Asus K56CA

tdh

Hey guys,

Im thinking about buying this Asus laptop tomorrow in argos.
http://www.argos.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Search?storeId=10152&catalogId=14551&langId=111&searchTerms=asus+k56ca&authToken=

I read it suggested in another thread and it looks really good. Just wondering will it be possible to pop a 256gb ssd into this? I was looking at the zenbook (also by asus) but I dont believe its upgradeable.

What do you think of this laptop? Good value for money? Does it have an ivybridge processor... argos dont say much

Thanks alot!

edit: I cant really find any reviews online either if anyone found any :]

Alanstrainor

I have the zenbook UX32a and it is upgradable. I have 10GB in mine, and the hard drive is also upgradable. Just FYI.

tdh

oh I must of read a dodgy review about one of them which said that. The zenbooks look really amazing, there was one on offer in pcworld in NI for £530 which I was going to buy but its over now:( Its £700 on amazon.
Not sure if the 13" would be a little small for me if i type alot on it as I will be using it everyday.

Alanstrainor

tdh wrote: »

oh I must of read a dodgy review about one of them which said that. The zenbooks look really amazing, there was one on offer in pcworld in NI for £530 which I was going to buy but its over now:( Its £700 on amazon.
Not sure if the 13" would be a little small for me if i type alot on it as I will be using it everyday.

Keyboard is lovely on it too.

But the laptop you linked to is really nice all the same. Just thought I'd let you know about my zenbook.

Torqay

tdh wrote: »

Does it have an ivybridge processor... argos dont say much

According to ASUS, the K56CA is available with the following processors:

Intel® Core™ i7 3517U Processor
Intel® Core™ i5 3317U Processor
Intel® Core™ i3 3217U /2365U Processor
Intel® ULV Pentium® 987 Processor
Intel® ULV Celeron® 847 Processor

So it is a Core i5, then it is an Ivy Bridge ULV processor. Oh and none of these is a single-core CPU, they're all dual-core.

freestyla

Argos, I don't get them seriously.. how hard can it be to write few lines more of tech specs ffs??

I can confirm it comes with:
- i5-3317U clocking 0.8 - 2.55Ghz.
- 1x 4Gb DDR 1600mhz RAM, 1 free slot. HDD swap under the same cover..
- 750Gb HDD is is the weakest link right but must say no problems browsing web and watching HD stuff. Basic users have no need to invest into new HDD me thinks.

256 SSD is of course fantastic boost.
I opted for hybrid 500gb.

More good points:
- Touchpad and keyboard are very well built and nice to type/swipe. Comes with numberpad on the right hand side.
- Good sturdy feeling overall
- Battery life on WLAN 5.5-6 hours
- 15.6 inch but still sleek and easy to carry around. Fits in my few years old 13 inch laptop bag!
- Takes 9.5mm thick hard drives
- Asus splendid video technology
- VGA connector and DVD drive
- Speakers loud and clear
- Instant on in a second from sleep mode
- Inaudible unless your gaming (fan starts spinning) or copying large files (HDD struggling)

Cons:
- HDD
- windows 8 pre-installed (OS is working fine but usability is not fully for my taste) and I can't see windows product key anywhere
- a bit heavy at some 2.3Kg
- Why no keyboard backlight?!

Didn't come across such a good price-quality ratio for a long time in laptops. Feels like it's made business users in mind for affordable price tag.

LenIva

Really like the look of this but not a tech expert, so can anybody help?
Can it take an SSD in addition to the 750GB HDD? Would be a shame to waste the large hard drive if a swap was needed.

Alanstrainor

LenIva wrote: »

Really like the look of this but not a tech expert, so can anybody help?
Can it take an SSD in addition to the 750GB HDD? Would be a shame to waste the large hard drive if a swap was needed.

No. SSD or HDD. You can buy 256GB for little money these days though.

Torqay

LenIva wrote: »

Would be a shame to waste the large hard drive if a swap was needed.

Why waste it? Get a 2.5" caddy for a tenner and use it as external storage.

tdh

I ended up going down to argos and buying it on monday. Didnt get too much of a chance to look at it yet but I can safely say windows 8 is seriously annoying me ha. The battery seems about 5 hours alright, I wonder would it be possible to get a 6 cell battery for it?

