This Asus 74SX-DH73-3D laptop has gone way beyond my expectations!
I have trouble even finding words to describe this laptop. Beautiful, sleek, powerful and truely plays games incredibly well! Looks like a stealth jet and built like a tank! I bought this laptop to play Battlefield 3 and Skyrim (when it comes out), never seeing a laptop play graphically intense games as well as a gaming desktop, I was doubtful. But after loading BF3 and firing it up, those doubts disappeared instantly! The auto graphic settings in the game set everything to ultra and high and plays at those levels without a glitch. Come on Skyrim!
I did plenty of research and comparisons between this and other Asus g74,g73 and g53 models and the DH73-3D model won out, even despite its price. All the issues that other models have had have been fixed in this model. I keep trying to find a con or issue with this laptop but haven't yet other then the 3D mode switch next to the power switch only switched between different power modes until I did the 203 BIOs update(which was easy as pie, lol). This fixed the button to act only as a switch to turn on or off the 3D and switching between different power modes is now controlled by the function btn and space bar. Have I mentioned this laptop is freaking Sweet!!! 120hz Screen is WOW!!!! Worth the price difference from the models without it.
The 3D is amazing and works so effortlessly. I bought a 3D Blu-ray to test out the 3D movie aspect, beautiful. Just pop it in and put on your glasses and enjoy. Gaming in 3D also is really amazing, cool and has brought life to some of my older games like CounterStrike Source. The first time I started CSS on this laptop (and haven't adjusted any settings yet), the game started and it was playing in 3D, talk about taking an old game and turning it into a new one. I didn't even know CSS could be played in 3D. Can't wait to test it with other games. Amazing!
I really like the included gaming mouse, in fact I have been using it instead of my Logitech G700, it reminds me a lot of the older Logitech MX gaming mice. Didn't find much of any bloat-ware. If you are planning to reload OS, at least start it up and do the online registration and don't forget to mail in your warranty card asap also. Sound is loud and clear. When I plug in my headphones, it only gets better.
The cooling truely is amazing, after playing BF3 for a few hours and then stopping, the air coming out of the back cools off in minutes showing how well it dissapates heat and runs cool.
I've always (over 15yrs) used Asus when building gaming desktops and pc's and have never been disappointed, and this laptop just confirmed that Asus is still the best.
This thing is big and heavy but to me, both of those terms mean badass. This thing blows away my gtx/quad-core desktop. Go sit next to a Mac user with this laptop and you will see them start changing there mind about pc's.
In short, this Laptop is worth every penny and once I add my new SSD, I don't think I could be any happier with a laptop. If you want the best, this is it! Do it, join us, the Republic (of Gamers) wants you!
(Update 11-11-11)
Skyrim runs flawlessly on this computer, auto-detect sets the graphics to ultra settings and playing it in 3D is even more awesome.
Added SSD drive, So now its even quicker and a little lighter, worth the upgrade.
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=== The Good ===
This laptop performs well as a result of the pairing of a quick CPU, a quick GPU, and plenty of RAM for each. I purchased this laptop to use for game playing and game programming and I'm pleased with the performance of both. The keyboard and chassis stay cool even after being on all day, so cool that it's very difficult to tell if the laptop is on by feel.... it feels like room temperature to me. The screen hinge does a good job of keeping the screen in a steady position even as I type this review while sitting on a couch with the laptop on my lap. The matte screen is bright and crisp, with a much nicer surface coating texture than my desktop IPS LCDs. I haven't used the 3D glasses much yet, but even so I recommend this model over the other G74SX models that lack the 3D display since the matte screen and very high brightness capabilities of the 3D panel make it possible to work in what would otherwise have been poor lighting conditions for the dimmer, glossy-screened 2D models.
The memory configuration this laptop ships with is three 4GB DDR3-1333 SODIMMs, two DIMMs in one bank, and a single DIMM in the other bank. Mine shipped with the same Samsung 1.5v DIMMs mentioned on other reviews on the internet. Because I write a lot of code that can take advantage of more memory, and because having a non-uniform memory configuration can cause performance irregularities I decided to upgrade to 16GB. I was unable to locate a reliable source for a fourth, matching Samsung DIMM so I bought four 4GB DIMMs DDR-1333 DIMMs that Crucial recommends for this system. As a bonus the DIMMs from Crucial only require 1.35v, which should help further reduce the laptop's temperature compared to the original 1.5v DIMMs. Eager to use the laptop, I ran just a single pass of Memtest86+, but so far, so good. I've not experienced a single bluescreen or any application instability, and my WEI Memory score went up by 0.1 point.
