Hi everyone!

I just became a new member of this club with my brand spanking new N55SF-DH71 (Loving it!!!)
Just to let everyone know, i'm a PC tech with 16+ years of experience, so if i can help anyone, i'll be more than glad to =)!

Peace!

This post has been edited by Starsie: Dec 11 2011, 04:10 AM

It is an audio overload resulting in CLIPPING.

CLIPPING is when your audio signal is being pushed way above 0db mark resulting in CLICK sounds and mashed noise.

In most cases (like yours) it happens because of audio/video players' (the ones that you are using) EQ or NORMALIZE settings.
SonicMaster is only going to make it worse because IT by itself IS a very powerful software based NORMALIZER/COMPRESSOR.
NORMALIZERS (software or hardware based) usually pump up/down your audio signal to a certain average loudness with 0db cap and
they tend to compress anything that tries to go above 0db mark. But when user is pushing signal (volume) level too high with EQ
or Volume Boost in players, NORMALIZERS fail to compress the sound without distortion and that's when you hear CLICK... CLICK CLICK... CLICK

I know you are trying to adjust the sound of your players to your taste, but keep in mind that Bang & Olufsen's ICEPower chip is
designed to push your laptop speakers potential to the maximum. We have some of the best speakers on the market in N45/N55
laptops with very wide frequency range and ICEPower already uses 90-95% of that range to begin with.
So LOUDER you make your sound, less room you're gonna have for EQ adjustment without CLIPPING (or sound boosting on bad quality music or video).
The reason why you don't get that problem in the store, 'cos you are using stock players with NULLED EQ (non altered EQ/no sound boost) settings.

SOLUTION 1

Turn off ALL EQ or Volume Boost you have in your players. Use ONLY SonicMaster. IT IS LOUD AND CLEAR ENOUGH ALREADY!!!

SOLUTION 2

Turn OFF Volume Boost in all your players, but if you HAVE to use EQ adjust it by pulling it DOWN from 0 marks, not UP.
In other words instead of upping desired frequencies, LOWER undesired ones.

Peace

This post has been edited by Starsie: Dec 11 2011, 06:03 PM

From what you are telling me it is a hardware problem. One thing i'm sure of - BIOS UPDATE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IT
If your BIOS was broken or update was unsuccessful you would not be able BOOT (into anything), but POWERING UP (turning on)
is a generic function and has nothing to do with software.

Of course i can't be 100% correct (since i don't physically see your unit), but it 100% sounds like DYING CAPACITORS on your motherboard.
It usually happens when capacitors come to an end of their lifespan (from 5 to 25+ years ), but since your laptop is new, they should be just DEFECTIVE.
Once it starts it's almost always a progressing process (on ANY motherboards).

CAPACITORS are like temporary rechargeable batteries. They collect electricity and stabilize the voltages when needed (very primitive way to put it )
When they go bad, it takes several times for the user to push the power button (it's when capacitors get that FIRST CHARGE) to give them
enough charge to start your motherboard. Otherwise your motherboard "thinks" that there is "not enough electricity" to start up.

If i'm right (and i THINK i am) then it is going to take more and more button pushes to turn your notebook on with time and some day it will stop turning on at all.

SOLUTION

On desktop motherboards it's an easy fix, you just replace the capacitors. They are visible (the BAD ones), cheap and
easy to replace. But since you got a notebook it equals a repair with special equipment or MOTHERBOARD REPLACEMENT.
Good thing you got warranty. So let ASUS deal with it (the sooner you do it the faster you'll stop worrying about it )

Good luck

---

Added on December 11, 2011, 4:04 pmVLC Player

1. Plays 99.9% of all video and audio formats out of the box (no additional codecs required)

2. You don't have to install it (runs from a folder)

3. IT'S FREE !!!

Download it here http://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-windows.html

(Get the ZIP PACKAGE, unzip it anywhere you want, use it and be happy )

Peace.

This post has been edited by Starsie: Dec 11 2011, 04:24 PM

I don't know if this was discussed before, but here is a little tip for people that like to have clean desktops with NO ICONS (with "Show Desktop Icons" off)

If you go and uncheck "Show Desktop Icons" from the desktop menu, they will disappear, BUT... restart or log off/on and WTF THEY ARE BACK!!!

A pretty piece of software called "Power 4 Gear" provided by ASUS prevents that setting from being saved. It rewrites the registry entry that saves that setting to "ON"
every time you log into windows.

SOLUTION

There is only one - UNINSTALL Power4Gear (that's what i did, it is almost useless ) OR... HAVE ICONS ON YOUR DESKTOP

Peace.

This post has been edited by Starsie: Dec 12 2011, 12:36 AM

You can use it. It's just a skin (graphical interface-lift), it's not doing nothing to your actual Windows core. It's like using Alienware skin packs or any other. Once you uninstall it it will be gone.

So i did some vodooing ( ) with the latest beta drivers for GT555M (290.36) and got some AMAZING results!!!
Not only they bring LOADS of improvements, but they are also optimized for Batman Arkham City and Skyrim.

