G73 Static

I've kinda "heard" of the static issue but I'm not totally familiar with it. I got a new G73 from NewEgg today. The minute I turned it on I heard a horrendous loud staticy noise coming from the speakers. It would come and go. I saw a thread about uninstalling the realtek drivers and then installing a new one. The problem is two fold. One the thread is from February and the drivers are newer than the ones posted in the thread. The second is that realtek's site isn't working. I found a driver online and uninstalled the current driver. When I tried to install the new driver, it said "no supported device found". So I called Asus and they told me about a driver on their site. He told me not to uninstall the old driver but to just install this new one on top. That made it worse. It got to the point where the static was constant. So any advice? I'm at a loss to have a brand new computer act like this out of the box. I looked up Newegg's RMA process and it says 2-3 weeks for a laptop! Why would I want to wait 2-3 weeks for another if it does the same thing? Ridiculous!

Reply 1 : G73 Static

I have the same problem and did a month's worth of research on the subject. Long story short, you can:



1) RMA it

or 2) uninstall the Realtek driver and use the generic Windows high definition audio driver. All the "workarounds" (installing the Realtek driver twice, installing one driver over another, etc) appear to work because it screws it up so that Windows falls back to the default generic driver anyway. With this solution the subwoofer won't work, and a little of the right channel will be unmutable.

Reply 2 : G73 Static

Uninstall the creative software first (there are 2 of them), then try re-installing the updated realtek drivers. That should work. If not,



try looking at this thread:



http://forum.notebookreview.com/asus...tive+debugging



There are a lotta things you can try before opting for a RMA...

Reply 3 : G73 Static

Well, I contacted newegg for an RMA. I have the labels but I won't ship it out til Monday. So I can try a few things in the meantime. I'm just seriously disappointed and I guess I don't understand the whole "you can remove this software and it'll work" nonsense. Uh, shouldn't someone at some point test these damn things? I mean not each one, but this is obviously a known issue. By reading up on it I'm not even sure it's software since some people get rid of it and some don't. Even if I mute my speakers it still goes on. And I'm not talking a little static, I mean ear splitting loud static I can hear halfway across my house. If I can do something simple I guess I wouldn't mind, but even the Asus tech told me to send it back. I guess I find that just maddening that people except that they'll have to take away some of their laptops features instead of returning it. My current laptop is OC'd so I'm not afraid to tinker....to improve performance though not to get something to work as intended. I HATE that newegg is going to make me send it, have them test it, then ship me a new one(or this same one if they can "fix" it). It'll probably take me 2-3 weeks to get a working laptop. But I think I would rather do that than live with a laptop that I have to fix right out of the box. I wouldn't keep a brand new car that I have to use duct tape to keep the hood down.



Anything else to try outside of removing all of the Creative stuff? What am I going to lose in the process?

Reply 4 : G73 Static

Quote:

Originally Posted by milhouse74 Well, I contacted newegg for an RMA. I have the labels but I won't ship it out til Monday. So I can try a few things in the meantime. I'm just seriously disappointed and I guess I don't understand the whole "you can remove this software and it'll work" nonsense. Uh, shouldn't someone at some point test these damn things? I mean not each one, but this is obviously a known issue. By reading up on it I'm not even sure it's software since some people get rid of it and some don't. Even if I mute my speakers it still goes on. And I'm not talking a little static, I mean ear splitting loud static I can hear halfway across my house. If I can do something simple I guess I wouldn't mind, but even the Asus tech told me to send it back. I guess I find that just maddening that people except that they'll have to take away some of their laptops features instead of returning it. My current laptop is OC'd so I'm not afraid to tinker....to improve performance though not to get something to work as intended. I HATE that newegg is going to make me send it, have them test it, then ship me a new one(or this same one if they can "fix" it). It'll probably take me 2-3 weeks to get a working laptop. But I think I would rather do that than live with a laptop that I have to fix right out of the box. I wouldn't keep a brand new car that I have to use duct tape to keep the hood down. Anything else to try outside of removing all of the Creative stuff? What am I going to lose in the process?

From all the information I've seen, it appears to be a hardware defect. As I suggested earlier, you can uninstall the Realtek driver and just use the generic high definition audio driver that comes with Windows. For me it's the only sure way to avoid the static noise.

Reply 5 : G73 Static

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yuxi From all the information I've seen, it appears to be a hardware defect. As I suggested earlier, you can uninstall the Realtek driver and just use the generic high definition audio driver that comes with Windows. For me it's the only sure way to avoid the static noise.

