Asus N80Vn-GP011C: First Impressions/Review

I've had this computer (P8600 version) for over a week now and here are some more things that i've noticed, positive and negative:

Pros: This thing is extremely quick. I previously had a desktop with the AMD 2.4ghz Athlon x2 with an Nvidia 8800gt, asus A8N motherboard, 2 gigs of ram and obviously this thing blows it out of the water. This is my first laptop and overall i'm impressed with it's build, its quality and its performance. Gaming on this thing is amazing as well. I've already tried games like Crysis warhead, Left 4 dead, Bioshock and the F.E.A.R. 2 demo and this computer handled it quite well, especially Left 4 dead, Bioshock and FEAR. Another thing I like are the speakers. It's what i expected from this laptop. There is no distortion when i crank the volume all the way and it's quite loud. If you're having problems with the sound not being too loud when cranked go to Bios and increase the volume limit. I also like the LED Screen. It's bright, clear and actually comparable to the MACBOOKS.

Cons: My biggest problem so far is while typing. The perfect example was earlier in class when i was typing my notes during lecture. I can type about 90wpm and so I don't need to look at the keyboard and so when I type i sometimes will lose placement of the typing icon. I end up having to go back and fix the mistakes that i typed, which is very annoying. See, i like to rest my palms on the pad which is the reason why i occasionally graze the touchpad. To fix this i simply just lift my palms without them touching the pad. It's something that i'm slowly getting used to i guess. Another problem that I have is when i play music through express gate no sound comes out. I don't know if someone can help me find out what the problem is but it's quite annoying. I've been playing a ton of music from my computer, mainly from iTunes but not having sound from express gate bugs because it is an alternative that I'm not able to use when it comes to playing my music.

Other than the two major problems this computer is amazing. I'm sure the upgraded models will be great but being a current owner of this laptop i'm thoroughly satisfied. If you guys have any more questions please feel free to ask. I will try to answer them to the best of my ability. Thanks y'all.

 

gaming nurse, hypothetically, if you didn't have this model yet would you have preferred to wait out for the n81vp or take the n80vn-c1 instead?

also, how do you go about adjusting the volume via the bios?

thanks

 

does any one know if the asus N80Vn-A1 offered by newegg( http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220390&Tpk=n80vn-a1 ) is really WXGA+.

Initially i had decided on getting this laptop but now after reading some posts here I am not sure exactly if it is WXGA+. Other websites also show this laptop as only WXGA. This was the main reason I had going to get this laptop, but if it is not WXGA+ then i am thinking i should go for the N80Vn-X5 which has better specs.

Any help on this is appreciated.

 

Not sure what "WXGA+" or "WXGA" mean, but from earlier in the thread, the screens that were higher than 1280x800 or whatever were florecent, not LED backlit.

 

I was already thinking about getting the C1 when i was in the market. However, i saw that this was cheaper and decided that the $300 extra in cash i would pay for the C1 didn't justify enough of a performance difference compared the model i have now. Even if i was in the market at this moment I would still get this model just because i'd be saving quite a bit of cash.

 

Interesting plot development in my N80Vn-GP011C experience:

Cliffs: I RMA'd it to get the "4" key repaired, and it came back with a different, GLOSSY keyboard

Story: I got this laptop about a month ago, and straight out of the box the "4" key was broken. I called tech support, who told me that I could either RMA the laptop to get the keyboard repaired, or else they would mail me a new keyboard and I could replace it myself. I opted for the latter option since I didn't want to be without a laptop for a week.

The new keyboard arrived in a few days, but unfortunately it was bent all to hell. It had been mailed in a soft "envelope"-style FedEx package (with some bubble wrap surrounding the keyboard), and the metal underplate of the keyboard had some serious dents. Frustrated, I decided to just RMA the laptop instead of requesting a SECOND replacement keyboard.

I mailed the laptop off on Friday, 1/16/09, and I finally received it back today (Tuesday, 1/27/09). I open the box and what do I find? My beloved laptop, with a new, GLOSSY keyboard! Well, the "4" key now works, so that's good, but I'm not sure how I feel about the glossy keyboard. On the one hand, every other part of the laptop is a fingerprint magnet, why should the keyboard be exempt? On the other hand, I liked the old, less "flashy" keyboard. The keyboard layout is exactly the same (alas, the "function" and "control" keys are where they've always been), but the printing on each key is now gold or rust colored, rather than white like the original keyboard. Also, the printing on the keys is "sharper" than it was on the original keyboard. This is especially evident with F7 and F8. On the original keyboard it is kind of difficult to make out the letters "LCD" on those two keys, but on this new glossy keyboard, the printing is very sharp. (I'm able to compare the two keyboards directly since I still have that bent up replacement keyboard ASUS mailed me).