Look at those Windows Experience Index numbers! HOLY CRAP! These N55SF laps are TERMINATORS !

This post has been edited by Starsie: Dec 12 2011, 09:10 AM


Attached thumbnail(s)

Actually it's true, it doesn't support Hybrid Power. As a matter of fact NONE of the NVIDIA provided drivers for notebooks will work with N45/N55
series laptops properly (they will not even install properly) unless you do the trick suggested on the first page of this thread. Once you do that
and install the drivers, it force enables Optimus and you can then go and configure your GPU usage (from NVIDIA Control Panel). Instrutions for
that you can find on the first page also.

And NO, N45/N55 laptops CAN'T run on NVIDIA only. They are forced to run either on Intel GPU (only) or Intel+NVIDIA GPU (switching for various tasks).

This post has been edited by Starsie: Dec 12 2011, 10:10 AM

As far as WEI goes the answer is - NO, THERE IS NOTHING WE CAN DO.

No HDD (regardless of SATA2, SATA3 or even RAID) will ever score over 5.9. And that apllies both to notebooks AND desktops.
Software/Utilities - NO HELP. The only thing that passes 5.9 mark on WEI is SSD (or RAM drives). Even a single one will go over 5.9,
but it takes 2 (and VERY GOOD and EXPENSIVE ones ) in RAID to go up to 7.9

This post has been edited by Starsie: Dec 12 2011, 11:01 AM

That's awesome! The most i've got from a single one was 7.8 on an Intel SSD.

Yes it does. Install and double click on it.

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Added on December 14, 2011, 12:08 amSays WHO? Source please (or i'm considering it just a rumor).

This post has been edited by Starsie: Dec 14 2011, 12:08 AM

I don't even understand how you got that result. I have THE LATEST beta drivers installed now and it doesn't show any 635m. You can check the screenshot below.
Beside, what kind of DRIVER UPDATE is that... Latest official driver is 185.62 and latest BETA driver is 190.36. "Yours" shows 185.74 ... What is that and where it came from?
Weird...


Peace.


Attached thumbnail(s)

First of all - update the bios, it fixes some stuff with keyabord ans brings some other fixes also (you can rean the changelog on the ASUS site).
Second - PCs DON'T just become slower because of BIOS updates (unless BIOS in f**ked up). It is just a fairy tale! I updated mine to 207,
and is as fast as ever. Stop assuming that ASUS (or any other brand's) engineers don't know how to do their job. They are WAY smarter than us

Peace.

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Added on December 15, 2011, 2:39 amI guess... Well, i get mine from official NVIDIA site and they don't show no GT 635m. Besides, GT 635m is supposed to have
slightly higher bandwith, but his GPU-Z shot shows exactly the same as 555m (meaning that GPU-Z is just confusing one for other)... OBVIOUSLY




This post has been edited by Starsie: Dec 15 2011, 02:39 AM

First of all.

GET DELL ULTRA SHARP MONITOR (any size you like)!!! I'm an owner of U2410 and there is NOTHING ON THE MARKET that will surpass the quality in it's class.
Trust me, i owned Samsung, Gateway, Asus, LG and Acer (all of them being 24 inch) - DELL ULTRA SHARP IS THE KING and it's IPS/OS is unmached!!!

Second.

YES it DOES support 1080p over HDMI. I use it with my U2410 and it is gorgeous.



This post has been edited by Starsie: Dec 15 2011, 03:02 AM

1920x1080 via HDMI (and it's also hooked to my desktop via DVI and running 1920x1200). Hdmi max output is 1080p.
To get it upscaled you need not just a HDMI to DVI cable, you need a CONVERTER like this:

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_S...ku=SPM506928101

But you can always use VGA out. You will never tell the difference (especially on U2410 ). And it supports video out up to 2048x1536.




This post has been edited by Starsie: Dec 15 2011, 03:05 AM

You are getting it a little wrong

Our notebooks CAN push 4k resolution (any GT555m equipped notebook can), but COMPUTER MONITORS CAN'T RECEIVE higher resolutions via HDMI.
Only via DVI or Display Port. It is not a notebook limitation, it's a COMPUTER MONITOR HDMI input limitation. If you connect (theoretically) your laptop
to a 4k TV with HDMI 1.4/1.4a cable (and there are TVs like that already), you will be able to push that resolution out. That's the difference.

Not necessarily. Here is an example of a 4k TV (4096 x 2160) that runs on HDMI 1.4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAgqYuLwB3A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3iUjT2MXcg

and here is a 8k TV (7680 x 4320)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9U7e_quvkPQ&feature=related


Peace.

This post has been edited by Starsie: Dec 16 2011, 05:53 PM

I agree with you 100%.

It fully supports 3D, so there is no point in having HDMI 1.4 out to a NON 3D monitor or TV, 'cos unless it is 4K or higher it will be a waste of technology.