Asus G51Jx Owners Lounge

Hi there, I thank you for your empathy rexrzer727. Thank you too for the screenshot, now at least I can print it out and show it to them if they need evidence, just in case they decided to play innocent on this.

Im not sure about the local laws, since I am also a foreigner based here and not a local like maybe mr. nfshp253

I'm as exausted, exasperated as you are believe me. If I could punch those people at the service center in the face right then and there, I would do so but then again I would have to exercise restraint even if this whole thing is absolutely ridiculous.

I have been in contact with the ff:

Asus Customer Service - promise of callback from managers / escalation teams that has been going on now for 6 days. I've described to them what happened and what the initial problem is. Until now, unless I call them back in the morning, they wont even give me an update or a call.

Asus Reseller named Newstead - they say that they will lobby on my behalf. I also gave the assistant supervisor an explanation of what transpired as well as the freakin panel replacement..believe me if you see his face it tells it all..shock!

Asus Service Center - After I found out just yesterday, I immediately gave them a call, Raymond engineer who worked on the laptop said they would get back to Asus Taiwan on why and how the part shipped was wrong. Then I will be contacted.

Now I'm in a deadlock. Pretty much tired of their waiting game. I demanded with Asus Customer Serivce that I just be given a full refund or a brand new unopened unit from the box.

*Sigh* This is not worth S$2,998

 

Hey everyone,
I have just joined the Asus G51 family with my new G51jx-x5 that arrived yesterday.
After learning much from randomly trying different things on the laptop and etc, my only remaining questions deal with the lighting in the laptop.

1. The keyboard backlight does not have a light sensor so it will not turn on/dim automatically correct? I think I had read somewhere a while back where it said that some Asus models had such a feature

2. Is there anyway to gain control of the eternal lights on the back of the screen? Such as turning them off to save a little power. I know that the Dell XPS line of computer had a program that let you control external lights

Thank you all in advance!
Freelancer

 

By the way, attached is the screenshot of the Monitor section in Everest of my laptop.



Actually there is a Small Claims Court Tribunal in singapore that I've read about. At this point I'm not sure whether I file a complaint against the reseller (Newstead ) or Asus SIngapore itself. Maybe mr 253 can enlighten. I want a full refund of the laptop purchased and nothing more.

Thanks.

 

You wrote: "1. The keyboard backlight does not have a light sensor so it will not turn on/dim automatically correct? I think I had read somewhere a while back where it said that some Asus models had such a feature

2. Is there anyway to gain control of the eternal lights on the back of the screen? Such as turning them off to save a little power. I know that the Dell XPS line of computer had a program that let you control external lights

Thank you all in advance!
Freelancer"

Welcome aboard, although I am not familiar with your model...is the "X-5" different from the "A1" model like most of us have here? Please feel free to entertain us with the answer to that, or maybe others here know because I do not, am not familiar with yours at all.

There is no "sensor" for the keyboard, ie it is like the MacBook Pro and other laptops that I am familiar with in that you may "adjust the light intensity" on the keyboard basically with "3 clicks", up and downward, for a total of 3 specific adjustments for ambient light on the keyboard. My wife's MBPro has the same sort of an arrangement as ours has, so I am quite used to this varying of the lighted keys by striking the "Fn- F3-4" Keys to enable the various levels, nothing new to me there.

I am not aware of an "ambient light sensor" in any notebook, so if Dell has such a feature in their notebooks more power to them, although to me that would not be preferred to being able to vary the keyboard's light intensity with the keystrokes...that is much preferred for my uses rather than a sensor, which is just one other thing to go wrong down the road.

As to your last question, there is no program to control the lights on the "ROG" symbol/lights on the laptop's LCD backlight, that would be nice, but alas we have no such controls for this laptop to my knowledge. I think that the last thing that Asus was thinking of was to "save battery power" with this model, and think that principally this is a "gamer's notebook", and one which does not get used via battery power that often.

Or shall I say I think that Asus could care less about such things with this notebook: the symbol on the Lid is their trademark, and as such they would want it "On" all of the time, and such as it is, that is how it works, unfortunately.

Perhaps you are thinking of a less powerful notebook than this one is, because the ROG notebook as I know it is a power notebook all the way, with plenty of power for the nVidia GTX-360 video card, the Core i7 720QM CPU and its 4 Cores and hyperthreading 4 additional Cores, plenty of power for that lighted keyboard and the "vanity lights" on the lid too!

YOu will begin to enjoy it too, the more you use it...it is NOT the usual laptop by any means...enjoy it!

 

@rexrzer727:

What is your i5 processor in your G51JX-A1? I always thought you have a i7 processor instead.

Edit: nvm, you have a old version of CPU-Z.

 

Yes, I have been reluctant to claim the newer version of CPU-Z, and it's totally my fault, not yours to think that I have the Core i5-CPU, as this old version of CPU-Z does just that...mis-identifies CPU's all the time, not just mine.

You know after such an exercise as is going on with daemon's laptop, what with the display panel being replaced by an idiot savant crew in Singapore with a non-HD display no less, 1368 x 720 pixels it seems, I am heartened to see your post and your signature, where you seem to feel just about like I do about my G51JX-A1, "It is the perfect laptop"...that is just great stuff!

I know you must think the world of your reseller also, as they have an impeccable reputations it seems, so good stuff... I feel the same way about my reseller B&H Photo Video & Pro Audio in NYC, they are just the best people for a "normal reseller" unlike yours, which is a specialty place it seems. I have no quarrels with B&H as they are the ones who supplied me with this "early version" of the G51, albeit with the early "perks" of getting an Operating System DVD-ROM, the driver DVD-ROM, a copy of PowerDVD v6.3, the great gamer's backpack and matching accessory mouse, mine being the non-preferred mouse (not the "Abyssus" it's that other one, I forget its name offhand, but *that one*), I was quite happy to get one made on January 10, 2010 (build papers were in my box, fortunately! from Asus factory), as it had all the things that the later models lack.

These are just amazing laptops, and every time I use mine it just gets better and better, too. I never have turned off Folding@Home on my G51, because when I'm not home I see no reason to prevent it from consuming a FAHome work unit of some source of call, and it's been doing that since new just like in that screen shot @ 100% Load, so these are game notebooks!