As for flex, I can't really tell if it's better or not. My initial impression is that it's not flexy on the left anymore, but now it's flexy in the middle

Does anybody know about this keyboard? Is it the keyboard that comes on the BestBuy model (as I recall, that's a glossy keyboard). What would you do if you were me? Do you think you'd be pissed, or would you be glad? One final positive: I think my fingers are less prone to "catch" on the sides of the glossy keys than they were on the original. On the original keyboard, I would sometimes catch a finger on the sharp edge of one of the other keys, but that doesn't seem possible with this new keyboard.

 

From both descriptions, it seems the only difference between the two is that the X5 has a 7,200 RPM HDD, compared to the GP011C's 5,400 RPM HDD. On Newegg Canada the X5 is cheaper, so if it's the same with Newegg.com, then go for the X5.

 

Yeah after getting my N80 I went to best buy to make a comparison. The best buy's exterior is more-less the same. The keyboard on the best buy model felt cheaper because the keys were "glossy plastic" while the N80 as regular plastic. Ironically enough though, the Best Buy model had only 10% of the flex and clackiness of the N80.

 

Hey guys. It would be awesome if someone can run Furmark for me and check what's the highest temp. you guys get?
http://www.geeks3d.com/?p=2995
this is the website. I think my GPU is getting overheated somehow. It's reaching 94 degrees with fan working properly when I run the furmark. Thanks. I haven't overclocked it yet, so it's stock.

Is it normal reaching 94? I heard someone said it doesn't go above 75 or something. What is the temp. boundary if there's one?

Oh. and when I test it I check on stability test then two boxes on the right. Also, no check on full screen and pick 1024x768

 

hey guys, im getting my c1 this week. any advice on which drivers/updates need to be installed upon first boot?

 

The X5 [EDIT] DOES [EDIT] have a LED screen.

 

Which tools should i use to measure my GPU temperature ?
(N80VN-X1)

 

I'm using Nvidia system monitor. You can also use Riva tuner to see the temp.

 

Dude... I've gotta ask, whats the story behind your profile pic? The big cat wants chezburger?

 

www.icanhascheezburger.com

No, it's not my cat.

 

@ForSHO - My internal temps, be it GPU or CPU have never broken 75* Celsius. I keep mine elevated with a block so it's at an incline and there is ample air circulation, no overclocking and nothing else fancy. For temperatures, I use CPUID's HWMon. It's simple and basic, and shows all temp sensors available in the system, including HDD's, both internal and external (if available).

 

I definitely think this is a replacement from the Best Buy line of X83Vm notebooks. Is it true it's less clacky/flexy? The keyboard is starting to get more and more irritating for me, and I'm considering popping it off and setting a very thin piece of rubber/insulated material behind it to cushion it. I feel like the clackiness will go away once there is something solid to back the keyboard, and it looks like it's pretty simple to pop off, according to the disassembly vids available in this thread. Anyone had any success/attempts?

 

wow that's huge. i didnt know the flex was going to be that big of an issue. im going to be doing a lot of typing on this laptop, does anyone think asus will do something about it if we hand it over to them and complain about this issue?

edit: z, according to a comment on a youtube video, putting some electrical tape on the left side takes away the "clackiness". is that your main concern, or is it the flex?

 

It's no deal breaker, as far as I'm concerned. It's just that I'm getting past the point of being against any modifications (aka past the point of being in awe of its shininess and newness). For me it's more about the "clackiness", and the flex is manageable, at least for me. I just think that there is a very simple solution to this issue, and I like to bootleg things out of spare parts and duct/electrical tape.

 

Zmatin:

I too have that "clackiness" on the left portion of my keyboard. It's just that it doesn't really bother me. Will this problem create a bigger problem for me in the future? I only plan on keeping this thing for about years...

 

Hey guys could you please explain me what do you mean with "clackiness" I dont know that word and I dont think it appears in the Merriam. I am not a Native English speaker so I'll be glad to know what it means and if it is a serious problem in the lap.

