Asus G51Jx Owners Lounge

[janvandongen]

Welcome to the ASUS G51Jx Owners Lounge.

This first page of the thread will be regularly updated. Your contributions and postings in the thread are welcome!

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SPECIFICATIONS:
CPU: Intel® Core™ i7 Processor 720QM (1.6GHz, 45W) with Turbo boost and 6M L3 Cache
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit
Chipset: Mobile Intel® HM55 Express Chipset +ICH10
Memory: 6GB DDR3/1066MHz System Memory - 4 Memory Slots (12GB maximum)
Display: 15.6" Full HD (1920x1080) LED backlit Color-Shine (Glare-type)
Video card: NVIDIA GeForce GTS 360M with 1GB GDDR5 VRAM
Hard Drive: 500GB 7200rpm
Optical Drive: Combo Dual Layer SuperMulti DVDRW/CDRW (Blu-Ray optional)
Card Reader: 8 in 1 card reader, SD, MMC, MS, MS Pro, xD, Smart Media, mini SD w/ adapter, MS-Duo
Camera: Built-in web camera 2.0MP
Audio: Integrated Intel High Definition Audio chip
WIFI: Integrated 802.11n
Bluetooth: Built-in V2.1+EDR
I/O: 1x Express card, Line-in, Mic-in, Headphone-out, S/PDIF, VGA port/Mini D-sub 15-pin, 4x USB 2.0, IEEE 1394, RJ45 LAN, HDMI, WLAN On/Off Switch, E-SATA
Keyboard: Backlit Chiclet
Battery: 6 cells 4800 mAh (9 cell optional)
Dimension & Weight: 14.6"x10.3"x1.6" (WxDxH), 7.26lbs, (37.5x26.5x4.06 cm (WxDxH), 3.30 kg)
Warranty: Global 2 Yr Warranty + 1 Yr ADP + 30 Day ZBD (3 year optional)

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FAQ

A good place to start is this thread:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/asus...pre-sales.html

I'll gradually summarize the most important points under this FAQ section, with your help and support!

Is there a repair & dis-assembly guide?
Not specifically for the G51Jx. (If you know one please post). User Thalanix suggests that the G50 guide is similar: http://forum.notebookreview.com/asus...bly-guide.html. Note that in comparison the G51Jx lacks the fan grill on the bottom, has a hard-disk replaced with RAM, and one of the lights on the case missing a cable.

There seems to be a second Hard-disk bay. Can I use it?
No. The bay was originally intended for an extra HD, but is occupied by installed memory. More importantly, ASUS has removed the connector, so there is no way to hook it up to the motherboard.

How long is battery life?
Most users seem to agree that the standard 6 cell battery is too light for this power hungry notebook. If you can, purchase the 9 cell variation.

Perhaps on Energy Saver and not using Turbo Boost that battery might be giving up 3-hours or better run time, just decrease the screen brightness to 40% or so, and don't do anything graphics intensive and that should be the result. (Thanks user rexrzer727).

9 cells is the largest available for the J51-series at this time.

My battery doesn't fully charge, what to do?
Some G51J's do not fully charge the battery, and Windows reports "xx% available (plugged in, not charging)" (xx being anything under 100%). What may help is to take all power from the notebook, (no power cord and no battery), and press the power on/off button for 10 or more seconds. All capacitors discharge and typically your battery will charge again to 100%.

Did anyone find a way to mess with vbios on the 360M GTS?
Note: Advanced level only, implement at own risk! This guide is for the G51J-A1, which is close but not the same as G51Jx. BIOS dis-assembly guide

Is there an easy way to determine if I got the 1333MHz Kingston RAM modules?
Indeed some variations of the G51Jx are shipped with 1333MHz memory although the specs state 1066MHz. Software you can use to determine what's in your notebook; Speccy, Hwinfo, CPU-Z, etc. They will report 1333MHz memory as either PC3-10600, PC3-10700 or PC3-10666. This depends on the rounding being used. Background reading: DDR3-1333-speed-latency-shootout

Can I do upgrades without voiding the warranty?
You can upgrade the Hard drive, memory, optical drive and wireless card without voiding the warranty.

Will it void the warranty if I apply thermal paste to the CPU or GPU?
Yes, it will void your warranty.

