V1J/P Owner's Lounge

Last time I checked, btotech.com and gentechpc.com carried the modular bay for the V1Jp. MilestonePC and Proportable don't have the modular bay as one of their "buy" options.

 

I don't know if anyone's posted this already but Asus has updated the video driver for the V1Jp for Windows XP.

V8.311 2007/02/08

 

loopty do you an alternative download source? The ASUS site is so extremely slow (3-4kb/sec).

 

It's hit and miss. On support.asus.com you get to pick from Global, USA, Europe, China. I usually have to try a few.

 

I am so split between the V1Jp and the G1!!!! Here are my pros/cons for each:

V1Jp

Pros: build materials and quality; a very clean sharp design; spillproof keyboard (this is a great option!)

Cons: less performance then the G1 (less ram, X1700 not as good as 7700)

G1

Pros: Best bang for buck; 2Gb of ram; best gpu of the two (from all the bechmarks around %15 better)

Cons: plastic; "flashy" design looks silly (lights are really pointless/crap); the fake carbon is just bad


Questions

How much lower in performance is the V1Jp compared to the G1 (X1700 vs 7700)?

Is the V1Jp actually made of real carbon fiber in its base?

How prone to scuffing/scratching is the top of the V1Jp and is it entirely all magnesium?

Thanks all!

 

I believe it's carbon fiber reinforced plastic. It's not visible.

 

Have a look at this, in the comparison section, you can see the difference in performance.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=99581

The V1JP is carbon fiber, more like an alloy which means mixed with other materials to forms it design and looks.

The only alternatives I can think of to the V1JP, is the G1, S96J, Z96J and the entire F3 series.

The entire chasis is very resistant to normal wear from what I've seen. Also since it has a darker case, not exactly black, it doesn't easily show any scratches.
You would still want to protect it as much as possible, like using a backpack, sleeve or case.

 

Ok, well I am conflicted when I look at those numbers. Im sure other are too. The benchmarks show mostly trivial increases. But the last one (3DMark06) its as much as 28% more. How much better is the go 7700 then the x1700? Is it trivial or is it really as much as everyone seems to put it out to be?

 

The 7700 is faster than the x1700. But the exact difference can depend heavily on the game. It all depends on what games you plan on playing and if you can find benchmarks for them. Keep in mind that the same video card can be clocked differently in different systems leading to different scores. For example the x1700 in the G2P has a higher memory clock than the one in the V1Jp.

 

ya the x1700 in the g2 is only in that machine

 

I think 3dmark scores are just created for us to spend more money for a few measly points. And they cause us headaches in deciding what laptop we want. I have the V1Jp and I am very satisfied with the results. I am playing Oblivion on High settings, with Large textures, with x4 Anti-alasing (I haven't tried x6 yet) and the game runs very smoothly. The V1Jp has much more better features than the G1. It can run the same games, probably at the same settings, even though 3dmark may be lower. It has a better build quality as well. Yes, there are cons to it like the lid scratching easily, but I am sure the G1 is the same. I must note though that I did upgrade to 2 gb of ram, so that is part of the reason I get such good performance. The choice is yours.

 

I upgraded mine to 2 GB as well... used the Kingston SODIMM I had from the Z96Js I had returned months ago, seems to work pretty well. I was relieved that I didn't have to undo the keyboard to get to the extra DIMM socket like my old Z63A. By putting in the extra DIMM, the system goes into dual channel mode, so that also might give you a bit more responsiveness to the system. Have not yet installed anything 3D intensive on it, I should probably run some of the ATI demos and 3DMark to make sure the GPU is working properly.

Anyone been having trouble getting Intel ProSet to connect to routers that don't have their SSID broadcasting? Seems like it doesn't like my old Linksys Wireless-G v1, even after updating the firmware...

 

I'm using ProSet and haven't had any problems with hidden SSID. But I am using an Asus router so it better work.

 

I have to say that the V1Jp is the nicest Notebook I have ever seen. I can't beleive the difference in size, style, and overall clean look from the G1 as seen here:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=95706&highlight=g1+v1jp+comparison+picturesI

I would like someone to take a picture of their cpu/gpu heat pipe area of the V1Jp so I could compare it to the G1. I'm willing to bet that the G1 has a bigger heat dissipation capacity then the V1Jp has. This would be logical due to the visible difference in size and due to the fact that its a "gaming" rig (overclocking, and high system loads are to be expected).

