One thing I'd like to point out Jarred is that you didn't mention the G73's lack of hardware RAID support. This was actually the deal breaker for me. If a laptop is going to offer dual HDD's and is 17", it really needs to offer RAID. I was about to go with the W870CU, when I figured I could get a more portable (use on the couch) W860CU with nearly the same specs and price. Overall though it's a great laptop, but I think it needs to be dinged and noted that theres no RAID. I ended up building my own Clevo based W860CU...with the differences being 15.4", 4GB RAM, 128GB SSD, and i7 620m for the same price the reviewed model....now granted I do have to put it together, and if a reseller were to build it they'd charge ~1700-1800 or so.
I would agree with you - but then I believe a better setup is SSD + Spindle HD.. You will beat the performance of the SSD, but won't need to worry about the data loss as in the case of RAID0.. The 750 2.5" HD is already out, right?
I had my 2 Samsung 256gb SSDs in RAID 0 in my Gateway FX P6831 and it was definitely fast BUT the problem I've come to discover is that RAID setups do not support TRIM / Garbage Collection whereas Win 7 will support these functions individually right out of the box. If you know anything about SSDs then you know TRIM / GC is essential.
I've since split the pair to a SSD boot + conventional HD storage setup in my 2 laptops that support 2 drives (the gateway above and my newish Asus G51J). Plus it makes cloning (for restore or backup) alot easier. Try cloning a raid setup off of a laptop, its a A>B>C then C>A kinda thing that wastes your whole day!
I would think there's a fairly low number of people who would be using this laptop as gaming PC replacement AND do work on it at the same time(I doubt the games need RAID do they?). Those really dedicated to having their work safe with RAID would get a separate PC to deal with that just solely for work (if they don't have one put aside already), so you're probably amongst the very small minority who are bemoaning the lack of RAID here.
RAID will not make your work safe. If you're worried about your work being safe you should be doing regular backups, not relying on RAID 1 as data is written in real time to both drives. RAID 1 only helps protect against data loss due to hardware failure. As I said, if you're that concerned about the integrity if your data, you better have a backup and then you may as well just put the drives in RAID 0 and get the performance increase.
Just sold my Asus G51vx-a1 and might jump into this.. I hated the 'hotness' of the G51 with all the undervolting etc. etc. it was still very hot.. i'm pleased to read this runs a lot cooler (could have used some direct numbers or charts though).. might just get rid of my desktop with a 4870x2.
Anyways I do have one recommendation and a very fair one - Can we get comparisons @ 1920*1200? Many of us are going to replace our desktops with this which doesn't necessarily mean replace the nice LCDs we all have. I would have this laptop (if I owned one) hooked up to the 24" LCD and run games at 1920*1200. It's sad that they won't do 1200p on laptops and 1080p is becoming more of the standard. I've a Dell Studio 1537 with a 1920*1200 CCFL and still I decided to get rid of the G51 and keep my Dell - for some people screen estate is just that important..
except for the missing data on temps (or did I miss it) excellent article.
It's hard to do a fair comparison since mobile CPU's often difficult or the reviews are done with CPU's faster than the mobile counterpart (which is to be expected). But here's a review comparing the desktop 5770 (basically 5870m) and your desktop 4870X2...your X2 is obviously faster... http://www.anandtech.com/show/2856
Putting an SSD is smart I agree, but for me as a gamer, I want RAID'd SSD's! I can Tony Trim the drives when I want as well, and I think very soon if not already Intel may have a solution for TRIM'd arrays.
This is still a great laptop, but that I'm a RAID junky.
Yeh my g50vt is stll working well and I can vouch for ASUS meaning gaming laptop. It does get hot as hell thou. Even with a cooler running it gets very hot. I would only buy this sucker if I could see the solution they have going. The g50 does not even have a intake fan at all and the slits in the bottom are so small how could u ever pull a considerable amount of air through them?
No dedicated intake for a single fan 45W CPU and ~58W GPU... that's why so many have been making swiss cheese of the CPU Door Assembly.
Add to that the conservative fan control which kicks up to highest only when the GPU's already scorching (93C) and cycles on and off even when GPU utilisation is 100%.
As an indication of how underutilised the cooling system is - when I tested stable max OC (16% GPU core, 20% shader, 20% memory, or 580/1500/1000), max temp is only 3 degrees higher... 96C.
Soooo wish I'd known the g73 would be out 2 months after I got this :(
It may seem like that but it's really not, my 17" gateway had the 1920x1200 and I thought the same thing (I also had a 24" 2405FPW)...but these resolution is fine. I also decided to go with a 1920x1080 for my 15", worst case I just enlarge the text, but the big thing is having that much desktop space is nice, once you go big you can't go back!
I absolutely could NEVER go back to a 1280x800 or 1366x768 on a 15". Having used a high res screen for over a year, everything at the lower res just seems wierdly magnified.
Yes fps may be lower but there are many games where 1080p on med looks better than 720p on high settings, and I'd much rather have a good game on low/med details than a borefest at Ultra High anyways.
Besides, I don't do gaming 100% of the time on this thing anyway; I can't think of any other reason how a lower res screen would be advantageous. BTW - bad eyesight does not count (google DPI setting in Win7)
Keep in mind that you're generally closer to a laptop than you are a desktop display. I played a lot of games on the G73J and never felt text was too small, which isn't something I can say for my 30" desktop display. And as a user of 120dpi setting in Windows, I have to point out that there are drawbacks. Text is larger but images remain the same, and there are a few odd glitches in some programs where text wraps out of view because the font size changed. Most apps assume everyone uses 96dpi; MS apps are usually fine, but try it out on any PC and you'll notice some differences in how things look. It doesn't just magnify everything (which would be the ideal solution IMO... though images would then become blurry). In a pinch, you can always run the LCD at 1600x900 to increase the DPI and get the same effect, but I really do appreciate screen real estate.
For reference, DPI on a 30" LCD at 2560x1600 is ~100 (.252mm dot pitch). DPI on a 17.3" 1080p laptop is 127 (.217mm dot pitch). 1600x900 at 17.3" puts the DPI at 106, so it's similar to what you'd get on a 30" LCD. But if you're used to 24" WUXGA and you sit at the same 2-3' distance, you'll definitely feel things get a little cramped. Given that it's hard to find good quality laptop LCDs, there's no way I'd recommend going to a lower resolution panel unless it keeps all the good aspects, and really I prefer 17" laptops stick with 1080p/WUXGA displays.
I don't know about you but I'd prefer to not have to squint when I'm working away on a laptop, especially one that's already 15+" already. Besides, with the larger DPI setting, everything is just way to magnified, and which kind of make it the same as using a lower res anyway.
Looking at this in comparison to Anand's review on the Mac book pro I have to say .. this one seems to actually be worth the money.
I'd have like to have seen more on heat issues as well since that's a concern for some with units like this. Still it's worth a look. I don't normally buy laptops but I'd seriously consider something along these lines. Given the option I'd probably tone down to a lesser cpu mind you.. but that's just me :)
"As you might expect from the noise levels, temperatures are also excellent—perhaps the best we've ever tested, and certainly the lowest we've seen on a gaming notebook. The palm rests stay at room temperature while the touchpad is a few degrees warmer. The rear of the chassis is about 5C hotter, but we're still only talking about 31C maximum. Love it or hate it, the wedge-shaped design certainly does the job when it comes to cooling. ASUS puts a couple huge vents at the back of the G73Jh, and their size and location means you don't need a mini-vacuum fan in your notebook."
If you need more clarification, around 31C for the bottom of the laptop in the middle-back section (just in front of the battery). The front section on the sides are 20-21C (room temperature) while the middle front is 24-25C. The back sides are also around 24C top and bottom. Really, the temperatures are largely uniform compared to other notebooks, and the noise levels are truly exceptional. The Clevo W870CU by comparison is horribly loud, with fans that regularly cycle between low and high speeds.
The system supports 32nm CPUs, but the particular model uses a quad-core i7 processor. Considering the size of the notebook, I'm not sure many people are going to be interested in lowering performance just to cut power draw a bit. The i5-540m and i7-620m might be a bit faster in some games as their Turbo Modes can exceed the 2.80GHz of the 720QM, but those are the only two dual-core CPUs I'd consider. As mentioned, there will be other variants of the G73Jh down the road, with Blu-ray and dual-core CPUs, if that's what you're after.
