Asus N80Vn-GP011C: First Impressions/Review

Have any of you guys been having issues with the keyboard? I was reading some reviews on the base model (X-1) on Newegg and a few people are having problems with the keys registering.

 

zmatin sorry if a bit off topic but what burton bag do you use and is the laptop pocket padded?

still no word of an 8 or 9 cell battery?

 

Thanks MrZ.....I can't find a 14incher that beats this one, especially for the price.

 

Read the first page of the post.

I read the same issues with the Best Buy versions, but I went and tested in store and didn't have a problem with it there, and then bought the GP011C online, and there were no keyboard issues. I have read in various threads that sometimes there is a keyboard filter program/service that interferes, and uninstalling that will usually fix the issue of lagging/missed keypresses. I frankly don't know what the purpose of keyboard filter is, but that's what I know.

The bag I have is no longer made (replaced with new designs and models) but if you look through their "urban" line under bags on the www.burton.com website, you should find more than few options with the laptop pocket (look under the detailed view/tech specs for whichever bag looks good to you). Ogio also makes good quality bags that are geared towards an active lifestyle, as does Dakine (haven't owned any of their product, but have worked in snowboard shops that sell their products and they are all very well built and good quality materials used).

Not sure how an 8/9 cell extended battery would sit on this notebook, because it is not rear-mounted under the display hinge as many often are. It is located under the right hand palm area, so I imagine it would throw off the stance/balance of the laptop.

That's really what it came down to for me as well. People will hem and haw at it not having GDDR3 on the GPU, wish it had a higher resolution, blu-ray, etc, but the fact is there is a reason that this notebook is priced at the point it is. For the form factor of a 14.1", I find this notebook to have the best balance of power/performance/portability/price on the market at the moment.


Happy turkey-day to all of the Americans out there, be it at home or abroad!

 

I was going to purchase the G50-x2, and I still may, but I'm concerned about its portability. Sure, gaming laptops maybe aren't meant to be carried around. I'm heading to college soon, and I want something that I can lug around and play games on at the same time .

Would the N80 be the laptop I want, as opposed to the G50-X2? I'll be playing World of Warcraft, Source/Steam games, and Diablo III in the future. I expect to see a nice upgrade in terms of frame rates after moving from my desktop: AMD Athlon XP 2800, 1 gig RAM, 6800GT.

 

So.. my card isn't accepted over seas.. and the bank won't allow international money transfers.. .. lol, well, guess i'm gonna have to go with what i can get here, or wait till January..

how does the 9300 GS cope with games?
I'm looking at the sony Z series,
http://www.sony.co.nz/products/product/computer/vaio-notebook/vgnz16gnb.jsp
http://www.sony.co.nz/products/product/computer/vaio-notebook/vgnz17gnb.jsp
I hear 9300 isn't the greatest, but the only game I want to run is Red Alert 3, and I can live with lowering the resolution in game from the native wsga++ to a wsga sorta thing.. thoughts? threads you would suggest..?

The reason for the Vaio's is 1) sony 2) 5 hour battery (great for lectures) 3) available here in NZ 4) 13.3" screen with high resolution (1600x900!? ..)

 

From what I know, 9300m is an integrated GPU. I think 9400 is where discrete starts? Not 100% sure, but I know it's considered at 2 tiers below the 9600/9650 on the notebook videocard rank site (blanking on the name).

 

yer, it's nowhere as good as the 9650 (top of class 2), and class 3 on notebook check. my current Go7700 is class 2.. but the 9300GS has better speeds (core 9300 = 550 7700=450?!)..