I wanted a faster boot and applications drive so I swapped out the primary 750GB WD Black drive for a Intel 320 Series 160 GB SATA 3.0 SSD. I'm very pleased with the boot, login, and overall responsiveness improvements. After installing the SSD I installed Windows 7 Ultimate x64.
edit 28 Nov 2011
I have also since replaced the secondary hard drive with a Samsung 830 Series 128 GB SATA III SSD, also with great results.
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I also wanted a wireless card with better support in other operating systems and a better reputation for good performance than the wireless card this laptop shipped with an AzureWave AW-NB037H, so I purchased and installed an Intel 6230 WiFi + Bluetooth 3.0 adapter. Installation was painless, and fn+F2 (the enable/disable wireless button) works great still.
edit 28 Nov 2011
I've now put about 60-70GB of data across the Intel WiFi card's network link.... no problems with drop outs or performance.
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I also picked up this Right Angle 90 Degree Converter for 5.5 x 2.5mm Connector LC53 adapter for the power cable to ensure that the power cable didn't get in the way of my mouse. It works great, but may have been unnecessary based upon where I'm finding I keep my mouse.
After my modifications, my WEI scores are:
Processor: 7.5
Memory: 7.6
Graphics: 7.2
Gaming Graphics: 7.2
Primary hard disk: 7.7
After installing Win 7 Ultimate I found a good reference of where to get the latest drivers for this system on the Republic of Gamers Forum. I was pleased to discover that this laptop, even with the 3DVision support, can use the stock video drivers from the Nvidia website.
edit 28 Nov 2011
At night sometimes the display was feeling a bit too bright, so I installed the Asus Splendid app/driver so I could quickly swap color profiles and found one of the color profiles it includes is a lot easier on the eyes.
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The laptop is sturdy, has a pleasant feel, and the keyboard spacing is very comfortable. A nice backpack and gaming mouse ship with the laptop.
=== The Not-so-Good ===
There are lots of mentions of keyboard woes with the G74SX on the internet, I wasn't sure what to expect. I'm running the 2.0.3 BIOS and latest keyboard filter and ATK drivers. Here's what I found... quite a few keys needed to be broken in a bit to register properly, when encountering a missed keystroke, I carefully exercised the offending key about a dozen times, the key feel noticeably changes for the better and all is well. The only on-going issues I'm experiencing are:
if I hit the left-most or right-most edge of the left arrow key I can basically press it all the way down without it registering. It was easy to learn not to do this... to write this review I had to hunt around to remember which key it was that had this issue.
my right shift key will stick in the down position (and registering as being down) if I push it all the way down by pushing on the center of the bottom edge of the key. To get it un-stuck I have to gently lift the top center of the key using a finger nail. I've also found this very easy to avoid doing... all I have to do is only push down on keys when my finger tips aren't on the edge of a key.
Sometimes the fn+something key combinations seem not to register... no idea what's going on here... I think it's usually when I've hit the same combination several times in a row before the on screen indicator pops up. For example if I'm changing the sound volume or screen brightness.
edit 28 Nov 2011
So F3 definitely requires more force than the rest of the keys to register a keystroke. This was a bit annoying in Minecraft though it didn't get long for me to get used to hitting the key a bit harder. For whatever reason I think I tend to type lighter on my laptop keys than my desktop keyboard. The amount of force needed to make F3 work on my laptop keyboard is less than my normal typing pressure on my desktop keyboard.
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All that said I've experienced none of these keyboard issues while programming, gaming, or writing this review. So, yes, keyboards really ought never have these issues, but I'm finding these issues are rarely triggered in my normal usage of the laptop, and thus don't spoil the experience.
Additionally the slippery surface of my trackpad appears to be a sticker, and it's installed ever so slightly out of alignment such that the lower left hand corner sticks up a very tiny amount. Looks curable with a sharp crafting knife, but I haven't had the time to try that remedy. This hasn't caused any issues, just something I noticed while inspecting my laptop.