When I get to play one of my games on it the thing really comes to life, as I finally picked up the new version of GTA:IV, and that is incredible to play on this notebook (thanks Mr. 253 for encouraging me to do just that!), along with any game really be it online pinball or COD:WAW, whatever it is, the display is solidly one of the best I've ever seen in a laptop, even beats out my Sony's 16.4" widescreen 1920 x 1080P display for color, consistency, and depth...it really is a LOT better than the Sony's display.

It seems Asus is capable of making a great laptop or one that is very much undesirable, a terrible thing to figure out with the complaints here in this forum, but so be it: I've got a good one, and I intend on keeping it forever!

I can only say this about Asus here in the USA, and that is when my UL30VT-X1 needed service, they did a 1st Class job on it, and had it back in my hands in less than a week, 5 working days exactly it took them to call for mine, fix it, then send it back Next Day Air Saver UPS delivery, which I thought was very acceptable considering some of the stories I've heard. So either I'm the luckiest SOB Asus owner on the planet, or other people just have the most rotten time and luck about it all because so far my experience with this company has been Golden.

I hope it stays that way, because I have the 2 year warranty plan on this one, and I'll most likely re-up for the factory's extra year to make it 3 years of factory coverage if things continue to work sublimely as they have thus far...so far so good with Asus.

If there is anything to be said about the varied responses to Asus service here in this forum it is that the owners are to a one the most deserving of xlnt laptops it seems, and when it all goes bad it just kills me inside because I've been on the technician end of fixing laptops before, and it makes all the difference in the world to handle a problem correctly, from diagnosis to repair to returning it to the customer quickly.

I am just grateful thus far to good experiences with both the UL30VT and this G51 Asus laptop, and I want it to continue and certainly hope it does...

 

@daemon33, I don't really know much about the laws for consumer protection. Maybe you can try CASE. I don't know. I'm only 16.

 

Hey nfshp253,

would you mind posting a screenshot of your Monitor Information in Everest, I just want to compare as well for someone who also bought in Singapore. Thank you.

Just a question maybe for all, should I file a complaint with reseller or Asus itself. I'm quite confused because I want them to pay me back my money so I'm really not sure whether to do it against the reseller or Asus itself.

Many thanks for the help/

 

You would logically file any claim against the reseller daemon33, because the Asus company is the supplier of the wholesale units to the reseller...who then resells the computers as retail units, the change happens when they accept the unit from Asus to sell under Asus's "umbrella" as the manufacturer, but Asus does not control the retail process, and it's that retail process that you would file a claim against, not Asus, the supplier of the unit for sale.

It may seem confusing, but look at it this way: if you had a car that was faulty and needed service, and the dealer you bought it from replaced the motor under warranty with an incorrect part motor, ie for another car perhaps (as the Asus service point replaced your LCD under warranty with the wrong part), you would have recourse to the dealer first, the manufacturer second in line there...the same logic would apply with this computer sale.

Asus did not sell you the computer direct, they had a reseller do it for them, and therefore your 1st line of recourse is with that reseller. The reseller has taken your hard earned $2998SD, whatever amount it happened to be, and they are enjoying the fruits of that sale, not Asus, so of course you would file any litigation against the reseller first, and Asus second as the manufacturer of the faulty computer...because under Asus warranty they guarantee conformity of the computer, ie that it will perform in an acceptable, new condition for the period of the warranty, whatever it is there in Asia.

Here in the USA the warranty is 2 years parts and labor on the computer from the manufacturer, and one year of that warranty from Asus is a special consideration apart from the parts and labor warranty: Asus will, at their option (of course), replace or repair a new computer in the 1st year from any unforeseen otherwise "accidental" damage, with one occurrence per computer allowed. That is our special "ADW" (Accidental Damage Warranty) that applies to USA models only, AFAIK.

You could, conceivably, drop the computer down five flights of concrete stairs and literally *destroy the thing* completely, ie breaking it into many parts and pieces ostensibly, and Asus will replace such a computer under the ADW Warranty in the USA. I don't know if you have such coverage in Asia, in fact I assumed that it is ONLY in the USA for the ADW warranty.

These are warranty considerations, and they have nothing to do with the sale of the computer. The sale of the computer, a retail transaction, would be subject to the laws of the land there in Singapore, whatever they turn out to be. And I would hope that there is a vestige of consumer law there, if nothing else, that you could rely on in such a circumstance as has befallen your purchase. THAT is what I would investigate if I were you, and quickly no less it should be done, as time is of the essence in any litigation, retail or otherwise.

I mean who am I to try and interpret Singapore retail law? I have no clue as to what that is all about, and you would perhaps have to consult an attorney there to find out such a thing. That is unfortunate of course, but if there is no consumer channel for you to file any action in, as we have our co-called "Lemon Laws" here in the USA for retail items from big to small, from washers and dryers to automobiles and the like, and there are provisions within those Lemon Laws in the various states here to help consumers get satisfaction and compensation from a transaction gone awry, or a product that has failed under warranty more than once for the same things, the so-called "three strikes" clauses that many state's consumer laws have in them.

Here in California we have a whole host of situations that could apply to such an occurrence as what has happened with this Asus computer deal of daemon33's, and I would have to know even more than I already do to advise anyone about such a deal. We have consumer laws here that would provide for litigation without going to court, our so-called "Arbitration" laws which apply to some retail situations, where the consumer is protected against faulty merchandise and is given the option of a refund, a replacement, or some combination of those ideas in a given case.

We also have a special situation law/consumer code whereby a person is protected from a faulty product that fails for the same reason more than 3 times in most cases, and if that product is not fixable for that one problem that has occurred 3 times, then things kick into another gear altogether and the manufacturer and the retailer both must abide by the terms of this civil law situation and either refund the purchase price of the item, or provide a brand new replacement item without recourse, with warranty, and with due process. That is a special deal here in California, and it can also involve arbitration not the courts, which could mandate a settlement of some kind.

