Asus K42JV/A42JV Owners Lounge

Welcome to Asus K42JV/A42JV Owners Lounge!

Hardware Specification:- - Intel Core i5-450M @ 2.4GHz with Turbo Boost up to 2.66GHz, 3MB cache (also available with other Intel Core i3 & i5 processors) - Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium (up to Windows 7 Ultimate) - Mobile Intel® HM55 Express Chipset - 2GB DDR3 1066 MHz SDRAM, 2 x SODIMM socket for expansion up to 8GB SDRAM - 14" HD (1366x768) LED backlit - Intel HD, NVIDIA® GeForce® GT335M 1GB DDR3 VRAM (Optimus Technology) - 500GB 5400rpm (also available with 7200RPM) - DVD Super Multi - Support SD,MMC card reader - VGA web camera (Fixed type) - Integrated 802.11 b/g/n Atheros AR9285 - Built-in speaker and microphone, Altec Lansing® speakers, SRS Premium Sound (Realtek ALC269) - 6 cells battery: 4400 mAh 48 Whrs - AC Adapter: Output 19 V DC, 4.74 A, 90W, Input 100-240 V AC, 50/60 Hz universal - Dimension & weight: 34.9 x 23.8 x 3.65 cm (W x D x H), 2.2 kg (with 6 cell battery) - 1 x VGA port/Mini D-sub 15-pin for external monitor - 3 x USB 2.0 ports - 1 x RJ45 LAN Jack for LAN insert - 1 x HDMI - 1 x Headphone-out & Audio-in Combo jack

Notebook specification, especially the CPU, varied across different specific/sub model. Notebook specification in this post is for Asus AS-A42JV-VX042V. It come with Nvidia Optimus technology. Both K42JV & A42JV notebook are identical. K42JV is for European market while A42JV is for Asian market. Battery usage between 2 to 3 hours. Seamless graphics switching between Intel HD & Nvidia GeForce GT 335M, thanks to Optimus Technology.

• Asus K42JV notebook specification:-
  
• Asus A42JV notebook specification:-
  

DPC Latency Check (video)[/font]

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* Sorry. The video quality is poor. This is my first youtube video.

Benchmarks

1. 3DMark06 score with stock Windows 7 Home Premium.

   - Standard resolution 1280x768 - Default settings - Stock drivers	- Standard resolution 1280x768 - Default settings - Nvidia 258.96 driver - Overclocked: Core Clock 550MHz, Shader Clock 1320MHz, Memory Clock 900MHz

2. Devil May Cry 4 Benchmarks with Nvidia 258.96 driver.
   - Default settings
   - DirectX 9
   
   - DirectX 10
   
3. 3DMark Vantage Score: Entry Preset
   - Overclocked: Core Clock 500MHz, Shader Clock 1200MHz & Memory Clock 830MHz
   
4. 3DMark Vantage Score: Performance Preset
   - Overclocked: Core Clock 500MHz, Shader Clock 1200MHz & Memory Clock 830MHz
   

​

Overclocks

• SetFSB: Clock Generator (PLL) is ICS9LPRS365BGLF. Source here. Confirmation here.
• Credit to lee_what2004 at forum dot lowyat dot net:-
  

 

(reserved for BIOS & drivers news/update)

 

sawat dee...

Think it's just you and me bud.

 

Hi, how is the webcam on this thing? It says its 0.3 mega pixels which seems awfully low.

 

Yes, it is low. I'm not using it much except for face-recognition login feature. This is one thing I never pay attention much when buying notebook computer. It work on YM video conference. People on the other side can see me, so it is ok for me. Not that I want to use it for recording or anything.

Yes but you're selling it already. I think most people (for gaming & multimedia) will go with N or G series when buying Asus notebook. Actually there are not much of difference between all Asus notebook series. Of course G series will have mid to high-stream graphic card & U series will have optional 8 cell battery. The lack of e-sata, firewire & express card slot on this notebook prevent people from buying this laptop. I will not bought this notebook if this is my first new notebook. I already have entertainment notebook, Dell Studio 1557, with all features I want. I bought it earlier this year. It only lack of games performances. I can play demanding games on it, thanks to GDDR3, but on some games I need to lower down the settings for me to play "comfortably". This is where Asus K42JV notebook come in. It have Nvidia GT335M which is a mid-stream graphic card, which is the only reason why I bought it. Also, I like the design very much. I don't want to buy G series notebook because it will only make my Dell Studio seems too outdated (or useless). You see my dilemma here.

