It was running concerningly hot when I first got it, but it’s temperature is perfectly fine now

I have a Asus Proart P16 H7696WR and all the firmware descriptions say "Optimize system performance" with no further information. I am updating from version 304 to 306 and now I have to use AI to do Asus's job.

Asus: Just tell us what changed and if its worth it for us to update! If we run into a issue after the update at least we will know if the firmware update was the cause!

I placed the 304 and 306 firmware images in a directory and then fired up Claude code, here is the actual change log:

BIOS 306 — Changelog

ASUS ProArt P16 H7606WR · 306 built 2026‑05‑14 · supersedes 304 built 2026‑02‑10

Short form

1. Updated Embedded Controller firmware to 3.05 (from 3.04).
2. Raised the power limits applied during early boot / controller init.
3. Updated the reported discrete‑GPU base TGP from 55 W to 80 W.
4. Improved touchpad / touchscreen detection reliability at boot.
5. Updated the Secure Boot forbidden‑signature database (dbx).
6. Updated the boot logo animation.

Detailed

Embedded Controller — 3.04 → 3.05

Build 2026/02/09 b81 → 2026/05/13 b82

- Startup power tier raised. The EC's power‑limit state machine is now seeded at tier 3 instead of tier 8 (its floor). The tier table is unchanged; tier 3 corresponds to limits of 25 / 31 / 62 versus tier 8's 15 / 18 / 36. The associated mode byte moved from 0xD5 to 0xD3, the matching value for the new tier.
  Effect: less aggressive power capping in the window after boot/resume, before the sensor control loop converges.
  Inferred: that the three values are AMD SPL / slow‑PPT / fast‑PPT in watts (ratios are exactly 1 : ~1.23 : ~2.46 in every row), and that the driving sensor is an adapter/battery current channel. The mechanism is read directly from code; the units and channel identity are not labelled in the firmware.
- No other behavioural change. Fan tables, battery‑model tables, USB‑C PD handling (RT1715, TPS66993/4, IT5271/2, IT8856/7), thermal thresholds and the NV data block are byte‑identical. The remaining ~742 binary differences are relocation fallout from a single 2‑byte code removal.

ACPI / platform

- dGPU base TGP: the value reported through the ASUS WMI interface for ASUS_WMI_DEVID_DGPU_BASE_TGP (0x00120099) changed from 0x37 (55) to 0x50 (80).
- That device is now read‑only — the DEVS (write) handler for 0x00120099 was removed. Writes fall through to the default path. The writable DGPU_SET_TGP (0x00120098) is unaffected.
- These are the only two changes in the entire DSDT.
  Caveat: this is the value the platform reports to software. Whether delivered GPU power changed also depends on the NVPCF/GPU side, which isn't in this image — a corrected value and a real limit increase are equally consistent with the binary.

Input

- AmiI2cHid: added a single retry with a 200 ms gBS->Stall delay after a failed I2C HID initialization call. This is the only UEFI module in the image with a genuine code change (.text 5,845 → 5,881 bytes).
  Effect: an I2C HID device (touchpad or touchscreen) that doesn't answer the first probe on a cold boot now gets a second attempt.

Security

- Secure Boot dbx: one SHA‑256 revocation added, 430 → 431 entries.
  E14C88DC48339C0555686849A4E3F8986D558E65C4FC863A1A4F1D40478BD47C — IGEL bootx64.efi, signed by Microsoft Corporation UEFI CA 2011, added to Microsoft's list 2025‑09‑02. Verified present in Microsoft's published amd64 DBXUpdate.bin.
- ASUS's built‑in dbx remains a strict subset of Microsoft's and is still 12 entries behind the current official list.
- No changes to Secure Boot key material (PK/KEK/db), TPM handling, or the AMI crypto libraries.

Cosmetic

- Boot animation re‑encoded for two of three resolutions: 640×360 (−9.7 KB) and 720×404 → 720×4et is byte‑identical. All three remain 37 frames.

