Hi! I have a question and I tried googling but as English is not my mother language and I’m not that good with technical specifications then I want to ask this – do You know if there’s a 15 inch Asus laptop-tablet where you could separate the tablet from the keyboard? I know that the Asus Convertible ones are the closest things to that but I’d really like if I could separate those two things. And if there’s no 15 inch Asus like that, is there some kind of other brand as good as Asus which has 15 inch laptop-tablet where I could separate keyboard from the tablet? I’ve had an Asus laptop for the last 4-5 years and I’m really happy with it, no complains. I’d be really grateful if You could give me some advice. Thanks.
Hi Helen. There’s no detachable 15 inch 2-in-1 that I know off, only a few convertibles, like the Asus TP500. The largest detachables I know of are 13 inchers (Asus T300).
Thanks. Try to install HWInfo, it should show the 24 GB SSD . NOt sure what to say if it doesn’t, you might want to ask Asus about it. How fast does the laptop boot and resume from sleep?
I bought the Asus Transformer Book Flip TP500LN-DN075H in Germany. The Panel is an Auo36ed, it seems to be a (from auo.com/?sn=149&lang=en-US&c=34) B156HTN03.x (it’s not a .5).
The mSSD hidden beneath the “Asus SSD Board 2.0” is a Sandisk U100 msata MINI, and it is shown in BIOS. It will be physically replaceable with something that shares the same Form Factor (look here for more Detail of the aforementioned SSD: sandisk.de/about-sandisk/media-kit/retail-oem-product-photos/solid-state-drives/sandisk-u100-ssd/)
The Problem is the form factor. The screw towards the rim of the case that holds the Asus SSD Board in place may be in the way of any non-MINI msata card. Maybe it is possible to use tape to fix the boards – they should be fixed because of the little cable from the Motherboard to the SSD Board.
And a little warning: I pulled the longer cable off, to unscrew the SSD Board. After plugging it back, some laptop parts heated up: the HDD, and the processor. I caused a short circuit! But why? By replugging it, it seems I lifted one of the conductor paths which then came far too close to another. I found the cause and solution by chance. So be very careful if you plan to lift those cables!
Well, last to say: If Asus had installed a GOOD IPS Screen, AC-Wifi, a possibility for a second HDD (there is enough room left!) and or at least a m.2 port or real mSata port – this Laptop would be gorgeous. Be ashamed Asus! ,-)
I have problems to write very fast on the keyboard. Sometimes it’s missing key-presses – Does anyone else have this problem?
I solved my mystery…. I opened the laptop and I noticed The ssd board was disconnected (I.e no wire was placed to the mainboard). I took the ssd board out and noticed there wasnt a micro ssd under the daugherboard….. wtf Asus…
I can confirm that a normal sized msata ssd can be put inside and be used. It can only be held in with 1 screw since the other must be removed with pliers for the msata ssd to fit. If the laptop didn’t come with the msata ssd, any 12 pin cable with a 0.5mm pitch can be used to connect it to the motherboard.
I was not able to get intel rapid storage technology to work since the bios setting for the sata port cannot be changed. Instead asus express cache technology can be used and also use half the msata ssd for caching and the other half for storage.
Hi, I had just purchased a TP500LN off of Amazon and am waiting for it to come in the mail. My configuration does not come with the 24gb mSATA SSD, but it was the only model that met all of my other requirements. I would like to install a small SSD in that slot to use as a cache drive, but according to the pictures it seems like the mSATA is on a daughterboard that would be missing to save cost. Can anyone confirm this? Thanks.
They Mini MSata (I say mini as only the half size cards will fit) is located under the SSD daughterboard to the right of the Hard drive. Voltago’s post nailed it…
Update – My Laptop had the daughter board, but it did not have the cable (or the Mini SSD). Andrei Girbea can you confirm the type of 12 Pin Cable (1mm, 0.5mm etc?).
I had a 12 pin cable from a different laptop but it did not work.
Hi KJT. I’m sorry but I haven’t pried open the HDD cage and haven’t checked out the mSATA port. Maybe some of the other readers can help you out here.
Maria Rodz
October 29, 2014 at 11:14 am
Hi there. I’m seriously thinking on buying this laptop. Here where I live I can get the TP500LA-EB31T which is a Core i3, 6GB and 500 GB HDD on a 15.6″ monitor. I’m not expert so I’d like to know if it is still a good buy. The price here is $499. And if you could tell me if i3 is a good CPU for everyday computing I’d appreciate the help.
I can’t afford to buy both a tablet and a computer so I was told this is a good option.
Please let me know soon your thoughts…and thanks again!
Hi Maria. The i3 CPU is alright for LIGHT and BASIC activities: brosing with a few tabs open, some video playing, some music, editing texts. Just make sure you’re not going to run multiple things at the same time, it’s not a great multitasker.
Now, this laptop is decent, but I found it very awkward to use as a tablet. It’s just too massive and heavy for this imh, so if you buy it especially for the 2-in-1 form factor, you might want to think about it, maybe try to see the device in an actual store before getting it, just to make sure it’s exactly what you want.
If you get a version with dedicated graphics, should handle SIms 4, Otherwise, might not. Streaming movies won’t be a problem at all though, for any configuration.
Brandon
November 13, 2014 at 4:35 am
The TP500L machine with the i3 / 500GB HD is nice, but… put a 500gb ssd in it and it becomes a very nice little machine. I just set this up for my wife and this is quite the nice little screamin machine. The SSD installs easily using the asus “Backtracker” recovery utility, which puts the recovery system on a usb flash drive. Pop in the SSD, insert the flash drive, restart with the boot drive to the flash drive and presto, Backtracker begins and all is done in a matter of 20-30 minutes.
Good luck,
Now to figure out how to put an stack an additional 7mm HDD backup internally, boost the RAM to 12 GB and we’ll be done.
