ASUS G73JH -A1/-A2 Review & Benchmarks

[Justin@XoticPC]

We have completed some initial benchmarks and a video review for the new ASUS G73JH. The G73JH features a 17" FHD screen, ATi HD5870 Video Card, 8GB DDR3 1333MHz, i7 720QM CPU and 2x 500GB 7200RPM Hard Drives.

CPUZ, GPUZ, WEI Score & Temp

http://xoticpc.com/reviews/G73JH/baseline-gpuz-cpuz-windows-.jpg

3D Mark Vantage Stock Run

http://xoticpc.com/reviews/G73JH/3DMARKVANTAGE-STANDARD-RES.jpg

3D Mark Vantage OC'd 799/1200

http://xoticpc.com/reviews/G73JH/3DMARKOVERCLOCK.jpg

3D Mark Vantage OC'd 799/1200 at 1080P

http://xoticpc.com/reviews/G73JH/3dmarkVOC1920x1080.jpg

Video Review PART 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53ec1AXkZfY

Video Review PART 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97UJaliJRug

[RozZy]

Nice, i cant wait to get my hands on it:D

[powerpack]

Nice, so GPU stays under 70C running Vantage? What TC is on your test unit? I want 3DMark06.

[RedLine]

Does this ran on stock asus coolers or + notebook coolers u can add buying it? By the way is this worth buying notebook cooler in complectation , are they loud? P.s JUSTIN in complectation description "86GB DDR3 1333MHz" <<< wtf? :)))

[IronCrux]

Does this ran on stock asus coolers or + notebook coolers u can add buying it? By the way is this worth buying notebook cooler in complectation , are they loud? P.s JUSTIN in complectation description "86GB DDR3 1333MHz" <<< wtf? :)))

Yea...that's gotta be 8. Caught me off guard too. I have a server in my bedroom that's got 64gb and you need a key to turn that on @_@ ('course I broke it so ya gotta start it with a bobby pin). And even that's a tad bit of overkill considering what I use it for.

[UntilMoraleImproves]

Justin ->We have completed some initial benchmarks and a video review for the new ASUS G73JH. The G73JH features a 17" FHD screen, ATi HD5870 Video Card, 86GB DDR3 1333MHz, i7 720QM CPU and 2x 500GB 7200RPM Hard Drives.

I'm assuming that he meant to just write 8GB DDR3 BUT he says that it features 1333MHz RAM. When I ordered mine it came stock w/1066MHz. What's the story? Are we getting 1333 or 1066 in 'stock' models?

[Halaster]

I am wondering the same thing.

[Justin@XoticPC]

Some of the first models will come with 1333MHz due to a supply issue at ASUS. Not guaranteed for everyone though. :(

[UntilMoraleImproves]

HOT DAMN! How do I get mine first then??!! Please let me know what is needed!

[Justin_W@XoticPC]

We will be fulfilling orders on a first come first serve basis. If you already have a pre-order in our database, then we will contact you once we have a model for your order. If you don't receive an update, then unfortunately that means we don't have a model for your order yet. Currently for any new G73JH-A1/A2 orders being submitted into our database we're quoting an ETA of Late March.

[flixilplix]

Currently for any new orders being submitted into our database we're quoting an ETA of Late March.

Is this applicable to both the A1 and A2 models as well?

[Justin_W@XoticPC]

Is this applicable to both the A1 and A2 models as well?

Unfortunately it is applicable to both the A1 and A2 model. :(

[kingtz]

GPU temps for some games would be very interesting.
Have you determined battery life yet?

Thanks.

[RozZy]

Unfortunately it is applicable to both the A1 and A2 model. :(

Ahh thats too bad Justin:(
I know you guys just wanna ship this out to people ASAP.
Lets blame it on ASUS and not Xotic ppl

[UntilMoraleImproves]

I'm not blaming Xotic, just wish they'd take my bribe! Looks like I'll be waiting until some time in March. :-(

[bobmode]

Is this applicable to both the A1 and A2 models as well?


Can someone enlighten me as to the difference between the A1 and A2 models? Also, it appears I can only have the stock OEM thermal compound on these models, but a week or two ago I could upgrade this...
Part of my decision to buy this system was the ability to upgrade the heat dissipation, as I need this laptop to last for a long time and we all know how much of a killer heat is... Perhaps the best is now standard... ;)

[Halaster]

A1 has a Blu-Ray drive and A2 does not.
That is the difference.

They have not given word yet about the removal of some of the options.
Beyond just the cooling, the raid options have also been removed.

[bobmode]

A1 has a Blu-Ray drive and A2 does not.
That is the difference.

They have not given word yet about the removal of some of the options.
Beyond just the cooling, the raid options have also been removed.


:confused: mkay; & perhaps they are trying to limit the options so they can deploy them a little faster? hmmm... :biggrin:

[iFly55]

A1 has a Blu-Ray drive and A2 does not.
That is the difference.

They have not given word yet about the removal of some of the options.
Beyond just the cooling, the raid options have also been removed.

no RAID? :wideeyed:

defeats the purpose of having dual-harddrives

[Halaster]

no RAID? :wideeyed:

defeats the purpose of having dual-harddrives

Yeah, confused about that also.
I am hoping when I receive my laptop I do not have to wipe and reinstall everything after setting up raid 0 myself. :(

[UntilMoraleImproves]

I was hoping that Justin or someone from Xotic would have weighed in on this one...

[bobmode]

I'd really like to know about the cooling goop. The RAID option is nice, but every last little item in this laptop will last longer if we have better goop on the gizmos inside. ;)
That option really was, at least for me, the push over point for me wanting to buy this laptop.

[UntilMoraleImproves]

Really? The cooling compound did it? What about the two huge internal, nearly silent fans that pull air in across all of the components and the passes the hot air out the rear of the machine? Xotic's benchmarks show great cooling at stock. If you are really concerned, why not invest in a cooling pad? They are as cheap as IC Diamond and cool much more effectively.

[bobmode]

I plan on getting the cooling pad too. Before being in the computer biz, my degree is in electronics engineering and I'm pretty intimate with how electronics are affected by heat and the longevity of said electronics.

It really does make a huge difference for the entire box; the less the fans have to work, the longer they last. And man can they be a pain in the arse to replace when they go out.

Just my opinion; but when I plan on paying over 2k for a laptop, I want it last long enough to resell to fund my next one. :D

[UntilMoraleImproves]

I hear what you are saying but I think we'll all be ok even if we can't get IC. I looked at the tear-down photos of the G73JH and it looks like the fans are actually a lot more accessible than in many other machines. It looks like a couple of screws and the connection. Personally, at the slightest sign of fan failure, I will be in there replacing them.

[winyl]

That sort of delay Nvidia is going to catchup with their mobile geforce 380 based on fermi notebooks. I dont know that for sure but maybe that's the IDEA at AMD and ASUS HQ. Thats not good 'cause it will not be the fastest laptop and most compact laptop by then.

Well at first it should have been in the end of january, then february, now we hear it will be in the end of march, I will not be suprised if we hear in the end of march to be postponed to the end of april.



HOPE REALLY NOT. If it won't be available by the end of april I'm getting other laptop,available on the market.Period.:mad:

[UntilMoraleImproves]

Actually there are four models right now. I have no interest in the X1 or X3 but I'm sure they will appeal to someone.

[RozZy]

That sort of delay Nvidia is going to catchup with their mobile geforce 380 based on fermi notebooks. I dont know that for sure but maybe that's the IDEA at AMD and ASUS HQ. Thats not good 'cause it will not be the fastest laptop and most compact laptop by then.

Well at first it should have been in the end of january, then february, now we hear it will be in the end of march, I will not be suprised if we hear in the end of march to be postponed to the end of april.



HOPE REALLY NOT. If it won't be available by the end of april I'm getting other laptop,available on the market.Period.:mad:


If that happends they will probably loose ALOT of customers to nvidia yes, then its actually worth waiting for nvidia.

[popwar]

are laptop benchmark scores different from desktop ones ? asking because my 2 year old desktop scores alot higher than the a2 in 3dmark vantage . on the performance . 12k video card and 35k processor

[UntilMoraleImproves]

Desktop machines and laptop machines can vary greatly. There's only so much room to work with in a laptop and heating is a major concern so it is hard to get a great comparison. What are the full specs on your desktop?

[UntilMoraleImproves]

Lookee here. (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220695&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction) Is it some new version from Asus the X1. A people are really getting it from NewEgg now. What a shocker?!? :confused:

Wonder if it's going to be the same as with w90. Not everyone got their w90 because there where so little produced by Asus.

The X1 is an A2 with only one HDD.

