Asus M51Ta Owners' Lounge

Test it out for the fan issues issues, and LCD if they occur. Can you check your BIOS version for us too? Also, where did you order from?

 

well after reactivating the HD3200 ive also started to have the same issues as everyone else seems to.
fan turns on to full on restart and if i put the laptop into sleep or close the lid for any length of time, the LCD doesnt turn on.
i contacted asus and they said i had to send it in to be repaired, i responded to them by saying................
"i have researched this issue extensively, and to date it is pointless sending in the unit because asus tech hasnt found a solution to the problem",

i then asked to have details to talk with a supervisor/manager they havent replied to that email, so i sent another one after talking with a friend ( who is a lawyer) suggesting that it would be in there interest to give me the requested contact details as it seems to be a fault in the unit out of the BOX and possible breaches in consumer rights are a consideration."

ill keep you informed of any contact i have with them.
all the best......

 

So I wrote into Asus and they responded to me with some lame advice.

"Hello,

Try to update the Power4 Gear Extreme and ATK0100 utility program and set the correct power schemes when using either battery or AC adapter only. Also, c.heck if you are running with the most current Microsoft ACPI driver.
Regards,

RL
ASUS Notebook Technical Support"

They told me to do the same thing when I emailed them in november.

Can we perhaps get a mod to create a Sticky on a new thead called "Asus M51TA Issues" that I am about to create?

What I would love to do is perhaps get some sort of an online petition going with users names and locations so that we can begin to form a list of those that are experiencing the same issues. I am appalled at the replies that I am getting back from ASUS on this issue. We need to organize ourselves to create a case against them to get this problem resolved. I've created a forum here:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=352757

 

No fan or LCD issues so far. I bought mine from Newegg. I will check bios and get back to you.

Btw. What is the best video drivers now? Thanks, SIK

 

Sik, can you please try to replicate the fan issue for us please?
To see if you are affected, go into catalyst control center, then powerxpress and select the "power saving GPU" (HD3200) then initiate a standby. When you resume from standby, does your notebook fan rev to 100% and stay there?

I also got my laptop from newegg.

Best video drivers so far for many are catalyst 8.12

 

Yes, I have the fan bug. Now how do I getthe fan to slow down?

 

Lol. All you have to do is power the laptop off then on again. Pain in the As* isnt it?

Can you please post to this forum with your details so we can build a case with asus to get this fixed?

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=352757

Thanks, Sik. And sorry to show you that your laptop is in fact broken...

 

Thats OK. But it is only broken if I switch to the 3200 go to standby and power back up. LOL

 

LOL, I discovered today that I also have the LCD issue when running on dedicated graphics. I have been running 3200 solely until now, but today I switched to the other one and behold, I had that one too ( But you don't have to turn off the notebook to get the screen back, just use the catalyst hotkey to switch to 3200 and it will solve the problem. It is not a big issue but nontheless irritating.

 

I have a question. Evn though I have the 3650 on every test (3dmark, can you run it etc...) Every test shows the 3200. Any ideas?

 

Using a catalyst hotkey works for me sometimes. Others times, Catalyst control center wont recognize my request to switch GPUS. When that hapens, i get furious because I have to power cycle the laptop and loose whatever i am working on.

These 2 flaws (fan and LCD) negate any sort of mobility from this laptop. One can argue that the fan issue doesnt bother them but honestly, its a laptop. Who doesn't use a power saving GPU when on battery and use standby? I dont use my M51TA as a desktop replacement.

 

In the main screen of 3dmark 06. Mine shows, " GFX: ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3650"

yours doesnt? What does it say? Have your verified in CCC that your have the 3650 running and not the 3200? Perhaps this is a x64 vs 32 bit thing?

 

I can not agree more Bacon, these issues deprive one from having any mobility as it is intended. You have to plan every move or else your data goes to the dustbin. However I can see a relation between the 'Turn of the display' time and having the lid closed exceeding that time. The LCD issue does not occur, at least not on mine computer, when I open the lid before that time setting. You can always set that setting to 'never' or or a very long time to avoid the problem.

 

by the way: has anyone successfully tried installing windows xp or 7 ?
maybe these issues are vista related?

 

Yeah I installed the Windows 7 beta, and it was just as bad. Actually worse, because it never picked up the 3650, and I was stuck with the 3200. Standby still made the fan go insane.

This laptop lacks drivers for XP, so that option is sort of ruled out right now.

Linux also goes berserk and won't boot with ACPI (power saving) options enabled.

Word on the street is we are getting a lawyer involved. I hope that at least gets something moving. I'm hesitant to RMA my laptop because other people in this thread say they just send it back to you broken and say "It's a software issue".

Also... since I've used the factory restore partition to reinstall Vista 32bit, it's been constantly nagging me to activate. I've already activated it, but it says that my "hardware has changed". How the hell do you change the hardware on a laptop like this?

