ASUS W3V Questions

Hello, I am quite new to the notebook world...as a matter of fact I have never owned a laptop. Only my trusty old Desktop, which I had for ages. But due to college and the distance I have to travel, I can't carry my Desktop around. So I have been searching for a laptop for the past few weeks. I have read as much as I can about the W3V in the past forums and it has helped but since I am not made of money, I need more information before I can purchase it.

1) The main concern I have with this W3V is not the heat but infact the noise level of the laptop. From the fan to the noise of the keyboard. (my main usage will be taking notes during class and entertaning myself with searching the web, WOW, and BF2 during my breaks). Which leads to concern number 2.
2) I've read great reviews on the graphic capability of the W3V but I'm still skeptical of the performance of it all. "It's a laptop that only weighs 5.5 pounds...can it do what a 12 pounder notebook can do?" I'm sure it falls behind on the other gaming notebooks but many have reviewed that it is still good. Well...does that mean it won't have lags? Can I play my Guild Wars and not be sad by the crappy graphics?
3) Reliability, going to college means I'm going to be carrying that sucker around for 7 hours a day... I haven't seen much reviews on how well the W3V does in portability. (BTW, Proportable: Well done sir, well done....I tip my hat to you) Since i'm a notebook newbie, what should I expect when carrying around a notebook? I'm sure we can talk about the "what if..." for hours but the big realistic suggestions like, "buy certain product to make sure you do that task...etc. etc." Or " The W3V has a tendency to etc. etc. so make sure to do this and that.. etc. etc."
4) I went from proportable.com, zipzoomfly.com to actbuy.com....and my problem is...there is soo many sites that is selling this product. I went to resellerratings.com and i saw this http://www.actbuy.com/details.asp?item=AS02W3V Help me....is this a good deal?

I'm sure I probaby forgot other questions that I wanted to ask but so far this is it...the only Four questions that is holding me back from purchasing the w3v.

In early appreciation for all your help, whoever that maybe. Here is a gift. Enjoy.
http://cheston.com/pbf/archive.html

 

The x600 is a good video card, its the standard card that will run anything, but perhaps not at the bets resolution. You are asking alot out of a small 14" notebook.

The W3v is pretty small, its a great size, not too big, not too small - just right.

The noise levels will be tolerable, but because it has such a video card stuffed into a smaller chassic, you would have to expect heat and noise, from the fans cooling down the notebook - but this is only if you do intense things like gaming.

Normal use such as typing+ surfing should wield less heat and noise

 

I've never heard of them, but a dollar amount is a dollar amount and if that is what you mean by a "deal", then yes, it is.

The W2 is only 7.5 pounds and it'll do more than most people's high end desktops that they've got...... It's all in how you look at it. The performance is there and honestly the only place something like the w3v or v6v will have to lack is in their ability to cool to a way that's perfect for everyone.... Most people understand what they're getting in such a small system... others as you have seen wanted everything to be 100% perfectf....... so to shrink the size and fit everything, one thing that's smaller is the fan. It does NOT mean it doesn't cool..... but it does need to go faster .. blah, blah.. you know the rest.

You can get a 12 pound laptop that sucks compared to this..... weight is not an issue.. at all......

By the way, i'm in the process of doing my sound level tests right now... specifically on my W3v (you can read about that in another post I make a bit later..... but the W3v is still the best mix of power, size, and weight you're going to find.. that's what I prefer it.

 

I'll chime in on the portability aspect.

I work full time and go to law school at night. I use my w3v for both. I travel to work via train, during which I normally listen to cds. The w3v is perfect for this since I don't need to boot up the whole sytem, I normally don't even remove the computer from my bag on the train.

From the train station I have about a 10 minute walk to work and then up two flights of stairs. Out goes my computer. Nine hours of work time on the computer. Walk back to the train for the return trip to school. Again, more listening to cds on the way.

Then time for school. Out goes the computer again for 3 hours of note taking. My computer seems like one of the most quiet in the class. (Tons of Dells, a few IBMS and a few Sonys.)

Then time to go home. Again, out goes the laptop for two hours of case briefing and practice test questions.

The w3v was the perfect solution for me. Just the right size. Any smaller and the keyboard would be too small to type on for so many hours and the screen would be too small to comfortably read all day. Any larger it would be too bulky and heavy to transport around.

This computer has been perfect for me. I love the screen for the occasional movie, and I can comfortably have two windows open side by side. It has held up great so far, for the amount of use it sees each day.

Oh, I almost forgot the most important part, the w3v looks very cool with it's brushed aluminum lid. I get tons of compliments on it.

