Asus ZenBook Pro UX501 Owner's Lounge

I mean I guess compared to my phone speakers they're alright...

 

About the audio yes, I thought the same thing but I think they tested it only on a hard surface not on legs or something similar.

 

Just got a UX501 (US 4k one). Had flickering screen that was not solved by battery options has mentioned before, so I'm returning it for a new one. Anyone else have this problem?

 

Tried that and a bunch of other things but it's still slow and laggy, in fact even more slow than before.

I can't figure out why it's so laggy, everything else works perfectly fine. Considering I use Lightroom extensively, this is a dealbreaker and I'm going to return it if it continues to be much slower than my previous computer.

Any more suggestions?

 

I just found out that lightroom didn't recognize the nvidia 960M graphics card and is using the intel 4600 card. That card would be fine on a non-4k screen but with the 4k it's not enough for good performance... Anyone know how to solve this?

 

I can change the graphics adapter using Nvidia control Panel. Autoselect points to integrated. I manually set it to nvidia card and checked in lightrooms settings. It works.

 

I tried that before but lightroom gave me the error "Graphics processor acceleration has been disabled due to errors" when I checked it

 

Worth checking your drivers in that case.

 

So I just got my zenbook pro for a week. The performance is awesome but the screen is not good, turning off adaptive brightness will not stop the flickering problem from time to time. Also for my laptop on the right side there is a part where the color is dimmer than other parts of the screen. And from time to time when you turn on the screen the gamma is way too high( I did not adjust it), after 3 times of reboot it changed back to normal. The screen is really a pain when the problems occur

 

I updated my driver and got the graphics card to work but Lightroom is still slow and laggy. Is the 4k display just too much to handle for editing?

 

I got the laptop after a great hesitation and here is highlights from my 3 day usage:

overall look and build quality - Great.

Display - the screen itself is great. The glossiness that I was so afraid of is not such a big deal - it's just as good as my friend's macbook imo. I have no flickering no nothing (after I turned off the auto brightness) so using the screen for extensive periods of time is not a problem. The yellow color though is a real mess but I guess you get used to it. Might be a problem if you are doing print work or professional work as I do but in such cases I usually will have it plugged it in a big screen so it's not such an issue - just looks bad indeed and annoying.

And there is a bit of a backlight bleeding but nothing to worry about.

Looking at a great 4k wallpaper, icons etc and switching to skype or something else and it looking terribly bad is quite annoying but that's not this laptop's issue - it's for any 4k display atm.

Touch screen - incredibly useful and cool! It's 2015 so it's really worth it, especially when you use your laptop in your bed or with 1 hand.

Keyboard - I'm impress with it. Probably because my keyboards have always been the thing that I bought very last and cheap and I'm used to terrible keyboard and this one actually feels good.

Gaming - I don't really plan to play any games on it but I gave it a try with League of Legends on 4k and it runs great on 60+ fps.

Overall performance - though I haven't yet used it for proper video editing and animation work performance wise it seems great.

Battery life - poor. I didn't expect it be good though. If you use it the you should be using it on battery it's more than enough. If you plan to do work on it for a longer period of time, you probably won't be in the woods and will be able to plug it in anyway.

Overall - a great laptop from what I've seen from it so far. The only major issue is the yellow color of the display - it is indeed terrible, much more that I thought it would be.

Other than that - I'm happy with it. If someone doubts going for 4k touch screen - just go for it, it's 2015 and 4k + touch is really great even with the current scaling issues which should pass hopefully sooner than later.

If anyone has questions - feel free to ask.

 

I can confirm basically everything said in the review above me. Everything is well stated. Many of the problems mentioned such as the glossiness of the display and the flexible keyboard are not as big as some people make it out to be and are very minor in my opinion. They don't both me that much. The machine performs like a beast and slices through almost every game and video editing task that i can throw at it.

However, there are a few problems that are important to note for me, which are the major cons listed in order from least important to most important:

The screen hinge is not nearly as stable as that of a macbook and tends to bounce around when I'm using the laptop on my lap or using the touchscreen. It is kind of annoying. This is partly because the screen is so heavy.

The thunderbolt to vga adapter is super tight on the laptop. After forcing it in, I found that it works fine but when I tried to take it out, it was so tight that the casing came off of the adapter. I will be getting an apple displayport to DVI adapter to see if the port is small or the adapter is too big. I am very much hoping it is the adapter and not the motherboard. Will update tomorrow.

Yellow mustard screen: This problem is very bad upon receiving the laptop. After calibrating the color, it is still not as accurate as my Macbook but it is usable.

