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    Asus U47VC Owners Lounge

    Discussion in 'ASUS Reviews and Owners' Lounges' started by eesee, Jul 17, 2012.

  1. MaverickBAS

    MaverickBAS Newbie

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    My daughter is away at college, wants this ASUS U47VC-DS51 computer ASAP for her computer science classes. She is having problems with her present computer. She can't drive so I'll be driving up to her school to bring her the computer. I haven't bought a new PC in 10+ years, not sure about several issues.


    * Does anyone know if this would come with the new Microsoft Windows 8? I'm thinking if I buy it now she'll get Microsoft Windows 7.

    * She says she needs Microsoft Office pre-installed so she can do term papers. I'm not sure how this would be done. Maybe best idea to take to Geek Squad and have them install Office? She doesn't drive so I'd need to get Office installed before I can take it up.

    *Also some buying sites mention a $150 rebate for this computer but Best Buy doesn't, is this a manufacturer's rebate or rebate is just for some stores?
     
  2. Vergilius

    Vergilius Notebook Enthusiast

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    I've got one ordered and have researched the laptop extensively:

    1. It comes installed with Windows 7. My personal opinion on Windows 8 is that I'd like to do it at some point, but it is not necessary to do the upgrade right away. There are enough issues with drivers and compatibility that will eventually and shortly be fixed that I wouldn't mess with it. Microsoft gives you until the end of February to make the upgrade and still qualify for the discounted upgrade price. Windows 7 should be fine.

    2. Microsoft Office: It will come with "trial" versions of 2010, for which you'd need to purchase full versions. Alternatively, she's at a University, and most Universities allow students to purchase student versions of the software. I know because I've still got University access and my University charged me 33 dollars. That sure beats paying over 100 for the retail version. Alternatively, if you've already got a licensed copy from a previously dead machine, then you can probably use the old disks to install on a new machine. Geek Squad could handle this if you needed to buy the machine and pay for Office 2010 on their shelves

    3. The official form is here:

    http://promos.asus.com/US/rebate/Oct12/ASUS_NB_MIR_Oct2012(US).pdf

    The rebate is a manufacturer's rebate, and the official form explicitly says "All sellers." You ought to be able to claim the warranty if you purchase through Best Buy. I avoided Best Buy because they will charge you sales tax. Buy from an online seller with no presence in your state and you can save 50+ dollars of sales tax. If you're going to order today/tomorrow, I'd check the seller's location and avoid any that are located in the NE due to all the stoppages that the recent Hurricane has caused.
     
  3. MaverickBAS

    MaverickBAS Newbie

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    OK thanks very much for that useful information. :) I just went to the St. Joseph university bookstore website and got transferred to JourneyEd, they offer Microsoft Office University 2010 for $99.99 for students. Did you go thru the bookstore for your discount? Maybe St. Joseph Philadelphia doesn't offer as much of a discount as your school.


    Also I see from your link that I have to purchase by tomorrow 10/31 to get the $150 rebate, I will get cracking on this and likely make the purchase of the computer tomorrow. Glad I found that out, I'd hate to miss the rebate by purchasing one day late!
     
  4. Vergilius

    Vergilius Notebook Enthusiast

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    Yeah, St. Joseph's set-up appears to be a little difference. It is still cheaper than the advertised prices at Best Buy, so that's probably the route you want to take.

    And yes, it is a monthly rebate. Good luck on the purchase!
     
  5. Steven

    Steven God Amongst Mere Mortals

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    I'll be receiving my Asus U47A tomorrow and I'm very excited and can't wait!
     
  6. Vergilius

    Vergilius Notebook Enthusiast

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    My U47vc has arrived. I've managed to install an SSD and get the OS functioning on it with only a minimal amount of rookie-mistake hassle. Currently working on installing other software. I haven't really had a lot of time to tool around with it and see how the performance is in the handful of games that I play, but so far I'm impressed with it. I took a picture beside my old 14 inch, as I noticed some people had taken pictures earlier in this thread next to 15 and 17 inch models. To me the comparison to other laptops in its class shows off just how petite ASUS has managed to get and shows off the difference in technology over the past four years.

