The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.
← Previous pageNext page →

    *** Asus U45JC Owner's Lounge ***

    Discussion in 'ASUS Reviews and Owners' Lounges' started by FlamingTortilla, Aug 5, 2010.

  1. FlamingTortilla

    FlamingTortilla Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    21
    Messages:
    46
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    I believe I heard in the U35JC/U45JC thread that only silver versions are available in North America (Therefore if you want a black one, it will most likely be a lot more difficult to find). I do not know if this applies vice versa for outer countries where black versions are dominant.

    The trackpad is not that great to be honest. The bumpiness does create quite a bit of friction which doesn't translate into the best touchpad experience (The trackpad feels good, but it's not very good for controlling the cursor.)

    Heat control is very good in the laptop. I managed to push temp's to 85'C and it only felt mildly warm on the palmrest and keyboard. I don't know how I got the temperature that high, as my recent gaming has only produced results of ~75'C where the heat is difficult to notice unless your hand is near the side vent.

    I do not know how the microphone compares to the U30JC, but I do not think it will be any better. General consensus from the people I've talked to in vent feel that the microphone is a bit lacking. Just a heads up, the U45JC does use NVIDIA Optimus technology, graphic switching is AUTOMATIC, not manual.
     
  2. Chanda Bear

    Chanda Bear Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    50
    Messages:
    228
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Regarding the trackpad: that's disappointing...but I think I'm still going to tough it out and stick with my U35JC preorder.
     
  3. mny03

    mny03 Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    27
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    I've read from another forum that U45/U35 graphic switching is based on its power option and you can set which video card you want to use on each power option, unlike in U30 the graphic switching is based on what program is running. Can you please comment on this if this is true or not?

    Thanks..
     
  4. FlamingTortilla

    FlamingTortilla Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    21
    Messages:
    46
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    Hmm, I'm assuming what you're talking about is the NVIDIA Control Panel where you can set which programs you want the Video card to kick in to. There is no button however you can press to turn on/off video card.
     
  5. aim25

    aim25 Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    23
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    Finally got my U45Jc-X3C with i5-450m. Here are some initial thoughts.

    1. I am unable to tell whether the lid is aluminum or plastic. Its cool to the touch (like touching metal). But it seems a little thin. Sorry, cannot answer this one.

    2. The vent can reach 110 F. But I am strictly speaking about the metal in the vent. The are around the vent on the bottom gets warm, but the top stays cool. It never got too hot for my lap.

    3. There is some keyboard flex. Does not bother you too much, its very subtle near the center. But around the corners it flexes as much as 2mm.

    4. Sound is very bass-less.

    5. Way tooooooo much bloatware. I had to do a fresh install.

    I will comment later on the battery life, but from what I can tell, leaving it on power saving mode will definitely get you a good 6-7 hours.
     
  6. Darkfox_Chile

    Darkfox_Chile Notebook Guru

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    51
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15



    Please! Make some unboxing seasion or a full review!!!
     
  7. aim25

    aim25 Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    23
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    Guess I'll write up a short review. Give me a few days.
     
  8. FlamingTortilla

    FlamingTortilla Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    21
    Messages:
    46
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    After using the touch-pad some more and customizing the Elan-Smartpad settings, I'm actually becoming quite comfortable with the touchpad. The friction isn't as bad as I had previously made it out to be, and I can easily move the cursor from one side of the screen to about 3/4ths of the other side with one swipe. The responsiveness to multi-touch is notable. I had thus far been using my mouse instead of the touchpad and this may have skewed my opinion of the touchpad.
     
  9. takamine101

    takamine101 Newbie

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    1
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    Just received my u45jc yesterday. I have been messing around with it and the performance is excellent. When on performance mode, the fan will make a low hum which turns into a white noise after a while. This thing is very quiet when on low power modes. The first thing i was worried about was the track pad. Turns out i don't like it too much. Maybe its the driver for it, but I'm used to the regular gestures and the simplicity of the universal driver from windows. One other thing i don't like is that my hands are large and when I'm typing i will sometimes click the touch pad with my thumbs and i will start typing where the cursor is(im doing it as i am typing this). Another thing is that the track pad gets warm after a while, which doesn't bother me. I will try a different driver for the track pad and see how it goes. The amount of software packed with the laptop is annoying and i will be removing most of it. Lets see, some other info... Oh, the keyboard is very easy to type on right off the bat and there is plenty of space. Build-wise, the lcd is very solid but the top panel above the keyboard flexes a bit and the battery wiggles around a little bit when you press on it, these are small things and don't cause any problems with the computer at all and i feel very super-critical for even mentioning it. The surface of the palmrest is not matted, but is covered with a smooth finish(the pictures i saw made it hard to tell). I love this laptop for the lightness, and sleekness and i am VERY happy with my choice.
     