So you see there are many avenues here for people to pursue, and we are protected in many different ways against product failure and merchandise that fails under warranty, and the laws and civil codes are pretty involved. There is a whole and separate kind of law written in this regard, and specialists in this stuff are called "consumer advocates" or "consumer lawyers", and this is all that they do, ie they pursue civil and/or arbitration litigation for consumers against companies and retailers who sell or merchandise products that one way or another fail to work under the provisions of their own warranties.

Notice those key words, "their own warranties", whereby we qualify a failed consumer good by its very own warranty, written by the manufacturer according to State and Federal codes and laws, and such a warranty IS enforceable when a product fails to perform according to those very terms.

I am getting very much OT here, so I am gonna stop writing about consumer laws here because none of this most likely applies to Singapore consumer laws, which may or may not be a good thing for the consumer there. It remains to be seen if in fact there ARE any consumer codes there which would apply to such a circumstance as has befallen daemon33 with this Asus computer deal that has gone awry. Who knows at this point? I sure don't!

But yes, to answer that one, single question he had about any claim, it should be filed against the reseller not Asus, because the reseller sold him the product, it was not a manufacturer direct sale.

What happens after that I have no idea with respect to Singapore consumer laws and litigation therein, as that is a subject of great controversy at this point. This is a substantial amount of $$$ though, close to $3,000SD's, that's a LOT of $$$'s of any kind, so I would consider such an action very carefully if I were daemon33, because you want to be doing the right things in accordance with Singapore consumer laws, if there are any, in fact!

It just gets more complex the more you think about such a scene as this, and with this much $$$ involved I'd want to get it handled pretty darn soon if I were the person who is getting the shaft over a $3K computer purchase gone awry, and I would probably consult with a lawyer if I had to choose something to do at this time, as long as that isn't a ton of $$$'s also. Perhaps there is a "Free legal advice" situation there as there is here with our lawyers who specialize in consumer laws, where a lawyer would advise somebody in a general sense about such a case as this, ie the initial consultation would be literally free, as that is the usual procedure here in the USA.

 

Thank you for your well thought out response rexrzer727!
It really helped! And yeah, I know that this laptop will be plugged in at least 90% of the time

As far as I know, the Asus G51jx-x5 has the same specs as the A1.
The only difference is that the lid cover design is different.
A1=blue claw mark
X5=orange lightning
And if the A1 has a mini subwoofer on the underside of the laptop, then that's another difference. the JX-X5 does not have a subwoofer.

I had previously been considering the G51-X3 since it was cheaper than the A1 and was only slightly powerful, but then I found a deal for the X5 for only 1,100 (J and R music, 250 instant rebate, and 100 asus mail in rebate) so it ended up being a great compromise.
It was cheaper than the X3 and had the specs of the A1

 

You got me *interested* in this model so I researched it a bit, and couldn't even find it at J&R anymore...where I bought mine had it though, at B&H Photo Video & Pro Audio, and from their site there were a couple key differences, and they are that design on the cover of the X5 being "orange" tinted, while the A1 is the "Blue Claw" design, per se (I guess it's a claw!...I have never even looked at it, personally, because after all it's on the *other side* of the display, a place where we don't necessarily look often), plus both sites kept referring to the "ambient light sensor" which adjusts the keyboard according to the situation the computer is in, and I frankly hadn't noted that at all.

Upon close inspection of my keyboard toggles, it is as I suspected, there is no "ambient light sensor" on my model, it is strictly limited to keystrokes, Fn to F3-F4, which defines 3 levels of lighting for the keys, and that is IT!

I just came back in from inspecting my A1 completely vs the specs on the X5, and I've come to the conclusion that the X5 and the A1 only differ in that color scheme, and potentially there's also a difference in the HD Bays of the two computers.

In my A1 there is no proviso for the 2nd HD Bay, I mean it is NEGATED 100% in my computer, there is no bracket there to mount a HD in, there are RAM slots mounted in that 2nd Bay, and there is *NO WAY* to include a 2nd HD.

With your X5 can you mount a 2nd HD? Have you taken the bottom off of yours and checked it out physically, actually looked at it? Can you mount an HD there or is it NEGATED like mine is with nothing but RAM slots there?

Also, the obvious difference between the two is equipment, with the A1 you get the Gamer's Backpack, and the Razer mouse (Salmosa, or Abyussus depends on build date of your G51, the early birds getting the Salmosa, the later models getting the Abyssus), while you get *none of that* with the X5, isn't that correct? MY wife is using the backpack right now on a trip to Indonesia, where she is from it turns out, and that is one nice backpack! We carried a laptop computer in it for her brother from me, a 15.4" Acer 5920 series laptop that I fixed up for him with Xp Pro, and some other tricks he wanted installed in the laptop, and that backpack can carry a LOT of stuff!

So the backpack is a worthwhile extra, as is the gaming mouse, if you are into that sort of deal (I am not, I use a BT Mouse 100% of the time with my laptops). Or so I believe anyway...and you get none of that with the X5 correct?

I hope that I have it right about the two key differences in the models now, if only to nail down the thing about the HD slots in the X5, because that would be a big deal for me, personally, ie being able to mount a 2nd HD in the computer would be novel, and unique, because I cannot do that with my A1. I took mine completely apart when I first got it, installing the SSD, the new PCI-Express mini-slot WiFi Intel N-6300 Ultimate card, and the extra 2GB of 1333Mhz RAM, which I just happened to have sitting around in my studio, some Nanya 1333Mhz RAM that I got from Asus for my UL30VT-X1 notebook, which I don't use because I installed 8GB of RAM in it also...1066Mhz DDR3 RAM it turns out!

I'll be interested in your answer to that question, and if in fact you can mount a 2nd HD in your model, that would be a Big Difference! Also, with these computers you can mount up to 16GB RAM, did you know that? The limit is not 8GB, with 4GB SODIMMs the computers will take the 16GB limit as I have checked in mine in BIOS, and there is a provision for mounting up to 16GB RAM in the laptops, please note that, it's important if you ever wanted to do it!

It would cost a TON of $$$ to do such a thing, but if you have the "Deep Pockets" to afford 16GB RAM in SODIMMs, it *can* be done in either of these laptops, there is nothing preventing such a thing other than ca$h itself. Just a fyi, as in BIOS there is no limit but 16GB according to Everest Ultimate v5.5.2100, and if Everest says it can take it, I believe it can also.