I was typing earlier and I kept overwriting text by tipping the touchpad when the cursor was over some previous text. Also dont know how but i would be typing something in gmail and the next thing it would be trying to save the page as if i pressed ctrl+s (which i didn't), my sister had something similar when she was using facebook. Its possible to disable the touchpad completely but not to automatically phase out while typing. The keypad is nice though and im getting used to the touchpad more (i was scrolling in a .pdf earlier and it was very spontaneous but in chrome it seems perfect.)
It is bigger than I expected and it looks like the keypad takes up less than half the surface of the laptop.
I do like it so far, when i get used to the keyboard and touchpad I will be very happy. Its very neat and is more than enough than I need. The "instant on" function seems really good too. Gonna try and install my SSD this weekend so fingers crossed I dont ruin it

Torqay

Apparently, it's got a brother, the K56CM with a GT 635M (2 GB)... interesting.

freestyla

Thanks for update TDH.

Have you try to play with Asus Smart Gesture ? related to Touchpad. I didn't yet myself but would remember you can adjust that Palmrest area. It should work the way, when you are in some text type box, it ignores accidental palm touches.

Maybe the software needs update?
http://www.asus.com/Notebooks/Versatile_Performance/K56CA/#download

I got hybrid drive today, will be installing in an hour or so.
Boot time with original HDD 1m8sec now

freestyla

Torqay wrote: »

Apparently, it's got a brother, the K56CM with a GT 635M (2 GB)... interesting.

Bastards

it's just impossible to keep up with development speed!

I doubt it's still 2.3Kg and 2.1mm thick, unless DVD drive has made place for Nvidia.

Btw, are those HDD caddies all universal? how to know, which ones fit K56CA.. 750Gb much more sense than DVD drive

Torqay

freestyla wrote: »

I doubt it's still 2.3Kg and 2.1mm thick, unless DVD drive has made place for Nvidia.

According to the specs on their website it is:



And the optical drive is till there.

But when the GT 635M kicks in, it will have an impact on the battery life.

Torqay

freestyla wrote: »

Btw, are those HDD caddies all universal? how to know, which ones fit K56CA.. 750Gb much more sense than DVD drive

What do you mean? Do you want to replace the optical drive with a HDD? I don't think that is possible without serious modding.

When I mentioned a "caddy", I was referring to an external enclosure to connect the HDD via USB when needed.

freestyla

Torqay wrote: »

What do you mean? Do you want to replace the optical drive with a HDD?....

Exactly, I want to put something more useful instead of DVD drive. Let it be HDD or maybe some other device..

My imagination takes me to the point where I could have a proper graphic card and throw it in there, when going to play games, or take it out to save battery and weight. This requires PCIE port instead of SATA inthere but just an idea.
Or even just an empty box where to keep a pen, small notebook/postIt-papers, SD cards..
Busniess caddy coudl have dedicated clips for a cigar so you can enjoy it after making a successful deal

Think to email these guys, maybe K56 is in production line already
http://www.newmodeus.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2_36&products_id=487

wouldn't be cheap tho @ proly some 50-60eur

machiavellianme

Torqay wrote: »

Apparently, it's got a brother, the K56CM with a GT 635M (2 GB)... interesting.

Are they available to buy in UK/Ireland yet? Ticks a lot of boxes.
Especially if you stick a proper SSD and more RAM inside.

freestyla

Tried to call Asus Ireland many times yesterday, it just rings no body picking up

would have asked about CM model (and where is my windows product key!!)

About caddy, New Mode replied on email in a day:

Hello,

We still have not had a chance to check out the K56. If you email us photos of the back (showing connector) and front of your optical drive, we will be able to tell you which of our caddies are compatible.

Yes, we ship to Ireland.

Thank you!

Best Regards,
Nandy

find us on www.facebook.com/notebookdrives

tdh

thanks freestyla for the link to the driver. I reinstalled it, not sure if I notice much difference but Im getting used to it. By the way im pretty sure there is no way to open a graphic interface with the touchpad settings to tell it to disable the touchpad while typing (which is my new #1 pet hate;)).

I emailed asus there asking is there a 6 cell battery compatible with the k56CA.
Also, I am hoping to install my ssd tomorrow (you are right the currently installed one is seriously slow). Can someone tell me how do get the windows 8 product key?
thanks :]

freestyla

tdh wrote: »

thanks freestyla for the link to the driver. I reinstalled it, not sure if I notice much difference but Im getting used to it. By the way im pretty sure there is no way to open a graphic interface with the touchpad settings to tell it to disable the touchpad while typing (which is my new #1 pet hate;)).