I tend to agree with the hardware issue. I have a feeling Asus realizes this as well(esp since the Tech told me if the driver didn't work that I should return it, lol). I also wonder if people are having different "static" issues. I'm wondering how many of the fixed ones NEVER happen again. I'm also wondering how many of the fixed ones are the same as what I'm experiencing. It's ear piercingly loud, lasts about 10 seconds or so, and isn't dependent on the volume/mute(it's the same regardless). The only way I got rid of it was uninstalling all of the realtek drivers....then again I got no sound. Luckily I talked to another Newegg employee who said I could get a full refund if I want. I just don't know if I should try another one or what else I would even want. Decisions. I'll play around with it but I don't have much hope for a "fix".

Reply 6 : G73 Static

Quote:

Originally Posted by milhouse74 I tend to agree with the hardware issue. I have a feeling Asus realizes this as well(esp since the Tech told me if the driver didn't work that I should return it, lol). I also wonder if people are having different "static" issues. I'm wondering how many of the fixed ones NEVER happen again. I'm also wondering how many of the fixed ones are the same as what I'm experiencing. It's ear piercingly loud, lasts about 10 seconds or so, and isn't dependent on the volume/mute(it's the same regardless). The only way I got rid of it was uninstalling all of the realtek drivers....then again I got no sound. Luckily I talked to another Newegg employee who said I could get a full refund if I want. I just don't know if I should try another one or what else I would even want. Decisions. I'll play around with it but I don't have much hope for a "fix".

If you can return it to newegg, I suggest doing it now before it's too late.



A G73 without this problem can use the Realtek driver without producing the random crackling noise. This is the exact same problem I have, except I would have to RMA it for a motherboard replacement (it's a problem with the sound card, which is part of the motherboard) and can't afford to risk having it sit there for x weeks while they wait on new parts from Taiwan. I can live with the crappy generic driver since I use external speakers most of the time anyway.

Reply 7 : G73 Static

I'm still plagued by this issue sometimes myself.



It only happens when using the built-in speakers (I've never had a problem with headphones) and it only seems to happen when any Windows sound is playing. It doesn't seem to be a problem in games.



It's pretty frustrating.

Reply 8 : G73 Static

I had the same problem... a crackling noise coming out from built-in speakers after long gaming sessions or furmark... if you want you can watch this video I did as a demonstration of the problem (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CT-jYfpG0_M)... the only solution was to send in assistance the G73 to replace the mainboard... hi all

Reply 9 : G73 Static

I purchased my unit December 23, 2010 and I'm pretty pissed that ASUS knowingly sold me a unit that should have been recalled and fixed before being sold.



This seems to happen to me at any time once I have exited any application that uses the graphics card. Pretty much after any game or my 3D poker client.



Usually rebooting will solve the problem but one time it happened just after I completed a reboot after playing a game. I have been accustomed to now rebooting immediately after playing anything.



I'm going to try the Creative fix, but I'm not having much faith, this seems like a hardware issue to me.



Is there any new information on this?

Loads of problems with HT BD8200 soundbar

I'm haveing a whole lot of problems with my now one month old sound bar, and they seem to be getting worse.

Here they are:

1) It turns itself off
2) It turns the TV off
3) It turns itself on (in the middle of the night, for instance)
4) It does not show any picture at all. Sometimes it does, but usually not..

When I turn it on, it first shows a picture of blueish unfocused bubbles before it starts switching between the TV's bluescreen and a black screen a couple of times before the screen goes black. The sound from the DVD starts playing, but there is not picture. Sometimes it even turns off the TV.

When it does work it shows a samsung logo and goes on to play the dvd. This is getting quite frustrating.


I have upgraded to the latest firmware. Turned off the anynet-function as I have seen other people have problems with that. But the problems seem to be getting worse, as in I now more often than not get the black screen instead of the DVD I want to watch.

Thanks for any help.

Reply 1 : Loads of problems with HT BD8200 soundbar

mkb1979,

I'm sorry to hear that you're having these issues.

Unfortunately, there's not much I can suggest as to why it would power on unexpectedly or what might be causing the problem. If you're using a different brand of television, have you tried turning off the CEC settings on that as well?

Sometimes intervals of black flashes is normal when the unit is powering up. The unit is attempting to connect to stream data, and it's not uncommon for HDMI connections to attempt that connection, detail the Hz and resolution ratings. But not showing a picture suggests that there's something beyond what I can assist with, unless you're using a resolution that isn't supported by the television.

If changing those don't fix the issue, the best bet is to call 800-SAMSUNG and have the unit set up for service.

--HDTech

Reply 2 : Loads of problems with HT BD8200 soundbar

Unfortunately. I continue to have issues as well. It's been sent back for service, but the problems persist. Did you ever make any progress?

Reply 3 : Loads of problems with HT BD8200 soundbar

ctsaustin,

No, not much, unfortuntely.

The turning on and off could be attributed to Anynet+, which is the HDMI-CEC (assuming it's connected with HDMI). Turning off Anynet+ might(!) address those issues, but as for turning on in the middle of the night for no reason, I have no explanation for that.