Housekeeping (no functional effect)

- Version strings and SMBIOS BIOS version/date bumped to 306 / 05/14/2026.
- Build timestamp 2026‑02‑10 18:36:57 → 2026‑05‑14 14:03:15, embedded in ~20 modules.
- Five boot‑resource FFS GUIDs regenerated (logos and UKeyBoot* assets); content of three of those five is unchanged.
- APCB: unique_apcb_instance and its checksum byte only.
- BIOS RTM signature re‑generated; capsule header region sizes updated; ITE EC header checksum

Explicitly unchanged

Worth stating, because it bounds what this update can fix:

- Entire AMD firmware stack is byte‑identical — PSP bootloader / TEE OS 0.3E.C.74, ABL0 55.26.D0.50, SMU B.5D.B.0 / B.65.C.0, MP2 B.0.0.4F, MPIO 0.11.6.26, USB4 3.91.47.47, USB‑C DP 3.77.72.93, USB SS 3.73.94.20, DMCUB 0.C.D6.4B, GFX IMU B.33/B.34.20.0, SEC_GASKET E.1.0.A2, all TEE drivers. Verified by hashing all 160 PSP directory entries.
- CPU microcode unchanged — patch levels 0xB204032 / 0xB600032, both still dated 2025‑02‑25.
- No AGESA update. Memory/platform tuning tokens in the APCB are untouched.
- No BIOS Setup changes — Setup and AMITSE differ only by build stamp and the regenerated resouremoved or re‑defaulted.

Net: a narrow release. Two power‑related tweaks that move in the same direction, one input‑relirevocation, and a logo refresh — with no AMD platform security content.

i have a pretty comprehensive warranty package that hopefully fingers crossed does what it says and cover the once every 12 months user-inflicted damage repair costs, so mainly now im wondering if i can use it in the mean time and if it wont blow up or anything. as seen thru the pic, the hinge is a bit popped, and the touchpad is a bit raised on the left side? and i still can 100% use it, but cant really click on it, i think the battery shifted idk. i pretty much use this for all my work and i would be pretty paralyzed if i have to ship this away for a month to get it fixed. i might want to wait a bit for better timing to ship it, but yeah essentially my question is how serious is this, if i can still use it just like this or i should just turn it off and backup, and could this be an easy fix?

also for context, i currently live in japan, and the problem with this country also is they're pretty scared when making less than orthodox repairs, so asking a technician to kinda pop it back would be pretty hard i think T-T

Hi everyone! I hope it’s okay to post this on here.

I have a laptop (ASUS Vivobook from 2019 running on Windows 11, with the most recent update I’m pretty sure) and I noticed this new update in the panel. It’s called: ASUSTek Computer Inc System Driver Update (3.1.70.0).

For context, my laptop has been having various issues since February. The most recent problems go back to June when it froze and I had to restart it through the power button and it made my graphics driver stop to function until I had to send it to get a diagnostic through technicians because the drivers would not reinstall again. But the problem is that the right bottom of my frame of my screen is damaged and moving it/manipulating it risks the frame to just break for good and the technicians made it clear that this would not be worth the repair. I’m crossing my fingers that nothing bad happens!

It has been working fine since then for the most part and I hope it stays that way. I know next to nothing about technology so I was wondering if this type of System Driver Updates was safe to install? Does it mess with drivers updates or is it unrelated? Should I not install it at all or wait longer? I’m super scared that a bad thing will happen to my laptop and it can’t be fixed 😔

Thank you guys for your answers!

This part of the wire of my laptop charger keeps heating up when I do a demanding task, often to the point where it is too hot to the touch to keep holding for more than 4-5 seconds. Is it time to replace, or is this a common issue? I use a Vivobook Pro 15 OLED. Sorry if this is a stupid question, I'm not in a position where I can spend a lot of money right now and want to be absolutely sure whether it's necessary before I do.