While writing this review I just noticed that the trim in front of the trackpad buttons can make some popping noises under relatively heavy pressure. (I wasn't paying attention when trying to click a trackpad button and pushed down hard on the trim and it made stiff buttony sounds.)
=== Conclusion ===
I'm very happy with this purchase, and I'm glad I opted for the 3D model with the bright, matte screen. I'm enjoying gaming on this laptop more that on my faster, purpose-built desktop which is not at all what I expected when I bought this.
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I have had this PC for about two weeks. I was agonizing between this machine and the Alienware X18. I finally decided on this unit due to comparable hardware at a much better price, and reliability ratings as high as anything on the market. I couldn't be happier with my first impressions of the ASUS.
My main concerns with a PC are the things I spend the most time with... the display and the keyboard. The screen is stunning and bright with the perfect anti-glare coating. I had read that the Alienware machine has a very high gloss screen and was like a mirror. If you hate those type of screens (as I do), then you are in for a treat on the ASUS. Did I say stunning?
Next the keyboard. I was hesitant due to other reviews about missed keystrokes and a dislike for the "chiclet" style keys , but I've found it quite comfortable and have had no issues with missed strokes. The larger engraved letters and back-lit keys are an awesome aid to my 56 year old eyes. The separate number pad with the wide space between it and the other keys is a nice touch. The touch pad, although I really don't use it much, is large and responsive.
I'm not a game player, but rather a web/media/CAD/application developer who needed a robust desktop replacement with the guts to burn through some of my processor and graphics intensive work. I have yet to bog this thing down (or even make it breathe hard), and it does it all in quiet and cool style. I really can't hear any noise or feel any heat even when working for hours with this brick on my lap. For me, it's been virtually silent.
I REALLY like the sturdy feel and rugged look. Big, yes. Heavy, yes. Sweet, yes. 3D is a bonus and the glasses work well (with the demo provided).
If you are considering this unit, then I highly recommend it. If you are still hedging, ASUS is available at Best Buy so you might want to give one of their models a hands-on review before clicking the "Buy It" button.
Honest reviews on ASUS G74SX-DH73-3D 17.3-Inch 3D Gaming Laptop - Replublic of
This is my review of Asus G74SX-DH73-3DE model laptop.
NOTE: This review is typed after installing Sentelic Touchpad driver v9.1.7.7. Before that (with driver version 9.1.3.5 or earlier), I could not type anything on ASUS G74SX. This driver seems to make the laptop bearable. New driver made me think there is a chance of keeping this laptop, while I was almost on the verge of returning it. Ironically, this driver is not even available easily on the Asus website. That means Asus people did not bother to look at thousands of posts complaining about touchpad and keyboard problems. If they did, they do not want to show the solution by posting these updated drivers on their drivers list. Their "Asus Live Update" utility is one worthless misleading app that started telling me that `all drivers are up-to-date' from day one, all the while I was updating drivers left and right with newer versions. How did I find these latest drivers? I had two weeks to spare and Google on my side (nothing can hide from Google, even if Asus wants to hide their latest drivers).
Now that I vented my frustration, here is my review of the laptop features.
Physical features:
Heavy at 9.7 pounds. Power brick (2.5 pounds) comes with a long cord. Screen size is 17.3", but the overall size is larger. It does not fit in normal 17" size laptop bags. Asus provides a backpack free. Together with mouse and other accessories, total weight could reach about 14-15 pounds, barely fit for traveling on flights. It has solid and sturdy build. Keyboard has num-pad spread out to the right and arrow keys spatially separated. Touchpad is big (more on it later). Upgrading the hardware is easy due to the placement of hard drives and memory. A simple plate secures them with a single screw and press tabs.
My laptop came with the following specs:
ASUS G74SX-DH73-3D Intel Quad Core i7-2670QM (2.20GHz) Processor, 17.3" Full HD (1920x1080 @ 120Hz) "3D" LED Display, 12GB DDR3 1333MHz Memory, 1.5TB (750GB 7200RPM x 2) Hard Drive, Blu-Ray Burner, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M 3GB GDDR5 Graphics Card, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit, Bluetooth V3.0 / USB 3.0 / Illuminated Keyboard / 3D Vision Kit
Keyboard:
Looks and feels good. Without appropriate ATK driver, you will not be able to use it due to the lag. You could type as fast as you want, but you will only see few keystrokes registered. It has single key layout (Chiclet keys) mounted through an aluminum plate. This makes it sturdy and it can withstand furious typing when you're using your keyboard for game play. Keyboard is backlit but back lights are not turned on until you boot (if you have a boot up password, you have to type it in the dark). Keys are not overloaded (no hot keys) and most functions are on the fn-keys. Other reviewers complained about problems with registering multiple keypresses, some keys not working well, etc. Arrow keys are also hot keys for media playback (fast forward, rewind, play/pause, stop). These keys have significant lag when you use to navigate in a word document or browser. Arrow/media keys are spaced out and are placed between keyboard and number pad. Home, pgup, pgdn, and end keys are above num-pad all the way to the right making them not usable for most office work.
