Asus G53SW Owners' Lounge

Well Asus UK service is crap They never pushed in bottom sticks to the slots (near HDD). Now I have 16GB and 256GB SSD ! Now I'm flying!

 

Didn't seem to matter I tried both, I left the stock Hard drive where it was & used the extra slot.
If you do it as I did, you'll have to enter bios and change/set boot order to your new SSD.

 

I'm so unlucky.... I have now black screen issue :/

 

I have a question to anyone that ever owned a G53SW or still owns a G53SW.

For the people who have owned it and it just broke (doesn't matter whose fault)
How long did the system last before you got rid of it?


For the people who currently do own a G53SW
How long has it been since you first got your laptop?

I feel this will give some reassurances to those questioning whether it can survive a few years down the line with relatively minimal problems or not.

So far for me, its almost no problems (just your typical software stuff) other than a left shift key button that refuse to work --- 7 months ownership today.

 

I bought mine in May (used for $875, and sold my other Asus for $400, bringing my total down to $475 for this beast.) and still love it. No problems - YET.

 

Mine was a year old before I got rid of it. I know because my Accidental Warranty was up. But I still had another year left of the 2 year warranty. Other than software issues the build quality is there. I probably would have kept it if I didn't get a trade for the Macbook Pro. Now though I traded my desktop for the Asus G73jh, the first of the "newer models" (see signature) It is still running strong and is older than the G53SW by about a year roughly. But it was good enough for me when I had it before. (I traded it away to what I thought was a better laptop.) Now I got another in trade and I think this time I'm keeping it. Asus laptop's honestly aren't the best build (I think MSI, Alienware and Macbooks are best on build.) But they are built to last at the minimum of a couple of years until you upgrade. If not longer. I've had other Asus Gaming laptops before any of the newer ones.

 

After how many RMA's I'm getting new laptop? 'cause I feel it will be RMA after RMA now...

 

I had 4+ RMA's and they never replaced it. They replaced the chassis and motherboard though, so it was pretty much a new laptop. Just keep calling them to get updates on what they are doing, and make sure you try and talk to a supervisor. The employees rarely know anything that can help you.

 

Will I just dropped some cash on a really good lappy:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006MX0WHU/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00

Intel Core i7 Processor 3610QM 2.3GHz
17.3 inches 1920 x 1080
16GB DDR3 Ram
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675M (Supposed to have 2GB GDDR5 memory)
1.5TB HDD (2x750GB 7200RPM HDD's
2x USB 2.0
2x USB 3.0
Wireless BGN

Supposed to get it tomorrow so if anyone is interested in how it performs private message me or say so on here. I plan on keeping my Asus G73JH so I can let friends use it for gaming sessions and so my gf has a laptop to use on the go as well. (It does better at gaming then the Macbook Pro does. Plus I can get a little more money back for my Macbook Pro. (Gf said I couldn't keep all the laptops and would have to get rid of one or both if I were to get the new one, it sucks, but I'd rather keep a gamer laptop.) Anyhow I'm signing off for now, if anyone is interested on the new arrival let me know and i'll post some results. Any personal requests on game performance I may be able to do as well. Later.

 

You coulda saved 200 dollars or so, someone on NBR marketplace was selling this same one.

 

I dont know if my G53SW is failing on me or something or if I should call Asus and ask them to fix my laptop because my mice aren't working with this laptop anymore.

For a good 6-7 months my old microsoft mice worked flawlessly on this laptop, then all of a sudden hell just rained and it just stopped registering

(it would power up the mice optical light though, and I was able to transfer files between my phone through the same usb ports, so the ports are working)

I dont know if this is a problem with only old microsoft mice or a problem my laptop. Should I risk it with Asus warranty and see if they will RMA this?

I already reformatted this thinking that would solve the problem; it did nothing but just created a hassle of me transferring my data back.

 

Have you tried a different mouse, because it sounds like the mouse is dead. Try a different mouse or try plugging the microsoft mouse in a different computer and see if it works. Also try a different usb port and see if it works.

