Asus N80Vn-GP011C: First Impressions/Review

I didn't buy it, and its useful if you have more than 3GB, 32bit can only see 3GB. I also use 64bit on my Desktop and the ONLY time I have ever had an issue with compatibility is when trying to run a 16bit program, which 64Bit doesn't support.....forced me to install XP 32bit to get what I needed done.

edit: My 3DMark06 score is a 4541, seems pretty reasonable considering with the P8600 the score is around 4650

 

Just out of curiosity how hard is it to upgrade CPU in laptops? It seems you can grab a brand new P8600 on ebay for $140, and sell a T7250(T5800) for $100ish used.

Is there any way to upgrade without having the warranty voided?

 

The newegg specs say that this notebook comes with the Intel WiFi card, but people in this thread have mentioned the Atheros card.

Which one is it?

I would prefer the Intel one.

 

got mine from newegg... its the athreos card, not intel

i have no complaints about it besides that it only supports 2 antennas (am i right?)... what do all you other n80vn owners think about it?

 

My device manager says Atheros, Asus's website says Intel IIRC. I love the Atheros, I download everywhere in my house at my max internet connection speed of 2400KBps/2.3MBps, with 4-5bars of signal(with 802.11G)

I tried installing the latest official drivers from Nvidia but my laptop still refuses to go above 160/100 unless its plugged in.

 

The 64-bit version uses more RAM though, so it's not terribly useful unless you're got more than 4GB. And for compatibility, it just depends on what you need to run. For myself, there are at least 4-5 programs I use regularly that wouldn't run on 64-bit, but for just the basics it's probably just fine.

 

64bit as far as I know is 100% compatible with all 32 bit applications, it just requires 64bit drivers, it it obviously doesn't use 1GB more memory than 32bit. My desktop memory usage is usually around 30%(1228mb) and my laptop is about 26%(1064mb), both running x64(oddly, my laptop is the only one drowning in bloat)

 

64-bit is NOT 100% compatible with all 32-bit programs at all. Most of the apps I use that don't work are 32-bit (though in many cases it's because of driver issues, but regardless).

And many 32-bit systems see more than 3GB...and regardless, at best you're talking maybe half a gig extra or a few hundred MB difference or something, after you account for the larger memory requirements of 64-bit.

 

Memory differences for me were around 3072mb of available physical memory to 4096mb, quite a difference if you ask me. 64bit operating systems emulate 32bit flawlessly, again the issues arise in drivers only. Going from 32bit to 64bit I saw about a 80mb increase in memory usage after closing programs on startup.

 

So, MrBojangels gets the slower spec'd N80, installs a more demanding OS, and the games run slower. I think it's safe to say, your not going to see a big difference in your gaming by updating any drivers/software.

Theres nothing wrong with your computer, it's just that you have the slower model, and your using a more demanding OS.

I have 64bit Vista on my desktop and it runs great. I'm still using the 32bit Vista that came with my N80Vn-GP lappy though because there is nothing wrong with it, and my games run great. Try reinstalling Vista 32bit and see if that improves your games.

I haven't seen anyone post anything showing improvements from going to the 64bit Vista on this laptop, and those that have tried, were using the faster cpu.

N80Vn-X1 + 64bit Vista Super Duper Ultimate = Self Pwnage

 

I don't see how ultimate is any more demanding(both premium and ultimate have glass theme), considering I get the same performance as I did before installing it only now I had a bit of a driver issue. Now I was displeased with the performance before I changed to 64bit, so obviously if its the same I'm still going to be not so happy. If I wanted to complain about a slow computer and have no one to blame but myself I'd install Windows 7.

Apparently there were some non display nvidia drivers causing havoc and forcing my GPU to stay at 169mhz on the battery but that's fixed now.

 

x64 Vista Ultimate just as more integrated software that most users would not use normally (media center).

any x86 applications do not work under x64. I went back to XP because 5 apps that I regularlly use did not have compatible x64 versions.

Going to x64 for purposes of utilizing the 4GB memory did not seem to make much of a difference with the apps that did work on both Vista x64 and x86

And yes MrBojangels, you will most likely void you warranty if you try to upgrade the CPU.

 

I though Media Center was in the Home Premium that came with the N80Vn? At least it's on mine...

 

Probably is, ultimate is just all the versions of Vista combined plus a couple more features.

Is anyone else's right hinge stick out higher than the left when the laptop is closed? Also can you wobble the hinges around?

 

The hinge that is "wobbling" is actually a removable plastic hinge cover. It's the same on the M50 and N50 series, so I wouldn't be too surprised if there was a little room for wiggle.