 

I'm only half heartedly selling it.

I actually haven't had any issues with it. Screen is slightly above par. The GPU plays any game I've thrown at it. Speakers are okay, not great, but they're loud enough to watch a movie with VLC boost. Battery life is not great. Not because of the 6 cells, but because of the 4400mah.

My biggest issue is I wish I'd kept the A42JV that came with 2GB free. It's not bad, but the A42JV is slicker looking IMO. I thought the A42 had a charging problem, but neither I nor the Thai salesmen knew that the battery won't charge unless it's less than 95% full. They didn't have any more A42 in stock, which lead to the K42 which didn't come with the extra 2GB, and is less slick looking.

 

I didn't know that. Do Asus supply 6 cell battery with better capacity for this notebook? Can we use 3rd party battery? Instead 4400mah, what is the right capacity for 6 cell battery? There are shops who provide battery customization service but I don't know which brand is good.

Mine is A42JV but the motherboard (and everything else) is actually labeled as K42JV. No problem since both actually the same. About the battery, do you think the behavior is to prolonged the battery life? Does your battery decrease from 100% to 95% (maybe slowly - 99%, 98%, 97%, etc) while the notebook using external power supply?

BTW, I have USB Microsoft LifeChat LX-3000 headphone I bought two years ago & I haven't use it for a long time. It still work & perfect with this notebook if I want to chat while playing games (especially Life 4 Dead 2 ). But my SonicGear HP800 headphone (jack) produced better audio. It will be perfect when watching movies.

 

sawat dee,

Yes, I don't even know why they made the K42 case. The A42 case looks much better IMO. They don't sell the A42 case in America (I got mine at Panthip BKK) which I think was a big mistake. It would of been more popular otherwise.


There exists 6 cell 6600mah batteries, but I don't think they make them for our laptops

It's strange because the battery in the Acer 4820TG lasts 5 hours with light use and integrated graphics and that is 4400mah also... But that was the i3 model. I don't know about 4820TG i5.

Either Asus is giving us a cheap battery or Acer is using very high quality batteries, or our notebook just uses more power to run it.

Yes, that happens with batteries even if you're not using it, it will slowly lose it's charge. Like 1% or so every day or 2. Something like that.

 

No, the 4820TG is using 6000mAh battery for 6 cell .and 9000mAh for 9cell...

 

Hi guys,

Today I have time to overclock Bus Speed with SetFSB. Windows freezed one time when I tried to overclock it too much (address 0xF = D5). No biggie. I believe I can achieve 3GHz on this machine.

Overclock Bus Speed with SetFSB
Bus Speed = 133MHz (Default)

Bus Speed = 145.1MHz

Bus Speed = 148MHz

 

Thanks Kizwan for the screenshots; I have the same machine as you do and I was looking for a way to overclock it...

 

Welcome to the forum & this thread! If you don't mind, please post here your overclock results. It would be nice to see someone (maybe you) able to reached 3GHz on this notebook.

 

I haven't had much luck overclocking it to 3GHz. It wasn't even stable at 145MHz for my laptop as it will make the screen turn all weird.

 

Too bad. On mine, it is stable on 148MHz. I just decreased the value at offset 0x0F from D8 to D6. Lower than that will locked/crashed my notebook. If you already tried D6 & it crashed, try change to D7 & at offset 0x10, increase the value from 31 to 32.

 

OK, I'll have another go at it

 

I've seen some 9-cells battery 4400mah for this laptop, however they say that voltage is 14.4V, but the original one is 10.4V.

1. would i get any increased batterytime if i used a 9-cell?
2 Could the extra voltage damage my laptop?