Looks like you can replace it. Not sure what their policy is in your country, but you could keep the HDD that came with the unit, in case something goes wrong later down the road and you have to send the laptop in for repairs (that way you can just put the old rive back in). That sticker on the heatpipe is a bit weird. It’s not like anyone would want to access the processor…
Chim
November 6, 2014 at 12:33 am
Ｏｈ Thank u so much Andrei :）
Kevin
November 7, 2014 at 6:49 pm
Hello Andrei. I’m trying to decide between the T200TA (with the higher clocked Intel Z3795 processor, 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB of storage and Windows 8.1 64-bit), the TP500 with the i3 processor, 6GB RAM, and 500 GB drive, or the TP500 (with the i5 processor, 8GB RAM, and 1TB drive. It would be mostly for general use and video watching. What is your opinion? Would it be better to go with the TP500 with the i5 because of the 1920×1080 FHD screen, even though it’s TN? Or is the T200TA screen better because it’s IPS, even thought it’s only 1366×768 HD? Thanks for the help.
Still, you’re comparing apples and oranges. the T200 is a detachable and it’s compact, the TP500 is big and massive. What do you need most? The power of those Core processors, or the portability and long-time use of the Z3795 platform (which is also fanless, btw). Both will handle casual everyday tasks, office and videos well, but the Core models are going to be of course more capable to handle some serious taks as well.
imo Yes. The overall panel quality and viewing angles matter more than the resolution.
John
November 13, 2014 at 4:30 pm
Hi Andrei, I am seriously considering to buy model TP500LN-DN119H with i7-4510U, NVIDIA GT 840M with 2GB DDR3, shipping with 4gb memory(salesman agreed to upgrade it to 12gb free of cost), 750GB SATA-24Gb SSD. And screen is mentioned as 15″ LED FHD 1920×1080. On the display set at the store they have put a note mentioning it is an IPS display but viewing angles, color reproduction and brightness was not very impressive. Is there a way from OS level to find out which display panel is used on that laptop ?
I am also considering Acer Aspire V7-482PG Ultrabook with i7-4510U, 12gb RAM, NVIDIA Geforce GT 750M(4gb DDR3 VRAM) and 14″ Full HD 10-point multi-touch screen. I did not get a chance to see a display unit in the store.
Which of this two laptops will be a better buy ? I will be using it for photo/video editing and multitasking occasionally but not much gaming. I hate laptops heating up but noticed that Asus TP500LN-DN119H runs cool.
You can go to Device Manager, Monitors, Right click on the option, Properties, Details and from Property select Hardware. Then do a quick online search of the code there. However, it’s easy to tell if a display is IPS or not. Just check the viewing angles. If there’s little contrast swift when looking from above/below/sides, it’s IPS, if not, it’s TN. Some readers reported the US versions to ship with TN panels. I haven’t see that Acer in Action but the V7s are quite good. That option is definitely more compact and lighter than the TP500, but will run hotter because of the slimmer body.
Thanks, there is a contrast swift from above/below/sides so you mean it is an IPS panel ?. Colors were looking bit washed out and blacks/contrast were not good also. Comparing to the 1080 panel of Dell inspiron 13 7000 2-1 this one somehow was not looking impressive. I will go back there again and findout which panel it is from device manager.
Please do a in-depth review of Aspire A7, it appears to be very good ultrabook.
John
November 14, 2014 at 11:57 am
Asus TP500LN-DN119H – monitor auo36ed
Acer Aspire V7-582PG 15″ – monitor-Auo12ed
I took a look at 15″ model of Aspire V7 display is much better than Asus TP500LN-DN119H. I am going to buy V7, can you confirm from model number V7 display is IPS?
I purchased this laptop by Amazon and there wasn’t information about the screen besides the resolution (amazon.com/gp/product/B00NGK7WY8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1).
However, I found out about the LCD problem after buying it, and now I am worried and thinking if I should return it (as I didn’t open the box yet).
Also, what it is confusing me is because through some websites, they say that the laptop comes with a LED screen (laptopcountry.com/asus-flip-tp500la-dh71t-review/).
So I really don’t know what to do. Would you have any suggestion? Do you think that Asus might have updated this laptop?
It’s tough to say for sure. You should try to contact the shops and ask abotu the screen. The reports I’ve seen suggest an TN panel on the TP500 configurations sold in the US and IPS panels on some models in Europe. TN means poor viewing angles, contrast shift, etc.
Those don’t have Stylus supports either. I mean, it depends on what you understand by that. Every touchscreen can work with a Capacitive stylus, but those are not very precise. ON the other hand, there are special units that offers a digitizer with pen support, capable of much more accurate tracking. One example is the Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga, another are the Microsoft Surface Pro tablets.
Thanks, Andrei. Looks like I need to wait further for a convertible that meet my needs. I want a 15 to 15.6 incher. It should be either clamshell (like Yoga Pro) or convertible (like Surface Pro). It must support active digitizer and be able to write in tablet form. SSD is a must. Finally, it should be under 2.2 kg. I’m been using 14 inches notebooks past 10 years and hated the small screens. MacBook Pro looks so inviting.
Sadly, none of the current products meet all criteria.
For example,
Asus Transformer Book Flip T500 – No active digitier and too heavy.
Lenovo Yoga Pro 2 & 3 – No active digitizer. Only 13.3 inches. Broadwell Core M CPU throttling.
Lenovo Thinkpad Yoga – Only 12.5 inches.
Microsoft Surface Pro 3 – Only 12.5 inches.
Apple MacBook Pro – No active digitizer and can’t be bent into tablet form.
Acer Aspire R13 – No 15 inches option.
Sharp RW-16G1 tablet – Not available outside Japan.
HP Envy x2 15t – 2.5kg heavy.
HP Envy x360 15t – No SSD and active digitizer.
MSI GS60 2PC Ghost – No table mode and no active digitizer.
Fujitsu Stylistics & Convertibles – Only 13.3 inches max.
So, all the above systems has qualities I desire. Just that none combines them into a single product I want. I’m hoping with Intel Broadwell-U offerings in 2015, something that meets my needs will show up. I’m don’t mind spending US$2K on it.
For example,
Sharp Merilis 15.6 inch 4K – Again, hope Sharp’s prototype will not only make it into production, but is available worldwide.
Surface Pro 4 – Has 15 inches option.
Yoga Pro 3 Plus – Has Broadwell-U chip. Has Wacom pen. Comes in 15 inches option.
I don’t think there will be many convertibles with a 15 inch screen and I’m pretty sure a detachable that big is mostly out of the question. But we’ll see.
BTW, there’s also the Acer Aspire R7 2014, it’s a convertible with a 15 inch screen and digitizer, might be worth a look, despite its unusual form factor
Eddie Yong
December 8, 2014 at 6:34 pm
Thanks, Andrei. You certainly know your stuff!
