ASUS G74SX-A1 17.3-Inch Gaming Laptop - Republic of Gamers Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I'm extremely pleased with this purchase and would recommend looking for a gaming / high performance laptop. I've been using the Asus G74sx-A1 literally as a laptop. When I purchased it I was concerned about its size and weight, however after many 5+ hour sessions I'm still comfortable with the notebook on my lap and the mouse on the arm rest of my sofa.
****Disclaimer****
I'm using a OCZ Vertex 3 120gb SSD as the boot drive.
******************
Pro -
* Performance is perfect for the applications I run: World of Warcraft(settings high-ultra), VMware running multiple guest machines, minecraft, starcraft 2 (settings ultra)and adobe products.
* The LCD screen itself has vibrant colors
* Fans are silent! Heat is almost non-existent anywhere on the laptop aside from what the vents are blowing out.
* Keyboard layout is comfortable, the back-lit keys are a nice touch.
* Installing upgrades is so easy. The access panel on the underside of the laptop is easy to open. Components are laid out well and are easy to reach / access.
* Running Linux Mint and Back Track with no issues.

Cons -
* Keyboard performance, at times key presses are missed. It might be the way I hit the keys or a driver issue. I'm currently using the atk 1.10 driver.
* Speaker sound quality is fine but the overall volume seems to be a bit low.
A SSD in my opinion is a fantastic upgrade for most systems. Money well spent.
In the next week I'll be installing SolidWorks to test out some 3D CAD action.
If you have any questions please feel free to ask, I'll do my best to respond in a reasonable amount of time.

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The Choice of Champions No One Comes Close The world of portable gaming has a new reigning king. The G74 is a performance notebook that imposes its will with the combined power of a second generation Intel® Core™ i7-2630QM CPU and NVIDIA® GTX 560M GPU with 3GB of GDDR5 VRAM. A score of P2008 in 3DMark11 and P9180 in 3DMark Vantage takes over the reins as the fastest notebook in the land. Support for DirectX®11 ensures that you'll not only have the fastest rig in town, but also the ability to play games as they were meant to be seen for a long time. Plus, its 17.3-inch LED-backlit Full HD display delivers the latest in high-definition entertainment with brilliant 1080p playback. The ROG G74SX-A1 breaks from the heard of traditional gaming notebooks with built-in overclocking features through the ASUS Power4Gear Hybrid utility—instantly giving you extreme power with a push of a button. The ROG G74SX-A1 also boasts a massive 1.5TB 7200RPM hard drive, 12GB DDR3 system memory, Blu-ray Combo drive, high-speed wireless N, SuperSpeed USB 3.0 connectivity, Bluetooth v2.1, HDMI connectivity, 2.0 megapixel camera, and stereo speakers with EAX Advanced HD 5.0 sound.

Key Features
17.3-inch LED-backlit FullHD displayfor immersive cinematic experience with resolution up to 1920 x 1080(Learn more)
2nd generation Intel Core i7-2630QM processor with Intel Turbo Boost 2.0 Technology for the best visibly smart performance that adapts to your needs(Learn more)
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M graphics with 3GB GDDR5 VRAM for leading DirectX 11 gaming (Learn more)
ASUS Power4Gear Hybrid that innovatively saves battery life and delivers extreme performance (Learn more)
SuperSpeed USB 3.0 for quicker device charging and up to 10x faster transfers than USB 2.01
1.5TB 7200RPM hard drive and 12GB of DDR3 system memory for smooth computing and ample storage for all your games and media files(Learn more)
Backlit gaming keyboard with ergonomic tilt-up design for comfortable control in any lighting environment
EAX Advanced HD 5.0 Audio for premium gaming sound

Learn More
Relax, ASUS Has You Covered Ranked as the #1 most reliable PC brand by 3 independent sources,2 readers and editors alike choose ASUS as their trusted notebook and netbook. ASUS tirelessly strives to exceed expectations of quality to ensure you an unmatched peace of mind every time you start your PC. This notebook is also backed by the industry's most comprehensive warranty.
2 Year ASUS Global Warranty3 Offers a level of coverage that would add hundreds of dollars to the price of competing laptops:
2 year global warranty
30 day Flawless Display Guarantee
2-way free standard shipping
24/7 tech support

1 Year Accidental Damage Protection (ADP)3 Whether your notebook is damaged by accidental spills, drops, electrical surges, or fire, ASUS will fix it or replace it for you during the first year after purchase.
Covers accidental drops, spills, power surges, and fire damage
Target 3 business day turnaround time for repair / replacement; not including receiving and shipping time
1-way shipping (from ASUS to the user) at no additional cost
24/7 toll-free phone support

What's in the Box
ROG G74SX-A1
AC Adapter
8 cell Battery Pack
Warranty Information Card

Specifications
OperatingSystem: Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
Display: 17.3-inch Full HD display (1920 x 1080)
Processor: 2nd generation Intel Core i7-2630QM quad-core processor (2.0 GHz with Turbo Boost 2.0 up to 2.9 GHz)
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M 3GB GDDR5 VRAM
WLAN: 802.11 b/g/n (@ 2.4GHz), Bluetooth v2.1
LAN: 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet
Memory: 12GB DDR3 SDRAM, 4 x SODIMM Sockets (up to 16GB)
Storage:1.5TB 7200RPM hard drive (2 x 750GB HDD)
Optical Drive: Blu-Ray Combo drive
Camera: 2.0 megapixel
Speakers: Stereo speakers with EAX 5.0 sound
Microphone: Digital Array Microphone
Card Reader: 8-in-1 card reader (MMC/SD/Mini-SD/XD/Memory stick/MS Pro/MS-Duo/MS-Pro Duo)
Input/ Output: 1 x Mic-in, 1 x Headphone-out, 1 x VGA port/Mini D-Sub 15-pin for external monitor, 3 x USB 2.0 ports, 1 x USB 3.0 port, 1 x Gigabit LAN, 1 x HDMI
Battery: 8 cell
Dimensions: 16.5 x 12.8 x2.4–inches (W x D x H)
Weight: 9.4lbs (with 8 cell battery)
Color: Black

© 2011 ASUS Computer International. All Rights Reserved. ASUS is a registered trademark of ASUSTeK Computer. All specifications and terms are subject to change without notice. Please check with your supplier for exact offers on selected models. Products may not be available in all markets. Product may not be exactly as shown in photos.

1All figures theoretical values compared to USB 2.0 benchmarks for reference purposes. Actual speed depends on device and system status. 2Rated number 1 Windows-based PC maker in PCMag.com's Service & Reliability Report 2010. Rated number 1 PC brand according to SquareTrade, the leading direct-to-consumer warranty company (for more information visit http://www.squaretrade.com/pages/laptop-reliability-1109/ ). Rated number 1 reliable PC maker in Q2 2010's RESCUECOM report http://www.rescuecom.com/2010-2nd-Quarter-Computer-Reliability-Report.html 3ASUS reserves the right to exclude certain SKUs; check with your retailer to confirm coverage of specific models. Valid for notebooks purchased in the US and Canada only. Certain retailers do not participate in ADP coverage. For complete details, please visit: usa.asus.com/event/ASUS360 and adw.asus.com/.

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