G51J-A1 Owners Lounge

Keep in mind software raid is (even) less reliable than hardware raid and gives less benefit. At least in my experience.

 

That's kinda the answer that I was looking for. Do you think that I would be better off leaving the laptop as is until I invest in a SSD? And would a single SSD be more effective than a software RAID 0 config anyway?

 

a single SSD, as long as it is a good SSD (no jmicron based controllers etc) would be FAR better than a raid based setup for noticeable improvement, hardware or software raid included. You'd probably be better off leaving the laptop as is.

 

Perfect! Thanks! That will save me the hassle of trying it and possibly failing

 

anyone know if we get a CD key for the version of Office pre-installed on the computer?

Everytime I run it, it asks for one, but I cannot find one anywhere.. not even a 'trial' key.

thanks!

 

I wonder how a generation 1 Kingston SSD would fare. I've told myself I don't need SSDs, but...

 

hey guy, i have a quesiton

when i start up the laptop, the splendid utility wont load, everytime i start up my computer, i have to press the botton to gamma correction everytime,

is there a way to fix it so that the gamma correction would load byitself at startup?

please help

 

The raid offered by Intel consumer level chipsets is really a software based raid, it's just configured via the bios. It doesn't have its own cpu controller and ram like you'd see on a traditional raid controller so you’re really not losing anything in performance or reliability. In the case of a laptop raid0 is kinda silly as a laptop gets jostled around a lot which increases the likely hood of one drive failing or developing errors. If that were to occur in a raid0 setup your pretty much SOL.

 

No key. It's strictly trialware. Save yourself some dough, uninstall it, and download OpenOffice.

 

Had RAID 0 in Gateway P-7811FX and going to a Crucial 256GB SSD sped things up like night and day. This explanation re: hardware versus software RAID makes a ton of sense; my G50Vt-A2 was dog slow with the disks in RAID 0. Save up for the SSD, you won't be sorry.

 

Try uninstalling Splendid from the Control Panel and then re-installing the latest version from ASUS's web site is the only thing I can suggest.

 

I'm thinking about buying a g51j-a1 but am struggling between it and the HP dv8t. What do you guys think?

Thanks for your time.

 

Battery is a + but GT 230M sux.
It's more a core i7 multimedia or office then gaming notebook.

 

anyone knows when is the G51J3D is going to be released ?

 

Likely within the next month I would imagine.

 

Am I the only one to think the G51J3D is kinda lackluster? I don't think the 3D screen will be worth it at all going from 1920x1080 to 1366x768. seems like a huge hit for something that'll be more of a gimmick in the long run then its worth. The 120mhz screen is kinda cool but the hit in resolution is just too big.

 

Yup that's my opinion too.

 

Hey guys, I really need your help right now.

I placed an order on GentechPc last week and today they call me to confirm my order, but the problem is, they say that they'll change the model G51J-A1 to G51JX-A1, all the same but video card changed to NV GTX 360M DDR5. It makes me confused. So please can anyone tell me if it's a good deal when the video card changed? Damn, it's my first laptop so far so i really want everything good, the machine will work perfectly.

Waiting for u guys, sorry for my bad english =))

 

as long as its the same price, then yes its a good deal as its got a slightly better RAM for the card, but the bit rate is down to 128 from 256.

 

Going to ddr5 might be a god send. The cooler tempter of ddr5 (lower voltage / smaller process) would probably help out a lot with the G51J. I wonder if the higher frequencies ddr5 runs at would overcome the 128bit vs. 256bit video memory controller?

 

Again, its all speculation that its going to run at 128 bit, so just wait and see

 

How can I customize buttons on the mouse that came with this laptop?

Thanks for help.

 

It's a Razer Copperhead rebranded by ASUS so if you install the driver from Razer's site you'll have support for whatever customization it offers. I don't use it (big Logitech mouse fan myself) but as I remember from when I did it was highly customizable via the Copperhead driver.

 

http://www.razersupport.com/index.php?_m=downloads&_a=viewdownload&downloaditemid=78&nav=0,8

avoid firmware 6.20. it freezes at random intervals for a few seconds. the drivers themselves liked to BSoD for me, so my advice is uninstall after customizing.

 

Thanks for starting the owners' lounge!
I have added it to the Info Booth and to the Reviews and Owners' Lounges Index.

E.B.E.

