Official S96S Owners Lounge

XP 32 bit / 156.09 for ASUS:
http://www.laptopvideo2go.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=14464

Vista 32 bit / 162.22 for ASUS:
http://www.laptopvideo2go.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=13874

Vista 64 bit / 162.22 for ASUS:
http://www.laptopvideo2go.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=13873

Suspend / Hibernate only works with these drivers for me.

Well satdog, I didn't tweak anything I just use Power4Gear with Battery Saving mode. Try terminating the processes that prevent your CPU going to sleep. For instance in my case, the HP Assistant jigmabob-whatever that came with my printer, MSN Messenger and some updater thing prevented it. Those with the teeee-ing sound can determine if the CPU has time to sleep, as it whines when it entered the lower sleep states.

Maybe undervolting, tweaking the P-states, enabling C5 and C6 sleep states and having the latest windows updates (there are some power management related fixes worth installing) improves battery life a little bit.

As a sidenote, under Linux there is a fantastic tool called PowerTOP, those who are running Linux and don't know it yet should definitely try it, it is a superb tool to optimize battery life, I wish Windows had something like this.

-

Anyone with a CPT display? I would like to know if it has better viewing angles and is it better overall.

I've got the CMO glare one, it's all nice and stuff but I'm not too comfortable with the horizontal viewing angle. At least it does not have the negative black effect it only gets a little darker when viewing sideways.

 

oh alright. I will try to play with the settings.

All other Asus S96S owners. what is your battery life? under the following conditions
1.Power saver mode
2.Brightness minimum
3.Wireless on
i get around 1:40 to 1:50 on a 6cell. Again, i will try playing around with those settings mentioned above

 

I forgot to mention the drivers, those should be updated as well. Worth a try, maybe they fix power management issues if any. The ATK driver was also buggy for me, after 30 minutes I couldn't turn off Bluetooth no matter what I did, the radio was still on.

 

hey guys, i just discovered an odd problem with some drivers i think i have for my laptop. so i was just board at work and i was looking through my device manager like the nerd that I am when I get board. anyway noticed that next to my 1394 Net Adapter. there is an Exclamation mark (!). which i haven't seen before. and when I go to my network connections, there is usaly a box with the 1394 net adapter in it that I usually keep off until I amgoing to use it. but today it wasnt there. I am at work now so i don't have my driver cd with me to just try re-installing that.... is this the problem? Have the drivers some how got un-installed? weird I guess.... any suggestions?

Thanks again for being so helpful. this is by far the most genuinely hepfull forum community I have been apart of.
Tom






also on a side note!
so i used to love www.torrentspy.com but now it doesnt allow US people from getting on. is there something i can do or some website i can go on that will disguise me enough to make them now know i am from the US and therefore be able to access their site?
thanks!

 

i don't even have that underneath network adapters. the only 1394 is under the IEEE1394 bus host controller. try installing the ricoh card reader driver from intel website.

 

I am unable to flash it with the asus utility... can you tell me what you did to make it work?! i get the same error as before... =(

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showpost.php?p=2467189&postcount=7

thanks to socketbind for doing this

 

guys, is there a way to activate the hotkeys, when I press it it won't work

 

did u try the latest ATK hotkey drivers on intel website? that should fix the problem

 

eviko,

I just downloaded the v205 BIOS and ASmobile Update Utility from here:
http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Fil...dows* XP Professional&lang=eng&page_nbr=1#BIO

Then selected Update BIOS from a file, and pointed it to the .ROM file (0205.ROM) that was in the archive (0205.ZIP). I didn't expect too much, but to my suprise it said that the ROM has a correct format and it is ready to flash. The flash went on without any problems.

 

Hey all!

I've been researching like crazy for quite a while now, and I'm soon to make my purchase. The S96S is right at the top of my list of "bang for the buck" systems, so I'd appreciate any opinions and suggestions that you may have for me, and feel free to PM if you like!