Finally perhaps the worst issue I have had with this laptop and possible the only issue that seriously made me consider returning the laptop several times is the screen flickering issue which is really really bad. At first it seem to appear randomly; however, now I have pinpointed it to a specific cause although I have no solution. And yes I did try the power options trick mentioned earlier with no success. The problem appears after waking the computer up from sleep after a while. If I am continually using the laptop there is no screen flicker; however, If I leave the laptop sleep for 20-30 mins or so, and wake it back up the screen will start to flicker madly. This issue decays over time gradually fading away until the problem stops. I have called asus on this issue and while on the phone, updated my intel driver and the nivida graphics driver to the latest version with no success. Hopefully Asus releases an updated driver to hopefully fix this issue as it seems like a lot of other people on this board are having the same problem. It is important to note that if you simply sleep the computer by going into the start menu and wake it up immediately the flicker will not happen. Only after it sleeps for a while will the flicker start to happen. My current remedy is to never put the computer to sleep; however, I'm still waiting for Asus to hopefully fix this issue.

Aside from the screen flickering this laptop has the potential to be one of the best, if not the best valued laptop on the market. The 4k display when not flickering is super crisp and the backlight bleed is not that bad. I prefer to set the laptop at 2k resolution; however, because not many applications such as skype and premiere pro are optimized for such a high dps display such as a 4k 15 inch screen.


Also, if anyone else who has this laptop can confirm this flickering issue after waking up the device for a while, it would very much be appreciated.

 

Can confirm issue. Flickering occurs from wake-up after sleep. ASUS' solutions don't work, so I have RMA'ed my unit. Getting my new one tomorrow, so I'll see if the error still occurs. However, my friend doesn't have the problem, so perhaps we just got unlucky?

 

I can also confirm this issue. Although I've come to the conclusion it's not the sleep, but rather the display turning off that was causing mine. After setting the "Turn off the display" to Never in power options, I have not seen this issue (and I sleep my laptop constantly). When it did occur it was extremely annoying and rebooting did not seem to help, nor did updating any drivers. Waiting about 15 minutes it would dissipate over time. At first I thought it was the sleep, but after trying out the wireless display to my tv, I set the project mode to "second screen only" and noticed that the flickering occurred once I switched back and the laptop screen came back on. When I'm working at a desk, I connect it to a Dell D3100 docking station and run with dual 2K monitors and the laptop lid closed. With the lid closed, the display looks to be off, but I don't get the flickering when opening. I'm not sure what the difference is that it doesn't cause the flickering.

I can confirm the poor yellows, but only on the laptop display. The yellows on my 2K monitors look fine. I've also connected to a coworkers dual 4k monitors and they look fine too.

The only other issue I've had is the touch screen gets disabled occasionally and I have to go into device manger and re-enable it. I haven't investigated it any further.

One other nuisance is the power adapter. I cannot find a spare one. I'd like to leave one on my desk and keep one in my bag. Apparently, ASUS kept the same model number (PA-1121-28) for this laptop's adapter, but changed the size of the connector. Previous versions, including the ones available at ASUS and Amazon have a 5.5mm connector, but the one I received is 4.5mm. The ones available for purchase obviously won't fit and I'm a little leery of trying a universal one.

All that being said, no laptop is perfect and I've been very happy with this one.

 

It seems my laptop is having boot trouble.

When I boots the laptop from a 'cold state' (powered off and not used for hours), the laptop only shows an empty black screen after power is on. No ASUS logo (indicates UEFI fails to load, I assume), windows, anything.
Only after one or several re-starts, the laptop boots normally... I have a feeling this is a power issue.

I emailed to ASUS technical team, and probably may request RMA. Though I bought this laptop from Amazon just weeks ago and still within 30 days for return/replacement window. I am not sure which way is best for me.

Thank you for the answer.

 

Like many guys out here, I too bought the ux501. I got the fhd model with 4gb 960m.
Been using it for a week now and it's just wonderful. I don't have the yellow issue or the screen flickering for that matter.
Overall it's a great laptop and is super fast...no lag whatsoever.
The only con - The keys register a push only in the centre. I am a programmer and use the keyboard a lot. It just dosent register clicks when pushed in the corners...but yeah its not a huge issue.
Also played f1 2014 for a while and experienced no problems.

 

I just bought this brand new yesterday. Since this afternoon, my keyboard has become almost unusable. I have not installed any new updates since last night, and it was working fine this morning.

Example problem (they are myriad problems though!). If I type the letter 's,' the cursor automatically goes back to the beginning of the line (as if
I've pressed shift + home). The number 7 on the number pad doesn't work when I press it, although it does randomly start acting as if I am holding it down when it feels like it, resulting in wor777777...ds like this. The left shift key being pressed with the '0' key also highlights all text etc.

Randomly, in more than one program, the cursor will act as if the up arrow/page up button is being permanently pushed. E.g. if I want to click on the third song in my music player, it will automatically play the first song, I can't move the cursor anywhere other than the top of the bar.