 

Glad to be part of the family and now even more so since it appears all the bsod i've been getting might have been solved........ too bad i sent my baby into asus a week ago should have just tuffed it out and waited for that new bios everyone is talking about ah well......

 

Hey guys,

Just got my G51J-A1 today! I updated the BIOS to make sure I have no BSOD issues but now I see there is a new model coming out Did I just waste all this money on an older gen laptop or will it still be good for another 3-4 yrs? And is the Windows 7 DVD included in the box a fresh,clean version with no bloatware? Thanks.

 

The newer model G51Jx isn't an upgrade at all....basically it's a downgrade. Inferior video card and and one less HDD...

Be glad you were still able to get a G51J.....especially since the BSOD problems have been solved with a BIOS update.

 

For anyone interested now that the BSOD has been resolved. B-com computers is selling the G51j -A1 for $1499 cdn https://www.b-com.ca/product.php?productid=225243&page=1. I just bought one and it came out to $1607 shipped to BC Canada. They said they had quite a few in stock so it might be worthwhile for someone looking to get a good deal.

 

Amazon US has new G51J listed (1 in stock) from associate e-tailer @ $1499; also the G51J3D is the basic G51J with 3d transmitter + glasses added, in stock for $1699. If you don't want to wait for the G73 (or if its a bit large for your needs) the 3D version might be the way to go... it's probably fun on the few games with 3D support, otherwise it's just a slightly more costly G51J.

 

Hi all, I have a G51J on hold at a local retailer for 1469 CAD (1,389 USD) + tax and I'm wondering if I should pull the trigger and go pick it up.

Model: G51J-A1
Screen: 15.6\" FHD (1920x1080)
Processor: Intel i7-720QM (1.60GHz Quad-Core)
Chipset: Intel PM55 + ICH9M
RAM: 4GB DDR3 1066MHz, (2GB+2GB), max. 4GB
Hard Disk: 640G 7200RPM (320G x 2)
Video Card: NV GTX 260M 1GB VRAM DDR3
Network: 802.11B/G/N, 10/100/1000
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit
Weight: 8 lbs
Optical DVD Drive: 8x Super-Multi DVDRW Dual layer
Webcamera: 2.0M
Ports (usb/fw/eSATA/IR/BT): 4/1/1/0/1
VGA/DVI/TVO/HDMI: 1/0/0/1

 

I would wait to see if the JX is a better model with that 360. It may reward your patience if it ends up being a better machine for the same price(ish).

 

Hai guys...
i have a plan to upgrade my memory (ram) asus G51J-A1 to 6GB ( 2GB 1033mhz, 4GB 1333 Mhz brand Gskill)
it's will make problems? give me your arguments please...
thx...

btw what effect if i upgrade to 6 GB? ( in my mind i will upgrade to 8GB lol )

 

Here's my experience with the G51J so far.

Day 1: taken aback by horrible screen quality, but impressed with speed
Week 2: no sound through speakers, constant BSOD playing MW2.
Week 6: GPU peaks at 108 celius one night, next morning screen is fried.

Worst laptop i've ever owned. There's a reason why the alienware is so much more expensive, i should have known. Buyers beware.

 

1) Of course it is horrible if you compare it to the most expensive ones. The screen is passable and one of the reason it is cheap.

2) The sound through speakers is an issue of hardware due to a limit switch broken. RMA it and it will be fixed in no time. BSOD has already been fixed with a BIOS update.

3) GPU temp was too high and I am surprised you didn't noticed that before. Anything above 100C is too hot so you probably got a bad unit.


Since the first sign of problems you should have send it for repairs. I was probably the very first G51J owner, and I don't see GPU temps above 92C, I have no sound problems and no BSOD thanks to the BIOS update.

 

Hello!

I want to buy Thermal Module Assembly for Asus G51J-A1, like this in G50V:
http://estore.asus.com/shop/item.asp?itemid=5041
Does any of You know where to get it?

I also now have problem with speakers:
http://www.btoforums.com/showthread.php?p=13015#post13015
I don't want to send back laptop to USA, can i fix it in Latvia-Asus-Service-Center?
ryzeki - what did You mean by this:

? Is it motherboard change?

 

DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR YOU ACTIONS.