As per your recommendation, I’ll look into the following options:
1) Acer Aspire R7 2014 (i7, GTX 850M, cheap, but 2.5kg heavy)
2) Sony Vaio Flip 15 (if still in production …)
3) HP Envy x2 15t (only Core M)
4) 2015 upcoming models using Broadwell-U
Good website you’ve got here. Keep up the good work! Cheers! =)
Glad I could help. I’d probably stay away from Sony, not sure how they handle their port-sale services now that they no longer make laptops. So in case something will go wrong or you’ll want a replacement battery, you might have a hard time finding what’s needed. Just my2c
Christopher Lawson
December 4, 2014 at 8:37 am
I purchased the TP500LA-AB53T and the TN display was okay. After a bit of research I purchased an IPS panel replacement, installed it, and un-installed Splendid Video enhancements.
The IPS display is worth the additional effort, or finding a laptop with IPS already installed.
Dawn, I purchased the screen from LaptopScreen.com (www.laptopscreen.com/English/model/ASUS/TRANSFORMER~BOOK~FLIP~TP500LA/). I ordered the glossy IPS, although if I did it again I would order the matte. The hardest part was the disassembling of the screen. There are only 2 screws and the rest is snapped together. Most laptops it would not have been an issue, but with the more sturdy aluminum it took me an hour to figure it out.
Steps:
1. Unplug battery connector (cable from battery to main board)
2. Remove 2 screws from bottom left/right of screen.
3. Turn over laptop screen down.
4. With a good quality putty knife or screen removal tool snap apart base of screen (only where the hinge is located).
5. Turn laptop back over and remove the rest of the snaps from the front of the screen.
6. Unplug 30pin eDP connector.
7. Slowly pull old LCD out (it held in place by double sided tape on the front of the screen).
8. Place the new screen in place (remove protective plastic from new screen and careful not to get dirt or finger prints of inside of the touch screen or new IPS display).
9. Re-attach 30 pin connector (and tape that holds the connector in place).
10. Reassemble laptop.
I hope this answers your questions.
Have a great day – Christopher
Dawn
January 7, 2015 at 12:25 am
Thank you Christopher, I much appreciate it.
With SSD which I already got and FHD IPS screen it’s a great laptop.
All the best, Dawn
khurrum
December 9, 2014 at 5:13 pm
Hi
Can you compare price difference and performance measure between i3 and i7 of same series? Is it worth while to pay additional money for increasing performance in your expert opinion?
@andrei: i’m in the market for a new laptop hybrid. why a hybrid interests me is because of its potential applications with drawing directly into applications like Photoshop or Illustrator (I’m a mixed media artist).
The TP500 seems to have all the bases covered for what I’m looking for. I do not mind the weight but the size, the ports (including HDMI), the RAM, the storage…. it has everything I’m looking for.
I can’t find anything regarding if this has Wacom’s digitizer tech built in and/or if this works with bluetooh pressure styluses.
it doesn’t have a Digitizer at all. It should work with Bluetooth pens, BUT, I for one have no experience with those and can’t offer any documented advice on the topic.
Lihimsidhe, I’m very interested in you experience. Did you buy the laptop? And how are you experiences with using it for Illustrator (with a pressure stylus)?
Excellent review Andrei! Since it appears that the US version of this model, TP500LA, does not have the IPS panel, do you know if the TP550 will have it instead? More importantly, wdhat is the difference between the TP500 and the TP550? I’ve some youtube videos of the latter and I can’t make out the difference.
Sry for the late reply. Most likely it will not. The TP550 is a lower end version with an HD onyl screen, plastic body, thicker case and an optical drive.
The newer versions of these laptops seem to have updated features. The Best Buy model for example states that it has an IPS screen among other updates. How can you tell for sure about the IPS? bestbuy.com/site/asus-2-in-1-15-6-touch-screen-laptop-intel-core-i7-8gb-memory-1tb-hard-drive-black/7289029.p?id=1219262038351&skuId=7289029&pid=1219262038351&pcatId=abcat0502000
I have the same question. Best Buy sells a model called Q551LN-BBI706. I saw it in the store and it’s very sleek. It includes an optical drive and dedicated video card, so I assume it’s a variant on the TP550 series. I have a done a lot of research and find inconsistencies on specs and photos at most online retailers. I even chatted with an Asus support person who couldn’t tell me the difference between the model numbers, nor where to buy a TP550 series. Can you comment on any of the recent Flip updates? I am intrigued by the form factor for watching movies and using Skype.
Yes, that Q551 is basically a TP500 for the US market and exclusive for BestBuy from what I know.
Noah Schmitz
January 23, 2015 at 9:21 pm
I have also seen this model number R554LA-RH51T at micro center. Looks like a flip with optical drive, but 6GB RAM and 500GB HDD. Any thoughts on this one? Are these all the same as TP550 but with model numbers specific to the retailer? It’s very confusing.
Not sure what to say about this R554. Looks to me like a slightly more premium version of the TP550. The TP550 that is available in Europe comes with a completely plastic case, the R554 seems to have metal on the lid cover, from what I can tell from the pictures. The hardware should be similar though.
I’m so mad at Asus right now for confusing us with so many different names for similar products. That’s not how they should do it!
Caio
January 21, 2015 at 11:54 pm
Hello,what about gestures with its multitouch screen? On another review I have read that it has problems, can you confirm it? I need a screen that can recognize gestures with multiple fingers like pinch, zoom, rotate, and so on
The fan noise of this laptop irritates me. Incredible how a € 1000 laptop can make such a noise while performing little tasks. Even launching Google Chrome triggers the fan. How can I reduce the fan noise?
Chrome is really heavy on these mobile platforms. That’s why I no longer use it on any of my ultrabooks. Can you try to use Firefox or IE for your daily tasks and see if the fans spin as fast?
I bought a asus transformer book flip 3 months ago, my husband tried to install an anti virus for me but on the half way the lscreen became blackout out. He turned off and on, as soon as inserted the password the screen became blank again. We tried to press f5 nothing happens. We brought it back to Future Shop they told us we have to ship it to repair since we still have warranty. Can anyone tell me what is the problem?