 

Maus, can you post your info to the "issues thread" that I created? So far we have 7 M51TA users that have verified the problems, you will make it 8. Lets keep rolling...

 

Ok as far as Windows 7 is concerned I would not blame ASUS. There are only beta drivers released by amd/ati, which should support hd 3200 series but the question is, if dual gpus are currently supported by these beta drivers.

the missing linux support is actually partly a linux issue. kernels early than 2.6.21.5 are bootable (maybe acpi does not work properly) and for instance free bsd 7.0 seems to work with acpi enabled.
so maybe there is a software based solution. I hope so because I don't see ASUS taking linux support seriously (SHAME ON THEM!)

 

i thought id post the latest replie i have for our friends at asus

ASUS CASEID=RWTM20090204057102604-937 Please click the Survey icon at the right side to give us service experience you had with ASUS for providing better service and future improvements. Please click here if you wish to reply this mail!
Dear Valued Customer,

Thank you for contacting ASUS Customer Service.

My name is Deco and it's my pleasure to help you with your problem.

Sorry for the late, we were discussing about your problems. For the 1st problem, if you have added the RAM of the laptop, I suggest you remove it for a try because this problem may be caused by the imcompatible problem. For the 2nd problem, please update the BIOS to the latest version for a try. I suggest you use the winflash utility to update the BIOS in the windows mode. Please firstly download the winflash utility and the latest BIOS, install the winflash utility, run it and then set the path to the BIOS, then flash. You can download the utility and the BIOS from the following website:

http://support.asus.com.cn/download/download.aspx?SLanguage=en-us&model=m51ta

Please make sure that the power not cut during the operation.

If problem cannot be fixed, please contact the local service center to help you check it:

anayway this issue is not going to be resolved any time soon, this response came after informing them that i have the latest offical Bios and drivers......

getting alittle frustrated tbh

 

Yup... Heres the response I just got...

"Hello Adam,


The acpi drivers supplied with the os work in conjunction with the atk drivers for os for power functionality additionally this also works with the power 4 gear software. if you have already updated both these drivers there are no other drivers that would impact this.

Additionally please run through a recovery and confirm your results for your issues to be relayed to the overseas dept. Additionally when testing DO NOt install any applications or other updates or drivers outside of what the recovery installs on your system to ensure the results are based off our os enviorment. Additionally keep in mind the fan is a thermostatic controller that works in two ways, one directly via the internal thermal diode as well as the information relayed between the os driver stack / kernel.

A easy validation tool to see if the problems you are having are related to software or hardware is to perform a system recovery to your unit , THIS IS A DESTRUCTIVE PROCESS AND WILL ERASE ALL APPLICATIONS AND INFORMATION ON YOUR UNIT. It will reset it to the day your orginally purchased your notebook. If you continue to have issues at this point it is a indicator to let you and us know you have a hardware related problem. You can complete a recovery process by following the noted steps.

1. power off the unit fully

2. power on the unit and immediately begining tapping the f9 key on your keyboard until you see a screen that says windows setup ems enabled

3. click next until you get to asus preload with 3 recovery options.

4. Pick which recovery option you would like , we ship our units default option 3 this will give you a c and d drive. If you prefer one large c drive pick option 2. Option 1 i do not recommend in almost any situation unless you have to save data that you have stored on the d drive.

Hopefully the information and links I have provided help resolve your issues or have answered your questio ns or clarified things for you. Thank You for contacting asus notebook technical support and for using asus for your computing needs. Additionally if you have any other questions please feel free to call in at 1-888-678-3688 option 3 then option 2.

With Regards,

Juan Jose Guerrero III"

Some of you have wasted your time sending in for RMA and it doesnt fix the issue right?

 

oh this is getting crazy, what dont they understand about the 10 mails i have sent them saying that these issues appear directly out of the box, that seems to be saying that the information i was given to fix my problem is completly and utterly a waste of time.

oh well at least the guys helping me spent 2 and a half weeks talking about the problem before replying lol

im basically giving up hope of it being fixed by asus department.
i asked them about the possibility of returning the unit to them and then paying the difference and getting a unit that is reliable, the response i was given was " that is not something that asus does, you would need to contact the store where you purchased the unit to ask about that issue."

frustrated and alittle annoyed
takecare

 

I've done the factory reformat on my unit, and it made no difference. These laptops are broken before you even get them.

Moreover, the "latest" BIOS they suggested on their site is older than most of the people who have these laptops! Most people have versions 205 and 206, and all they provide is 203 and 204.

Where did everyone buy their laptops from? Mine is from Newegg.com. I wonder if we can get Newegg or some other distributor to stick up for us?