[UntilMoraleImproves]

BTW, there are four versions of the G73JH out there right now, the X1, X3, A2 and A1. It looks like Xotic only offers the A1 and A2 right now.

[Justin_W@XoticPC]

The X1 is an exclusive product to select companies and according to the warranty info on their website only comes with a 1 year parts/labor warranty.

[UntilMoraleImproves]

Yep. I've said before that I have no interest in either 'X' model. Can't wait to get my A1!

[drremi]

I have seen alot as a repair tech and this laptop looks like the design was well though out!
The fan locations is quite unique, I have work on some very poor designs... some from Toshiba that were hot at the touch. CPU's located under the system board and fans that get clogged up with dust balls or hair ball as I have found! I don't plan to rest my machine on my lap or the bed, so I don't think I need to worry about heat!
Keeping a clean and clear surface underneath should take care of that.

[UntilMoraleImproves]

I have seen alot as a repair tech and this laptop looks like the design was well though out!
The fan locations is quite unique, I have work on some very poor designs... some from Toshiba that were hot at the touch. CPU's located under the system board and fans that get clogged up with dust balls or hair ball as I have found! I don't plan to rest my machine on my lap or the bed, so I don't think I need to worry about heat!
Keeping a clean and clear surface underneath should take care of that.

Also, if you look at the tear-down photos with the keyboard removed, you'll notice that we have easy access to the fans. I think a little compressed air in the fan blades every three months or so will keep things running along smoothly.:D

[agonzalez64]

Can anyone tell me if thsi computer is faster than a M17x alienware, and if so, why is it so much cheap? I personally think the this computer for 1600 so dollars is as cheap as it gets for everthing the computer comes with.

[UntilMoraleImproves]

Can anyone tell me if thsi computer is faster than a M17x alienware, and if so, why is it so much cheap? I personally think the this computer for 1600 so dollars is as cheap as it gets for everthing the computer comes with.

I guess that depends on how you spec'd out the Mx17. If you're looking at one running dual cards in SLI or Crossfire, then that would probably have a better score than the G73JH. Of course, processor speed, RAM and HDD speeds all play in as well. Post the specs of the Mx17 you are looking at and we can help. Although, I will say, for $1,600, you won't be able to get an Mx17 that can top the G73.

[dylan121]

I guess that depends on how you spec'd out the Mx17. If you're looking at one running dual cards in SLI or Crossfire, then that would probably have a better score than the G73JH. Of course, processor speed, RAM and HDD speeds all play in as well. Post the specs of the Mx17 you are looking at and we can help. Although, I will say, for $1,600, you won't be able to get an Mx17 that can top the G73.


Basically what he said. Also you're paying more for the ''name brand'' Dell tends to do that. You're also getting extra LED lights on the laptop. As for the crossfire or SLI. For specific games, you will get better fps in many others you will not. I would pick this if I were you, because it is very good and you can't beat the price. I have a feeling that in the coming months, alienware will update their graphics cards, as they're out of date.

[kiasolas]

Basically what he said. Also you're paying more for the ''name brand'' Dell tends to do that. You're also getting extra LED lights on the laptop. As for the crossfire or SLI. For specific games, you will get better fps in many others you will not. I would pick this if I were you, because it is very good and you can't beat the price. I have a feeling that in the coming months, alienware will update their graphics cards, as they're out of date.

I've tried to compare the Sager NP9280and the ASUS G73JH 's benchmarks provided by xoticpc (http://www.xoticpcforums.com/showthread.php?t=4034 & http://www.xoticpcforums.com/showthread.php?p=22818#post22818).
And I don't know if the SLI mode was activated during the sager's benchmark (Justin, can you confirm that please), but it seems that the ASUS has better results on 3DMarkVantage Performance.

[agonzalez64]

Basically what he said. Also you're paying more for the ''name brand'' Dell tends to do that. You're also getting extra LED lights on the laptop. As for the crossfire or SLI. For specific games, you will get better fps in many others you will not. I would pick this if I were you, because it is very good and you can't beat the price. I have a feeling that in the coming months, alienware will update their graphics cards, as they're out of date. Thanks for the reply ^_^. cleared some things up. I agree with "paying for the name" because i do not see getting 8gb of ram and 1tb of HDD in a alienware for 1600:).

[agonzalez64]

Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit, English (javascript:to_page_mod(1,%2011))

Intel® Core™ i7 720QM 1.6GHz (2.8 GHz Turbo Mode, 6MB Cache) (javascript:to_page_mod(1,%202))

1 Year Basic Serivce Plan (javascript:to_page_mod(1,%2029))

1GB ATI Radeon™ Mobility HD 4870 (javascript:to_page_mod(1,%206))

17-inch WideXGA+ 1440 x 900 (900p) (javascript:to_page_mod(1,%205))

8GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1066MHz (javascript:to_page_mod(1,%203))

1TB Raid 0 (2x 500GB 7,200RPM HDDs) (javascript:to_page_mod(1,%208))

Slot-Loading Dual Layer Blu-ray Reader (BR-ROM, DVD+-RW, CD-RW) (javascript:to_page_mod(1,%2016))

Wireless 1520 802.11n Half Mini-Card (javascript:to_page_mod(1,%2019))

Lunar Silver - Anodized Aluminum (javascript:to_page_mod(1,%201))

this alien-ware customized came out to be $2600, i think the asus is still even more powerful due to the hd radeon 5870, yet the alien-ware only has a 4870 which does not even have direct x 11 >.>.... does anyone agree with me that a mx17 is a complete ripoff. ^_^

is there a possibility that asus g73jh-a1 can upgrade to crossfire hd radeon 5870?

[UntilMoraleImproves]

Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit, English (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:to_page_mod%281,%2011%29)

Intel® Core™ i7 720QM 1.6GHz (2.8 GHz Turbo Mode, 6MB Cache) (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:to_page_mod%281,%202%29)

1 Year Basic Serivce Plan (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:to_page_mod%281,%2029%29)

1GB ATI Radeon™ Mobility HD 4870 (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:to_page_mod%281,%206%29)

17-inch WideXGA+ 1440 x 900 (900p) (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:to_page_mod%281,%205%29)

8GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1066MHz (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:to_page_mod%281,%203%29)

1TB Raid 0 (2x 500GB 7,200RPM HDDs) (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:to_page_mod%281,%208%29)

Slot-Loading Dual Layer Blu-ray Reader (BR-ROM, DVD+-RW, CD-RW) (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:to_page_mod%281,%2016%29)

Wireless 1520 802.11n Half Mini-Card (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:to_page_mod%281,%2019%29)

Lunar Silver - Anodized Aluminum (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:to_page_mod%281,%201%29)

this alien-ware customized came out to be $2600, i think the asus is still even more powerful due to the hd radeon 5870, yet the alien-ware only has a 4870 which does not even have direct x 11 >.>.... does anyone agree with me that a mx17 is a complete ripoff. ^_^

is there a possibility that asus g73jh-a1 can upgrade to crossfire hd radeon 5870?


DO NOT PAY $2600 FOR THIS CONFIGURATION. You are 100% right, the G73JH stomps the S H I T out of that Mx17!!

[UntilMoraleImproves]

Also, you will not be able to setup crossfire on the G73. There's no room in the case for a second GPU and probably no support for it either.

[agonzalez64]

DO NOT PAY $2600 FOR THIS CONFIGURATION. You are 100% right, the G73JH stomps the S H I T out of that Mx17!!
haha, no i wont dare pay such thing. Hopefully i can get a g73jh.

[popwar]

Originally posted by UntilMoraleImproves
Desktop machines and laptop machines can vary greatly. There's only so much room to work with in a laptop and heating is a major concern so it is hard to get a great comparison. What are the full specs on your desktop?


intel core 2 quad q6600 . 4gb ocz ram . tuniq tower 120 heatsink . 950 watt power supply . gtx 295+ . wdc black 1tb and wdc 250gb . gigabyte ds3l mobo .

[powerpack]

are laptop benchmark scores different from desktop ones ? asking because my 2 year old desktop scores alot higher than the a2 in 3dmark vantage . on the performance . 12k video card and 35k processor

intel core 2 quad q6600 . 4gb ocz ram . tuniq tower 120 heatsink . 950 watt power supply . gtx 295+ . wdc black 1tb and wdc 250gb . gigabyte ds3l mobo .Not sure what is going on with your scores when I was over at future mark the highest score on I think the default setting was around 33000 CPU and you have 35000? Also look at this screen shot it has i920 @4.4Ghz (all cores) and HD5970. That said your CPU score does not even make sense for desktops. So since your scores do not make sense hard to comment. The HD5870m is closer to the desktop HD5850. HD5870m same SP's as HD5870 but lower clocks.

