baby clean and protected?

Thanks in advance.

 

I could see MAYBE doing that with the lid but I personally wouldn't touch the interior with anything oil based, especially the track pad (ever touched a table after using Pledge). I don't have any technical expertise to back that up but this is finished/clear-coated wood....it's not like its raw material.
Overtime you're going to see wear just as you would with plastic or any other material, which has the tendency to "stain" a little with the dirt from your hands hitting specific spots over and over.
Just my opinion.

Do you know what program he used to do all this? I'm a novice at this stuff and comfortable with the hardware but worried about doing a clean install and then missing drivers or necessary updates. I'm thinking of using Revo to remove everything, then creating the ghost image. I also need to look up the proper partition size for a 128 SSD.

 

Didn't need any special driver for the first phase of installation (i used a USB stick withe the win7 image). After that i installed the needed drivers (already downloaded latest from Asus site). But if you're not comfortable installing from a USB device you could just uninstall what you don't need.

Just make sure your cloning software knows how to partition SSDs (google for SSD alignment). Plain Win7 installer does it right, that's why i chose a fresh install instead of cloning.

Depending on how many apps you're going to install, C: coul be between 30GB~70GB, the bigger your system partition, the smaller you data partition.
I'm using a 50GB C: partition, installed most apps i use and it still has 21GB free. My Documents was moved to D: partition by the way.

cheers

Anyone? what temps you usually get? what software you use to monitor temps?

 

So I ended up using the free version of EASEUS TODO Back-up. It worked perfect: let me resize each partition accordingly and created a full clone of my system in about 75 minutes.
Prior to installing my Crucial C300 128GB SSD I timed a few start-ups. I had taken off a lot of the bloatware and canceled a few start-up programs but hadn't really done much else (I didn't even have it online yet). I consistently got around 70-75 sec from the time I hit the power button until full boot.
After swapping the drives, keeping everything consistent, I got 25 sec until the system was completely ready to go. In my eyes the SSD was definitely worth.

 

Anybody kind enough to send the original wallpaper? I lost it when installed a fresh Win7.

thanks!

 

I've been looking to purchase a new laptop and am very interested in the ASUS U53Jc-C1 ASUS U53Jc-C1 15.6" Notebook Computer (Bamboo) U53JC-C1 B&H. The problem is that many of the sites that carry this laptop state that the maximum memory is 4gb (some others say 8gb). I can't see purchasing if the max is 4. I have gone to the ASUS site and it bothers me that I cannot even get the full specs there (could be me I guess). I also could not find a way to send them an email unless I already owned the machine?? Can someone confirm that the max is 8gb (or 4 if that be the case). Thanks.

 

What do I need to download to do a BIOS update? I found the BIOS file on the ASUS download page and I know mine isn't quite up to date but I can't find the ASUS Update Utility download in order for me to install it. I'm learning as I go, so excuse the noob question.

 

I did some real life tests of the USB 3.0, here are my results vs the standard port.

SYSTEM: 128GB Crucial C300 SSD, unplugged, power saver option, SHE on.
Portable 1TB Toshiba USB 3.0 HDD
3 video files totaling 3.75GB

Via USB 3.0 Port:
- Total time: 51 sec
- Speed: 73.5 MB/Sec

Via Standard USB:
- Total Time: 143 sec
- Speed: 26.2 MB/Sec

So I'm getting speeds about 3 times faster. Just FYI.

 

Please see: http://forum.notebookreview.com/asus/174395-bios-update-guide-asus-notebooks.html

ASUS Update is a buggy program, I wouldn't rely on it. Instead browse the asus support page: http://support.asus.com/download/

 

OK. So for all you Asus U43JC-B1 owners out there who want to upgrade your single band wifi to a Dual Band card, such as the Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6200, the job isn't that hard. I did not take pictures of the process as I did it last minute and did not have a camera or my phone handy, but it's fairly straight forward.

The half-height wifi card is actually located under the keyboard, top right hand side. The laptop has two antennae cables, so getting one of the better three antennae cards (Like the Intel Ultimate-N 6300) is a waste unless you wanted to add one via retrofit kit. What's nice is that these cards are capable of doing the Intel WiDi thing on the 2.4GHz band, so you won't loose a feature by going with a modern Centrino card.

