Asus N53SV & N53SN SandyBridge Owner Thread

Hello. Thank you for creating this owners thread. I purchased the N53sv-xv1 model from newegg, and it arrived today. I've seen many people list their initial WEI Base score is: 5.7 and that the lowest value was for graphics. My graphics score was 4.8, but gaming graphics was 6.6. I did a check again and my scores changed to 4.1 and 6.1. This doesn't seem right... For anyone who recently purchased, what are your scores?

 

Mr Blonde
Mine is the same with the exception that my screen is HD and other than fixing my key board flex (search my name to see how) it is a fantastic laptop and I highly recomend it above all others.

Quiet and runs cool
Sharp and clear
No cons, it does what it says it will do and do it well
Buy it you won't regret it!

Dean

 

I read up to page 64 in full. No one came back with a successful backlit mod, even though there was one guy who said they would. Correct me if p64 onwards yielded some results.

Unfortunately for us owners in the UK, there is no chiclet version of our layout, which sucks, considering there's ones for the French/German/Spanish/Italian/Russian markets. So looks like I'm not replacing the keyboard.

Mr Blonde- The laptop is great, but I would say the only con is that it's not really portable. I would say its not a real con, as it's not mean to be portable, clearly it has the specs for a multmedia/desktop replacement laptop. But I know many IT students who carry pretty high end heavy laptops around so maybe in context for you, this is not too bad. But bear in mind whilst the weight is around normal for a 15" laptop, it is widescreen and is shaped a bit bigger.

 

I hope there is! As I have just ordered a UK Chiclet keyboard from Asus parts. I'll post a pic when it arrives - it is in transit now. If it fits I'll post the link for it. Dearer than the US ones from ebay (but they don't do UK versions I asked).

The standard keyboard is VERY, VERY cheap and flimsy. I have a few other laptops with real solid chiclet and old style keyboards and in direct comparison with my N53SN you REALLY notice the difference. I don't like it all for typing - hence why I ordered the chiclet version.

My N53SN has now developed a nasty droning from the cooling fan ... as I do a lot of 3D rendering I hit the CPUs hard, and the fan is often ramped up and sounds like an old bomber. sigh.

On holiday for a month, will need to see about getting it serviced when I return. PITA.

D.

 

Remove the keyboard and clean the fan yourself?

 

Pretty sure it is not just needing cleaned - sounds like a bad bearing. And you can't access the fan by lifting the keyboard. It is quite tricky to access.

Look here : http://forum.notebookreview.com/asus/548277-i-love-my-new-n53jf-xe1-but-i-got-bored-disassembly.html

D.

 

Don't just leave me hanging!! Share the wealth and give me the link/ part number / details!

 

I have just ordered the laptop i've mentioned before.
So I've read different opinions on the keyboard, is it actually that bad?

 

Must be a personal preference. I think it's fine.

 

I havnt had a problem with the keyboard either, just took a few days to get use too.


On another note, i feel as if the ram and HDD are causing a bottleneck for the proformace,
I am thinking about upgrading the 5400rpm HDD to:
Intel 320 Series SSDSA2CW080G3K5 2.5" 80GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive
And them ram too:
8GB (2X4GB) DDR3 SODIMM Memory, 1333MHz


How easy is it to replace the HDD and Ram?
Cheers,
JoshyEee

 

I was kind of scared about the keyboard but as u said, u get used to it.
I've never had a laptop before, so it's a whole new experience anyway.

 

Whats the best way to remove the feet to get into the HDD Bay and Ram?

 

I've been using a utility knife. Works fine. Any scratches are covered by the feet anyway.

 

Ill give it a go tomorrow when parts turn up.
Next question!
Under windows expericence the current ram gets 5.9, The ram upgraded in the OP gets something like 6.9.

Ram I ordered is the same as in the OP.
Is there any point in leaving the old ram in there aswell to make 12Gb of ram?
I would think this would slow it down to the speed of the slowest drvice?

New ram is
Corsair CMSO8GX3M2A1333C9 8GB (2x 4GB) DDR3-1333 SO-DIMM

 

It's not a good idea to mix and match types, brands, speeds, etc of RAM. If you're upgrading the RAM, take the old ones out. You may have issues in the future and it's better to just avoid those problems.

 

As a sidenote, in the UK, the FHD glossy LCD versions have all been discontinued. You just get non-glossy (matte) FHD screen now, looks fantastic!

 

Can anyone tell me how much inch the sleeve has to be to fit the 15.6inch N53sn?