 

The mice that I have tried: Both microsoft, one wired optical and another wireless optical. Both are pretty old, can't even find an image on them on the internet lol.

They both refused to work on usb 2.0 ports, however both will work on usb 3.0 ports. After a restart or two, they worked on the usb 2.0 ports, then eventually stopped registering movement.

Everytime I plug it into a port (regardless of 2.0 or 3.0 port) it would go through the cycle of "Installing new hardware....your hardware has successfully installed"

Right now I'm using my dads relatively old wireless logitech mouse and so far no problems (I hope I dont jynx myself here).

I mean it HAS to be the mice, right? The ports power up the mice and they allow me to transfer files to my phone and sync my Zune mp3 player. My mice are relatively old and they did go through abuse (being handled by multiple people).

I hope this logitech didn't suffer any prior abuse.

Does my logic make any sense to assume its the mice and not the laptop? I really don;t want to RMA this thing.

Edit: The only "temporary fix" to this problem is basically powering down my laptop (either restarting or waking up from sleep mode) and powering it back up. Basically it powers down the ports then powers them back up. That's the only way I can get some extra time to use the mouse before it stops registering. The mice still lights up regardless if it stops registering, and it shines "brighter" everytime I move it or click the button so I don't think its a power problem.

 

Ah well, 12 months same as cash. It'll be a little easier to pay a monthly payment over paying a full amount. Though I do plan on doing as large of a payment as I can the first time around.I didn't really think to check on NBR. Oh well. I think I'll still be happy with it as it's got a lot of oomph. lol.

 

I think your logic is good. It might just be time to buy a new mouse. If your ports work on transferring data and even powering an external hdd, I would think that the culprit is the mouse and not the laptop. Since you also stated that you plugged a whole different mouse in and it's working fine further makes me believe that it's the other mice you've been using. If you need any suggestions for a new mouse all you need to do is ask and all of us can put in our opinions.

 

My mouse does that when the battery's are getting weak, but I'm sure you have already try new battery's.
Probably just time for a new mouse. Its like a new car, it doesn't stay new forever. lol

 

So I called today as it arrived in UK. I left notes on-line and inside of box that I have left there my RAM, SSD and WiFi and BT card. Hindu guy (right name for guys from India?) YELLED AT ME. LOL. Why I left it inside of the laptop. I was just speechless. I hadn't much time but I would have nice talk with supervisor. On previous RMA I was talking with Scottish and that guy was nice, when I told him about custom RAM he said that he understand it and he is making a note.

UK Service is quite bad...

 

Wow poor service for sure if they are yelling at you. What happened to the customer is first? Bad customer service can kill a company just as bad as a bad product. I would for sure call a supervisor on this guy and complain about him. Maybe he has already had some complaints maybe not, but you can at least get the ball rolling.

 

It was weird. Really. I couldn't say nothing. Shame I didn't take his name, I would call there on Monday and complain. I was aware of that it's better to take custom hardware from laptop but that was just WEIRD. I called many support centres (Sony, Acer, Toshiba, Samsung, Panasonic) and it's the first time when someone yelled at me...

 

Yeah that is weird, sucks you didn't but i guess there isn't much you can do at this point. Usually, companies know and don't mind upgrading their systems, especially ram. But when someone from support yells at you for doing it, that sends the message that "No, you shouldn't upgrade our system, buy the latest and greatest!" Sucks. That's why I'm glad I don't need to deal with their support anymore. (Yeah, I still have an Asus gamer laptop as backup, but it's not in warranty anymore so I can do what I want. I did what I wanted anyhow. But that's the point.) You buy something to do what you want with. Not to have the company or someone else tell you what to do with it. In a nutshell, poor customer support, regardless if he was having a bad day, you don't take it out on the customer.

 

For now I'm in Ireland. But after holidays I'm going back to Poland. I heard that polish support is bad too. POOR ME.