 

I don't know the correct answer for your question though but I'll try.
1) This notebook already equipped with 6-cells 4400mAh battery. I don't think you will get increase in battery time if using 9-cells 4400mAh battery since both produced the same milliampere-hour (mAh).
2) Should not though although I'm not so sure. The notebook should have sophisticated battery controller which should prevent it from damaging the notebook. Don't quote me since I'm not sure myself. Some notebook will not turn ON or halted with battery not supported message, if the battery is not supported.

 

hey there.. I'm using asus42jv laptop..
i just updated nvidia gt 335m graphic card..
however, i can't play PES2011 using the graphic card..
the laptop using intel one because the graphic was low n slow...
i set it to use nvidia.. but it's not working also..

how am i going to solve this problem.?

 

Which version did you installed for GT335M? I don't have PES2011, so I can't test it for you. Did you recently update Intel HD Graphics? I never update it since I got this notebook. I only have Metro 2033, Shift, Hot Pursuit, Bad Company 2 & a couple of other games. All are working great on this notebook though. Looks like PES2011 have compatibility issue with Nvidia Optimus. I read many people complain about it.

 

driver version : 266.58..
workin fine with other games..
still got no solution here..

 

I just downloaded PES2011 Demo version. I'll try it later. Yeah, so far there is no solution yet for the PES2011 + Optimus compatibility.

 

wow!! thanks.. will be waiting for ur suggestion..

 

I use the same driver which is 266.58. I already set global settings preferred to GT 335M. Looks like, despite unable to set high picture quality in Settings window, PES2011 does use GT 335M.

Both Nvidia control panel & GPU-Z indicate GT 335M is in use. I haven't test full screen yet but it should be the same. Game also run smoothly.

 

Hi guys. i own a A42jv. i have a problem here.

my laptop backlight doesn't switch off according to the time i set.. it doesn't dim as well.. this also applies to Windows Live Messenger, it would never set to away.

anyone knows how to solve this problem? thanks

 

Did you tried reinstalling windows?

Can you control backlight with Fn key? If you can, the LCD panel is OK.

 

thanks for the reply.
yes i have tried reformatting or reinstalling windows many times.. it would be find for the first few days then the same thing happens again. Fn key is fine, i can manually switch off the display myself as well as controlling the brightness.

what bugs me the most is that if i forget to switch off the display, it would be on all day long. i am afraid that it might be caused by hardware failure. any chance it would be that case?

thanks

 

Unlikely since it works after reinstalling windows, even it just worked for several days. Also if you can control brightness manually, that's means both BIOS & hardware (LCD panel) are OK.

Based on the behavior, it's a software problem. Probably you did installed a software that always active which prevent the backlight switching off automatically when idle. You also need to check your home network. Probably virus propagate from another computer or NAS storage.

 

i updated my bios to the latest version which is 112 if i am not mistaken.

what kind of software would cause the laptop to be active all the time? i have core temp installed though. i had Fraps, Advanced system care, game booster installed previously. All of these have been removed but it is still the same.

Regarding the home network. it is the same even though i have tried in 3 different places.

thanks.

 

I can't give an example since this is rarely happen. And I didn't experience it on my A42JV. BTW, it still with original BIOS.

To troubleshoot this, you'll need to uninstall everything & see if that fix the problem. Yeah, this is a lot of work & possibly waste of your time if you didn't get the desired result. To prevent this, make sure you can restore windows to the current state (with all software installed). I think System Restore should be sufficient. Create a restore point using System Restore & then start uninstalling everything.

 

hi guys, i have A42J'X' model

might be 'K' which is not a US release, but i'm assuming the qn i asked should get a similar answer

can someone please let me know if it is fine to use the laptop without the battery slotted in but with power directly from a power plug.

because i've been led to believe that even if i use power directly, i have to keep the battery slotted in. i use this laptop at home only.

Now im using it without the battery and directly from the power plug and it is able to start. i just want to confirm if this is a correct way of using the laptop and i won't spoil it?

thank you in advance

 

It's fine to use your laptop without battery connected to it.