Well, I guess I didn't specifically answer your question since I don't know how far or to how many places you will have to carry your computer, but I don't think I could have made a better choice for my situation.

I would recommend the w3v to anyone with a similar needs. :asus:

Oh, by the way I purchased from ProPortable based upon the recommendations of other folks on this site. Great customer service. Upon opening up my w3v out of the box, the screen had several dead pixels (a freak occurance I'm sure, since I have not heard of any other reports of this.) Well, I had already sold my old laptop and couldn't be without my computer for the time it would take to send it in for repair or replacement and be sent back. I called and spoke with Justin, he made arrangements for me to take my w3v to Asus USA which is just a few cities down from my house. They switched out my screen while I waited. Actually it only took the tech about 5 minutes. I'm not sure if other resellers would make such efforts to accomodate their customers. Maybe, maybe not, but I am sure glad that I went with a company that is so customer focused. As his spending so much time on this board shows. I guess what I am trying to say is if you are going to spend serious money on a computer, I wouldn't gamble and buy from a company that I wasn't completely sure would be there when I needed help just to save a few dollars.

I apologize for the lenth of this post. When I go without adequate sleep for extended periods, I get rather wordy.

 

I've had a W3A since April and have done a fair amount of travelling. My comments on two of your questions are:

1. Noise: The fan at slow speed is among the quietest - you need a quiet room to hear it. Even on high speed the noise is not obtrusive. The relatively large fan size means that the noise is more of a woosh than whine. Undervolting will help your fan stay on slow speed for more of the time.

3. Reliability: So far I have had nothing happen to give cause for concern. For peace of mind the standard warranty is 2 years. The built quality appears to be very good. My only concern here is that I have a line on the palm rest about 1/2 inch from the from where it interacts with the display during travel.

Another consideration for your proposed use may be battery life. The W3 can give over 4 hours under light usage and the bay battery can add another 3 if you want all day use away from a power socket.

John

 

I'm glad i found this forum.. Great site. I'm on my second DELL (desktop) and am looking to get a notebook to go wireless. These Asus notebooks are screaming at me to break the DELL thing. I have read several reviews here and been to Proportables site. I'm impressed! I like the W3v. It seems like a great little portable and i love the glare screen.
Question? Does Asus (at Proportable)have a 15" model that is loaded up like the W3v in a sleek aluminum case that's thin like the W2v & W3v,WITH the same type glare screen with Bright View. I know the W2v at 17" has it but thats too big. Thanks.

-Chip

 

ASUS has avoided glossy 15.4" in North America, as they have matte. The a6va, m6va, etc. are 15.4" withglossy screens but only availiable in Europe.

The v6v is the closest thing you can get..unless you somehow get a glossy 15" screen into the v6v...

 

1) noise is very low for the w3v. the fan is always on... i think (heck, its quiet enough that i don't know if the fan is on or not unless i really concentrate to hear it), but it has really good speed settings. the sound is more of a low rumble and air being blown than a electric whine like some fans.

2) gaming is so-so on this laptop-- don't expect it to rival a desktop with a 7800GTX most games will play at 1024x768 at medium settings. The MR X600 is roughly the same as MR 9700--which has been said to perform between desktop Readon 9600pro and Readon 9700 levels. The card has 4 pixel pipelines with 2 vertex, so it does have problems with shader intensive games.

3) I can't really comment on this yet, I'll know more when my classes start next week and i start carrying it around more.

 

Ok well some more of the same responses from me:

(just to let you know I was in the same situation as you 2 months ago: university needing a laptop)

-this computer handles half-life 2 demo at just about full settings, I believe only one settign isn't at full

-screen is great, colours look real sharp

-weight and size and everything is of no concern, its fits in backpacks, whatever, and the build quality has never seen to have had problems

-the case and the performance get a lot of looks. taking it into school, and opening it infront of all the jealous DELL, acer, etc... laptops, this thing kicks thier ass!!

-heat : yes their is a difference between when it's off and after it's been running for hours, but show me a laptop, or any electronic device that doesn't change.


realistic downsides:

-maybe it's my settings, but I can't copy my gaming performance on battery. at the high settings it seems to have refresh problems, and stutters.... though once I get internet again I will look more into that. (on a school computer now)

-screen viewing angle lower than average. only affects you if someone is trying to read over your shoulder (i.e. no problems when screen is adjusted for yourself, but if people are around you, might have problems seeing. ) i hate saying things like this because they always get blown out of proportion, this is a minor problem, but im being 100% honest here.


OVERALL: this computer is one of the best on the market. I LOVE mine, and i love laughing at everyone's awful choice in other setups

enjoy!

 

Johny,

If you want that same gaming performance on battery, check your ATI powerplay settings....