I've been looking in forums around the show, and someone here on notebookreview has a 9300 and a 2.1 ghz processor running it with AA and shadows off..
also read that its running well on 1.6 ghz processors, so hell, i think i know what i'm getting this weekend!
just a shame it ain't as powerful as the N80.. still, gaming isn't it's sole purpose, also need it to last the day + not weigh me down on the trek up baldwin st.. lol
also pretty pleased with the 13.3" sizing, and the 1600x900 native res. i mean, hell, talk about real estate! that's borderline on my current wsxga+!

no matter what though.. i'll still envy you guys! Zmatin and your N80! your LED backlights, your 9650 gpus.. expressgate 8 sec boot.. god, i should shut up before i change my mind

 

Aww, this n80vn is tempting me !
Btw, Zmantin, can i know how do u get the $200 rebate from excaliberpc? (Sry abit off topic )
I'm sure gonna get this baby if the $200 rebate is real ! haha

 

argh! don't let me look at sony again..
screen on the z series is flimsy, led lit, but crap, and the 9300GS in combination with the 1600x900 screen.. well, lets just say a 64bit bus width shouldn't be put anywhere near a screen over 1280x760..
looking at the F8 now.. thinking it's too big.. sony's battery wasn't very satisfying either.. half after an hour on wireless..

maybe i should be waiting till january.. this lappy really is too good..
I'm a patient person.. i think i'll wait, maybe i'll be pleasantly surprised?

to solve my impatient urge ie play RA3, i'll d/l the demo and see if it runs before i use up an install

 

zmatin, i know , i have read your review

but with review i mean from proffesionals, since they have the equippment to check and describe the screen brightness in figures.

 

I thought zmatin's review was very professional. What more detail do you really want to know?

 

I think he wants lumens, nits, CMD^2, response times, contrast ratios, figures, etc. Not sure how that information is calculated, but if there's any apps/utilities that'll yield the info, I'll gladly run them. There's a thread going trying to figure out if it's possible to swap a diff display in (with WXGA+ resolution), but no info is available about the model/type/manufacturer of the display.

 

I just got it off newegg.ca and I am very impressed. I have a rather powerful desktop to compare it to (Q6600 @ 3.4ghz, 3gb of patriot ram, 8800GTS, 19' monitor)


Can someone post some gaming benchmarks? I see some people have said games run well, what exactly is well? If anyone can post the resolution and settings, that would be great!

The 9650m GT doesn't play Brothers in Arms Highway to Hell very well, I've had to set resolution way down and settings to all low...and if that doesn't play well I don't understand how Assassins Creed can play well...since the engine behind BIA:HH is much more optimized.

Rainbow Six Vegas 2
Settings: Low, resolution 1280x800, FPS: 25+

 

there is no way this can be right. make sure you do not have the laptop set to battery saving mode or something.

 

Look under his user name, it says "newbie". There are already a few benchmarks done this laptop that have been posted. Also gotta make sure he has the same laptop that this thread as made for. I'm thinking it's in battery save mode, he got a faulty comp, or there is some program using a ton of resources in the background.

 

@zmatin:

yes and i am searching for apps for myself but i think it is measured per hardware , atleast the lum.

reaction time should be per software.

 

Hey guys do you know if the lap have a tv tuner??? and how it works, somebody tried??

 

@ N80Vn-GP011C owners

Somebody can post more pictures of the laptop, I am a bit confused about the real color!! and What do you think about it?? thanks

 

@ Meicha: No existing versions w/tv tuner even though the global site does list it as an option and there is an opening at the back for some sort of connection.

The lid is glossy black with thin dotted lines running vertically that are various shades of white/silver. The inside area on the palmrest/keyboard border/touchpad are a medium-dark grey-beige with the same vertical dotted lines pattern. It's all very classy and subtle, unlike some of the larger more intricate patterns found on HPs for example. It is definitely glossy, for those who have an aversion to it. I like the overall aesthetics, and compared to my mom's HP DV4t, it is much less glaring in its shininess/lights. The only LED's that light up are for HDD, Caps, Num, and Power along the bottom of the screen (the keyboard lights are green behind a mesh strip, so they don't glare in your eye) and the power button is a "cool" blue. Along the edge of the left palmrest are the power/battery charging/bluetooth/wifi LEDS, which light up green and just peek out with the lid shut.

Edit: Added a couple more completely unprofessional shots for color clarification. You can also see the glossy fingerprint smudginess in all its glory.