I have been also considering the IFL90, but since I'm not a big gamer, just CSS, and a few strategy games, I don't think the extra few hundred $ for the IFL would be worth it for me, what do you think?

I'm also waiting to see what the deal will be on the MSI - MS-163A (GX600) when it's released, which I think will be soon, but my impression is that the S96S is a higher quality machine.


btw
Don't forget to read my FAQ,
here --> http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=169186

 

that is so weird... when i did the exactly same thing that you did, i got the same error saying the bios framework has changed... i am running vista business 32-bit...

 

Well anyway, I have created a new ISO based on the one that was created by Cas.

Bootable DOS CD image containing S96S v205 BIOS and flashing tools

How to use:
(As always, I take NO responsibility for ANY damages caused by doing these steps, altough it worked perfectly for me.)
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showpost.php?p=2467189&postcount=7

Mirrors:
http://www.filefactory.com/file/d057c0/
http://www.sendspace.com/file/ojmyr8
http://myfreefilehosting.com/f/0952981598_3.06MB
http://www.mediafire.com/?8gyhmtrly6d
http://rapidshare.com/files/59559353/s96sbios205cd.iso.html

 

S96s is good sturdy machine. The only game is play is cs:s(occasionally madden and other rpg). In CS:s graphics and performance is smooth(i get 115fps in VST test using 158.45drivers).The laptop looks better in person than in pictures. The laptop won't turn heads, but it is a wolf in sheep's clothing. Like all other laptops, it has some minor issues. 1. Tee noise(Rmclock fixes this) 2. Keyboard has flex(but for normal usage, i don't have complaints). 3. Right palm gets warm( extra warm during gameplay)
You can also check out asus f9dc, F3ka-A1(or X1).----(F3Ka A1 has HD 2600 graphics which alot more powerful). But all of these models are AMD dual core not C2d(i am not sure if will see big diff in real world usage, may during gaming)

S96s doesn't have the first year free accidental damage coverage

 

It seems that all of the new Intel based systems have the curse of the Teeeee sound, this is ridiculous!

Why is everybody not sticking to Intel for this?

If AMD wasn't such a joke they could have really capitalized on this!

 

I was wondering what is the software we use for the webcam?

and also what model is the S96S...because when I go to asus' site, I can't find a S96S series....

 

s96s is made by asus for the VBI program (verified by intel) youll need to go to Intel.com for support/drivers.

 

I have the D-Max webcam...I found the VideoView and that records video but I don't see any option for taking pictures...is there a seperate software for that?

 

isnt that for the sd memory card?
the thing that isnt working for me is the micro fire wire. and i dont see an install driver on the install cd that came with my laptop... anyone have any suggestions?

 

so i am curious... are there any real improvements with this bios update?

 

Im still having trouble with my 1394 Net Adapter #2 in my device manger menu. it says it is "on OHCI Compliant IEEE 1394 Host Controller"
and there is a yellow exclamation point next to it. i tried re-installing my intel chipset software, the lan drivers, and the multi card reader. i cant get it to work!
does anyone have this hardware too and could possibly just zip the drivers for it and post it somewhere for me to install it?
i tried installing all the drivers that came on the cd for my laptop but it didnt fix it...
hmm

 

here is a screeny of my device manager

anybody else having the same problem as tomgrm?

 

man, im really confused by this, i know it is my firewire card so i assumed it would be on the asus website because its built into my asus mobo... im thinking im going to call the manufacturer if i cant get it to install it by monday.

 

it could be just xp, have u tried the firewire port? IF u have camcorder or other devices that utilizes the firewireport, u can give it a shot to see if the firewire port is functioning.

 

the strange part is that when i first recived the laptop it said it was installed, then i had to reformat because of a lame virus and the install cd didnt contain any drivers for it.... ill have to find some firewire device and try that .

 

I have the same "problem" with the 1394 Net Adapter and did some research.

