~VX2S Owners' Lounge~

I meant GDDR3, most people forget the G, so do I.

I'm not saynig you're wrong, just asking, so don't take it badly or personal as you seem to do.

Same here, I'm not starting a war, please don't do so. DDR type is not the kind of spec I'm looking at when buying a laptop, therefore it's not, for me, part of the "specs" I read. As a matter of fact, 99% of laptop specs do not mention that kind of detail (GDDR2or 3, MXM or not), whatever the brand, so don't blame Asus more than they deserve. If you hoped that the vx2s had DDR3, you should have checked before buying (no offense intended). As for me I did not care. I would be pleased if it were, of course, but that's not a key feature I was looking for.

I'm not saying it's not blowing, I just can't hear it in normal use, ans normal means with some stuff loaded for me. Again, this wordpad and firefox example was not directed to you, just an EXAMPLE.

Well I'll try to, but reading that last part, it's pretty hard
I'm not devoted to anyone, I run a company and I need good quality laptop at affordable price for my troop (and a fancy one for the boss, me). I found with ASUS the best price/quality/support for our use. That may change any day, that day I'd switch to another brand. For now, the best brand we found are (cons only) :
- Lenovo (TPs of course) : difficult to buy and too expensive for the same specs as asus
- HP (pro series) : same as above
- Sony : expensive, and no resolution above 1280x800 on 15' / 15'4, build quality second to HP/Lenovo
- DELL : expensive options (and we need options), loosy look (yes my employees and I do care)
- ASUS : no on-site support (that could be the point that would make me switch, but we don't have much problems), Vista

 

Hi

I see SRS files in system32 when lookin at the driver files. Dunno it that's useful for you, because I'm a nerd regarding SRS

 

Already opened some time ago to put more memory (the memory trap is not practical, one must open the other big trap before).

I did not check though, did not care ... I'll open it again and try to find out (not sure I'll see it because of tubes and fans and all the studd above electronics)

 

RivaTuner output
$ffffffffff ----------------------------------------------------------------
$ffffffffff NVIDIA specific display adapter information
$ffffffffff ----------------------------------------------------------------
$0100000000 Graphics core : G84 revision A2 (32sp)
$0100000001 Hardwired ID : 0407 (ROM strapped to 0407)
$0100000002 Memory bus : 128-bit
$0100000003 Memory type : DDR3 (RAM configuration 00)
$0100000004 Memory amount : 524288KB
$0100000100 Core clock domain 0 : 182.250MHz
$0100000101 Core clock domain 1 : 364.500MHz
$0100000006 Memory clock : 799.200MHz (1598.400MHz effective)
$0100000007 Reference clock : 27.000MHz

Looks weird finally, and the thread on laptopvideo quoted below states that rivatuner is reporting bad information.

 

I can tell you.

Look here:

http://www.laptopvideo2go.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=14374

It is modular, but not MXM.

 

Thanx ! I didn't check internally, but V1S and vx2s seems to have the same gpu, so it should answer both questions.

 

Can anyone tell me if the VX2s has a motor sound as starting sound?

If so, can you turn that off?

 

Press F2 when you reboot your notebook to take it into the BIOS.
Go to Advanced. Then look for the option Play POST Sound and set it to NO.

That should stop your Motor sound.

 

That's the V1s, not VX2s

 

V1S and VX2S are the same notebook.

 

They are???

Then why the hell...

 

Hi,

Could you tell me what the build quality and weight is like compared to a business notebook. Im struggling to decide between a HP8510p , T61p or VX2s. Im concerned the Asus wont be as durable, V1s owners have complained of chassis flex, does this apply to the VX2s.

I will be traveling with it frequently.

Thanks in advance

 

I got the V1S and I would not mind travelling around a lot. Mine has a lot of flex but this doesn't keep me from taking it anywhere I go.

The VX2S could be even better because it has a different surface.

@Ice-Tea
Those are exactly the same notebooks besides their colors and upper surface. They are identical inside.

If you got the time, could you try fitting the V1S or VX2S video card in a V6? These video cards use the same form factor. I saw it on your homepage.

If this works the V1S/VX2S would be upgradeable with next-gen video cards if Asus doesn't change the form factor.