 

I'll post some photo's when mine arrives..

found a way to get an international money transfer to work go to bank on monday.. then i just gotta wait till it arrives

thanks everyone for convincing me there is nothing better than the N80 very greatful i can get it in, and don't have to wait.. it would probably have had the tv tuner + bluray + wxga+ screen, but all that means more power consumption, and less performance

 

Don't own either of those but I've been getting 50+ FPS in TF2 (50 FPS in crowded fights, 95 in the respawn looking at a wall).

This is on med/high settings at 1280x800. Some things like HDR are disabled, and shadows & water reflections are on the most basic, no AA/AF but high model & texture detail levels.

On my desktop with a C2D E6300 @ 2.8 GHz + 8800GTS 512 I'm getting slightly better #'s at 1680x1050 with the various eye candy effects cranked up a bit (except no AA/AF either)

 

@ zmatin
Thanks for answering I dont think that I will let down this laptop because it doesnt have that tv tuner, it still a marvel and I really thinking about getting one. Can you tell me if you have found any issue since you get it till now??

 

Which is the range of FPS that is perfect for playing a game??? 30-50, 50-100, 100-200?????? Which is the difference between 80 FPS and 150 FPS?? It runs faster???

 

As long as it doesn't drop below 24 fps (which below the human eye can detect) you won't know the difference.

 

I feel the stuttering if games are running at around 30 FPS, the higher the better. Think of a game as a picture slideshow, the faster your gfx card can render it, the faster the book flips, the smoother the gameplay.

 

answer all your questions on stuttering and frame rates:
http://www.100fps.com/how_many_frames_can_humans_see.htm

i'm going through it now, and it's reasonably interesting.. i'm learning 8)

 

The reasons for the results of Test 2 and Test 3 are afterimages. Bright light creates an afterimage in the eye. The same way you see light in your eye seconds AFTER the doctor shined a light into it. This afterlight makes it possible to see what was there seconds ago. The brightness of the afterimage of the cinema canvas produces such afterimages and thus helps the movie to be flickerfree.

So the question "How many frames do I need to make the movie flickerfree" = to not see the blackness between the frames (about 70-100 fps) doesn't answer the question "How short can a bright image be to see it?" = the Airforce question and this doesn't answer the question "How short can a (not bright) image be to see it?".

So the conclusion is: To make movies/Virtual Reality perfect, you'd have to know what you want. To have a perfect illusion of everything that can flash, blink and move you shouldn't go below 500 fps.


Think of that, too

1. If your screen refreshes at 85Hz and your game runs at 50Hz (=50fps): Are you sure that you don't need to synchronize them? Are you sure, you don't need to play with a multiple of 85 to enjoy synchronized refresh updates? So the game running at 85fps may better than at 100fps. Maybe even a TFT display was better. It displays only with about 40fps but progressively.
2. Even though single eye cells (rods and cones) may have their limitations due to their chemical reaction times and due to the distance to the brain, you cannot be sure how they interact or complement or synchronize. If 1 cell is able to perceive 10fps, 2 cells may be able to perceive 20fps by complementing one another. So don't confuse "The human eye" with "The cell".
3. Some eye cells are reacting only when a stimulus is moving. Some react when it's moving from A to B, some when it's moving from D to Z. This may complicate frame-based simulation of reality.
4. Motion of your body could alter the way how you perceive. Do you get headaches after watching 3 movies in the cinema in a row? Maybe that's because you didn't move with the filmed motion? This is the reason for front-passengers' indispositions (= somebody else moved the car) and seasickness (=the sea moved the ship suddenly). Maybe this is the reason why 3D gaming glasses will never work perfectly. And this has nothing to do with frame rates.
5. When you look straight (= with the center of your eyes) it's not the same as if it was with the sides of your eyes. The sides are more sensitive to brightness and to flickering. The next time you are in the cinema do the following: Look up to the ceiling while the movie is playing. Especially during bright/white scenes you will clearly notice that the movie flickers.
6. Sensitivity to blue is different than to green: You see green best, even when it's dark, e.g. leaves in a forest at night. So "blue frames per second" may differ from "green frames per second"
7. Do you like to play Quake? Do you think "More is better"? Maybe that's why you think 200fps is better than 180fps.
8. Do you think moving in 3D games is stuttering? Maybe your mouse scans motion with too little dpi (Dots Per Inch) or fps (Frames Per Second)?
9. Do you think it is important that a graphics card can display 250 fps in your favourite game, because that's a feature they write about in PC magazines and on covers?
Now this is just a figure to show how fast the card is, not to show that you need such a high frame rate. It's like with cars: 100km/h in 5 seconds. When will you ever need to go 100km/h in 5 seconds?



