Asus C90 Customizable Notebook Hands on at Asus Headquarters (pics)

One thing i did not see mentioned that some people are asking. Asus is actually promising a similar thermal evelope and operating temps comparable to existing centrino (try to disregard the super tornado fans in the back, there are 4 but they will be of low decibel and fairly low noise). The really coold thing about this is that it is just as thick as your average mobile centrino and weighs about the same but has a conroe in it and will use mxm type 2 card (asus promised to have them for sale or atleast integration wide variety) as well as allowing all the pleasantries of santarosa chipset but paired with a conroe. kind of a hibrid dtr but the size of a mobile. aside from the cumbersome thermal solution i think this is very unique to the market and offers advantages and price no other manuf (not even clevo) can offer.

 

as long as Intel keeps using LGA 775, this notebook sounds like future proof to me :]

edit--
one question though:
since kentsfield also uses lga 775, does that mean the c90 will support it?

 

It could be a possibility. If the chipset can support the processor, which it should, as it can currently support a 1066 MHz FSB for the Core 2 Duo, then it may be okay for quad core processors. A BIOS update may be required, but it could happen. However, it would affect battery runtime, which is already low, and it would also emit alot more heat when the processor tuns at full pelt.

 

hm :/

if they fix the batt life then i'm interested =]

 

Does anyone know what graphics card this thing is gonna be using? Because I heard that it's supposed to be the GeForce Go 8600 (GS, GTS, or GTS Ultra). I know that it's gonna be DX10 because they said Asus told them not tell what graphics card it has so that's enough right there

 

I saw on an asian forum a picture of the C90 and the sign said:

nVidia GeForce 8600M GS/256MB MXM II v2.0 w/TTP

 

Show us the source for a Rep point?

To be honest with you guys I dont like how those fans just jut out like that it doesnt look aesthetically pleasing. Very interesting though how Asus is using desktop processors on laptops. I saw a Sony desktop that was using a mobile processor and gpu at Bestbuy the other day and I have to admit it looks very tempting to buy. http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage...ategoryId=pcmcat103700050070&id=1168043812058
Someone should do a review on this...

 

hopefully the pic is there

seems discussion on the c90 has moved to another thread
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=116951
or atleast there is more current info posted there

 

Hi everybody !!
I was waiting for a DELL XPS M1710 with T7600G cpu, but I've changed idea after reading about the C90..

About the battery problem, I will use some APC tech.. (lithium polymers stuff)

Have u got any news about how i can buy now an Asus C90 ?
I have no found any on-line shop... Could you help me please ?

Thanks a lot !!
Bye !!

 

Interesting concept, and the extra vents dont look bad at all.
Any idea how much cheaper will this laptop be due to the desktop processor ?
Say I want a 1.83Ghz cpu. How much more would using a notebook cpu cost ?

 

Will there be any danger of overheating, even with those fans, though?

 

Probably a lot cheaper with a desktop cpu compared to a notebook.

Isn't the T5600 like $260 and a e6300 like $160?

 

anyone know where to order a c90s in the UK?

 

The PDF manual for C90S:
http://support.asus.com/download/download_item.aspx?product=3&model=C90S&SLanguage=en-us&manual=1

 

great...where did you find it?
it should had been released since the user manual already avaiable

 

u can buy it on gentechpc.com cheapest place i found it from the other sites w/ configuration

 

The TDP probably is not rated high enough. My D901C is only rated to 75 TDP (I.e. My EX6800) The min Quad is a 105 TDP. They tried them in the D901C's and were getting hiccups when the Proc drew more power. I.e. not enough cooling. I hope they make this with enough cooling, but chances are...

 

cyberpowerpc.com has some slightly lower prices in a few possible configurations, but overall gentech.com is cheaper and has a much nicer and longer warranty.

 

gotta love the fans....

 

Well, well! I like the idea behind the C90... BUT:
1.
another plastic job by a manufacturer which makes the APPLE MB+P
ASUS can do better than that. They could use a nice Alloy body, maybe a bit bigger than the apple form factor, AND it could be ANODIZED in any color for very little money, thats where the upgrade should start
2.
Why on earth does ASUS offer a PASSIVE Matrix screen??? In this day and age unacceptable as there are serious quality drawbacks...
3.
The scratch pad is too small.
4.
And finally the design is inside out, the bottom just looks like any cheap plastic job. Bad design. It is typically Taiwanese thinking. Good components thrown into a badly designed box.

