N56vz review and owners lounge - Techno Art

Mine is May 2012 as well. I am not having any noise issues, so I would make sure you get this solved or get another one. You shouldn't have to put up with it.

I also enabled USB charging just to try it, and still no noise. I do suspect there is some type of voltage leak in this design though. My jumpy touchpad when plugged into certain two prong outlets just screams of a slight charge buildup. Thankfully, it's not coming out in my speakers and it's rare. The second I go on battery or plug into a grounded outlet, the issue goes away.

I do really like this laptop. It seems to be a great balance. I hope you can resolve your issue.

 

Thanks guys for all your testing and responses - here's what I found out.

It's unfortunate, other times I went to get service it was an ASUS Service Center with a showroom and a very nice comfortable location. Now it looks like they outsource to "Supercom" and it was really stark and the people there... weren't as well informed.

First thing they did was say that they needed to get a manager so I could show him the problem. I showed him the subwoofer and he asked "Oh, are you sure it should plug in to that port? That's what goes there? Oh."

And following this, I showed him the noises and he agreed - he said there was a problem but it was probably the Woofer. He went to the RMA desk and got one that he said just had plastic damage - I went to plug it into the laptop and I saw the plug was half gone - he said "Oh, that's why they sent it in then! I thought it was just the plastic!"

Following that, he then went and got another woofer from another N56 that someone had sent in for the speakers not working. When we tested with that, it was exactly the same.

So at the end of the process he said he would need to take it apart and diagnose the issue - they wanted me to sign it over and were asking me if I was ok with wiping the system etc... I still have 1 day to return to Best Buy for a full refund though - so I told her "it's ok - I'll just take it back." I'll report the issue when I do return it and they may investigate it when they refurbish it.

So I think I will unfortunately - it was nice otherwise, there is that and a few other minor things - I'm really looking at ordering one of the new i7-3630 models tomorrow since one place is selling them for $50 less than what I spent on this one and I'd have the ADW - if I can get one that works properly like Divot's - I think I'll be quite happy - thank you for your input - and sorry Vaikis that it doesn't help you too much, bu they really don't know about the issue it seems - I can give you my case # if you like if you report it though and if you follow through with it please let me know how it goes. We can hope it goes away with Windows 8 maybe - else it's hardware unfortunately and I hope they can help you resolve it well.

Thanks Kourosh, I think I know now - with my old computer it would remain off if I pressed that button until I pressed it again. With this one though, I think my hand or palm might have brushed against the touchpad or touched the desk and moved the mouse ever so slightly and that instantly brings the screen back up. I'd like to be able to change it to not to do so - to only come up if I press a button - do you know if that's possible somehow to change a setting somewhere to react like that? I know there is the option to "allow the device to wake the computer up", but that is already disabled.

Thanks again everyone. Before I took the laptop back to the service center, I put the original ODD back in and replaced my SSD with the original HDD. Using it now with the default factory Windows install - it feels like a totally different beast now - and the (now once again untamed) touchpad is driving me crazy with all sorts of random clicks. Even doing all this though, the issue still happens - and my Alt key is rebelling again - so it's going back. But I hope to be back soon.

HyperPi - 1M 19.399s average on 8 cores
HyperPi - 1M 12.910s average on 1 core

3DMark11 - P2323

Thanks,
Peter

 

Peter please PM me RMA number and serial that I could lookup in Asus web page, thanks.

 

i want xotic to do a clean install, but idk what'll be left. what did you/ what should i be installing as soon as i get the laptop? would i be better off just not doing a clean install, and just deleting any bloatware when i get it?

-extreme novice

 

You'd be better off doing a clean install and installing the drivers yourself imho. Are you going to upgrade to an SSD? That's highly recommended - then you'd need a clean Windows install on it anyway.

Peter

 

ASUS 15.6" Laptop featuring 3rd Gen Intel Core i7-3630QM (N56VJ-BH71-CB) - Black : 15" Laptops - Best Buy Canada



Intel Core i7-3630QM processor and 12GB of DDR3 SDRAM

1TB hard drive

NVIDIA GT 635M graphics chipset with 2GB of DDR3 SDRAM

Pre-loaded with Windows 8

That's an example of one of the new N56V refreshes - the J model. 1 TB HDD and 12 GB of RAM is the biggest difference - too bad about the lower graphics card, but I expect to see more news on models like the N56VZ-DH71 and those with the equivalent same sort of specs as the N56VZ-DS71 soon. Release date is Oct 26; someone was asking if they are refreshing for Win8 - yes, they definitely are

Peter

P.S. I hope there is a way to switch back to the old Forum style - this new look is hideous... - changed to V-Bulletin Default Style in my General Settings - not perfect but much better.

 

..I totally want one with /13/Gb RAM, though.