The i720QM should slightly out do your Q6600 so I mean your score is just wrong?

http://i470.photobucket.com/albums/rr63/pcnazz/vantage27172.jpg

[UntilMoraleImproves]

intel core 2 quad q6600 . 4gb ocz ram . tuniq tower 120 heatsink . 950 watt power supply . gtx 295+ . wdc black 1tb and wdc 250gb . gigabyte ds3l mobo .

Can you post a screen shot of your test results? They don't jive with your specs. Are you running two GTX295's in SLI?

[popwar]

wll post when i get home

[popwar]

http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/9001/vantageresults.jpg (http://img205.imageshack.us/i/vantageresults.jpg/)

[UntilMoraleImproves]

Well, those are impressive results on the CPU side!

[popwar]

Well, those are impressive results on the CPU side!

why does the JH benchmark screenshots only show 10k for cpu? and 8k for the graphics is kind of low compared to a gtx 295 . maybe its just me . but the videos of it running mw2 , crysis ( which sucks ) impressed me

[dylan121]

why does the JH benchmark screenshots only show 10k for cpu? and 8k for the graphics is kind of low compared to a gtx 295 . maybe its just me . but the videos of it running mw2 , crysis ( which sucks ) impressed me


Umm. Because the GTX 295 is a desktop graphics card and this isn't

[powerpack]

popwar please help me. Right now I just can't see a Q6600 beating a desktop i7 920@4.4Ghz? How or what am I missing?

[popwar]

um . its overclocked to 2.65 . ive had it for about 2 years . maybe the massive heatsink has something to do with it . and its not even on turbo mode .

[choyj]

Umm. Because the GTX 295 is a desktop graphics card and this isn't

Yup. you are right! Mobile xPUs are not the same as the desktop versions. Desktop xPUs will always outclass the mobile versions because they have the headroom to run faster, throw out more heat, and draw more power. A desktop power supply supplies around a kilowatt for today's gaming machines. This Asus laptop uses a power supply that supplies a max of 150 watts and powerful desktop graphics cards by itself these days can draw around 300 watts or so. Don't expect desktop performance from a laptop.

[romerom]

just pre-ordered this earlier today :) can't wait!!!

[dylan121]

just pre-ordered this earlier today :) can't wait!!!


Yup, I did yesterday. I hope they get a huge shipment, next week :D

[Boglesnurf]

ME TOO !!

Freshly retired, going to be living a substantial part of each year in a class A motorhome, summers in New Hampshire. Ain't got room for a big-box rig, so I ordered my first laptop; THIS one. Hope it's all it's reputed to be. I thought I wanted one of those monstrous 18.3" display jobs, until I saw one 'in the flesh.' Jeez, they're huge. Besides, when you up to a display of that size at this price-point, you lose elsewhere. This ASUS has it all, less the monsterscreen. It'll be an interesting experience, for sure... new OS, new hardware, new everything. Probably gonna dump Win for Ubuntu Linux (my "native" OS) and run Win in a virtual machine, with an actual Win bare-bones-minimal install strictly for gaming.

Getting twitchy fingers waiting for the ship date....

Wanted to put a custom graphic on the cover from ExotericRoach, but he isn't answering his emails, so I guess I'll have to go with one of the onsite graphics instead.

Karl Harris
Bristol, NH

ASUS G73JH A1

Intel Core i7 QuadCore 720QM
8Gb DDR3 RAM
ATI Radeon HD5870 @ 1Gb DDR5
Dual 500 Gb 7200 rpm SATA HDD's
Blu-Ray / DVD combo optical drive
Win7 64-bit (for now)
Pre-Ordered 1/1/'10

[drremi]

Boglesnurf, congrats on the retired....find custom graphics from another location! I found mine looking around the web! It takes another 5-10 days with the custom graphic to receive your laptop! I might forgo mine because of the long wait! There are other companies out there that do skins on the cover. You have to install them your self!
It's vinyl with a printed graphics, peel and stick! I did that with my phone and it came out ok!

[Boglesnurf]

Hey drremi,

I like to poke around on some of the digital art sites, and found one I really like on this particular site ( www.exotericroach.com ... see attachment) The stuff is free for use on the web, provided not for profit and no alterations. Skinning a laptop isn't web-use, so I asked permission. Seemed only fair.

I was an early buyer of Amazon's Kindle (for the same reason; I've a HUGE library of SciFi... been reading it since I COULD read, and nowhere to put it in an RV); the Kindle seemed like the ideal solution. I got a skin for it from DecalGirl ( www.decalgirl.com ). Came out OK, despite my best efforts! I may well see what else is out there, just to save time !!

[Aero_Agg_06]

If i purchased the G73JH-A1 today, how far down the back order list would i be?

This is a major selling point seeing as my current laptop is begining to lock up a lot, keys sticking, and other minor problems (most fixable but this gives me an excuse to my wife to buy a new one)

[UntilMoraleImproves]

If i purchased the G73JH-A1 today, how far down the back order list would i be?

This is a major selling point seeing as my current laptop is begining to lock up a lot, keys sticking, and other minor problems (most fixable but this gives me an excuse to my wife to buy a new one)

Not to sound rude, but you should read through the other responses in the various G73 threads in the Xotic forums. Bottom line? Be prepared for a decent wait. There are people here that ordered in early January and still have no idea when they will get their rig.

[Halaster]

If i purchased the G73JH-A1 today, how far down the back order list would i be?

This is a major selling point seeing as my current laptop is begining to lock up a lot, keys sticking, and other minor problems (most fixable but this gives me an excuse to my wife to buy a new one)

The very end of it.

[UntilMoraleImproves]

Halaster, I almost choked to death after reading that!! So simple, yet so true! Thank you for the laugh!

[drremi]

Ya, what's it been 4 weeks and nothing yet! What the hay....:mad:

[singleshot71]

If i purchased the G73JH-A1 today, how far down the back order list would i be?

This is a major selling point seeing as my current laptop is begining to lock up a lot, keys sticking, and other minor problems (most fixable but this gives me an excuse to my wife to buy a new one)
Weh they ordered in jan and we ordered in feb, we knew that there would be a long wait....xotic is getting 3-4 shipments in this month and should have most(hopefully all) preorders filled, but they have not given out any numbers for either? Best advice I could give you is too preorder with a credit card, if something better comes along, you can always cancel the preorder.

[romerom]

just pre-ordered this earlier today :) can't wait!!!

Pre-ordered 2/26. Check sent out about 30mins ago 3/4.

Hopefully they receive it right around the time the shipment comes in! any word on the shipment from asus, xoticpc?

[UntilMoraleImproves]

For God's sake, can we stop with the posts like this? We will get them when we get them.

[powerpack]

For God's sake, can we stop with the posts like this? We will get them when we get them.Been 4 days UMI, you got your wish. But no posts? Could you take it back?:p:D

[UntilMoraleImproves]

I take it back! Post away! I can't read through all the post on the other thread anyway! BUMP

[romerom]

ok so ASUS go their first round of shipments in.. people are supposed to be getting contacted to see if they're part of the next group of folks that are going to receive the G73's :)

soooooooooooo.. if you get contacted by xoticpc and they let you know your unit has shipped.. why don't you let the rest of us know that along with your pre-order date :)

[UntilMoraleImproves]

Check out this thread (http://www.xoticpcforums.com/showthread.php?t=5787).

[drremi]

singleshot71,
Can't find anything better! I have looked to the last week. I was curious if I could configure a laptop with the same specs. Nothing....everything is 2700 and up! Nuts...

UMI, not complaining, OK. :rolleyes:

[hemantrocks]

ok peeps
I just wanted to tell that I received my laptop yesterday ie on march 10th

I didn't get it from xotic though but since I'm in Canada so from my local retailer.
I had a defective g51 which I got on boxing day so I returned it and booked the g73 instead

I got the a1 with bluray

Absolutely smashing design loving it
Will post my unboxing video and maybe tonight a video of performance
Good luck to u all
It's worth the wait

[UntilMoraleImproves]

ok peeps
I just wanted to tell that I received my laptop yesterday ie on march 10th

I didn't get it from xotic though but since I'm in Canada so from my local retailer.
I had a defective g51 which I got on boxing day so I returned it and booked the g73 instead

I got the a1 with bluray

Absolutely smashing design loving it
Will post my unboxing video and maybe tonight a video of performance
Good luck to u all
It's worth the wait

Well woopdie freakin' dooo!

[Fingersniffer]

If I dont get my laptop soon I think I might go insane. I've read at least a dozen or more reviews about the A1-A2 over the past month and a half and I've yet to find one with anything bad to say, worst I've read about is about the thumb buttons under the touchpad.

I give props to XoticPC for the email to switch my choice, but come on, why pass up the highest anticipated laptop of the year.

