For those looking to save an extra $100 on the ebay deal head to the Save $200 of your laptop thread.
So this one could technically go down to $859 as the extra $100 is taken out automatically at checkout....
Boy am I a bit crap faced because of this.
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I wanted to thank everyone for their reviews on this lappy, especially zmatin for all his hard work and contributions. I had been posting for people to review this thing for weeks, and finally they start pouring in. I was going to buy the POS that Best Buy had on sale for $899.99 until this baby got released this month, glad I waited! After reading everyone's post I believe this is the best laptop with mobility/performance/price out there. I plan traveling a lot with this, and playing WoW:WotLK, Warhammer, and old school classics like (Aliens vs. Predator, Fallout series). I am impressed this thing is actually playing Fallout 3, Assassin's Creed, and Far Cry 2 decently.
I have a more few questions. First on my desktop that I built myself, I just upgraded to 64-bit Vista from 32-bit, and have seen a pretty good boost in performance and have had no problems with compatibility. I play games on it mostly. I have 4gb of RAM and before I upgraded, the Windows Hardware Experience Index on 32-bit showed I only had 3.(something)gb of RAM. Afterwards my scores went up and it showed all 4gb of RAM in 64-bit mode.
My questions are, in the picture that zmatin posted of the Windows Hardware Experience, it shows the 4gb of RAM on the 32-bit system. Could it be that 32-bit Vista now recognizes all 4gb of RAM and is using it? Or is it just seeing that, showing the value, but not using it.
Also since the CPU is dual core, wouldn't it be more efficient and powerful with a 64-bit OS, just like my desktop was when I upgraded to 64-bit? Like I've said, I've upgraded my desktop to 64-bit and haven't seen any problems, only performance gains.
I am on the verge to purchasing this laptop. I have saved up $700 and even got approved for a $1200 Pay Pal credit card which I plan on using to get that live.com $200 cash back (Anyone know when the live.com thing ends?). I saw that some people stated they were going to wait for the improved model, what are these improved models and when are they coming out?
Also another question, Thanksgiving weekend is coming, and there are huge sales. Anyone think there will be any more rebates or price cuts for this during or after Thanksgiving?
And last, this will be my first personal laptop (I use one at work but it's bolted into the car, and played around on my parents when I am in town). How is the bag and the mouse that came with the laptop? The bag looked nice, but should I invest in a better bag? I was thinking about one of those Swiss Army Laptop bags, but something about those makes me think that everyone knows they are used to carry laptops and it might get stolen. Also with the mouse I have used this Logitech mouse on my ex's laptop and it was awesome. (It's the Logitech 931073-0403, on Newegg, can't post URL's yet). It's optical, but has an awesome cord management, that allows you to wrap the cord around the bottom of the mouse for easy travel size. Is there anything else I should look at getting as well? Software, warranty (isn't there a free ASUS upgrade to a 1 year accidental damage warranty for free?), other hardware that would benefit my gaming on the go? Guess I'll need to invest in some good ear phones too.
Once again, thanks to you all for all your reviews and contributions, it has really helped me to be 99% certain with my soon to be purchase choice. -
Microsoft updated that display so it shows 4GB, as most consumers were confused by what that readout meant. It remains as before, where 32-bit Windows can only address 4GB total.
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To DeepGrey, who asked about a WXGA+ resolution screen - I wouldn't mind the extra screen space, but I think everything looks good and great on the WXGA screen. I did step down from a 15.4" 1680x1050 screen on my old laptop, and I don't mind. As Wolfpup else already pointed out, non-native resolution on an LCD is always going to look poor (but will give you an idea of how things will be spaced, etc). I can't speak as to what ASUS's plans are for future models, but it does make sense that a WXGA+ version would be coming out, though as to when, who knows.
To DFA1, it's been pointed out that while 64-bit Vista will recognize and utilize the full 4GB of RAM, it does have a higher initial load, so all-in-all, not really worthwhile IMHO. The system runs smooth as silk, and I have yet to have the OS stutter or lock up at all. I think the OS recognizes that there is a full 4GB available, but can only utilize 3.x RAM. I am personally just going to wait until Windows 7 comes out, since it is so close (next summer), and who wants to upgrade twice (plus it's been said that Win7 will boost battery performance greatly for notebooks)?
As far as price goes, someone has pointed out there is somehow another way to get another way to get an extra $100 off the already existing live.com $200 rebate. As far ask Black Friday/Holiday deals, I'm no mind reader, but I believe that the nature of ASUS is to rely on its resellers, and I don't think they'd discount such a new platform/line so soon. My experience shows that older lines of technology are the first to be heavily discounted.