P.D. I am very curious to know if the specs of the GP011C are enough to run well the PCSX2??? Somebody tried the DBZ Infinity World??? Please somebody could tried and tell me... ty

 

Question to you all guys. Had anyone purchased this laptop from GenTech? I did the stupid thing, that I paid from my european PayPal account, so obviously my shipping address to US shows unconfirmed... Immediatelly I was notified by Ken Lee... Do you thing they still will ship it to me? I want that machine and I already sold my old Gateway M6824... Anyone had the same issue? Any advice? Thanks !!

 

On the order of "clackiness", I mean a looseness in the keys on their rebound, different from clickiness. I don't believe it'll get any "worse", but it's definitely an issue stemming from the design of the keyboard and/or how it's mounted. Lenovo notebooks, for example, have a strong reputation for solid keyboards with little/no sound when typing in a quiet room. I feel like the sound of my typing in a quiet meeting/library environment might be annoying or disturbing to others when typing fast (about 75 WPM for me). It just feels like it needs some sort of dampening/cushioning layer under the keyboard to address the problem. When I get around to it, I'll let people know how my attempts at "fixing" the problem go.

@ Mirous - Gentech is a reputable vendor and I know that they have one of their representatives as a member of these forums. I'm sure the issue of the address can be fixed fairly quickly. I had an address issue when I bought mine from ExcaliberPC, and they basically just canceled the order from their end and I repeated the transaction. Should be painless.

 

I bought my A1 model two days ago from newegg, and it doesn't seem to have this clackiness, anyone else with the A1 can second this? just to see if we can isolate which models have it, or if its a certain batch of laptops that have the issue?
also, i think someone addressed the left/right click issue? it is really quite loud, does it break in and quiet down after some usage? i use my laptop in the library and everytime i left/right click it sounds like im cracking a knuckle
btw this LED screen is really bright, i keep it on the lowest settings all the time, u could have the screen facing the sun with max brightness and still see it
also, newegg seems to have just added a 100$rebate to the A1 ++karma to newegg, i can get extra money back >
rebate works if you bought it from 1/05/2009-2/15/2009

 

I thought the A1 has florescent lighting? All the LED models seem to be sold out on Newegg now, that I'm seeing.

 

@youchian : is the A1 with the WXGA+ or the WXGA screen?

 

does anyone own an n80vn-C1? mine's arriving on saturday and i want to know how it fairs overall (keyboard issues and all) against the gp011c version.

 

kind of curious myself, is there a way to check if its wxga/wxga+?
and i guess its not LED, theres a mercury recycling warning on the bottom i just noticed, guess that means its LCD? its still quite bright compared to my old vaio

 

They're all LCD. You've got a florescent light, not LED. I have no idea what those random letters mean, but you can check the resolution by right clicking your desktop, choosing personalize, then display settings.

 

WXGA = 1280x800
WXGA+ = 1440x900

LED vs CCFL = methods of backlighting the screen. CCFL is fluorescent and was the standard until LED came out, LED is brighter and more power efficient.

LCD = Liquid Crystal Display. Every notebook has one of these.

 

So the A1 DOES have LED screen? Also what is the resolution. Asus is sending me the A1 after I RMA'ed my X1. The customer service rep is also sending me a UPC code of my X1 so I can get the rebate on that still, hopefully I can get it tomorrow or I don't think I'll have time to meet the 1/31 deadline for the X1.

Lol read on I see it is not LED. But according to Asus it has the same resolution as the X1.

 

@zmatin - Yeah, the replacement keyboard is less clacky. It's still a bit flexy, but I think it's less flex, and instead of being in the left and the center like it was before, now it's only in the center. All in all, I like the FEEL of the new keyboard better (fingers don't get caught on edges of keys, feels less clacky), although I prefer the LOOK of the original, matte finish keyboard.

 

Quick question, didn't want to make a new topic out of it. I'm going to be getting this laptop in about..3-4 months. The new 81 may be out by then..and if so i'll be getting that one. But that's irrelevant to my question as it will be more powerful. Anyway..

Could this run L4D or TF2 on max settings when you hook it up to a 25.5" 1920 x 1200 monitor? I know it takes more resources when it outputs at a higher resolution. So if anyone has this thing hooked up to an external, lemme know what size/resolution and what you are playing!