Jared, Just going by how they look to you, which do think is a better display, the XPS 16 or the G73Jh?
I had been waiting for dell to upgrade the video on the XPS line before jumping on one for the RGBLED but if this is really close or better it would be just fine.
It is kinda hard to tell just by looking at numbers, I wish I could view a bunch of these laptops side by side.
Judging by the technical data, the Dell RGBLED display is "better", but unless you need a higher color gamut there's not much point in the added cost. If it were a choice between glossy G73J and matte RGBLED, then I'd probably go for the RGBLED. The Studio XPS 16 is also known to have issues with throttling on i7 CPUs (at least according to emails I've received), the RGBLED doesn't appear to be an option right now, and the HD 4670 is nowhere near as fast as the 5870. But then, the XPS 16 isn't as large and bulky as the G73Jh either. Given the choice, for gaming I'd definitely go with the G73Jh. Running cool and quiet with a gaming notebook is always a good sign in my book, and that usually means you need a bigger chassis.
Imagine a product where as many as you produce you sell every single one of them. Do you think that product is made by Nvidia? No, no! AMD can literally sell as many 5870 mobile chips as it can make. And it performs, very admirably! Can you possibly imagine what a Crossfire pair of these is going to do inside a M17X R3?
AMD has sold 6 million cards while Nvidia slept. Mobile machines are 50% of PC sales. So while Nvidia continues to sleep AMD continues to make huge leaps in the market. I'm extremely pleased you gave this machine a go and moreover, you didn't falter it badly for missing features. What it does, it does extremely well. Any gamer should be proud of this machine. If the desktop Fermi is hot and takes huge amounts of power, you can well bet that it will be many quarters before Nvidia can wake up and smell the coffee. Meanwhile developers are making games and they aren't making them TWIWMTBP, because there are next to no NV cards on the market.
Nice screen, great cpu, and superb GPU along with a competent mobile driver program. And the whole package is priced right to boot. Nice review, lovely machine and an example to the entire industry of how things "should be done".
There was no included software to enable the use of the blu ray drive.... there is blu ray software available on the asus website for free download, but at this time it is not a version compatible with windows 7 64bit. Otherwise a great machine, but it should have been disclosed prior to sale that you would have to buy software to make full use of the machine...and blu ray software is NOT cheap. Openoffice and shredder (64bit version of Thunderbird mail client) works great on here. I'll buy a second one when it comes with blu ray software and add an ssd. Excellent screen, easy to read at its native resolution. Nice backpack too.
In Canada the G73JH-X1 $1670 comes with the DVD and the G73JH-A1 $1820 comes with the blu-ray and a mouse/case. I saw one listing for G73JH-A2 $1670 comes with DVD so it looks identical to the X1.
I would like to see more reviews of gaming laptops as the price/performance ratio is plummetting this year. Another machine that is worthy of high expectations a nd praise is the MSI GX740. It has similar specs but a lower price, at least here in Canada.
MSI GX740 Price: $1444.68 Canadian @ PCcanada.com (if you can find one in stock) CPU: Intel Core 17-720QM 2.8Ghz 1333Mhz 6MB cache Display: 17.0" WSXGA+ (1680 x 1050) Glossy System Memory: 4GB (2x 2GB) DDR2 667 SDRAM - 0 open slot MAX. 4GB Video: ATi Radeon HD5870 Broadway XT GDDR5 1GB HDD: 500GB, 7200PRM SATA Optical drive: Blu Ray DVD Combo Drive Battery: 9-cell li-ion battery: up to 3.5 hours life depending usage Network: 56Kbps,10/100/1000, 802.11AGN wireless LAN Interface ports: DC-in, RJ-45 LAN, VGA, 4-in-1 Card Reader headphones/speakers/line-out, microphone-in, eSata, ,HDMI four USB 2.0, IEEE 1394, BUILT-IN 2.0MP WEBCAM. Bluetooth Pointing Device:Touch Pad with onboard numeric keypad Weight: 7.04 lbs OS Preload: Microsoft® 7 Home Premium Bilingual Warranty: 3 year Limited Warranty with 1 Year Global
This machine has less memory and hard space but does include a Bluray combo drive and is hundreds of dollars cheaper than the Asus. A review of this machine would be appreciated. Has anyone heard if there are plans for a mobile 58xx crossfire laptop? That would be a sweet portable system !!!
Actually Best Buy has the same model with a single 500gb hard drive for 1199.99. They also list it in stock at most of the stores in my area (Minneapolis, MN). I would probably pick this model, as it is quite a bit cheaper and the only difference I see is that it has only one hard drive.
Note that the $1200 model also has 6GB RAM (2x2GB + 2x1GB) and it changes the display to an HD+ (1600x900) panel. Given the horrible quality of most laptop LCDs, I'm betting the contrast ratio on the HD+ panel isn't anywhere near as good as the 1080p model. And you lose the mouse and backpack. So...
I'm just guessing on a couple of those items based on what I think they're worth. If you add it all up, the $1200 model has about $400 less of extras, so it's about right.
I see your point I guess. However, the best buy model is a cheaper alternative that seems to be in stock most places, at least for now. For light to moderate gaming it would be acceptable.
Just to be clear, the $1200 model is actually a very good deal. Most people don't need 8GB vs. 6GB RAM, and the extra HDD can be added at your leisure -- or add an SSD? All of the important aspects are the same, so if you want to choose your own mouse and backpack or if you don't like the ones ASUS includes, the $1200 version is a great buy as well.
I don't get the point of gaming laptops. Where are you going to play games? On the bus? In class? In the park? Why? Where's the immersion in that? And for $1500? Sorry, I don't get it...
For really serious PC gaming I would agree with you. However, I just bought a cheaper Asus for my grandson (12 years old) because he is moving out of state and we wanted to keep in touch with him via webcam, and also have a computer he could bring back with him when he visits us.
However he does like to play games on the PC, so instead of getting a laptop and a desktop, we got an Asus G60 for 849.00 on close out at best buy. He can play games at moderate settings and still have a laptop to bring with him when he visits us, etc.
I love having a gaming notebook. I'm not confined to sitting alone in my "cave" for hours on end. I can sit on the couch, go to a friends house, take it on trips and have everything right there. The best accessory I have is my Logitech Performance MX mouse with the micro usb receiver.
For the most part I don't see it either. I travel quite often myself, to China, for business but rarely do I spend my free time playing game(s). That's not to say I don't but if I have more than an hour to kill I'll rather go out sight-seeing and touring rather than sitting in the hotel playing games. It just seems pathetic to do so when there is so much out there. But that's my preference and opinion. How one spends his/her free time is up to them.
Having said that I wouldn't mind the company getting me a gaming laptop :) I don't mind carrying all the extra items since I consider it a good exercise :) My backpack with laptop weights 20+lbs and I lug it around for that very reason haha
According to [l=this page]http://www.em-zero.com/index.php/2010/02/everythin...[/l], the X3 version comes with two 320GB HDDs. That would make sense as the only 640GB 2.5" HDDs are 5400RPM models, so unless ASUS wants to downgrade RPMs for higher density a couple (older) 320GB 7200RPM drives is the easiest solution.
I don't know anyone who uses their notebook on battery power anymore, especially for gaming. I think that for me at least, it won't really be a deal breaker because if I just want to "surf the web" or check my Facebook account, I'll do that on my Droid. I don't have to break out the case, open it up, pull out the notebook, wait for it to boot up and try to find a comfortable place/position to set it in. Then when I'm done, have to reverse the process.
If there's any pc segment that's still concerned with battery life, then they should get a netbook anyway. That's how it would work for me at least and others may differ in opinion I guess.
I agree that battery life isn't a real concern on a gaming notebook like this, but for regular notebooks it's definitely an important metric. I use laptops off battery power all the time. Sure, I could bring along the brick and plug it in, but that's inconvenient. If you get a CULV laptop or something similar with good battery life, you can work all day and never deal with any cords. As for why I run the tests on gaming notebooks, it's just for completeness' sake. :-)
Yes, I think XoticPC is safe, though they also list the laptop as "pre-order" so it might be a few weeks before you get your laptop if you go through them. On the other hand, being able to customize the features of your G73Jh is nice. Not that there's much I'd recommend changing... 2x256GB C300 SSDs and an i7-920XM for only $4000! :-)
Ok But how about this http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Asus+-+Laptop+with+Int... . This has 6GB Ram and 500Gb of HDD which doesnt matter me much but what im really thinking of is the resolution of the screen which in the bestbuy case is just 1600 X 900 does it really make any difference. considering the difference in resolutions.