Then I'd absolutely buy a new laptop if they offered /13 and a half/Gb RAM.

Because that's just how interested I am in the very latest and greatest tech!

 

The details I've read on the VZ models is that it still has 8 GB of 8 GB of supported memory - that's why I found it interesting that this other model explicitly comes with 12.

Peter

 

In France and Switzerland some on-line shops list new N56VZ versions with Windows 8, i7-3630QM and 16 GB RAM.

ASUS multimédia N56VZ S4244H noir - Achat/Vente ASUS multimédia N56VZ S4244H noir - RueDuCommerce

Asus ASUS N56VZ-S4238H, Intel i7-3630QM, 16GB,

 

Cool, even better . interesting too, that first link mentions 8GB of cache memory, is that a hybrid drive? The models I'm seeing are 7200rpm now, so louder.

Peter

 

Seems strange ASUS has such variation in its models and configurations. In some ways it's nice to have chioce. But on the other hand, they seem pretty disorganized about both communicating what is available and labeling those options clearly

 

..not really. They all had "up to 16Gb" supported in the beginning. Until some genius figured out it was better to change the specification sheet (after the laptop launched), rather than spend 10 minutes tweaking the bios.

That some other genius is going to turn up and offer one Gb more ram in each new sku - because "the market" wants it, and needs a bigger number instead of new revisions - was predictable.

 

Yes, it should be an hybrid drive.

Here in Italy we already have versions with a Seagate Momentus ST750LX003-1AC154 hybrid drive, 750 GB with an 8 GB SSD cache, at 7200 rpm.
I don't know ho much noisy they are.

 

Does someone here knows how to Dual Boot this laptop?
I've been trying and i just can't do it, i know i have to boot in UEFI mode but it doesn't do anything. I made some search's and found that in most BIOS there is an option for enabling UEFI, but i can't find it, I've already downloaded the latest BIOS update and its the same.

Does someone knows how to fix this?

 

I created a new thread for the specific discussion of the Windows 8 N56VZ model I received this afternoon - I know it's not too different but I figured it would be better than interrupting people with questions they need help here.



http://forum.notebookreview.com/asu...es/693042-n56vz-dh71-n56vz-w-windows-8-a.html

Thanks,
Peter

P.S. Ha! My subwoofer problem is there right out of the box - and it's even worse - figures .

 

You can take a look at the guide in my signature.

Essentially you have three options:
1. remove the EFI-partition, replace it with a standard mbr-setup.
2. resize the GUID/efi-partition to get some spare space, install the next OS in a new guid partition, and add/boot that partition from the Asus efi.
3. resize the GUID partition.., install the new OS, and add a new EFI bootloader/manager (like rEFIt). Then launch the different boots from that EFI-loader.

 

The problem is that i can't boot using UEFI, I've already did the partition, the boot DVD is working fine in normal mode but in UEFI it simply doesn't do anything.
I've noticed that in some BIOS there is a "Enable UEFI Boot" option but this laptop doesn't has that

 

No, it does boot uefi by default. It's "legacy mode" and "EFI preferred", basically.

But it won't boot an efi if you, say, have an mbr on the first boot-device (hd1, sda), and the mbr points to something else that doesn't complete the boot. Even if you have a gdi partition with a completely valid boot on that could be chainloaded somehow.

I don't know.. Try hitting esc on the first prompt, and see if the hdd comes up with an efi and a "legacy" option first, at least..?

 

Hitting esc led me to this menu:



And my partitions are like this:



I did this without the DVD in the computer so there is no UEFI option on the menu

 

Here I see two options for booting, hard disk and optical disk.
Is there an option to make a "one time boot" from a device (e.g. an USB pendrive or external USB drive) without having to define it in advance in BIOS?

 

I think this is the way to do the "one time boot"

 

Well, there is a uefi boot point here, or it wouldn't say "Windows boot-loader". So presumably the boot-loader is launched, but then something else breaks. What.. exactly happens, anyway? It just halts? No f8-screen, anything like that. No error-message?

 

No, when i select Boot the DVD thru the UEFI mode the screen just blinks and returns to where i was. If a change it to first in boot order it just launch's windows. If I force launch it from BIOS it just blinks. Is there something that I need to change in the BIOS or anywhere else?

 

..hold on. You're trying to boot the dvd? And you've booted from that dvd earlier..?

 

anyone noticed the asus N windows 8 variants coming out with the Nvidia 635M instead of the 650M? thoughts?

 

There are both versions available... With 635 and 650.

Sent from my HTC Sensation.

 

All new Win8 versions I've seen so far in Europe have 650M.