Looked it up on pcidatabase.com:

Device Id Chip Description Vendor Id Vendor Name
0x0832 IEEE 1394 (4 pin firewire) chip) 0x1180 Ricoh Company, Ltd.

So it is manufactured by Ricoh but there is no separate driver, mainly because XP includes a universal driver that works for all Firewire chipsets. There is no need to install anything for Firewire to work.

I guess there is no way to fix this and for me it doesn't cause any problems. Anyway, I disabled the 1394 Host Contoller as I never use it.

 

but if i ever do use it, windows xp should be able to use it even though it says there is no driver installed for it?

 

Well, I don't know for what a 1394 Net Adapter is good for, but any Firewire device will work without any problems.

 

can anyone give me a complete guide in how to change from vista to xp....since I have a little problem with installing xp

when I tried to install XP, the setup said it can't find a hard drive to install the OS on....anyone know why? if anyone have any ideam please supply a guide with step by step...thank you

 

so... did anyone tried flashing their bios with the ISO socketbind made?

 

Thank you very much, it works!... will i have the same problem when I will use linux? if the answer is yes.... do you know any solution under ubuntu?

Thanks again!

 

csky12, I am in the works to prepare a FAQ which will cover the fix for the issue you are having step-by-step. For the time being, the solution is to integrate SATA (ahci) drivers into your Windows installation media using nLite. (nliteos.com) Alternatively, you can get an USB Floppy Drive from somewhere, and make a driver disk. The utility to make a driver disk is on the Driver CD, under Drivers\AHCI\Makedisk.

LucasTrapaza, the problem persists on Linux, but it is much easier to fix and there are two ways to do it, if the first one doesn't work.

1. Unload the UHCI Host Controller Driver. (Recommended)

As root, type:
rmmod uhci_hcd

But you will lose all USB 1.1 functionality. Of course, modprobe-ing' it back will restore it. To make this change permanent you can put this line in /etc/rc.local or blacklist the driver in /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist

2. Limit CPU sleep states.

echo 2 > /sys/module/processor/parameters/max_cstate

Fixes the problem for sure, but it will cost you battery life. To make it permanent place this line in /etc/rc.local or modify /boot/grub/menu.lst to include this kernel parameter:

processor.max_cstate=2

-

And of course, this works on any Linux distribution.

 

when i use these settings, the TEe noise is much lower and is only audible when i put my ears near the keyboard. Since c4 is not disabled, battery life is extended a bit.

 

oh okay, thanks for the reply!

 

Just discovered a problem, when i plug in the ac, the battery charging red light is not coming on, the battery is at 58%. Does this mean it is not charging my battery? HELP HELP!

 

wait sorry ignore the above post, i got paranoid, it is now charging.

 

haha, ignored...

 

I would like to request something.

D-Tek Camera Driver + Wireless Console 2

These are included on the Driver CD, could anyone upload these two things for me?

 

Some useful information for those who are running Linux on this notebook:
http://socketbind.drogos.hu/asus-s96s/

 

I am getting this build for $1270-1280 CND (before 14% tax). You think its worth it?

T7500 (+ Arctic Silver 5)
2 x 1Gb RAM
200 Gb Hitachi Travelstar 7K200 (7200 RPM, but very energy efficient, low on noise)

Considering either getting a 9 cell battery or have 3GB RAM. Any input on this?

If there was someway I would be more than happy to fork the extra cash for better video. Too bad it doesn't have a MMX Graphics Module like the c90s. Does anyone know if they plan to release a Santa Rosa equivalent to the c90s?

 

thats a much better deal than i got on it about 4 months ago, id say def go for it, i have loved this laptop, also id go with 3gb of ram rather than the 9 cell battery, from what ive heard on here the 9cell doesnt add enough to make it worth it over the 3 gb of ram

 

hi socketbind & satdog
i read more of this topic
i have 2 question
1: is

what the function of the this "which in red box"
i read some where that it make the noice gone
and how it can affect my lap
"useful or not"??????