Screen:
Bright (good for sunny outdoors if you can take it out), crisp, matte (no annoying reflections), good viewing angles, 3D capable. Nicely tucked in the black frame. The display is fixed to the base using single sturdy hinge. Its range of motion is between closed to about 135 degrees bent backwards (it does not bend flat backwards).
Touchpad:
This is the worst component of this laptop and makes every other nice feature pretty much unusable. Mine came with Sentelic Touchpad (never heard of them). It caused/causing so much frustration to me and my family members who tried to use it. This could be a deal breaker. No amount of description can convey the problems accurately. I feel the only way to use this laptop is to totally disable the touchpad. It is a big touchpad plush mounted with surrounding surface. Buttons are also plush mounted. Its placement is below F/C and L/. keys. When you place your hand on the home row of the keyboard, you will cover more than half the touchpad with your palms. Unless you strain your wrist, there is no way to avoid touching this touchpad. Since it is not recessed, you will not feel it. Attempting to press the buttons is challenging because there is no spatial differentiation. You have to gaze down at it to see the buttons. On top of these challenges, the cursor keeps jumping around the screen randomly with up-to-date driver from Asus website (v9.1.3.5 or earlier). What you can do is: download a more up-to-date driver (Google search: Sentelic Touchpad Driver 9.1.7.7), which has a feature called `Asus SmartSense'. It simply disables the touchpad when you are typing and enables it when you touch on a configured spot. As I specified at the beginning, this makes it bearable. It still causes cursor jumping, but less often. Here is what Asus says: "ASUS SmartSense is useful to users whose hands may unintentionally touch the pad while typing at keyboard. With ASUS SmartSense enabled, the pad is disabled while user is typing at the keyboard. The pad keeps disabled until finger moves on the activation region which is a circle you can configure by specifying the center and the size." As I use this laptop more, I figured it just makes it more bearable, but not good enough. Asus says: "Inspiring Innovation, Persistent Perfection". I think they are inspiring us to innovate solutions to the problems they created. They have to be persistent to make it perfect, because they are not getting it right in first or second attempt (this problem existed from earlier model G73). In these two weeks, I learned so much about Asus that I never knew. I am guessing all other reviewers who gave 5 stars do not use the touchpad.
Performance:
I upgraded it with Crucial 256 GB SSD and total 24 GB memory (win 7 home premium can use only 16GB, but Ubuntu Linux was able to use 24GB so mother board has no problem with up to 32GB). My Windows Experience Index now shows the following:
Processor: 7.5, Memory: 7.6, Graphics: 7.2, Gaming Graphics: 7.2, Primary hard disk: 7.9
With this configuration, it feels like it is flying. Even with highest loads, laptop was cool and silent (you could confidently say, it is a cool laptop!). It takes about 5 seconds to get the boot up password. After SSD upgrade, windows boots up in about 15 seconds (to get login icons). Once password is entered, it takes another 15 seconds to load desktop/initial programs. Only problem I noticed with the graphics card is that at 1920x1080, it could only serve external displays at 60Hz, not at 120Hz available for laptop screen. I noticed some frames skipped when connected to LG 3D TV via HDMI cable. When running the 3D demo connected to external TV, I saw some scenes skipped altogether. When playing `Need For Speed: Shift', I could see some frames blacked out, more so on external screen than on laptop screen, but I could see flickering on both. These problems probably could be eliminated by reducing the frame rate/frequency.
Battery Life:
Battery can last from 1 hour up to 4 hours depending on usage. If you put laptop in Battery Saving mode, you will see better battery life but overall performance is only suitable for basic tasks. In High Performance mode, you could run down the battery in an hour.