Anyway it's weird that support thinks that gaming laptop cannot be upgraded 'cause it's high end anyway

 

Yep I agree.

 

Anyone else have the issue where theri synaptics driver keeps setting the line scrolling amount in mouse settings to 30? Its a pain.

 

Hey, does anyone know of a good, reliable SSD that is over 200GB and maybe under $200 preferably. I'm looking to buy one off Amazon (Since I have store credit with them) and am looking to up my new laptop's speed even more. Since the spindle drive is really the bottleneck in it. I'd prefer to be able to keep all my music and my favorite games installed to it, which is why I'm looking for 200+GB. I may go over if enough people say it's reliable enough. Of course I'm looking myself, but I figured I would ask what everyone else is getting and how reliable their ssd is. Thanks for the help guys!

 

Agility 4 is what I have and it is pretty nice for 256gb.

 

yeah i saw yours in your signature and am looking it up now. looks like it's $189.99, though there is one for $209 on amazon: http://www.amazon.com/OCZ-Industrys...&qid=1342840251&sr=8-5&keywords=OCZ+Agility+4
Which one is best? Is it worth the extra cash for that one?

 

Eh, I bought mine for 200, if its a minor difference then just get it. I really like it, you just have to format it and update the firmware before use. Be prepared to spend like 15-20 min messing with it before its usable. After that, its golden . Don't let the DOA reviews scare you, they just don't know how to do things. Go to the OCZ website and get the firmware update and formatting mini linux distro and have at it.

 

I would recommend Samsung 830 256GB Got one and BF3 loading times were awsome!

 

Newegg's having a weekend sale on Crucial M4 256GB With Promo Code
EMCYTZT1932 for $179.99 w/ free shipping.

Edit: 24hr sale, Ends at midnight tonight. Weekend sale on other stuff.

 

I read Samsung SSD's are really good. Plus it's gotta work with my new Samsung laptop since they are both Samsung. lol I'll look into that one, thanks.

 

Wow not bad, unfortunately, i need to shop at Amazon as I have credit there. But I will look up the SSD itself on Amazon and see how it is. And see a price comparison. Thanks for the help.

 

Well I'm recommending it because it's very decent SSD. I bought it for 140 pounds sterling on Amazon.co.uk (roughly 200US$). It's the best option if you want a lot of space, v. good performance etc. I wanted Intel 500 Series but it would be around 250+US$ and it would have around 16GB less, and just +20-50MB/s write speeds, so not really deal of the year. From forums over UK and Poland, people are recommending Agility4, 830 and 500series, so buy just the cheap one

 

If you didnt buy an SSD yet, newegg is having an awesome sale right now Dragon.

Newegg.com - OCZ Agility 3 AGT3-25SAT3-240G 2.5" 240GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

$180 for a 240GB Agility drive.

 

Personally I'd stay away from OCZ SSD. There is about a 50% chance you'll get a bad one the first go round.
Read the reviews at Newegg on this or any OCZ SSD and you will see.
I own this drive, first one was bad, had to get a replacement.
The second one has been ok so far, but could go at any time.
What you save you may have to spend in shipping for a return
or RMA plus many reports of problems getting the rebate when there is one.
There is also no refund, only replacement for this threw Newegg.
So pick your SSD wisely.

 

Agility3 is the bad one. Agility4 is a big improvment. I, myself, would recommend Samsung as I've got it.

 

Ah makes sense then for them having a sale lol, get rid of all the defects

 

That's true Always find out everything about the product which is on sale.

 

LOL. I had call from technician. My laptop is working alright. He will check it again but he asked me about how I finished work with it. I told him it was shutting down like always, he said that if I just closed the lid it will take longer to repair it, 'cause it will be some other issue. I know already that it will go back there

 

Has anyone had the problem of the CPU fans (left side) kicking in full speed then slowing back down then back to kicking in? For some reason if I dont restart my computer and I play games for a long duration, the fans are going from full speed --> low speed and alternating.