    I can make some other comparisons to my old machine:

    The U47 is much quieter than my old machine. I'd gotten so used to a noisy machine plus the noise of my cooling tray. The U47 stays incredibly cool and makes little discernible noise in average operation.

    I like how the keyboard feels compared to my old machine. This feels like something I could work nicely off of. The keys respond well and feel comfortable in the hands.

    The screen definitely seems brighter and with more vibrant colors than my old machine, so that's been a delight.

    So far so good. I'll post more later.
     
  7. CEMEH

    CEMEH Newbie

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    Thanks for the review, Vergilius.
    What about the boot issue which was described by gg007 in post #133 ?

    About screen brightness. Did you clean out the dust from screen of your old machine? :)
     
  8. Vergilius

    Vergilius Notebook Enthusiast

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    Good question. I had to reread his post to remind myself of the issue. Upon review, I can only say that I rarely find myself in a situation where I "suspend" my machine. So I haven't had it happen yet. I'll keep an eye on it, as I'm sure they'll be some time in the future where I suspend it accidentally.

    I occasionally clean off the screen, but probably not nearly as often enough. That's going to be perfectly visible in the screen shot below. I did notice that the U47vc box contained a cleaning cloth that Asus has generously provided and I've set it aside so that I can use it a bit more regularly with the new machine. Here are two 14 inch laptops, my old and the new Asus u47vc sitting side by side. This is a good example of the difference that four years can make in technology.

    [​IMG]
     
  9. canuckerfan

    canuckerfan Newbie

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    What kind of SATA connector does it take? And as far as SSDs go, what physical size were you able to fit in?
     
  10. Vergilius

    Vergilius Notebook Enthusiast

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    Normal connector

    Here's a link to the SSD I purchased and installed.

    CT256M4SSD2 - 256GB, 2.5-inch Solid State Drive , from Crucial.com

    I've been doing the research on computers, SSDs, and a few other peripherals for a couple of months now. I've heard good things about Crucial, and if you shop around enough, you can find 256GB for around 160 dollars.
     
  11. canuckerfan

    canuckerfan Newbie

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    I've read good things about that drive as well. Is the connection SATA III? And so far have things been working well after the SSD installation?
     
  12. Vergilius

    Vergilius Notebook Enthusiast

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    The SSD is SATA III. So far, everything works like a charm. I'm getting about the same load times as what are reported by others who use this SSD. I haven't gotten out a stop-watch to time it, but it is a world's difference from a 5400 RPM HD.
     
  13. canuckerfan

    canuckerfan Newbie

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    Actually I was wondering if the SATA port in the laptop is SATA III. I've purchased an ADATA SX900 256 GB SSD for $160, it was too good of a deal to pass on. Hopefully my U47VC comes in soon.
     
  14. Vergilius

    Vergilius Notebook Enthusiast

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    I'm assuming yes. Unfortunately, I'm having trouble tracking down the technical data. I went to the Asus website, looked up the motherboard chipset, then looked that up on the Intel website, and it is at least possible for this chipset to have at least one SATA III controller, but that's no guaranty that they did. On the other hand, we're also far enough along on SATA III technology that it may be more standard now than a few years ago. I'd assume my performance would be a lot worse if it were only pulling 3 GB/second.
     
  15. Steven

    Steven God Amongst Mere Mortals

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    After having my Asus U47 I can tell you that I haven't experienced the issue gg007 has, but I also haven't had my laptop with the lid down for several hours but will certainly test it during the weekend and post my results later on.
     
  16. gg007

    gg007 Notebook Enthusiast

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    @Steven,
    yes, definitely try it several times. Make sure it goes into suspend mode... not just sleep mode as sleep mode doesn't seem to exhibit the behaviour. Mine has gone into Asus for RMA, Ben's still waiting for his.
     
  17. bcmp

    bcmp Notebook Enthusiast

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    Has anyone updated this device to Windows 8? If so, how is the experience on this particular model?
     
  18. darxide_sorcerer

    darxide_sorcerer Notebook Deity

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    hey guys, since i couldn't find a dedicated thread for ASUS U47A, i'll ask my question here. from your personal experience, how do you find the ASUS U47A in terms of build quality and hardware reliability? i've heard it might have trackpad issues, right?
     