That's about my take on the two models, so it is interesting to figure out that you paid what, $1100 for yours...bottom line? THAT is cheap!! WOW! I would go for that in a heartbeat, and forget the backpack!! How did the rebates work for you, you say there is an Asus rebate plus another one that totals up to $250 worth of rebates? That is a ton of rebates, and I would gladly buy the X5 instead of the A1 just for that reason alone, there is nothing like saving some serious ca$h!

I'll be interested in your come back to those questions, so let me know what you think about the HD mounting thing, and the explanations about the rebates would interest me a lot also...

 

I think J and R ran out of these laptops, I have a feeling they gave us the $250 dollar auto discount because they wanted to clear out their stock of G51jx-x5s.
I had originally found it on amazon and if you search on there, you can still find this model, but from a different company. I think it's buy.com right now
Amazon.com: G51JX-X5 15.6" Notebook: Electronics

As for the mail in rebate, I think it was a June mail in rebate so it ended on June 30. I'm sure there will be many more mail in rebate opportunities in the near future

And yes you are correct, the x5 does not come with the gaming mouse or the backpack. I already have both a good bt mouse and a laptop backpack so I didn't need those extra items anyway

And with the x5, It has 6 gb of ram and that's, I'm assuming because it's using 3 out of the 4 available channels with 2 gbs of ram for each used channel. I'm sure that it will not be able to support another HD, sorry!, since it's internal architecture seems to be exactly the same as the A1.
Again, I think we're right about how it's just the cover design and free goodies that come with the A1.

I did some googling for you and everyone else has the same idea:
https://vip.asus.com/forum/view.asp...x&id=20100411031315812&page=1&SLanguage=en-us

http://forum.notebookreview.com/asus/493935-asus-g51jx-x5-a1.html

Hope this helps,
Freelancer

 

@daemon33, it's the same screen as rexrzer727's model. The AUO B156HW01 V5

 

@rexrzer727

Thank you for all your insights. Let me get this straight even if the reseller and Asus Service Center points to Asus Sales in Singapore as the one who can decide to do full refund or issue a brand new unit based on the circumstances, I still lodge a complaint on the reseller?

I have been reading up on the processes here for consumer protection and complaints. I have all the forms already and I'm just gathering all my data so I can proceed to filing a claim here in Small Claims tribunal in Singapore.

Thanks again rexrzer727 for your insights.

 

I feel your pain this exact same thing happened to me. I spent over 4 hours, 7 different people over a dozen phone calls to get the right screen put back in. I was without my laptop for almost a month due to the error of the technician. I saw your post and couldnt help think they gave you the one I made them take back out of mine..lol.. I had to send them copies of the asus website with specs and highlight the fact the the serial says JX on the sticker at some point. They could not get over the G60JX part which is a 1366x 768 screen and the same mobo.

This also happened to a G73 owner as well. The common denominator with mine and the G73 is the Indiana/Illinois (one of the two) facility. They both had to go to Fremont California to get fixed right.

 

The "reseller" is playing the "He done it so they do it" game with you, a classic feign of the hand move, just so they can be exempt from any responsibility of the matter. The reseller sold you a defective laptop, and in the chain of command of retail/wholesale it's the reseller who refunds the $$$ to the customer, at least in my civilized world it is that way! The reseller has YOUR MONEY!!!$$$! Asus doesn't have your money now, do they? Asus has the reseller's $$$ from the reseller buying the unit from Asus, right?

So you tell me who is doing what! I'm telling you that the reseller is the one to go after, the highest profile, the easiest to get to for a refund: if they hadn't sold you a defective notebook none of this would have ever happened, isn't that true? It was just your bad luck that this happened, but that does not give the reseller exclusive rights of refusal either...ie they cannot pass the blame to Asus, as Asus has had no contact with you other than frucking up the repair of the machine...it was defective to begin with or none of that would have happened either.

So who came first, the chicken or the egg? Reseller came 1st! Go after them, they sold you the notebook, Asus didn't, and they are your immediate recourse to getting ALL of your purchase price back, and quickly too.

It's just soooo convenient for the reseller to give blame to Asus is it not? Well. Asus doesn't have your $$$, the reseller does! Go after them!

 

Anyone know the function of the button to the left of power key, also the function of the button to the left of changing power mode button? I was wondering why those two key were there.

 

The button-lighted as it is-next to the power selector switch-also lighted, toggles between 5 different "modes" for the HD display, including "Gamma Corrected Mode", "Normal Mode", "Theater Mode", etc etc. If you try touching it lightly, like you would be changing the power mode similarly, you can see its effects graphically.

As to the button next to the power "On" or "Off" button? The power button with a lightning bolt through it? I assume it's a reset switch of some type, not been game enough to do more than hold it down for a couple seconds so far... I would leave that function up to the nice people at Asus Central, ie it would be a good question to ask Tech Support, I think, because under normal finger pressure and touch it does nothing at all.

Hope this helps you out...

 

That button fires up the laptop in a linux based asus program expressgate that runs at a minimum allowing you to ck email etc. press it when the computer is turned completely off. when it powers up play with it.

 

Thank for the info

 

That's what the little sucker does, well no *wonder* it never worked for me, and no wonder I thought it was "a reset" switch or worse! Hah-Hah! Joke's on me!

When you Clean Install like I did, first day I had this thing, and chose to leave out the Expressgate application because it's just sort of an in-house Asus program that doesn't do very much at all, really, especially in a high-output computer like a G51JX-A1/X5, well then no wonder that button doesn't *do anything* in my situation!

In my UL30VT-X1 I also Clean Installed that computer when I 1st got it, and again when I switched to an SSD HD, & also left out Expressgate application, so it seems that I have no great love or respect for it. It reminds me of a child's toy or something similar...it's very sloooow too, response time, SSD or not, is like many seconds for a given click action. The microphone doesn't work, the speakers don't work, as I recall in Expressgate, so I truly don't know why Asus continues to include it in their bloatware/software packaging.

It's also rather *large* at something like 300k+MB, or more (can't recall exactly), so when you are skimping to save precious space with an SSD application you naturally leave out things like Expressgate, or so it seems.