Warranty is automatic ASUS 2-year manufacturer with overnight FedEx shipping, and free 1 year Accidental Damage Warranty (you have to register for it, obviously). This is not the case with the Best Buy versions, for the record.
As far as accessories/software, there is already a pretty great suite of ASUS utilities (as well as the instant-on Splashtop OS) that make full use of various bells and whistles. I personally love the fingerprint scanner and face recognition for login via the webcam. There is a 60-day/25-use MS Office 2007 trial version installed, Norton trial for antivirus, and Google Desktop & Picasa. Other than that, not much bloatware/crapware pre-installed, which is great!
The included bag & mouse are small and nice add-ons, but I wouldn't rely on them for regular use. I would personally invest in a Zeroshock III 14" sleeve for protection, and use that with any bag/backpack you find suitable for your use. And as far as the mouse goes, everyone's hands are different, so find what works well for you. I personally prefer my MS Sidewinder mouse for everyday use/gaming (which is a very polarizing mouse, as far as what people like/dislike).
Hope this seals the deal for you, and good luck. -
@Wolfpup
If its the VRAM, for sure there's a considerable difference in GDDR3 and DDR2, its simply the price vs specs tradeoff. For me and most of the users, this 9650M GT DDR2 serves most games nicely, in fact excellently. -
PROS
Memory mapped files are easier to implement in 64bit architectures.
Some programs such as data encryption software can benefit greatly from 64-bit registers.
64bit OS has no restrictions pertaining to reserving portions of process address space for OS use.
CONS
The same data (compared to 32bit) occupies more space in memory which increases the memory requirement.
Most software is written for 32bit OS, so having a 64bit OS may not be that beneficial.
More details on wiki
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=284951
I don't think you need any additional hardware for gaming. You could upgrade your HDD to 1TB if you feel the need.
EDIT: sorry... for a min, I thought we were talking about the G50, hence the G50 bag link -
I just got one of these on order for $859 after ebay $100 off and live $200 cashback. Its coming from a trusted and authorised ASUS reseller that I have purchased A G2S-A1 from in the past Thanks Ken
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In light of the discussion on carry bags, if you get a spare moment (someone with the N80) could you grab a few beauty shots of the bag that came with it, i'm interested to see what it's like.
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I wanted to thank you guys for these reviews, I couldn't find info about this laptop anywhere else! I'm probably going to be buying one in the next few days, but my budget is fairly limited. Do you think there would be a large performance loss if I bought the other model N80 with the Intel T5800 2.0ghz processor? Is it definitely worth $150 for the better cpu?
I will be doing 3d animation in Maya and playing some games (mostly TF2, and Starcraft 2 when it comes out). But these things run fairly well on my desktop which is only a 3ghz Amd Athlon 64 with a Geforce 8600gt.
Thanks in advance! -
aaaaarrrgh... 100 off coupon, **** you ebay! now i feel ****faced for having paid a 100 dollars more :X
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FWIW, I still feel like I caught a pretty good deal with the deal I got on the laptop. Extra $100 in my pocket would be awesome, but how do you get the coupon? Is it random/invite-only?
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I googled ebay coupon and clicked on the retailmenot link, is this the coupon code you used to get the extra $100 off?
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@everyone
the coupon is public, no doubt. I checked it up. $100 off plus live cashback of 200 still works. Its listed on retailmenot website. -
lol.. now the 25% cashback banner does not appear.. just not my day
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Well for some the coupon works. For some it works for the first part on ebay and when you get to paypal they say that there is an error with the coupon code and removed the $100. So I guess it's the luck of the draw
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I want 25% off Newegg
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Is there a big difference in battery life between the T-series processors and the P-series? Or should it be negligible?
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Hello everybody I have a question... This laptop has an integrated microphone???? I think that Dragon Naturally Speaking 10 should run smooth on this... What do you think????
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Okay, it worked after I signed out of live.com and my ebay account and did the search that way. Guess they are making it so that constant shoppers (that are always logged in) won't get the discount on everything they buy.
Bummer by Paypal card hasn't arrived yet and it's not activated yet, so I have to wait to purchase ;( Hoping the cash back for live.com stays around a few more weeks. -
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Almost all modern laptops come with a built-in mic.
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Yes, the laptop has an inbuilt mic.