Asus Smart Gesture is just a driver without GUI.
Right now I'm typing this and touching left upper corner with my left hand palm on purpose... cursor didn't jump once out of this text box.
I think it works a bit better with win7 now than it did with bundled win8, not sure tho but don't have any problems. It's rather pleasure to type and touch

A buddy who uses MAcbooks chiklet keyboards and fine tuned big touchpads, says Asus is done amazingly good feeling too for half a price of his laptop.

My previous Asus X401A had Elan touchpad drivers with GUI and settings but it was still really bad experience even after detailed palm area calibration etc.

tdh wrote: »

Also, I am hoping to install my ssd tomorrow (you are right the currently installed one is seriously slow).

Ah what a big difference that'll make you'll see.

I got 500gb hybrid disk.. boot time with old disk was 1min 10sec, with the new one 24sec. This until all usual Windows icons are loaded in taskbar. Desktop appears in 20sec.

Software and games are loading faster. Also noticeable difference in using google earth/maps, photoshop and file transfer between partitions.

tdh wrote: »

Can someone tell me how do get the windows 8 product key?
thanks :]

^^same problem here. I can't see any free product key finders out there.

I installed win7 Pro and running 30 days trial now.
Then run Windows 8 Upgrade assistant and it offers me win8 Pro for €15 DVD disk or €30 download.

I guess could go for win8 Pro once it's that cheap.. Just have to find a Start menu add-on which suits my needs.

Andyb41

Anyone who has the Asus K56CA tried playing any games on it?

Torqay

Andyb41 wrote: »

Anyone who has the Asus K56CA tried playing any games on it?

Check the gaming benchmark here and see what is possible with Intel HD 4000.

tdh

I uninstalled the touchpad driver (as the website says to do) and reinstalled the latest driver after i was prompted to restart. there is now a huge difference in the touchpad and its so much better to work it. I am not having any issues apart from the fact that in google chrome the screen inexplicably goes to full screen every so often. Otherwise its a huge improvement.
I rang Asus support to ask about the windows 8 key (since its not on the back of the laptop or in the windows manual). The guy on the phone was pretty helpful and said he could only see the last 5 digits of the product key and the rest was encrypted for him but he said he could promote the issue for the head office to look at.
The reason I want the product key is to do a fresh install of windows on my new SSD (I couldnt get Norton Ghost since it only comes with the SSD transfer kit version). They sent an email which gives directions on how to make a windows recovery image which i can then install on my SSD (I think).
I am going to try that now.

edit: Freestyla, how did you manage to install windows 8 onto your 500gb hybrid or did you say you just opted for windows 7? I tried to no avail to get windows 8 on my ssd using that recovery tool. I kept getting an error "unable to reset your pc. a required drive partition is missing", im not sure if i need to create a partition on my ssd first but I was just getting a bit browned off having to switch the ssd and the hard drive so much.

freestyla

I opted for windows 7 on my new disk. Now when I run Microsoft Upgrade assistant it gives affordable upgrade to win8 Pro (15eur DVD or 30eur download file) so will probably do that in a month or two.
OR
I think in few weeks or so we will start having free Product Key finders for win8... right now, I have tested few of those apps and the results are various so not sure what product key they find but it's not valid win8.
Apparently win8 has different system structure in this matter than previous Windows' so product key finder apps have to be updated to be able to dig out the key.

Of course it would be fair from Asus to provide us with our original win8 product key once it's included in a product but useless tech support can't see any more details than the last 4 digits which are shown in System properties already! Their answer "It's encrypted" just shows they don't have skills or resources to help a customer. I don't care it's encrypted, it wasn't me who encrypted it FFS, I paid for the whole laptop including Windows product key and I deserve to know it!

freestyla

Just an update what happened to Windows WEI score after made RAM memory upgrade. Some Aida64 benchmark and temp shots too with the final setup.



Surprisingly WEI score for RAM didn't change at all from 1x4Gb CL11 vs 2x2Gb CL9

but using 2 parallel sticks now made Graphics go mad from 5.0 to 6.5 Intel HD graphics obviously like to have good quality memory!
Gained on average 6% FPS in F1 game --> running 35fps @1280 resolution low settings.