 

Yes, i have the factory Windows 7 installed, but i wanted to try Windows 8 and tried dual booting it. The first time I tried installing the new OS the "normal" way but got stuck in the "disk in GPT error". After that I tried learning how to work with GPT and UEFI but with no luck so far

 

Yikes. I thought Win8 was supposed to work only with uefi setups.

I guess it's possible it's not going to allow you to install win8 as a second OS? That unless the hdd is clean, it just fails the setup, presuming another signed windows install is present..?

 

But I've seen people do it, maybe is something wrong with this model that it doesn't allow dual boot. But I find that very weird

 

my n56vz gpu/cpu fan suddenly turned off... and now im worry about the heat which is really high,,,anyone know how to turn it on again? just bought this laptop last month
ive try speed fan etc but it still doesnt work.. the fan keep on idle.. and cannot be detected..

 

thanks for the reply peter,

what would be the benefits of an SSD? i know it's exponentially faster, but in what regards? startup? initial loading of programs? honest curiosity.
i plan to upgrade to the 750gb 7200rpm, and the intel 6205 wireless card. I want to try djaying on this laptop, and i know most people probably have no experience ( i have none) but do you think (along with my upgrades) this would be a great setup for a novice DJ? both producing and live playing.

ALSO, i'm sorry i'm terribly lazy, but could someone direct me to the post that would help me clean install and install proper drivers? on a regular hdd if it makes any difference


thanks a ton guys

 

sorry, also, i planned to get their recovery dvd for 15 dollars, would i be better off making one myself (how?) if i have the "4X Blu-Ray Reader / 8X DVDRW/CDRW Super Multi Combo Drive "?

thanksss

 

gahhh sorry to bombard you all with questions, but i was wondering if anyone has any input on a "15.6” FHD 16:9 LED Backlit Wide screen (1920x1080) Super Clear Glare Type Screen (SKU - X1R308) - Limited Availability"? i think it's implying a glossy screen? i'd like it but i'm worried cuz nobody has discussed this screen and i don't want to deal with extra unheard-of problems...

 

SSD is fast, fast, fast - faster to boot, shut down, load files that are on it, programs, etc... and it's quieter. But most of all it's fast... super fast - so fast...fast...you get the picture.

It's got a fast CPU and it's quiet so it could work for that - advanced sound options are nice - could be some interference though - not sure - and you need to be careful to avoid distortion. I noticed it does seem to output louder than my old laptop, even without boost. The 7200rpm drive is louder than what the N56VZ-DS71 model comes with (my N56VZ-DH71 came with one by default).

For a clean install post look for it, I didn't .

Drive doesn't make a difference for that, you can make them or not, cheaper if you make them yourself - I wouldn't use them though, better to just clean install.

That's glossy - why would you want to change the screen on this - it's beautiful by default.

All the best,
Peter

 

This is a wonderful review! Good work!

 

haha gotcha, but i can't even afford a cheap ssd along with a decent sized hard drive. but is the 7200rpm drive really that loud? like obnoxiously? during games? during browsing? during heavy or light use? if i have to pick between 7200 and 5400, should i pick the 5400 because of the noise?

and are u saying i should just do another clean install as opposed to using a recover disk if something goes wrong?

 

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.

Anything else?

What you should do is get a nice 128 or even smaller SSD if that's all you can afford, and put the HDD that comes with the system (be it 7200 or 5400, whatever) into the Blu-Ray slot's spot and then only install the OS, games and other frequently used apps on the SSD and keep the HDD for storage. Best of both worlds .

There is a lot of discussion about this in this thread.

Peter

 

Hey, I have the n56VM, and turning wifi on/off

PHP:

is kind of anoying.

I press the fn+f2 keys and wifi does not turn off..I have to restar the notebook to take effect.. apart from that, the notebook is wonderful, but i have this "wifi button problem".

Any suggestions?



Thanks!

 

I have N56VZ with 7200 HDD in caddy. HDD noise is a constant whirr with no seek noise, not very noisy unless you are very sensitive to that noise. At idle is noisier than fan, al load it isn't noisier.
It's definitely a better HDD than 5400, in reviews it has good speed for a HDD and is not very hot/power hungry.
But of course, a SSD is a much, much better proposition.

 

so, after scouring this thread I have bought the win8 refresh of this laptop (will try out 8 but probably just stick 7 back on) I have also ordered a Samsung 830.... My question is this - I have a broken vaio z11 - the dual ssd in that has no casing and I think with a snug fit, could sit on top of the 830. My question is, physically is this viable? Connector wise, is it possible without losing the bluray, power/heat wise is it sensible... And well... Just overall am I being overly optimistic about this working... Feel free to tell me I'm a moron....

 

..I think the vaio drives have msata connectors..? And there's only one sata connector in the bay. So, only one drive

 

Ah that's a shame, was hoping with a bit of bodgery I could salvage some of my broken z. Ah well, move on I suppose!