Without testing that particular LCD, I have no idea how it performs, but there's a real chance the HD+ LCD is a dud as far as contrast. (Look at the W870CU HD+ LCD, for example--Clevo uses the same 1080p LCD as the G73Jh, but their HD+ unit stinks.) So if you're not worried about LCD quality, the $1200 Best Buy model has all of the performance shown here, just with a bit less RAM, one HDD, no backpack or mouse, and a lower resolution display.
The World's Most Powerful Notebook For Graphics ... See More Everywhere you look, companies claim to have the Ultimate Gaming Machine, but only at MALIBAL will you find a system that makes good on that promise and delivers performance worthy of the title. The new MALIBAL Veda Series gives you the ultimate gaming experience by taking speed to a whole new level. The state-of-the-art system utilizes SLI technology to take advantage of not one, but two of the fastest GPUs available from NVIDIA --the GeForce GTX 285M. With a gorgeous full HD widescreen display, the Veda is the fastest 18.4” display notebook available today. Beside its powerful performance and cutting-edge components, the Veda also features a futuristic design with a customizable luminous lighting array, buttonless luminescent touch sensor control panel, and eight unique programmable gaming keys that gives you total control with swift execution whether your passion is rooted in FPS, MMORPG, or RTS games.
Vibrant Cinematic Visuals
Whether you’re working on an important business document, watching a Blu-ray movie or playing a game, our 18.4-inch full HD widescreen display with a 1920x1080 pixel native resolution delivers enough screen real estate for all your needs. The widescreen display serves up vibrant colors and generous viewing angles, and provides brilliant clarity with theater-like viewing sensation for your favorite High-Definition content.
Three Hard Drives w/ RAID
Enjoy all the space you could ever want with industry-leading RAID-enabled fault tolerance storage capacities. The ultimate mobile data storage solution provides performance, utility, and security without compromising an internal optical drive.
Unique Programmable Gaming Buttons
The unit includes eight unique Gaming Buttons that are completely user-definable to allow ultimate control over your gaming experience. Whether your passion is rooted in FPS, MMORPG, or RTS games, the Veda is built to dominate with swift execution.
Slick and Futuristic
Revolutionize the way you control your notebook experience. The Veda’s Touch Sensor control panel is a state-of-the-art design featuring a buttonless luminous glassy panel with a touch sensor spread across the notebook. It provides control for the luminous appearance array, camera, Bluetooth, Wireless LAN, Application, Mute sound, and Volume with a single light touch. The customizable luminous lighting array lets you choose from 7 colors and transition effects across 3 distinct zones, front and rear vent panels.
Display: 18.4" 1920 x 1080 WUXGA LCD Active Matrix Display Processor: Intel® Core™ i7-920XM, Extreme 8MB L3 Cache, 2.0-3.20GHz Memory: (8GB) 8192MB, PC3-10660/1333MHz DDR3 - 2 SO-DIMM Graphics Card: Dual NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 285M 1GB GDDR3 Hard Drive: 320GB 7200rpm 2.5" SATA-300 Hard Drive 2: 320GB 7200rpm 2.5" SATA-300 Hard Drive 3: 320GB 7200rpm 2.5" SATA-300 RAID: 0 High Performance (Two Hard Drive Configuration) Optical Drive: 8X Multi DVD+/-R/RW RAM Dual-Layer Drive Operating System: Microsoft® Windows® 7 Ultimate; 64-bit Wireless: Intel® 6300 Ultimate-N 802.11A/B/G/N LAN and Bluetooth Card Cooling: IC Diamond 7 Thermal Compound, CPU & GPU Warranty: 3 Year Ltd. Parts and Labor Warranty with 24/7 USA-Based Support Extras: Standard Black Carrying Case Extras: Integrated 2.0 Megapixel Web Camera Extras: Integrated 7 in 1 Card Reader Extras: Integrated Fingerprint Reader Extras: Microsoft Windows 7 DVD-ROM Extras: MALIBAL Software & Drivers Disc Extras: PowerDVD & Bison Cam Software Package Software: Microsoft Office 2007 Professional Edition
$4,388.00
Now that's a notebook to make people drool over.
Dear ASUS can you please start making things like this?
I didn't say "fastest", I said "top", which is completely difference. The Malibal you just linked is yet another rebranded Clevo chassis, the X8100, which I mentioned at least once in this review. SLI GTX 285M is faster, but you lose DX11 support and you're paying nearly three times as much for that unit. So I'm not at all lazy but rather sensible. The number of people buying $4000+ laptops pales in comparison to those buying $1500 laptops.
Can you guys also test the laptops for thermals? My friend bought a laptop recently and it "burns" when running games. Can you include some tests in your analysis to measure temperatures of chassis and cpu? It would be nice to know the "cool" laptops out there
Page 2 has the temperature information. If the exhaust is cool and the noise levels are low, it's pretty safe to say that the CPU and GPU aren't running hot.
Thanks Jered. Can you guys do a comparision of 5 popular laptops for thermals? It would be interesting to see which laptop out there is the "coolest" .. Thermals is a huge factor these days and we hardly see any comparisions across notebooks for thermals
Sorry to come in late, I haven't gone all the way through the comments, but I would really like to see a MSI GX640 Review or at least some comparison. It seems to be a great compromise in size, battery life & performance.
Intel Core i7 720qm 2 x 2GB PC 10666 nVidia 360m (1GB GDDR5) 1680 x 945 native resolution* 1 x Hitachi 500GB HDD (7200rpm) Mitsumi Blu-Ray burner
I mention this as an alternative/comparison gaming laptop...well, mainly because it IS! ;-D
I'm curious as to how the 360m compares (in general) to the mobile 5870, though...DX11 aside.
*I understand the (aesthetic and practical) difference between 1920 x 1080 and 1680 x 945, but I think of it as a benefit: a) that's some TINY goddamned font, etc. on that hi-res/tiny 17" screen, vs. b) better GPU performance because of the slightly lower resolution on the Toshiba, neh?
It's not just the resolution that changed, though. That LCD may be a good contrast ratio or it may not. By and large, 95% of LCD panels for laptops right now are crap, so the odds are against it. For $1400, it's not a bad laptop, and the Blu-ray drive makes it a viable alternative. As a gaming laptop, though, the G73Jh is clearly the superior choice based on specs alone. Even if the LCD is the same quality, I'd still go for the ASUS.
As far as performance, the GT360M is a 96 SP part with 128-bit RAM, so the GTX 280M in the Clevo W870CU is going to perform about 30% faster at a guess. Whether the particular unit has GDDR5 or GDDR3 is going to be pretty important... The Toshiba has 1GB GDDR5, so all told it's about the same bandwidth as the GTX 280M but still nowhere near as much shader processing power. It will be slower than the GTX 260M as well, and we have results for that on 3DMark at least (page 6).
Interesting (and, if you hadn't guessed, I *own* said Qosmio, and, I lovelovelove it...except for the dark, murky screen...you are correct) - thanks for the reply, sir.
I am not a gamer and use laptop for photo editing (photoshop). Is G73 a good buy for my purpose? The spec and price is very attractive. Only concern is display. Other laptops meet my need are Dell M6500/M17, Lenovo W701, HP Elitebook 8740p, but cost for them over $3000 if the displays are RGBLED or IPS. The only option left in my price range is Dell XPS 16 (1645). But XPS 16 with RGBLED and similar spec as G73 are over $2000. And I can get G73 at $1550 Canadian dollar. I saw your comparison for display. Except gamut, compared to XPS 16, G73's display is ok. I would like to hear your opinion in this area.