To get to the card I removed the battery, dvd-drive, hard drive, and ram. I then needed to remove all screws visible from the bottom, as well as screws under the two rubber feet. Make sure you keep the screws organized after removal, they are not all the same size. Next, I flipped the machine over, opened it as wide as it would go, and carefully pried the entire top portion of the laptop off using a plastic pry tool. Use a plastic tool, you'll be prying all along where the chrome parts meet the bottom plastic. A screwdriver will mar this very easily. Most of the prying was all along the front, right where the LEDs are located, so be careful not to harm those. Once the front pries away, the rest lifts up easily, the entire top portion is one piece (palm rest/mouse-pad/keyboard/buttons). Be careful, there are 4 thin and relatively short ribbon cables connecting the keyboard/mouse/buttons to the motherboard. To be able to get to and remove the wifi card, I needed to disconnect the first two ribbon cables going from right to left. Be easy on them. They have little black levers that you lift up to unlock the cables. Next, carefully disconnect the two antennae cables, and then remove the two screws holding the wifi card into place. The card then pops up and comes right out.

All you do next is install the new card and reverse your steps. I didn't need to update my drivers as the Intel wifi software already supports the 6200.

I LOVE being able to use my 5GHz network with out a USB dongle hanging off the side.

 

Heads up,

Best Buy is clearing out the U43F-BBA5 for $359 in their stores, not online.

More info about the hunt for these at Slickdeals

 

Thanks for info on upgrading the wifi on the U43. I started last night, but was stumped after removing the RAM, hard drive, and all the bottom screws.

 

LOL! Uhm... look at the post directly above your post about the Best Buy deal...

 

Yeah, I just realized that after I initially posted. Thanks again

 

I need a bit of information from you owners. I'm about to order a U43. Probably later on tonight.

I'm looking at the U43F-BBA6 and the U43JC-BBA6 from Best Buy.

First off, I can't see a huge amount of difference between the two. The JC has the NVIDIA card, and the F has 6GB of RAM. As far as I can tell, the rest of the specs are the same. The site claims an extra hour of battery life on the JC, but I don't understand why. Don't they have the same battery?

I know I don't really need 6GB of RAM in my laptop, but the F is $100 cheaper. I don't plan to do much gaming if any, so I don't see a huge need for the video card. The most intensive programs I'll be running will be design programs like AutoCAD or ProEngineer. Aside from that, it will be used for regular web surfing, word processing, and occasional programming in Visual Studio.

Any input or extra information would be greatly appreciated. I feel like there may be something I'm missing unless the video card makes up for the price difference. Also, give me your opinion. Which one would you go with?

 

Rdwood1, since you will be using AutoCAD and ProEngineer, I suggest getting the JC with a dedicated graphics card; it is worth the extra $100. That said, if your Best Buy has the U43FRF-BBA5 (refurbish) on clearance for about <$400, I would grab that instead due to the price. Most do not have it in stock or that special price.

 

Thanks for the response, iso. Unfortunately, my Best Buy location stopped carrying Asus products in store, so I'm going to have to order online or through them. For under $400 I would definitely go in that direction, but the order price is $600, and I just don't see myself paying that when I can get a brand new one for $780 - $880.

I was originally leaning toward the JC anyway. I just noticed the F earlier today and started wondering.

 

Unless you're purchasing at BB for a particular reason, I would check out Amazon or B&H Photo (.com). Not only is the price better, you don't pay tax (depending on state). Also, I don't think the BB models come with the 1 year accidental damage ASUS coverage. I went with the U43JC - B1 from B&H and am very happy. I think their sale ends on the 15th.

 

I went ahead and ordered the JC. I did see better prices and warranty coverage elsewhere, but I went with Best Buy because I had a large amount of gift cards to spend. I should have it early next week.

 

Following your guide, I too was able to upgrade my wifi to a dual-band 2x2 Intel 6200. I had a camera and took pictures of the relevant steps.

After removing the battery, memory, hard drive, and DVD-RW drive, you must remove all the screws along the bottom, including the two under the rubber feet



Pry the "chrome" top frame from the bottom frame using a plastic tool. I used an old credit card



Be careful near the LEDs



Here's what it looks like when you lift the top from the bottom. The wifi card is to the right. You will need to detach the two right ribbons from the motherboard in order to remove the card



Here's the slot with the antennas detached and the card removed. Note the black latch above the S in ASUS where the ribbon was held in. Make sure you lift up this latch to remove the ribbon



Once again, thank you tenchi71 for your guide. I would not have been able to do this upgrade in confidence without it

 

H55 chipset supports 8GB of memory - when in doubt check the chipset as retailers very on compentancy. The chipset will dictate what your SPD ( Serial presence detect - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) will detect.