 

Hey, anyone who is experiencing the Subwoofer issue (buzzing/groaning/crackling, etc..), please contact ASUS and report it - if they will recognize it as a known issue they will work on fixing it. It's quite annoying, even with the audio enabled, playing Civ V today I can very much notice the groaning as I move around the map during normal game play. I had thought I could get around the issue by unplugging the subwoofer when not listening, but this is one of my primary usage scenarios and it's still annoying as such. I've experienced it on two separate machines months apart in manufacture - I think many systems are affected. If we can get them to seriously investigate it, I think we can get a solution - be it software or hardware, improved shielding or grounding or whatever - it can't hurt any of us to get this resolved and can help quite a few.

Thanks,
Peter

 

@Nipsen

Hi Nipsen,

I have no answer at the question “Is the N56VZ throttling during the 15 mins stress test with Prime95 & FurMark running together?”

I would be glad to hear your opinion about that.

 

http://s14.postimage.org/qamz3a9jl/furmark_prime95.png

Seems he's right. Heck if I know why that happens. I've been throwing a lot at the laptop, measuring it while playing games, running benchmarks, etc. Never seen the cores get locked to 1.2Ghz, while the gpu is locked to 995Mhz like this.

Since the prime95 test on it's own will manage to push the temp to 97 degrees, it's not PROCHOT or any thermal throttling involved. Could be there's a passive trip-point - but it's too immediate to be that. Then it should hover at some specific temp, and it doesn't do that. Furmark also throttles the instant it starts. Really not sure what's going on.

 

Unless, of course, the furmark rendering engine uses a direct approach, and it disagrees with the adaptive indirect approach on the optimus cards.

 

@Nipsen

Hi Nipsen,

Thanks for the answer and the test. I don’t like the result but it’s definitely prompt and clear answer.

If N56VM & N56VZ are sharing the same cooling design and *Jonas Adams’s statement is correct about the throttling effect regarding to VZ & VM models then Asus is using different thermal policies.

*Jonas Adams review “ Review Asus N56VZ-S4044V Notebook” at notebookcheck.net

I’m curious what will be the situation if you try Unclewebb’s ThrottleStop.

 

...mm. There's no difference. Seems the cut here isn't related to temperature. And I can force it to stay at 2.4Ghz for some reason without dropping. My guess is that it has to do with the power draw somehow, but probably indirectly via the power-states. Just.. going by Asus behaviour from earlier, it has to be something very simple, and it should be some arbitrary variable put in the bios somewhere for no reason, that happens to be common over all their designs. So it really shouldn't be that much to choose from over what's causing it.

Meaning.. one likely candidate probably is the uncorepwrgood variable. That.. obviously is as well documented as any other intel feature. But what could be happening is that the boost states won't enable unless the c1 states are having a stable current reported by.. something.. on the PCH. Which actually will never happen, because it's inherently trying to run the voltage down. So it's possible that if several devices draw power on the bus over a certain level, and the states switch unevenly (which then **** up the stats-read), then boost won't enable, or will be disabled very quickly. But like explained, there's no actual lack of power (when plugged in), or temperature problems. And even when unplugged, it seems to me that the actual cut here is put too high to actually be useful to prevent real "device unstable shutdown" events.. Since, as I've said, you won't actually run into throttling from temperature, or even throttling at all when that would actually make sense.

Perhaps that's really what has been going on from the beginning - that whenever the power state is set to go into boost, the processor only ever hits boost for a very short time before being shut off. Which then lets any of the other cores jump up, etc., independently. While none of them are actually hitting any sort of limit they should be throttling at. I assumed that the reason they were jumping was that parts of the alu was idle. But that very likely isn't it. Instead it's got something to do with either the time or percentage time being in the c0 state, or the current level (v) when running towards c3-c4 (sleep/idle).

In other words - .. Asus learned how to tweak bios from a marketing manager at Microsoft at a piano lounge cocktail session. And what else is new.

I'm going to have to think a bit about this, and have a look at the bios again. It's /possible/ that I can get around this stuff without causing a potential brick. And that some couple of changes might make it possible to get near the prochot variable for the heat... which you would sort of expect should be possible.. And if so, I'll put out a modded bios. c-states behaviour, memory timing, that sort of thing. No promises, though.

 

I'm not too much worried for the outcome of such a stress test, provided that there is no significant throttling in normal (albeit heavy) work.
Did you ever measured CPU/GPU clock when running at the same time a demanding game (e.g. Crysis 2) and a CPU intensive task (e.g. Cinebench)?

This in my opinion is more interesting than the stress test, especially since you detected that Furmark has a strange behaviour, starting throttling instantly and not in relation to temperature.
Testing throttling with other heavy tasks could help to understand how much serious the issue is.