--HDTech

Reply 4 : Loads of problems with HT BD8200 soundbar

We have the same powering on problem and our sound bar is not in it's 2nd repair attempt ... previous repair didn't fix the problem and it actually came back with more problems than we sent it out with (came back with a fan buzzing problem as well). Was told to send back immediately to be fixed as the combo of turning on in the middle of the night by itself and malfunctioning fan could cause a fire. Sound bar would turn on by itself even if anynet and cec were turned off, all hdmi cables and usb devices unplugged, and no disc in bay .. would turn on when it was just plugged into the wall ..

Reply 5 : Loads of problems with HT BD8200 soundbar

Hi

I had faced similat experience and no real answer from Samsung Tech Support except having my money back.
ThenI have purchased a new one from a new reseller and it is working great. As far as I know, the automatic wakeup is linked to the Touch Key part, butr it is very difficult to get this spare from Europe. New batch of products (manufactured in 2010) seems to not show this issue.
The only remaining issue is AnyNet which still have sometime strange behaviour with Samsung Flat TV LE40B750)

I hope this will help

Best regards

Reply 6 : Loads of problems with HT BD8200 soundbar

How did you convince Samsung to refund?

Reply 7 : Loads of problems with HT BD8200 soundbar

I finally disconnected my ht bd 8200 soundbar.

Problems:
-turns on at random times
-anynet+ function with my Samsung pn50b860 tv only made it more difficult to control both units. Any non-anynet+ blue-ray player would have been easier to use.
-stopped playing cd's two months ago.
-stopped playing regular dvd's one month ago.
-stopped playing blue-ray dvd's just three weeks ago. Had to scramble to get another dvd player for my daugther's first sleep-over party on her sixth birthday.
-stopped playing on-line netflix three weeks ago.

Samsung, if you are reading this blog, how is it possible to sell such a malfunctioning product? I've read multiple positive CNET reviews about Samsung products and find it ridiculously laughable how bad this soundbar is except for the fact that I've dropped few thousand dollars to get this supposedly wonderful Samsung anynet+ tv/soundbar system.

I want my money back, but I'm sure Samsung won't do that, so maybe I'll get lucky and they will replace the unit.

Reply 8 : Loads of problems with HT BD8200 soundbar

alexrudolph,

I'm sorry to hear that you're having trouble with your soundbar.

I do read most, if not all, of the entries people post. Unfortunately, I don't have a solution for this situation, except to have the unit serviced, or the issue escalated to your satisfaction. It sounds like there is an issue that requires service on your unit.

The other option would be to turn off Anynet+ on both systems, but with the Blu-Ray and Netflix inabilities, it sounds like it needs to be looked at.

--HDTech

Reply 9 : Loads of problems with HT BD8200 soundbar

Oh my god! I am experiencing the exact same problems with mine.

DVD's not playing, CD's not playing, horrible clicking sound during Ipod play back and a scraping noise when skipping from song to song.

I will be getting mine replaced or trying t sell it!

Reply 10 : Loads of problems with HT BD8200 soundbar

After reading all these postings?
I have come to the conclusion: gone case?
I was SO excited when I saw the design and actually incorporated the HT BD8200 soundbar into my master bedroom feature wall
Now I am stuck with a system that don't work anymore?

The problems I faced for the past 10 months...
-Sound bar switches on by itself at random times (though it didn't play or switch on the Samsung LED I had connected to it)
-Refuses to play Blue-Ray discs!! (I thought it was suppose to play Blue-Ray movies!!) Ended up using it as an overpriced regular DVD player?

-However, just last night, it the middle of a DVD movie, it switches itself off and COULD NOT even be switched on AGAIN!! Now the touch pad on/off button is flickering between red and white. I can't get the system to eject the rental DVD disc!! It simply rolled over and died!!

Kind of depressing reading about the horrid experiences thus far?
I don't even know what kind of outcome to expect?

Reply 11 : Loads of problems with HT BD8200 soundbar

Just read your post and had all the same problems! Got latest firm ware on no fixes for these problems still switches on in middle of night fan making a lovley noise now!if it does cause a fire boy what samsung going to have to pay out in claims would it not be better to fix these problems and have people look into it before this happens!

I have spent a few quid on all samsung products thinking they are the best new TV 7200 Internet great I thought! can stream love film and ebay but was told that this modle cant do it have you not got firm ware to update it so that it can ? Oh had the same problem with tv turn on solved that now brought a logitech 1000 remote and set all the timmings on my product and it has stopped the tv turn on just the sound bar still does it better them both of them doing it !lol is it that samsung dont care about there customer base? I for one will never buy samsung products ever again

New xps 15 l502x vs new inspiron 15r 5110

hey guys



do you reckon that the new xps is worth an extra $200 over the new inspiron 15r?



i want to laptop to last atleast 5-6 years & thats the only reason i am considering the xps (build quality). The laptop will be for everyday use with a little bit of gaming in future.