I notice a drastic dip in fps when this happens and only remedy is to restart the computer. Whenever this happens, I noticed that when im off gaming, the idle temps are at 70's on my i7. However after restarting, it goes back down to 45-50's. I dont know what to make of this, should I attempt to open this and clean out the vents and/or repaste the cpu?

edit: my temps havent hit 90, they are maxing out at 87-88's on my cores. I just dont understand why the i7 throttles yet it begins to heat up like that. A quick alt shows that all my cores are in use whenever playing Dota 2 or Borderlands.

edit 2 : The high idle temps can be remedied by battery saving mode. I guess I can't game without throttling when on High Performance mode?

 

You can use ThrottleStop to stop the throttling.
Also since heat is a problem you can also use throttlestop to lower the multiplier, lowering the multiplier/speed will also lower the voltage used by the CPU and that in turn
will lower the temperatures . Dropping the multiplier say two steps should still give you enough horse power to play any games while reducing temps.

I'd get some canned air and give the laptop a good cleaning threw the ports. This will help if it hasn't already been done.

 

This is an update to my mouse problem.

I recently bought a new mouse (Gigabyte GM 6800, it was really cheap and I dont have a lot to spend on a mouse) and the only problem that I noticed is that, my laptop doesn't store the driver. Everytime I unplug and plug it back in, it goes through the cycle of "installing driver, please wait"

after that, its solid.

I just want to know why it would do that.

Edit: notes about the mouse, its advertised as plug-n-play so no driver required, however on their site they have a driver download which I downloaded and installed but it still continues this cycle of installing. Its not a problem of the mouse but I just want to know if its a problem of my laptop or usb ports or the OS.

Or if this is the case with all plug-n-play devices, though it NEVER did it with my crappy old microsoft mouse (before that went to the crap hole).

 

Anyone know the sound card on this laptop? I've installed mountain lion in dual boot with windows 8, and need to get the sound working, so I need to know what sound card I have. Is it the Realtek ALC269?

 

I dont know the exact model (cant seem to find it on google searches) but it is a Realtek one if that helps :/


@everyone else:

I just got GTA IV Complete Edition and heard rumors from long ago when this game was released that its poorly coded or something. I am wondering if there were any changes to help run this on the g53sw and for those who do play it, whats your average FPS w/ settings?

 

I seem to be having problems since i upgrading the ram. Basically, if i have set up my ram to run in dual channel, i get a bluescreen of death when i try to play and game or watch a video. I ran memtest+ and found thousands of errors after test 4. However, when i changed the set to single channel, everything is fine. I even checked each stick individual and they were fine [ ran the memtest for 12 hours straight with 24 passes]. So, is it something wrong with my ram or something else? The ram i currently have installed is corsair CMSX8GX3M2A1600C9 NB.

@m1_1x
I played GTA 4 when i first got the laptop last year, with all setting at high and got an average of 35FPS [In some areas of the city, the FPS dropped to 18 - 15FPS]. I haven't played it since, but i didn't have any problems when i played it then.

 

I noticed that you have 1600MHz ram, does our laptop even support that? I think it will only run at 1333MHz max, maybe that has something to do with it.

 

well according to the post by chastity here , the laptop will support max ram speed of 1866mhz. If the processor doesn't support 1600Mhz, the bios would down clock it to 1333Mhz.

 

Yeah, your right, it's the processor that doesn't support it, not the laptop itself. Not sure what the issue could be then.

 

I got same RAM. I had problems with installing it. But it is running smooth now and no problems with it.

My laptop came back from RMA. My GPU died and they changed it (haha serviceman was calling that it was working, next day new GPU inside) it's now much more cooler.

 

Do you currently have them installed in dual channel setup? if so, which slots are you using?

 

I have it installed in dual channel, but I have 16GB so I dont really know which slots are dual channel. I think slots at the bottom are for dual channel 1, and under keyboard + hidden are for dual channel 2