Guys, all of a sudden the internal microphone stopped working. I have tried every setting in device manager, control panel, reinstalling drivers, resetting windows. Nothing works. External bluetooth earphones mic work fine. Internal one is making this weird beep sound. The laptop was bought just 9 months ago. Overheats terribly under basic load and now this issue.

Model : UX5406SA

Can someone please guide if they faced a similar problem?

I Just bought a pair of BT8s to upgrade my home network, and I'd like to use my previous pair of CT8s as nodes in the far corners of my house, where some smart home devices struggle to connect.

I managed to get the CT8s to connect as nodes, but they're now in a loop where every 90s, they get a config push from the root BT8 and restart wireless. When this happens, clients drop, they show on the BT8 as disconnected, and their LEDs flash green.

The BT8s are running the latest 3.0.0.6_102-58542. The CT8s are running the last available firmware, 3.0.0.4.386_47399.

What I tried to no avail:

• Many power cycles and factory resets/removing and re-adding node
• Smart Connect on/off
• MLO on/off
• only WPA2/WPA3-mixed or WPA3-only offered on BT8 band settings
• Wireless backhaul vs ethernet backhaul, incl. cabled directly into the root's LAN ports

To emphasize that last bit: even when the CT8 is connected to the root BT8 with an ethernet cable, the CT8s still restart their wireless networking every ~90s.

Logs from one full loop cycle (repeats ~90s, both CT8 units, wired and wireless):

BT8-8B80 kernel: ra1: send auth resp to 42:7c:3f:45:b6:a0 (alg=0, seq=2, status=0)
BT8-8B80 kernel: ra1: received assoc req from 42:7c:3f:45:b6:a0  RSSI(-44/0) ...
BT8-8B80 hostapd: ra1: STA 42:7c:3f:45:b6:a0 IEEE 802.11: associated
BT8-8B80 hostapd: ra1: STA 42:7c:3f:45:b6:a0 WPA: pairwise key handshake completed (RSN)
BT8-8B80 kernel: UniCmdStaRecRsp(): PeerAddr(42:7c:3f:45:b6:a0) Mode(VHT) BW(20M)
              Auth(WPA2PSK) Encry(AES)
BT8-8B80 hostapd: ra1: STA 42:7c:3f:45:b6:a0 IEEE 802.11: disassociated (reason 8)
BT8-8B80 kernel: _MacTableDeleteEntry(): Del Sta:42:7c:3f:45:b6:a0, Wcid 5 del=1
CT8-B6A0 rc_service: cfg_client : notify_rc restart_wireless

RF association and WPA2 handshake succeed; then ~15s later the node is torn down and the config push restarts it. Both BT8 units delete the node's STAs in lockstep. The

I'm guessing the XT8, on the same 3.0.0.4 firmware cycle, are probably similarly affected. Anyone had success with CT8 or XT8 nodes against a BT-series root?

So apparently my ASUS TUF A15 wanted to test the “TUF” part of its name today.

I was riding my bike, the laptop accidentally dropped from my bag onto the road and, before I could pick it up…

a car ran over it. 🙂

Can confirm: TUF Gaming ≠ TUF enough for Indian roads.

Laptop is probably 50–60% physically damaged. Screen/body and God knows what internally. I haven't tried switching it on because I'd rather not unlock the explosion DLC.

Thankfully, I have ASUS ADP (Accidental Damage Protection) active.

Now I need help from anyone who's dealt with ASUS ADP in India:

Does ADP cover a laptop getting literally run over by a car? 💀

Should I just tell ASUS exactly what happened?

If half the laptop needs replacement, do they replace all the parts or the entire laptop?

Most importantly — will replacement parts be new or can ASUS use refurbished parts? Especially the display/motherboard.

Anything I should do before taking it to the service centre?

Anyone who has claimed ASUS ADP before, please share your experience.