 

Can Kador or Oxyd please run this software and check the display data that it shows?
http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/System-Info/Everest-Home-Edition.shtml



I got my VX2S today here in the US. Certainly a very nice notebook computer... but unfortunately the screen quality "sucks"
So I wonder if ASUS uses different screens in the same model.

I have massive light leakage from the bottom and quite bad viewing angles. Even if I look straight onto the display, the display does not appear evenly lit... That makes me quite
unhappy and for a $2.9k notebook this is pretty much unacceptable.

 

That was what I would call "a good and healthy chat"
No offence taken and thanks for your replies.

On this entertaining note, let's go back to the thread and makes something great out of it. There's still plenty of information to dig and share...

Merci Kador

 

Any pictures?
Perhaps its just the viewing angle throwing up darker shades...for bigger screen, even if you look straight, you are viewing the corners at an angle like 30 degree....

 

I cannot take any pictures before tomorrow - but I will try then...

Kodor/Oxyd: Can you check which display is running in your VX2S?
Thanks in advance!

 

BTW: Does anyone have an idea how I can run MediaPlayer instead of the MediaCenter when pressing the media key?

 

Does Everest run on vista ?

 

It does for me

 

Display : CMO1523

Supplier : N154Z1-L02

Not sure this is relevant, because it seems to be the information for the Generic Display that windows uses.

 

My display ID is: SEC3346
Supplier is LTN154P1-L03

This is apprently a Samsung screen:
http://www.lcds4less.com/samsung-laptop-lcd-screens/ltn154p1-l03.shtml

Your screen seems to be:
http://www.lcds4less.com/idtech-laptop-lcd-screens/n154z1-l02_rev.c1.shtml

So we have different displays...
Your notebook has the same screen as the VX2:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showpost.php?p=1904556&postcount=35

Where are you from and where did you get your laptop?

I will try to take pictures from my screen this evening.

Regarding the pics in the thread and your comments - your screen is better than the one I got
I wonder if I can request an exchange... especially since the very right side of my screen is dimmer than the rest

 

I am from france and I got my laptop from a french reseller ...

The main difference between those 2 models (on paper) is that the IDTECH is a glossy one, the samsung is matte.

I guess the samsung is the same I seem on the V1S, and this one is indeed not as good as the vx2s one (even taking in account that one is glossy and the other is not)

 

The display I have is glossy, too. But honestly it is not a big deal for companies to produce a glossy screen since the glossy finish results from a special foil that is put on the screen.

But thanks for the information - I will try to contact ASUS suport and get my screen fixed... since it really has a problem.

 

Same info and screen here; please see screenshot below.
From some research I did on other sites in July, I knew that the manufacturer was Chi Mei Optoelectronics (CMO - from Taiwan, like Asus). This is now confirmed
There's a link to the manufacturer's page and model:

Chi Mei Optoelectronics (CMO): 15.4"W(N154Z1)​

I'm very sorry to hear that your screen doesn't give you entire satisfaction. It's a shame because generally Samsung tiles have a fantastic quality (TV and computers)...

I purchased my laptop in the UK. And it was manufactured for the UK market as the box shipped from Taiwan has lots of label mentioning "UK" all around...
For info, did you buy the package retailed in some countries as "Ultimate"? (contains Power Station and Blu-ray or HD-DVD drive).

 

New BIOS

Back after a few days, I'm happy to announce (if you didn't notice) that Asus have released a new BIOS (version 208) for the VX2S.
This is available there:

Asus - VX2S Support Page​

2007/09/10 update
Description:
BIOS 208
Update thermal policy
Update EC firmware
Global Download

 

I got the "regular" one - but honestly, this should not change a thing. Regarding the price this laptop costs and the high standards ASUS applies to it, it should only have the best screen possible.
In addition to that: The VX2 also had the Chi Mei Display, so... (current mood)

 

Anyone having a problem with the bluetooth mouse that comes with the notebook? I cant get it working!
Also, i got the one that comes with a blu ray, but it says that im in the wrong region. Im in the US btw.
Thanks in advance,

 

no problem with the mouse. Did you do the coupling procedure as described in the doc ?

 

Hi everyone.

I´m new to this forum and I´m glad I have found it. I got my VX2S, AK002G, a couple of weeks ago. I just had it a couple of days when suddenly a whole row of pixels on my display lit up. Apparently something wrong in the display. All I did was adjusting the angle of the display when it happened. Anyway, I got it RMA:d and it was pickuped the day after and returned a couple of days later. The display was exchanged with a new one. I just hope this was a one time occasion and that the display is not that sensitive. I do a lot of travelling. I can´t complain on the service provided by ASUS. They were quick.