Thanks

Reply 1 : New xps 15 l502x vs new inspiron 15r 5110

Yes, currently the XPS line is much better than the Inspiron in build quality. If you want to use the notebook for such a long time, buy the XPS with the best CPU and GPU you can afford as they are hard (CPU) or impossible (GPU) to upgrade.

Reply 2 : New xps 15 l502x vs new inspiron 15r 5110

The XPS is definitely much better, in build quality, CPU, GPU, and most importantly the screen.



If you get the XPS, be ABSOLUTELY SURE to get the B+RGLED 1920x1080 display upgrade. It's the most important option, and is the real key difference between the Inspiron and the XPS. The upgrade is the first option under the Adjust Performance tab on the Dell USA website.



The B+RGLED 1080p is one of the best screens available on a consumer-class laptop, but the 720p screen is one of the worst quality in terms of viewing angles, color reproduction, etc, not just in terms of low resolution and limited desktop space.

If you're not getting the B+RGLED 1920x1080 display, the Dell XPS probably isn't the best choice of a computer, but if you do get it, the computer's worth pretty much whatever price you pay for it.



Believe me, you don't want a 720p XPS 15. The XPS 15 is an awesome multimedia/moderate-gaming laptop, and deserves a decent screen to go with it. Get the 1080p.



If you're keeping this laptop for 6 years, you don't want to suffer with the quality of the 720p for that long. Spend the extra dough on the 1080p screen first, since you'll notice the difference in that upgrade a lot more than the difference in a processor or graphics card upgrade.

Reply 3 : New xps 15 l502x vs new inspiron 15r 5110

well i have a full hd monitor so will i still need the 1080p?

It costs $200 here in australia..

Reply 4 : New xps 15 l502x vs new inspiron 15r 5110

Yes, you will still want to upgrade. The difference is that good, especially if you ever want to use the laptop on-the-go. Even if it never leaves the desk, it will allow you to direct-mirror the 1080p monitor rather than using it as an "attached" monitor if you ever decide to do that.



But really, if you're never going to use the screen in the laptop itself, why get a laptop in the first place? I think the 1080p is worth it. It'll probably even blow away the quality of your external monitor, so you can have your nice laptop screen right in front of you to look at most of the time, and use your big-screen monitor on the side.



The B+RGLED backlight in the XPS 15's 1080p means upwards of 95% color gamut, which is about on par with a lot of professional laptop displays.

which wwan gobi card to use on w8?

Hi currently i have a wwan card on my hp 2730p tablet. can i transfer it to my panasonic w8 for use? if not, can someone advise me what gobi card i should buy and perhaps where i can order online? thanks a lot!

The old (silver) dv7 versus the new (black) dv7?

I purchased the affected laptop back in January - returned it in February and ordered a supposedly "redesigned chipset" dv7. That was, of course, still before the new spring models have arrived.



The new spring models have significant improvements, yet they lack two things - eSATA, which makes me think it still has the old chipset, they just got rid of an affected port.



Also, I hate the fact that they got rid of the clickpad, it may take a little getting used to, but it is so much more stylish then he classic touchpad.



And lastly, I really wish they kept the silver "Macbook Pro" design. I don't like the full black body and the fact that it is not flat, but rather has its back curled up.



On the other hand...USB 3.0, better graphics, and HD cam make it very nice.



Not sure what to do about this? Any advice?

Also...has anyone actually gotten the new machines?

Reply 1 : The old (silver) dv7 versus the new (black) dv7?

i did the same ! buy affected one in January and Return it on February



But no worry's new one is different form old one and they using new chip set

Reply 2 : The old (silver) dv7 versus the new (black) dv7?

Quote:

Originally Posted by dileepakl i did the same ! buy affected one in January and Return it on February But no worry's new one is different form old one and they using new chip set

You are not going to get the dv7-6XXX? It seems like it is a major upgrade from the 5XXX

Reply 3 : The old (silver) dv7 versus the new (black) dv7?

i will get that > but not form Hp " anywhere else like microcenter >< bestbuy so i can see which are the upgrades

Samsung UN40C6300 from US to india

Hi,

Recently, I've bought Samsung UN40C6300 LED 40" TV from US and I'm planning to use it in India.

Other than step down converter and digital set top box receiver (HD), what else I will have to take care in order to have this TV working in india?

Adesh

Would removing the ThinkVantage Toolbox improve my performance?

I think it might be useful at one time or another.



But if my machine will be noticeably faster, then I will remove it.



Is the best way to uninstall it through Add/Remove?



I have an i5 processor with 4GB or RAM.

Reply 1 : Would removing the ThinkVantage Toolbox improve my performance?

probably negligible. you can disable it from starting up with windows to have a faster boot to a usable desktop time.

Reply 2 : Would removing the ThinkVantage Toolbox improve my performance?