 

No wiggles here. My hinge is TIGHT! Like a tiger.

 

Oh, my mistake. I was looking at Vista Business. But yeah Premium seems to be more bloated compared to some other versions.

 

My right hinge can wobble left to right when I close the cover but it's not really noticeable.

So to all the rest of you fellow N80 owners, am I to assume from the posts that the left side of your keyboard has a "slight flex" but does not make a very noticable clicky (loose keyboard with plastic) noise? So annoying...

 

I just recently picked up the N80Vn-A1 with the T5800. Thanks to the ebay/live.com promotion, it was only $772. First thing I did was format and upgrade to Vista x64 Ultimate. Installed my $4 bluetooth dongle, and all drivers, including the modded Nvidia 180.70 from laptopvideo2go. Next I disabled powermizer to avoid gpu downclocking, then installed ntune and overclocked the graphics to 700 MHz core and 530 MHz memory (from stock settings of 550 core, 400 memory). Ran 3dmark05 and scored 9944. Installed all my games and they play perfectly at max settings. Loving this laptop so far. I plan on upgrading the cpu to an SP9400 that I just ordered. If anyone's interested, I can post details on that shortly.

 

Wow - nice improvement of 1500 points in your 3dmark05 score. ~17% improvement. How's your heat management going with the OC'ing? My system never goes above 65* Celsius, and frankly with the experience of my last laptop overheating and melting down repeatedly (bad heat management design, no OC'ing/tweaking), I'm kind of unwilling to chance reducing the lifetime of the notebook overall. However, if this is something I can do down the line to play future games with higher demands, it's something I'll definitely keep note of.

Anyone else with OC'ing advice/comments on this notebook specifically?

Also, what's the major diff btwn Rivatuner and nTune?

@ Mide: keyboard has a slightly clacky noise with deeper travel than usual, but not a "loose" sound like rattling. All keys compress and return to original positions with no "play".

 

The left side of my keyboard chatters a little bit as well. It doesn't bother me.

There are too many good things about the laptop to worry about such a minor issue.

 

Can someone run GPU-Z and tell me what it reports your GPU clock speeds at while playing a 3D demanding game on batteries? With the latest Nvidia drivers my laptop will only go up to 400mhz core and 400mhz memory but I want to know if its the same for all of these laptops or just mine.

 

You need to disable powermizer.
Edit: Wait that didn't work. On batteries, my gpu went down to 400/400 as well. Let me see if there's a driver setting I can mess with to prevent that.
Edit2: Well no matter what I tried, the GPU continued to downclock to 400/400 on battery. I think the bios is controlling the gpu while on battery which is preventing any form of software control. It's not too big of a deal though, considering its just a loss of 100 MHz from the stock settings.

 

yes the left side has flex and goes down deeper. The right side is nice and sturdy.

Where is this powermizer thing I can disable? Will this improve gaming (when plugged in) even more?

 

Disabling it shouldn't make a difference performance wise with the latest drivers(179.28).

 

Powermizer cuts down the speed of your gpu and its memory to maximize battery life and/or keep temperatures down. If you notice your speeds dropping while gaming (use something like GPU-z to monitor your speed), then disabling powermizer will keep you at full speed. Like I mentioned in my last post though, I think Asus' bios is taking over control while on battery as I have been unsuccessful at stopping the downclocking even with powermizer disabled.

 

My gpu temps haven't gone past 75*C. Whenever it reaches that point, the fan automatically goes on full blast and brings everything back down. That's more than acceptable, considering my other laptop (Dell Vostro 1400 with Nvidia 8400M GS) hits 90*C while gaming and is still running strong.

Rivatuner is more stable and has many more customization features. Unfortunately I couldn't get it to work with this laptop. No matter what I did, the gpu simply wouldn't overclock on rivatuner. Maybe someone else can give it a shot to see if its just me or this laptop model in general. Ntune overclocking works fine, but that software is old and buggy and has given me a bsod a few times while just navigating the menus.

 

Yeah rivatuner isn't compatible for me either, ntune is whack as well but I don't think I'll try overclocking my laptop for awhile.

 

Yeah I'll be more happy with this laptop when I get back home and hook it up to my external lcd and keyboard...I'll totally forget about the keyboard issue, but yeah it's impossible to beat its stats while only paying $850 after all the cashback stuff.

 

Hey guys, I was wondering how this laptop stacks up against the sager 2096 (9600m GT) in graphical performance.. I'm thinking in terms of CAD and other modeling applications (rhino, maya). I know the quadro series is better for this but I'm trying to find the best price for the best weight.

If anyone could run those trials I'd really appreciate it.