After buying this laptop, I found that it could not detect my router signal. I updated drivers and BIOS, but it did not fix the problem. I called Asus and they told me that this model was not built to detect 5 GHz Wifi signals. So if you have a broadband router signal for streaming or gaming at 5 GHz, this laptop will be the weakest link.
I am going to buy TP500LN and the only available highest specs in Malaysia is only:
Processor: i7-4510U
Graphic: NVIDIA GT840M
Memory: 4GB RAM
Storage: 500GB HDD + 24GB SSD (can’t find 1TB HDD + 24GB SSD in Malaysia)
My question is:
1. How many RAM slot for this laptop? And maximum can up to how many RAM support?
2. Can I upgrade the SSD without touching the HDD? (remain 500GB HDD but upgrade SSD to 128GB SSD maybe?)
Have the TP500L with the i7 processor. Has a 1366 x 768 px TN screen. Want to update to an ips screen 1920 x 1020. Can I just update the screen or is there more to it?
In theory, you might be able to upgrade the screen if you can find the compatible IPS panel. In practice, that’s very complicated and you need to make sure you know what you’re doing or go to an authorized Asus service/reseller for the upgrade.
Hye Andrei, I was owned the Tp500LN(i-Core 3). Do you think I should exchange it with Lenovo Yoga or not? I don’t which are better between Yoga and this Flip Book.
Hello Andrei,
I need a ultrabook fast and with a GOOD battery (5/6 hours for university,i will use Microsoft Word/wi-fi/Google chrome).sometimes i play games (no new games).
Which is best for You?
Tp300lj= i7 5500u, 4gb ram, GeForce 920 2gb, 500gb hdd (50watt-hours battery)
Tp500lb=i7 5550u,8gb ram,GeForce 940 2gb,hdd 2tb (48watt-hours battery)
Thanks for your comment,
Which one do you suggest me?
Tp300 haven t a good battery?
steveh
November 23, 2015 at 5:14 am
I am looking at one from costco.com and it’s the TP500, i3 processor,8GB memory, 500GB HDD. What enhancements have been made on the screen? it’s $100 off, going for $394.99 on Nov.26-30, 2015. Looks like a good buy at the end of it market life. Is it a deal at that price?
That’s probably the HD screen with a TN panel, similar to the one on this review unit, which is pretty poor. But you won’t find a similar 2-in-1 within that budget.
Does anyone know the part number for the 1920 1080 screen? Im hoping its a direct upgrade for the 1366 768 screen. that is if the motherboard works with 2ch lvds
How exactly do you remove the battery? I’ve taken apart my laptop and unscrewed all of the additional screws connected to the battery, but it’s still latched onto the rest of the hardware via a connector that I can’t remove.
can anyone please tell me if any msata ssd will work, after looking at the 24gb card pre-installed in the computer(tp500ln-dn109h)I saw that it runs at 0.35a and I wanted to replace it with a larger storage card but it is rated at the same voltage but 1.7a, so can anyone tell me if it will work or not?
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Table of ContentsThe Best Premium fanless laptops and ChromebooksFull-size fanless laptopsFanless ultrabooks and Windows ultra-portablesFanless Windows-running Mini laptops In this article, we’re discussing fanless laptops and silent Windows ultrabooks...
Helen
October 16, 2014 at 9:11 pm
Hi! I have a question and I tried googling but as English is not my mother language and I’m not that good with technical specifications then I want to ask this – do You know if there’s a 15 inch Asus laptop-tablet where you could separate the tablet from the keyboard? I know that the Asus Convertible ones are the closest things to that but I’d really like if I could separate those two things. And if there’s no 15 inch Asus like that, is there some kind of other brand as good as Asus which has 15 inch laptop-tablet where I could separate keyboard from the tablet? I’ve had an Asus laptop for the last 4-5 years and I’m really happy with it, no complains. I’d be really grateful if You could give me some advice. Thanks.
Andrei Girbea
October 17, 2014 at 7:03 am
Hi Helen. There’s no detachable 15 inch 2-in-1 that I know off, only a few convertibles, like the Asus TP500. The largest detachables I know of are 13 inchers (Asus T300).
kjt
October 17, 2014 at 3:54 am
Hey,
I got this laptop from the MS store as well. The display is a 1080p and it isa TL panel. The manufacturer is auo36ed.
For those of you with the laptop, can you see the 24GB SSD drive in device manager or the bios? I can not. Do I got a dud?
Andrei Girbea
October 17, 2014 at 7:10 am
Thanks. Try to install HWInfo, it should show the 24 GB SSD . NOt sure what to say if it doesn’t, you might want to ask Asus about it. How fast does the laptop boot and resume from sleep?
Voltago
October 17, 2014 at 8:48 am
Good Morning!
I bought the Asus Transformer Book Flip TP500LN-DN075H in Germany. The Panel is an Auo36ed, it seems to be a (from auo.com/?sn=149&lang=en-US&c=34) B156HTN03.x (it’s not a .5).
The mSSD hidden beneath the “Asus SSD Board 2.0” is a Sandisk U100 msata MINI, and it is shown in BIOS. It will be physically replaceable with something that shares the same Form Factor (look here for more Detail of the aforementioned SSD: sandisk.de/about-sandisk/media-kit/retail-oem-product-photos/solid-state-drives/sandisk-u100-ssd/)
Dimensions: Size: 3.4mm * Width 26.8mm * Depth 30mm
The Problem is the form factor. The screw towards the rim of the case that holds the Asus SSD Board in place may be in the way of any non-MINI msata card. Maybe it is possible to use tape to fix the boards – they should be fixed because of the little cable from the Motherboard to the SSD Board.
And a little warning: I pulled the longer cable off, to unscrew the SSD Board. After plugging it back, some laptop parts heated up: the HDD, and the processor. I caused a short circuit! But why? By replugging it, it seems I lifted one of the conductor paths which then came far too close to another. I found the cause and solution by chance. So be very careful if you plan to lift those cables!
Well, last to say: If Asus had installed a GOOD IPS Screen, AC-Wifi, a possibility for a second HDD (there is enough room left!) and or at least a m.2 port or real mSata port – this Laptop would be gorgeous. Be ashamed Asus! ,-)
I have problems to write very fast on the keyboard. Sometimes it’s missing key-presses – Does anyone else have this problem?
kjt
October 18, 2014 at 12:27 am
Thanks fellas….