2: what the kepord function
like fn+f2 close and open bluetooth
particually how can i close my monitor "my lap is dell inspiron 1520"
i try to look for at web but i failed "sorry but iam nnew to laptop field"

thanks

 

besttt:

1:
If you tick that checkbox RMClock will send HLT instructions to the processor when your operating system is idle, thus preventing it to enter lower "sleep states" where you hear the noise.

It really makes the noise gone but your battery life will be significantly shorter. There is no point enabling this feature except to fix the noise.

2:
Sorry I don't understand the question.

 

Q. 1. some more info to go w/ socketbind. Running HLT will make the noise go away, disabling c4state will make the noise go away. They are essentially doing the same thing. As a result, your lappy will be running at its full speed all the time, thus making it hotter when u don't really need all that power(there will be a decrease in battery life also,little). DID U TRY THE SETTINGS I POSTED IN THE PICTURE(pg 29)? DOES IT LOWER THE WHINE NOISE ON YOUR DELL 1520?

2. I don't know what u mean but let see if i interpreted it correctly. You have a diff laptop, therefore keyboard keys will be different. "close my laptop"--u mean turn off the display?--u can go to windows power management settings and choose when u wanna turn the display on/off how long etc.. if that is what u mean.

 

thanks socketbind & satdog

iam sorry about mine language

coz english isnt my mother lanuage

first what satdog have posted in page 29 its work
but iam not going to use this way or other way
becuse all this way "i think" it had bad effect

just what i goin to do is to keep it out of my head
i think if i didnt think in it i think it wouldnt distrpute me"just iam trying to do it" until i found agood soulation;

about my 2 question
just iwant to know my keypord Abbreviated
like when ipress fn button+f2 butoon the bluetooth of my nootbook
its activiated
i hope u understand me
and if u dont just forget it
thanks

 

satdog, have u tried the new 169 driver. I've heard that they allow OCing so I'm hoping I can be able to OC my card again. If not, we just have to flash the bios to an old version?

 

169.01? ye, just saw that @ laptopvideo2go.com. I am currently on 163.75, tried UT3, the new FEAR, they all run well on high settings 1024resolution.

i have never flashed my video card(not sure if i want to). I will try this new driver when i find time to test.

 

OCing works =]. Using the 169.01 driver I used 3dmark06 for the first time since the popular 162.18 drivers. With the stock clock speeds for the 162.18 drivers, I got a score of 2480. With the 169.01 drivers at stock clock speeds, I got a score of 2606. I then OCed to 600/430 and got a score of 2951. Hopefully this will improve the fps in these next gen games with lower/medium settings.

 

k, tried the 169.01 vista 32bit. I didn't overclock but crysis demo ran about 15fps on 800resolution on med settings. UT3 fps increased w/ this driver and is smooth and fun to play on 1024resolution

 

Been having my s96s for almost a week now, very powerful laptop, definitely owns my amd3500 & 7600gt desktop in terms of performance, mine came without a network card, I'm going to replace my usb wireless card with the 4965AGN that shipped with everyone else's model.
Very solid build, but couple of issues so far:
under vista-
1. hibernate does not work well, couple of times it did not go to hibernate at all, only the screen went black but power LED and fans are all on, so i accidently put it inside my backpack with the system running..Anyone else having this problem? Friend told me to get a vista fix, i have installed all vista updates, probably some 3rd party program?
2. All of a sudden screen turns very DARK when im in desktop, dark as in when you turn your brightness all the way down.. but darker than that, its like my screen is in brightness (-10) mode, the brightness controls still work, the brightest setting would not bring it back up to normal viewing. Also with the darkening there is flickering on the screen, kinda like a refreshing problem when the refreshing rate is at 20hz. Just wondering if anyone else is getting that as well?