Another thing I would like to see is a comparison of BF2142 and Oblivion between a G1 and a V1Jp with 2Gb ram. Number of framerates with the same game settings, and the same OS, ect.

P.S. I'm jealous of all the V1Jp owners here! I'm also glad I've been waiting since last september to buy, I think it will be either the V1Jp or the G1, but I think you can guess which one I'm leaning towards.

 

In the end, it's working fine. I forgot I had reenabled my MAC filters, despite remembering that I disabled them for performance reasons...

What about Net4Switch? Has anyone been able to get that to work with WPA? Seems it only has WEP functionality like the ASUS Wireless AP software that comes with some of their Deluxe motherboards. The idea of being able to create profiles with IPs appeals to me, since I don't enable DHCP on my home computers, yet everywhere else will use it...

 

May I second the request?

I'm pretty interested in the info.

Many thanks in advance . . .

 

Well, after all that drama, I finally bought V1!

Congratulations me!

I expect it to be here by next Wednesday. I gave up on G1 because it’s slightly bigger; and I’m an MBA student after all. Not sure if business presentations and G1 blend well Plus, multi-bay battery is a nice thing to have.

Thanks to Eddie from www.btoTECH.com for a nice deal! I got the last V1 with XP

 

I just bought a V1JP today too!! It was the last one with XP that Milestone PC (Canada) had left! I also bought the 3'rd year warranty to keep my baby safe ; ). I'm expecting my new bundle of joy next week... just in time for March break!!!! I almost bought the F3JP but the build, style, and extras in the V1JP will be worth it over the 3 years I'll be using it.

Thanks to Danny and www.Milestonepc.com for all the help and a smokin deal! Also, thanks to www.notebookreview.com for all the resources, and Mystic Golem's review that helped me to decide. It took over a year but I finally bought a freakin notebook.

 

I too am at the point of geetin a G1 or V1, Hope i will be able to man up and have ordered my V1 by the end of this weekend.lol

 

With Vista out, ppl still buying notebook with XP. Looks like Vista not that popular after all

 

Yeah, I get a free upgrade to Vista business with my V1Jp but I wanted XP Pro for now (at the sacrifice of a lighscribe drive... big deal). I have read A LOT of articles about reasons not to go to Vista....

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=reasons+not+to+VIsta

I think Vista will be awesome it just needs a lot of kinks worked out, as with any completely new software. I'm familiar with and comfortable on XP anyways. Also, I want every drop of performance out of my V1Jp (due to arrive next week), and I'm not confident that Vista will provide me with that.

 

I totally agree, sure Vista is nice and all, provide a new Interface which is cleaner and provides some eye candy. It is also great that Notebooks and Desktops are being shipped with Vista so that the end user can get to see it and use it. However, a lot of people have their own XP CD and to get the most out of their computers you may as well stick with XP.

I can't wait to see Vista running at full throttle without performance hits, or minor hits.

Enjoy

 

Hey can I com in this room and play?

I ordered my V1 a few days ago.. from Btotech too.

All I can say RacingNorth... is "that you are welcome"!
I ordered the V1 (with Vista) and left a nice XP version for ya..

I like Vista.
We will see though.
I do not see a difference with performance (yet) with Vista on a desktop running an X1300pro half height card with only 256mb of VRAM and 2 gigs system RAM.

Now don't get me wrong, I don't like the system of activation and such. Very violating, yet easy..

Guess I'm just not hardcore.
But if it wears on me I always have XP at the ready

 

This battery problem is really putting me off.

I have a dell latitude D610 which still has a great battery life after 2 years. I realize that the battle wear on the V1Jp is false and one way of getting around it is to turn off shutdown at 0%, but I want to know when I will run out of power.

I thought that I had made my mind up, and then I hear about this battery problem....