Is the G51Jx suitable for gaming?
Absolutely yes! Most reviews so far report excellent performance on high game settings when plugged in. Gaming with high settings on battery dramatically shortens battery life.

What is the performance of the graphics card, comparative?
Check this page: Notebookcheck GeForce GTS 360M

My screen refresh rate is locked to 60Hz, is there a way to set higher rates?
No, this rate is fixed.

Is it useful upgrading the stock WiFi card?
The stock WiFi card is the Atheros 5985/9285, which is a card for the average user without reported drops.
It can be replaced easily (by an advanced user) by other cards to get a better range if that is an issue for you, (such as at University campuses). The G51Jx has three antennas built in of which currently only 2 are used. For example the Intel N6300 Ultimate card is specifically designed to work with 3 antennas.

Does the G51Jx run hot?
Yes it does, although not over anything you might expect from such a high-end gaming rig. Some users have noticed that the place you rest your left hand runs hot, which is where the hard disk is. This should not be a concern if the hard-disk runs around 50-55 degrees or so.

Are the speakers ok, I listen to a lot of music?
The speakers sound good, about average for a gaming notebook.

The built-in web-cam is too slow / laggy, what can I do?
Make sure you switch from the "Virtual Camera" to the "USB 2.x" camera. For some reason the machine defaults to the virtual one which is only useful for conference call chats (multiple people all on screen). If you are not in a conference it is more laggy than necessary, and switching to the real camera works great.

How is the G51Jx related to model G60Jx?
G51Jx and G60Jx are very similar. They share the same graphics card (GTS 360M), but the G601Jx has a slower CPU (core i5 2.26 MHz), and only 4GB memory. The G60Jx seems to be primarily sold in USA (Bestbuy) and Australia.

How do I install MAC OS/X on the G51Jx?
User nfshp253 writes: You can follow this guide meant for the G60Jx, which is almost identical to the G51Jx. Identify your laptop as a MacBookPro6,2 and tell the system that it's OS/X 10.6.2 even if you install OS/X 10.6.3. You then have to install the MBP Update 1.3 which will include native support for the GTS360M video card, just by entering the boot command GraphicsEnabler="Yes". Of course that will only work if you are using a Chameleon bootloader. If you want to dual-boot get the Snow Leopard DVD which is modded to support MBR partition tables (it would normally supported only GUID tables). You can then dual-boot by installing Chameleon and then adding a boot entry in Windows using EasyBCD, at least that's what I did.
What does NOT work: The wireless card (Intel 1000) doesn't work.
What works: The GTS 360M with full QE/CI support, Audio (without the initial crackling problem), Bluetooth, webcam, Blu-ray drive, RAM, Processor (and speed-stepping seems to work). HDMI video out (I did not try but heard from a G60Jx user that it works).

I just did a clean install. Which camera driver do I use?
Our camera is the Chicony 2.0.2.0 UVC USB Webcam (Sonix260). Use the Chicony camera drivers, ours is the 2.0MP driver, not the other one. After correct installation the driver is listed in Device Manager as this:
Driver Provider: Sonix
Driver Date: 6/5/2009
Driver Version: 61.5.200.270
You can find this driver on the 'Drivers and Utility DVD ROM' which all users get, or on the ASUS driver website (link provided in below paragraph).
(Thanks user Rexrzr727).

Obsessed about controlling if your camera is on?
Read this excellent topic. A wee bit techie, but don't we love it...
(Thanks user Gps3dx)



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UPDATES: BIOS, VIDEO, OTHER

BIOS
Latest stable ASUS BIOS is version 207.

Note on BIOS version 207:
One user experienced failure of Bluetooth after upgrading from BIOS v206 to v207. ASUS tech support repaired his bluetooth allegedly by loading defaults in BIOS. So in case you experience bluetooth failure after upgrade to v207, try loading BIOS defaults and restart. If you still experience bluetooth failure please let us know about this in the thread, so we can warn others.

General note on installing BIOS:
1) Go into BIOS and load BIOS defaults, save & exit BIOS, restart, let the drivers load, then restart again, and enter BIOS once again.
2) Flash BIOS using the 'EZ Flash BIOS update', NOT 'software flash' BIOS. (There is some evidence amongst users that 'software flash' is les reliable).
3) Power down the notebook after the BIOS flash, and wait 5 minutes.
4) Power up the notebook, immediately go back into BIOS and load BIOS defaults again. (This enables all peripheral devices and features, including Bluetooth, the WiFi card and drivers for both, etc).
5) Save & exit BIOS, restart.