Does anybody here actually use Expressgate?

I would be very surprised, given the level of sophistication and expertise that the average owner of one of these laptops has, that it gets used much, if at all by G51 owners. I know, I know, 10 of you will respond that you use it now, just watch, Hah!

Anyway, those are all the damning attributes of Expressgate application, and I suppose that I need to give it a rest and see if there's anyone who actually uses it with this computer before I jump to any more conclusions.

I will admit I did fire it up when I first got the UL30VT-X1, out of curiosity more than anything else just to see how it functioned in Linux time (I have an affection for "boot time" anyway, such as it is, as some of my utilities operate there when doing Cloning operations, when doing certain types of backup, and certainly when doing major arse-savings like a complete Recovery operation with a Disk Archive or Image.)

Any Expressgate users, lovers, or pushers here?

 

The ExpressGate wouldn't be useless if:
1. The bootup time is as short as they claim (They don't count the POST, BIOS start and Splashscreen)
2. You can change the resolution
3. You can actually do something with it other than surf the web
4. If we could actually customize the FireFox-based browser.

 

Mr. 253, I don't think I could have said it better, but that's pretty much the whole ball of wax isn't it? After I "played with it" on my UL30VT-X1 computer, when it was brand new, and I did that by mistake actually now that I think about it for a second or two...

I "accidentally" turned it on by touching that button on the left side of the computer, right up by the GraphiX Boost Button on a UL30VT Asus laptop, and before I knew it there was this crazy lookin' program onscreen, and I had no idea what it was all about straight away...in fact I thought that I'd somehow screwed up my brand new computer.

That was the one time I can remember actually "using" ExpressGate, and next I recall that I read the "manual" that came with the computer on ExpressGate itself, and Asus made a Big Deal out of the program, like it was the best thing since sliced bread. It was during reading the manual that I decided right then and there to *not* install it when I Clean Installed a new OS and my programs, I mean there was so much "pie in the sky" talk in the manual that I could not believe it, because the program was nothing like it was being described in that manual...it was slow, it was unresponsive, it was basically, to me anyway, a complete waste of my time to even deal with it.

I wonder if Asus ever reads notebookreview.com?! Can you imagine someone from Asus reading all of the nice things we have to say about them, at times? Like the ongoing fiasco with the LCD displays being replaced with 1368 x 720 displays, for example!

If they do on occasion read here, at least they would get the straight truth about their notebooks, this is certain, and if they are reading this thread I'd like to tell them two words for ExpressGate overall: Ditch It! Or "Get Rid Of It!"...(please!...it's a complete waste of HD space and programming...put the $$ into a better computer and forget ExpressGate).

I cannot get serious about that program when I think about it, because it IS just like a child's program in an adult notebook. I love the Linux OS, don't get me wrong, it's a very interesting program to run if you've ever dealt with it. And it works superbly for applications like mechanical or electronic instruments, like my DashDAQ for instance, it's run by Linux-based applications and OS...a DashDAQ is a diagnostic and multi-gauge device for your OBD II-compliant automobile, here in the USA anyway it is such a tool and appliance, and I have had mine for about 2 years and counting.

DashDAQ from Drew Technologies

The owner of the company gave me the DashDAQ in 2008, in exchange for some work that I did for him and his company, when I had a Mazda CX-7 Sport SUV, and we had modified my car quite a bit, it was an online "sensation" over at the CarDomain.com web site in fact, and he approached me about running a DashDAQ in my turbocharged and modified CX-7 Mazda SUV to "keep track of the turbo system(s), and anything else you'd like to program it to do and work for you."

DashDAQs run the Linux OS, and the programming is very strong and coded quite well, if you're into this sort of thing, and it works very well in an automotive environment, one where the device gets plenty of action as it interacts with the vehicle's OBD-II systems, and you can learn a LOT about your automobile with a DashDAQ, especially if you do some programming yourself...ie make some custom gauges for example (displayed on the DashDAQ, the graphical interface in Linux is user-programmable 100%, and you can make the device do pretty much anything you can think of with your car).

This is pretty far-out there and off-topic, so I am not going further about my DashDAQ, but suffice to say it runs Linux, just like the ExpressGate feature of our G51JX notebook does, they have that in common, and Linux is a very deliberate and purposeful OS, very easy to work with in programming for example, and that is why I am sort of astonished that ExpressGate is so slow, and stodgy, and has no redeeming features that I can think of.

My DashDAQ is FAST! And ExpressGate is SLOW...to compare them, and how they work. I don't know what Asus has done to the fast-acting Linux OS that is behind the doors with ExpressGate program, but suffice to say they did NOT enhance its speedy operations, when they easily *could have* because Linux and a fast ARM CPU (which is what they use in our computers to run the ExpressGate program) equals a bunch of performance and speedy operating values. ExpressGate is so far from fast that the two words don't belong in the same sentence!

Enough on ExpressGate, don't know how all that just happened but I was in a mood to discuss Linux I guess, and I didn't do a very good job of it, did I?
Sorry about that! Well, neither did Asus when it comes to implementing the Linux OS and the ExpressGate program, I can safely say that also.

If anyone from Asus is reading this tonight, please remember that we love your computers a lot, and that they are some pretty cool stuff to have and to hold, but leave the Linux OS and anything to do with this ExpressGate program out of the next generation of gaming computers! We just don't want it, need it, or care about it! Thanks!

 

well in the device manager i had it like with a "!" and every time i tryed to reinstal drivers or update...same thing....

anyway i reinstaled win7 again coz i had some time with the os and now everything is ok.

thx again!!

 

I see, well sometimes with Windows, unfortunately, reinstalling the OS is the only thing that works--once the system is so corrupted that the machine can't even find its optical drive! You must have had some bad corruption in the Registry and directory, so I guess you reinstalled and all is well now.

For future reference, you might try using a Registry tool to keep your system in better shape, and there are a couple I recommend;

1) Glary Registry Cleaner

2) PC Tools' Registry Mechanic

Glary's tools are free, and you can Google that to find it easily, while PC Tools' Mechanic is the best tool there is, trouble is it's *not free*...subscription annually to get it. I use both of them to keep my Registry in order, and there is no substitute for a Registry tuneup, and do them all the time!