So what is "Enough fps"? I don't know, because nobody went there so far. Maybe 120fps is enough, maybe you will get headaches after 3 hours. Seeing framewise is simply not the way how the eye\brain system works. It works with a continuous flow of light\information. (Similar to the effects of cameras' flashlights ("red eyes"): flashing is simply not the way how we see). So there are still questions. Maybe you need as much as 4000fps, maybe less, maybe more.

The same question as for fps will arise for resolution. How many pixels can the human eye see? Does 2000x1000 (=Star Wars Episode II resolution) look like reality? Or is it just enough to make a film "cinemable"?

 

HEy theZoid Thanks a lot that was a really usefull info... now I can understand even better when people are talking about FPS!!

 

@ iddy
Im counting with that photos (Peter) Parker jejeje
Thanks ill be waiting

 

no problem, once its here..
but it will be about a week or so, so you'll be waiting a bit..

 

What's the best price and places I could purchase this rig from?

 

Would one of these AC adapters Newegg sells work with the N80? It doesn't list it specifically, but maybe Asus has standard adapters? One's 120 watts, the other 90, and both are $40:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834998561

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834998555

 

HEy Guys I want to know if I can play games from the range 2003-06... I mean games made for XP in this laptop??? I need some special drivers or what?? I heard about some games incompatibilities on Vista... Is it true???

 

Not particularly. Most stuff should run fine. This should run anything, though not everything at full settings.

 

@Wolfpup,
the F8's AC adapter should work.
I asked the guys at Xoticpc during the week, when i wasn't sure if the ac adapter i got would be alright for nz.

there is only one 90W asus power adapter, so it's pretty asus universal:
http://asus.empr.co.nz/categories.asp?cID=69

 

The volts and output pin are the same on my G2S and my N80Nv
the 120w from the G2S powers the N80 but the 90w from the N80
w2ould choke if trying to power the G2S (charging should work)

 

Hey, all.

I'm looking to get the best overall quality in a 13-15" notebook. I'm comparing the Asus N80 to lenovo T400 and U330 and Dell Studio 15 and Latitude E6400. I've already posted in "what laptop should I get?", with limited responses. I don't do gaming. I will use it for general purpose stuff (excel, Access, etc.) and running some computer models for work. My biggest question involves quality: Are Asus systems at a higher level than others, or is that pretty much personal opinion? Any specific reasons why Asus might be far and away over others mentoned?

Thanks...

 

There're pictures of the power adapter in the slideshow towards the end with a clear shot of the power requirements/voltage/etc.

Shouldn't have any problems playing older XP generation games from my experience. Actually got the old original Fallout and Fallout 2 playing fine (with a couple of settings changes). Older games that ran under DX9 and earlier you can run full boat.

 

@ n80Vn-GP011C owners:
To have an idea of the dimensions of this laptop, how bigger do you think it is than the dv4 from HP??

 

Whats more important, portability or performance? will you be running on battery life for a long time?
Asus are make excellent quality laptops. They look good, and are very robust. Their only generaly downfall is the battery life, and the stiffness of the touchpad buttons.
If your looking at just doing excel/wordprocessing, then you won't need a powerful gpu/graphics card. However, if your doing modelling and such, you'll at least want a descent dedicated graphics card, and a modest resolution screen.
the p8600 and p8400 should be good processors, and in terms of gpus, the 9650 in the asus n80 might be a bit overkill for what you're after. the lenovo's 3470 is a good way to go. but the dell you linked to has integrated gpu, not a great way to go for graphic processing.
The lenovo, with a bit of customising would be good (2gb ram, intel wifi 5100 if your using wireless, a step up to a 6 cell battery, 14" wsga+ led lit screen for more resolution and bettery power efficiency, with vista home premium rather than basic + a bigger hard drive, probabily 250 -> 320gb max for word processing)

