Asus Essentio CM5675-07 user reviews

Pros Lots of memory, good storage, first generation i5, lots and lots of USB ports, easy to access memory card reader.

Cons Underpowered graphics; keyboard isn't great. For "green" reasons, it has a rather low-powered power supply; this might cause the hardware/BSOD problems that others have pointed out.

Summary Like others, my system BSOD'ed within hours. Mine was a refurb, so I didn't feel any hesitance in opening the box (as the seal was already broken) when trying to resolve the problems. I would say that Asus customer service was pretty good--if you have another computer and can fill in an online form to get a priority number first. With the priority number, I never actually had to wait to talk to a human being at Asus.

After trying to re-install the OS a few times, I ran memory tests and got hardware errors. As with some of the other posters, I sent the unit back to Asus, got it back in a little less than three weeks, with a printout saying all they had done was re-install Windows. This wasn't accurate, as my unit initially came with a Hitachi HDD, and it came back with a Seagate, so they obviously did more than reinstall the OS. I'm not sure what else they did--perhaps replaced the memory, too. I may open it up to see if they beefed up the power supply...

I've had the unit back for a week, with no problems, and while I'm not gaming, I'm not going too easy on it, either (I'm using it as a home Pro Tools system, and I'm also using it for InDesign).

And I think this is the underlying problem--if you, for example, put in nearly any modern video card, plus hook up a number of powered USB devices, you might overtax the 300W power supply, possibly causing the BSOD-causing hardware problems.

Pros Runs quietly and Flawlessly.

Cons Could use a better graphics card and more faster memory.

Summary Great for the everyday user and occasional downloader, but not quite potent enough for serious gaming!

Pros good specs for the price

Cons first unit blue screened right out of the box. The unit was exchanged and started to BSOD after five days. I was told to fix it, Best Buy "fixed it", ASUS "fixed it". Still BSOD. Bad product, bad support.

Summary I purchased an Asus CM 5675 at Best Buy and it would not boot up but immediately "blue screened" instead. So, I returned the unit and had it exchanged the same day. Over the next several weeks I noticed that the computer would Blue Screen and restart at random intervals. Digging a bit deeper, I found that the "Event Viewer" had recorded 15 blue screens over a two-month period starting 5 days after I bought it. The error message was always "Kernel-Power, Event ID 41".

So, I called up Asus tech service. It took almost an hour to reach someone since my call was dropped repeatedly, which meant I lost my place in the queue and had to start all over again. When I finally was able to speak to a person and explained my problem, I was advised that this error message most likely is associated with a faulty memory chip. He recommended that I take out one memory chip at a time to isolate the problem. Unfortunately, the side panel of the desktop computer is tamper sealed with a sticker reading that the warranty is void if broken.

So I called up Asus tech service again. Same ordeal as before to finally reach someone. This time, I was told that while there may be a hardware problem, I would have to factory reset the computer before Asus would be willing to take any action. This meant unloading all of my data, deactivating the software licenses, reinstalling Windows, installing updates and patches, reloading my data? easily costing me a full work day (this is my work computer). The computer blue screened again.

So I called up Asus tech service again. This time I was told to return it to Best Buy. So, I unloaded my data, inactivated my software licenses?? I provided the Geek Squad with a detailed description of the problem, including a printout of the Event Viewer. The unit was returned to me - and within two days it blue screened again.

So I called up Asus tech service again. This time I was issued a RMA number. The e-mail that followed explained that I should ship the unit to a service center in Indiana. Shipping would be my responsibility; so would be any damage that might occur during transport. Of course, this meant that again, I had to unload my data, inactivate my software?? , here went another day.

Since I was not willing to spend money on shipping materials and postage in order to receive services that should be provided under the manufacturer's warranty, I returned the computer to Best Buy and asked them for help with shipping, which they agreed to do. However, instead of shipping it to Asus, they sent the unit to The Geek Squad service center. The computer was returned to me two weeks later stating that a six day "stress test" had not revealed any faults. Nonetheless, they installed a new copy of the operating system. The computer blue screened again.

So, I called up Asus tech service again. Once again, I was told that 98% of all error codes are due to corrupt drivers and that I was to reinstall the software.

So I called up Asus headquarters in California. (This is not quite as trivial as it sounds, since I was not able to find a phone number on Asus' website, but as a publicly traded company they have to file papers with the SEC that include an address - and a phone number??). Finally, the support person agrees to issue a new RMA number and a prepaid shipping label ! (Of course, this was ground transportation only, which meant that my work computer was on the road for 10 days going back and forth). I was still required to provide a box, bubble wrap, etc.. The computer was returned to me after three weeks with the diagnosis of "Problem: Operating System Error" and "Repair Result: reinstall/reset software". The computer blue screened within a day.

In summary, I had two (2) Asus computers that malfunctioned. Asus tech support was horrible to reach and to deal with. They made recommendations that would void my warranty. They never got beyond reinstalling the software over and over again. They were very generous with wasting my time (I easily spent a full work week on this). But Asus was outright stingy when it came to living up to their warranty. Overall, a very poor experience.

Best Buy finally did the right thing and replaced the computer with a different brand.

Pros The spec's don't lie. It looks good online and when I opened it up and hooked it up, it performed like it read.

Cons The keyboard is a little quirky. For some reason it disagrees with certain USB ports. The graphics card could be better, but that's an easy fix down the road. If you not gaming on it, don't worry about the card it will do just fine.

Summary I like this computer. I was a mac user until my career choice has dictated that a Windows based desktop is necessary. So far this computer has sufficed all my demands. Definitely a good buy.