Cheers!

After much research (and waiting since CES 2010) just ordered a U43JC-B1 last night.

A thought regarding the Bamboo staining, and chromium plastic bits , Has anyone ordered a custom Zagg Invisible Shield, or BodyGuard kit?
I think I'm going to price out a screen protector, lid protector, hand-rest protector, and chrome bits protector. Any thoughts on this?

Also contemplating ThinkGeek :: Huge Capacity Solar Charger and Battery

 

I got little dents and scratches from my zips on the bamboo back.
Also my mousepad is loosing the colour. Is they anywhere where I can buy a spare back

 

Will be ordering my U43CJ-B1 by the end of the week. Customer service > price in this case

 

I just submitted a request to ZAGG | invisibleSHIELD | Cases, Screen Protectors, Covers, Shields, Skins, Invisible Shield for U43JC for invishield for bamboo and chrome bits per my previous post. I encourage you all to do the same, especially with comments like the quoted post

Cheers!

 

The Amazon promotion is still available: it doesn't include the WiDi adapter; and only the X1 ($899) is offered with the $150 gift card (at least as of March 2011).

The promotion may not apply at checkout by itself, so contact customer service to apply it.

 

Awesome! Glad someone got the chance to take some pics of the process and posted them.
Now on to another issue.... Anyone having problems with their left shift key getting stuck? LOL... just happened again. It's INSANELY annoying.
Might be reason for me to try to "upgrade" to a backlit keyboard... hmmmm...

 

I have one of those cases where there is a fabric layer between the zipper, so no scratchs or dents; quite a few companies do make them. I use my laptop daily, the cover/screen/palm rest look fine; the trackpad is shiny from fingers/oils but no discoloration, similar to most my other laptops.

 

Is there some reason why the link wasn't posted earlier?

The driver is in ASUS's official ftp folder for Azurewave Camera drivers.

 

I picked up my U43JC-B1 today. I am really enjoying it so far. The keyboard is a breeze to type on and the screen is far less annoying that many people made me believe it would be. Oh and the bamboo looks amazin

I just updated the camera driver using the link posted above. Any other things I should do?

 

I uninstalled the drive which righted my image, but the image was then very laggy and barely usable.

Next I installed the driver posted on the previous page and now the image is upside down again! ahh

 

JakeNederend, the only time my image was upside down was before I installed the webcam drivers. I don't have your model, but try and installed the different webcam drivers from Asus's website.

 

I love that! Might get this too for my BB and U53JC-C1. I don't like to stay home for work when the weather is nice. Lots of lakes, rivers and wilderness to chose from around here

 

Hmm that's strange. I'll give it a go. Very overwhelming list of drivers I must say

 

I have been searchign this without answer: does U33Jc support hybrid sleep? does it really give you more battery life?

 

Hello everybody, I just found this thread and it looks very promising!

I just received my U53JC (15 inches), and it is a nice one. I just wanted to know how to keep the drivers up-to-date because I'm not very familiar with Asus. Do I need to update from Asus ? Do I need a code, etc ?

And by the way, if you have some advices, as a newbie, I would be glad to hear them.

p.s.
My first laptop in english, it's gonna be tough to write in French, now...

 

Xyvotha, all modern laptops support hybrid sleep (=sleep + saves files for hibernate just in case power is shut-off). Hybrid sleep shoudn't have anything to do with battery life. In terms of battery drainage while not using your laptop, sleep/hybrid sleep both uses power still so will use more battery than hibernate/shut-down. IMO, hybrid sleep is useless for laptops or pc's that have a battery... desktops may benefit from hybrid sleep.

Ghune, just login into Asus's website and update drivers that are necessary. Most should already be up to date. Windows Update does a pretty good job too. The only thing that you may want to update yourself is the Nvidia drivers. No code is needed.

 

Hi I've been researching the U43JC-B1 and I really want to get it but I am wondering if the price is going to drop any time soon? $849 is a pretty good deal but do you guys think this it will get any lower than that?

 

Does somebody know all the "crapwares" I can remove? I just got my U53...

I would love to make a fresh install but I'm not sure if I can do that alone. I don't want to do a big mistake. And I wouldn't even know where to start.