[Subliminal28]

So are you able to set raid 0 up on the Asus G73JH-A1? If so..how?

[powerpack]

So are you able to set raid 0 up on the Asus G73JH-A1? If so..how?Chipset does not support RAID of any kind.;)

[Subliminal28]

That's kind of a bummer, but raid 0 I've heard is unstable and not that much faster... One problem with one hard drive and BAM, all data lost.... :(

So weird... a lot of pages say that the Asus G73JH-A1 does support raid 0/1...

http://hothardware.com/Articles/Asus-Announces-Four-New-Laptops/

[UntilMoraleImproves]

That's kind of a bummer, but raid 0 I've heard is unstable and not that much faster... One problem with one hard drive and BAM, all data lost.... :(

So weird... a lot of pages say that the Asus G73JH-A1 does support raid 0/1...

http://hothardware.com/Articles/Asus-Announces-Four-New-Laptops/

Weird yes, but still incorrect. Check out Intel's site for info on the HM55 chipset. It simply doesn't support RAID. The PM55 does and I'm not sure why ASUS chose the HM55 instead.

All of that said, you should consider doing what most of us are and go with an SSD. The I/O performance of an SSD is sick and doesn't subject your data to the dangers of RAID0 or the insanity of RAID1 (just do backups and RAID1 becomes a non issue).

[Fingersniffer]

All of that said, you should consider doing what most of us are and go with an SSD. The I/O performance of an SSD is sick and doesn't subject your data to the dangers of RAID0 or the insanity of RAID1 (just do backups and RAID1 becomes a non issue).

^^ This

/10char

[singleshot71]

I read here or some where else that you can do SOFTWARE raid, but not hardware raid. The chipset doesn't support raid but the software does(windows) but not as good or as fast.

[UntilMoraleImproves]

I read here or some where else that you can do SOFTWARE raid, but not hardware raid. The chipset doesn't support raid but the software does(windows) but not as good or as fast.

Yes, I've read that you can do software RAID which I guess some might take advantage of. Not me though, I'm satisfied w/my setup.

[singleshot71]

Yes, I've read that you can do software RAID which I guess some might take advantage of. Not me though, I'm satisfied w/my setup.
My current setup involves 4 external hard drives and alot of jump drives....not happy at all with current. As for g73, think I will stick with the 2 hdd drives and manage where I put what on(:confused: what?) ADD is a bitch...o yeah, Keep all my pics/videos on secondary and everything else on main. With a little effort, maybe I won't slow it down too much? Don't you hate it when ADD kicks in in the middle of your sentence? Hell I even forgot the topic again:twitchy:

[Fingersniffer]

I have heard about software RAID but any software can be subject to a whole new set of issues, it wouldn't be anything I would trust for important information stored on a drive.

As several of us have stated, SSD is where its at!

[Kunari]

3D Mark Vantage OC'd 799/1200

http://xoticpc.com/reviews/G73JH/3DMARKOVERCLOCK.jpg



What is the stock speed of the GPU? I haven't used a ATI card in years, does the ATI drivers allow to OC or do you need a 3rd party tool?

[UntilMoraleImproves]

...the ASUS G73Jh gaming notebook includes the Instant Launch keys at the top left that includes an on-the-fly overclocking button and a numeric keypad on the right side...

[Maverick494]

What is the stock speed of the GPU? I haven't used a ATI card in years, does the ATI drivers allow to OC or do you need a 3rd party tool?

The stock speed on the ATi 5870 is 700 Core and 1000 Memory. My card has done benchmarks at 830/1160. There is a utility called AMD GPU Clock utility (or something like that) that allows you to overclock the card. I personally don't run it overclocked 24/7, I usually only push it to see what the max bench I can get is because at this point nothing I do pushes the card enough to need pushing.

I scored a 9540 in 3D Mark Vantage and 13316 in 3D Mark 06 utilizing the above clock speeds.

[Kunari]

...the ASUS G73Jh gaming notebook includes the Instant Launch keys at the top left that includes an on-the-fly overclocking button and a numeric keypad on the right side...

I'm sorry if the question was too... elementary for you UMI.

I thought the button only OC'd the CPU, the Intel "Turbo" mode, I didn't realize it also OC'd the GPU.

I know, wait until my unit arrives to find out.

I don't plan to OC the laptop anyway, the specs should last me a good 3 to 5 years. Unless CCP goes way over the top with EVE or I get back heavy into FPS again.

[UntilMoraleImproves]

I'm sorry if the question was too... elementary for you UMI.

I thought the button only OC'd the CPU, the Intel "Turbo" mode, I didn't realize it also OC'd the GPU.

I know, wait until my unit arrives to find out.

I don't plan to OC the laptop anyway, the specs should last me a good 3 to 5 years. Unless CCP goes way over the top with EVE or I get back heavy into FPS again.

Umm, ok
/10 char

[powerpack]

I did not mention software RAID when I said G73 can't RAID because software RAID is crap. It is what 10% to 20% improvement at best?

If the drive speed is critical consider what others said, SSD.

[Braeyn]

I did not mention software RAID when I said G73 can't RAID because software RAID is crap. It is what 10% to 20% improvement at best?

If the drive speed is critical consider what others said, SSD.
I had heard that software raid is actually pretty effective. Not sure on the net increases but it is not far from the hardware raid. At least that is what I found when I was researching ssd vs software raid. I think it came down to the fact that Win7, i7, and ram (or some combination) was very efficient at running a software raid. I ultimately went SSD for the stability, ease, and the extra 500gb external. I could be a complete idiot here though. I did alot of reading a month or so ago regarding it.
http://www.adaptec.com/NR/rdonlyres/14B2FD84-F7A0-4AC5-A07A-214123EA3DD6/0/4423_SW_HWRAID_10.pdf

[Kunari]

I had heard that software raid is actually pretty effective. Not sure on the net increases but it is not far from the hardware raid.

I've used software RAID at home as file server, mainly for the redundancy than performance. Reading was faster than a single drive alone and writing was RAID5's typical slower. Performance was fine for my needs at home.

[romerom]

I had heard that software raid is actually pretty effective. Not sure on the net increases but it is not far from the hardware raid. At least that is what I found when I was researching ssd vs software raid. I think it came down to the fact that Win7, i7, and ram (or some combination) was very efficient at running a software raid. I ultimately went SSD for the stability, ease, and the extra 500gb external. I could be a complete idiot here though. I did alot of reading a month or so ago regarding it.
http://www.adaptec.com/NR/rdonlyres/14B2FD84-F7A0-4AC5-A07A-214123EA3DD6/0/4423_SW_HWRAID_10.pdf

honestly, software raid should be FINE. i mean, take VERITAS as a prime example.

Before servers were hooked up to SAN and had SAN level striping/mirroring, Veritas was the method of choice for all raid configs on production Sun equipment. IBM had their own volume manager doing the mirroring / striping. Both of these are SOFTWARE RAID examples that were running some of the most robust read/write databases for intense financial and what have you applications.

If it worked reliably back then (and in some places, currently), there is no reason it wouldn't work for us - if RAID is what your looking for.

Speedy disc access on a 2x HD LAPTOP, though.. I don't know if I'd go software raid, honestly.. for us, I mean.

If you want the fast disc... I'd say make your first disc the SSD and keep disc 2 the 500gb disc where you keep your media. keep the SSD for core applications/os and put your data on disc 2.

unless you have some sort of external disc array that you already keep your music/movies/pictures etc on and you just want disc space and quick disk on the laptop. Then consider dual SSD.

For me... honestly, 7200RPM's aren't killing me on boot AND disc 2. I might consider an SSD upgrade months later after the prices come down signifigantly where I don't really have to sacrifice storage capacity.

Probably because I don't want to lug around a desktop replacement laptop AND a storage array if I ever want do my DJ shit again :)

Speaking of.. anybody going to be using any of this for audio applications? i.e. Scratch Live, Pro Tools, Cubase, Reason, any of the apps from Native Instruments?

I'm into that shiz :)

[Postman1990]

I was wondering if anyone has tried using the integrated graphics only (disabling the 5870). I assume that for max battery life, it would help to disable the card completely. Also, does anyone know the max refresh rate of the screen is (can it support 120hz 3d)?

[Fingersniffer]

I was wondering if anyone has tried using the integrated graphics only (disabling the 5870). I assume that for max battery life, it would help to disable the card completely. Also, does anyone know the max refresh rate of the screen is (can it support 120hz 3d)?

The G73JH-A1 and A2 are core i7 CPU's there is no integrated graphics in it.

And the screen is a standard 60hz screen so yes it can support "simple" 3D not the 120hz 3D, but currently that is only offered by Nvidia drivers/cards.