 

I have yet to get my V1 (expecting next week) but I will be off battery about 80% of the time. http://www.batteryuniversity.com/parttwo-34.htm has some great info and sounds a lot like what is happening here. You should never run your battery to empty anyways, so if your hardcore gaming on batt. then you know roughly you'll get 2 hours, so stop at 1.5 and recharge. Then if your just surfing you'll get 3 or 4 hours so stop at 3.5 aand recharge. No doubt this battery issue sucks, but I didn't let that stop me because it should be a fixable item software wise somewhere in the hopefully near future. Then again I have no idea what I'm talking about I'm just making an intelligent speculation.....

With the modular bay batt. and a total of 8+6 cells I should get at minimum a 5 hour runtime for light tasking and 3 to 4 heavy.

 

had my V1jp for about a month now. all i can say is this is an excellent buy. everything is simply perfect.

 

I've been reading the G1 and V1JP threads and I am leaning towards the V1JP. I would rather have the Vista Premium than the Vista Business, because I want the Media Center. I see there are places you can still get the XP Pro version of this laptop and get the Vista upgrade.

Does anyone know if you got the XP Pro version, are you only able to upgrade to Vista Business, or can you upgrade to Vista Premium?

Thanks

 

The only way to get a discounted coupon for Premium is to buy XP Home that has the coupon attached. The upgrade to Premium then costs $79 plus about $10 for shipping...and sales tax if applicable.

 

Hi guys,

Just got my V1JP 2 days ago.

Almost everthing works perfectly, and the screen impresses me the most. The only exception are built-in speakers. Even the volume is maxed, the audio output still very soft. I am really disappointed with the built-in speakers.

I have encountered one problem with 3DMark05. Below is the thread.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=109256
Please help to provide guidance.

Thanks.

 

What was your last notebook Observer?

 

Err... this is my first notebook.

 

I was curious because almost every notebook I've used had weak speakers. It's just difficult to get sound out of tiny speakers. If you wanted large speakers, well, they wouldn't fit in the V1's chassis. Think of it this way, do you really care that a Ferrari has a small trunk?

 

loopty is correct. The speakers in laptops are mediocre at best. However you do have the best audio card available so when you hook up a good quality set of headphones or external speakers you will find that it will drive them beautifully.

You can buy a decent set of external speakers for as little as about $30 that are small and fit nicely on your desk, or get good quality Bluetooth headphones and you will be able to rock out

Audio Features:
Intel High Definition Audio (SoundMAX Digital)
3D Surround sound
Full Duplex
Mic-in and S/PDIF/Headphone-out ports

 

I understand that, only when I played DVD movies, the sound is hardly audible.

Anyway, I would need to use a headset for movies and songs.

 

Make sure all of your sound settings are maxed, double click on the Speaker Icon in your system tray, then maximmize the Master and Wave volume controls.

Also download VLC, the interesting thing I found was the if I used Windows Media Player, Winamp or Windows Media Player Classics at maxed volume the overall output was good. I put the same movie on VLC and wow, the movies was 20% louder at maxed.

So have a go with that, and let us know what happens. Other than that most notebooks out there do have sub par speakers, some are mediocre, some are good like the ones on some 17" notebooks.

 

No, they suck... I just got my V1J from BTO today and I have the same problem. Movie volume is inaudible if there is ANY kind of noise in the room... even the cat purring is too much! I did find a setting in BIOS that helped slightly, but it still Sucks! I'm on the phone to Asus tomorrow.... This is really unacceptable for a "high end" laptop... and yes, I raised every other level slider I could find..... Other than that, this thing beats the crap out of my Sager POS 4380 that has been held together with Duct Tape for over a year!!!!

What is VLC?

Blake

 

VLC is a kind of multimedia player. Here,
http://www.videolan.org/vlc/

The speakers are like that, I don't think you can do anything about it. Even the manual itself already states using external speakers or headsets will have better audio effects. I am too get used to my Altec Lansing 4.1 speakers, so the stereo headphone audio quality also quite disappointing to me personally.

 

Anybody have any recommendations for a 1GB stick of ram to use with the V1JP? What is the brand of ram that comes with it?

I see this from newegg with many positive reviews:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820231069

Laptop should be delivered early next week. Can't wait!

Thanks

 

Ordered my stick from ProPortable when I bought my laptop. It was a Corsair branded stick if I recall. Don't think there should be any issues w/ the stick you've linked--outside of use cases like major overclocking I can't see the need to go on the far extremes of the price scale for memory.