My current laptop is Lenono T61 with WUXGA. Any opinion how this compared to G73's screen
If you're super concerned with image quality and accuracy, there's no beating IPS desktop displays IMO. The RGBLED displays have a high color gamut, but desktop LCDs are equal or better and you can get matte panels without spending an arm and a leg. If you're not quite so finicky, I think the G73Jh will work fine in Photoshop. I've used an XPS 16 for image editing as well as playing around with the G73Jh, and the G73Jh panel is better than 95% of laptop LCDs. It's still worse than most PVA/MVA/IPS desktop panels, but no one is doing those in laptops these days (iPad notwithstanding).
Page 2 - the temperature data listed was for worst-case. The G73Jh simply never broke a sweat. Perhaps in the summer in a non-AC apartment/house it will run louder/hotter, but that would apply to any notebook.
Timely article for me since I'm about to be in the market for a gaming laptop. No particular comment but wanted to let you know I appreciated the article and also the continued discussion here in the comments.
You guys might want to know that these babies have some issues with quality control.
I bought one from the Egg and it was great until I installed Cat 10.3 and then the GPU became extremely unstable. RMAed the notebook because others aren't having this problem. Then I saw Best Buy had them in stock so got one there, and got a bad LCD. Returned it and got one that only saw 2GB out of 6GB. That's 3 defectives out of 5 (I returned one good one to Best Buy to get the cheaper model with one HDD and 6GB instead of 8).
I'm not alone on this. And ASUS RMA sucks horribly so you better buy from a store that takes no nonsense returns. Newegg is a bit of a pain in this way.
how the hell did you get batman to run at a crisp 82 frames per second in very-high detail. i have mine, at home and my average fps is like 36.7 at the max its 44. what did you do to the computer that made ir tun at almost twice as many frames per second them my model?
actually to be honest, almost all the benchmarks are high. i mean mine doesn't get that, and the youtube videos of the games benchmarked on other like units arn't running frames that high.
let me know because i'd love to get the extra power from the computer.
1) No RAID Support. Bit of a downer, especially since many configs come with paired hdds. I suppose the logic was that gamers would get a SSD to boot and run apps from. (My P-7805u has RAID :p)
2) The Wifi card is a bit of a letdown with the AR2985. Only 2.4Ghz band and 150mbps max transfer rates. Thankfully, it's easily remedied with a replacement card, like the Intel 6200. Also, I would LOVE to see laptop makers still run THREE wires for antennaes, even if you don't use all three.
Heat: Not a problem. There even are no vents on the bottom, and only gets warm during load, and not close to hot. Air comes in from the front subwoofer intake, and out the back ports. Lovely. And no additional noise from laptop coolers.
Audio: It's a nice sounding unit for a laptop, but it's still laptop speakers. I still prefer headphones, and the CMSS-3D Headphone mode is great for gaming. Very accurate spatial cues.
I went computer hunting over a month ago, stumbled across this while looking at various options, and found one of these in Canada (www.canadacomputers.com) for $1699 CDN. At the time I was considering building a new desktop, but this was priced so aggressively it convinced me. (and more importantly, it convinced my husband.)
I found a few decent reviews online, but nothing this comprehensive. Seeing after the fact what a great deal I got makes me very happy, Jarred! (Although you're not the first review I've read, just the most in depth.) I my only wish would be that you'd benchmarked the high end gaming at 1080p max resolution (I've been playing Dragon Age and Mass Effect 2 with absolutely maxed out settings and they're quite playable).
Caution on the cheaper Best-Buy models --they only come with a 1 year manufacturer's warranty, unlike the 2 year one on the Asus standard retail models. Best Buy will charge you several hundred dollars to purchase one. When combined with the extras and different specifications, this makes the "deal" suspect.
My thoughts, after using it a month: As Jarred said, this thing runs cool and nearly silent. Heat isn't an issue.
Arkham Asylum + XBox360 Wired Controller + G73jh-A2 + HDMI Cable + Samsung 52" LCD Television >>>>> PS3 + Arkham Asylum on the same television.
Nothing I play has caused this thing to break a sweat.
The included mouse is...odd. I'm not a fan. With the one peice plastic molding on top, the mouse buttons are too easily depressed by your hand resting on top of it. It's like there's no support preventing someone from pushing them down by accident.
1TB isn't enough for me anymore. :( I've realized my tendency to squirrel away media and large files automatically expands to fill all available space.
I'm a very small woman. This is a very large backpack and computer. I'm sure the image is comical when I'm walking with it.
I have this computer from over 2 years and i like it very very much.No signs of weak.It runs all the games that i through to him all the modern games like:Cod Modern warfare,L4D2,A vs P,Crysis,Gta 4 and a lot lot others.i run all thus games at max settings.Asus G73jh is the best gaming laptop i had ever had.It's the "Best money can buy".I love my computer.
Maybe i have some gramatical mistakes in my english because i'm from Romania. (Romania is in Europe)
Both have 1920x1080 full HD displays but the Qosmio has a larger screen at 18.4'. Maybe a little lower on RAM (4GB), HDD (500GB) and GPU (Gefore GTS 360M) but also advances with the i7 740 QM processor and the Bluray.
They are both about the same price and differ slightly in specs. But I heard it had alot of heat issues, what would you say about that?
And for gaming would the difference between them be that much of a difference?
We’ve updated our terms. By continuing to use the site and/or by logging into your account, you agree to the Site’s updated Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
72 Comments
Back to Article
ATC9001 - Saturday, April 17, 2010 - link
One thing I'd like to point out Jarred is that you didn't mention the G73's lack of hardware RAID support. This was actually the deal breaker for me. If a laptop is going to offer dual HDD's and is 17", it really needs to offer RAID. I was about to go with the W870CU, when I figured I could get a more portable (use on the couch) W860CU with nearly the same specs and price. Overall though it's a great laptop, but I think it needs to be dinged and noted that theres no RAID.I ended up building my own Clevo based W860CU...with the differences being 15.4", 4GB RAM, 128GB SSD, and i7 620m for the same price the reviewed model....now granted I do have to put it together, and if a reseller were to build it they'd charge ~1700-1800 or so.
coolsam2 - Saturday, April 17, 2010 - link
I would agree with you - but then I believe a better setup is SSD + Spindle HD.. You will beat the performance of the SSD, but won't need to worry about the data loss as in the case of RAID0.. The 750 2.5" HD is already out, right?coolsam2 - Saturday, April 17, 2010 - link
*I mean the SSD would beat the performance of the RAID.. I need to sleep!therealnickdanger - Sunday, April 18, 2010 - link
... Unless you RAID two SSDs... :)dvsman - Monday, April 19, 2010 - link
I had my 2 Samsung 256gb SSDs in RAID 0 in my Gateway FX P6831 and it was definitely fast BUT the problem I've come to discover is that RAID setups do not support TRIM / Garbage Collection whereas Win 7 will support these functions individually right out of the box. If you know anything about SSDs then you know TRIM / GC is essential.I've since split the pair to a SSD boot + conventional HD storage setup in my 2 laptops that support 2 drives (the gateway above and my newish Asus G51J). Plus it makes cloning (for restore or backup) alot easier. Try cloning a raid setup off of a laptop, its a A>B>C then C>A kinda thing that wastes your whole day!
chrnochime - Saturday, April 17, 2010 - link
I would think there's a fairly low number of people who would be using this laptop as gaming PC replacement AND do work on it at the same time(I doubt the games need RAID do they?). Those really dedicated to having their work safe with RAID would get a separate PC to deal with that just solely for work (if they don't have one put aside already), so you're probably amongst the very small minority who are bemoaning the lack of RAID here.Jeff7181 - Monday, April 19, 2010 - link
RAID will not make your work safe. If you're worried about your work being safe you should be doing regular backups, not relying on RAID 1 as data is written in real time to both drives. RAID 1 only helps protect against data loss due to hardware failure. As I said, if you're that concerned about the integrity if your data, you better have a backup and then you may as well just put the drives in RAID 0 and get the performance increase.arkcom - Saturday, April 17, 2010 - link
Raid was the deal breaker, yet you didn't even use it in your build?coolsam2 - Saturday, April 17, 2010 - link
Just sold my Asus G51vx-a1 and might jump into this.. I hated the 'hotness' of the G51 with all the undervolting etc. etc. it was still very hot.. i'm pleased to read this runs a lot cooler (could have used some direct numbers or charts though).. might just get rid of my desktop with a 4870x2.Anyways I do have one recommendation and a very fair one - Can we get comparisons @ 1920*1200? Many of us are going to replace our desktops with this which doesn't necessarily mean replace the nice LCDs we all have. I would have this laptop (if I owned one) hooked up to the 24" LCD and run games at 1920*1200. It's sad that they won't do 1200p on laptops and 1080p is becoming more of the standard. I've a Dell Studio 1537 with a 1920*1200 CCFL and still I decided to get rid of the G51 and keep my Dell - for some people screen estate is just that important..
except for the missing data on temps (or did I miss it) excellent article.