Generic BIOS update guide for ASUS notebooks: http://forum.notebookreview.com/asus...notebooks.html

VIDEO
The latest stable version of the NVIDIA Win7 64 bit drivers for G51Jx is version version 260.99. Download here:
http://www.nvidia.com/object/noteboo...ql-driver.html

There are newer drivers, but stability is still an issue. If you feel lucky, download here and post your experiences in this thread.
(Select GeForce GTS 360M).

Updating from previous versions to NVIDIA 260.99 is know to have solved instability issues including BSOD's.

G51Jx UPDATES
- Support page (downloads): http://support.asus.com/Download.asp...51Jx&p=3&s=191

- FAQ page (known issues): http://support.asus.com/knowledge.as...lbQOy6w8myYSq5

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GPU OVERCLOCKING

Overclocking the GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) within reason is fine, but when overdone major instability issues including BSOD's have been reported. (See rules of thumb under point C below)
A. User Thalanix reports the following:
If any G51Jx owners are hitting a clock wall without artifacting, I suggest trying some of the newer 197 drivers. With 197.59 I've been able to go up to 630MHz on the core up from a previous max of 585 (gtx260m). The quadro's don't bench as well as the older 195.15 or 196.75, but they are either a lot more lax in overclocks or the others are that much more strict.

Vantage GPU scores using NVIDIA defaults:
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q.../19759-600.jpg - 5350
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q.../19759-610.jpg - 5378
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q.../19759-620.jpg - 5422
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q.../19759-630.jpg - 5408
(note the 630 score dropped; reran and it crashed near the end of test 2)

Games that would crash at 585 (ME2), are now also stable at 620. I've never thought a driver can affect an oc this much, but i guess i was wrong.
LaptopVideo2Go Forums -> 19x Series GeForce Driver Releases

B. User nfshp253 adds:
You can try this: v197.59 Windows 7/Vista 64bit | NVIDIA Quadro - LaptopVideo2Go Forums
And remember to put the extra .inf in the extracted folder (location where the NVIDIA extractor extracts the installation files).

C. User REXRZER727 made an excellent overclocking guide:
Check the guide out

If you are a VERY confident overclocker, you may additionally consider to read the following explanation about EVGA Precision. Use with care:
The EVGA Precision program allows you to fine tune your GeForce graphics card for the maximum performance possible, with Core/Shader/Memory clock tuning, real time monitoring support including in-game, Logitech Keyboard LCD Display support.

Find the latest version of EVGA Precision on http://www.evga.com/support/drivers/, register, download and install it, open her up, and for the 1st couple of days leave the on-board prompts and suggestions "On", so you can learn how to use the utility.

EVGA Precision is the best of the video card utilities, has many variables, and you can "test" a setting before actually applying it with one of its features. There's an information guide with all kinds of tips and practical applications, plus there's a screen capture setting, multiple profiles to help you keep track of things, and monitoring itself is multiplier variable also. Try EVGA Precision and you won't go back to NVIDIA tools for any reason we can think of.

Tip: When experimenting with settings, link Core and Shader adjustments to keep them safe.
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CPU OVERCLOCKING

User rexrzer727 gives his views of overclocking the CPU (Core Processing Unit): http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=6371600

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CLEAN INSTALL GUIDE

Here is a good clean install guide from user rexrzer727, in case you want to remove the stock installation of Windows 7 and start fresh: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=6300519. And here is an update: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=6613910. I suggest your read both before doing your clean install.

As an alternative for doing a clean install, you can read below bloatware guide to remove unnecessary software.

Some users suggest that a clean install of a retail copy of Windows 7 64 bit has made their G51Jx faster, compared to the stock ASUS install of Windows 7 64 bit. This has not been substantiated yet with before- and after benchmark tests. Anyone?