The exact line item from my purchase was:

1GB Corsair DDR2 667 200pin SO-DIMM RAM

 

Thanks... I will check out VLC...
BTO told me that the BIOS setting is only for the POST beep... seems about right... I did not notice much of a difference and it may just have been the section of the movie that was louder.
I'm still looking for a way to fix it....
I don't expect it to sound good... I just want to be able to hear it without carrying extra speakers!!!!
Sager had a similar issue and they wrote new drivers...Hope Asus fixes it....

Blake

 

Anyone have any luck getting the fingerprint reader to work? When I try to initialize mine, I get: Fingerprint software Error An internal error occurred (infcore: inf-tstown-srk, (e0280012,Uknown error 0xE0280012).

Thanks!

 

Has anyone been getting BSOD under XP? I've got the North American V1Jp that came with XP.

Stop error 0x000000F4 (0x00000003, ...) Yes I've read all the stuff on google. It doesn't happen very often at all and only when the machine is idle.

Fresh install of XP Pro with all patches, including the hotfixes that came with the drivers CD

All BSOD occured while in the docking station, but it's in the docking station pretty much all the time.

Added 1GB of RAM but the RAM checks out fine with memtest

Hard drive checks out fine with hdtune and full surface scan

It doesn't make a dump file so I can't debug.

Has happened with both bios versions 308 and 309, which this thing has had for most of its life.

Only happens when it's idle, I wake up in the morning and see it.

It has happened with both RMClock and Power4Gear; I only run one of them at a time.

The only thing left that I suspect is the video driver. This has happened with Catalyst 7.1 and earlier. Catalyst 7.2's Control Center doesn't completely work but the machine hasn't BSODed with it. I switched back to 7.1 because of the Control Center problems and then got a BSOD after a few days. I will try 7.2 a little longer.

 

The 1GB of RAM that came with my V1JP was manufactured by Nanya Technologies based on the CPU-Z tool. The additional 1GB RAM that they gave me was Kingston. Both are PC5300 and don't seem to have any problem. What makes it great is when I click properties in My Computer, It shows exactly 2GB RAM.

 

I don't seem to have this problem. My speakers are pretty loud at max volume. I watch a lot of Animes and Movies with it and I'm very much satisfied with the speaker output.

I looked at My System Information and its says:

Name: SoundMax Integrated Digital HD Audio
Manufacturer: Analog Devices

Do we have the same brand of speakers?

 

What kind of RAM do I need for my V1Jp? Can I just throw anything in there with the factory installed 1GB? WHat would be the best way for a reliable, fast, 2Gb setup?

 

The V1JP just like most C2D notebooks will support SO-DIMM (200PIN) DDR2 667mhz ram, you can even put 533mhz ram and it will work aswell. By adding a one more 1x1GB you will now have a total of 2GB.

 

DDR2-667 is suggested. The price difference is not enormous from 533 to 667. You *can* put in a 533, but you wouldn't be maximizing the use of the other 667 module in there.

You can use CPU-Z ( www.cpuid.com) to determine the type of RAM you have in your system. In my V1Jp, I have a 1 GB PC-5300 memory module made by Elipda.

I added a Kingston KVR667D2S5/1G 1GB PC-5300 module to my system because I had it from my old Z96Js that I had returned, but the extra GB seems to help with responsiveness a bit when the system is under heavy load, since the system is running in dual channel mode giving it more memory bandwidth to play with.

 

Wow. I was playing Supreme Comander (Demo) on the V1 and my CPU temps hit 85C approx. (checked with PC Wizard 2007). I know the design temp. is 100C but man she's running hot! I also had the v1 set to quiet office before gaming, soon as I exited the game I opened PC Wizard, and seen the CPU temp. at 83C... SO I made sure I switched to high perf. mode and instantly the fan RPM's increased dropping temp. What do you guys gather from this? Do I have a problem running only 15C away from max. design temp.? Will upping the RAM to 2 Gb help?

 

It's not a huge deal. I've seen several people on different forums hit that range with C2D laptops.

 

Yeah, I'm a bit concerned, since 80C is the "warning" temperature, and 95C is the critical temperature in NHC.

I get temporarily get strange flickering after the GPU has been running really hot. Anybody else get that?