Asus N80Vn-GP011C: First Impressions/Review

http://www.notebookjournal.de/tests/test_asus_n80vn_4so19c-749/4
from page 36

btw, any requests for the photos i''l be taking.. like the keypad.. the hinges.. ? full body shots? anything.?

 

I believe that review was already discussed way earlier in this thread. That notebook is probably the CCFL version of the notebook. I can't post the link since I don't have 15 posts but the GLOBAL Asus site has both an LED and a CCFL screen listed for the N80vn.

It has been speculated that the 180cd/m^2 brightness is far too low to be the LED version of the screen.

 

It is difficult to measure brightness, response time, contrast ratio, etc. when someone is just an enthusiast user and not a professional reviewer with equipment to measure the specific qualities you mention. There haven't, to be the best of my knowledge, been any professional reviews completed on this notebook, other than the German website (which I do not have the privilege of comprehending).

Also, it has been stated that the Best Buy X83Vm is a lesser quality laptop on many levels, from the keyboard to the trackpad to the display and missing Bluetooth and other places. Best Buy has an arrangement to order custom specs in bulk, and thus does not use standard configs and parts, in my experience.

Also, to compare the N80Vn to the MBP is sheer folly, and the adage of comparing apples to oranges is barely adequate. They are completely different levels of machine, ranging from budget to design to intended market. What does a similarly spec'd MBP cost? About $2250. I purchased my N80Vn for just under $1000.

 

I just received this laptop and am loving it the more I use it. I just have one problem I hope someone can help me with. After coming out of hibernation mode on the laptop I am able to use the laptop for about 2 minutes before it freezes up. I can't move the mouse and all the keys are unresponsive. This happens everytime I come out of hibernation mode. Thanks in advanced.

 

I've heard of various issues with coming out of hibernation/sleep with corrupt/defective video drivers. Possibly try doing the driver update to 180.70 (look earlier in the thread, maybe 1-3 pages back). Not sure if that's the issue, but it's a good idea anyway

However, I didn't have any problem with the stock installation, so maybe something went a little bit awry during the initial setup process. Try a clean install, if you feel like you haven't set up and customized too many settings yet.

 

yer, those 180.70 drivers are pretty awesome, update cos if it doesn't help your issue, your pc will still run a heck of alot better

 

man, I'm gonna have to get those updated drivers if it's as good as everyone says they are. Has anyone done the Microsoft Update of the wireless/ethernet card? I've done this before on my desktop and remember it not working properly afterwards.

 

I've updated to everything Windows Update has told me to, and no problems here. Wireless is flawless compared to my older notebook's Broadcom card.

 

Hey guys Do you think that I can both Windows Vista and XP install in different partitions in this laptop????

 

I can *have* both...

 

there's bound to be a walkthrough on the net which could be applied to any laptop.. i feel pretty certain it would work anyways

regarding the 180.70 drivers.. they're updated to 180.84 now i think.. well 180.84 was released 3 december anyways..

http://www.laptopvideo2go.com/drivers

anyone looking to update to the drivers there, read this first:
http://www.laptopvideo2go.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=9243

 

One thing I think everyone should do is post their review on newegg.com. The more people that buy this laptop, the more support it will get from Asus in the future.

 

Unfortionately there is no right side FN key ;( Only the one on the left. Really sucks because all of the laps at work have the FN/Ctrl keys switched so I keep using the wrong button sometimes.

Anyone know how to disable the Windows key while in full screen apps?

 

Ok I just got the system up and running with Vista x64. Two drivers are still missing: Fingerprint scanner and Infrared sensor. The x86 drivers don't work. Google has found nothing for x64 either. If anyone ever runs across these please PM me.

 

no right hand Fn key..!? NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
that's the only one i use..

oh well, i guess it's like the needle in the haystack.. one flaw amongst so much.. hay..

@DFA1:
I'll post my review on ExcaliburPC, or can i post it on newegg too? even though i purchased elsewhere..?

hopefully it'll be here tomorrow

 

Mine was scheduled to arrive today but nobody was home to sign for it. Must continue waiting...