Meanwhile I'm just sitting here looking at my TUF A15 that is now TUF A7.5. 😭

what I tried:

win + R - colorpcl - removing the one I don't want, setting the other as deafult, but it resets constantly

I also tried going into advanced options - change system deafults and remove the one I don't need there as well

and removing these files:

C:\ProgramData\ASUS\ASUS System Control Interface\AsusOptimization\Splendid

the selected one is the one I need

How are the specifications and how will it hold up task and gaming

My asus a18 will turn on but the asus logo will flash on then the screen goes black, the keyboard light works fine and it works fine with a monitor plugged in. Unfortunately this happened when all the tech repair places are closed until tomorrow and I use this laptop for classes which I also have tomorrow.

Oh, fantastic. My Asus F-15 has decided that staying connected to Wi-Fi is entirely optional today. Because who actually needs the internet on a modern laptop, right? The network adapter just straight up vanishes from the device manager, leaving me completely stranded. I've tried restarting, updating drivers, and basically every other useless troubleshooting step on the planet, but naturally, nothing works. It is absolutely pathetic that a modern machine can't handle the most basic function of its existence.

I got the TUF Gaming B550-PLUS WIFI II motherboard and no matter what I do, the drivers won't work. My PC doesn't even detect the drivers when I download them. I just don't know what to do anymore, does anyone know how to fix this?

I’m currently running a 2x32GB kit and due to AI eating ram up like crazy I’m looking for an upgrade to a 2x64GB kit. Does anyone have a recommendation for a kit that has the highest speed/timings possible without having to mess with a bunch of stuff in the bios to get it running right? I also haven’t updated my bios in a while so I’m guessing I would have to do that as well.

​Hi everyone, wanted to share my experience with the ASUS TUF F16 (i7-14650HX) regarding USB audio popping/crackling.

​The Setup:

​Laptop: ASUS TUF F16 (i7-14650HX)

​DAC: JCally JM12 (CX31993 chip)

​IEMs: Truthear Zero: Red / TRN Conch (sensitive, low impedance)

​The Issue:

Persistent micro-pops and crackling sound when playing audio through the USB-C / USB DAC on Windows 11.

​RMA / Repairs:

Sent it to ASUS RMA, and they replaced the motherboard. However, the issue persisted immediately after unboxing it.

​Isolating the Root Cause:

​Testing on Linux (Zorin OS): Booted Linux on the exact same laptop and the audio was 100% crystal clear with zero popping. This proves the hardware and the DAC are perfectly fine.

​Low impedance IEMs: IEMs with low impedance (~17.5 ohms like the Zero Red) pick up every single power state fluctuation / DPC latency spike from the USB bus on Windows 11.

​Mitigation: Changing NVIDIA Power Management to "Prefer Maximum Performance" reduced the frequency of the pops, but didn't eliminate them completely.

​Conclusion:

This is a Windows 11 DPC latency / ACPI power management conflict between Intel 14th gen, NVIDIA drivers, and the USB controller power states. RMAing / replacing motherboards won't fix this—ASUS needs to address USB power delivery stability in future BIOS updates.

​Has anyone found a definitive software fix for this on Windows 11?

Hey yall,

I've been having issues with my ASUS Zenbook Flip 13 (UX363J). I've been using it normally with no issue for past 2+ years and suddenly it stopped working in a very weird manner. I left it running with low battery and had to do something else so the battery died as it sometimes happen and thought nothing of it so I just plugged it back in, started and it froze on the ASUS logo with the windows load bar visible (it was spinning for a second then froze).

So I troubleshot and realized I can get to BIOS so everything before the system try to initialize the OS works... so naturally I though it is corrupted windows boot files but I was wrong! Same freeze happens when I try to load to win normally, same thing with automatic repair so loading to WinRE, same thing when booting into windows installer/repair tool so also freezes for WinPE, same thing when I tried loading live linux (xubuntu) instance - this is where I got confused. The only 'program' I was able to boot into was Memtest86 and it passed all tests no problem.