  19. Vergilius

    Vergilius Notebook Enthusiast

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    I'd think this definitely qualifies in this thread, since the U47A and U47vc are basically identical except for the graphics card. The trackpad is a bit touchy, and can jump around too much. You can mitigate this somewhat by uninstalling or turning off the extra trackpad software that they pre-install. Otherwise, if I'm at home, I've usually got a slew of gadgets including a mouse plugged in, so I hardly notice. When I've been out, I've found the trackpad within tolerable limits. Honestly, I've never owned a laptop where I thought the trackpad did everything I could do with a mouse, so it is more a matter of accepting its limitations.

    Build quality and hardware reliability seem fine so far. I see a lot of improvements over the years since my previous ASUS laptop, though I couldn't do a great job of comparing it to all of the contemporary models on the market.
     
  20. darxide_sorcerer

    darxide_sorcerer Notebook Deity

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    thanks for your response. i'm looking for a laptop for my mother (who is not a tech-savvy person at all), and i'd like to get something that will last her some time (like 4 years or so) and works without causing problems and is also less than 4.5lbs. that's why i asked about U47A. it looks like a good laptop, but since i haven't had any experience with ASUS laptops, i decided to ask about the general reliability issues of this model here...so thanks again :)
     
  21. Vergilius

    Vergilius Notebook Enthusiast

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    Sure, no problem. I can only speak to ASUS' reliability in general. I've had pretty good success with the company. In the event that you do have a problem, their service is supposed to be top notch. I say supposed to, because I've not personally had to use it. I do like getting 2 years on the warranty, rather than the 1 that you can get from many models, companies and sellers. I'd rather not have to use it at all, but I know if there is a break, it is there. My previous ASUS laptop made it 4 years and is technically still running, but after 4 years, technology is such that it is time for an upgrade.

    Perhaps others can chime in as well. I try not to bang my computer around, and probably your mother wouldn't either. Someone harder on their machine might experience more problems.

    Best of wishes in your search!
     
  22. zxerosky

    zxerosky Newbie

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    Hello, I recently got a Asus U47VC so far I love everything about it except one thing.. the touchpad it seems to be depressed very very very slightly on the right side. Making it seem titled ( the left is completely flush to the surface), I was wondering if this is flaw in my machine or is it just a design flaw and can be found in all models?


    There's no performance issue except the right click is slightly deeper then the left side.

    Thanks
     
  23. Vergilius

    Vergilius Notebook Enthusiast

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    I hadn't noticed it about my machine, but now that you mention it, it is the same way. Like you, I've not noticed any performance issues associated with it.
     
  24. gg007

    gg007 Notebook Enthusiast

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    Yes... mine and another u47 owner I know found the same thing.. Bizarre.
     
  25. eesee

    eesee Notebook Guru

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    Hmm about that touchpad problem, it may be the built quality...Mine is no problem. The only thing that bothers me is that when I'm printing numerous pages of pdf files, it goes into BSoD. At first I resolved the issue by converting all my pdfs to word documents, and it did stop the blue screens, but a few days ago it started to blue screen again. Very annoying as I need the notes for my classes...
    For the battery that everyone is concerned about, I have tested this over the month, almost everyday. The battery will definitely last you throughout the typical day of university ( putting it to sleep when switching classes ). I personally never gotten it to last 10 hours before but through a continue usage ( wifi, screen at 40%, no backlit keys, itunes playing, word, chrome opened with 5 web pages ) it will definitely lasts for around 5-6 hours.
     
  26. No.One

    No.One Notebook Enthusiast

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    To answer you question/concern, as eesee pointed out, my machine's track-pad is perfectly even. You may want to have yours replaced if it is too problematic?

    As far as I know, all GT600 Series by Nvidia are Kepler after the release in April-June 2012. If you want the confirmation whether it is a 620M, then attached is my device manager snapshot!

     

    Attached Files:

  27. bcmp

    bcmp Notebook Enthusiast

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    Are any 47VC owners experiencing constant noisy fan operation?
     