ATC9001 - Saturday, April 17, 2010 - link
It's hard to do a fair comparison since mobile CPU's often difficult or the reviews are done with CPU's faster than the mobile counterpart (which is to be expected). But here's a review comparing the desktop 5770 (basically 5870m) and your desktop 4870X2...your X2 is obviously faster...http://www.anandtech.com/show/2856
Putting an SSD is smart I agree, but for me as a gamer, I want RAID'd SSD's! I can Tony Trim the drives when I want as well, and I think very soon if not already Intel may have a solution for TRIM'd arrays.
This is still a great laptop, but that I'm a RAID junky.
DoeBoy - Saturday, April 17, 2010 - link
Yeh my g50vt is stll working well and I can vouch for ASUS meaning gaming laptop. It does get hot as hell thou. Even with a cooler running it gets very hot. I would only buy this sucker if I could see the solution they have going. The g50 does not even have a intake fan at all and the slits in the bottom are so small how could u ever pull a considerable amount of air through them?bennyg - Saturday, April 17, 2010 - link
ditto for the G51J-A1No dedicated intake for a single fan 45W CPU and ~58W GPU... that's why so many have been making swiss cheese of the CPU Door Assembly.
Add to that the conservative fan control which kicks up to highest only when the GPU's already scorching (93C) and cycles on and off even when GPU utilisation is 100%.
As an indication of how underutilised the cooling system is - when I tested stable max OC (16% GPU core, 20% shader, 20% memory, or 580/1500/1000), max temp is only 3 degrees higher... 96C.
Soooo wish I'd known the g73 would be out 2 months after I got this :(
frombauer - Saturday, April 17, 2010 - link
Why 1080p? Text must be way too tiny, and it impacts game performance. Much better if this was 17" with 1680x1050 (16:10 even better).ATC9001 - Saturday, April 17, 2010 - link
It may seem like that but it's really not, my 17" gateway had the 1920x1200 and I thought the same thing (I also had a 24" 2405FPW)...but these resolution is fine. I also decided to go with a 1920x1080 for my 15", worst case I just enlarge the text, but the big thing is having that much desktop space is nice, once you go big you can't go back!bennyg - Saturday, April 17, 2010 - link
This is a YMMV issue.I absolutely could NEVER go back to a 1280x800 or 1366x768 on a 15". Having used a high res screen for over a year, everything at the lower res just seems wierdly magnified.
Yes fps may be lower but there are many games where 1080p on med looks better than 720p on high settings, and I'd much rather have a good game on low/med details than a borefest at Ultra High anyways.
Besides, I don't do gaming 100% of the time on this thing anyway; I can't think of any other reason how a lower res screen would be advantageous. BTW - bad eyesight does not count (google DPI setting in Win7)
JarredWalton - Saturday, April 17, 2010 - link
Keep in mind that you're generally closer to a laptop than you are a desktop display. I played a lot of games on the G73J and never felt text was too small, which isn't something I can say for my 30" desktop display. And as a user of 120dpi setting in Windows, I have to point out that there are drawbacks. Text is larger but images remain the same, and there are a few odd glitches in some programs where text wraps out of view because the font size changed. Most apps assume everyone uses 96dpi; MS apps are usually fine, but try it out on any PC and you'll notice some differences in how things look. It doesn't just magnify everything (which would be the ideal solution IMO... though images would then become blurry). In a pinch, you can always run the LCD at 1600x900 to increase the DPI and get the same effect, but I really do appreciate screen real estate.For reference, DPI on a 30" LCD at 2560x1600 is ~100 (.252mm dot pitch). DPI on a 17.3" 1080p laptop is 127 (.217mm dot pitch). 1600x900 at 17.3" puts the DPI at 106, so it's similar to what you'd get on a 30" LCD. But if you're used to 24" WUXGA and you sit at the same 2-3' distance, you'll definitely feel things get a little cramped. Given that it's hard to find good quality laptop LCDs, there's no way I'd recommend going to a lower resolution panel unless it keeps all the good aspects, and really I prefer 17" laptops stick with 1080p/WUXGA displays.
chrnochime - Monday, April 19, 2010 - link
I don't know about you but I'd prefer to not have to squint when I'm working away on a laptop, especially one that's already 15+" already. Besides, with the larger DPI setting, everything is just way to magnified, and which kind of make it the same as using a lower res anyway.just4U - Saturday, April 17, 2010 - link
Looking at this in comparison to Anand's review on the Mac book pro I have to say .. this one seems to actually be worth the money.I'd have like to have seen more on heat issues as well since that's a concern for some with units like this. Still it's worth a look. I don't normally buy laptops but I'd seriously consider something along these lines. Given the option I'd probably tone down to a lesser cpu mind you.. but that's just me :)
JarredWalton - Saturday, April 17, 2010 - link
Temperature data is listed on page 2:"As you might expect from the noise levels, temperatures are also excellent—perhaps the best we've ever tested, and certainly the lowest we've seen on a gaming notebook. The palm rests stay at room temperature while the touchpad is a few degrees warmer. The rear of the chassis is about 5C hotter, but we're still only talking about 31C maximum. Love it or hate it, the wedge-shaped design certainly does the job when it comes to cooling. ASUS puts a couple huge vents at the back of the G73Jh, and their size and location means you don't need a mini-vacuum fan in your notebook."
If you need more clarification, around 31C for the bottom of the laptop in the middle-back section (just in front of the battery). The front section on the sides are 20-21C (room temperature) while the middle front is 24-25C. The back sides are also around 24C top and bottom. Really, the temperatures are largely uniform compared to other notebooks, and the noise levels are truly exceptional. The Clevo W870CU by comparison is horribly loud, with fans that regularly cycle between low and high speeds.
Roland00 - Saturday, April 17, 2010 - link
I don't have the item number on me, and the model isn't on the website. But it is the same as the review with a few additions8gb of ram
Blu Ray Drive
Backpack
for $1699
jasperjones - Saturday, April 17, 2010 - link
It looks like the Blu-Ray combo drive you link to on page 1 is actually a desktop, not a laptop model.Other than that, superb review!
JarredWalton - Saturday, April 17, 2010 - link
Whoops! Totally spaced that. I've updated to a notebook Blu-ray drive. :-)Oxford Guy - Saturday, April 17, 2010 - link
I second the 1680x1050 screen option, too.JarredWalton - Saturday, April 17, 2010 - link
The system supports 32nm CPUs, but the particular model uses a quad-core i7 processor. Considering the size of the notebook, I'm not sure many people are going to be interested in lowering performance just to cut power draw a bit. The i5-540m and i7-620m might be a bit faster in some games as their Turbo Modes can exceed the 2.80GHz of the 720QM, but those are the only two dual-core CPUs I'd consider. As mentioned, there will be other variants of the G73Jh down the road, with Blu-ray and dual-core CPUs, if that's what you're after.notext - Saturday, April 17, 2010 - link
Jared,Just going by how they look to you, which do think is a better display, the XPS 16 or the G73Jh?
I had been waiting for dell to upgrade the video on the XPS line before jumping on one for the RGBLED but if this is really close or better it would be just fine.
It is kinda hard to tell just by looking at numbers, I wish I could view a bunch of these laptops side by side.