I reimaged my machine with Lenovo recovery discs and going from 33 running processes to 53 and all the ThinkVantage software, I did not really notice a difference in boot up time/overall performance.

Reply 3 : Would removing the ThinkVantage Toolbox improve my performance?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tsunade_Hime I reimaged my machine with Lenovo recovery discs and going from 33 running processes to 53 and all the ThinkVantage software, I did not really notice a difference in boot up time/overall performance.

In my case, I leveled my system with the base install of Windows 7 Enterprise (I have a Technet subscription) and installed what I wanted from the ThinkVantage toybox afterwards.



There was an improvement in startup. Operational performance was better when I had 4GB of RAM; now that I have 8GB, I don't think having everything loaded would matter as much. I have wondered though if the ThinkVantage Access Protection slows down hard disk access at all when installed. My ThinkPad doesn't take a lot of abuse or shaking, so I haven't bothered to install it since I cleaned things up.



To the OP: I've found that when I start to say "It may be useful at some time or another", it's me being a packrat. Rarely does said (whatever it is) become useful enough. I'd probably just remove it, and keep the installation files stored in your Downloads folder in case you need it down the road.

Thinkpad X220 specs revealed!

Here is the spec sheet for the x220!



http://shop.lenovo.com/ISS_Static/ww..._datasheet.pdf



The interesting things:



1. Available IPS display!!! This will please a lot of people here!

2. Available USB 3.0 port

3. Available with mSATA SSD (80GB intel 310 ssd)

4. Slice battery (23h battery life combined with 9 cell I'm guessing).

5. Improved battery life: 9h with 6 cell, 15h with 9 cell

6. VGA and DisplayPort directly on the notebook



The maybe not so good things depends on your point of view:



1. No button touchpad (makes it larger but...)

2. New latching system. Hard to see how it works but we'll see I guess.

3. 16:9 display (1366x768) but we all knew that already



Overall, looks like a nice update to me!

Reply 1 : Thinkpad X220 specs revealed!

Damn, even the IPS screen is only 1366x768. T420s it is, I guess, unless there's still an 's' model with a higher resolution. I get the feeling that they've consolidated to one X200 model, since this is less than 3lbs. Meh, I'll wait til the reviews, maybe the IPS screen will win me over. Noise and real world battery life will probably be the tie breaker for me.



Notice that only the i7-2620M has USB 3.0

Reply 2 : Thinkpad X220 specs revealed!

IPS display on normal X220 that is something i would like to see. And that long battery life is good news for many people whom carries their laptop without a power adapter.

Reply 3 : Thinkpad X220 specs revealed!

Quote:

Originally Posted by zuluman007 1. Available IPS display!!!

Yes! And longer battery life!



On page 3 (footnote): The ThinkPad X220 has Linux Certifications for Redhat, Novell & Unbuntu.

Reply 4 : Thinkpad X220 specs revealed!

If the vertical res was higher this would literally be the perfect machine, but close enough.

Reply 5 : Thinkpad X220 specs revealed!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kaso Yes! And longer battery life!

Agree. Going to be my new computer. Now if I could just sell off my x120e.

Reply 6 : Thinkpad X220 specs revealed!

Want mine with:

• 2.5GHz i5-2520M
• IPS Screen (depending on price)
• Lowest Win 7 option (have Ultimate)
• Lowest amount of ram (have 8GB DDR3-1333 already)
• Lowest hdd (have Intel G2 ssd)
• USB 3.0 port
• 6-cell
• Lowest Intel 6000 series wifi card

Want lots of goodies, plan to actually keep this for at least 5 years (vs getting an Acer 3810T then 1830T in the past 2yrs). Hope I can get some good student discounts.



Also, is only the i7-2620 available with USB 3.0?

Reply 7 : Thinkpad X220 specs revealed!

Looks like USB 3.0 is available only on the i7 variant. Too bad....





A.

Reply 8 : Thinkpad X220 specs revealed!

I'm kind of surprised it comes with the MSATA option. Did the T420s end up having it? I know there was some contention, and being able to have two SSD's for my VM network would be another pro for the X220.

Reply 9 : Thinkpad X220 specs revealed!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jayayess1190 Also, is only the i7-2620 available with USB 3.0?

Yeah. Please add more coins.

Quote:

Originally Posted by k2001 Now if I could just sell off my x120e.

Already?

Zoom Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR PC Card

This unit is only $13.74 at Microcenter.com it looks like the billionton card everyone has talked about on this forum. My search didn't find this brand, has anyone used it? it's priced to move...I saw it at the store but didn't grab it, maybe I should have. Thanks!



Phil

Reply 1 : Zoom Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR PC Card

What Non-Microsoft Bluetooth Stack does it use? Do you know? If you look you notice that it does not list Win7 compatibility. Billington has been a little slow in achieving that despite their earlier claims...