UPDATE 01/19/12: BD Player & DVD Burning
Blu-Ray discs play well. I viewed 'Pirates of the Caribbean' 3D BD, it looks great. With Active Shutter Glasses it appears slightly better on Asus screen compared to playing in 3D on Panasonic BD Player connected to LG 3D TV with passive glasses (both at 120Hz). Playing on Asus and connecting to external LG 3D TV works at 60Hz only.
DVD Burning takes about 2+1+3 minutes (burn+finalize+verify) for an ISO image (nearly full on disc).
UPDATE 01/19/12: Wireless
I tested wireless connection with 802.11g at 10/5 speeds, no loss noticed. I don't have router with N, so I could not verify packet loss reported with 802.11n.
UPDATE 01/23/12: Camera and Microphone
I used built in camera and Microphone for Google talk and video chat. Picture quality was good. Microphone picks up voice well and other side could see and hear very clearly. On my side, I could hear little bit of (microphone) echo through speakers. Probably I need to adjust Realtek driver configuration.
UPDATE 01/23/12: Still having some issues with touchpad (BIOS 203, Sentelic 9.1.7.7 driver with customized activation area for SmartSense). Surprisingly, touchpad has very few problems with default driver in Ubuntu Linux. I still have two family members very unhappy with it (Windows users). Looks like I am going to return it at this point (I am not expecting much to find in configuration or drivers to improve its behavior).
UPDATE 01/23/12: *** Asus Service and Support ***
I took out my upgraded memory and SSD. After inserting the original hard drives back, it booted up from primary drive, but does not recognize the secondary drive. The ribbon cable that connects the drive seems loose, but can't do much with that part. Owner's manual says one ribbon cable is included in the packaging, but could not find it. I called Asus Support. After explaining what happened, first thing he said was "You are not supposed to open the laptop, it voids the warranty"! So much for their advertisement about easy upgrades and all the instructions in the manual on how to open and replace hardware!! Now Warranty is void. He also said ADP (Accidental Damage Protection) does not apply. The rep said it has to be mailed to them and it will take 10-14 days to service the laptop. He also said customer will be liable for all charges if they find the problem was caused by customer. Oh boy! When I compare this to Dell's warranty/support, nowhere close. This Global Warranty thing appears to be a sham. Now I feel 5 stars for this product and service are not at all justified.
1 Year Accidental Damage Protection (ADP)3
Accidents happen. But when they happen to your ASUS notebook purchased in the US or Canada, you have extra protection. Whether your notebook is damaged by accidental spills, drops, electrical surges, or fire, ASUS will fix it or replace it during the first year after purchase.3
This is rather a lengthy review for my standards, but wanted to put out as much as I could to help fellow shoppers (hopefully, it saves a week or two of your time potentially spent on these reviewed features). My final decision to keep it will be made in few days based on further tests (I am considering Dell Precision M6600 as alternative, but costs $400 more for similar specs.)
Final Note: I made my final decision. This is going back for sure. I am also reducing one star from 3.
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[[ASIN:B005PAJIGC ASUS Republic of Gamers G74SX-DH73-3D 17.3-Inch 3D Gaming Laptop (Black
Pros:
Ordered Friday, received Monday. Great service Amazon!
All I can say is that this things is just sooo sweet. Laptops are just now (recently) being able to compete with This is the first laptop I've ever owned, because I've always felt I could build a much more powerful desktop for the money. This laptop approaches being more powerful than anything I could build in a desktop for the same amount of money.
I've been setting it up and playing with it for the last 3 days, and I've yet to find anything I could even call a blemish.
Keyboard types easily and great (if using a mouse, disable the touchpad, it gets in the way of typing alot of times). Asus gives some really neat wallpaper (pics of the machine itself) that look great.
Cons:
If I had it to do all over again, I'd go to: and order the laptop from them, because you can 'build it', choosing the components like a special order. I'd choose slightly different options (like making it 16Gb of memory instead of 12, SSD drive(s) or drives instead of the two 750 Gb drives, etc.)
It comes loaded with ALOT of software, of which about half is just crap (trial versions, and watered down software). If you build your own machine by ordering it from , you have the option of them NOT installing all that stuff.
All in all the best choice of Laptops available... Amazon, Newegg, Tiger Direct, etc. If you want the most powerful laptop available for your money, then this one comes out on top of all available choices.