So here is my assessment: A good idea badly realized!

 

I guess you just copy and paste this into every thread... you read my answer in the other one.

 

does it take core 2 quad?

 

how useful is the fingerprint reader?

 

The C90 won't take core 2 quad. The power supply delivers only 90W and the Q6600 eats 105W if my memory is good... anyway, surely more than the supplied power supply can deliver.
Roughly, the dimensions are 15.5" x 12" * 2".
With a E6600, after an hour, the temperatures goes like this : CPU 39°C and GPU 78.5°C in normal mode.
Even when spinning at full power, the four fans are really quiet.
And the the last question, the fingerprint reader is VERY usefull. It's addictive!!! You can use your finger for ANY password. I use it from Windows password to msn messenger, even for my password in this forum!!!!

 

So I take it there aren't any problems with the finger print reader? Just kidding.

I've read all over the internet about people with all kinds of problems with the fingerprint readers on all kinds of brands of notebooks. But recently, oh say within the past month, all of those problems have completely stopped. That or people have stopped reporting them. Can anyone answer me, why that is?

Either way though, that doesn't seem to be an issue anymore.

 

Hi, I just wanted to comment on the C90. As I said before, a good idea, but wrapped again in PLASTIC,,, http://forum.notebookreview.com/images/smilies/wink.gif
Considering that this notebook is upgradeable and consequently has a longer lifespan, it should have been packed in Carbon or Aluminum Alloy. ASUS has all the experience with APPLE.
Also, what does it cost to have this machine upgraded to full speed, 4 GB RAM and a decent graphics card...???
Any ideas?

 

Wow. One track mind anyone?

With the rig I've got in my sig, it cost me a little over $1800. You can't get 4 GB of ram with the chipset that is in the C90 currently. Also, to my knowledge, the GPU that I have is also the top of the line for this computer currently.

Apparently you haven't held one of these in your hands, or you would know that this is a pretty solid laptop. If it was carbon or alluminum alloy, the price of this thing would sky rocket. I would have to say, imo, that the idea behind this laptop was for customizability as well as keeping the cost down. It's an incredibly cost efficient desktop replacement that is very, very upgradable.

 

Hi WhiteEightBall,
Of course cost is a factor. when designing a customizable laptop. But plastic is not durable, AL alloys are, and look better after years of use (and can be anodized in ANY color for very little money!!!). A lasting machine.
That's what we are looking at: "ABOVE AVERAGE YEARS OF USE!" The price would not skyrocket, just be a bit higher.
The C90 could look a bit like the APPLE MBP with more volume (thicker). Water cooling is also a possibility, instead of having those huge fans in the back, which make the whole thing very bulky.
The C90 should have been a user design, with engineers filling in the tech specs.
ASUS and Quanta are good Companies, innovative and providing good quality,
the latter being also one of the top OEM ODM outfits in the world.

The possibilities are almost infinite if these outfits put their mind to building a truly customizable laptop. Let us hope this is the first step in the direction of a new trend.
The only thing technically lagging always behind is a power source in form of a new battery(?) or whatever.
Best

 

Yes, the C90 is a very nice toy, and works very well, but I have no felicitations for ASUS.
Lets explain myself. In the description of the Asus C90S it is written :

Supplied Accessories :

Built-in Bluetooth V2.0+EDR
Finger Print Recognition+TPM 1.2 (Trust Platform Module)
Hybrid TV Tuner (Minicard interface) Wireless Mouse/ Carrying bag

-->In winXP, the bluetooth drivers detects no bluetooth device and cannon install. So I cannot say if there's bluetooth, but there's a Bluetooth sticker on the laptop...

-->There's no sign at all of a TV Tuner. And in the manuel, chapter 2 (Knowing th Parts), it is writen, I quote : "The provided antenna can receive digital TV or FM Radio." Which antenna? Anyone saw an antenna? And it continues : "NOTE: Use the provided adapter for use with coaxial connectors." No sign of any adapter...

-->I know what's a mouse, but I saw nothing that ressemble nor could do the task of a computer mouse, so wireless... no even a USB one...

-->And the carrying bag... What a joke... that is really DUMB from Asus. Is it that hard to take a laptop and test fit it in a bag... Ok, the bag is large enough, but not depth enough. In my opinion, they didn't considered the fans, but that's still unwise from them.

 

I am not surprised, even though ASUS makes good products....