 

16.4" at min the N53 is as huge as small 17"s

 

I only have one Message "Windows was not properly shut down" in ~3 months, apart from the first week. The only component I can think of is the USB3 port which was unreliable. Or try to put back the original memory and/or hard drive..., if you want to get to the bottom of this.

 

Ok thank you, I will buy a 16.4 then.

 

Well Imho just wait and go to the shop first try the sleeve.

 

hi, i'm thinking about buying n53sn, configured as follows:
Core i5 2410M 2.3GHz, 8GB RAM, 500GB, 15.6" 1920x1080, nVidia GT550/2GB

i appologize for not reading entire thread, i've already read reviews on net and it looks very good so far, fits my needs perfectly.
i'm just looking for some user oppinions now, can you tell me how satisfied you are with the model and did you experience any issues with this laptop like throttling, poor battery life, bad cooling, or some other stuff that reviews tend to skip. thx

 

i7 1920x1080 GT540M here. Rate it 10/10. No issues, battery life is probably around 4 hours for this kind of power. Cooling is the best I've seen in a current gen laptop.

 

are there any throttling issues? i know there were huge problems with dell xps and envy before, which reviewers didnt mention at all, i also remember asus didnt have such problems, but i just want to make sure

reason why i'm asking is because i need to use it for gpu rendering when i'm away from my desktop and program i'm using will fully load gpu and occasionally cpu as well at the same time (during importing 3d models, changing textures and so on). its very important to me theres no throttling whatsoever on cpu and gpu on full load when power adapter is plugged in, i dont mind throttling on battery thou as i wouldnt us it for such tasks then

 

Can any of you guys give me some tips on doing a clean install?
I mean theres a lot of bloatware on the Asus.
I still have a W7 Home Premium CD which I can use to re-install W7 (since the laptop has a W7 Home Premium key).
But won't I lose my warranty or something if I do that?
Also, how will I make sure everything works fine after the install?
I'm kind of scared to do it..

 

you dont lose warranty for messing with software, for reinstalling windows or installing linux for example, you lose warranty only if you mess with hardware (opening laptop and making repairs or changes yourself)

installing windows 7 is easy, only problem which could occur is if network adapter inside laptop needs driver which doesn not come with win7 cd so you cant connect to internet right after the install. if you can connect, then you have no problem as windows update will download everything you need. you should wait for someone who actually owns the laptop to tell you if you need to download some driver before reinstalling, but once you're connected to windows update, you dont need to worry much, its all pretty simple from there

 

Oh ok thanks, and all of the drivers are on the Asus website?

 

To be honest, there wasn't that many things that needed uninstalling, there's a lot installed, but I think only around 4-5 things that actually run that necessarily clog performance. Of course, if you feel the need to maximise every little bit of hard drive space, by all means, but is it worth it when the laptop comes with a separate partition with a lot of free space anyway and cheap external hard drives.

If you're new to laptops, you're much better off seeing whether you're fine with it as is. Otherwise, as you can see from this thread, people run into many more issues from doing a clean install than not.

 

Yeah, that's kind of true..
I'm running the laptop for the first time right now!

 

Yeah, only a few things considered massive bloatware. Off the top of my head, the Intel turbo boost monitor is one. Another is that Asus profile thing for power settings, which is just a duplicate that WIndows 7 already has. If you've used a computer before, you'll quickly notice what is merely a useless add-on. If not, just mention a program here.

 

There are 79 programs installed, I don't really know which ones to delete ;s.

 

well, start with this
http://forum.notebookreview.com/asus/380681-asus-utility-bloatware-guide.html

 

Okay thanks, sometimes on the space next to the numpad (below the keyboard) I get eletrocuted I mean, it's not much but I feel some electricity?

ALSO: What brightness do you guys use? & Do you have to register on the Asus site?

 

In my mind I wouldn't start with, there's a lot of programs, I need to uninstall. A large part of it is going into the programs and switching it off starting with boot. As someone new to laptops in general, you never know what you may find useful, it's much better to know the programs better and decide later what you'll never use. Rather than deleting according to a list, before your familiar with what they do.

Also, contrary to the bloatware guide, I'd keep Winflash, it's a convenient way to update your bios.

Registering makes it a bit easier if you ever need to use your warranty and for support. It's probably easier just to spend 5 mins and do it.

Also, yes the electrical leakage is a common issue but its not going to kill you. I don't feel it normally, but I've noticed it when I'm holding the metal bit of a USB male connector (from an external HD with its own power supply) in one hand and touching the metal bit around the touchpad with the other hand. It's entirely avoidable for me as the plug is encased in plastic normally but on one occasion I was trying to plug in a USB holding it by the metal part and using my other hand to lift the base of the laptop up a little to see where i was inserting it.