Dell Latitude E6400 Fingeprint Reader Problems

Hello...I am new to the forum. I just bought a Dell Latitude E6400 off of Ebay. The computer did not come with the Fingerprint Reader originally. So I found the Dell Part Number FX304, which is the right speaker grill with the fingerprint sensor and ribbon cable. I installed the Fingerprint sensor according to the service manual, which I found on Dell's website. Everything was installed correctly and I was then going to install the Dell Device Drivers Pack and then the Dell Security Control Suite, but I noticed after I installed the Dell Device Drivers Package in the device manager it stated "Dell ControlVault w/o Fingerprint Sensor". I then called Dell and spoke to support and went back and forth with them on this and they referred me to Wave support. I spoke to Wave and they determined it was hardware related so they sent me back to Dell. I have been fighting with Dell Support on this forever and have no answers why the device manager states "Dell ControlVault w/o Fingerprint Sensor" and how I am unable to enroll Fingerprints. The device manager has no exclamation points on it and the Broadcom USH device is working properly. I know other posts I have read stated that there device manager states that Dell ConrtolVault w/swipe sensor. I have read up on this issue and have had no luck finding an answer. Keep in mind the Fingerprint Reader did not come with it originally. Any ideas? Please any information would help as this is so confusing to me. Thank you.

Reply 1 : Dell Latitude E6400 Fingeprint Reader Problems

Quote:

Originally Posted by dcgtechnologies Hello...I am new to the forum. I just bought a Dell Latitude E6400 off of Ebay. The computer did not come with the Fingerprint Reader originally. So I found the Dell Part Number FX304, which is the right speaker grill with the fingerprint sensor and ribbon cable. I installed the Fingerprint sensor according to the service manual, which I found on Dell's website. Everything was installed correctly and I was then going to install the Dell Device Drivers Pack and then the Dell Security Control Suite, but I noticed after I installed the Dell Device Drivers Package in the device manager it stated "Dell ControlVault w/o Fingerprint Sensor". I then called Dell and spoke to support and went back and forth with them on this and they referred me to Wave support. I spoke to Wave and they determined it was hardware related so they sent me back to Dell. I have been fighting with Dell Support on this forever and have no answers why the device manager states "Dell ControlVault w/o Fingerprint Sensor" and how I am unable to enroll Fingerprints. The device manager has no exclamation points on it and the Broadcom USH device is working properly. I know other posts I have read stated that there device manager states that Dell ConrtolVault w/swipe sensor. I have read up on this issue and have had no luck finding an answer. Keep in mind the Fingerprint Reader did not come with it originally. Any ideas? Please any information would help as this is so confusing to me. Thank you.

Is there a setting in the BIOS to enable the sensor?



Basically:



o install device h/w

o check BIOS for any relevant settings

o check Device Manager for unknown device

o install device s/w driver

o check Device Manager for healthy device

o install device application s/w, if any



Perhaps the device is dead if installed but not found.



GK

Asus N71JA/X77JA review by OC-Freak

While all the fuzz is around the Asus G73JH, those looking at less expensive all-round PC might be interested in reading this review.



I originally did an quick review here: Asus N71JA/X77JA first impressions/mini review. But doing an new writeup here to include more test results. My first was DOA (I suspect that antennas for the wireless card was not properly connected), but the new one appears to work perfectly fine.



My computer is an X77JA which is actually an N71JA, but with no extras (no bag/mouse).



Specs:

17,3" 1600x900 LED backlit LCD. (manufactured by LG)

Core i5-430M 2,26GHz

ATI Radeon HD5730 1Gb DDR3 (650MHz core / 800MHz memory)

500Gb 5400rpm HDD (Seagate momentus ST9500325AS)

Super multi DVD-drive (LG GT30N)

4GB DDR3 1066MHz (Actually it's 1333MHz kingston memory)

Atheros N-wireless

USB 3.0

4400mAh 6 cell battery.



Images:

I do not have an good camera, so refer to this link for images - it looks identical to my laptop.



http://go.notebookreview.com/?id=525...%2F00001602%2F



CPU-Z:







First impressions:

The keyboard is very good, best I've had on an laptop, but it's not very silent to type on, you can hear the key clicking quite well.

The trackpad is good, but reqires getting used to, I'm used to scroll by dragging along bottom or right edge, but I've found no option to enable that with this elantech pad. Instead it uses two fingers scrolling..... which requires getting used too

The LG monitor is average, it looks crisp, but viewing angles are average like most TN panels. Better than my old Acer 5930G laptop, but not as good as the monitor on my old Asus M50SA (had an great monitor from AUO optronics).

The laptop build quality feels good, it's quite light for an 17", keyboard doesn't flex, and pushing at the back of the monitor doesn't give image distortions.