I'm pretty excited to get rid of my enormous desktop. This laptop was the tipping point for me to move along to the portable realm.

My building prowess has moved on to mountain bikes at this point anyway.

 

yer, waiting is the hardest part.. grr
laptop's are much better, in terms of function and aesthetics (no way in terms of performance) than desktops, wouldn't go back to them easily..

 

Yeah I finally jumped ship because now you can get good performance in a laptop that looks good and doesn't require you to trade in your first born.

I only game casually at this point, so the mid-range card should suffice. I will use my 20" widescreen monitor and the HDMI-DVI cable I already had when the laptop is at my desk, so that works out great. I also have a Logitech G7 cordless USB mouse that I can use as well. I probably need to invest in a matching wireless keyboard to complete the deal.

 

Short review:

I am very satisfied with mine so far, received it and unpacked it yesterday. If I hadn't read this thread I wouldn't have known that the 1-year Accidental Damage warranty needed to be activated (rather than being included with the default warranty), thanks!

Default install:
Uninstalled a bunch of bloatware (don't have time for a fresh install till the weekend), but there wasn't much to begin with. Replaced Norton with Avast, less of a resource hog. I was considering replacing Vista with XP but the laptop is zippy enough that I don't think I'd see much, if any, of a performance difference.

Some issues with the hardware:

I found that the keyboard was "lagging" a little so I also uninstalled the Synaptec touchpad utility and am using the Microsoft default with no problems now. G7 wireless mouse works flawlessly with the laptop. I have also noticed the keyboard flex that others have mentioned. The keys are a little bouncy but they do not affect my typing. The touchpad buttons are difficult to push down occasionally (a firm push does the trick) but is not a problem for me since I never use the touchpads on laptops.

Wireless was equally good reception, I took it all over the house and it never dropped below 5 bars (compared with the HTPC in the living room that only gets 3).

Have not been able to get the fingerprint reader to work --- it keeps telling me endlessly that the scan is unacceptable. User error, probably?

Regarding the display:

The display is very bright, clear and brilliant straight-on. The viewing angles don't seem too bad from side to side but from top down I found myself adjusting the tilt more than I do on my work Macbook Pro, maybe it's the lights shining on the glossy finish but it was a little difficult to read at times. Definitely a very nice screen though.

I am actually really enjoying the resolution on this laptop. There's enough real estate that I'm not looking for more space web browsing and document editing.

Performance in WoW:

Sound: Built in speakers are clear, a little weak in volume but what laptop speakers aren't? I like the location of the mic/headset jacks. Haven't tried the built-in mic (located on the left side in front of the keyboard) yet.

Ran World of Warcraft at medium/high settings (middle terrain distance, middle environmental distance, low texture resolution, spell effects on high, full screen glow, middle weather) with the usual (48MB worth) addons installed.
Non-raiding: Ran around in crowded Dalaran without breaking a sweat at 55-58 fps. Other mundane tasks in crowded areas also had the same fps.
Raiding: Did part of 25-man Naxxramas and the 25-man Malygos fight on the laptop at the same settings. It's SWEET! FPS never dropped, no lag, and I was playing on wireless. DEFINITELY useable for raiding in WoW, for those who wanted to know.

Temperatures: Noticed the warm air venting near my mouse (I'm a rightie) but it never got too hot. Had the laptop on my lap half the time I was playing and it never got uncomfortable. No hot spots on the keyboard/palm rest.

Accessories:

The laptop bag it comes with isn't bad, but I need about 3x the space for all my work stuff plus the laptop. It is comfortable to use though, and if you don't have more than your wallet, cell, a couple of pens and maybe a small notepad you're fine. I had to wrestle with it to put my everyday things in.

Also comes with a small (4"x4"?) chamois or microfiber cloth to clean the screen with. I would advise going to the automotive section of your local store and buying those microfiber cleaning cloths for cheap to use as a screen protector or getting the Shaggymac pre-made ones since the laptop doesn't come with one.

 

thx for the info!

