ASUS G74SX-A1 Gaming Notebook Review Comment Thread

[SKYMTL]

The words "gaming" and "notebook" used to be mutually exclusive but as technology has become more efficient, combining high performance components into a reasonably priced notebook is now possible. ASUS has been leading the charge towards value oriented portable gaming and their new G74SX-A1 with its GTX 560M graphics card and sub-$1800 could be perfect for enthusiasts and newcomers alike.

Read more here: ASUS G74SX-A1 Gaming Notebook Review


Since this is our first notebook review, any feedback would be very much appreciated so we can adapt the review to your needs / wants.

[mikellini]

I think it's just silly that the fastest GPU available is the 560m. I can think of half a dozen games that would be impossible to play at 1080p with high settings/AA; and that's before you start thinking 3D. They really should have offered more options...

Good review though. I'd like to see you review the m14x, or some of the other new alienware laptops. The m18x has dual 580m's as an option I think... That would be impressive. Think it has optimus too

[enaberif]

Good review. Its nice to see they have now progressed to the G74 and retired the G73 name. I've always loved the G73 series for a good gaming desktop replacement and the G74 seems to have taken over well for the G73!

Did this laptop have the backlit keyboard with adjustable brightness? The G73 had this.

[SKYMTL]

and the necessary buttons for manually dimming the keyboard’s backlight

There ya go.

[Grampa]

Thanks for the great review Sky!!

Its like you read my mind, I was looking into a desktop replacement, to downsize...
This was one model I was considering.

Looking forward to future notebook reviews from HWC.
Keep up the great work folks!

[Galcobar]

Friend of mine picked this up -- he was also looking at the Toshiba Quosimo, but availability (or lack thereof) meant he went for the one he'd seen and handled personally. Turns out it was a good idea since the new Quosimo doesn't have a 1080P screen unless you go for the 3D version.

He reports the G74's not that bad heat-wise for laptop use, as long as it's not being too stressed. It is a monster of a machine though, definitely a portable desktop rather than a laptop, unless you're using a recliner.

[SKYMTL]

FYI, future reviews will also have WiFi testing. I'm going to be setting up 6 wireless routers, each with its own network address at different levels / areas throughout our duplex. The first 2-4 should be easy to pick up for every notebook (being on the 1st and second levels) but the fifth and sixth will be a huge challenge since they will be in the garage and basement.

As it stands, my Vaio Z picks up all 6 while the ASUS G74SX picks up all six as well. The N53SV on the other hand sees 4 while the Samsung Series 9 I have for an upcoming review sees...well, a lot less than that.

[enaberif]

Originally Posted by SKYMTL

FYI, future reviews will also have WiFi testing. I'm going to be setting up 6 wireless routers, each with its own network address at different levels / areas throughout our duplex. The first 2-4 should be easy to pick up for every notebook (being on the 1st and second levels) but the fifth and sixth will be a huge challenge since they will be in the garage and basement.

As it stands, my Vaio Z picks up all 6 while the ASUS G74SX picks up all six as well. The N53SV on the other hand sees 4 while the Samsung Series 9 I have for an upcoming review sees...well, a lot less than that.

Sounds like a great idea! Make sure to include the brand of wireless adapter in the laptops too. I've noticed that you generally get three different makes Intel, Realtek, and Broadcom. I've had ok success with Broadcom but great success with Intel.

[SKYMTL]

Will do. It shouldn't be any harder than going into the Device Manager and checking it out.

As for the performance, I have found that antenna quality / size / location has much more impact than the controller type.

[chrisk]

Some adapters are dual band as well which might be helpful for those with dual-band routers. Good review as always.