I´ve tried the SPDIF with an optical cable and it works fine. I read the discussion and I noticed that I had an optical cable with the small coupling that fits in the 3,5mm outlet in one end and a normal TOSLINK in the other. When I connected it to the laptop it lit up automatically. However, I noticed that the S-Video outlet has more pins than it needs to have. I had the same S-Video connection on my Dell Latitude and here I could use an adapter which included Coaxial SPDIF. Anyone know if this could be so on the VX2S aswell?

The preinstalled ASUS NB Probe does not work properly in Vista. Do you have the same problem?

I made a Complete PC Backup in Vista. When I wanted to recover it I noticed that I had to have an original Vista DVD. I tried the ASUS Recovery DVD but it did not have the "repair computer"-option. I tried everything but it was impossible with what I had. Finally I "borrowed" an original Vista Ultimate Installation DVD and it helped. Here I could choose "repair computer" and then recover my Complete PC Backup. Does anyone know of any other method?

My computer was preinstalled with Office 2007 Basic Trial. I noticed that if I used the ASUS Recovery DVD and Driver DVD the Office package was not reinstalled. Does anyone know if a product key used in Basic would work in a Pro installation? If so I can download the Pro trial and use it there. It could be nice to know before trying though.

Regards

Jocke
Sweden

 

Hello

- got rid of nbprobe very fast, so can't tell
- regarding the repair, I'm not sure such an option is installed on the recovery dvd
- as for me, the recovery using the partition does reinstall the office 2007 package

 

Hi Kador

How do you use the recovery-partition. I´ve seen it but I havn´t seen how to use it. It doesn´t appear when I hit escape at startup. Only the normal HDD and DVD appears there.

/Jocke

 

Hi again Kador

Regarding the repair. It´s not an actual repair. But Vista Business and Ultimate comes with a Complete PC Backup function. And apparently, the only way to, that I know of, to recover the backup is through the repair computer option when you start the installation-DVD. And it´s not present on ASUS DVD. So, as I see it, ASUS has managed to diasble this Backup function in Ultimate.

/Jocke

 

Press F9 during boot, or RTFM, or both

 

hmmm no answer for that one, I don't use that function, maybe you should ask asus directly

 

Got the mouse working, thanks. Still having trouble with the blu-ray, it says its area 5 or something >.>. Also noticed some bleeding in the bottom part of the screen.
Anything aside from it works great, the notebook looks great and feels like quality.

 

Well Kador, I could RTFM if it would help me. The Swedish version, which was the only one I got, did not cover this part. I downloaded the english version and there it was. Thanks anyway.

/Jocke

 

Here are photos of my screen in the dark.

They do not look so bad. But keep in mind these are static images.
As you can see on "front white" and "front test", the right side is dimmer
There is some light leakage on "front black" visible.
The pictures from different angles do not look so bad. But the camera adjusts exposure time by itself. So the display is dimmer from each angle. And the bad thing is that this already becomes apparent if you move your head a little bit.

I wish my not-working laptop would turn on again at least once so I could make comparison shots… :/ Its screen was brighter and more evenly lit with better viewing angles (same resolution).

FYI: All pictures from the front were take in an upright position centered, vertical on the level of the in-built camera and horizontal on the level of the "bumpers"

 

So I just found out which kind of display was built in my broken LG S1-MDGDG:
Display ID: CMO1523
Supplier: N154Z1-L02



So my previous laptop has the same screen as some of the VX2S owners here. I can tell you from my experience that this screen is so much better than the one my current VX2S has. When I got my VX2S last week, my LGS1 turned on (apperently for the last time). And I had a side to side comparison.
The Chi Mei screen is brighter, more evenly lit and has very good viewing angles - it is the best screen I ever saw in a laptop so far.

Honestly, the Chi Mei display fits (would fit) the VX2S perfectly and it was built in the VX2, too. I really wonder why there are units out there (and mine too) that come with this "crappy" Samsung screen which does not reach up to the hight standard that the VX2S tries to set up (and does not come close to the really nice Chi Mei screen).