 

I received my N80vn-GP011C yesterday and promptly installed Vista Home Premium x64, and both the drivers you mentioned worked fine for me. I don't know where you can find them online, but I just installed the x64 version of those drivers right off of the ASUS utilities CD (the blue and white one) that comes with the system. As soon as I popped that CD in, the software autoran and recognized that I had Vista x64 installed, and it prompted me to select x64 drivers that I wanted to install. Hope this helps.

One crummy thing: my number "4" key barely works. I have to hit it really hard, and hold down for a second before it registers. If I just press it "normally" it won't register at all, even if I hit it many times in a row. I hoping that the key "loosens up" on its own with a few days' use. If not, I might have to get the keyboard fixed with the warranty, but that's a real pain in the butt to go through just for one key. Any suggestions?

 

Yup you're right. The IR driver was right there and I had to run the Fingerprint Security setup program for the driver to get installed for that. Thanks

I noticed 2 other problems that I don't know if it's a x86/x64 issue or a Burner issue:
1)CDBurnerXP does not detect the DVD Burner
2)ISOBurn locks up during burns
3)Wireless Console 2 can only temporarily disable the wireless. If you push the wireless toggle button, it will disable the wireless for around 7 seconds but then the wireless with reactivate on its own.

That sucks about your "4" key, but at least your whole left side on your keyboard does not sound like its held together by rubberbands.

 

I know right? I was so excited to try to disable the left FN key and then noticed there wasn't a right FN key. I'm wondering if it'll just be better to disable it and the Windows key while playing certain games, mainly FPS. I really only use the FN key for volume/mute.

I posted my review on newegg even though I didn't get it from them, I got mine from ExcaliburPC as well, but from their ebay store. Had no idea I could post a review at their site. Might as well do it.

 

Must say i'm very pleased with the N80, now it's arrived and all

it's marvelous! that's it summed up quickly..
the screen is superb, the opening+shutting of the screen is superb (i've turned the brightness down to half.. ), the weight it pleasantly light, but not too light that it feel fragile.
Just removing the bloatware crap, and installing the 180.82 drivers in it, and the ONLY problems, and swear everything else is perfect:
1)clickyness of the touchpad
2)the castled Fn key..
As mentioned, the touchpads movements are fixed with uping the sensitivity, and the fingerprint scanning.. i'll sort that out another time..

i checked out the vista bechmark, it was 5.
Processor: 5.3
RAM: 5.9
GFX: 5.0
Gaming GFX: 5.3
Primary HDD: 5.4
I'll run some proper benchmarks later to compare to my G1

Very VERY pleased with my purchase, I dno if it's worth more a review than this.. maybe later when i'm more farmiliar?
http://picasaweb.google.com/serendipiddy/N80#
I have hi res versions of all the photos.. these are all scaled for uploading..

Enjoy!
(any tips on getting that picasa album embedded would be much appreciated )

 

Ha! No - I checked as soon as I got it to see if the left side sounded bad like you've described, but mine seems to be fine. And maybe I can get used to just writing "2+2" whenever I want to write "4" Seriously, I think I'll send it in for warranty on the keyboard as soon as finals are over.

I haven't tried burning a disk yet, or even opened the burning software, so I'm not sure if I'm having the same issues you are with your drive. However, I can verify that I am NOT having the wireless issue that you are. That's really irritating - maybe you should reinstall that driver.

 

its funny when i look at your pictures the notebook screen looks stunning but according to notebook journal.....i really dont know they gave the display a 1 1/2 star out of 5 its weird but it also seems to indicate nothing about the screen being LED could there be a non LED version have a look:


http://www.notebookjournal.de/tests/test_asus_n80vn_4so19c-749/4

 

Yeah, someone's mentioned there are different variations in different territories.

 

hmmm i just checked around apparently(i think) only north american versions have LED displays can anyone confirm this?

 

@Red Dragon
This has already been discussed previously, there are different variations in other countries. I give my display a 5/5 stars.

@adam8281
I have noticed my left side of the keyboard does have a clanky sound if the hit the keys hard. don't notice it otherwise when typing normal.

@EVERYONE WHO OWNS THE LAPTOP
I went to the website to register my laptop for the 1 year accidental damage warranty. After I submitted my registration, it stated that the registration was not complete until I also snail mail the registration card in aswell. I received and e-mail from Asus stating the same thing ;( Make sure you all do this 60 from the purchase date!!!