  10. nortlov

    nortlov Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    16
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    I just noticed a very faint but audible enough to be annoying whine from the CPU or capacitors when the processor is idle. Does anyone else hear this noise? My solution so far has been to keep foobar2000 playing music in the background on pause which stops the whine while keeping the CPU pegged at 2%.

    I'm going to give Asus a ring soon; this is super annoying and I hope it's a defective unit or bad batch of caps and not a design problem. I would assume it's the former as I haven't read people complaining about this with the U45s as of yet.
     
  11. p0int

    p0int Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    49
    Messages:
    169
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Can a U45JC owner confirm for me what exactly is the model of the integrated stock wireless card? I need this information to make a purchasing decision on the Advance-N 6200.

    Thanks :)

    -edit-

    NVM I was told this information already
     
  12. kevyeoh

    kevyeoh Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    1
    Messages:
    40
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    hi,

    on contrary, i'm beginning to like the track pad more and more. Have you tried customizing your track pad? There's a palm proof option that reduces the sensitivity of the track pad to ensure your palm does not interfere or accidentally controls the track pad when you have your palm over it... try checking out the option to customize. I forgot the name of the software but it comes preinstalled with the laptop...

    :)
     
  13. kevyeoh

    kevyeoh Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    1
    Messages:
    40
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    no faint sound...no whining... you should send to Asus service centre to check it out...

     
  14. kevyeoh

    kevyeoh Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    1
    Messages:
    40
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    hi,
    i'm from Malaysia and the version sold here is black color... i can't seem to find silver color ....
    it's weird that asus is selling specific color at specific country....
    prfffffff...

     
  15. kevyeoh

    kevyeoh Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    1
    Messages:
    40
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    hi all,
    any user can comment on the battery life?
    on normal usage, i can get about 5hrs only.... hardly able to reach 6 or 7hrs...
    is this normal?
    thanks.
     
  16. Chanda Bear

    Chanda Bear Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    50
    Messages:
    228
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    That sounds about right for normal usage without any battery saving measures. If you dim the lcd brightness and use battery saver/quiet office, you should be able to reach 6 hours no problem (at least, that's the general consensus on these U series laptops).
     
  17. kevyeoh

    kevyeoh Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    1
    Messages:
    40
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    ahh...quiet office...ok...will try that..i recall seeing Quiet Office option...
     
  18. mny03

    mny03 Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    27
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    Is there anyone here knows where can I download an ISO image of Windows 7 Home Premium? My U45JC will be arriving in a few days and I want to do a clean install. I know that U45JC don't come with a separate recovery DVD for just the OS, so my option is get an ISO image and use the license that came with the U45JC.
     
  19. kiz1983

    kiz1983 Notebook Geek

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    82
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
  20. kevyeoh

    kevyeoh Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    1
    Messages:
    40
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    why don't u just try using the existing software first and unistall the ones u don't like? and then check if you still need to do a clean install? there are some preinstalled apps i kinda like...such as ELan smart pad...
     
  21. mny03

    mny03 Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    27
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    Thanks kiz1983... Do you know how big is the image file? And also, when I burn the image to a DVD, do i burn the ISO file directly or I need to extract the ISO then burn the files? Sorry, its my first time to use ISO image.

    Thanks again...
     
  22. mny03

    mny03 Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    27
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    I already tried that on my previous laptop (Asus N61VG), and I feel that its still kinda slow, imo. Its a good thing that it has a recovery DVD for the OS so I was able to do a clean install, after the clean install, I was satisfied. So, I guess I will do the same on the U45JC that I order. But thanks for the comment anyway...
     
  23. kiz1983

    kiz1983 Notebook Geek

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    82
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    the file is around 3gb iianm...

    if u using burning apps like nero or ashampoo, thrs an option where u can burn iso image to dvd..

    either u use tht method or u can use virtual drive apps like alcohol 120% whr u can create virtual drive and mount the iso, then u use burning apps to copy the virtual dvd to ur dvd...
     
  24. mny03

    mny03 Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    27
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    I tried downloading this file but what I get is just 1GB of file. I tried to download it a couple of time from different computer and different connection but I get the same file size (1GB). Any comments why I only get 1GB of file. I extract the ISO and this are the files that came out. Do you think I got the complete file?
     