I think Ryzeki is talking about the headphone jack being stuck. This is a pic of a larger phone plug that should give you a general idea of how it works:



An easy way to fix this is to insert and remove a headphone connector into the jack until it stops sticking. If a normal insertion and removal doesn't do it after a few tries you can stick it in halfway and push the side that is towards the rear of the case to the front as you remove it:



If this does not work you can use a small paperclip or a toothpick to GENTLY press on it and it should move back into position or pry it out towards the center of the jack a tiny bit if it's really stuck. If you shine a flashlight into the port you should see the stuck part of the connector in the middle of the jack towards the rear side of the case.



It is fragile, so again, make sure to use the utmost care.

If you are under warranty consider sending it back for an RMA if you are uncomfortable doing it yourself.

 

I have had mine since the 1st week Dec 09...very happy with it..no BSOD issue. the only thing I would siggest is to remove some of the "bloatware" BUT for sure remove Creative Audio Drivers / Software, once I removed these any "issues" I had with Bioshock .exe errors, ImGburn, ripping Programs immediately dissapeared.

 

Hi guys first post. I just purchased a G51JX-A1 from PowerNoteBooks (thanks Tim for all your patience).

I added the following to the standard config:

8 mbs 1066 ram
ICD7 compound
Intel 5300 card
US three year warranty

I have a couple questions:
1) I think I read here over the weekend that there’s an open second drive bay
2) If so, is it a problem installing a second HDD if I pick up the HDD Bracket Assy from Asus
3) Provided there is, is there a way to do a RAID config
4) I’ll be transferring from a Dell with XP, is there an easy way to get everything moved? Apparently you can’t do a direct from XP to win7

This is my first custom build and I have no experience under the hood. Any advice is greatly appreciated!

AB

 

asus locked it in at 1067 anyone who actually upgraded the ram with 1333 or better would be cool to know if it recognized it and didn't downclock it....

it's true??? or not??? please help me..

 

According to Tim at powernotebooks there are no downclocks. It will be recognized at 1333.


AB

 

1) The G51JX-A1 is a little different from the G51J-A1 and as such the 2nd HDD bay found on the JX has been redesigned to house extra RAM slots. Hers a picture of the JX with the buttom panel removed:
http://www.stuffopolis.net/UploadFolder/G51J-Inside-Boxes-BIG-justblurred.jpg
2) Yes, it would be a problem since the JX does not have a 2nd HDD bay.
3) The JX does not have RAID and the J only supports RAID in software through Windows 7.
4) I guess your best bet is to use an external HDD to transfer files and data. You'd have to reinstall all your programs all over again of course.

 

Thanks for the help

AB

 

I have a question. I took the bottom of my G51J off today to swap the second hdd for a 640gb one and noticed the round mesh that covers the fan has silver tape on it basically not allowing air through the circle mesh. Would that not be counter productive of cooling? Should I remove that silver tape that is covering the mesh?

thanks for any help

 

Is there a Direct Console utility for this model? The most recent one I saw (2.0.9) doesn't support the same features.

 

There's no directconsole, but you can install the G50 version and it will let you change the lid close action or something, but you can do that thru the power options control panel anyway. So it's useless. There's no way to turn off the lights in software.

 

Hi, all. I'm from the G51JX world... trying to decide between the J and the Jx (of course). Just a couple quick questions...

What's the max battery life you can squeeze out of this thing? I know the Jx can get almost 2 hours, is that possible with undervolting or anything of the sort on this?
Has anyone done Windows 7 RAID on this beast? Any benchmarks?
Is the BSOD issue completely resolved? I mean, no BSOD's under even the most extreme circumstances?
(Addition Did any of you guys figure out how to kill the extra fancy lights?

Thanks for any answers you guys can provide.

 

Quick question, one of the resellers is reporting that the horizontal bar on the back lid lights up and that the eSata port doubles as a USB port on the G51J. Can anyone confirm or deny this?

Thanks,
Peter

P.S.

I've read a lot about this dummy vent and how useless it is, anyone tried removing that tape?

 

Yes the horizontal bar lights up as well. The eSATA port does not double as a USB port, it's plain eSATA.

Removing the tape won't open it up, since the 'grille' is not a grille, but a solid piece of plastic.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showpost.php?p=5599861&postcount=10
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=443613
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=5804047#post5804047

The 0x124 BSOD on the G51J is fixed, nobody has reported one since the beta bios from GenTech. There are reports of the G51Jx having the same 0x124 problem and there is no fix yet:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=458464

 

I see thanks! Looks like I will be looking for some mesh to cut and put in the place of the dummy grille.