 

Solved it. I just got rid of Wireless Console 2 all together. It's really not necessary considering that there are dedicated toggle buttons for the bluetooth and the wifi. I know on my old F3SV it was necessary, but I can do without one extra piece of software.

I will post up a youtube video in a bit here showing what the keyboard sounds like. I'll have to get everyone's feedback on that.

 

worked out how to stop the language bar from coming up.. right click on it, go to setting, and tell it to "hide" instead of appear as a toolbar

@DFA1 thanks for the heads up.. I was looking at that thinking.. "do i send this in or register online..?"

 

@Mide
On a hard surface the left side of my keyboard def sounds different than the right, and it appears to sink down and flex a little on the left side.

Doesn't bother me at all though.

 

Iddy thx for the pics, could you send others comparing the screen brightness or whatever with your G1?

 

Ok link Everyone who has one, please let me know if your keyboard sounds similar or not. If everyone's is like this then I might be too used to Thinkpad keyboards or something but if not Asus will be getting a call. Remember to turn up the speakers...the microphone on my digicam isn't all that good.

 

i've taken a few more.. but the G1 is gone now so there won't be any more comparison shots.. sorry about that..
[installing picassa.. lol]
the album should be updated shortly

[edit] updated!
http://picasaweb.google.com/serendipiddy/N80#

slowly getting used to that castled Fn key.. though i'm getting sick of the liveview popping up..
and the screen is too bright for a dark room.. i have it on 0% atm!

 

Got mine in yesterday. A few pros and cons that I have noticed so far:

Pros:

• screen is BRIGHT. I have it pegged at 35-40% brightness for regular usage. Colors are quite vivid as well.

• Very nice look overall. Not as simple and compact as my brother's last gen Macbook Pro, but the Asus has a little bit more style. I also paid 1/3 of what he did for a similarly spec'ed laptop. Solid build construction as well.

• On regular usage (internet, watching video) it is very quiet and cool. Barely even perceptible warmth anywhere. Haven't tried gaming yet.

• Seems to be quite fast and responsive even with 5400rpm drive.

• Battery life seemed good on the initial charge (didn't even quite fully charge it). I'll monitor this more closely in the coming week.

Cons:

• Screen has minor viewing angle issues. The top of the screen is always slightly darker than the bottom. On a dark screen there is some bleeding on the bottom.

• Minor keyboard flex focused around the 4/5 keys. I also understand exactly what Mide was talking about with the left side of the keyboard; it's not as solid as the right. This honestly doesn't bother me at all though.

• Trackpad is a little bit finicky. I uninstalled the extra touchpad utility and is seems better. Going to use a mouse 80-90% of the time anyway.

• 
  My initial reaction to Vista and the installed bloatware was a gag response. I'm used to building desktops and installing XP and cleaning it up a bit. This was more of a massive overhaul to get the machine stripped of all the garbage. So far I'm leaning heavily towards installing XP anyway, as I've yet to find any advantages with Vista.

• 
  Removing all the stickers was a bit irritating. Thankfully I managed to get them off without marring the finish

Previous reviews I read on these forums were very accurate in any case. All the issues had previously been discussed, so I was not surprised. Overall this laptop is fantastic, especially for the $850 I paid for it with Live.com cashback and the eBay coupon. Even at full MSRP there are few laptops that can compete with the n80.

 

Now that I see what you're talking about, Mide, I can verify that mine does sound a bit "looser" on the left than right, although not as extreme as yours. But maybe that was just the audio...

Question: Does anyone know why this laptop isn't branded Centrino 2? It's got the PM45 chipset, a Penryn processor, and the Intel 5100 wireless card. Doesn't that make it a Centrino 2? Did ASUS just decide not to put on the sticker, for some reason?

 

Yeah, confirmed that the keyboard is a bit looser sounding on the left side (didn't notice it until I actually watched the video Mide posted and I did it along with the vid).