  28. jmsalvat

    jmsalvat Newbie

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    hi I am a linux user thinking toying with the idea of buying this laptop.
    You did an install of ubuntu on it.
    Did you try dual monitor set-up.
    I work with dual monitor and as this laptop use optimus technology from what I gather if the hdmi port is wired to nvidia it wont't work.
    https://github.com/Bumblebee-Project/Bumblebee/wiki/Multi-monitor-setup
    Bumblebee - NVIDIA Optimus support for Linux!

    I am ver atracted to this latop and I hope I can use dual monitor (twinview style) under linux as this is a deal breaker for me.


    By the way The laptop is UEFI but i think there should be also an option to boot via bios (mac does that) wich might be worth exploring if you have trouble.
     
  29. gg007

    gg007 Notebook Enthusiast

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    Yes, I too find the fan "noisy". It's not extremely noisy... but does have an odd sound to it.
    anybody else?
     
  30. Vergilius

    Vergilius Notebook Enthusiast

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    Nope. This thing is utterly silent unless I'm seriously putting a strain on the graphics card, and even then it is still noticeably quieter than my older machine.
     
  31. Duallight

    Duallight Newbie

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    Hi,
    I am looking for a decently portable laptop that's light weight and can handle some light gaming for games such as Team fortress 2. I was looking at the Asus U36SD-DH51 sold at amazon here but since amazon stopped selling it and I have never heard of Data master llc, i decided to look elsewhere and found the u47 at xotic pc and was wondering if anyone has experience with xotic pc before and can tell me if they are reliable or not? and also if you think this laptop would meet the description i said before. And also the track pad probably isnt going to be an issue since i prefer to use a mouse anyway :) Thanks for any help!!!!!!!
     
  32. bball3212

    bball3212 Notebook Consultant

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    Would you say 800 is still a good price for,this, or is there better bargains now?
     
  33. Vergilius

    Vergilius Notebook Enthusiast

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    I have no experience with Xotic, so I cannot comment on that. On the other hand, their reputation precedes them as one of the bigger computer repackagers, and by that I mean a company in which you can order the base model and customize it to your hearts desire. If you just want the basic model without any customization, then you've got a lot of sellers to choose from.


    Light gaming, I can comment on. I don't play Team Fortress 2, but I do play Starcraft 2 and Civilization 5, and I've been able to rev up the settings considerably over my 4 year old machine. I looked up the system reqs on TF-2, and you should be well in excess of maximum settings.

    I had weighed the U47 against the forthcoming Asus G46vw, which is a formal 14 inch gaming laptop. In my case, the G46 just didn't come out in time and I wanted to get a machine now. I caught the150 dollar rebate, so my basic price was 700, or enough to make me feel very comfortable with the U47. If I were paying 800 for the U47, or the original 850 list price, I'd lean much more substantially toward the G46. The big problem with the G46 is the roll-out time. Asus set up an exclusive deal with Best Buy to roll it out, and we have no idea how long that period will last. Beyond that, other options will come to other resellers at a later date. All in all, I feel fine with my purchase. The U47 is just a bit more mobile than the G46, was available now, and for real serious gaming, you should just get a desktop anyway, which I'll plan to do in the next two years.

    As for "better bargains" now, that would depend upon your computing needs on the whole. I didn't look at everything in the 700-900 dollar price range, only at a handful of computers who had the combination of portability, game-ability, and reputation.
     
  34. ryanbomo

    ryanbomo Newbie

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    Hey y'all first time poster.

    I currently live in Japan and I can't find the U47VC anywhere, though in my searches I've found many computer sites and dealers (including amazon.co.jp) that sell the U37VC. Thinking this was a different model, I searched around but I couldn't find any English reivews/sites with information on the U37VC.

    From what I can tell by looking at it, they've got similar specs 3rd gen i5 instead of i7, gt 620m and different HDD space, and I know Asus releases a bunch of different international models. But I haven't known them to change the product name for an identical computer, just the gibberish that comes after it (U47VC-BOOPBEEP or G73JH-HerpDERP).

    Here's a link to the asus shop page: U37VC - ASUS Shop
    and the amazon.co.jp: Amazon.co.jpF ASUS U37VC 14ƒCƒ“ƒ` ƒVƒ‹ƒo[ U37VC-WO3210: ƒpƒ\ƒRƒ“EŽü•Ó‹@Ší

    I know they're in Japanese, but you can easily find the specs if you know what you're looking for.