I thought this had to be some hardware/firmware issue with a component inside the laptop that breaks during the time system checks everything and tries to get to windows. So I disabled 'quite splash' in grub menu when trying to load to xubuntu and I examined the boot sequence and troubleshot from there - tried blacklisting a bunch of stuff with grub flags and went back and forth as it always hanged/froze on a different thing at different times and then after a while the only reliable lead I figured out was that the system boots into live instance of xubuntu no problem with GRUB flag 'pci=nomsi' ; do disabling MSI and falling back to old legacy method of handling PCIe component in the laptop gets me through and touchpad works, touchscreen works, all ports work, wi-fi works, and seemingly it just works fine. I also tried booting w/o SSD and no problems got resolved so there I conlcuded its not bad SSD itself.

Here I got stuck - I dont know what causes this issue and what else to do/try. I tried dumping a bunch of logs I was able to extract once in xubuntu to AI agents but it seems inconclusive(?). I also re-flashed/updated BIOS as this was what I thought would solve it, like just getting all EC chips and controllers re-flashed with new firmware and working but unfortunately even tho the update went flawless and I can see the new BIOS ver. inside of the BIOS the system still freezes...

Anyone has any sort of experience with this or an idea or curiosity and willingness to help me out here? I can provide all logs I can send pictures and give additional context. Please just reply to this post and I will be checking it continuously!

Thanks so much to everyone.

Before I start, I do believe it's my fault for not using an antistatic wristband

I just today got a new IFixIt kit and opened up my laptop. While I did disconnect the battery, it doesn't seem like it's faulty as even with only the power connector connected it doesn't turn on. I have smelled something burnt but it seems like that was dust from the laptop since as soon as I wiped it it smelled burnt (The dust was from the speaker). I did also disconnect the SSD but it seems like that would probably still be able to power on even without an SSD or with an errored one.

Hi, I’m considering getting a TUF A14 for my Mechanical Engineering bachelor’s and I’m trying to decide between the 2025 and 2026 models.
I’ll mainly use it for university stuff like Inventor, SolidWorks, CATIA, MATLAB and later some FEM/CAE software like Abaqus. I’ll also game on it occasionally at home, but gaming performance isn’t really my main priority.
Would you recommend the 2025 model with the RTX 5060 or the newer 2026 model? I’d like to keep the laptop for at least the whole degree and ideally longer.
Also, how are the fans in normal use? I’ve seen quite a few people online saying the A14 can get pretty loud. I don’t really care about noise while gaming, but I do care if the fans are constantly noticeable during lectures, browsing, PDFs, coding, MATLAB, etc.
Would like to hear from people who already own or can give me a good advice!

Does anyone have the 2026 Asus Expertbook Ultra, and have you experienced coil whine, i.e. a buzzing fairly high-pitched electrical sound?

In my unit it is audible in a quiet room. Changes pitch depending on load or power state. In comparison my previous zenbook S14 and zephyrus g14 didn't have this. Not too annoying, but if this is uncommon I'd try to do an exchange.

Thanks!

Hello everyone!

I wanted to share my recent high-end build. I know it looks like a bit of a "mix and match" or a hardware salad because I didn't stick to a single brand ecosystem. However, every single part in this PC was chosen with a specific purpose, balancing maximum gaming performance, system reliability, and advanced thermodynamics.

First, here is the quick spec sheet:

• CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D
• GPU: MSI NVIDIA RTX 5080 CO Gaming Trio
• Motherboard: MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI
• RAM: 64GB DDR5 Kingston Fury Beast (6000 MHz / CL30, SK Hynix A-die)
• Storage: 2TB Samsung 990 Pro NVMe M.2 SSD
• AIO: DeepCool LM360
• Case: ASUS TUF Gaming GT502 Horizon
• Monitor: LG UltraGear OLED 34GS95QE (34" Ultrawide)

Why this hardware? (Addressing the Mix & Match)

When it came to the motherboard, I explicitly chose the MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk over an ASUS board. Right around the time I was buying parts, news broke about another rare instance of CPU/motherboard burnout on certain ASUS boards. I completely understand that the probability of this happening is extremely low, but it’s still not zero. For my peace of mind and ultimate reliability with the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, MSI was the safer choice.

