ASUS' C90S whitebook laptop: upgradeable everything

Not every mag has the option of hitting up the corporate headquarters for their hands-on shots. So check NotebookReview who managed to pull the C90S out their hat while tooling about the ASUS headquarters in Taiwan. Yup, that's their new ASmobile C90S barebone laptop up there which offers far more expansion options than your average bear. Everything -- we mean everything (according to ASUS) -- can be configured and later upgraded to your liking right on down to your choice of processor, MXM graphics, and 15.4-inch LCDs. Now get out of here kid and check the pics after the read link. We're not expecting this to ship until midish-Mayish but you'll need the time to convince your CIO that platform upgrades -- not leases -- are the way of the future.

[Lazarus Dark @ Apr 5th 2007 9:29AM]

sweet: hdmi! I don't suppose it supports audio over hdmi too? I really think this is the future of full laptops. Sure umpc's and ultraportables will always need to be built at the factory, but regular laptops and especially desktop replacements should definately follow this standard. I have been thinking about doing a barebones laptop build for a while and this may be the time to do it if the price is right. Additionally, I'm surprised how good it actually looks, I figured something like this would have looked blocky and boring.

[strider_mt2k @ Apr 5th 2007 9:32AM]

That's dead sexy!

And they aren't pulling any punches about all the crap that the fan system is going to suck into the intake grids!

Easy enough to take care of, and that cooling unit is extremely cool looking.

I'm interested.

[Frankenstein Black @ Apr 5th 2007 10:35AM]

This is really cool stuff but it wont take hold until there are established standards and multi manufacturer adoption around this tech. Cant wait to liquefy one in the future ;^)...

----------
FB a.k.a LDM
Water-bending Master
http://www.eternal-champions.com/images/ldm_master_builder!.jpg

[Ayle @ Apr 5th 2007 12:58PM]

HDMI? is it based on an x1250?

[Nova @ Apr 5th 2007 1:22PM]

Woo! HDMI, Bluetooth, TV-Tuner integrated, E-SATA, 8-in-1 media card reader, HD-DVD and Blu-Ray drive capable and Supports Intel Conroe desktop processor! Incredible laptop. But, fans in the back.

[Zach @ Apr 5th 2007 2:55PM]

It looks amazing and the ability to upgrade makes me want to hop on board, however, is the mobile line of GO and ATI processors available to consumers?

[dfn_doe @ Apr 5th 2007 7:25PM]

Are there even any worthwhile mxm video offerings out yet? I think this is one of those "standards" that was stillborn outta the gate...

That said, I don't expect that this sort of thing is going to see any sort of wide adoption. Manufacturers have little to no incentive to produce products which allow consumers to upgrade when in an ideal world each manufacturer would be selling ever consumer a new laptop every 2 years. Someone care to explain to me how this could possibly be profitable? What's next, is someone going to try and convince me that Apple is going to start selling upgradable ipods and Sony is gonna start churning out HD sets with easily upgradable picture tuners and image proccessors!?!?!? give me a frigging break.

[Z @ Apr 5th 2007 8:02PM]

Upgradeable laptop? Yeah, right. I'll believe it when I see it. I've heard this for years now, and it always ends up being nothing more than smoke and mirrors.

[Eric @ Apr 5th 2007 9:20PM]

I've seen a bit on what ASUS intends to do with laptops. Yes, upgradable. Look in to the CBB (Common building block) standards being pushed by parts of the industry. Currently video is not in that list. It includes A panel (top side), Keyboard, battery, LCDs, HDD, Optical, power adaptors. Asus is working towards acceptance of the MXM 2.0 slot for being a standard mobile graphics. ATI and nVidia are aiming for MXM 2.0, others might follow.

Asus is turning a good profit, they have a fairly sizable industry outside the US for their own branded stuff.

In terms of the market for laptops, you'd still have to upgrade if you want new MOBO chipsets and any new socket for CPUs.

I have built an asus barebones laptop (however without the MXM graphics) and even the current/previous generation (of barebanes) are amazingly accessible compared to many of the other laptops.