I sent an email to ASUS support... let's see what they answer.
I would recommend for everyone that does not have the Chi Mei screen to do the same. You might not yet know what you miss out. But trust me, it is very worth it...

 

That is Asus supports response:
"The Samsung LCD Panel is of higher quality than the Chi Mei Optoelectronics. It is normal for LCD monitor to change color or brightness when viewing from different angles."

I wish my previous laptop would turn on again... just once in order to take side by side shots.

 

Thank you Asus for another obvious yet dismissive response to an honest question. Im kinda used to this by Asus at this stage. Too many model numbers, too many components altered model to model and batch to batch. I work in tech support and there is no way you could train 1st level techs everything about every component with high staff turnover.

If your Samsung is inferior to the Chi-Mei, and I believe you when you say it is, are Asus just using this in the US SKU's or is the dodgy panel being used in other regions. Can others please post panel type + date of purchase + region + model number to see if we can figure out whats being used where. For $3000/€2500 on the companies flagship laptop the customer should be the one who determines which panel is of a higher quality. You paid for the best, you should get the best.

Also if this is region specific and Asus refuse to replace the Samsung panel with a Chi-Mei if you send it for repair with a panel fault (accidental damage warranty etc) in a 'Chi-Mei region' Asus would have to use their local parts bin i.e. replace with a Chi-Mei panel instead of shipping a Samsung panel internationally. Although they should replace with identical parts according to procedure Asus as a company are just not organised enough to adhere to this and if you were to request through Asus CS that the repair be expedited its unlikely they would install a 'foreign' panel.

 

not trying to sound negative but those pictures someone posted a few posts before looks pretty good to me. And the viewing angled were very good compared to the 6 notebook screens I've had.

reliability is another thing though.....

 

@Jurisprudence:
I wonder what ASUS is going to reply to the answer I wrote...
The LCD panel does not seem to be region specific. The users here that have the Samsung screen got the VX2S in the US and Sweden. The Chi Mei screen owners are from the UK and France.

@Insane: I posted these pictures. Indeed, the lcd panel is not the worst. But some of what you see is compensated by the automativ exposure time of my digi cam. That is one of the reasons why viewing angels appear to be better than they are. Also the right side of the display is dimmer which can be seen on the white and test front picture.
Anyway, as said before, I was able to have a side by side comparison of the Samsung LCD (in my VX2S) and the Chi Mei (in my previous - now completely broken - LG S1 [same display id]). The Chi Mei is better: Brighter, more evenly lit and better viewing angles...

 

Got this as a replay when I asked why there are two different lcd panel built in the same laptop model:
"The brightness can be adjusted inside the display properties if it's darker."

Probably I will talk to them on the phone... and/or go ahead an just oder the Chi Mei lcd panel and exchange it.

 

Indeed, the V1s and VXS2 are the same. The VX series is designed by Lamborghini, but they don't know jack about laptops(So I would assume), so ASUS used their V1s as a base model, and Lambo did the rest, designwise and spec-wise(well, I assume they just said "Put nice things into it please").

 

Hi guys, just wondering if anyone can conclusively state the answers to the following.

1) Does the VX2S flex in the same way the V1S does, particularly on the palm rests. I’m going to be doing a lot of typing (boring job for a glamorous laptop) and simply won’t be able to do the amount I need to if it’s a glorified bouncy castle.

2) Anyone able to conclusively state whether the VX2S is running GDDR2 or GDDR3. I’m not a major gamer (too busy) but if I own this thing I want to brag about everything I can having paid for it. I know it has been stated that the VX2S is the same as the V1S but it’s simply not and Asus have a rep for changing things without telling anyone about it (including their staff who can’t answer this question).

3) Does anyone know if the blu-ray version is still available in the UK? Everywhere I look I see HD version only and Blu-ray sold out. Sold-out can mean 2 things, its sold-out (duh) or its not coming back (bye-bye). Asus have fumbled over the question.

4) Can anyone confirm the Blu-ray drive is an actual burner and not a reader only on their laptop? Reason is I thought the HD option was also a burner but it turns out to be a rom drive only (see link). Blu-ray burning is incredibly important to me in ordering this and I don’t fancy getting screwed for €2500 just to watch some overpriced Hollywood rom-com.

http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=741902&p=7

5) Can anyone who has gotten the package with the docking station tell me if it came with its separate ac adapter? Would be really helpful to be able to leave 1 in college and the other for the dock.