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ASUS BLOATWARE GUIDE

A good guide to manage/remove the pre-installed software and utilities on new ASUS notebooks: Asus Utility and Bloatware Guide

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COMPONENT UPGRADE OPTIONS

Factory choices (before you buy):
The following optional upgrades are available for your G51Jx:
- Processor:
1) Intel Core i7 Processor 620M/720QM Processor : 2.66 GHz - 1.6 GHz, with turbo up to 3.33/2.8 GHz;
2) Intel Core i5 Processor 540M/520M/430M : 2.53 GHz - 2.26 GHz, with turbo up to 3.06/2.93/2.53 GHz
- Hard drive:
1) 640GB (5400rpm)
2) 500GB (5400rpm or 7200rpm)
3) 320GB (5400rpm or7200rpm)
- Optical drive:
1) DVD Super Multi
2)Blu-Ray DVD Combo
- Memory:
1) DDR3 1066/1333 MHz up to 12GB (for Intel Core i7 platform)
2) DDR3 1066 MHz up to 4GB (for Intel Core i5 platform)
- Battery:
1) 6 cells: 4800 mAh
2) 9 cells: 7200 mAh

Manual upgrades (after you buy):
- SSD (solid State Disk). Probably the biggest speed improvement you can give your G51Jx. Any 2.5 inch SSD will fit your system. Exemples: OCZ, Intel, etc.
- Wi-Fi card (see FAQ).
- Blu-Ray optical drive
- Battery:
1) 6 cells: 4800 mAh
2) 9 cells: 7200 mAh
- Processor:
You can upgrade your processor, although the investment is probably not worth the speed gain, and you will void your warranty. (Buy a Sold State Disk instead)!
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BENCHMARKS

ASUS G51Jx - Grand Theft Auto IV Benchmark
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REVIEWS

1) Notebookcheck:
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Asus-G51Jx-X1.30400.0.html

2) Techtree , detailed review:
Asus G51JX 3D Gaming Notebook

3) Amazon product page, with many different user reviews:
http://www.amazon.com/Republic-Gamer.../dp/B0034NGZWM
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Disclaimer:
I will not be held responsible for the above information being accurate in any way, shape or form. (If you can find me anyway, grin).
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[paladin44]

Wow...great job! Thank you so much for all the time and effort you put into this...REPS to you

[ninedragon]

Nice, been waiting for this owners lounge for too long.

[mjfrozenchips]

Yawp. Same here been waiting for this also. Ill post my benchmarks and whatever else when i get home from seaworld with kids.

[janvandongen]

Yep, me too, so I thought; let's just get going. Thanks for the kudos.

Benchmarks very welcome! Especially rules of thumb that are brief and understandable. (Even advanced topics can be made easy, ).

[rexrzer727]

Well guys and gals, let's get this thing off the ground with a great big Whoosh!

I've been investigating the possibility of replacing the USA-version's OEM TSST Corp (Toshiba Samsung Storage Alliance) DVD+/-RW optical drive with a BluRay Writer/Reader optical drive, and I've found these two compatibles on eBay and Amazon.com, which are 100% guaranteed to fit the G51-series laptop in terms of both the fit itself, and the fittings also, which are SATA true and true.

I removed my optical drive this evening to confirm what I already surmised, and I can confirm that the optical drive's connector is a simple female SATA Port for both data and power, and the optical drive simply backs up to the male port in the chassis/motherboard's edge/corner, and WHAM! Connectivity!

Both of the Reader/Writer drives that I am detailing here tonight have 12.7mm of height and a slim chassis, which is identical to the TSST optical drive's arrangement, save for one tiny detail: there's a "flange or skirt" that wraps around the outside corner and side of the optical drive that *must be removed off of the original optical drive* and installed on the new drive, and then, and only then is it secured in the chassis...there are two chassis screws that fix the optical drive in place, and that is a necessity to do!

That's an easy thing to do, just four (4) little mini-screws to attend to there and BAM! We're in business with a new BluRay Reader/Writer optical drive that will write at up to 6X BR-D discs, and is good to go with everything from regular DVD discs (DVD-R or DVD+R discs, or Dual Layer DVD+R discs) to the DVD RAM discs @ 5X, both reading and writing at that 5X benchmark, which is something that I use for archiving photos, so that was good to figure out, too!

Without further ado here are the two optical drives that both Write and Read BluRay media:

Slim Laptop Panasonic Blu-ray Burner DVDRW Drive UJ-240 - eBay (item 310218340439 end time Jun-04-10 20:01:12 PDT)

That one's at eBay while this drive is at Amazon.com

Amazon.com: Sony BD-5730S 6x BD 12.7mm Tray SATA Blu-ray Writer: Electronics

The eBay optical drive is a Panasonic/Matsua drive, and it retails at BuyItNow! for $205 plus any eBay fees and handling, while the Sony drive is an Optiarc Drive, the 5730S model, and it's got the same SATA hook-up that we are looking for, and it costs about $20 more @ $226 shipped from Amazon.com.