 

yeah i got mine from newegg also, we definitely need some outside help here, asus are not taking responsibility for there product, which is a real shame, actually a great shame

 

I bought mine at computercity here in Sweden, and their policy is that one has to rma thrice to return the product. Actually I have rmad mine twice, first time they did absolutely nothing and sent it back as they got it. Second time they bothered to replace the motherboard, that didn't help though. And the third time I tried I got no way Joe. I think ASUS support has been kind and tried to help me, I don't blame them, but this issue should be solved at different level and I wonder if they are aware of this. They should be as so many of us have complained I think.

 

well thats the part that has me frustrated, not there lack of concern or helpfulness BUT the lack of actually anything remotely close to solving the issue been done, they have sent me around in circles over the past few weeks with different suggestions that equate to nothing being done apart from wasting my time. they do not seem to be acknowledging the problem coming from there end, until that is accepted very little can and will be done.

the question is how do we get them to admit the fault and assist us in fixing the problem, i still believe it could be as simple as rewriting a new BIOS for the unit.

anayway
takecare

 

I cant get vista 64 to load. It goes through all the motions I set it up and enter my password then it reboots and looks for the "recovery partition" Its really pissing me off. I must be missing something.

 

What kind of Vista install disc are you using? It seems like your boot loader is seeing the stupid asus recovery console instead of booting vista. If you are using a full version x64 vista disc. I suggest you erase all partitions on your HD and do a full format before installing vista. This can be done within the vista installation. *Remember, when you erase partitions and format your HD, you will loose everything on it....*

 

mtness, i just contacted Asus customer service on the phone, they will be creating an RMA for me. I live in Toronto and there is an Asus RMA centre close by my home. I will be demonstrating the flaw in the presence of an ASUS technician so there will be no confusion in the matter. Ill keep you guys posted....

 

Good luck bacon. ASUS has been giving me some BS in my correspondence with them...

Here is what I wrote to them:

And here is what I got back...

Not able to duplicate the issues? Are you kidding me? Seriously bacon, I hope you get somewhere with this.

 

Ya, its madness, i know. We'll see how far I get. I would like to get another hard drive with bone stock config (factory load) on it to swap out in front of them and show them that its not my config that causes the problems. One would imaginge that someone who knows computer hardware would recognize this as a flaw if they see it for themselves.

What I find interesing is that you are getting responses from "RL" or "Rodel L Roque" This is the same ASUS guy who is responding to me. I've honestly had 10-12 emails sent back from him with the same answers. Its pathetic.

1)He is mentally handicapped
2)He doesn't care and thinks its funny
3)He is covering a flaw that ASUS recognizes internally but has secretly decided not to fix so we all loose sleep over it.

These are the only conclusion that I can make about how ridiculous this has become.

Is everyone else that has recieved a response from ASUS getting them from Rodel?

 

Also, when I filled out the form for support, it said that if it took them longer than 48 hours to respond (which it did), that my request would be escalated to a top priority slot. I'm not really sure what that entails, but they got back to me in about 2 1/2 days. Maybe this "Rodel" guy is one of the tech managers?

 

New Bios 207 is available... but once again from Asustreiber (also source of previous Bios 206) instead of directly from Asus..

Version: 207
Date: 02/13/09
Link: http://www.asustreiber.de/downloads/file/1167-m51taas-207

Changelog:
Fix the fan don't normal work after s3 resume in the power saving mode.
Update external VGA VBIOS to BR030816.001 to fix 3D mark will hang with Hynix VRAM.

Tested myself - flashed it with bios internal Asus flash tool (continuously press F4 at Asus bootscreen to access) - Working fine and after a few tries of sending my notebook into standby and reactivating i can confirm that the issue with the fan running at full speed after standby indeed seems to be fixed

Although it´s nice to see that the Asus support Team obviously didn´t completely ignore the complaints they received i couldn´t help but notice that although the bios seems to have been finished 2 Weeks ago it - like bios 206 - isn´t listed in the M51Ta section of the Asus support site... well, maybe they were still beta-testing the new bios? but then again bios 206 never found it´s way there at all...

 

OMFG, I'm literally tearing up over here. :cry:

Ill pull the trigger on this one and beta test.....

Bombs away!

 

Woo! Seems to be working ok.

I downloaded the 207 bios, put my laptop in hibrinate then flashed to 207 with no issues.

When trying to resume windows, my laptop bluescreened on an IRQ error but trying to resume a windows session with a different bios is a risky move anyways

I then power cycled and Vista x64 came up normally. THen, (true test) I put the laptop in 3200 mode and went into standby.

When it came out the fan was normal! YAY!

Let it be known that this is still no excuse for the lame responses we all got from Asus. Im still pissed about that. They could have at least acknowledged that they knew of the problem and were working on it.

Ill post back with any other findings. Until then, congrats guys! It seems as though we came out on top!