 

I was at Best Buy today and they had an N80 with a T6400 and a 9300M. Is Asus making low end N80's with the 9300M built in now rather the 9650?

Google is my friend. I see that there's an N80Vc with the 9300M GS 512MB VRAM in addition to the N80Vn with the 9650M 1GB.

 

There's something along those lines that's a bit cheaper and has a 9300. It's been out for ages though, and I think has a different model number. It's kind of a custom built thing. If you don't care about games it might be okay.

 

@zmatin - how's the keyboard fix going?

 

I strongly doubt it buddy. I can barely hit 60 FPS in COD4 with no AA and no Shadows. That's also at 1280x800.

On another note, did anyone try COD:WaW on this ? I can barely hit 50 FPS constantly with the new nVidia Laptop Driver. That's with a lot of stuff off as well (no AA, no AF, no Shadows, no Glow, Soften Smoke Edges off, Depth of Field off, etc)

 

make it 30 fps should be enough for your sight.

 

How do you lock the TouchPad when i'm using a mouse?

 

30 FPS is pretty choppy in COD. Trust me. There is a difference between 30 FPS in COD and 30 FPS in, let's say, a movie. A huge difference.

Right-Click on the little TouchPad icon in your tray, and choose Pointing Device Properties. Then click the Device Settings tab, and disable the TouchPad.

 

I'm typing on an A1 right now and it does indeed have an LED screen; very bright. ASUS seems to make little changes all the time to this model so I can't guarantee what you'll get, but chances are it'll be LED.

 

My keyboard (N80Vn-A1) seems very quiet to me as long as I don't really slam down on the keys, but it does have that mushiness in the middle others have mentioned. I'll be really interested to see if anyone has luck with some sort of keyboard support behind the key pan. If there's no exposed circuitry aluminum foil has worked on other notebooks with similar issues.

For those who think this keyboard is loud try tapping the keys with a minimum force, just enough to get the key press to register; to me it's very quiet that way.

Thanks for the rebate notice: just saved me $100!

 

Fn+F9 also does the trick

 

I ordered the N80Vn-X5 today from newegg when the price dropped to $989.99. I'm weak that way.

 

hey tallan, for the sales reciept that you need for the rebate, is that the invoice email they send you? dug through the packing peanuts but couldn't find a normal reciept XD it was fun though

and can anyone help me confirm this? I was looking through the paperwork and found the warranty card included, and it says "Register within 60 days and get an extra one year Accidental Damage Warranty" on it

and last thing i just remembered xD can anyone with the A1, or actually i think all the n80Vn models use the atheros ar928x wireless card, access N networks? I can't seem to connect to my N router, and the device setting on it only allow me to toggle the b frequency

 

That n80vn-X5 is just florescent lighting though, right? That's how it's different from the GP011C?

 

Waaait, the X5 DOES have LED backlighting?!? Yikes...that's very tempting.

Dang, I wonder if it would Fold okay and run Blu Ray okay with an external drive. Hmm... I should maybe just go for this if it's really LED (and doesn't have an 'ionizer' or anything bizarre )

EDIT: do these N80s come with restore discs to install to a new drive? (Hopefully a clean install?)

 

The sticker on the N80Vn-X5 says it has an LED screen. Don't all the n80's with WXGA have an LED screen? Looks to me like an X5 is a GP011C with a 7200 RPM HD.

 

According to the sticker visible on the palm rest, just zoom in on it. Also several people who have it say it has LED. Should know for sure by the middle of the week.

 

youchian I bought my N80 from Amazon so can't help on the receipt but I see you've been answered on another thread anyway. I have heard elsewhere that you're right about the "N" wireless on the N10 but not sure about this model, I haven't taken it apart to see if all three antenna wires are connected on this wireless card, but somebody on the boards linked a disassembly video and maybe you could check it out there.

Wolfpup my machine runs very cool, much less heat than my late08 MacBook Pro for example (and no throttling down because of overheating which I get a lot on the MBP) so I think it'd Fold like an Origami Master. There was a die shrink from the 9600 to the 9650 and so the new chip is more efficient, the cooling in the N80 seems to be very well designed and extremely effective (as well as being almost silent except under full load), I just don't think you'd have any problems. And yes it comes with a recovery DVD for Vista with a separate disk for ASUS drivers and programs.