    Anyone know whether they're the same or not? Or if there's already a thread on this, could someone lead me to it? I'll totally apologize for being search inept.

    I went a head and ordered the computer (was thinking of getting the U24A, the updated intel gen 3) but I think I'll enjoy having the dedicated graphics a bit more.

    Also, anyone have any problems/issues with Ubuntu or any forms of linux?
     
  35. CEMEH

    CEMEH Newbie

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    ryanbomo
    This is strange and funny situation.
    I found that also it is on the Ukrainian Asus site. But there is only u47vc on the Russian site.
    So I compared the Russian and Ukrainian versions and they look the same!
    I looked at specification:
    ASUS RU
    ASUS UA

    After that I tried to compare USA and Japanese versions of site (specification too).
    ASUS US
    ASUS JP

    I see that Japanese site has only one configuration. But it's similar to one of the configurations on the USA website.
    So I am sure that this is one and the same device.
     
  36. ryanbomo

    ryanbomo Newbie

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    Cool, thanks.

    The mail man should be bringing it either tonight or tomorrow night, so I'll post some pictures sometime this week when I get it all up and running. But yea, seems to be the exact same.
     
  37. zxerosky

    zxerosky Newbie

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    Hey, guys

    back with a weird one, I have been having a strange issue with my optical drive
    its not a performance issue.

    but a external ejection button issue; if i press the eject button, the drive wont eject... but if I select it through the computer
    it ejects just fine, and for awhile the button will eject the optical drive.

    and weirder still if i push the eject button and then close the lid, it ejects.

    I installed win 8 pro once i got the machine and was wondering if it may have had an adverse effect on it or if it could be something else?

    again thanks in advance
     
  38. Vergilius

    Vergilius Notebook Enthusiast

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    It is entirely too easy on most laptop optical disk drives to think you're hitting the external eject, but in fact, to be missing it. I'd review it to see if you are in fact hitting the external eject. I'm not sure Windows 8 can cause a problem like this. I've heard of driver issues, but this would be a first.
     
  39. TheRayman

    TheRayman Newbie

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    Hey gg007, did you and the other forum members get to the bottom of this issue? I'm experiencing the same thing. I've tried forcing the laptop to sleep or hibernate, and it still decides to not to turn on when the power button is pressed.
     
  40. bcmp

    bcmp Notebook Enthusiast

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    Yes I did. After 3 RMAs. It appears to be a MOBO issue, however I can't confirm that. After the first RMA, my unit came back with a new MOBO and it worked fine for about a week after which it died again. The result of the second RMA was another new MOBO...and a broken Backlit Keyboard upon receipt of the unit. Third RMA: New screen (which I think they broke while servicing), but they didn't do anything else. My unit with Replacement MOBO # 2 Is going strong after a month. It really appears to be this problem. I would recommend calling Asus support to get a RMA.
     
  41. bcmp

    bcmp Notebook Enthusiast

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    But does it make some low sounds when you put your ear within a meter of it?
     
  42. OV10stang

    OV10stang Notebook Consultant

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  43. CEMEH

    CEMEH Newbie

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    Did somebody try to install 16GB (8x2) RAM ?
    What do you think about?

    And my be somebody try to replace DVD with SSD ?
     
  44. CEMEH

    CEMEH Newbie

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    Yes, I did it.
    I installed 16GB (8x2) of RAM.
    It's works!
     
  45. Vergilius

    Vergilius Notebook Enthusiast

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    I'd assume standard operating distance is less than a meter. I might get the odd temporary sound, but that's an exception rather than the rule.
     