JarredWalton - Saturday, April 17, 2010 - link
Judging by the technical data, the Dell RGBLED display is "better", but unless you need a higher color gamut there's not much point in the added cost. If it were a choice between glossy G73J and matte RGBLED, then I'd probably go for the RGBLED. The Studio XPS 16 is also known to have issues with throttling on i7 CPUs (at least according to emails I've received), the RGBLED doesn't appear to be an option right now, and the HD 4670 is nowhere near as fast as the 5870. But then, the XPS 16 isn't as large and bulky as the G73Jh either. Given the choice, for gaming I'd definitely go with the G73Jh. Running cool and quiet with a gaming notebook is always a good sign in my book, and that usually means you need a bigger chassis.FXi - Saturday, April 17, 2010 - link
Imagine a product where as many as you produce you sell every single one of them. Do you think that product is made by Nvidia? No, no! AMD can literally sell as many 5870 mobile chips as it can make. And it performs, very admirably! Can you possibly imagine what a Crossfire pair of these is going to do inside a M17X R3?AMD has sold 6 million cards while Nvidia slept. Mobile machines are 50% of PC sales. So while Nvidia continues to sleep AMD continues to make huge leaps in the market. I'm extremely pleased you gave this machine a go and moreover, you didn't falter it badly for missing features. What it does, it does extremely well. Any gamer should be proud of this machine. If the desktop Fermi is hot and takes huge amounts of power, you can well bet that it will be many quarters before Nvidia can wake up and smell the coffee. Meanwhile developers are making games and they aren't making them TWIWMTBP, because there are next to no NV cards on the market.
Nice screen, great cpu, and superb GPU along with a competent mobile driver program. And the whole package is priced right to boot. Nice review, lovely machine and an example to the entire industry of how things "should be done".
:)
tom.j - Saturday, April 17, 2010 - link
There was no included software to enable the use of the blu ray drive.... there is blu ray software available on the asus website for free download, but at this time it is not a version compatible with windows 7 64bit. Otherwise a great machine, but it should have been disclosed prior to sale that you would have to buy software to make full use of the machine...and blu ray software is NOT cheap. Openoffice and shredder (64bit version of Thunderbird mail client) works great on here. I'll buy a second one when it comes with blu ray software and add an ssd. Excellent screen, easy to read at its native resolution. Nice backpack too.tom
GTVic - Sunday, April 18, 2010 - link
In Canada the G73JH-X1 $1670 comes with the DVD and the G73JH-A1 $1820 comes with the blu-ray and a mouse/case. I saw one listing for G73JH-A2 $1670 comes with DVD so it looks identical to the X1.X1, A1, A2 links
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82...
http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowPr...
http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowPr...
Rambon3 - Sunday, April 18, 2010 - link
I would like to see more reviews of gaming laptops as the price/performance ratio is plummetting this year. Another machine that is worthy of high expectations a nd praise is the MSI GX740. It has similar specs but a lower price, at least here in Canada.MSI GX740
Price: $1444.68 Canadian @ PCcanada.com (if you can find one in stock)
CPU: Intel Core 17-720QM 2.8Ghz 1333Mhz 6MB cache
Display: 17.0" WSXGA+ (1680 x 1050) Glossy
System Memory: 4GB (2x 2GB) DDR2 667 SDRAM - 0 open slot MAX. 4GB
Video: ATi Radeon HD5870 Broadway XT GDDR5 1GB
HDD: 500GB, 7200PRM SATA
Optical drive: Blu Ray DVD Combo Drive
Battery: 9-cell li-ion battery: up to 3.5 hours life depending usage
Network: 56Kbps,10/100/1000, 802.11AGN wireless LAN
Interface ports: DC-in, RJ-45 LAN, VGA, 4-in-1 Card Reader
headphones/speakers/line-out, microphone-in, eSata, ,HDMI
four USB 2.0, IEEE 1394, BUILT-IN 2.0MP WEBCAM. Bluetooth
Pointing Device:Touch Pad with onboard numeric keypad
Weight: 7.04 lbs
OS Preload: Microsoft® 7 Home Premium Bilingual
Warranty: 3 year Limited Warranty with 1 Year Global
This machine has less memory and hard space but does include a Bluray combo drive and is hundreds of dollars cheaper than the Asus. A review of this machine would be appreciated. Has anyone heard if there are plans for a mobile 58xx crossfire laptop? That would be a sweet portable system !!!
frozentundra123456 - Sunday, April 18, 2010 - link
Actually Best Buy has the same model with a single 500gb hard drive for 1199.99. They also list it in stock at most of the stores in my area (Minneapolis, MN). I would probably pick this model, as it is quite a bit cheaper and the only difference I see is that it has only one hard drive.Seems like a really good deal.
JarredWalton - Sunday, April 18, 2010 - link
Note that the $1200 model also has 6GB RAM (2x2GB + 2x1GB) and it changes the display to an HD+ (1600x900) panel. Given the horrible quality of most laptop LCDs, I'm betting the contrast ratio on the HD+ panel isn't anywhere near as good as the 1080p model. And you lose the mouse and backpack. So...2GB RAM: ~$50
500GB 7200RPM HDD: $90
Mouse: $30
Backpack: $70 (?)
LCD Panel: $150 (?)
I'm just guessing on a couple of those items based on what I think they're worth. If you add it all up, the $1200 model has about $400 less of extras, so it's about right.
frozentundra123456 - Sunday, April 18, 2010 - link
I see your point I guess. However, the best buy model is a cheaper alternative that seems to be in stock most places, at least for now. For light to moderate gaming it would be acceptable.JarredWalton - Monday, April 19, 2010 - link
Just to be clear, the $1200 model is actually a very good deal. Most people don't need 8GB vs. 6GB RAM, and the extra HDD can be added at your leisure -- or add an SSD? All of the important aspects are the same, so if you want to choose your own mouse and backpack or if you don't like the ones ASUS includes, the $1200 version is a great buy as well.killerclick - Sunday, April 18, 2010 - link
I don't get the point of gaming laptops. Where are you going to play games? On the bus? In class? In the park? Why? Where's the immersion in that? And for $1500? Sorry, I don't get it...SniperWulf - Sunday, April 18, 2010 - link
For those of us that travel a lot, something like this is a godsend.frozentundra123456 - Sunday, April 18, 2010 - link
For really serious PC gaming I would agree with you. However, I just bought a cheaper Asus for my grandson (12 years old) because he is moving out of state and we wanted to keep in touch with him via webcam, and also have a computer he could bring back with him when he visits us.However he does like to play games on the PC, so instead of getting a laptop and a desktop, we got an Asus G60 for 849.00 on close out at best buy. He can play games at moderate settings and still have a laptop to bring with him when he visits us, etc.
mofo3k - Monday, April 19, 2010 - link
I love having a gaming notebook. I'm not confined to sitting alone in my "cave" for hours on end. I can sit on the couch, go to a friends house, take it on trips and have everything right there. The best accessory I have is my Logitech Performance MX mouse with the micro usb receiver.The0ne - Monday, April 19, 2010 - link
For the most part I don't see it either. I travel quite often myself, to China, for business but rarely do I spend my free time playing game(s). That's not to say I don't but if I have more than an hour to kill I'll rather go out sight-seeing and touring rather than sitting in the hotel playing games. It just seems pathetic to do so when there is so much out there. But that's my preference and opinion. How one spends his/her free time is up to them.Having said that I wouldn't mind the company getting me a gaming laptop :) I don't mind carrying all the extra items since I consider it a good exercise :) My backpack with laptop weights 20+lbs and I lug it around for that very reason haha
Obeah - Sunday, April 18, 2010 - link
I have seen an X3 model that has a 640gb HD. Is this a single HD? If so, what do they do with the other drive bay? Is it empty, awaiting an SSD drive?Any chance we can get a follow up with a list all of the models/features?
JarredWalton - Monday, April 19, 2010 - link
According to [l=this page]http://www.em-zero.com/index.php/2010/02/everythin...[/l], the X3 version comes with two 320GB HDDs. That would make sense as the only 640GB 2.5" HDDs are 5400RPM models, so unless ASUS wants to downgrade RPMs for higher density a couple (older) 320GB 7200RPM drives is the easiest solution.Obeah - Wednesday, April 21, 2010 - link
Sweet, thanks!!mofo3k - Monday, April 19, 2010 - link
I don't know anyone who uses their notebook on battery power anymore, especially for gaming. I think that for me at least, it won't really be a deal breaker because if I just want to "surf the web" or check my Facebook account, I'll do that on my Droid. I don't have to break out the case, open it up, pull out the notebook, wait for it to boot up and try to find a comfortable place/position to set it in. Then when I'm done, have to reverse the process.If there's any pc segment that's still concerned with battery life, then they should get a netbook anyway. That's how it would work for me at least and others may differ in opinion I guess.