    Attached Files:

    • W7.JPG
      W7.JPG
      File size:
      53.7 KB
      Views:
      111
  25. kiz1983

    kiz1983 Notebook Geek

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    82
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    r u sure u got it 1gb? coz mine is 3gb, n yup, thts the file i got also...
     
  26. mny03

    mny03 Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    27
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    Yes, Im sure its just 1GB. I check all the download that I got and they are all the same.
     
  27. kiz1983

    kiz1983 Notebook Geek

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    82
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    they recommend to use download manager as some download server terminates connection after a period of time...

    u using any download manager apps?..
     
  28. mny03

    mny03 Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    27
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    I just tried downloading the ISO file using Download Accelerator Plus and I still got the same file size (1GB) :(
     
  29. kiz1983

    kiz1983 Notebook Geek

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    82
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    well, dunno bout u, but i get 3gb..

    n i only hav tht link for direct link for the iso, sori :(
     
  30. Meijin

    Meijin Newbie

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    1
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    Okay, so, I've been browsing these forums for a good few weeks gathering anecdotal information, and that long process has led me to purchasing a U45JC from Amazon.com. It arrived at my doorstep yesterday, and I have since begun customizing it to my liking. Though not one for the full-on clean install, I did uninstall some of the unnecessary programs on my system and then set about attempting to copy over my music from my iPod, which is about 38 gigabytes of music, all in all. I've been manually copying the music over by making viewable the hidden music files on my iPod and then copying them to my music folder all at once. Twice, now, however, the copying process has caused my computer to freeze up, halt the copying, and simply idle at whatever time it tells me it will be done, eternally.

    So I activate the task manager, kill the copying process, and then my start bar disappears, along with all the icons on my desktop. I then have to hit the power button to get back to the initial screen one gets when the laptop is powered on, so I can Switch User and get to the Restart option found on that screen. Restarting itself takes around ten minutes, and all in all this process has left a horrible taste in my mouth.

    What is the problem here? Am I trying to bite off too much by copying that much information and causing the system to bog down? I figured a brand new laptop would be able to capably transmit information between an iPod and its hard disk - was I wrong in assuming this?

    Edit: As an experiment, I am now transferring the contents of a single folder from my iPod's hidden music files to my laptop...and it has once again frozen at thirty seconds remaining, with little inclination that it might continue on and finish the transfer. This is immensely frustrating and I would appreciate any input as to what I might be doing wrong, or how I should proceed from here.
     
  31. kiz1983

    kiz1983 Notebook Geek

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    82
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    thts a sad case u got there...

    hav u tried copying other files from other device? i dunno bout ipod as i dun hav one, but mine dun hav such problem..

    and also, which apps tht u uninstall? maybe thrs some apps thts needed tht u accidentally uninstalled from ur system..

    also, hav u tried transferring the data using all the usb port?
     
  32. kevyeoh

    kevyeoh Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    1
    Messages:
    40
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    possible to try perform System restore to the date you just received ur laptop without uninstalling any software?
    or did you try doing a recovery disc and try to restore ur PC back to the original condition

    also try running scandisk to check for any possible hdd error?

     
  33. mny03

    mny03 Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    27
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    I tried to burn the ISO anyway even the file size is just 1GB and tried to load it on my computer and it works, but after it loads and came to a point where you need to click "Install Now", it gives me an error saying that I don't have the drivers installed.

    Have you encounter this issue when you tried to do a clean install?

    Thanks...
     
  34. ribs15183

    ribs15183 Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    14
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    After much painstaking research, my laptop search is finally over and I ordered the U45JC from Xoticpc on Monday.

    Now SHIP, damn you!
     
  35. kiz1983

    kiz1983 Notebook Geek

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    82
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    i didnt do a clean install, i juz uninstalled unnecessary apps thts all..
     
  36. comp321

    comp321 Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    32
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
  37. zestytomato

    zestytomato Newbie

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    6
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    Can anyone with Starcraft 2 make a short video of what the the 310m would be capable of when Optimus switches to discrete graphics? Looking to buy a U45JC but for the occasional game here and there.
     
  38. Queens2013

    Queens2013 Newbie

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    5
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    I just got my U45JC yesterday and although I've been a bit busy, I like what I've seen so far.
    I have a pretty stupid question for the other owners: where can you manually switch between the graphics card options? Or is it automatic, depending on the mode you're in?
     