I use Mechanic and Glary every time I restart or boot my computers (Windows computers), and after any program installation, or any Windows update, all the above. You can never use it too much, you know?

Over time the Registry just becomes a mess, and unless you have an active program to fix it with a cleaner/mechanic, the problems can lead to severe corruption like you experienced with losing the optical drive! That is an example of very, very bad corruption in the Registry/directory.

I have no relationship with either company re the Registry cleaners, just know that those two are the best at doing that function in Windows, and highly recommend either one, or both.

 

I want to upgrade the wireless card in my G51JX-X3 to something that has dual-band wireless N. Will this void the warranty? Will I have any compatibility issues with the Wireless Console application, or the physical wireless switch? Also, does the G51 have 3 built in wireless antennas or only two? This is the wireless card I was thinking about getting:

http://www.amazon.com/Intel-Centrin...1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1278518933&sr=1-1

 

Changing the WiFi card will *NOT* void your warranty, and it's an easy swap to be done in 10 minutes or less. AFAIK all of the G51 notebooks have 3 antennas OEM, box stock. The 3rd antenna will be laid down on top of the WiFi card in the chassis when you disassemble the case for the installation, taped down such as mine was anyway.

There will be the 3 antenna leads ready for use right there, no sweat at all to find them and use them, honestly it's as easy of an "upgrade" as one could have to do. The antenna leads simply snap "down" onto the posts of the WiFi card to attach, there is no rocket science degree needed to install the WiFi card and hook up the antennas!

Nothing that I know of in the software for Asus G51's will conflict with that particular Intel WiFi card, just install the drivers for it, that's all she wrote, Restart, and you are good to go. Plug and play installation, literally, just like that. I upgraded my system when it was brand new, and have never used anything other than the N-6300 WiFi card, so I have no comparative to give you about this one vs the stock WiFi card, the Atheros 5985S as it is known.

I can tell you this about the N-6300 though: there is no comparison needed because it's the best WiFi card you can buy right now. I have done 3-4 simultaneous downloads with this card, no issues doing it, and I cannot do that with any of my other cards, Atheros or Intel brands, so the card really does have some nice features built into it.

Good thing to ask about, and I have one of the cards installed since new so I'm the right guy to answer your questions...

 

Hello all.
I have this laptop and I'm currently playing Anno 1404 and Risen without any problems.

I tried to install Crysis, but the instalation doesen't even begin.
Then I try to ctrl+alt+del to see if it is still trying to run the instalation, but nothing happens.
I try to shut down the laptop, and that doesen't work, it ask's me to shut down the program running before shutting down.

I then click the "force Shutdown" option, but even then sometimes I have to shut it down pressing the button...

This is strange, as I've seen on youtube (and on the first post from this thread) a lot of people playing Crysis in this Laptop, and I can't even install it.

I have bought it a month ago, so I dont think this should be happening.
Is there something I should download and install in the laptop to solve this problem (drivers, as mentioned in the fisrt post), and has anyone else had something similar to this?
Can this be a problem that I have to take the laptop to the warranty?

Thanks for any help given, its my first laptop, and I dont have any experience with it yet.

 

This sounds like a settings problem...

What do you have the Energy Saver and P4G Control Panel settings at right now? Are they in conflict with one another? You need to set up P4G to run similarly to the Advanced Settings in the Windows Energy Saver settings (Windows Mobility Settings Control Panel), and if they are not set up concurrently there can be problems like the computer going to sleep during an installation for example!

Set P4G on High Performance settings, "Never" for everything except the display setting which you can tailor to your own liking along with a Screen Saver if you wish to use one. Then in Power Settings put minimum and maximum settings @ 100%, so you have a laptop that is basically 100% awake, will not go to sleep during game play or an installation of a complex game like Crysis etc!

The "never" settings are not bad for the laptop, just gives you Full Control that is all, ie "Never" sleep, "Never" turn off the HD, etc etc...this is how to run your P4G settings in High Performance mode.

In addition, turn on Extreme Turbo Boost, which is the little toggle in the far left control panel window of P4G, which will give you up to 2800Mhz in one Core, and 1700Mhz in all 4 Cores @ 100% Load, a very good thing for playing a high-intensity game like Crysis.

Those settings should allow you to not only configure Crysis and install it without interruptions or Sleep happening to the HD or the computer, it will give you the "edge" in performance for playing a CPU/GPU intensive game.

In addition let me suggest that you download EVGA Precision Tool for the GPU for overclocking it, which you will find a reference to in the FAQ's at the beginning of this Owner's Lounge...under my signature no less. Using EVGA Precision will allow you to achieve finesse and nice overclocking on the GPU for higher performance in games and overall. :yes:

EVGA Precision is much better than nVidia Tools, for example, as an overclocking aid for the GPU, and is more precise and easy to configure also!

Please read ALL of the FAQ's first, before you start posting or asking a lot of questions here, because we cover many/most of the more important things as far as operating the machine goes anyway, in the FAQ's on the first couple of pages...after that ask all the questions you want, we don't care! We'll help you out if you have problems, trust us, that is what we are here for!

Good Luck, and hope this will help you out with your new laptop, a most amazing machine once you get it dialed in.

 

If i have a Windows 7 Home Premium Back Up Disc that came with Win7 on my desktop, can I use it to create a fresh install on my G51JX-A1?

I'm not wanting to use the same copy of win7 on both computers, but since the laptop already has Win7 i thought this would work. I assume I would need to know the activation code of the laptop's copy of Win7, how would I go about finding this?

 

Picked up a G51JX-A1 recently and I love it. Was using a vaio fw but the outdated unsupported 3d card made it a pain in the to use. Only thing mine was missing was a bluray player so I swapped out the one in my vaio before I gave it to my in-laws.

Ran into a bit of a problem the other day, was hoping I could get some help. A few days ago I was watching a video full screen via the hdmi to my HD tv (top gear woot). Something came up and I left it alone for a bit, when I came back my laptop was asleep and I just hit the keys trying to get it to come back on (screen was flipped around don't know what I hit).