ATI should be releasing it's 3D solution soon, but who knows what "soon" actually is.

[Maverick494]

I was wondering if anyone has tried using the integrated graphics only (disabling the 5870). I assume that for max battery life, it would help to disable the card completely. Also, does anyone know the max refresh rate of the screen is (can it support 120hz 3d)?

ummm I would be surprised if that screen supports more than 60 hz.

[rmmix]

Probably because I don't want to lug around a desktop replacement laptop AND a storage array if I ever want do my DJ shit again :)

Speaking of.. anybody going to be using any of this for audio applications? i.e. Scratch Live, Pro Tools, Cubase, Reason, any of the apps from Native Instruments?

I'm into that shiz :)

That's my primary motive gaming was second. I'll be using Sony Sound Forge for audio editing and PCDJ DEX for DJing. I'm sure DEX will run without any problems. SSF well I'm real curious to know how much noise the computer will create while recording. I'm sure if I ordered it with SSD it would have been minimal. I'm not crazy about doing noise reduction editing.

[Postman1990]

Thanks for the responses. I noticed that only the 610, 620, and 640 (dual core fake i7) has the integrated graphics, presumably in place of the other 2 cores.

[Fingersniffer]

Thanks for the responses. I noticed that only the 610, 620, and 640 (dual core fake i7) has the integrated graphics, presumably in place of the other 2 cores.

But you cannot get any of those CPU's in the G73JH-A1 or A2, only the 720+

[maxboost1010]

(I have listed the questions I have in the order of most importance to me)
OK I'm somewhat new to this and intend to upgrade my laptop, from what it looks like to me the A1 meets my specs almost perfectly. I only have a few questions.

1) Since this one does not come with a usb 3.0 is it possible to use one of the many usb 3.0 express cards sold on the market (for about 30 bucks or so) and if I use that card will I get the full usb 3.0 speeds, just like if this labtop had come with a 3.0 card already built in or would it be only slightly faster then the usb 2.0 card because the internals of the computer where not designed for the usb 3.0?

2) Why did Asus decide to get rid of the esata port on the A1? Does anyone know? Also why did Asus not include at least 1 usb 3.0 port, since they are going to become standard very soon anyways? Is it because they assumed people could just upgrade by adding an express card with a usb 3.0 and it would be the same thing?

3) Is it worth waiting for Asus to come out with a labtop that has EVERY THING that the A1 has and it has a built in usb 3.0 or esata?

4) Was there ever a exact number of A1's that will be coming with the higher speed memory for the same price, I mean it coming with the ddr 3 1333 instead of the ddr 3 1066.

5) I noticed on some site that ddr 3 1800 is out, is that a significant improvement over the 1066 and the 1333 memory? Will this laptop be compatable with the ddr 3 1800 if I decide to buy that memory once it gets a bit less expensive?

6) As far as the ATI video card that the A1 comes with is that pretty much it as top of the line has Nvida introduced or is going to be introducing a laptop with better performance in the near future (if so whats the time frame and what model?)?

7) I'm not sure if this is the right question but is the screen on the A1 60 hz or 120 hz and is that number based on the video card or on the lcd screen itself.
Some one in a previous post answered this with "The G73JH-A1 and A2 are core i7 CPU's there is no integrated graphics in it.

And the screen is a standard 60hz screen so yes it can support "simple" 3D not the 120hz 3D, but currently that is only offered by Nvidia drivers/cards.

ATI should be releasing it's 3D solution soon, but who knows what "soon" actually is."

Does that mean there will be a driver update or would you need a whole new graphics card to be able to use the 3D 120 hurtz with ATI???


8) If I got the A1 with the i7 720 and later on a few years down the line I wanted to throw in the i7 920 (assuming I have no reservations about taking a laptop apart once it is out of warranty) Can this laptop be upgraded to the i7 920?

9) My last question is if the video card is solder on or is it removable from the mother board? ie if I want to upgrade it in a few years will that be a possibility?

10) Have people finally started getting their A1's that pre ordered it a long time ago?

Thanks for anyone who can help answer these. Sorry if some of these questions may seem a bit basic, but I've searched for answers not found the exact answers I want so I figure I'd ask the experts and the people who know the most about the A1.

[Fingersniffer]

(I have listed the questions I have in the order of most importance to me)
OK I'm somewhat new to this and intend to upgrade my laptop, from what it looks like to me the A1 meets my specs almost perfectly. I only have a few questions.

1) Since this one does not come with a usb 3.0 is it possible to use one of the many usb 3.0 express cards sold on the market (for about 30 bucks or so) and if I use that card will I get the full usb 3.0 speeds, just like if this labtop had come with a 3.0 card already built in or would it be only slightly faster then the usb 2.0 card because the internals of the computer where not designed for the usb 3.0?

2) Why did Asus decide to get rid of the esata port on the A1? Does anyone know?

3) Is it worth waiting for Asus to come out with a labtop that has EVERY THING that the A1 has and it has a built in usb 3.0 or esata?

4) Was there ever a exact number of A1's that will be coming with the higher speed memory for the same price, I mean it coming with the ddr 3 1333 instead of the ddr 3 1066.

5) I noticed on some site that ddr 3 1800 is out, is that a significant improvement over the 1066 and the 1333 memory? Will this laptop be compatable with the ddr 3 1800 if I decide to buy that memory once it gets a bit less expensive?

6) As far as the ATI video card that the A1 comes with is that pretty much it as top of the line has Nvida introduced or is going to be introducing a laptop with better performance in the near future (if so whats the time frame and what model?)?

7) I'm not sure if this is the right question but is the screen on the A1 60 hz or 120 hz and is that number based on the video card or on the lcd screen itself.

8) If I got the A1 with the i7 720 and later on a few years down the line I wanted to throw in the i7 920 (assuming I have no reservations about taking a laptop apart once it is out of warranty) Can this laptop be upgraded to the i7 920?

9) My last question is if the video card is solder on or is it removable from the mother board? ie if I want to upgrade it in a few years will that be a possibility?

10) Have people finally started getting their A1's that pre ordered it a long time ago?

Thanks for anyone who can help answer these. Sorry if some of these questions may seem a bit basic, but I've searched for answers not found the exact answers I want so I figure I'd ask the experts and the people who know the most about the A1.

1. No, there is no express slot on the G73

2. Express port, esata and other ports are dying or dead tech and fairly unused, so no reason to keep it when less than 1% of products sold use them

3. USB 3.0 wont be viable and used as a majority for years, you will be looking for a new laptop before it becomes an issue. Waiting for "everything" means you'll wait for disappointment.

4. No, it was essentially a free upgrade for some people, but really the performance increase isn't noticeable between the two.

5. Memory speeds (Hertz) are very trivial in performance increases and are only really noticeable in benchmarks. If you had a G73 with all three speeds of ram, you'd not be able to tell the difference side by side.

6. Nvidia does not currently have a Fermi mobile solution, but honestly you will want to skip the first gen Nvidia mobile cards from the Fermi series, they will likely be more problematic than their current desktop Fermi cards.

7. G73JH-A1 and A2 are 60 Htz screens, 120Htz are more costly and only useful in 3D applications for Nvidia cards. ATI's 3d solution will be coming out relatively soon.

8. Yes, but you will likely want to send it back into Xotic for the upgrade to ensure its done right.

9. The video card is NOT soldered to the motherboard so it would be possible to upgrade later on assuming Asus and other MFG's so choose.

10. A1's and A2's are currently being shipped to retailers actively.

[iamlilysdad]

Is the screen widescreen? I would assume it is given it's resolution (1920x1080) but would like to know for sure. I would be watching a lot of blu-rays on it so this is important for my needs. Also this would be an advantage over the new MSI gaming laptops, right?

[UntilMoraleImproves]

But you cannot get any of those CPU's in the G73JH-A1 or A2, only the 720+

The 620M is now available as an option, not a good one, but an option none the less

[UntilMoraleImproves]

(I have listed the questions I have in the order of most importance to me)
OK I'm somewhat new to this and intend to upgrade my laptop, from what it looks like to me the A1 meets my specs almost perfectly. I only have a few questions.

Thanks for anyone who can help answer these. Sorry if some of these questions may seem a bit basic, but I've searched for answers not found the exact answers I want so I figure I'd ask the experts and the people who know the most about the A1.