 

Like many others here, I have no desktop, just the W3V. Because Athens has free wifi covering all of downtown, I save lots of money by not having Internet access at home -- which means I have to carry my laptop downtown *every day* to go online. Usually twice a day. It's a mile walk, and I go down a very large hill, and then up a very large hill (which means going home I also have to go up a very large hill. ) . I've never had any trouble hauling the W3V around (sure it would be nice if it were lighter, but it would also be nice if it only cost $20, and made coffe, and....), and after months of this the only wear and tear I have is a little abrasion of the paint on the palm rest.

Unless you're a total wimp or a gorilla, the W3 is light enough and tough enough for you.

 

Hey were are you going to school so late? I thought i was the only one starting in october. Im going to Aifl in Fort Luaderdale, Fl...

 

Great, just the answers I need.
* I thought of another question that I've wanted to ask.
The graphics card on the W3V...I've read tons of reviews on what games it can play and etc.....but my big concern is...for how long would I be able to play current games before I start crying that I can't play new games?
Currently all I want to play with my laptop is Guild Wars, Rome Total War, Sid Meier's Pirates, Far Cry, Doom3, Half Life 2, Indigo Prophecy...and a bit of WOW (that is IF I ever get it)....See..the honest truth is....I am a HUGE gamer....I like to play games....(this is the part where I talk about myself..so if u don't want to know... move on please)...I want to be able to take my notebook and play for an hour or two during my classes...which means I'll keep the notebooks for two years before I can consider a new one...so my question is... how long do I have with the W3V before it becomes subpar? Plus, I have decided IF i am to buy a laptop, I'd go with Proportable, he seems the most reliable. (I need technical help in the future and many people wrote that they have the quickest response time and true answers).

 

I have a Z63A which i take to class and while it would be nice if it was a bit lighter it's really not that inconvenient at all.

With undervolting, turning down the screen brightness and keeping the cpu at the lowest clockspeed I get almost 5 hours out of the battery which is pretty **** good.

Just purchased a drive-bay battery and get almost 8 with that, so the battery life is def good enough to get you through a full day of note taking.


The fan is quiet and I can barely hear it most of the time.

I’ve only had the laptop for about a month so I can’t really comment on the durability though, I have had people complain about the paint quality being somewhat poor… I have not had any problems yet.

As far as laptop gaming goes, I think it’s a pretty tricky subject. Personally I choose the Z63a over W3V because I decided paying a huge price premium for a videocard I cant upgrade is pointless. IF you plan on keeping your laptop for several years, then the video card will certainly become outdated and you probably wont be able to play games with settings you’ve become accustomed to. I think it’s much more practical to keep a decent pc around for that sort of thing.

 

Before installing Centrino Hardware Control and ATI Tray Tools, my W3V ran pretty hot but was still quiet at all fan speeds.

After undervolting with CHC and ATITT the only word I can use is "wow". I haven't played with many other notebooks, but this sucker is nice and cool now. Estimated battery life has gone from about 3:00 to 4:00. Stability is rock-solid even during SuperPI and 3dMark05 runs.

It actually runs cool enough to use on my lap now as long as I'm not playing videos.

My grade? I give the W3V a "B" at its default settings, and an "A" after a little tweaking with CHC+ATITT and installing 2GB of RAM. I am very satisfied with this purchase.

My only gripes would be the viewing angle on the screen and the crappy sound from the speakers and headphone jack. Crappy speakers I can understand, but a crappy headphone jack? I wound up buying a $35 USB Turtle Beach sound device just so I could listen to MP3s...

I haven't used it long enough to comment on durability, but it has a very solid feel. No "flex" when you pick it up. That gives me a good feeling about how it's going to hold up.

 

I'm at UCD (University of California, Davis). Most of the UC's except Berkeley don't start until late September. I think we're actually the latest, classes begin at 9/29.

 

Try now. It has problems with the FEAR demo.
All in all, if you're a BIG gamer, go for something with an X700 at least. Or have a seperate gaming rig set up. I'm toying with the idea of building an Venice 3000+ / 7800GT gaming rig.

 

i've been searching for the answer to this for quite some time now on this forum, but haven't really found anything concrete. what is it about the Z63a that allows you to upgrade/interchange video cards?

i thought with the W3V being PCI-X that just about any mobile PCI-X card should work..

 

If its PCI-Express, it should be removable but most GPU's are soldered into the motherboard anyways.

However, in some cases, like the z71v's GPU, the 6600 Go can be removable but there is nothing that can fit inside...

The z81sp has a MXM GPU though, and its removable, and should be able to upgrade as well

 

so the W3V's GPU is definitely soldered onto the motherboard?