 

Point taken. It looks like you might need to either update the drivers for the bluetooth device for winXP, or open up your C90 and take a look at the bluetooth card. It is located almost directly next to the wireless card. I am using Vista Ultimate X64 though, so I may not be of much use on this advice.

Though, I do have one problem with what I saw. The bluetooth card is there, but there is another module; identical to the one that the a/b/g/n card fits into, that would fit another card of some type that would be placed directly above the bluetooth card. I have no idea what goes there.

This I will have to agree with. There is the connector on the side of the notebook itself, but upon further inspection when I was installing all of the parts, there is no sign that the tuner is in there. There is a downfall to my inspection though, I don't know what I'm looking for, weather it be a card or a chip of some sort, I've never owned a computer/laptop that has ever had a built in tv tuner.

The antenna, however, will be located on the back side of the screen, so you will not see the antenna, even if you open up the insides.

I have no idea what you're talking about. I ordered my C90 from GenTechPC and there was no mention of a computer mouse. Who did you order from, it sounds like the reseller didn't deliver what they promised. Or is that on the Asus website? I'm too lazy to check.

I completely agree with this statement as well. There is no excuse for this. Though, I already have 2 bags that the C90 will fit in. They should have had a bag either large enough for it, or a custom bag designed for the C90. Though, that's just a few peoples opinions. It's all about $$.

IKEpod: I agree with you on most of your points and I see where you're coming from. The screen has a good amount of flex to it as well as the keyboard compared to that of what it is competing with. They could have used better materials, that or beefed up the materials they decided to use. I can only say so much in defense of their decision and why, but when you're right, you're right. There really is no excuse for using the materials they did with such moderation.

Though water cooling is/could be a possibility, the amount of time, money, and effort that would be put into such a system would have most likely drawn their profit margin to zero, that is if they kept their price at what it is now. But if you're saying that they could offer it as an option, as to the huge fans, giving the customer userbase two different possibilities, then thats reasonable.

The C90 is probably a step towards things to come, like you mentioned. And we could only hope so with the endless possiblities that technology is brining us today. I would like to see a barebones that is as customizable as the C90, with us (the users) giving the tech guys the specs we plan to install ourselves and them building a barebones around the motherboard and cooling system. Who's to say what's going on though, they could just drop this whole thing and call it a loss, without knowing the huge profit margin they could have gained from customers such as ourselves who are willing to pay for such a service.

 

The C90 is probably a step towards things to come, like you mentioned. And we could only hope so with the endless possiblities that technology is brining us today. I would like to see a barebones that is as customizable as the C90, with us (the users) giving the tech guys the specs we plan to install ourselves and them building a barebones around the motherboard and cooling system. Who's to say what's going on though, they could just drop this whole thing and call it a loss, without knowing the huge profit margin they could have gained from customers such as ourselves who are willing to pay for such a service.

Yes, agreed.
You know Logical thinking is not a prevalent strength among CEO's. I have no idea why some are at the helm of a large corporation. Customizable products, like computers are very well marketable. There will always be a number of those who want something special. For instance the material: extruded Aluminum alloy, or Carbon Fiber. These materials are NOT ALL THAT EXPENSIVE. So why not use them for a laptop I may live with for 4 or 5 years, given that I can upgrade the thing. There are many reasons why APPLE is using Aluminum alloy.

IKE...

__________________

 

At first, I tought that aluminium was just unuseful, that you guys wanted alu just for having alu, but it makes less than a week I have my c90 and it is already chipped... I don't know what happened, but the only thing I can see is when I test fit it in the damn bag that came with. Yeah, my next laptop won't be in plastic...

 

A laptop which supposedly can be upgraded, therefore has a longer lifespan, should be made out of material, which is tough and attractive, AL-alloy...
IKE...

 

- Same problem with bluetooth. And I still have 2 unrecognized devices in Device Manager. One USB device and another PCI device (one of it should be bluetooth device).
- I got a nice logitech USB mouse.
- No TV tuner.
- carrying bag... hmm... for free its fine...
- Also, WiFI supplied driver did not work. I got Atheros AR5008 driver (802.11b/g) from the web in order to make it work.. But Windows detected AR5008X device (with Draft N I suppose). WIFI led does not show any life sign (although WIFI works fine).

 

Just solved the problem with bluetooth. Through Windows Update it found BT-183 driver and unknown USB device dissapeared. But unknown PCI device still remains...