1) Since this one does not come with a usb 3.0 is it possible to use one of the many usb 3.0 express cards sold on the market (for about 30 bucks or so) and if I use that card will I get the full usb 3.0 speeds, just like if this labtop had come with a 3.0 card already built in or would it be only slightly faster then the usb 2.0 card because the internals of the computer where not designed for the usb 3.0? Nope, see Finger's answer

2) Why did Asus decide to get rid of the esata port on the A1? Does anyone know? Also why did Asus not include at least 1 usb 3.0 port, since they are going to become standard very soon anyways? Is it because they assumed people could just upgrade by adding an express card with a usb 3.0 and it would be the same thing? You'd have to ask ASUS

3) Is it worth waiting for Asus to come out with a labtop that has EVERY THING that the A1 has and it has a built in usb 3.0 or esata? Depends on your needs

4) Was there ever a exact number of A1's that will be coming with the higher speed memory for the same price, I mean it coming with the ddr 3 1333 instead of the ddr 3 1066. I don't think anyone knows for sure but this doesn't take in to account CAS latency, 1333 does not necessarily mean faster/better performance

5) I noticed on some site that ddr 3 1800 is out, is that a significant improvement over the 1066 and the 1333 memory? Will this laptop be compatable with the ddr 3 1800 if I decide to buy that memory once it gets a bit less expensive? The HM55 chipset only accepts up to 1333 RAM, so no

6) As far as the ATI video card that the A1 comes with is that pretty much it as top of the line has Nvida introduced or is going to be introducing a laptop with better performance in the near future (if so whats the time frame and what model?)? See Finger's answer

7) I'm not sure if this is the right question but is the screen on the A1 60 hz or 120 hz and is that number based on the video card or on the lcd screen itself.
Some one in a previous post answered this with "The G73JH-A1 and A2 are core i7 CPU's there is no integrated graphics in it.

Does that mean there will be a driver update or would you need a whole new graphics card to be able to use the 3D 120 hurtz with ATI??? The G73's screen is 60Hz, you would need a new LCD w/120Hz support so the graphic card isn't going to fix this issue


8) If I got the A1 with the i7 720 and later on a few years down the line I wanted to throw in the i7 920 (assuming I have no reservations about taking a laptop apart once it is out of warranty) Can this laptop be upgraded to the i7 920? Sure

9) My last question is if the video card is solder on or is it removable from the mother board? ie if I want to upgrade it in a few years will that be a possibility? It is not soldered, however, that doesn't mean you can necessarily replace it. The replacement card needs to have the same form factor and work with the existing heatsink. Even when things say "user upgradeable" it doesn't mean that the GPU mfg's are actually going to make anything that will work.

10) Have people finally started getting their A1's that pre ordered it a long time ago? Of course

[UntilMoraleImproves]

Just to add to this, if you want to swap out the 720QM for the 920XM, you have to disassemble the entire machine. This is not a small job. We're talking about a lot of screws and steps here. There is a dissasembly guide out in cyberspace and my original plan was to post the steps involved but there are just too many of them. Just getting to the CPU requires you to take the entire case apart and disconnecting all of the various wiring connections to the MB as well as the complete removal of the fans. After going through all that, you could very well end up putting it back together incorrectly or could damage a connection and make things so much worse. It really isn't worth it unless you've done this kind of thing before.

[maxboost1010]

Thanks Fingersniffer, and UntilMoraleImproves (http://xoticpcforums.com/member.php?u=12986), for the VERY quick replys. What you said makes a lot of sense. The A1 really does seem like a perfect fit for me, and I have even compaired it to the what I think is its closest competitor which might be the MSI GX740-079US however the screen res on the MSI is only 1680x1050 and I really want the 1920x1080. The MSI has the esata and a express card port where the A1 doesn't, however the MSI only comes with 4gb memory as oppose to the 8 on the A1 and only 500 gb hard drive on the MSI as oppose to the 1tb of total space on the A1. Plus the MSI is only upgradable to 8gb where the A1 is upgradable to 16 gb. Taking all that into consideration the A1 at a price of just 200 bucks or so more then the MSI really does seem like the perfect choice for me, but I do have a couple more questions before I make up my mind.

The next few question are largely hypothetical and may involve speculation, I understand completely if someone answers "I left my crystal ball in my other pants" however I would just like your best opinion, so I have all the facts just before buying.

1) Is there any plans that you guys know of in the near future (or leaked information) for the next quarter where a laptop has EVERY THING the A1 has plus includes the USB 3.0, I don't need many ports just one of those is enough for me. And would you guys guess that it would be pretty close to the price of the A1? Would the price of the A1 drop as if such a computer comes out? Also do you guys know if the next laptop release will be coming with the 120 hz as oppose the the 60 hz, and is that even a noticeable difference, and will the 120 hz cause less eye strain as oppose to the 60 hz?

2) I remember reading somewhere if I order the laptop though xotic pc then I get 3 percent off the price and free shipping? Is that true, and how does the 3 percent work, is that only for pre orders or is it all the time, so if I wait till the laptops are back in stock will I still get the 3 percent off?

3) No one can ever say for sure but if you were to guess, does this laptop have everything needed to be a perfect laptop for the next 4 years or is there already something form Intel or ATI that's being widely talked about that blows all current laptops out of the water?

4) If I order the A1 laptop right now, how long on the pre order list would I be, and approximately when could I expect to see the laptop?

5) I now know from you guys that the A1 doesn't have an express card slot but just for my own understanding, if a computer had an express slot someone bought a usb 3.0 express card for like 30 bucks would that lab top be running at usb 3.0 speeds or is it governed only by bus speed of the usb 2.0 and would never increase beyond the 2.0 speed even though they would allow usb 3.0 devices to work? (this seems to be a hard question to answer I've looked around a lot but not found an answer for this)

6) Also can someone please explain to me why some people are using SSD (solid state drive) for there secondary drive so just having like 80 gb ssd drive instead of a 500 gb normal drive, I have to assume the gains are a lot if people don't mind sacrificing that much had space, I'd just like to know where the gains are and what not.

Again I fully understand a lot of these questions are opinion based, I'd just like to see what other people think on the issue, I have pretty much already made up my mind to get the A1 I think.
Thanks again for everyone's help!!


Also "UntilMoraleImproves" thanks for the advice about taking a part laptops, for me its not an issue at all, I've taken several apart in the past, but a disassemble guide always helps a little bit, However, if it doesn't cost much more to have xotic pc install the 920 at a later date, I rather have them do it anyways, just cause they have done it before. I wouldn't mind writing a disesembly guide for the A1 with a ton of pics but I never take apart a laptop till its out of warranty so I'd have to wait 2 years unfortunately, but the price of the 920 is quite a bit out of my current price range anyways. I just hope they keep the i7 chipset for a while, I read some disturbing stuff a while back that they may not keep it, but that was not verified information.

[Slowboto]

1. This was a question I asked and why it was all guessing, some said it was unlikely a new model would appear until next year. Also price won't drop on these, the other would be more expensive.

2. If you get the free shipping I think the 3% discount is lowered accordingly. So one or the other in that case.

3. Sounds like this one should last you a few years with no problems. As you will hear from many, there is always other stuff on the horizon, you'll be waiting forever if you keep waiting on the next best thing.

4. Impossible to give an accurate estimation on wait time because unknown how large the shipments are right now. The production has been increased due to popularity so it should start shrinking some in terms of wait but also more people are starting to preorder. Right now it is around a 2 month wait.

5. Someone else will have to answer this one.

USB 3.0 is a nice feature but unless you are constantly transferring a lot of large files you shouldn't let it make or break your decision for your laptop.

[UntilMoraleImproves]

Thanks Fingersniffer, and UntilMoraleImproves (http://xoticpcforums.com/member.php?u=12986), for the VERY quick replys. What you said makes a lot of sense. The A1 really does seem like a perfect fit for me, and I have even compaired it to the what I think is its closest competitor which might be the MSI GX740-079US however the screen res on the MSI is only 1680x1050 and I really want the 1920x1080. The MSI has the esata and a express card port where the A1 doesn't, however the MSI only comes with 4gb memory as oppose to the 8 on the A1 and only 500 gb hard drive on the MSI as oppose to the 1tb of total space on the A1. Plus the MSI is only upgradable to 8gb where the A1 is upgradable to 16 gb. Taking all that into consideration the A1 at a price of just 200 bucks or so more then the MSI really does seem like the perfect choice for me, but I do have a couple more questions before I make up my mind.

The next few question are largely hypothetical and may involve speculation, I understand completely if someone answers "I left my crystal ball in my other pants" however I would just like your best opinion, so I have all the facts just before buying.
Again I fully understand a lot of these questions are opinion based, I'd just like to see what other people think on the issue, I have pretty much already made up my mind to get the A1 I think.
Thanks again for everyone's help!!