I solved my mystery…. I opened the laptop and I noticed The ssd board was disconnected (I.e no wire was placed to the mainboard). I took the ssd board out and noticed there wasnt a micro ssd under the daugherboard….. wtf Asus…
Winny83
September 8, 2015 at 10:10 am
I can confirm that a normal sized msata ssd can be put inside and be used. It can only be held in with 1 screw since the other must be removed with pliers for the msata ssd to fit. If the laptop didn’t come with the msata ssd, any 12 pin cable with a 0.5mm pitch can be used to connect it to the motherboard.
I was not able to get intel rapid storage technology to work since the bios setting for the sata port cannot be changed. Instead asus express cache technology can be used and also use half the msata ssd for caching and the other half for storage.
Grahamf
October 18, 2014 at 4:25 am
Hi, I had just purchased a TP500LN off of Amazon and am waiting for it to come in the mail. My configuration does not come with the 24gb mSATA SSD, but it was the only model that met all of my other requirements. I would like to install a small SSD in that slot to use as a cache drive, but according to the pictures it seems like the mSATA is on a daughterboard that would be missing to save cost. Can anyone confirm this? Thanks.
kjt
October 18, 2014 at 2:49 pm
They Mini MSata (I say mini as only the half size cards will fit) is located under the SSD daughterboard to the right of the Hard drive. Voltago’s post nailed it…
kjt
October 22, 2014 at 3:38 pm
Update – My Laptop had the daughter board, but it did not have the cable (or the Mini SSD). Andrei Girbea can you confirm the type of 12 Pin Cable (1mm, 0.5mm etc?).
I had a 12 pin cable from a different laptop but it did not work.
Andrei Girbea
October 22, 2014 at 4:51 pm
Hi KJT. I’m sorry but I haven’t pried open the HDD cage and haven’t checked out the mSATA port. Maybe some of the other readers can help you out here.
Maria Rodz
October 29, 2014 at 11:14 am
Hi there. I’m seriously thinking on buying this laptop. Here where I live I can get the TP500LA-EB31T which is a Core i3, 6GB and 500 GB HDD on a 15.6″ monitor. I’m not expert so I’d like to know if it is still a good buy. The price here is $499. And if you could tell me if i3 is a good CPU for everyday computing I’d appreciate the help.
I can’t afford to buy both a tablet and a computer so I was told this is a good option.
Please let me know soon your thoughts…and thanks again!
Andrei Girbea
October 29, 2014 at 3:18 pm
Hi Maria. The i3 CPU is alright for LIGHT and BASIC activities: brosing with a few tabs open, some video playing, some music, editing texts. Just make sure you’re not going to run multiple things at the same time, it’s not a great multitasker.
Now, this laptop is decent, but I found it very awkward to use as a tablet. It’s just too massive and heavy for this imh, so if you buy it especially for the 2-in-1 form factor, you might want to think about it, maybe try to see the device in an actual store before getting it, just to make sure it’s exactly what you want.
Maria Rodz
October 30, 2014 at 11:05 am
Hi again. What about streaming movies? And another thing, the only game I play is The Sims 4. It is good enough for that?
Andrei Girbea
October 31, 2014 at 11:56 am
If you get a version with dedicated graphics, should handle SIms 4, Otherwise, might not. Streaming movies won’t be a problem at all though, for any configuration.
Brandon
November 13, 2014 at 4:35 am
The TP500L machine with the i3 / 500GB HD is nice, but… put a 500gb ssd in it and it becomes a very nice little machine. I just set this up for my wife and this is quite the nice little screamin machine. The SSD installs easily using the asus “Backtracker” recovery utility, which puts the recovery system on a usb flash drive. Pop in the SSD, insert the flash drive, restart with the boot drive to the flash drive and presto, Backtracker begins and all is done in a matter of 20-30 minutes.
Good luck,
Now to figure out how to put an stack an additional 7mm HDD backup internally, boost the RAM to 12 GB and we’ll be done.
Stephy
November 2, 2014 at 3:08 pm
Hi, I’m about to buy a laptop, can u please suggest either ASUS TP500 or LENOVO Flex 2 14 is better? Really confuse about it… Thanks!
Chim
November 3, 2014 at 4:16 pm
Hello Andrei ! I love your review.
btw I want to ask if there is also a yellow sticker near the HDD in TP500?
Andrei Girbea
November 3, 2014 at 5:35 pm
Not on my unit. But the retail versions have the seal from what I’ve been told
Chim
November 5, 2014 at 4:57 pm
Thx Andrei, and i got my notebook today, i found that there is no warranty woid sticker in HDD.
It mean that i can change my HDD into SSD right?
But there is a warranty void sticker covering next to the fan.
What does it mean??
http://imgur.com/3hWT8p7
http://imgur.com/cN6G3I6
Andrei Girbea
November 5, 2014 at 6:06 pm
Looks like you can replace it. Not sure what their policy is in your country, but you could keep the HDD that came with the unit, in case something goes wrong later down the road and you have to send the laptop in for repairs (that way you can just put the old rive back in). That sticker on the heatpipe is a bit weird. It’s not like anyone would want to access the processor…
Chim
November 6, 2014 at 12:33 am
Ｏｈ Thank u so much Andrei :）
Kevin
November 7, 2014 at 6:49 pm
Hello Andrei. I’m trying to decide between the T200TA (with the higher clocked Intel Z3795 processor, 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB of storage and Windows 8.1 64-bit), the TP500 with the i3 processor, 6GB RAM, and 500 GB drive, or the TP500 (with the i5 processor, 8GB RAM, and 1TB drive. It would be mostly for general use and video watching. What is your opinion? Would it be better to go with the TP500 with the i5 because of the 1920×1080 FHD screen, even though it’s TN? Or is the T200TA screen better because it’s IPS, even thought it’s only 1366×768 HD? Thanks for the help.
Andrei Girbea
November 9, 2014 at 11:12 am
Hi Kevin. The TN panel on the TP500 isn’t great.
Still, you’re comparing apples and oranges. the T200 is a detachable and it’s compact, the TP500 is big and massive. What do you need most? The power of those Core processors, or the portability and long-time use of the Z3795 platform (which is also fanless, btw). Both will handle casual everyday tasks, office and videos well, but the Core models are going to be of course more capable to handle some serious taks as well.