In terms of what Asus has to offer, if you don't mind 15" i would suggest the M50Vc, or if you want a good 14" the n80 is, as stated, overkill + redundant resourced, so perhaps the ASUS F8VR-4P004C, which is comparible to the lenovo above, or even something from the F6 range, though they look to be pricey, but 13".

hope that helps some any more questions jst ask

=================

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=320997
this thread has some size-comparisson photos, if you get the physical dimension measurements from the dv4's specs or a review, check those to the dimensions in Zmatin's fpost on the first page

 

[double post, moderator please deal with it, ty]

 

@ iddy
What do you mean with [double post, moderator please deal with it, ty] ???

 

i double posted.. so i fixed it, just need a moderator to delete it..
aren't we supposed to do that here if we double post..? we do at the other forums i go on..

 

iddy,

Thanks for sharing your experience. My general question has to do with the relative quality of the three brands. Sounds like it's mostly a matter of personal preference and what features fit my needs. Some specific questions:

1) An attraction to the Dells is the backlit keyboard option. Is it useful for dark spaces or just another gimmick?

2) have read a lot about both lenovo and dell in terms of individual complaints, but know I need to not put too much weight into individual reports. If Asus is far above these other two then, I could get the basic version of N80 or maybe M50, and go for the apparent improved quality;

3) I tend to like the matte screen that's available with the business models of Dell and lenovo. So, I'm not sure about the glossy screen on the Asus.

4) anyone here familiar with lonovo x200. I like the minimalist approach with no DVD drive and no touchpad, but it may be a bit too spartan.

5) finally, are the graphics capability of the Asus a waste for someone who doesn't need a lot of 3d dynamic action?

6) is the expressgate of Asus a good feature, or not used much in actual practice?

7) can one get a remote for the multimedia controls for an Asus (dell Studio 15 has one built in).

thanks for listening....

 

Regarding the graphics-it's certainly not going to HURT anything having a semi-decent GPU in there, and Nvidia's drivers are a lot better than AMD or Intel's.

If nothing else, if you end up watching Blu Rays on it the real GPU will help, and the same for if we start seeing more programs that run partially on the GPU.

 

Does this laptop have backlit keyboard?

 

No it doesn't

 

1) i would imagine it is just a gimick, with little real world aplication
2) There is little complaint with regard to asus products, but this could be due to their warrantee (1 year accidental damage cover, 2 year hardware cover - must register for the accidental damage within 60 days of purchase, and the 2year is not available in every country)
A lower spec N80 (the a1 or x1) would be very suitable. It lacks only the bluetooth and the basic processor will do well for less-demanding tasks
3) Glossy falls through outside, but if you don't mind seeing yourself during startup or position your lappy facing a windows, then you should be all good.
4) I haven't heard of that, no. But it does sound like an attractive feature for those not on the go
5) When i said waste, i meant it would be generally more expensive to get something beyond what is needed, when for word processing you could get away with an intel atom 1.6 ghz or new intel SU series processor.
That said, more power will give you overall system stability, and give you a smooth interface (especially with Vista's Aero requirements..) allowing you to do things quicker, and multitask too.
6) Express gate allows instant-on, instant internet. Without internet it becomes little more than an an instant jukebox + slide show. However, if you need to get to an email quickly or if you frequent google docs and instant messaging + have an always-on internet, then this can become an incredibly powerful tool. Expecially when the lower power consumption is taken into account (little if any HDD access i would guess.. not windows OS or unrequired backround apps either.. media is accessed from a usb port)
7) If it has an Ir reader, there is bound to be a program which can learn commands from Ir device. But i am unaware (not that i've looked much) of an asus brand remote control..
One such example of a learning program is the .dll for Foobar player which can learn another remotes signals to control your music playback.

- apologise that this response is short.. i had a very large one, up to the 7), however.. i closed the tab by mistake.. gutted..

 

I need to be able to advance powerpoint slides with a remote. With this laptop can I use the expresscard bluetooth media remote correct? Seems like this is the only brand making the remote.