When it came back on it now does something weird when I hit something to go full screen. The tv goes black but I can still hear the video and when the pic comes back it looks worse then it did before, like it's not using the 3d card. This only happens when I plug it into a HDTV, on the laptop screen it looks fine.

It also does this with the bluray program I use. I must have turned something off, anyone have a clue to what I did and how to fix it? Thanks for any help

 

LOOK on the *bottom* of your G51JX-A1! There will be a Microsoft COA (Certificate of Authenticity) there with the code you want right there in front of God & everybody, just what the doctor ordered!

Didn't you know that the manufacturer is required to provide that COA on any OEM installation that they do? It is true, they have to do that or they face severe penalties for failing that assignment, on each and every laptop that they install an OEM Windows OS 7 on...and it *has* to be affixed to the computer somewhere, and they usually choose the bottom of a laptop.

That is your code, which most likely will *not* work when you reinstall Windows 7 in a Clean Installation, as I advise you nice people to do earlier on in this thread...did you catch that post? It is linked to the FAQ's in case you did miss my guide, which I tried to make graphically easy for anyone to do.

The reason that I say that it probably will not work as the activation code is this: it's not that you are using a different copy of Windows 7 that is on there now, it's not that that is the issue. For some reason when we reinstall Windows of any variety it just doesn't work to try the COA that is on the bottom of our laptops...at least that has been my experience with this deal.

Often we end up having to make the obligatory call to Microsoft and get their famous and wonderful "temporary code" to register our copy of Windows that is new, fresh, and clean on our computer because the MS registration system only allows for one-shot application of that COA on the bottom of the computer, and any subsequent tries at using it fail with a solid thud.

Now it may be in your case that the code works, but that is normally the "one in a million deal", and usually we have to make the MS phone or web call, and get the new temporary number to activate the Windows copy we just installed...so don't be surprised if that is the case with your Clean Install.

Good luck in any case... and by the way welcome to the owner's group with your new G51JX-A1! We always like to have new people start out posting asap here, so good stuff that we got you started tonight.

 

Hi rexrzer727, can you share your desktop color settings from the Nvidia Control Panel? Many thanks.

Still no update for my laptop by the way, I am still waiting word from Asus Service Center here in Singapore.

 

I uninstalled Power4Gear Hybrid, and I'm pretty sure my laptop runs cooler and quieter compared to having it installed. Also, is there a way to remap the Power4Gear button (the one that looks like a running man) so it does something else?

 

Hi there! I don't know what's happening, my idle temps are CPU:55 °C and GPU: 60°C, which I think are normal. But when watching a video in fullscreen my CPU is 62 and GPU 82! When gaming the GPU goes to 92°! Is this normal? What sould I do? Thanks for the help

 

@zenil, should be quite normal. I hit 97 when gaming

 

Anybody experience with driver crashes with 197.16 driver or 257.21 driver?

Lately I hadn't experience BSODs, but annoying driver crashes, sometime during games, make game complete unplayable.

 

Hi! I recently purchased the Asus g51jx-x5, first laptop ever, and I'm loving every second of it but there is a major issue. I've downloaded the latest nvidia drivers (197.59) and software and as recommended the evga precision tool. Before tinkering and configuring an oc for the gpu my 3dmark vantage score was around 4500 while getting 60+fps on games. I have oc'ed the 360m to 610/1580/2085, ran the test again but got a 1289 gpu score with my games getting and avg of 20-30fps now. (This is all with the AC adapter plugged in) Even after reseting the 360m to its regular clocking I still receive horrible 3dmark scores (>1500) and if im lucky maybe hit 30fps. Does anybody have a clue what is going on??

If this helps my gpu sits around (temperature) 52C has not gone over 62C and my i7 sits around 54C without ever going past 65C...(this is with turbo and extreme turbo mode enabled)

Any help is much appreciated! Thanks

 

What games are you playing? Maybe you are experience driver crash, it cause the GPU to stop working. I had experience that and it cause all my game feel really sluggish. Also, what is you CPU score?

 

I'm just playing Black & White 2 as a test game as I've only owned the laptop for a few days now. Yes that is it! Once in awhile, when I first boot up, my screen will go blank and return saying nvidia's driver 197.59 has crashed but recovered (still learning). What can I do to fix this but allow my gpu to oc comfortably? My last CPU score was only 17,500ish

 

What a dumb thing to do! Sorry but it IS dumb to do that with this laptop...you have no idea what you are up to obviously!

P4G is the ONLY way you can control Turbo Boost with this laptop, so if I were you I'd reinstall everything that you trashed, if necessary go to the Drivers and Utility DVD ROM and take the OEM setup and reinstall it. Or better yet, not knowing what you have done fully, I'd RECOVER the whole computer with Command F9, re-install everything from scratch, and start over again.

You want to utilize the computer's full abilities don't you? What had you planned to do with the CPU and GPU by the way, without controls? Hah-Hah! Get down to earth son, and please get back in touch with reality here. I am not usually this frank with a newbie like yourself, but you have damaged the notebooks' OS to the point that it may not be salvageable, ie you just might as well do a Recovery operation and take care of what you did 100%...honestly, this is the best thing to do when something like this has happened. I mean who knows WHAT you uninstalled.

Do that, then come back here and tell us what the issues are with your laptop and we'll help you sort it out correctly, USING the P4G CP and the Energy Saver CP's and associated CP's. This is a very sophisticated notebook with LOTS of controls and thing to configure to get it right, it is NOT a plug and play notebook by any means.

You have to know what you are doing to get it right, and that is what our FAQ's here are for, and why we are here, the experienced members of this forum, to help people like yourself out when they get into trouble.

Take my advice, and get with the program!

When you have Recovered the OS and things are back to OEM standards, then come back on here and tell us what is bugging you, and we'll straighten it out for you one way or another.

Good luck, and don't take any of this personally...you've just made a horrendous mistake with the P4G and associated CP's, and you need to take things back to "normal" and OEM status, and start over again from there.

 

My desktop color settings for the nVidia CP?

What am I supposed to be showing you daemon33, is there something in particular that is bugging you even without having your laptop @ 100%?

Do you want me to publish a screen shot of my control panel? I don't know what it would show you, but if you want I can do just that...let me know!