Kevin
November 9, 2014 at 1:06 pm
Thanks for reply Andrei. Strictly based on display, is the HD IPS on the T200 better than the FHD TN display on the i5 TP500?
Andrei Girbea
November 9, 2014 at 2:18 pm
imo Yes. The overall panel quality and viewing angles matter more than the resolution.
John
November 13, 2014 at 4:30 pm
Hi Andrei, I am seriously considering to buy model TP500LN-DN119H with i7-4510U, NVIDIA GT 840M with 2GB DDR3, shipping with 4gb memory(salesman agreed to upgrade it to 12gb free of cost), 750GB SATA-24Gb SSD. And screen is mentioned as 15″ LED FHD 1920×1080. On the display set at the store they have put a note mentioning it is an IPS display but viewing angles, color reproduction and brightness was not very impressive. Is there a way from OS level to find out which display panel is used on that laptop ?
I am also considering Acer Aspire V7-482PG Ultrabook with i7-4510U, 12gb RAM, NVIDIA Geforce GT 750M(4gb DDR3 VRAM) and 14″ Full HD 10-point multi-touch screen. I did not get a chance to see a display unit in the store.
Which of this two laptops will be a better buy ? I will be using it for photo/video editing and multitasking occasionally but not much gaming. I hate laptops heating up but noticed that Asus TP500LN-DN119H runs cool.
Andrei Girbea
November 13, 2014 at 9:12 pm
You can go to Device Manager, Monitors, Right click on the option, Properties, Details and from Property select Hardware. Then do a quick online search of the code there. However, it’s easy to tell if a display is IPS or not. Just check the viewing angles. If there’s little contrast swift when looking from above/below/sides, it’s IPS, if not, it’s TN. Some readers reported the US versions to ship with TN panels. I haven’t see that Acer in Action but the V7s are quite good. That option is definitely more compact and lighter than the TP500, but will run hotter because of the slimmer body.
John
November 14, 2014 at 7:56 am
Thanks, there is a contrast swift from above/below/sides so you mean it is an IPS panel ?. Colors were looking bit washed out and blacks/contrast were not good also. Comparing to the 1080 panel of Dell inspiron 13 7000 2-1 this one somehow was not looking impressive. I will go back there again and findout which panel it is from device manager.
Please do a in-depth review of Aspire A7, it appears to be very good ultrabook.
John
November 14, 2014 at 11:57 am
Asus TP500LN-DN119H – monitor auo36ed
Acer Aspire V7-582PG 15″ – monitor-Auo12ed
I took a look at 15″ model of Aspire V7 display is much better than Asus TP500LN-DN119H. I am going to buy V7, can you confirm from model number V7 display is IPS?
Diego Cabral
November 19, 2014 at 2:57 am
Hi Andrei,
I purchased this laptop by Amazon and there wasn’t information about the screen besides the resolution (amazon.com/gp/product/B00NGK7WY8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1).
However, I found out about the LCD problem after buying it, and now I am worried and thinking if I should return it (as I didn’t open the box yet).
Also, what it is confusing me is because through some websites, they say that the laptop comes with a LED screen (laptopcountry.com/asus-flip-tp500la-dh71t-review/).
So I really don’t know what to do. Would you have any suggestion? Do you think that Asus might have updated this laptop?
Thank you
Andrei Girbea
November 23, 2014 at 4:47 pm
It’s tough to say for sure. You should try to contact the shops and ask abotu the screen. The reports I’ve seen suggest an TN panel on the TP500 configurations sold in the US and IPS panels on some models in Europe. TN means poor viewing angles, contrast shift, etc.
Eddie Yong
December 1, 2014 at 2:02 am
Does it have Stylus support? Maybe as accessories?
If I want stylus support and 360 flip, does it mean my only option is the Lenovo Yoga Pro 2 or 3?
Thanks.
Eddie Yong
December 1, 2014 at 2:17 am
Also, can I just buy a Wacom stylus and make it work with the Asus 15 incher?
Andrei Girbea
December 6, 2014 at 6:09 pm
Those don’t have Stylus supports either. I mean, it depends on what you understand by that. Every touchscreen can work with a Capacitive stylus, but those are not very precise. ON the other hand, there are special units that offers a digitizer with pen support, capable of much more accurate tracking. One example is the Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga, another are the Microsoft Surface Pro tablets.
Eddie Yong
December 7, 2014 at 12:26 am
Thanks, Andrei. Looks like I need to wait further for a convertible that meet my needs. I want a 15 to 15.6 incher. It should be either clamshell (like Yoga Pro) or convertible (like Surface Pro). It must support active digitizer and be able to write in tablet form. SSD is a must. Finally, it should be under 2.2 kg. I’m been using 14 inches notebooks past 10 years and hated the small screens. MacBook Pro looks so inviting.
Sadly, none of the current products meet all criteria.
For example,
Asus Transformer Book Flip T500 – No active digitier and too heavy.
Lenovo Yoga Pro 2 & 3 – No active digitizer. Only 13.3 inches. Broadwell Core M CPU throttling.
Lenovo Thinkpad Yoga – Only 12.5 inches.
Microsoft Surface Pro 3 – Only 12.5 inches.
Apple MacBook Pro – No active digitizer and can’t be bent into tablet form.
Acer Aspire R13 – No 15 inches option.
Sharp RW-16G1 tablet – Not available outside Japan.
HP Envy x2 15t – 2.5kg heavy.
HP Envy x360 15t – No SSD and active digitizer.
MSI GS60 2PC Ghost – No table mode and no active digitizer.
Fujitsu Stylistics & Convertibles – Only 13.3 inches max.
So, all the above systems has qualities I desire. Just that none combines them into a single product I want. I’m hoping with Intel Broadwell-U offerings in 2015, something that meets my needs will show up. I’m don’t mind spending US$2K on it.
For example,
Sharp Merilis 15.6 inch 4K – Again, hope Sharp’s prototype will not only make it into production, but is available worldwide.
Surface Pro 4 – Has 15 inches option.
Yoga Pro 3 Plus – Has Broadwell-U chip. Has Wacom pen. Comes in 15 inches option.
Andrei Girbea
December 8, 2014 at 1:18 pm
I don’t think there will be many convertibles with a 15 inch screen and I’m pretty sure a detachable that big is mostly out of the question. But we’ll see.