Swapping HDD to SSSHD didn't bring much up in WEI (since Windows thinks it's just an 7200RPM drive) even though performance is almost SSD style for real, so it's the "weakest" link with 5.9

I feel this laptop is now in perfect balance with total cost of €670. The only I'm missing is backlit keyboard.

before with 500Gb hybrid + 1x4Gb Hynix 1600mhz 11-11-11-28


after with 500Gb hybrid + 2x4Gb G.skill 1600mhz 9-9-9-27 F3-12800CL9D-8GBSQ


20121119_213505.jpg
20121119_214100.jpg
20121119_214120.jpg
20121119_214211.jpg

temperature while gaming is 64C

LenIva

I bought the cheapest 4gb stick of ram for €17 from crucial.com. I didn't realise that there was better quality RAM, assumed it was all the same!

Freestyla, where did you get that RAM that improved the WEI score so much?

freestyla

LenIva wrote: »

I bought the cheapest 4gb stick of ram for €17 from crucial.com. I didn't realise that there was better quality RAM, assumed it was all the same!

Freestyla, where did you get that RAM that improved the WEI score so much?

Got it from Memoryc.com, product number is F3-12800CL9D-8GBSQ if you find somewhere else.

The best result is when you have 2 sticks of the same, or as much similar as possible. This means looking at these figures:
1. Frequency, example 1600mhz
2. CL timings, example 9-9-9-27@800mhz (effective 1600mhz). This frequency is also maximum that CPU and chipset support.
3. Two sticks configuration is better than one stick alone. Optimal dual-channel operation brings in better effect.

K56CA uses quality Hynix memory in as 1x4gb stick it's all good but I looked for another stick of the same and it was as expensive as these new Gskill sticks.

PM me if you want to test how it looks with 2 original sticks of Hynix? I'm putting it for sale soon anyway.

projectgtr

Guys where did you buy your laptops? im on the look for a latop at the minute and im lking the specs on these.

freestyla

projectgtr wrote: »

Guys where did you buy your laptops? im on the look for a latop at the minute and im lking the specs on these.

That's right, someone named 'GTR' deserves only the best

€540 at ARgos
http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/5089002/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7COffice%2C+PCs+and+phones%7C14418968/c_2/3%7Ccat_19780850%7CLaptops+and+netbooks%7C14419039.htm

The laptop is surprisingly good bang for a buck as is plus it's made upgradable in case need more performance.

Hey lad, can you suggest me a professional diagnostics garage for a skyline please? anywhere in ireland/ni, cheers

projectgtr

freestyla wrote: »

That's right, someone named 'GTR' deserves only the best

€540 at ARgos
http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/5089002/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7COffice%2C+PCs+and+phones%7C14418968/c_2/3%7Ccat_19780850%7CLaptops+and+netbooks%7C14419039.htm

The laptop is surprisingly good bang for a buck as is plus it's made upgradable in case need more performance.

Hey lad, can you suggest me a professional diagnostics garage for a skyline please? anywhere in ireland/ni, cheers

thanks bro, im torn between this and http://www.laptopsdirect.ie/Sony_E15_-_Core_i5_3210M_4GB_640GB_15.5_Screen_Shared_Win_8_HP_SVE1512K1EB/version.asp

As for the Skyline where are you based? alot of lads recommend Trackday Performance (TDP) dont let my name fool you i drive a civic, i was planning a skyline but the Japanese Yen is crazy the last while so that has to be put on the long finger

freestyla

projectgtr wrote: »

thanks bro, im torn between this and http://www.laptopsdirect.ie/Sony_E15_-_Core_i5_3210M_4GB_640GB_15.5_Screen_Shared_Win_8_HP_SVE1512K1EB/version.asp

Asus is better by a good margin would say.

Sony has a slightly faster processor but not so efficient plus it comes with smaller battery hence poor battery life.
Much heavier and uglier too

Lighter laptops are more robust too if using around a house, garden, garage..

Could go for a Sony if you playing new games and don't need portability/long battery life. Sony's processor is a notch faster in heavy applications but then it would be smart to buy another 4Gb memory module (30eur) OR a Solid State disk (~100eur) to take full advantage of "gaming capabilities" but then it's already 630-700eur package and not really worth the hassle at the end of day.

projectgtr wrote: »

As for the Skyline where are you based? alot of lads recommend Trackday Performance (TDP) dont let my name fool you i drive a civic, i was planning a skyline but the Japanese Yen is crazy the last while so that has to be put on the long finger

Ok should visit TDP one day if possible to arrange, thanks.

LenIva

Anyone who installed extra RAM able to help me out?

I ordered two 4gb memory sticks (after advice in this thread explained that having 2 of the same sticks will improve performance).

However, only one of the RAM slots seems user accessible. The second slot seems like you need to take the entire back of the laptop off and I'm a bit wary of doing that.