The only way to pause these problems is to toggle the num lk/scr lk key, but that only replaces one of the problems with one of the others.

Can I fix this myself, have such problems arose with other users? Or must I take it back to the store? I'd rather try to solve it independently as I am in Taiwan and customer service here can be somewhat lacking at times... Thanks in advance for any help or advice.

Please excuse any typos, but I have an excuse! Very miffed at the moment.

 

Not sure what might be causing it....but sure is a faulty keyboard.
Get it to asus service soon.

 

Maybe I ask where you bought it? I can't find any FHD models anywhere Also what kind of SSD/HDD is in there?

 

Yeah I believe the screen issues are only really present with the 4k Samsung Glossy panel. So if you get the FHD model you shouldn't have any problems with the display. I was just hesitant to get the FHD model because I personally don't like the look of the matte panel and the 8gb of Ram didn't seem that attractive to me.

 

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2488149,00.asp

PCMag review, "Excellent" rating

but again, the sound portion is interesting:

"To either side of the keyboard are Asus's ICEpower speakers (developed in partnership with Bang & Olufsen). The sound quality is quite high, and the clarity and richness are exactly what you would expect from a premium laptop."

 

It's available in saudi. Has 1 tb hdd. User can add ssd though.

 

Just got my replacement. Screen error not present, so I'm guessing it's only a unit-by-unit problem

 

It's a bit bad on asus that their quality check can't find out defective units.(there are so many cases).
On a positive note, you got a replacement. Cheers !

 

I bought the 1080p cheap model in Saudi Arabia.
I don't have for a long time but my impressions are:
1. Overall it's a fair price and I think good value for money. (cost a little over 1000$ - 4300 SAR)
It has a shorter battery and a 1TB HDD is installed.
But it can receive a fast M2 SATA (80mm) for your Windows (I've ordered one)
(asus has a software tool that can transfer the factory partition to a new drive with the use of a USB key. I hope it works)
The 128GB M2 costs about 80$, I went for a 250GB about 130$, the extra fast Samsung (PCI x4) is too expensive and fast enough only at 256 & 512 sizes).
I didn't check it much, but according to CPU-Z the 4GB video Ram can be used by the intel card (since the CPU has a lot of cache memory). I believe the NVidia 960M only uses 1GB.
I think that's the case with all models and 4GB is a marketing "error"
Also on this machine, the single DDR3 RAM slot is occupied, so to increase RAM you have to remove the factory installed dimm ...didn't know that before I ordered for RAM ;(
To open the cover you need a T4 (four) Torx screwdriver and 2 Philips screws under the rubber legs.
2. 1080p touch screen is really too glossy.
Seating close to a window in daylight can make it partially a mirror
In controlled environment it's a decent screen with good viewing angles
3. the sound is crystal clear but yes, it lacks bass compared eg. to Lenovo's laptops big size speakers.
on windows it sounds a little muffled, but when starting a game it's loud enough
4. the keyboard is usual US with Arabic characters added.
the backlit is not impressive. it leaks a lot around the keys and the actual letter signs aren't perfect uniformly illuminated. It has 3 levels.
haven't tested many games but it seems comfortable.
5. the aluminum bottom cover is getting hot, really hot during games.
can NOT be hold on the lap when playing a demanding game.
I think they used aluminum as a heat spreader to reduce size of cooling system.
I appreciate a lot the simple and sturdy enough design.
When removing the bottom cover you can access easily EVERYTHING.
my only fear for long term future damage is the somewhat loose power connector, but I think repair can be easy because of design

 

Keep in mind that versions with SSD/HDD combinations may only include a M2 SATA III and is NOT compatible with PCIE x4 SSDs.

 

On an unrelated note to anything I've said before, does anyone know a good way to reduce thermal throttling? GTA V and BL2 (on high) both makes the laptop hit the GPU temp of 79C, which causes it to throttle. I'm thinking of using a laptop cooling pad, but IDK if that will be effective.

 

Try propping up the back feet of the machine with plastic bottle cap sized supports.

 

Does anyone have any indication when this may be available in Europe / UK?

 

Ouch. I hadn't ever put mine in sleep mode (just power off power on) so I didn't notice until now. Same exact problem; flicker when wake from sleep mode. Adaptive brightness turned off in both Intel and power options. How was the RMA process?

 

My UX501 arrived two days ago and I was waiting for response from ASUS prior to posting. I had two questions:

I could not find reference to the solid state harddrive... it turns out that it is the 512GB SM951. I have the same SSD in my desktop... had to order from Australia. The second question is still unresolved, yet. ASUS stated that the display port socket is a display port and not a Thunderbolt. The laptop has a Thunderbolt icon at the port... still not sure. I've confirmed with Western Digital that their protable Thunderbolt drive can work under Windows, but, still not sure if the laptop will take it.