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And about the battery, I think this has been discussed before somewhere else on this forum. Look it up. When it comes to normal usage, some downloading, browsing, office work, yes the P series gives you some more battery life 15-30 mins more depending on the kind of tasks you put it into. hope this helps
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Thought so, it makes no sense to throw in a webcam without a mic. And thank you for the information, I wasn't thinking of searching before, thought it would be more specialized for each model and it wouldn't be on the forum.
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Yeah there is a built in microphone, though it is not by the webcam but down on the lower left corner of the keyboard (next to your left pinky knuckle). It's been good enough to talk sh*t to newbs in video games, at least, though I'm not sure how exacting Dragon still is (I remember it used to be really hardware/resource intensive).
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Hey zmatin you should try it... i don't think that any software could stand against that laptop xD... just Awesome specs!! thanks for the answers it really help me out.
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Yeah I do agree that the IM window is smaller. But even at this level I feel that the texts are too small. I hate squinting my eyes to read texts. I just bought a 22 inch monitor for $130. Sweet. That's going to me a much happier guy..
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I don´t think that is a good idea to have Hi-Res on Small laptops, all looks just too small and it should affect the eyes, Im nearly blind so I dont think that could be good for me jeje.
Is true that using too much the computer can affect the eyes??? or If the LED screen reduce eyestrain than common screen??? -
The additional brightness decreases eyestrain, for me at least, and I wear contacts all the time (though I'm not supposed to) with a fairly high prescription.
Comment on the LED backlit brightness - I lower the screen to its dimmest setting when watching TV in the living room with the lights out (so as not to disturb my roommate) and it's still brighter than I am used to. -
Hey zmatin what do you think of make a video review of the n80. You would be the first reviewer and first video reviewer. Youtube havnt videos about n80 yet as long as I know!!! so what do you say jeje??
HEy do you try Dead Space?? Looks like a really cool game, there is a animated movie also is called Dead Space Downfall.
I have a question about the graphics card... Looking at the screenshots you take, it appears "Shaders 0 Pixel / 0 Vertex" Why appears that???
PD: I am really obsess with that lap, thanks dude!! -
In regards to the screenshots, the software does not recognize the GPU properly, so it doesn't display the correct stats. Nvidia's website has some details. Also, check this post for some more info about the Nvidia GPU lineup overall. -
Still waiting on my paypal card before I can order one of these babies Just imagining playing WoW and other cool games at work on this thing!
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Picked up an A1 model. Once it arrives I'll post some 3D mark06 scores to compare with the GP011C version.
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have any of you guys who are hesitant to buy this laptop because of the resolution thought about replacing the screen with a F8 1440x900 screen. I am wondering if it would work and if the LED vs. Non LED would be an issue.
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That is EXACTLY why I bought mine! how funny!
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If you're gonna replace the screen you're invalidating your warantee, so you might as well go for a custom one from xotic or something (if they do screens..?)
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well, just checked the xotic site, and no, they don't do screens.. just the one option available there..
hopefully we get the wxga+ ones here.. god I hope we get them here..
anyone know what battery would work in this one, as depending on how long it lasts for me, I might replace the n80's battery for a 8 or 9 cell one.. hopefully I can get ahold of one..
Also, if my g1 or the M50 are anything to go by, getting screens off is **** simple
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=260993 -
If you did replace your screen I wouldnt expect these things to be covered:
Screen (obviously)
Video card
Motherboard
Things I would expect to be under warrant:
Memory
Hard drive
Optical
Media card reader
Touch pad
Keyboard (depending)
Fingerprint reader
And others
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Anyone know if the live discount (20%) still works. I hit the site and am not seeing it (only 2-5%)?...
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I rang them the other week, and they told me swaping the screens of a g1 and a m50 would invalidate the warrantee.. grr.. i think it would be safer to keep the stock screen.. but the thing on my other shoulder is telling me to grab that screw driver and get unscrewing!!
F8 battery.. I'll see if I can find one on the NZ asus part place.. hmm.. don't trust that place.. dodgy looking site.. -
So here I ask again...
Folding @ Home? No one's tried it? How's the system stand up to being pushed at 100%?
And how about Blu Ray through an external drive? Any luck?
What about force installing Nvidia's reference drivers? Any issues (and any issues with Blu Ray when doing so)? -
once i get mine (be a few weeks) i'll try out f@h, you'll just have to remind me if i forget -
The 25% discount still works, just tried it. Make sure you are not signed into your live.com or your ebay account when you do the search.
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Well some of these models ship with Blu Ray drives, and an external's just $114, but anyway I was just wondering
Asus N80Vn-GP011C: First Impressions/Review
Discussion in 'ASUS Reviews and Owners' Lounges' started by zmatin, Nov 12, 2008.