JarredWalton - Monday, April 19, 2010 - link
I agree that battery life isn't a real concern on a gaming notebook like this, but for regular notebooks it's definitely an important metric. I use laptops off battery power all the time. Sure, I could bring along the brick and plug it in, but that's inconvenient. If you get a CULV laptop or something similar with good battery life, you can work all day and never deal with any cords. As for why I run the tests on gaming notebooks, it's just for completeness' sake. :-)faizan123 - Monday, April 19, 2010 - link
http://www.xoticpc.com/asus-g73jha1-order-p-2731.h...It also includes a Bluray for some lesser price.
JarredWalton - Monday, April 19, 2010 - link
Yes, I think XoticPC is safe, though they also list the laptop as "pre-order" so it might be a few weeks before you get your laptop if you go through them. On the other hand, being able to customize the features of your G73Jh is nice. Not that there's much I'd recommend changing... 2x256GB C300 SSDs and an i7-920XM for only $4000! :-)http://www.resellerratings.com/store/Xotic_PC
faizan123 - Tuesday, April 20, 2010 - link
Ok But how about this http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Asus+-+Laptop+with+Int... . This has 6GB Ram and 500Gb of HDD which doesnt matter me much but what im really thinking of is the resolution of the screen which in the bestbuy case is just 1600 X 900 does it really make any difference. considering the difference in resolutions.JarredWalton - Tuesday, April 20, 2010 - link
Without testing that particular LCD, I have no idea how it performs, but there's a real chance the HD+ LCD is a dud as far as contrast. (Look at the W870CU HD+ LCD, for example--Clevo uses the same 1080p LCD as the G73Jh, but their HD+ unit stinks.) So if you're not worried about LCD quality, the $1200 Best Buy model has all of the performance shown here, just with a bit less RAM, one HDD, no backpack or mouse, and a lower resolution display.cadwerks.studios - Monday, April 19, 2010 - link
My favorite notebook and laptop company is still Malibalhttps://www.malibal.com
The World's Most Powerful Notebook For Graphics
... See More
Everywhere you look, companies claim to have the Ultimate Gaming Machine, but only at MALIBAL will you find a system that makes good on that promise and delivers performance worthy of the title. The new MALIBAL Veda Series gives you the ultimate gaming experience by taking speed to a whole new level. The state-of-the-art system utilizes SLI technology to take advantage of not one, but two of the fastest GPUs available from NVIDIA --the GeForce GTX 285M. With a gorgeous full HD widescreen display, the Veda is the fastest 18.4” display notebook available today. Beside its powerful performance and cutting-edge components, the Veda also features a futuristic design with a customizable luminous lighting array, buttonless luminescent touch sensor control panel, and eight unique programmable gaming keys that gives you total control with swift execution whether your passion is rooted in FPS, MMORPG, or RTS games.
Vibrant Cinematic Visuals
Whether you’re working on an important business document, watching a Blu-ray movie or playing a game, our 18.4-inch full HD widescreen display with a 1920x1080 pixel native resolution delivers enough screen real estate for all your needs. The widescreen display serves up vibrant colors and generous viewing angles, and provides brilliant clarity with theater-like viewing sensation for your favorite High-Definition content.
Three Hard Drives w/ RAID
Enjoy all the space you could ever want with industry-leading RAID-enabled fault tolerance storage capacities. The ultimate mobile data storage solution provides performance, utility, and security without compromising an internal optical drive.
Unique Programmable Gaming Buttons
The unit includes eight unique Gaming Buttons that are completely user-definable to allow ultimate control over your gaming experience. Whether your passion is rooted in FPS, MMORPG, or RTS games, the Veda is built to dominate with swift execution.
Slick and Futuristic
Revolutionize the way you control your notebook experience. The Veda’s Touch Sensor control panel is a state-of-the-art design featuring a buttonless luminous glassy panel with a touch sensor spread across the notebook. It provides control for the luminous appearance array, camera, Bluetooth, Wireless LAN, Application, Mute sound, and Volume with a single light touch. The customizable luminous lighting array lets you choose from 7 colors and transition effects across 3 distinct zones, front and rear vent panels.
Display: 18.4" 1920 x 1080 WUXGA LCD Active Matrix Display
Processor: Intel® Core™ i7-920XM, Extreme 8MB L3 Cache, 2.0-3.20GHz
Memory: (8GB) 8192MB, PC3-10660/1333MHz DDR3 - 2 SO-DIMM
Graphics Card: Dual NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 285M 1GB GDDR3
Hard Drive: 320GB 7200rpm 2.5" SATA-300
Hard Drive 2: 320GB 7200rpm 2.5" SATA-300
Hard Drive 3: 320GB 7200rpm 2.5" SATA-300
RAID: 0 High Performance (Two Hard Drive Configuration)
Optical Drive: 8X Multi DVD+/-R/RW RAM Dual-Layer Drive
Operating System: Microsoft® Windows® 7 Ultimate; 64-bit
Wireless: Intel® 6300 Ultimate-N 802.11A/B/G/N LAN and Bluetooth Card
Cooling: IC Diamond 7 Thermal Compound, CPU & GPU
Warranty: 3 Year Ltd. Parts and Labor Warranty with 24/7 USA-Based Support
Extras: Standard Black Carrying Case
Extras: Integrated 2.0 Megapixel Web Camera
Extras: Integrated 7 in 1 Card Reader
Extras: Integrated Fingerprint Reader
Extras: Microsoft Windows 7 DVD-ROM
Extras: MALIBAL Software & Drivers Disc
Extras: PowerDVD & Bison Cam Software Package
Software: Microsoft Office 2007 Professional Edition
$4,388.00
Now that's a notebook to make people drool over.
Dear ASUS can you please start making things like this?
JarredWalton - Tuesday, April 20, 2010 - link
I didn't say "fastest", I said "top", which is completely difference. The Malibal you just linked is yet another rebranded Clevo chassis, the X8100, which I mentioned at least once in this review. SLI GTX 285M is faster, but you lose DX11 support and you're paying nearly three times as much for that unit. So I'm not at all lazy but rather sensible. The number of people buying $4000+ laptops pales in comparison to those buying $1500 laptops.anishannayya - Monday, April 19, 2010 - link
Just though you might want to know.JarredWalton - Tuesday, April 20, 2010 - link
Added a new link to a laptop drive. They're hard to find in stock! :-)layman_user - Tuesday, April 20, 2010 - link
Can you guys also test the laptops for thermals? My friend bought a laptop recently and it "burns" when running games. Can you include some tests in your analysis to measure temperatures of chassis and cpu? It would be nice to know the "cool" laptops out thereJarredWalton - Tuesday, April 20, 2010 - link
Page 2 has the temperature information. If the exhaust is cool and the noise levels are low, it's pretty safe to say that the CPU and GPU aren't running hot.layman_user - Tuesday, April 20, 2010 - link
Thanks Jered. Can you guys do a comparision of 5 popular laptops for thermals? It would be interesting to see which laptop out there is the "coolest" .. Thermals is a huge factor these days and we hardly see any comparisions across notebooks for thermalsjfmeister - Tuesday, April 20, 2010 - link
Sorry to come in late, I haven't gone all the way through the comments, but I would really like to see a MSI GX640 Review or at least some comparison. It seems to be a great compromise in size, battery life & performance.Thanks!
FesterSilently - Tuesday, April 20, 2010 - link
Um...what about the Toshiba Qosmio Q870?http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=qosmio+q8...
Same price (~$1,400), slightly different specs:
Intel Core i7 720qm
2 x 2GB PC 10666
nVidia 360m (1GB GDDR5)
1680 x 945 native resolution*
1 x Hitachi 500GB HDD (7200rpm)
Mitsumi Blu-Ray burner
I mention this as an alternative/comparison gaming laptop...well, mainly because it IS! ;-D
I'm curious as to how the 360m compares (in general) to the mobile 5870, though...DX11 aside.
*I understand the (aesthetic and practical) difference between 1920 x 1080 and 1680 x 945, but I think of it as a benefit: a) that's some TINY goddamned font, etc. on that hi-res/tiny 17" screen, vs. b) better GPU performance because of the slightly lower resolution on the Toshiba, neh?