BTW, there’s also the Acer Aspire R7 2014, it’s a convertible with a 15 inch screen and digitizer, might be worth a look, despite its unusual form factor
Eddie Yong
December 8, 2014 at 6:34 pm
Thanks, Andrei. You certainly know your stuff!
As per your recommendation, I’ll look into the following options:
1) Acer Aspire R7 2014 (i7, GTX 850M, cheap, but 2.5kg heavy)
2) Sony Vaio Flip 15 (if still in production …)
3) HP Envy x2 15t (only Core M)
4) 2015 upcoming models using Broadwell-U
Good website you’ve got here. Keep up the good work! Cheers! =)
Andrei Girbea
December 9, 2014 at 10:19 am
Glad I could help. I’d probably stay away from Sony, not sure how they handle their port-sale services now that they no longer make laptops. So in case something will go wrong or you’ll want a replacement battery, you might have a hard time finding what’s needed. Just my2c
Christopher Lawson
December 4, 2014 at 8:37 am
I purchased the TP500LA-AB53T and the TN display was okay. After a bit of research I purchased an IPS panel replacement, installed it, and un-installed Splendid Video enhancements.
The IPS display is worth the additional effort, or finding a laptop with IPS already installed.
Dawn
December 26, 2014 at 4:41 am
Hi Christopher, could you share from your experience?
The part number you’ve ordered and from where, how difficult is it to replace, etc.
Christopher Lawson
January 6, 2015 at 6:07 am
Dawn, I purchased the screen from LaptopScreen.com (www.laptopscreen.com/English/model/ASUS/TRANSFORMER~BOOK~FLIP~TP500LA/). I ordered the glossy IPS, although if I did it again I would order the matte. The hardest part was the disassembling of the screen. There are only 2 screws and the rest is snapped together. Most laptops it would not have been an issue, but with the more sturdy aluminum it took me an hour to figure it out.
Steps:
1. Unplug battery connector (cable from battery to main board)
2. Remove 2 screws from bottom left/right of screen.
3. Turn over laptop screen down.
4. With a good quality putty knife or screen removal tool snap apart base of screen (only where the hinge is located).
5. Turn laptop back over and remove the rest of the snaps from the front of the screen.
6. Unplug 30pin eDP connector.
7. Slowly pull old LCD out (it held in place by double sided tape on the front of the screen).
8. Place the new screen in place (remove protective plastic from new screen and careful not to get dirt or finger prints of inside of the touch screen or new IPS display).
9. Re-attach 30 pin connector (and tape that holds the connector in place).
10. Reassemble laptop.
I hope this answers your questions.
Have a great day – Christopher
Dawn
January 7, 2015 at 12:25 am
Thank you Christopher, I much appreciate it.
With SSD which I already got and FHD IPS screen it’s a great laptop.
All the best, Dawn
khurrum
December 9, 2014 at 5:13 pm
Hi
Can you compare price difference and performance measure between i3 and i7 of same series? Is it worth while to pay additional money for increasing performance in your expert opinion?
Khurrum
Malaysia
lihimsidhe
December 14, 2014 at 10:21 pm
@andrei: i’m in the market for a new laptop hybrid. why a hybrid interests me is because of its potential applications with drawing directly into applications like Photoshop or Illustrator (I’m a mixed media artist).
The TP500 seems to have all the bases covered for what I’m looking for. I do not mind the weight but the size, the ports (including HDMI), the RAM, the storage…. it has everything I’m looking for.
I can’t find anything regarding if this has Wacom’s digitizer tech built in and/or if this works with bluetooh pressure styluses.
Could you help me out?
lihimsidhe
December 14, 2014 at 10:31 pm
Is this my answer? gizmodo.com/wacom-bamboo-fineline-a-bluetooth-stylus-with-a-point-1629726621
Andrei Girbea
December 18, 2014 at 11:10 am
Might be, but Like I said, I can’t say for sure since I’ve never used one of these. Try to look for user reviews on amazon and other websites
Andrei Girbea
December 18, 2014 at 11:09 am
it doesn’t have a Digitizer at all. It should work with Bluetooth pens, BUT, I for one have no experience with those and can’t offer any documented advice on the topic.
vanstam
May 31, 2015 at 5:54 am
Lihimsidhe, I’m very interested in you experience. Did you buy the laptop? And how are you experiences with using it for Illustrator (with a pressure stylus)?
Mike A.
December 24, 2014 at 1:08 pm
Excellent review Andrei! Since it appears that the US version of this model, TP500LA, does not have the IPS panel, do you know if the TP550 will have it instead? More importantly, wdhat is the difference between the TP500 and the TP550? I’ve some youtube videos of the latter and I can’t make out the difference.
Andrei Girbea
January 3, 2015 at 10:31 am
Sry for the late reply. Most likely it will not. The TP550 is a lower end version with an HD onyl screen, plastic body, thicker case and an optical drive.
Doug
December 28, 2014 at 2:59 am
The newer versions of these laptops seem to have updated features. The Best Buy model for example states that it has an IPS screen among other updates. How can you tell for sure about the IPS? bestbuy.com/site/asus-2-in-1-15-6-touch-screen-laptop-intel-core-i7-8gb-memory-1tb-hard-drive-black/7289029.p?id=1219262038351&skuId=7289029&pid=1219262038351&pcatId=abcat0502000
Noah Schmitz
January 23, 2015 at 9:10 pm
I have the same question. Best Buy sells a model called Q551LN-BBI706. I saw it in the store and it’s very sleek. It includes an optical drive and dedicated video card, so I assume it’s a variant on the TP550 series. I have a done a lot of research and find inconsistencies on specs and photos at most online retailers. I even chatted with an Asus support person who couldn’t tell me the difference between the model numbers, nor where to buy a TP550 series. Can you comment on any of the recent Flip updates? I am intrigued by the form factor for watching movies and using Skype.
Andrei Girbea
January 24, 2015 at 9:52 am
Yes, that Q551 is basically a TP500 for the US market and exclusive for BestBuy from what I know.
Noah Schmitz
January 23, 2015 at 9:21 pm
I have also seen this model number R554LA-RH51T at micro center. Looks like a flip with optical drive, but 6GB RAM and 500GB HDD. Any thoughts on this one? Are these all the same as TP550 but with model numbers specific to the retailer? It’s very confusing.
