Asus g750js vs Alienware 14 & 17

Kcsingh

Honorable
Aug 22, 2013
11
0
10,560
Hello folks!
Well the thing is i'm a happy desktop gamer but because of my new job i have to travel a lot!
And when i do travel it's either by air or car. When on the road sometimes for a few days in the evening i get this urge to play some of my games, but my macbook isn't the most efficient laptop to play games on.

I love playing Crysis/bf/diablo/wow/cod and a few other games
I can easily play 2 of the games on the laptop, but with lag and a really hot laptop. So it's time to get a proper laptop for the travels!

Okay so travelling is some sort of a keyword some would say, but i don't care if it's heavy as duck, it has to be something that can actually do proper gaming, and when it comes to the size im fairly open minded.

So i've like everyone else before buying a product done a little research, and i've gotten this fare and narrowed it down to this.

I'd like a 17" gaming screen, no doubt but looking at the prices they are fairly different.
My requirements to the laptop would be
i7 processor
Full hd
minimum 8gb ram
Geforce gtx 750 or higher
A ssd would be nice, but not an actual requirement.

now taken these requirements in mind i find three models

Asus g750js is about 1700 Euro
Alienware 14 with full hd screen and gtx 765 is about 1500 Euro
Alienware 17 with full hd & gtx 880 & 16 gb ram and ssd 256 + 500gb hard is about 2150 euro

Now this is my price range going from 1500 - 2200 Euros at max
I've read a few reviews and read a few threads about the differences and pros and cons

I like the asus cause the specs are more or less equal to the alienware 17 and costs 350 less, but sadly has a bad design, which im willing to look aside, if it turns on the asus is better

So these are my questions, Asus g750js vs both the Alienware's
Which would be best of the Alienwares the 14 or 17 ( i have again read that 17 is supposedly better for gaming + better cooling and overall more for the price, while the 14" is actually a 15" with only a 14" screen, and hot cooling issues)

So if someone would kindly help me with this struggle i would appreciate it a lot!
Ps if you have other suggestions regarding laptops don't hesitate to throw them on here! i want all the inputs i can get, i might have been looking at the wrong laptops maybe!

Thanks in advance!

- Kc



 

Dblkk

Honorable
Oct 30, 2013
323
0
11,010
While I haven't tried the alien ware, I am a new current owner of the Asus g750 j's model. Before this model I had/tried the Asus g750 jm, msi GT 70 dominator pro, razor, Samsung ativ book 8, and MacBook pro retina.

The alien ware design is similar to the msi. Upgradeable sockets, single fan, boxy, I feel very similar. The Asus is one of a kind. At $1800 with Asus your getting the i7 4700, gtx 870m, 16gb ram, 256gb ssd, and 1tb hid 7200rpm. The cooling on the Asus is by far the best in terms of any gaming laptop. Soldered gpu/cpu are yes soldered and don't allow upgrading, but with a single fan for 'each' component and being soldered, allows the Asus to more than adequately cool their system. The dell will use a single large fan to cool both heatsinks from CPU/gpu. So that section of the laptop will get hot, and fan noise will get loud. As for the keyboard the Asus has top notch keyboard, not all the bright customizable lights of the dell, but white backlit and the keyboard is just superb. Speakers are nice and loud, battery will last at least 5 hours of normal light/medium non gaming tasks. While gaming, depending on the game, it will last over an hour but under two. Now normally you wont be gaming on battery though, but it is nice that you get decent normal battery life when your not straight up gaming. Not sure about the dell, but you also get microphone in, headset out plugs, 4xusb3.0, and thunderbolt. Which as I use mine for photography/video editing, that's a really nice plus.

Gaming will typically only use 40-60% processor and 100% graphics, with a single fan this will be a challenge and result in hot air being exhausted from the side and some good fan noise. Haven't heard to much about thermal throttling on the dell, I know msn with their single fan seems to have some thermal throttling issues. I use my Asus j's for editing and 3d rendering which uses 100% CPU and gpu, and my temps rarely higher than 80c, fan noise is minimal, which is awesome. As I'm on my laptop in bed at night with wife next to me, its nice not having my hot air blowing on her and my fan noise at a very minimum.

But that said, this is probably bias towards the Asus as that's what I own. But I spent 6 months buying and returning laptops trying to find the best one for performance that didn't either a) overheat and fry the laptop (MacBook, Samsung, razor), b)overheat throttle and be incredibly loud (other MacBook, msi).

So that's my take on the matter, hope it helps somewhat. But I have the Asus j's, I love it and have no regrets at all about my purchase.
 