Speakers:

The laptop has altec lansing speakers + subwoofer, and the sound is great, you might have to use the sound control panel to adjust it to your liking, but after doing so the sound is great, with noticeable bass, and acceptable volume. But don't expect to get blown away, it's an laptop afer all



Noise:

The computer is very silent during normal use, but uses "spin up fan for short time when needed" rather than "always spin fan at very low speed" which I prefer.

During load the fan is noticeable as an blowing sound, but not very loud, and not with annoying whining or whirring sounds.

Overall quite pleased.



Performance:

First up the standard windows rating, which honestly don't say





3dmark06 1280 x 768:





Vantage performance test (connected an external monitor to be able to run default test):





Crysis demo @ high quality and 1280 x 720 resolution (1600 x 900 not selectable)







Battery life:



Settings: Balanced profile, 70% brightness, profile modified to not dim monitor or turn off monitor, as well as keeping the computer on until there is 1% battery left.



Using battery eaters reading test to simulate light usage.



System Info

Manufacture

Model

ModelEx

OS

CPU Info

CPU Manufacture Intel Corporation

CPU Model Celeron

CPU Frequency ~2260Mhz

CPU Extensions | MMX | SSE2 | HT | Enchanted SpeedStep

CPU Cache Info

Level 1 Instructions 0

Level 1 Data 32

Level 2 Data 0

System RAM info

Total Memory: 3949Mb

Memory slots 0 ( )

Display Device Info

Adapter ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5730

Resolution 1600x900

OpenGL render device ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5730

OpenGL driver version 3.1.9210

Vertex shader version 3.0

Pixel shader version 3.0

Hard Disk Drive Info

S.M.A.R.T. Supported and Enabled

HDD Model ST9500325AS

HDD Serial

HDD FirmWare 0002SDM1

Main Battery Info

Device Name K72J-44

Manufacture ASUSTek

Serial #

Unique ID ASUSTekK72J-44

Chemistry Lithium Ion

Temperature Termal Control Not Present

Designed Capacity 48400mWh

Full Charged Capacity 47839mWh

Designed Voltage 10,8V

Current Voltage 10,7V

Manufacture Date 0/0/0

Cycles Count 0

Cells count 3

Force charge support Not Supported

Force discharge support Not Supported

Benchmark results

CPU BEmarks 0

GPU BEmarks 0

RAM BEmarks 0

HDD BEmarks 0

Work Done

Pi calculations 565 Cycles

HDD readwrite 0 Mb

Fames Rendered 0 Frames

Benchmark Options

Resolution 800x600x32

FullScreen Disabled

Mode Reader's Test

Results

Total time 2:22:46

Discharge rate (minimum) 32417 mWh

Discharge rate (maximum) 4294949817 mWh

Discharge rate (average) 2410443233 mWh





Temperatures:

This is the real stress test, running prime 95 and Furmark max burning at same time. Since GPU and CPU share the same cooling solution running separate tests is almost pointless.



Also notice that reaching these temps under normal use is very unlikely. Throttling treshold for the core i5-430 seems to be 105 degrees celsius.









CPU peaking out at 94 C and GPU peaking out at 81 C. Even with these temps the computer only feels slightly varm to the touch, my old acer 5930G gets uncomfortably hot to type on during similar stress testing.



Also there was no throttling during the testing.



Summary:

Positive:

Build quality and design.

Weight.

Performance/price ratio.

USB 3.0

Silent during use.

Great keyboard

Great speakers

1600 x 900 resolution fits the screen quite well. Full HD would be nice but more straining on eyes (at least for me).

Doesn't get hot to the touch even during heavy load.

Very silent DVD-Drive.



Negative:

Average bettery, had preferred an larger battery for an 17" PC.

Doesn't support switching to the core i5-430 intel GMA gfx to save battery.

2nd Harddrive bay can't be used to add an 2nd harddrive since it lacks connectors/cables.



Overall I'm very happy with the computer.

Reply 1 : Asus N71JA/X77JA review by OC-Freak

The ATI HD5730 is based on the desktop "Redwood" HD5670 hardware. It's clocked at 650MHz and equipped with 1GB of DDR3 memory clocked at 800MHz, just like ATI specs. While I do not expect a lot of overclocking headroom, it's always fun to try. Using the latest AMD GPU tool to overclock the card.



Using 3dmark06 1280 x 768 and default vantage performance test.



700MHz core and 850MHz memory:









No issues found and it responded quite nice to the overclock and numbers increased more than I had expected. Let's go for more!



750MHz core and 900MHz memory:









Another noticeable bump in score, ready for more?



800MHz core and 950MHz memory:









Another bump in scores, more than 1000 points extra in 3dmark06 compared to stock speed. Do this card have any limits? Let's see!