  39. Chanda Bear

    Chanda Bear Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    50
    Messages:
    228
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    It's automatic and based on the application. In general, if you are running something in HD, or if the application requires 3d rendering or whatnot, the Nvidia gpu will automatically kick in. If you open up the Nvidia control panel in your notification area, you can choose what program will run with what gpu if you want to override the default settings. There should be a driver update in the coming weeks that should let you change these settings by simply right clicking the application's .exe and choosing the card in the context menu!
     
  40. ribs15183

    ribs15183 Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    14
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    Just got my U45JC today. Get pumped!

    So... what's the most important bloatware to get off of this thing? Seems like it's really loaded down. How about this Trend Internet Security? I'm just assuming that it's going to awful... thoughts?
     
  41. kiz1983

    kiz1983 Notebook Geek

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    82
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    thrs a thread regarding which bloatware is useful or not, most of it is useless..

    find other antivirus, for me trend internet security not good enuff...
     
  42. ricardo12345

    ricardo12345 Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    16
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    How do I get my Nvidia 310m to turn on? When I open starcraft 2 it doesn't do it by itself. any ideas?
     
  43. ribs15183

    ribs15183 Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    14
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    Just found this thread: http://forum.notebookreview.com/asus/380681-asus-utility-bloatware-guide.html

    Pretty helpful guide for most of the installed bloatware.

    Overall I'm pretty impressed with the laptop so far. The build quality is a lot better than I expected. (even though there are a couple of weak spots) Namely, the glossy frame around the display is NOT well attached to the backplate at all; it's pretty much hanging off near the bottom above the battery. (I think someone else mentioned this before)

    I like the texture of the trackpad a lot; I don't think anyone should worry about friction here. Despite the etched pattern of it, swiping and movements are all very smooth. I am struggling with the trackpad a bit though, I had to disable the two-finger tap and drag-and-drop gestures because I was activating them way too easily. It seems like in general, tap-clicks are very sensitive. I'll probably revisit the trackpad config at some point and see what I can tweak to make things more usable.

    So far my only other minor complaint is the left\right click rocker button. I don't mind the fact that it's a rocker (it's hard to even notice) but it does seem to take way too much pressure to generate a click. Holding a click for a drag operation is actually a little difficult to pull off. Hopefully with a little break-in period it will either loosen up a bit or I'll get used to it.

    I think the keyboard is great; granted, I haven't done any long typing sessions but the keys have a good feel to them and give a reassuring amount of feedback without annoying clicking sounds or anything.

    The laptop boots up quickly and overall it just seems very fast. I haven't done much except uninstall bloatware, install a few applications and watch an episode of The Daily Show... but everything I've done so far has been smooth and really enjoyable.

    I know there's been some debate about whether or not the lid was actually brushed aluminum or not. I haven't quite gotten around to the full spectroscopic analysis, but I'm pretty sure it is brushed aluminum. It's cool to the touch and just feels like metal; it would be hard to convince me that it's not aluminum.

    Oh, and just for the record, I haven't noticed any sort of CPU whine. The fan hums quietly under load but in general, the laptop is very quiet. I haven't noticed any considerable heat being generated anywhere yet either.
     
  44. Chanda Bear

    Chanda Bear Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    50
    Messages:
    228
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Open the Nvidia control panel in the notification area, there should be a tab where you can manually assign either the intel card or the Nvidia one to specific applications.
     
  45. comp321

    comp321 Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    32
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    Where has everyone ordered there u45 from? I'm just curious because I think I need to re-place my order.
     
  46. ribs15183

    ribs15183 Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    14
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    I got mine from Xoticpc.com.

    Ordered Monday and had the laptop on Thursday.
     
  47. Queens2013

    Queens2013 Newbie

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    5
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    thanks for replaying about the graphics card.
    I found a problem with mine, and I'm not sure if anyone else has had this problem. Mine has constantly been freezing, despite only surfing the web and chatting on msn.

    Has anyone has had this issue?
     
  48. ricardo12345

    ricardo12345 Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    16
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    I've tried that but it still doesn't work. The 310m turns on when I watch streaming videos online though, but not when I open a game.
     
  49. kiz1983

    kiz1983 Notebook Geek

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    82
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    wht driver version u had on ur nvidia?
     
  50. kevyeoh

    kevyeoh Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    1
    Messages:
    40
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    trend internet security is the very first app that i removed from my asus u45jc...
    :)
     
← Previous pageNext page →