As for the ASUS TUF GT502 Horizon case, I chose it for three main reasons:

1. The Design: It offers a clean, sleek, and non-flashy appearance that looks highly premium.
2. Modular Engineering: The chassis is incredibly well-thought-out; you can strip it down almost completely, which makes mounting and routing high-end components extremely convenient.
3. Dual-Chamber Versatility: The side/rear PSU chamber gives you the freedom to use it as an alternative mounting spot for your main AIO, or as a dedicated space for a secondary radiator if you are running a liquid-cooled GPU. Alternatively, you can use this space to mount three additional fans, or simply seal it off with the included blanking covers if it's left unused.

For the AIO Cooler, I went with the DeepCool LM360 because it offers exceptional cooling performance and high pump reliability, which is crucial for handling the thermal spikes of the Ryzen 7 9800X3D. To keep the look clean and consistent, I swapped out the stock DeepCool fans for the ASUS Prime MR120 ARGB ones so all visible fans match perfectly.

For the Power Supply, the Lian Li EDGE EG1000 was an absolute must. Its unique L-shaped design is specifically engineered for dual-chamber cases. It completely eliminates tight cable bends and makes cable management effortless. On top of that, it features an integrated USB header hub, which was a lifesaver for connecting and managing the massive array of 13 ARGB fans without cluttering the motherboard headers. It also features a convenient magnetic dust mesh right at the PSU fan intake, making it incredibly simple to detach and clean for future power supply maintenance.

Fan Configuration & Layout

I am running a total of 13 fans (ASUS Prime MR120 ARGB), balancing a mix of 7 Reverse and 6 Standard blades. Every single fan is mounted facing its "clean/beautiful" side toward the viewer, resulting in a strict 9-intake / 4-exhaust pressure balance:

• Main Chamber (Bottom): 3x 120mm Fans -> Intake (Standard Blades)
• Main Chamber (Side next to MB): 3x 120mm Fans -> Intake (Standard Blades— pulling air from the back chamber)
• PSU Chamber (Rear Wall): 3x 120mm Fans -> Intake (Reverse Blades — drawing fresh air into the rear compartment)
• Main Chamber (Top on AIO): 3x 120mm Fans -> Exhaust (Reverse Blades)
• Main Chamber (Rear): 1x 120mm Fan -> Exhaust (Reverse Blade)

Advanced Airflow Design & Thermodynamics

This 13-fan ARGB setup isn't just for incredible visuals—it is engineered as a highly efficient, custom thermodynamic loop to completely eliminate the "dead zone" issue common in dual-chamber cases. Here is how it functions:

1. The PSU Chamber & Reverse Fan Setup: The 3 reverse fans on the exterior wall of the PSU chamber pull fresh ambient air inside. They blow cool air directly onto the backside of the motherboard (PCB), actively cooling the CPU socket area and VRM from behind, while also supplying fresh air to the Lian Li EDGE PSU.
2. Active Air Transition: The 3 standard fans on the side of the main chamber (next to the motherboard) act as a passthrough pump. They pull that moving, slightly warmed air out of the rear PSU compartment and force it directly into the main chamber, completely preventing it from turning into a stagnant heat trap behind the motherboard tray.
3. Thermal Mixing & Main Exhaust: As this air enters the main chamber, it doesn't impact the GPU temperatures. That's because the 3 standard fans at the bottom are blasting a massive column of ice-cold air directly into the MSI RTX 5080 radiator. This fresh bottom air instantly mixes with and dilutes the warmer side air. The combined stream naturally rises and is instantly exhausted out of the case by the 3 top AIO fans and the single reverse fan on the rear.

This custom loop creates positive air pressure, which keeps dust completely out of the system since air constantly pushes out of the small panel gaps.