Still waiting on *what* from Asus, by the way? Are they waiting on the correct LCD display insert still, from Asus TW? I hope that they got the part numbers correct this time, as it seems that they cannot be trusted with a notebook do get it right the 1st time, yah?

Gosh, if we had that sort of service here in Fremont, I wouldn't know what to be doing...I'd have to get rid of the notebook I guess. Our Fremont, CA service facility is just top drawer, they really get down to business and repair the notebooks correctly, time and time again.

I had a repair handled on my UL30VT notebook in just 5 days, and that is from my house, which is two UPS Zones away from there in SoCalifornia, to their place to get a RAM repair handled (replacement of my OEM RAM with some 1333Mhz RAM, their choice by the way!), then shipped back to me...all within 5 business days, from a Tuesday through the following Monday. My laptop came back to me looking 100% brand spanking new, cleaned without a doubt much better than I could ever do it, from the keyboard and keys to the LCD screen it just looked fantastic, with a coating of some type of polish over all the "Piano black" surfaces it has (which are many)...I was so pleased with the service that I sent them a congratulatory email 2x, once to the service guy who actually worked on it, and again to his boss, a really cool guy!

That is service over here, and it is 2nd to none, just as good as an Apple service in my opinion, and I've had and done both Apple and PC services before. But this was just a fantastic deal that I had with the UL30 notebook!

Anyway, let me know what you want and I'll be happy to post the settings I use, if any...

 

Hey everyone, I'm a new owner of the G51JX-A1. It's awesome so far. I noticed in the OP that there isn't much info about the 257.21 driver, so I'm going to use it for a while and I'll report my results. I'm going to do a clean install as well.

I've got one question. Where does the fan intake air? I'm wondering this because if I ever use my laptop on my lap, I want to make sure I don't cover it up.

 

Let me ask you a loaded question....did you UNINSTALL the previous nVidia drivers BEFORE you installed the new driver? If you didn't no wonder you are having problems! It never works right to install one driver over another! Is everyone aware of this simple fact with the nVidia CP's and drivers?

When it's time to upgrade to a new nVidia driver, be SURE and uninstall EVERYTHING with respect to nVidia stuff, that is the CP, the driver, and the HDMI support (ALL OF IT!) before you install the newer driver.

It will make your desktop appear like from 1959 of course, Hah-Hah! But that is just for one restart...the process is this:

1) uninstall the previous driver system for nVidi VGA panels/LCD/ GTS-360M

2) Restart the computer

3) download the new driver fresh and install it, along with the nVidia PhysX and HDMI drivers, all of that

4) Restart the computer

5) Use a Registry Cleaner like Glary Registry Cleaner, or PC Tool's Registry Mechanic, to fix all of the errors such an installation generates....

You're done! Enjoy the new drivers!

I should have posted such a thing long ago, now that I think about it, because most people do exactly the easiest thing to do, and that is nothing at all and just install a new driver over an old one, and that is SUCKY CITY!

Don't mind me, I'm just on a tear this afternoon, and mean nobody any harm...I've just fixed somebody's new laptop (an HP "Envy" laptop that cost them more than $2800!, and it was a POS when he got it, set up completely all wrong by the HP factory people, configured everything all wrong 100% wrong, and I'm a bit testy right now!) and have little patience for people who don't know what they are doing with their laptops, sorry to say!

Here's hoping the above post helps somebody out of trouble with their new drivers setup on their G51 notebook...

 

No I did not! TY for all the help!

 

i founded out way for set fan speed on my G51Jx
download this program: myweb
start it click on EC (Embedded Controller)


edit 0x98 from 01 to 04 to boost fan speed
unfortunately for now its only for few seconds before ACPI rewrites it back :-(
EDIT: with this numbers http://filebeam.com/115fda17e5e892a4099b1edff721d99b
fan stays on 100% but only hardshutdown resets it into normal mode

 

rexrzer727,

Yes the Nvidia Control Panel settings desktop colors e.g. (brightness, contrast, hue. saturation, gamma) Thanks.

 

I dunno if my graphics are going to answer your question, but those are my settings for the nVidia CP. I use nVidia scaling and adjustments, including the enhanced video adjustments for Dynamic Color and Contrast Adjustments both, from 0-255 MHRS's, the entire spectrum.

I do color matching with my monitors and calibrate them with a Kodak device we have at work for our SGI screens, so my LCD is an extreme example of color calibration. In addition you can see that I use Splendid Utility also to enhance the color calibration to 6100-degrees K...I believe OEM is 5100-K, totally inadequate if you work in Photoshop like I do, or any Adobe or color separating application with Flash videos, etc.

I hope that is what helps you out, nothing special really, but then again who knows maybe it is exactly what you need for some obscure reason. DDIF!

lIf there's anything else just ask...

 

(the fan intakes air through the keyboard/bottom vents, certain of those, not sure which ones exactly, so don't block the keyboard and bottom vents! This is one of the reasons I use a Logitech N100 Cool Pad! )

If you play any games, that driver sucks Royal Jelly Eggs! Do NOT use it!

Use the enhanced drivers from nVidia like 197.16 or 197.59 the latest ones, direct from their web site or the sites that Mr. 253 uses also has enhanced drivers...I forget which one it is, but he'll post it up eventually.

Good luck, and hope this saved you a headache! v

 

Hello everyone,

I've had my G51Jx-A1 for a bit now and everything works fine except I can't seem to get the webcam to work quite right. It's been documented that Asus webcams are often crap, but anyways, here is the situation.

When initially testing out the webcam, the framerate was really bad. Probably 5-6 fps. Using a program called AMCap, I was able to determine that it only occurred when attempting to record or use the camera at precisely 30fps. If you drop it to 29 fps, it becomes butter smooth.

Rumor had it that it was a driver problem. I tried all the ASUS website drivers, as well as using the Windows driver, but couldn't get much of a result. Now I can't install the proper drivers. I've attempted all three webcam drivers on the ASUS website, and it gives me Error, then just says USB2.0 UVC 1.3/2.0 webcam or something along those lines. Windows tries to install the drivers but says that they are not for this platform.

I had to revert to the normal windows driver, but they all have the same 30fps problem. Any ideas? And are you guys getting the same problems?