850Mhz core and 1000MHz memory:









That is quite impressive! 200MHz extra for both core and memory! But no it's not stable, it's perfectly fine for benchmarking and probably most gaming but it's not stress testing stable, when using furmark it will crash sooner or later (Dispaly driver stopped responding and has been restarted error message).



I found the sweet spot to be 800MHz core and 1000MHz memory, that is + 150MHz for the core and +200MHz for the memory. Very impressive and a lot more than I expected.



Crysis demo at 800/1000MHz:







Temps at 800/1000MHz (furmark extreme burning + prime95 max temp at same time):









The GPU peaks out at 85 C now and the added heat to the cooling solution makes the Core i5 peak out at 97 C.



The overclocking potential of the GPU surprised me, was expecting to get +50MHz on core/memory or so, not more. For everyday use I won't use the overclocking potential, but for gaming I might occasionally use it.

Reply 2 : Asus N71JA/X77JA review by OC-Freak

The 5730 is 10-15% faster than the 5650 based on your scores. These new Radeons are pretty good.

Reply 3 : Asus N71JA/X77JA review by OC-Freak

Quote:

2nd Harddrive bay can't be used to add an 2nd harddrive since it lacks connectors/cables.

This is strange, so it has a space for a second HDD but you can't put one in?

Reply 4 : Asus N71JA/X77JA review by OC-Freak

Quote:

Originally Posted by Risco This is strange, so it has a space for a second HDD but you can't put one in?

It's sold with either one or two harddrives (different models coming pre-configured from asus), but the one with only one harddrive like mine doesn't have connectors for the harddrive in the 2nd slot. Asus saving cost I guess.

Reply 5 : Asus N71JA/X77JA review by OC-Freak

OC-Freak how are you getting the temps off the GPU?

Reply 6 : Asus N71JA/X77JA review by OC-Freak

Latest version of furmark supports reading the temp, or you might use AMD GPU tool. Click the thermal sensors tab, click the upper sensor (ASIC Temperature via internal TSS 0) check enable reading, and then click start to monitor the temps.



Like I did on the attached image.



I have found no other programs that supports temp readings from these cards yet.

Reply 7 : Asus N71JA/X77JA review by OC-Freak

Image of the 2nd harddrive bay with no connectors, and image of the very funky looking subwoofer.



Also tip about sound; I found it better to disable "SRS Premium sound", it fits my listening taste a lot better at least. None of the presets were as good as having it disabled.

Reply 8 : Asus N71JA/X77JA review by OC-Freak

Thanks that worked.

Reply 9 : Asus N71JA/X77JA review by OC-Freak

Quote:

Originally Posted by OC-Freak Latest version of furmark supports reading the temp, or you might use AMD GPU tool. Click the thermal sensors tab, click the upper sensor (ASIC Temperature via internal TSS 0) check enable reading, and then click start to monitor the temps. Like I did on the attached image. I have found no other programs that supports temp readings from these cards yet.

I was using Everest Ultimate for temps yesterday and it seemed to be reading the GPU sensor...had a listing for it and gave a reading.

T410s VS T420s

I want a light weighted laptop with epic battery life, a graphic card for graphing, and a 128g SSD. What's the difference between T410s and T420s except T420s has a better battery life from 4.7hrs on T410s to 5.5hrs on T420s? Does the graphic card performance makes big differences? Should I just buy T410s instead of T420s?

Reply 1 : T410s VS T420s

Just keep in mind the price will be considerable higher.... So if budget is an issue keep that in mind.

Reply 2 : T410s VS T420s

My budget is about 1800 to 2000 USD. Should I just get T410s with ultrabay battery upgrade? How long can the battery last? And the point of Nvidia Optimus tech suppose to get more juice from the laptop!! Why I don't see the improvement?

Reply 3 : T410s VS T420s

The T410s is last place to look for battery life. You'll get 2.5hrs real world with light usage with the integrated model. Either go for a T400s or hold out for the T420s.

Reply 4 : T410s VS T420s

Quote:

Originally Posted by vinuneuro The T410s is last place to look for battery life. You'll get 2.5hrs real world with light usage with the integrated model. Either go for a T400s or hold out for the T420s.

If so. T420s will get 3.5hrs in real time? Is T410s still get 2.5 hrs real time even when Nvidia Optimus is activated?

Reply 5 : T410s VS T420s

We don't know without any reviews published yet. If the X220 chipset is any indication, the T420s should see a pretty decent battery life increase from the T410s. The main problem with the T400s/410s/420s is limited capacity in the primary battery.



Optimus equipped T410s owners came chime in but I've seen a few threads indicating the automatic switching isn't a free ride and does increase power consumption by a decent amount over the integrated model. The implementation might be better in the T420s, but Sandy Bridge gpu performance is so good it may not even be worth it to get the Nvidia graphics unless you're really serious about gaming.



Unless you need the extra cpu power from Sandy Bridge, I'd seriously consider a T400s in your position. What does your usage consist of?"