I agree with everything everyone's observed about their own N80's, except for the owner with the messed up #4 key. The trackpad does get a lot better with a little bit of use and boosting the sensitivity. The display is very vivid but the vertical viewing angles are a bit more limited than what I was used to before, though it's hardly any issue tilting the display a few degrees forward or back.

@Squads: What bloatware were you specifically thrown by? In my experience, this notebook came with the least amount of crapware that I've experienced. I think unnecessary programs installed were less than I can count on one hand, as opposed to HP and other companies that take the better part of a day to uninstall everything that's junk.

 

The Norton Stuff, Asus utilities (live update, security center), Microsoft office trial, the dolby sound center (redundant as there is already a realtek audio center), and all the shortcuts on the desktop. Other "bloat" was really more to do with vista like the sidebar, language bar, volume control, etc. There was alot of uninstalling and tweaking involved (more than I'm used to).

I'd like to point out that this is my first laptop (and first Vista PC) and all the desktops I've had I built myself. That being the case, I never had to deal with pre-installed software and programs beyond basic XP annoyances. Vista has been considerably more stubborn to streamline than XP. It was clearly built to be used by generally computer illiterate people.

 

I agree with zmatin that this laptop has less crapware than most. At least MS Word and Norton could be moderately useful, for some people.

Question: I bought my notebook new off of eBay from an authorized dealer, or whatever, and I'm wondering what I put on my warranty card for "Dealer Name" and "Dealer City." Do I just put the eBay userID of the store I purchased from, and the city where the laptop shipped from (which I imagine is where the dealer is located). The eBay seller I bought from is "filyn316" - I'd post the link to the store, but you can't post links here until you have a postcount of 15

 

iddy, what screen do you like most, the one on your G1(s?) or this one?

 

You should give the information from the invoice that shipped with the computer. I bought mine through ExcaliberPC via ebay who I know is definitely an authorized reseller. Basically, go to the Asus website, the region you live in/bought from, and make sure your reseller is on that list. Otherwise, you might have some troubles with the warranty registration.

 

Darn....I also purchased from filyn316 whos "company" doesn't appear on the reseller list. That's what I get for going the cheapest route. I think I found out their address from the paypal payment so I put that down as the reseller for the warranty.

Another thing I noticed...my wifi card is not the Intel one. I looked on the box and there wasn't any distinguishing marks that labeled my N80Vn-GP011C as being a non-intel. What does everyone else have?

 

Mine's an Atheros, last I checked.

 

Ah, right you are - the wireless adapter is Atheros, not Intel. That's why it's not technically a "Centrino 2" laptop. Re: filyn316, I called them today and got the warranty info. Their company is called "Tech Deal Computer, Inc" (If your PayPal confirmation e-mail looks like mine, it says something like "This payment will show up on your credit card as "TDC Inc"). Their city and state is Chino CA. If you want to call TDC yourself, their number is 866-598-4188.

TDC, Inc. doesn't show up on the ASUS webpage, so hopefully we won't have issues with the warranty :-( The eBay seller you and I bought from seems to turn a huge volume of ASUS products - over 25,000 positive feedback - so I'd be surprised if nobody who has been buying ASUS from them is getting valid warranties.

 

Good find adam8281. Yeah I don't see Asus telling us to screw off if there was a warranty issue.

 

Ah glad to hear you worked that out. I was just citing the reseller list on the Asus website as the easiest way to ascertain legitimacy, but I'm sure that as big as Asus is, there's more.

BTW: Thanks to everyone in the thread/forum who's made this the #1 viewed thread for November ( link)

 

I ordered mine from TDC as well. I'm not too worried about the warranty registration. Just to clarify though, you only have to register for the accidental damage coverage correct?

@zmatin - I do agree there is not much bloat in comparison to alot of other computers. I think the real crux of the problem is that I'm not liking Vista so far. I'll probably tweak it and strip the OS down a bit and try it out for a week or so and see how I feel about it. At that point I might jump ship back to XP.

 

Yes, it's only the accidental damage that requires the registration.

Btw, I feel like an idiot for asking this, but this notebook doesn't have turbo memory installed, right? I didn't think so, but I noticed that the ASUS support page has drivers up for it...

 

I just realized there is a ton of "agree'ing" in this thread.