I have my brightness on 7/8 as the screen is really luminous, but really, you can make your own decision on this, there's no correct setting! I take my battery out though as I rarely use my laptop "on the move", otherwise as with normal laptop batteries, it slowly discharges to below 95% before charging itself back to 100% (even though the battery states its full and not in use when the power is plugged in and the battery is also in), and it's better for the life of the battery if you use your laptop like me (desktop replacement).

 

I have to take the laptop with me everyday, but i'm always able to plug in.
Also I found a solution for the electricity, when i put some plastic on the metal (plastic which is sticky on one side) I don't feel it anymore.
Problem solved!

First thoughts of the laptop (got it for like 2hours):
- Nice screen
- Keyboard flex? I like the keyboard!
- Nice design, indeed a bit big for a 15.6 incher.
- Good sound quality.

I have deleted some of the installed items, I'm checking them on google & then I decide whether to delete or to keep it. (70Programs to go )

 

Sorry - I wanted to check that I ordered the correct keyboard.

It arrived today. Sent from AsusParts in Sweden. Fitted and typing using it now. MUCH, MUCH better. MUCH better to type with. Seperate well-spaced keys really help

Not cheap :

Worlds Greatest Site for Asus Spare Part

I asked the ebay sellers from HK but they don't do UK layouts so this was the only option I could find.

Search Tags : replace UK keyboard layout chiclet

D.

 

Uhm another quick question, when I try to make the recovery CD something fails at the 2nd CD & he quits.
My cd's are about 4.7GB, did he create the full recovery on the first cd or not?
Is anyone able to help me?
A recovery cd is important imo.

 

I think I had a driver backup, AND a system backup.

It took several DVDs (not CDs) to create the system backup. About 4 or 5 ?

Pretty sure I used a DVD for the driver backup too ... but not too bothered about those as they can be downloaded from the website.

D.

 

Yeah I use DVD's but he failed at the 2nd CD..

 

My laptop display refresh rate is set at 60mhz with no option to change it to anything else. Is that normal? What driver am I missing if that's the case?

 

Damn, the boot time takes really long, the W7 sign comes up fast but then it takes a while until I can fill in my pass.
Once I filled in my pass I get a black screen and have to wait for a while until I get to see my desktop?

 

normal

@Mr Blonde

check programs starting at startup, and maybe an anti virus program may cause a delayed start...

 

Bloatware? Did you install anything extra? Virus? Could be a ton of things. Even with the standard HDD, should be nowhere near that long

 

It came with quite a few pre-installed programs.
I'm updating the drivers right now.. hope it helps.

EDIT: Mine takes a bit longer then the right one & I also have that black screen etc.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IW0g4YrO2Yg
Does a SSD help that much?!

 

Drivers wouldn't really help bootup time, as they are for helping/enabling hardware to work once in Windows.

I'm not sure what the issue is here. I have an SSD in mine and my bootup time is around 7 seconds though. I'd say either the bloatware is really slowing it down, something else is the issue, or it's just normal.

I didn't boot the Asus on it's pre-installed HDD. As soon as I got it, I took it out of the box and put in my SSD.

 

^I deleted most of the pre-installed programs..

Oh alright, is there anyway that I can try out the performance of my computer?
I'd love to test my 8GB of Ram etc but I don't kow how to?

EDIT: My pc starts up in about 1 minute, i thought it were 3 minutes.
I didn't do a clean install though.

 

About the 2nd hard drive in optical bay, does any of these work?

Buy.com
SuntekStore.com - caddy
caddy | Search Results : Tmart.com

In eBay there's a US$ 40,00 shipping fee for me...

 

Would like to know from people here who got the Seagate Momentus XT drive.

Is it worth it? how much of change are you feeling with the drive?

thanks

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130396240750#ht_4731wt_1159
Can anyone confirm that this one also works for the N53S?
How can I get the cover for it?

 

I had the 500gb version in my HP dv6885SE and it made it extremely quick and responsive, for 100$ on newegg atm its a good drive I think...

Question. Does the XV1 sata go up to 6gb? I want to get this hdd some time soon but dont want to waste money if the laptop cant take advantage of the 6gb/s SATA

Newegg.com - Seagate Constellation.2 ST91000640NS 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache 2.5" SATA 6.0Gb/s Enterprise-class Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive ???

Thanks.