[TheGovernator @ Apr 12th 2007 7:05AM]

As far as I know, MXM is quite well established in the high-end notebook market. Alienware, Fujitsu Siemens, Gateway and MSI all use MXM-standard cards (though only some models support it, mainly spaceous 17-inchers, with few exceptions), and the list does not stop there. Unfortunately, there aren't many vendors that sell MXM cards. This is due to the OEM market for this kind of hardware. Even if your laptop does have MXM, the fact that one has to void the warranty by opening the pc (if one hasn't already :P) and risk damage on hardware while trying to upgrade the video card. There are no manuals or installation instructions, and you aren't even guaranteed that the MXM-card will work with your laptop. I would say that those are reasons enough to keep away from MXM at the moment, unless you are some kind of engineer or have very comprehensive knowledge about how a laptop is constructed.

[KL @ Apr 29th 2007 8:50AM]

No incentive ? I think some people here are being somwhat cynical, people really don't buy new laptops every two years and this would enable the manufacturers to sell extra stuff all the time for your existing laptop.

This is certainly the future for laptops.

[Muhammad Imran @ May 13th 2007 9:58AM]

Can i slam Intel Quad-Extreme QX6700/QX6800 130W or Quad-Normal Q6600 105W in it. C90S is capable of X6800 75W. Should Intel's 105W or 135W be impossible for C90S. Can the chanted everthing upgradable can enable us to "upgrade PSU" of Notebook for Q6800.

By the way... 95W-Q6600 is coming
By 11-May (which has passed) ... Intel pushes Q6600 quad-core CPU as well as the Xeon X3220 and X3210 server quad-core CPUs into 95 watt systems ...
http://www.tgdaily.com/content/view/31822/135/


Being AMD fanatic i am weeping on AMD's fate why it has become Apple-Inc. bein total hand to mouth and loosing bread n butter to Intel, i dont know what is it trying to pretending.

1. Agena is so late when people would be writting articles of Agena-launch-nears but wait a month for Penryn (buyer's guide 2007)

2. Broke ATI-2600XT in thre avriants denying highest variant (kohinoor) of HDMI and those which have HDMI doesnt have VI just VO (VIVO)

3. Never promoted AM2 Notebooks, Praising now obselete/ancient crap notebooks FX60 and 4800-X2 like apple do to its products.

I really laugh when AMD launched a propaganda campaign asking to sign patetion to Intel to face challenge against Xeon. The boxing ring propaganda video.

No one has debated on this side of AMD, now why dont they listen to public public patetions for launching ATI-GPUs in FEB when they claim they had complete linup prpared and just wanted to come DX10 mainstream. Why didnt they listen to public patetions for Quick launch of Agena.

I bet for the rest of life AMD wont again be draging public in patetions like that Boxing-ring video propaganda with AMD comenatators laughing and humiliating Intel.

Now with "AMD Claims Quad-core Desktop CPUs Ready for Christmas" http://dailytech.com/AMD+Claims+Quadcore+Desktop+CPUs+Ready+for+Christmas/article7232.htm ... we should bid this prolonging crap to very good cursed bye and abandon fanfare for econmic logics and above all the damage personal skill. I am software engineer and have hanging on gallow of AMD lies from November-2006 to present for there R600+AgenaNotebook package cuz my next level of development skill horizon require such mobile-hardware, this delay has really costed me a lot interm of personal-professional-advancment but now snapping myself out of this i guess Clevo-D900C variants, ASUS-C90S with 95W-Intel-Q6600, ASUS-G2S or HP Pavilion HDX can fill the R600+AgenaNotebook type gap beautifully.

Muhammad Imran
Islamabad Pakistan

P.S:
My Thread: No one Talking Agena Notebooks
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=120142

[Muhammad Imran @ May 13th 2007 10:12AM]

www.amd.com/duel ..... That AMD's challenge and collecting crowd to sign patetion for Intel showup for the duel...

Where r u AMD now...Why r u not listening to ur favourite "patetion style"... people (and theinquirer.net) have been signing since Nov-2006 for R600 and Agena.

[Gil @ Oct 7th 2008 6:26AM]

is it possible to replace the sound card as well??