Have 'burned' the system in stressing the drive, processor, graphics and memory without a glitch. Only ran Furmark for 2-1/2 minutes and the graphics card card 'steady state' temperature was 78C,,, almost cook eggs on it. I couldn't set it up to use the 4K display with Furmark.

The display is incredibly sharp. There is no issue with a 'yellow' tinge to the screen and the laptop is solid... no indication of flexibility. It is also very fast. Screen brightness is very dependent on the laptop being charged (not in a charged state, but being plugged in).

I don't like touchpads and my Logitech MX Master Bluetooth mouse works like a charm. Installed without a hiccup. Just set the pointer size a little bigger and to change colour. Used a Bluetooth mouse to free up a USB port.

Installed a 64GB SD card to use for data storage. It projects about 5/8" (16mm) and could get 'broken' off... poor design feature.

I have a bit of a problem with Win8.1, but getting used to it. Win10 may be an issue because MS will 'force' upgrades with 'nothing' being optional, except for enterprise edition. MS can install programs on the desktop that cannot be removed and there is no choice. Might revert to Win 7.

Still running benchmarks and will let you know.

Very pleased that I got it... even if I had to wait for 3 weeks backorder.

Dik

 

Just for clarity, is this with FHD or 4k panel?

 

It defaults to 3840x2160.

With Furmark, I set it to 2560x1440; I couldn't run it with 3840.... Did that answer your question?

 

is there a different chipset/controller in these models, that doesn't support the PCIEx4 ?

this laptop isn't taking air in or out from the bottom, right?
both intake and exhaust slots are between the body and screen, so propping up would really help?
those bases with fans would effectively cool it down.

 

I meant about PCIEx4 M2 SATA, like the Samsung included.
You can buy it or similar aftermarket.
Not standard size SSD disk.

 

I guess it's 4k UHD. If your display really has no issue with yellow, it could mean ASUS is finally using a different panel in newer manufactured models. (very optimistic thinking)

Yeah, thermal paste is probably the way to go.

 

My laptop has the Samsung SM951 which is the PCIex4 M.2 drive, and as I noted is the same one in my desktop on an ASUS Maximus VII Impact board... it's one really fast SSD. The 951 is small...only about 1"x1/8"x3" and the laptop must have an M.2 socket that is not SATA.

Dik

 

The vents are just under the lid, it will help it breathe a little better.

 

Can you maybe provide a picture of the screen with some white on the display? If possible with an external display additionally in the picture. Would be great if Asus finally fixed that problem.

 

Something like the attached?

 

Just

Just my opinion and advice. Win 8.1 is really good with this beautiful touchscreen. Win7 and win10 will remove this experience. Keep win 8.1

 

Thanks... used Win8.1 most of yesterday and once you get past a few 'bumps' I'm getting used to it. May have been hasty. Still have issues with Win10 due to MS 'control'. Have loaded most of the software I use... a couple to go.

The touch screen is nice, but, mostly use keyboard and mouse.

Dik

 

I'd be surprised if windows 10 was worse with touch than 8.1, but you can always try it and move back if you don't like it.

 

If you look at the specification page for UX501 from the Asus Global page, you'll see both SATA III and PCIE x4 SSD listed. AFAIK, models with 4K displays and 6-cell battery comes with PCIE x4 SSD. There is at least one person on this form who bought a FHD/4-cell battery/HDD+SSD model and found the M.2 slot won't support PCIE x4. Just something to be aware of when you make a purchase.

 

Sorry if my reply is late. I bought my laptop via Costco (since they had it on sale + warranty), so I just returned it and bought another unit in the same day.

 

My laptop giving battery errors. 2nd time it doesnt charge above a certain percentage. Now its charging very slowly.

I dont know whether to blame Asus or pain in the @ss Voltage fluctuation in my country. Im pissed!

 

Hello, Everyone.
There are many negative opinions about this laptop. Last week I got mine in US and decided to write positive one.
Previously, I already had Asus UX31A, with i7, it is still working perfectly, even after few accidents with water and falling on the floor from 1.2m (no damage at all, very successful descent).
Now the UX501 has almost no problems with operation. 4K screen is good in general, yellow had small problem (hard to recognize if you don’t know where to search), and the calibration helped to make it much better. There is no flickering in any operation, it works well.
Laptop is very silent; you can hear it only when CPU is loaded highly. It works around 5-6 hours from the battery with WiFi and 50% brightness.
People, there is nothing perfect in this world, and this machine is not perfect. However, it definitely costs its price.

 

Is the stock coming soon? Official asus site has been out of stock for ages

 

Amazon deliveres fast by same price as Asus Store.

 

Is this going to be coming out on the official site anymore? It went available a week ago before going out of stock immediately after...been like this for months.. Does anyone have any news on it