Andrei Girbea
January 24, 2015 at 9:55 am
Not sure what to say about this R554. Looks to me like a slightly more premium version of the TP550. The TP550 that is available in Europe comes with a completely plastic case, the R554 seems to have metal on the lid cover, from what I can tell from the pictures. The hardware should be similar though.
I’m so mad at Asus right now for confusing us with so many different names for similar products. That’s not how they should do it!
Caio
January 21, 2015 at 11:54 pm
Hello,what about gestures with its multitouch screen? On another review I have read that it has problems, can you confirm it? I need a screen that can recognize gestures with multiple fingers like pinch, zoom, rotate, and so on
Wanne van Dorst
February 26, 2015 at 6:27 pm
The fan noise of this laptop irritates me. Incredible how a € 1000 laptop can make such a noise while performing little tasks. Even launching Google Chrome triggers the fan. How can I reduce the fan noise?
Andrei Girbea
February 26, 2015 at 7:39 pm
Chrome is really heavy on these mobile platforms. That’s why I no longer use it on any of my ultrabooks. Can you try to use Firefox or IE for your daily tasks and see if the fans spin as fast?
Teree
March 12, 2015 at 2:52 am
I bought a asus transformer book flip 3 months ago, my husband tried to install an anti virus for me but on the half way the lscreen became blackout out. He turned off and on, as soon as inserted the password the screen became blank again. We tried to press f5 nothing happens. We brought it back to Future Shop they told us we have to ship it to repair since we still have warranty. Can anyone tell me what is the problem?
Stevo
March 18, 2015 at 1:01 pm
After buying this laptop, I found that it could not detect my router signal. I updated drivers and BIOS, but it did not fix the problem. I called Asus and they told me that this model was not built to detect 5 GHz Wifi signals. So if you have a broadband router signal for streaming or gaming at 5 GHz, this laptop will be the weakest link.
Chin
March 25, 2015 at 1:54 am
Hi Andrei,
I am going to buy TP500LN and the only available highest specs in Malaysia is only:
Processor: i7-4510U
Graphic: NVIDIA GT840M
Memory: 4GB RAM
Storage: 500GB HDD + 24GB SSD (can’t find 1TB HDD + 24GB SSD in Malaysia)
My question is:
1. How many RAM slot for this laptop? And maximum can up to how many RAM support?
2. Can I upgrade the SSD without touching the HDD? (remain 500GB HDD but upgrade SSD to 128GB SSD maybe?)
Andrei Girbea
March 25, 2015 at 11:54 am
1. That’s written in the review. One slot.
2. The SSD is used for caching, I don’t know whether the BIOS allows you to use it as a regular drive.
PatJ
April 2, 2015 at 3:12 am
Have the TP500L with the i7 processor. Has a 1366 x 768 px TN screen. Want to update to an ips screen 1920 x 1020. Can I just update the screen or is there more to it?
Andrei Girbea
April 2, 2015 at 7:57 am
In theory, you might be able to upgrade the screen if you can find the compatible IPS panel. In practice, that’s very complicated and you need to make sure you know what you’re doing or go to an authorized Asus service/reseller for the upgrade.
Firdaus
April 5, 2015 at 5:23 am
Hye Andrei, I was owned the Tp500LN(i-Core 3). Do you think I should exchange it with Lenovo Yoga or not? I don’t which are better between Yoga and this Flip Book.
Ahmed Wael
June 6, 2015 at 10:56 am
Does this device harmonics with :
1- linux
2- android .
Dennis
September 18, 2015 at 9:43 pm
Hello Andrei,
I need a ultrabook fast and with a GOOD battery (5/6 hours for university,i will use Microsoft Word/wi-fi/Google chrome).sometimes i play games (no new games).
Which is best for You?
Tp300lj= i7 5500u, 4gb ram, GeForce 920 2gb, 500gb hdd (50watt-hours battery)
Tp500lb=i7 5550u,8gb ram,GeForce 940 2gb,hdd 2tb (48watt-hours battery)
There is a best pc for 800 euro?
Thank you
Dennis
Andrei Girbea
September 18, 2015 at 11:46 pm
I wouldn’t get either of those if you want 5-6 hours of battery life. I’d rather aim at the Core i5-5200U processor, 8 GB of RAM and SSD storage.
Dennis
September 19, 2015 at 1:07 pm
Thanks for your comment,
Which one do you suggest me?
Tp300 haven t a good battery?
steveh
November 23, 2015 at 5:14 am
I am looking at one from costco.com and it’s the TP500, i3 processor,8GB memory, 500GB HDD. What enhancements have been made on the screen? it’s $100 off, going for $394.99 on Nov.26-30, 2015. Looks like a good buy at the end of it market life. Is it a deal at that price?
Andrei Girbea
November 23, 2015 at 10:37 am
That’s probably the HD screen with a TN panel, similar to the one on this review unit, which is pretty poor. But you won’t find a similar 2-in-1 within that budget.
Marcos Paulo
January 12, 2016 at 6:20 pm
Hello Andrei,
do you know if its possible upgrade the 24GB SSD board of TP500LN OR even install a 128GB SSD board in a TP500LA?
I dont want to remove the HDD…
Marcos Paulo
January 14, 2016 at 1:45 pm
Elucidating: not “upgrade the board” but upgrade the SSD given my notebook DOES HAVE a board to mSATA SSD
andy
February 3, 2016 at 10:16 am
Does anyone know the part number for the 1920 1080 screen? Im hoping its a direct upgrade for the 1366 768 screen. that is if the motherboard works with 2ch lvds
AhSyaBiMoSa
May 13, 2017 at 11:08 am
hi. did you change your screen? i'm asking because i would like to know if this laptop (1366×768) can change to FHD screen (1080). Thanks.
Eric
April 5, 2016 at 2:03 am
How exactly do you remove the battery? I’ve taken apart my laptop and unscrewed all of the additional screws connected to the battery, but it’s still latched onto the rest of the hardware via a connector that I can’t remove.
yassin
July 5, 2016 at 1:05 am
can anyone please tell me if any msata ssd will work, after looking at the 24gb card pre-installed in the computer(tp500ln-dn109h)I saw that it runs at 0.35a and I wanted to replace it with a larger storage card but it is rated at the same voltage but 1.7a, so can anyone tell me if it will work or not?