 

Hello guys,

I'm wondering what is the better option between this N80Vn-GP011C and F8Va-B1. Besides the graphics nVidia vs. ATI, is there anything I should consider? I'm new to ASUS laps, but the specs of both N80Vn and F8Va seem quite attractive. I don't use my lap for gaming at all, but a lot of hi-def photo/graphics editing, music encoding and generally multimedia. I would like to try some video encoding in near future and I need 14 inch to carry it around easily. Thanks a lot to all ASUS users/experts for any hint.

 

The N80 is the new replacement for the F8 series, so I'd go with the N80

 

David, how do you think the N80 stacks up against the sager NP2096? It just seems really odd to me that this small laptop is somehow outperforming such a capable laptop.

 

In terms of performance, the N80 has a slight upper hand. Asus is famous for producing jam-packed components, bang for buck laptops and the latest N series surely falls in that category. The selection of ports are also more extensive on the N80 in comparison to the Sager NP2096. Warranty wise, the N80 also triumphs due to the generous 2 year global warranty, 1 year accidental + 30 day zero bright dot at no additional cost (only available in north America). However, battery life is something that Asus seems to fall short on in the past couple years. I don't have the exact numbers off the top of my head, but I would expect the Sager to last a good hour or more than the N80. Both laptops should provide above average build quality and last a few good years with proper maintenance.
Also keep in mind that the N80 is a relatively large 14" laptop, hence it's ability to house the 9650M GT GPU.

 

Just bought the N80VN-X1 from Newegg for $799.
Pretty much a steal compared to other laptops given the features it offers
Just waiting for UPS to ship it to me soon.
@all a quick question :
Is the estimated delivery date shown by Newegg usually correct ?
Or does it arrive much quicker ?
(It shows 1/6/09 for me ....cant wait tht long.........grrrrrrr)

 

Does anyone know what's up with the discounts at live.com - I have been unable to find any coupons? I am looking to buy the Asus N80Vn-GP011C, but the best price I have found thus far is at newegg.com for $1,099.99. Thanks for your help.

 

When newegg ships to me from their New Jersey warehouse to Maryland, even ground shipping comes next day most of the time. No one can say how long it will take, UPS can let your package sit there as long as they want as long as they meet their deadline of 5 days.

As for the Sager vs. Asus, I would think the Sager may be better built, offer a much higher resolution(but florescent) screen, and better battery life but the 9600m GT in the Sager is only DDR2 like the Asus, so the Asus will edge its way out in performance through the extra clock speed on the GPU.

If you want the best bang for your buck the MSI laptops come with 9600m GTs with DDR3 that will outperform both laptops for the same price range. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834152086

 

How did you get it for $800? The cheapest I've seen it is $900, and often $950 (and right now $1000)! That was an awesome sale if they dipped it down to $800!

 

oh yes..........i guess i got lucky!
price has been bumped to $999 now ( I think they saw an increase in sales).
Sorry guys,i should have posted the deal here .... but i thought the price was normal for tht Laptop.Will keep in mind for the future.

 

Yeah I saw the deal for $800 the other day too but I figured since everyone here seems to get it for less with live cashback I ignored it.

I did call newegg about it because we payed $900 and they gave me a $50 credit(after the service rep talked to her supervisor) towards my next order so I ordered a mouse for my laptop.

Loss of 100mhz would translate to a 18% performance loss, 10fps less in games is a fairly big deal.

 

especially if your only getting 30fps to start with, 33% decrease, ouch

 

Yikes, I would have bought it for that, just finally bit the bullet. No, that's $100 cheaper than the cheapest I've seen in

Oh well, I guess I should just keep checking every day.

 

Has anyone tried putting a P9500 or T9600 in an N80?

 

Haven't tried, but I know it will work. Doing so will void your warranty though.

 

All the Live discounts are over. Cyber monday was the time to buy: 30% back

 

I know many of you seemed opposed to the BB version... I just picked up the X83Vm-X1 there for $794... wondering what your thoughts on that are?

 

Just swapped the T5800 out with an SP9400. Also swapped the 5400rpm hard drive with a 7200 rpm hard drive. 3dMark05 went from 9944 to 10793.

 

Weaker processor, no bluetooth, weaker graphics card, and a 1 year warranty instead of a 2 year warranty with no accidental damage protection.

I believe it uses the same frame and ports though.

 

Is saving roughly $302 worth the differences though? Personally I have no use for bluetooth.

 

Does the Best Buy one have an LED backlight? If not, then it's really nothing special for the price at all.

Depends on what you need it for. If you play games at all, the difference is WELL worth the extra $250 or whatever. If you just do basic Windows stuff, they're probably pretty equivalent.