 

Dear God... what about the LCD issue????? I'm all over this. Gonna flash in a couple minutes.

 

yep, my first reaction when i saw the changelog was to ask myself if it was already christmas time

 

fyi just sent back to Asus....

Rodel L Roque-

Let it be known to all M51TA users that ask your department that there is a solution to the problem that your team were sadly unable to replicate.

http://www.asustreiber.de/downloads/file/1167-m51taas-207

Another M51TA user found this link to a bios dated February 9th 2009. It is version 207 and clearly reads,

“Fix the fan don't normal work after s3 resume in the power saving mode.
Update external VGA VBIOS to BR030816.001 to fix 3D mark will hang with Hynix VRAM..”

I am sending this email to you hoping that you rethink your confidence in Asus product knowledge and support. You have not only wasted my time with your technical incompetence but many others around the globe who rely on you and your team to support Asus products that we, your customers, buy.

 

nice share guys thanks

and thx for the letter to asus Bacon612 you expressed my thoughts exactly.

id also just like to publicly thank those guys that do make BIOS updates for us guys whoever you are thx and bunch

 

been trying the new BIOS out over the last few days and finally our laptop is running how one would expect it to out of the box, if you haven't updated the BIOS i would strongly recommend it, i haven't tried the Linux OS but everything else is 100% fan is running normally, LCD works fine after sleep etc.

yeah and thx angain to whowever made the new BIOS

 

I did a format to the factory partition, and still had a few issues, but things are better.

If you are running on the 3650 and shut the lid, then reopen it an hour or more later, it won't come back up. However, if you setup some ATI Hotkeys to switch adapters, you can usually get it back.

I couldn't get Ubuntu 8.10 to boot from CD, but it got a lot further than it did before.

 

thats interesting mate, im running my pc on high performance and now can put my notebook to sleep with lid closed for any length of time( ie today i left it for 3hrs, yesterday 5hrs etc) and the LCD boots up immediately.

i have no problems at all with the notebook..........but im not trying to run Ubuntu....

 

The difference must be that I don't actually put mine to sleep. I leave it running, but I close the lid so the screen is off.

 

Congratulations for getting this problem fixed!

Out of curiosity, the guys at asustreiber.de get beta BIOSes from ASUS, or do they mod the BIOSes themselves?

 

oh that must be it, maybe you are going to have to use the sleep feature mate......sorry

i dont know for sure but im guessing that they mod the BIOS themselves, the communication i have had with asus suggests that there latest BIOS for the M51-TA is 205, this last one is 207, maybe someone who knows for sure can confirm this though.

 

i don´t think so.. there´s no sign that the bios releases they post aren´t original ones from asus as they all have the necessary information (which notebook type, release date etc. and also a changelog...

the problem with the existing bios releases from asus is simply that they don´t seem to find their way to the official m51ta support page.. even bios 205 which most of us had on their notebook when first received isn´t available there..

the guys from asustreiber seem to have a good connection to asus from where they receive most recent software/bios releases as i´ve often noticed that they had even newer versions of Power4Gear, ExpressGate... hosted on their site than asus themselves (those releases often got posted by asus up to a week later or so)

so basically they seem to have a good source within asus that supplies them with the newest/unreleased stuff

as to why asus never posted those already existing bios releases on their own page.. my guess is as good as yours.. perhaps they were still beta-testing them?

 

omg guys, actually I did not think that these issues would be fixed!
I think I'm gonna put the notebook in to standby and wake it up again all the long

ubuntu 8.10 with kernel 2.6.29rc5 does boot too but acpi does not seem to work as the battery won't last for more than 1 hour.

 

Thank you Rainy_Day for the link. I flashed mine yesterday and the fan works properly now. Is it not a shame that some enthusiasts fixed the problem and not asus, Shame on you asus. The LCD issue still remains though but that does not bother me. If I set the settings in Power4Gear to never turn off the display that issue never occur. Finally I would like to thank the guys at asusstrreiber for fixing this, Thanks.

 

Unless I am gaming, I never use the 3650 so I never run into the LCD issue anymore. Btw. I am running the normal version of Catalyst 9.2 on my M51TA without issues now.

 

did it recognize the HD3650 by itself or did you have to force the driver to install through device manager?

 

I installed 9.2 overtop of 8.12 without unintalling... Worked fine. I have always loaded catalyst software from a clean state. But a clean state leaves Vista only seeing 1 of the M51TA's 2 GPUS.

Try installig 9.2 without uninstalling the old version.

 

thanks to everyone who put effort into trying to get results from asus.

ive got rid of my M51-ta based on asus customer care and lack of acknowledgment of the issues that where coming out with the unit, now that the system has been fixed i felt comfortable in selling it......i wont be buying asus again.
anyway thanks alot guys and takecare