  46. OV10stang

    OV10stang Notebook Consultant

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    I've had mine for about 2 weeks now, thought I'd report in and also share some issues I had.
    This laptop on day one was nothing but trouble... Internet explorer would crash constantly, and no matter what I did didn't help...disabled all add-ons, updated all drivers and o/s updates, even Windows itself crashed a few times. I could have just reloaded it, but instead I decided to load Win8 Pro, with a clean install about a week ago. All has been ok since then, although I did have IE crash once, everything has been mostly rock solid. I only made it a few days before I downloaded a program that added a start button/menu... I'm not too impressed with Win8, but that's got nothing to do with this laptop... All seems good now though, startup is quick, everything seems pretty snappy.
    With bios version 405, once and a while when starting the laptop, as I pressed the power button, everything would just go dead. All lights, battery charge light, everything out... I had to remove the battery, press and hold the power button, reinstall the battery, then it would start normal. I found that after updating the bios to version 406, that problem seemed to be mostly fixed, except it happened again the other day when changing the memory size for the graphics in the bios, I hit save and exit, and it died right there the same way. After a reset, and under normal use now, it seems to be ok.
    The USB 3.0 ports for some strange reason can't power my 1TB Passport drive. Tried driver updates in Win7, which helped it last longer before disconnecting, but eventually it would start to disconnect over and over.... After loading Win8, still the same. I researched this and tried everything including firmware updates... it's a no-go. Works fine on the USB 2.0 port though...
    I upgraded my ram to 16 gigs without any problem at all. Sys reports 16 gigs in the bios and Windows. After owning other laptops that were a complete pain to upgrade, I'm glad this laptop is much more upgrade friendly. Just pull out 1 screw, pop the cover, and you are looking at your ram and hard drive.
    I like the keyboard and touchpad and the solid feel of the laptop in general. The screen is good, not outstanding, just good. I tested the 620m with the original Crysis demo that I found on an older external drive. It ran smoothly with all settings on high (no aa) at max screen res, which I thought was pretty good for a low end dedicated card in an "almost-ultra-portable" laptop.
    When I downloaded the latest drivers for the intel graphics, my experience score dropped from around a 6.4 to 5.8, which is more realistic, if not optimistic for that chipset.
    My next project is to figure out why my new Microsoft wireless mouse 3500 eats batteries......
     
  47. PeterPlague

    PeterPlague Newbie

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    I bought the ASUS U47VC from Newegg in August 2012 and I have been having the exact same problem. When I close the lid and try to put the computer in sleep mode, when I open the lid I see a glow of light coming from the power button then nothing. The only way to get the computer to work is to dissconnect the battery and connect it back again. After doing this, the screen appears asking me if I want windows to start up normally again and I hit enter and all is well. I can't believe I actually found someone else who has the same problem, ecause I have called ASUS tech support several times, asked for a supervisor, and they said they have never heard of this type of problem. They gave me a RMA number to send it back to them, but since I use it daily for business and spent several days configering it exactlty the way I like, I am just putting up with the problem. I disconnect the battery almost every time I use the computer, and never use the sleep mode anymore. I feel if I did send my computer back they would just replace the motherboard or send me a new computer that would just have the same problem. At least I know I'm not the only person who has this problem. If anyone finds a solution please let me know. Thanks in Advance, Peter
     
  48. gg007

    gg007 Notebook Enthusiast

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    Hi Peter,
    I completely understand.
    I would now think long and hard before purchasing an Asus product again. I finally have a U47VC without problems after FOUR RMAs!
    I'm a business owner and I use my laptop for demos to client. The power issue was simply not acceptable.

    ASUS did not seem to care about the huge inconvenience caused by both the RMAs and the notebook's power problems were causing. After one RMA... the backlight no longer worked...had to RMA again. Ridiculous.

    After the third RMA I had to plead for a replacement unit. They finally agreed. I was without my new laptop for about 45 days in all.

    ASUS: I'm not impressed with you. Try to put yourself in the shoes of your customers and if you're going to claim you provide great customer care and service... try to walk the talk.
     
  49. OV10stang

    OV10stang Notebook Consultant

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    Peter,

    Have you tried the new bios update yet? That seems to have fixed the problem for me.
     
  50. gg007

    gg007 Notebook Enthusiast

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    Thanks for piping in Stang.
    For the record, I had done this at the first sign of the problem with no effect. Also, there is another member here who had his RMAd three times... he's actually on his fourth now.

    My hunch is that there was batch of these notebooks (big batch) which exhibit the problem due to a manufacturing/engineering fault.
     
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