Also "UntilMoraleImproves" thanks for the advice about taking a part laptops, for me its not an issue at all, I've taken several apart in the past, but a disassemble guide always helps a little bit, However, if it doesn't cost much more to have xotic pc install the 920 at a later date, I rather have them do it anyways, just cause they have done it before. I wouldn't mind writing a disesembly guide for the A1 with a ton of pics but I never take apart a laptop till its out of warranty so I'd have to wait 2 years unfortunately, but the price of the 920 is quite a bit out of my current price range anyways. I just hope they keep the i7 chipset for a while, I read some disturbing stuff a while back that they may not keep it, but that was not verified information.


1) Is there any plans that you guys know of in the near future (or leaked information) for the next quarter where a laptop has EVERY THING the A1 has plus includes the USB 3.0, I don't need many ports just one of those is enough for me. And would you guys guess that it would be pretty close to the price of the A1? Would the price of the A1 drop as if such a computer comes out? Also do you guys know if the next laptop release will be coming with the 120 hz as oppose the the 60 hz, and is that even a noticeable difference, and will the 120 hz cause less eye strain as oppose to the 60 hz? Not that I've been able to find but if another RoG laptop comes out with all of the specs, my G73 may be up for sale. I need something for now but that doesn't mean I'm married to it forever.

2) I remember reading somewhere if I order the laptop though xotic pc then I get 3 percent off the price and free shipping? Is that true, and how does the 3 percent work, is that only for pre orders or is it all the time, so if I wait till the laptops are back in stock will I still get the 3 percent off? You get the discount by paying in "cash". Check out the FAQs

4) No one can ever say for sure but if you were to guess, does this laptop have everything needed to be a perfect laptop for the next 4 years or is there already something form Intel or ATI that's being widely talked about that blows all current laptops out of the water? Like you said, it is hard to say but in my estimation, it does. My rig, with the SSD, rates at a 7.0 on the Windows Experience test and that is only b/c of the processor. Swapping to a 920XM would certainly bump it way up. I'm still using an older HP laptop (now my wife's) and aside from hardcore gaming, it is still cranking along. I got the G73 specifically for gaming and I think it will still be more than adequate for games four years from now. Plus, I can handle the upgrades. The only problem I have is the USB2.0 ports. I really would prefer other options but can live with them for now.

5) If I order the A1 laptop right now, how long on the pre order list would I be, and approximately when could I expect to see the laptop? Only Xotic can say for sure but I do believe that ASUS is really ramping up production. It took one day shy of two months for me to get mine.

6) Also can someone please explain to me why some people are using SSD (solid state drive) for there secondary drive so just having like 80 gb ssd drive instead of a 500 gb normal drive, I have to assume the gains are a lot if people don't mind sacrificing that much had space, I'd just like to know where the gains are and what not. We have the SSD as our primary, not secondary drive. I swapped it myself so I could keep the original 500GB HDD as my external backup drive. SSD's significantly increase performance. You should do some research, there is a ton of information out there.

7) I now know from you guys that the A1 doesn't have an express card slot but just for my own understanding, if a computer had an express slot someone bought a usb 3.0 express card for like 30 bucks would that lab top be running at usb 3.0 speeds or is it governed only by bus speed of the usb 2.0 and would never increase beyond the 2.0 speed even though they would allow usb 3.0 devices to work? (this seems to be a hard question to answer I've looked around a lot but not found an answer for this) My understanding is that a USB3.0 Express Card will give you true USB3.0 transfer rates/speeds. It is not limited to 2.0 speeds.

[rainer]

Thank You XoticPc Members:laugh:
i read all your posts and its very helpfull:wink2:

i have one question:

Can One of you Estimate the price in the non Europian /American Country? :confused:

[rastamandom]

anyone try new DirectX11 benchmark from BitSquid Stone Giant?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ba1nTrwnB8

some score please?

[rastamandom]

some nice MSI tool thet Quagmire use on his g73jh http://event.msi.com/vga/afterburner/overview.htm

[Fingersniffer]

My tests showed similar results as the video, really there isn't any options as this is just a preview video, not an actual benchmark.

[GCTuba]

hey guys. i have one big question that's been bothering me for a while. about how much longer do i have to wait to get my Asus G73JH-A2 laptop? I ordered it on April 15th and the site still says that as of April 15th, ETA is April 19th and 29th in the US. This is obviously outdated since its May 6th :/ When are they going to update that/get more shipments in?

[jbermi]

hey guys. i have one big question that's been bothering me for a while. about how much longer do i have to wait to get my Asus G73JH-A2 laptop? I ordered it on April 15th and the site still says that as of April 15th, ETA is April 19th and 29th in the US. This is obviously outdated since its May 6th :/ When are they going to update that/get more shipments in?

go read the wait list thread and you will understand preordering and how xotic handles each shipment they receive from ASUS.

[Slowboto]

hey guys. i have one big question that's been bothering me for a while. about how much longer do i have to wait to get my Asus G73JH-A2 laptop? I ordered it on April 15th and the site still says that as of April 15th, ETA is April 19th and 29th in the US. This is obviously outdated since its May 6th :/ When are they going to update that/get more shipments in?

Ummmmm....there is a preorder thread up in the news section. They are starting to now receive shipments for April 29th shipment from Asus and people are being informed steadily of phase changes. Now on late March preorders. You still have a few weeks to go. If you want to learn more then go to the G73 preorder thread. Covered extensively over there.

Of course you might have to search a bit for pertinent info. We tend to get offtrack on the subject matter quite often and you will have pages of stuff not dealing with the G73. The good news is we always get back on track eventually.

[ravnos04]

I got mine from Best Buy about a week ago as a replacement for my overhating POS Gateway FX7811.

Initial thoughts are that it is AMAZING. What they say about the cooling on the video reviews are accurate; it stays VERY cool. Even with me playing Dragon Age: Origins max settings and 4xAA.

I have yet to check the FSB of the RAM, but will do when I get home.

[Slowboto]

I got mine from Best Buy about a week ago as a replacement for my overhating POS Gateway FX7811.

Initial thoughts are that it is AMAZING. What they say about the cooling on the video reviews are accurate; it stays VERY cool. Even with me playing Dragon Age: Origins max settings and 4xAA.

I have yet to check the FSB of the RAM, but will do when I get home.

Which one did you get from Best Buy? I guess it is too late now either way, it's just that the models at Best Buy have some significant differences considering their price. Plus you have to get their warranty if you want any for the comp.

[samygold]

We will be fulfilling orders on a first come first serve basis. If you already have a pre-order in our database, then we will contact you once we have a model for your order. If you don't receive an update, then unfortunately that means we don't have a model for your order yet. Currently for any new G73JH-A1/A2 orders being submitted into our database we're quoting an ETA of Late March.
Hi every one
Can any one please tell me what is the maximum room ambient temperature that ASUS G73JH-A1 can handle ? the temps here are extremely high( above 40 C) so do you recommend me using a cooler?
Thanks
Regards
Samy

[Maverick494]

Hi every one
Can any one please tell me what is the maximum room ambient temperature that ASUS G73JH-A1 can handle ? the temps here are extremely high( above 40 C) so do you recommend me using a cooler?
Thanks
Regards
Samy

40C is not extremely high. 50C isn't even extremely high. Especially for a notebook.

[samygold]

40C is not extremely high. 50C isn't even extremely high. Especially for a notebook.

Oh Thank you , Is that mean its Ok to use the notebook without an Temps fear?

[samygold]

Oh Thank you , Is that mean its Ok to use the notebook without an Temps fear?

I meant specially the ASUS G73JH-A1 laptop which is a gaming laptop and have a huge fans , although I dont run games on it !

[Maverick494]

Oh Thank you , Is that mean its Ok to use the notebook without an Temps fear?

If you see 90C+ then you might have something to think about. Is a cooler a good idea anyway? yes, but you don't have any reason to be worried atm.

[FallingComa]

Even there, I've hit 94C on my G73 playing World of Warcraft, it idles at about 45 to 60 depending on room temperature. These hardware components are made to resist heat and will shut down way before any damage will occur. Mind you the 94C never occured again
once I got my Coolermaster notebook cooler. And plus, I'm not sure which important part one is supposed to
monitor for temperatures because in Everest Ultimate there exists 3 diodes(sensors) for the video card. MemIO, DispIO, ShaderIO and MemIO being the one running hotter. I have never seen the others get hotter than 75C. And alsoto note, my GPU fan was running at 30%.

Just a quick question has someone ever noticed that the 2 vents don't blow at the same strength. The right one blows a little more. Not sure if thats the case for everyone?

[powerpack]

I notice the same thing with fans, right works harder.

[FallingComa]

I think it has something to do with the fact that the video card is located on that side? That's what I'm guessing, and seeing as that is usually the component working at its hardest, thus fan running faster and harder, there wouldn't be any room for the video card on the left side, mainly because of the optical drive?