Battery capacity will wear off over time whether you used it or not. One important thing you should know about Li-Ion battery; do not allow it to fully discharged. When it fully discharged, it won't recharge again. When the battery charge capacity only 10%, recharge it immediately. The battery will lose charge even when you didn't use it (store them away) but the discharge rate is slow. So, you'll probably forgot to recharge it & by the time you want to recharge it, it probably has fully discharged. Some of the advantages of Li-Ion battery are it can handle hundreds of charge/discharge cycles & it doesn't have memory effect, which means that you do not have to completely discharge them before recharging, as with some other battery types. Remember, battery capacity will wear off over time whether you used it or not. So, better let it connected all the time to your laptop instead of stored it away.

 

that was a very comprehensive reply!

but having the battery connected all the time, doesn't that reduce the lifespan of the battery?

 

As I mentioned in my previous post, the battery lifespan will reduced whether you're using it or not. They start degrading as soon as they leave the factory. They will only last two or three years from the date of manufacture whether you use them or not. Using the battery regularly won't make 'em degrade faster.

The Li-Ion battery also have some weakness. They're extremely sensitive to high temperatures. Heat causes Li-Ion battery packs to degrade much faster than they normally would. So, if you decided to store away the battery make sure don't let it exposed to heat. Notebook computer are properly ventilated, so the battery won't be exposed to the heat from inside of the notebook.

 

u mean when we're using the laptop with the battery connected, the battery doesn't get hot? i actually thought its normal for batteries to get hot when using them!

 

I owned a couple of notebooks. I found none of the battery get hot, not even when gaming. Although I never played games when only on battery. The AC adapter brick does warm a bit when playing games though but it is normal.

Does battery on your notebook get hot all the time?

 

i've tested my notebook over these few days and the battery is not hot at all! maybe only slightly warm at the part where the battery connects to the laptop after a whole day of using it.

 

Left 4 Dead 2 on Asus A42JV

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Disabling Nvidia GT335M using DIY ViDock Setup 1.x doesn't improved the battery usage at all. I still got 2 hours.

Testing parameters:-

• Power4Gear set to Entertainment.
• Brightness set to lowest.
• Wifi ON
• Firefox running

 

Do you think the GT335M still consume power even though disabled ?

 

I don't know for sure but I think the Nvidia GPU still supplied with power despite disabling it with DIY ViDock Setup 1.x. Since Nvidia GPU didn't get any system resources, the power consumed by it at best are minimal. I think the battery is to be blame for poor battery usage/life on this notebook. One thing I noticed after disabling Nvidia GPU with DIY ViDock Setup 1.x is the battery discharge rate seems steady.

I'm thinking to run 3 sets of tests (while only on battery):-

1. Disabled Nvidia GPU with DIY ViDock Setup 1.x. Play a movie & monitor the battery discharge rate.
2. Play a movie using IGP & monitor the battery discharge rate.
3. Play a movie using Nvidia GPU & monitor the battery discharge rate.

Battery should last longer on test 1. I remember when optimus enabled, the battery only last less than 2 hours (1 hour 45 minutes at best - Power4Gear set to Entertainment). Tests no. 2 & 3 should show the Nvidia Optimus advantages on battery usage/life.

 

What's the discharge rate after disabling the GT335M ?
Last time I try by just disabling the GT335M through device manager, it raised the discharge rate instead, >-20W in idle.

 

Battery discharge rate while playing video.

1. Video using Intel HD. Nvidia GPU is disabled using DIY ViDock Setup 1.x.
   - Discharge rate: 33,132 mWh (Min 32,362 mWh & Max 35,255 mWh)
   
2. Video using Intel HD.
   - Discharge rate: 30,338 mWh (Min 24,508 mWh & Max 39,226 mWh) <-- The Min value is low because I launch the "Perfromance Monitor" first then played a video.
   
3. Video using Nvidia GPU.
   - Discharge rate: 34,727 mWh (Min 33,110 mWh & Max 40,480 mWh)
   

 

Hello, everyone.

I'm considering purchasing an Asus K42JV-XN1 from NewEgg, and indeed I think I will if I can get an answer to a relatively simple question.

As I am required to use a UNIX-based system for work, I will be using some distribution of GNU/Linux on the laptop, were I to purchase it. I've read in various places around the Internet that NVidia's Optimus technology does not play nicely with the Linux drivers.

While I do realize that I can doubtless use the integrated Intel graphics card regardless, I would like to know if I can use the NVidia graphics card. After all, that is half the reason I am considering purchasing the laptop in the first place.