Any help/advice please?

Liking the laptop very much for the price. Beautifully thin and light.

Alanstrainor

They are both user accessible, it's just one is a pain in the ass i reckon!

Most laptop will involve some open heart surgery to get at RAM slots. Taking the back off shouldn't be a big deal, just take you time, and be sure to ground yourself before touching anything inside it, or the RAM for that matter!

LenIva

Had another go at removing the bottom of the laptop today. Prised quite a bit of it open but it seems to be stuck on the side with the DVD drive which I don't seem to able to remove. Just to reiterate, it's only 1 RAM slot that I'm not able to get at, the other one is accessible by taking off the small back cover.

Strange because every other laptop I've seen on youtube has the RAM slots available by just opening the small back panel, none require you to open up the whole laptop.

freestyla

LenIva wrote: »

Had another go at removing the bottom of the laptop today. Prised quite a bit of it open but it seems to be stuck on the side with the DVD drive which I don't seem to able to remove. Just to reiterate, it's only 1 RAM slot that I'm not able to get at, the other one is accessible by taking off the small back cover.

Strange because every other laptop I've seen on youtube has the RAM slots available by just opening the small back panel, none require you to open up the whole laptop.

Yep it's hard to remove original RAM module without removing whole bottom of the laptop BUT this is what I did, because didn't want to affect structural firmness by unscrewing the whole thing and honest never disassembled a slimbook before..

I left the laptop on High performance mode with a game running, on a pillow, for maybe 10 min -this way I got some heat on the bottom which softened the plastic. This allowed me to bend the bottom cover, where is the RAM module situated, just a tiny bit more so that I was able to remove original RAM module without opening up the whole laptop.

Used two bent ear buds, stick them beside RAM module, between bottom cover and motherboard/something.. ear buds are gentle enough, you don't want stick anything even slightly sharp in there!

the result is that ear buds hold the cover lifted a tiny bit whilst you stick your fingers to release the RAM module and pull it out

and all this you have to do quickly, in 2-3 minutes before bottom cover cools down and the plastic becomes hard again - took me two attempts

No need to heat it up too much, doesn't need to get hot like.. but just a bit extra to allow some amortization in plastic.

And now another attempt and try to insert a new RAM module there...

Btw, I'm selling away the original Hynix 4Gb module.. PM if wanted..

LenIva

I got the original RAM out of the slot with a bit of fiddling and a lot of difficulty. Thanks for your advice but I'd be wary of heating up the plastic so that I can put the other module in!! I'd probably end up melting the laptop.

I may just go with my tail between my legs to a shop and ask them to put it in. I'm sure taking apart the laptop is doable but I don't want to risk it having only just got it and installed the ssd (which is a fantastic addition!!).

freestyla

LenIva wrote: »

.. with a bit of fiddling and a lot of difficulty....

you just then love it more after some hard times at the beginning

zierka

Hi! I'm happy to see a few reviews about this nice asus laptop (thank you!), there is almost nothing about this on the internet, strange. Maybe because it's a brand new line?

I am too planning on buying this, but I would like to hear some opinions about it. Is the fan quiet when doing casual stuff (browsing, youtube, video), or does it spin up fast as you begin to do something? And what about the battery life? How hot does it get on the top and at the bottom?

I read somewhere that the licence key for windows is stored in the bios, but I can't find the link.

rai555

freestyla wrote: »

you just then love it more after some hard times at the beginning

Would it be better buy 1 piece RAM off you instead of trying to replace both sticks ?

freestyla

rai555 wrote: »

Would it be better buy 1 piece RAM off you instead of trying to replace both sticks ?

That's what I thought, suggested.. but he removed the original RAM already so too late

freestyla

zierka wrote: »

Hi! I'm happy to see a few reviews about this nice asus laptop (thank you!), there is almost nothing about this on the internet, strange. Maybe because it's a brand new line?

soem 3 months old line alright.

zierka wrote: »

I am too planning on buying this, but I would like to hear some opinions about it. Is the fan quiet when doing casual stuff (browsing, youtube, video), or does it spin up fast as you begin to do something? And what about the battery life? How hot does it get on the top and at the bottom?

Absolutely inaudible machine, the only noise source is HDD, which is really nothing. Of course if you watch an HD movie in bed/on soft surface then it starts to spin the fan but you can't rally hear more than a whispering sound even when it spins full speed. Compare to Macbooks for example.

zierka wrote: »

I read somewhere that the licence key for windows is stored in the bios, but I can't find the link.