I’m getting this lappy as an upgrade/replacement for a faulty since-birth-R1F tablet after almost 6 months of fighting with Asus UK and having been robbed by their repair company (not exaggerating) and I’m paying the price difference in full for it. I want to make sure I’m getting the whole deal cause I never want to speak to another Asus CS rep again in my life.

Sorry for all the questions but this is the biggest single tech purchase I have ever made and having spent 6 months at war with Asus I really cant afford (literally) to make any mistakes. Thanks guys.

 

@Jurisprudence:
1) I do not know the V1S. Anyway, I do not have the impression that anything flexes here. The VX2s appears very solid to me and the leather palm rest makes it comfortable to use it as an office machine.

2) Well, read out by some GPU software was apparently DDR3. Anyway, the memory clock speed is quiet low compared to other "gaming notebooks". Therefore the score you get in 3dMark2006 is about 1000points lower than high tuned gaming notebooks...
Anyway, I can play the latest games with decent settings just fine. And I did not try to overclock the GPU/GRAM.

3)As far as I know, Asus officially announced the VX2S just lately with HD for Europe. I bet you will not see a blue-ray drive. You might only get one through their support... but I doubt it honestly.

4)I have the regular version. So I cannot tell... and honestly: I am still very happy with DVDs. And HD is more for big screens and not for laptops. If you do not have a big LCD screen at home or high res video projector, it might not be worth it.

5)I cannot tell - the "normal" asus power station comes with its own ac adapter...


Things I like: Great built quality (carbon version); leather finish gives a very good typing comfort; extra buttons are nice; finger print reader software is very well implemented; fast hard drive; very good overall performance; good power management software on top of the Vista energy management; very nice overall design.

Things I do not like: Knowing that some VX2s have a superior lcd panel (I will replace mine - I am spoilt by the Chi Mei that I know from my previous laptop. The Samsung screen is not bad - but not great.); Speakers are just average [but anyway: every notebook with SPDIF-out is meant to be connected to an appropriate speaker system], the hinges of the display could be tighter, the media button can only start Windows Media Center (IMHO a terrible application - I would prefer to assign any player or software to this button).

The overall impression is very good with minor flaws but the lcd panel.
If someone figures out a way to start the normal Media Player instead Windows Media Center using the media button, I would appreciate that

 

2) It is DDR2. The tools can't read it correctly but it's DDR2 for sure. Just wanted to add this.

 

Thanks for all the feedback and sorry for not replying sooner (started final year law..oh god). I still love this laptop but would you believe after everything i've been through with Asus UK (including theft by the repair company and my R1f smashed) they said they wont allow me to pay full whack for an upgrade to the VX2S (after they had said it was ok). They tried to tell me by law I had to take what they offered me and I could basically shove it if I didint like it. I explained the law and now i'm finally getting a refund of the R1F. As a company they make me sick to my stomach but I am still interested in the laptop as it is beautiful (I dont let go when I latch onto an idea, fight till the end).

Does anyone know of anywhere in Hong Kong I can get this shiny lappy. I should be able to get it sent over if only I can find a website to order it from and may be able to get it past customs with a bit of luck. Any info greatly appreciated. Thanks again guys.

 

Ok, I upgraded my VX2s from the Samsung LCD panel to the Chi Mei Optoelectronics N154Z1-L02 on my own now. My eyes still hurt... because it is so much brighter than the original that was built in my VX2s...

The colours are so much more vivid, the viewing angles so much better...

And just again for your information:

This is the Samsung LCD panel:
http://www.samsung.com/global/busin...pper_fmly_id=601&fmly_id=611&partnum=LTN154P1

And this the Chi Mei Optoelectronics:
http://www.cmo.com.tw/opencms/cmo/products/notebook/products_notebook_N154Z1.html?__locale=en

...regarding the specs:
Reaction time and brightness are better with the Chi Mei. Viewing angels and contrast are slighly better with the Samsung.
From my personal experience: The brightness of the Chi Mei causes the contrast to be superior over the Samsung for sure (that is how your eyes work ) and the viewing angels seem to be far better with the Chi Mei; probably also due to the higher brightness.
Unfortunately the Samsung specs do not state power consumption. The higher brightness in the Chi Mei might affect battery life significantly... I use mine not very often without power adapter... I do not care