JarredWalton - Tuesday, April 20, 2010 - link
It's not just the resolution that changed, though. That LCD may be a good contrast ratio or it may not. By and large, 95% of LCD panels for laptops right now are crap, so the odds are against it. For $1400, it's not a bad laptop, and the Blu-ray drive makes it a viable alternative. As a gaming laptop, though, the G73Jh is clearly the superior choice based on specs alone. Even if the LCD is the same quality, I'd still go for the ASUS.As far as performance, the GT360M is a 96 SP part with 128-bit RAM, so the GTX 280M in the Clevo W870CU is going to perform about 30% faster at a guess. Whether the particular unit has GDDR5 or GDDR3 is going to be pretty important... The Toshiba has 1GB GDDR5, so all told it's about the same bandwidth as the GTX 280M but still nowhere near as much shader processing power. It will be slower than the GTX 260M as well, and we have results for that on 3DMark at least (page 6).
FesterSilently - Tuesday, April 20, 2010 - link
Interesting (and, if you hadn't guessed, I *own* said Qosmio, and, I lovelovelove it...except for the dark, murky screen...you are correct) - thanks for the reply, sir.jjcpa - Tuesday, April 20, 2010 - link
I am not a gamer and use laptop for photo editing (photoshop). Is G73 a good buy for my purpose? The spec and price is very attractive. Only concern is display. Other laptops meet my need are Dell M6500/M17, Lenovo W701, HP Elitebook 8740p, but cost for them over $3000 if the displays are RGBLED or IPS. The only option left in my price range is Dell XPS 16 (1645). But XPS 16 with RGBLED and similar spec as G73 are over $2000. And I can get G73 at $1550 Canadian dollar. I saw your comparison for display. Except gamut, compared to XPS 16, G73's display is ok. I would like to hear your opinion in this area.My current laptop is Lenono T61 with WUXGA. Any opinion how this compared to G73's screen
thank you very much
JarredWalton - Wednesday, April 21, 2010 - link
If you're super concerned with image quality and accuracy, there's no beating IPS desktop displays IMO. The RGBLED displays have a high color gamut, but desktop LCDs are equal or better and you can get matte panels without spending an arm and a leg. If you're not quite so finicky, I think the G73Jh will work fine in Photoshop. I've used an XPS 16 for image editing as well as playing around with the G73Jh, and the G73Jh panel is better than 95% of laptop LCDs. It's still worse than most PVA/MVA/IPS desktop panels, but no one is doing those in laptops these days (iPad notwithstanding).mindbomb - Tuesday, April 20, 2010 - link
no temperature results from full load?JarredWalton - Wednesday, April 21, 2010 - link
Page 2 - the temperature data listed was for worst-case. The G73Jh simply never broke a sweat. Perhaps in the summer in a non-AC apartment/house it will run louder/hotter, but that would apply to any notebook.brucek2 - Tuesday, April 20, 2010 - link
Timely article for me since I'm about to be in the market for a gaming laptop. No particular comment but wanted to let you know I appreciated the article and also the continued discussion here in the comments.swaaye - Wednesday, April 21, 2010 - link
You guys might want to know that these babies have some issues with quality control.I bought one from the Egg and it was great until I installed Cat 10.3 and then the GPU became extremely unstable. RMAed the notebook because others aren't having this problem. Then I saw Best Buy had them in stock so got one there, and got a bad LCD. Returned it and got one that only saw 2GB out of 6GB. That's 3 defectives out of 5 (I returned one good one to Best Buy to get the cheaper model with one HDD and 6GB instead of 8).
I'm not alone on this. And ASUS RMA sucks horribly so you better buy from a store that takes no nonsense returns. Newegg is a bit of a pain in this way.
sna2 - Sunday, April 25, 2010 - link
Hi guys,Just a tip , make that Editor choice logo a link to a list of editor choices page ...
poodleswithguns - Monday, April 26, 2010 - link
how the hell did you get batman to run at a crisp 82 frames per second in very-high detail. i have mine, at home and my average fps is like 36.7 at the max its 44. what did you do to the computer that made ir tun at almost twice as many frames per second them my model?actually to be honest, almost all the benchmarks are high. i mean mine doesn't get that, and the youtube videos of the games benchmarked on other like units arn't running frames that high.
let me know because i'd love to get the extra power from the computer.
jackiethewitch - Tuesday, May 11, 2010 - link
He ran the benchmarks at 1600x900. You're probably defaulting to 1920x1080. Doesn't matter. 82 fps at 1600x900 is not as nice as 44 fps at 1920x1080.Chastity - Thursday, April 29, 2010 - link
So far I have only 2 quibbles about the unit:1) No RAID Support. Bit of a downer, especially since many configs come with paired hdds. I suppose the logic was that gamers would get a SSD to boot and run apps from. (My P-7805u has RAID :p)
2) The Wifi card is a bit of a letdown with the AR2985. Only 2.4Ghz band and 150mbps max transfer rates. Thankfully, it's easily remedied with a replacement card, like the Intel 6200. Also, I would LOVE to see laptop makers still run THREE wires for antennaes, even if you don't use all three.
Heat: Not a problem. There even are no vents on the bottom, and only gets warm during load, and not close to hot. Air comes in from the front subwoofer intake, and out the back ports. Lovely. And no additional noise from laptop coolers.
Audio: It's a nice sounding unit for a laptop, but it's still laptop speakers. I still prefer headphones, and the CMSS-3D Headphone mode is great for gaming. Very accurate spatial cues.
jackiethewitch - Tuesday, May 11, 2010 - link
I went computer hunting over a month ago, stumbled across this while looking at various options, and found one of these in Canada (www.canadacomputers.com) for $1699 CDN. At the time I was considering building a new desktop, but this was priced so aggressively it convinced me. (and more importantly, it convinced my husband.)I found a few decent reviews online, but nothing this comprehensive. Seeing after the fact what a great deal I got makes me very happy, Jarred! (Although you're not the first review I've read, just the most in depth.) I my only wish would be that you'd benchmarked the high end gaming at 1080p max resolution (I've been playing Dragon Age and Mass Effect 2 with absolutely maxed out settings and they're quite playable).
Caution on the cheaper Best-Buy models --they only come with a 1 year manufacturer's warranty, unlike the 2 year one on the Asus standard retail models. Best Buy will charge you several hundred dollars to purchase one. When combined with the extras and different specifications, this makes the "deal" suspect.
My thoughts, after using it a month:
As Jarred said, this thing runs cool and nearly silent. Heat isn't an issue.
Arkham Asylum + XBox360 Wired Controller + G73jh-A2 + HDMI Cable + Samsung 52" LCD Television >>>>> PS3 + Arkham Asylum on the same television.
Nothing I play has caused this thing to break a sweat.
The included mouse is...odd. I'm not a fan. With the one peice plastic molding on top, the mouse buttons are too easily depressed by your hand resting on top of it. It's like there's no support preventing someone from pushing them down by accident.
1TB isn't enough for me anymore. :( I've realized my tendency to squirrel away media and large files automatically expands to fill all available space.
I'm a very small woman. This is a very large backpack and computer. I'm sure the image is comical when I'm walking with it.
MinaAndrei - Wednesday, July 21, 2010 - link
I have this computer from over 2 years and i like it very very much.No signs of weak.It runs all the games that i through to him all the modern games like:Cod Modern warfare,L4D2,A vs P,Crysis,Gta 4 and a lot lot others.i run all thus games at max settings.Asus G73jh is the best gaming laptop i had ever had.It's the "Best money can buy".I love my computer.Maybe i have some gramatical mistakes in my english because i'm from Romania.
(Romania is in Europe)
ost2010 - Thursday, August 19, 2010 - link
Comparing the G73JH with the Qosmio Q888Both have 1920x1080 full HD displays but the Qosmio has a larger screen at 18.4'.
Maybe a little lower on RAM (4GB), HDD (500GB) and GPU (Gefore GTS 360M) but also advances with the i7 740 QM processor and the Bluray.
They are both about the same price and differ slightly in specs. But I heard it had alot of heat issues, what would you say about that?
And for gaming would the difference between them be that much of a difference?