I'm not sure where is the key stored but there is no key sticker on the bottom nor in manual. I tried some free Product key finders software but got some confusing results a couple months ago - maybe these key finders have already updated so they know to dig out correct Windows 8 key -didn't try lately and didn't bother since I swapped the disk and installed Windows 7.

see my sig if you want to save yourself from a hassle

rai555

freestyla wrote: »

soem 3 months old line alright.



Absolutely inaudible machine, the only noise source is HDD, which is really nothing. Of course if you watch an HD movie in bed/on soft surface then it starts to spin the fan but you can't rally hear more than a whispering sound even when it spins full speed. Compare to Macbooks for example.



I'm not sure where is the key stored but there is no key sticker on the bottom nor in manual. I tried some free Product key finders software but got some confusing results a couple months ago - maybe these key finders have already updated so they know to dig out correct Windows 8 key -didn't try lately and didn't bother since I swapped the disk and installed Windows 7.

see my sig if you want to save yourself from a hassle

Would ASUS suport will be supportive enough to help to find your legal key of Win8 ??

LenIva

rai555 wrote: »

Would ASUS suport will be supportive enough to help to find your legal key of Win8 ??

Not in my experience. Emailed them about it on Saturday and haven't got a response yet...

Belarc Advisor (free program) gave me my Windows 8 product key, although when I tried to use it to re download Windows 8, it told me the key wasn't valid for the retail version

zierka

Thanks for the answers! Just commanded the K56CM, with i5 and nvidia 635m.

freestyla

zierka wrote: »

Thanks for the answers! Just commanded the K56CM, with i5 and nvidia 635m.

where ya got that from ?

btw, I've checked this out closer, it's S56CA -the same as K56ca except HDD.
S model has SSHD disk 500gb and yes it does make huge improvement vs K model 5400rpm HDD, but imo pricing should go under €700 for it to be attractive as-is.

http://www.asus.com/Notebooks/Superior_Mobility/S56CA/
Argos one comes with i5-3317U

freestyla

LenIva wrote: »

Not in my experience. Emailed them about it on Saturday and haven't got a response yet...

Belarc Advisor (free program) gave me my Windows 8 product key, although when I tried to use it to re download Windows 8, it told me the key wasn't valid for the retail version

Some say that the key is hidden in BIOS and not reusable for clean Win8 re-installation. I don't get this rule.. is it even allow to practice such idiocy? It's not minor change to hide the product key.. we had the keys supplied with laptops for ages, was always allowed to swap HDD..

Asus service amazingly bad, basically non-existent.. at least Irish number 01-890-71-9918.. hm .. could have tried UK maybe? Anyway I never got anyone to answer Asus Ireland phone, nor email. They do communicate via vip.asus.com but their just bunch of narrow-minded robots, and when you demand your rights to get the fcuking product key then you get an email from "an boss who doesn't tolerate impoliteness towards his employees".. what a fcuking joke! Windows is a part of the whole ensemble called LAPTOP and why wouldn't I have right to alter and adjust something I paid for?? I don't care it's factory pre-installed OEM blahblah.. call it however use whatever abbreviations but it's mine once I paid for it! -idiots going Apple way(correct me if wrong?).. loosing customers because of Microsoft new rules or smth?

zierka

freestyla wrote: »

where ya got that from ?

btw, I've checked this out closer, it's S56CA -the same as K56ca except HDD.
S model has SSHD disk 500gb and yes it does make huge improvement vs K model 5400rpm HDD, but imo pricing should go under €700 for it to be attractive as-is.

http://www.asus.com/Notebooks/Superior_Mobility/S56CA/
Argos one comes with i5-3317U

From a webshop. I like it very much. This aluminium base is awesome! It came without windows.

rai555

zierka wrote: »

From a webshop. I like it very much. This aluminium base is awesome! It came without windows.

Can you give a link? Cheers

zierka

I'm from Romania, so it's from a romanian webshop: http://www.emag.ro/laptop-asus-cu-procesor-intel-174-core-small-sup-tm-sup-small-i5-3317u-1-70ghz-ivy-bridge-4gb-500gb-nvidia-geforce-gt-635m-2gb-freedos-black-k56cm-xx011d/pd/EL54KBBBM/

rai555

It is 589 in Argos now :eek:

Tom_Cruise

rai555 wrote: »

It is 589 in Argos now :eek:

I think it went down 60 euro or so after Xmas from 540(The price i purchased it at) why the sudden price jump up to 589?