My question boils down to this, I suppose. Is there a BIOS option that allows one to select between the integrated and discrete graphics cards? I've visited some of my local computer stores, and the answer appears to be that such an option is available on roughly a third of the computers available. The option, as far as I have seen it myself, allows three states: "Integrated", "Discrete", and "Switchable".

Would it be possible for someone with a similar laptop, preferably with an NVidia graphics card, to take a look and see if this is possible?

My thanks for your time.

- Ethereal.Visage

 

I'm not using linux at the moment on this notebook but as far as I know, Nvidia Optimus is not working on linux. There is a group at least trying to provide support on linux but based on my experience, it won't be available anytime soon. So, you can only use Intel HD Graphics (integrated Intel GPU). On this notebook there is no option in BIOS to configure the switchable graphics.

You will get these options in BIOS; "Integrated", "Discrete", and "Switchable"; if the notebook have Intel HD & ATI GPU switchable graphics. On Nvidia Optimus powered notebook, if such option exist, you will only get to choose between "Integrated" and "Switchable".

 

My thanks for the prompt reply! It unfortunately appears that I shall have to continue my search for a good laptop, or alternatively wait for the aforementioned project to create support for NVidia's Optimus technology.

- Ethereal.Visage

 

Hello,

I just bought the K42JV-XN1 (received it two days ago) and last night while surfing the net the laptop shut off (no BSOD no nothing, just right off). Since then, when I try to press the power button to turn it on, the lights would flash for a moment (the white one for the power button, and the green light bulb and DVD-ROM lights) and that's it, the laptop remains off.

I searched around and found many people suggesting I remove the battery and AC, hold down power button for 30 sec, then replug the laptop and turn it on. I tried that several times, it didn't work.

Anybody knows what's wrong and what can I do? is the mobo fried on the second day?

Thank you

 

Did you tried disconnect the battery & just use the AC adapter? You need to report it. I think you can get a replacement because it just 2-3 days old.

 

@mj585 it's possible some of your RAM has suddenly gone bad, but I'm not sure that would turn the system off immediately like that. It could definitely prevent it from starting up though. If you can access the RAM you may want to try it with one stick at a time.

The battery and AC trick to reset the embedded controller would have been my first guess. If that didn't work, you may be able to try resetting the CMOS if there is a reset hole on that laptop (usually labeled >o< on the bottom). If there isn't a reset hole, to reset the CMOS you'd need to open it up and remove the backup battery which will almost certainly void your warranty. So you may want to send it back if you end up with no other options. You should probably be able to remove the hard disk and use it on another computer to retrieve any files and delete any sensitive info before you send it back for an exchange.

 

Thank you for your replies

Yeah same problem with only AC, only battery, or both plugged. I press the power button, light flashes, and nothing else. If I keep tapping the button power eventually I get solid green on that light bulb but that's it, computer doesn't turn on.

I'll report it to Newegg where I bought it from if everything else fails

I tried running with one stick of RAM, same problem occurs, even with zero RAM

Couldn't find a reset CMOS button

Yeah I think I'll transfer the HDD to an external enclosure to delete all my files, put it back in, and RMA this one. Hopefully they've got replacement in stock as I really liked this particular model after weeks of research

Sorry to double post but I've contacted Newegg and they said they'll replace it if Asus can confirm it's a defective product and there's nothing I can do to fix it (haven't heard back from Asus yet but I'll call them when they open Monday).

Just wondering about the reliability of this line of laptops though. For those who owned this laptop for a decent amount of time, have you had any problems with it?

I'm only worried that it'll happen again (if I do end up with a replacement) and it'll be after the 30-day period I have to request an RMA. I'm hoping I was just extremely unlucky to get a faulty item (and in a way lucky it happened so soon that I can still replace it).

 

If it's under 30 days since you bought it, don't even bother with newegg customer service. Just go to your order history and set up an RMA for a defective product (exchange). You should get an RMA# within a few hours, and be able to buy a UPS return label directly through newegg once the RMA is issued.

If you want newegg to cover the shipping cost you'll have to get customer service involved though... but to get the RMA set up you don't need to do anything but click around on their site under your order history.