Your pick, but I like the Sony more than the Matsua/Panasonic drive, as those are Apple Computer brand drives also (Macs don't use BluRay, but they do use the Panasonic/Matsua brand "Superdrives" which can be good, or bad...just depends on the luck of the draw!), ie the brand anyway, and I've had some experiences with them as a technician, so I know the brand well and prefer the Sony quality-wise for $20 difference...that's just my take, maybe others prefer the 'Sonic brand over Sony!

To be honest about BluRay being easy to install is one thing, but is our G51JX-A1 a "native BluRay" type of notebook? Does it have the built-in capability to run BluRay media? Well the answer is "YES!" In fact it's "Hell Yes!" I used the CyberLink program "BluRay BD Advisor" to source out the hardware and software possibilities of our friendly little G51 computers and they are good to go for BluRay, ie there's no hangup hardware-wise or software-wise, and things will go smoothly with the install of any BluRay drive that fits the computer physically!

You must install a BluRay-savvy software program to be able to play BluRay though, and that's where CyberLink comes into the picture with their popular CyberLink "High-Def Suite" which can include PowerDVD Player, depending on what exactly it is that you purchase from the company. I know that PowerDVD Ultra 3D is the popular choice these days for BluRay players in non-OEM form, and it can do virtually anything you want with BluRay discs, including the new 3D BluRay discs, it can play them perfectly fine, and that is what you want with any software...you want it to be able to do it all!

That program retails for about $100 or so, without a coupon or special deal, so keep that in mind when you are thinking about installing a BluRay drive of some sort, because you have to Pay the Piper when it comes to the player, Windows does NOT have a built-in BluRay player! Have to go 3rd party there...

That's about a wrap up on this subject, and I hope that it's complete and simple enough for those of you who are interested in the BluRay solution for your G51, if you don't have such a deal installed already. I have done my homework and thought I'd share it with the group tonight!

Any questions? Please ask, and I'll try to provide an answer if I know it, or can figure out where to source the answer...

[PrivateReid]

Thanks a lot for this! I'm loving my G51JX! Now with no BSOS's no Throttling no nonsense Asus software and an overclocked gpu and cpu! =)

Edit: One thing im not so impressed about is how much heat it produces! Without overclocking anything the GPU is 80oC idle...Now im no wizz at this but that kinda seems pretty high...?

[ninedragon]

Thanks a lot for this! I'm loving my G51JX! Now with no BSOS's no Throttling no nonsense Asus software and an overclocked gpu and cpu! =)

Edit: One thing im not so impressed about is how much heat it produces! Without overclocking anything the GPU is 80oC idle...Now im no wizz at this but that kinda seems pretty high...?

How much did you overclock your GPU? Mine is 600/1600/2000, and it make my GPU idle at 80. I received my G51JX-A1 from XOTICPC this afternoon, and one thing I don't like is ASUS stuff too much bloatware in this machine, and I had to do a clean Win 7 install. Otherwise, my G51JX-A1 is great, haven't have any BSODs, GSODs, unlike the G73, fast, and no hiccups in BFBC2 or any game I threw at it. This is a great investment for me, if I went with the G73, probably all I get with that machine is BSODs, GSODs, or even PSODs.

Edit: Did any of you guy receive a razer abyssus instead of razer copperhead? I think the abyssus is a great mouse.

[PrivateReid]

My overclock settings are 610/1980/1530.

As I said im no wizz at gpu's but I think i might underclock it when im just web surfing ect. Anyone know any good underclock settings for the gts360m?

Edit: Ive underclocked it to 500/1250/800 for general laptop use =)

Edit2: But I guess my temperatures don't matter that much considering I'll play crysis for an hour and the gpu will reach 85oC but never over.

Anyway, with the new underclocked settings my Idle temp is ~72oC

[oneb1t]

after some time temperature going down so now i have 75C in full load :-P on standart clocks
85 with overclock
also u can easily overclock your CPU with setfsb
and new 257.15 beta verde drivers working really good