[UntilMoraleImproves]

Even there, I've hit 94C on my G73 playing World of Warcraft, it idles at about 45 to 60 depending on room temperature. These hardware components are made to resist heat and will shut down way before any damage will occur. Mind you the 94C never occured again
once I got my Coolermaster notebook cooler. And plus, I'm not sure which important part one is supposed to
monitor for temperatures because in Everest Ultimate there exists 3 diodes(sensors) for the video card. MemIO, DispIO, ShaderIO and MemIO being the one running hotter. I have never seen the others get hotter than 75C. And alsoto note, my GPU fan was running at 30%.

Just a quick question has someone ever noticed that the 2 vents don't blow at the same strength. The right one blows a little more. Not sure if thats the case for everyone?

The right vent is for the GPU so yes, it is working harder.

[rastamandom]

Hay there everyone, now i have some time to play with it... so im here and i did some GPU overclocking (no twin turbo mode),update BIOS to 209,Catalyst 10.6,Win 7 ultimate fresh install... i have very stable GPU and temps on :

Gpu Clock 800MHz Memory 1100MHz

http://img192.imageshack.us/f/p8989.jpg/

and push for more just to see, this is where i stop mi temp was max 91c

Gpu Clock 877MHz Memory 1200MHz

http://img36.imageshack.us/f/p9572.jpg/

temps are high because i don't use any laptop cooler and her in DR is more and less 27c in my room

[Maverick494]

Hay there everyone, now i have some time to play with it... so im here and i did some GPU overclocking (no twin turbo mode),update BIOS to 209,Catalyst 10.6,Win 7 ultimate fresh install... i have very stable GPU and temps on :

Gpu Clock 800MHz Memory 1100MHz

http://img192.imageshack.us/f/p8989.jpg/

and push for more just to see, this is where i stop mi temp was max 91c

Gpu Clock 877MHz Memory 1200MHz

http://img36.imageshack.us/f/p9572.jpg/

temps are high because i don't use any laptop cooler and her in DR is more and less 27c in my room

I don't understand how you can have a 47 MHZ core advantage over me and a 40 MHZ mem advantage and still score the same as I did.

[rastamandom]

I don't understand how you can have a 47 MHZ core advantage over me and a 40 MHZ mem advantage and still score the same as I did.

don't see your screenshot :wideeyed: and it dont mean nothing you need try all kind of options and find the best one for your card, i did this just to chek my card and se if 800 with 1100 is stable, im planing on puting vBios V3

[rastamandom]

We have completed some initial benchmarks and a video review for the new ASUS G73JH. The G73JH features a 17" FHD screen, ATi HD5870 Video Card, 8GB DDR3 1333MHz, i7 720QM CPU and 2x 500GB 7200RPM Hard Drives.

CPUZ, GPUZ, WEI Score & Temp

http://xoticpc.com/reviews/G73JH/baseline-gpuz-cpuz-windows-.jpg

3D Mark Vantage Stock Run

http://xoticpc.com/reviews/G73JH/3DMARKVANTAGE-STANDARD-RES.jpg

3D Mark Vantage OC'd 799/1200

http://xoticpc.com/reviews/G73JH/3DMARKOVERCLOCK.jpg

3D Mark Vantage OC'd 799/1200 at 1080P

http://xoticpc.com/reviews/G73JH/3dmarkVOC1920x1080.jpg

Video Review PART 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53ec1AXkZfY

Video Review PART 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97UJaliJRug

Justin your temps are so low how? Thermal Paste?Cooler?Room tmps?Please?

[mrmatt]

So, why arent the temps for the GPU showing up on any of the G73s?

[rastamandom]

So, why arent the temps for the GPU showing up on any of the G73s?

chek "AMD GPU clock tool"!!! on second and third screenshot, max temp is 69c my is 91c

[Maverick494]

don't see your screenshot :wideeyed: and it dont mean nothing you need try all kind of options and find the best one for your card, i did this just to chek my card and se if 800 with 1100 is stable, im planing on puting vBios V3

well since you seem to only pay attention to what is pasted in front of your nose jackass:

http://www.xoticpcforums.com/showthread.php?t=5085&page=8

Post #72, clocks were 830/1150.

[Maverick494]

don't see your screenshot :wideeyed: and it dont mean nothing you need try all kind of options and find the best one for your card, i did this just to chek my card and se if 800 with 1100 is stable, im planing on puting vBios V3


Here is another one that makes me wonder what is up. My clocks were 860/1153. That is about the highest my memory will go. I could maybe push the core a little more.

Today about 5 min ago (http://img709.imageshack.us/i/21jul10bench.png/)

[mrmatt]

chek "AMD GPU clock tool"!!! on second and third screenshot, max temp is 69c my is 91c
I meant in HWMonitor, I'm not a idiot.

[rastamandom]

well since you seem to only pay attention to what is pasted in front of your nose jackass:

http://www.xoticpcforums.com/showthread.php?t=5085&page=8

Post #72, clocks were 830/1150.

hahahhaha ...sorry, you rihgt!!! but you know what they say you can't have nice look and performance!!!
YOU UGLY UGLY SAGER LOVER!!!:laugh:

[gstboy]

Not sure how much the futuremark programs stress the gpu but you have pretty good temps for such a high OC. Did you try furmark yet? My gpu temp went through the roof almost hitting 110C within 3 minutes

[rastamandom]

I meant in HWMonitor, I'm not a idiot.

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa a you meant in HWMonitor, now go to sager threads and heal your frustration !!!and not every body is hightech person here so I was just trying to help!!!

[rastamandom]

Not sure how much the futuremark programs stress the gpu but you have pretty good temps for such a high OC. Did you try furmark yet? My gpu temp went through the roof almost hitting 110C within 3 minutes

not yet, you think 3dMark 2006?

[mrmatt]

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa a you meant in HWMonitor, now go to sager threads and heal your frustration !!!and not every body is hightech person here so I was just trying to help!!!
What frustration? I understand that you were trying to help..

[rastamandom]

What frustration? I understand that you were trying to help..

oooooooooooooook:notworthy

[powerpack]

I can't go above 1100MHz memory with out artifacts with ATI tool.

[rastamandom]

I can't go above 1100MHz memory with out artifacts with ATI tool.

nice tool thanks, i notice some on windows border (aero), don't remember which clock gona use it from now:biggrin:

[rastamandom]

nice tool thanks, i notice some on windows border (aero), don't remember which clock gona use it from now:biggrin:

geting BSOD everi time i start the tool i download it from:

http://downloads.guru3d.com/download.php?det=733 :confused::confused:

[rastamandom]

http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/1424/3dmark0613702.jpg

[powerpack]

On the 40MHz difference and why scores are the same from previous. I am not shocked. +/- % explains.

Mav if you want a more detailed guess feed me the individual scores that create the composite for both of you guys. But it just does not catch my attention or concern. Background apps/services could more than explain. I know that the similar hardware makes you wonder but they are far from the same "test bed".

I do not do Vantage yet so not so familiar with. 3DMark06 more familiar with. I broke 13,000 OC'd 13,200 I think.

Oh and a Vantage score does not mean stability. ATI Tool is a nice one and might get you lowering your clocks if stability proper functioning of your hardware matters.

Edit: Give me a minute to see if I can help on ATI Tool and if I did anything to make it work.

Don't start with high OC? But give me a minute.

[rastamandom]

On the 40MHz difference and why scores are the same from previous. I am not shocked. +/- % explains.

Mav if you want a more detailed guess feed me the individual scores that create the composite for both of you guys. But it just does not catch my attention or concern. Background apps/services could more than explain. I know that the similar hardware makes you wonder but they are far from the same "test bed".

I do not do Vantage yet so not so familiar with. 3DMark06 more familiar with. I broke 13,000 OC'd 13,200 I think.

Oh and a Vantage score does not mean stability. ATI Tool is a nice one and might get you lowering your clocks if stability proper functioning of your hardware matters.

Edit: Give me a minute to see if I can help on ATI Tool and if I did anything to make it work.

Could you please tell me which version of ATItool you use and where to download it

[powerpack]

0.26.0.0? Not sure where from.

[rastamandom]

0.26.0.0? Not sure where from.

THANKS!!! get 0.27 beta from http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=45596 work just fine, gona look for 0.26 too

[rastamandom]

I can't go above 1100MHz memory with out artifacts with ATI tool.

i was running ATI Tool (Scan for Artifacts) for more then 8 min on Clock 800& mem 1200MHz and no any error

my temps for TSS1 was max 95c (others under 90c) and every time it's hit 95c the fans start to work harder and instantly start to drop temps to 92-93c...

its was repeating thet for more the 3 times then i abort it

[powerpack]

Sounds like the luck of the draw was very good to you.:)

[Solar strom]

really nice!