Dblkk

Honorable
Oct 30, 2013
323
0
11,010
Oh but that said and my 2 cents 'again'. The dell is ridiculous priced. I'd be looking at the msn gt70 dominator ($1800 will get you a i7 4800, gtx 880m) better specs, solid laptop, same cooling design as dell.

vs

The Asus g750js. $1800 i7 4700 gtx 870m. Better cooling, very solid laptop, step down in specs but better laptop quality

The Asus can play any new game on ultra settings without any problems. Titanfall, bf4, cod ghosts ect

And 15 vs 17 inch. 17 inch all the way. Weighs just a fraction more, is bigger yes, but screen size is just great for gaming, and allows for better cooling (especially msi and dell case). Its worth having to get a bigger laptop bag, I've been 15 my whole life, started my laptop search at 15 models, then my first 17 was like oh no this things huge, then open it up, edited a few movies and games on it and was like hell yea this is awesome. Really sucks you into the game vs just looking at a screen.
 

Kcsingh

Honorable
Aug 22, 2013
11
0
10,560


Thanks for the quick answer! i've heard good stuff about the Asus, but it looks like plastic, whilst msi and alienware look more solid, is this an actual fact? or is asus not that "plasticy"?

I have mates that have MSI and im not going there, their fans blowout, and the heat is sooo bad, i mean i could boil my eggs next to their laptops, so not going near MSI then rather but a more upgraded Asus tbh.
But thanks for the answer!
 

Dblkk

Honorable
Oct 30, 2013
323
0
11,010
Oh no, the Asus is keyboard and side of keyboard area all metal and very very solid with no keyflex or anything. Top is metal but has like a rubber thing over the top which makes it solid and the rubber is a huge finger greeze magnet but its great as it doesn't slip at all or anything. They make a bunch of skins but ii don't want to cover it up, the rubber is awesome. The bottom is plastic yes, but it allows the wireless ac card to transmit without any metal interference.

Ive tried the msi, and the top is metal but the rest is a hard plastic, but id still go msi over dell. Same quirks between the two, but vastly better specs at a even cheaper price. No brainer there, but msi over Asus, they're both great. But the msi gives performance top notch and average build on the rest of the laptop, Asus not as good of specs (but still performs like a champ) but a+ build and cooling.

I ran Asus realbench software on my Asus and my pc (8350 oc to 5.2ghz, 16gb ram, sad for boot, and sli gtx 770 gpu's. PC score 51,000 laptop score 56,000. And that's no overclock on the laptop yet either.
 

Kcsingh

Honorable
Aug 22, 2013
11
0
10,560


but considering the mount of heat the msi would give you, it worries me a little.
i checked up on the Dominator, which model you on about to be exact? i see 3 different types ;)
 

Dblkk

Honorable
Oct 30, 2013
323
0
11,010
The dominator has GT 70 and gt60. The gt60 is the 15" model and the gt70 is the 17" model.

For the gt70, there are over 10 versions but its really only 4. i7 4800 is standard, then you have 860m 870m 3gb, 870m 6gb, and 880m 8gb. Then in between all those models you get miss ram and hhd/ssd configurations. But the $1800 is the beginning one with 880m, no sad but add your own Samsung evo/pro, cheaper/faster/better anyways.

As for cooling, its the same single fan design as dells, except msi uses a larger fan for the single fan cooling which should make it run slower to cool the same as a smaller one. Plus theres a turbo boost fan option which from everything I've read and have had users tell me it sounds like a hair dryer when turbo boost is on, but it cools exceptionally well when its on.

 

Kcsingh

Honorable
Aug 22, 2013
11
0
10,560


in my mind Asus is winning atm. considering the start price for the gt70 is that and no ssd + that i looks ugly as well. If it had to come down between the msi and Alien i personally think the Alien would win alone on the fact that it looks better, cause i wouldn't have bought a mac, if i didn't care about that :p
 

Dblkk

Honorable
Oct 30, 2013
323
0
11,010
I tried all above listed laptops and while some were nice until they overheated and fried or throttled, I never actually just all out liked them. The Asus is a laptop I enjoy using, yet gives the performance I need. That's just my opinion. Also the 860m is no slouch either. And the Asus g750jm model is 4700, 860m, 12gb ram, 1tb 5400rpm drive for $1350. You can use the money saved and get a good sad. Its another option, ultimately not as good, but it is one. As for $1750 the j's gives you an sad (although only 256 it is good enough for boot, and gives 7200rpm drive Tb for data storage).

But dell vs msi, idk, only reason to not get the Asus is that its more expensive for what you get compared to the msi. The dell is even more expensive and doesn't even give you as much as the Asus, that's a blow to dell and win for Asus. In my mind Asus is top notch, msi is good. Msi only reason it was an option for me was its good, and gives you huge bang for your buck. Still ended up going Asus though.
 

Dblkk

Honorable
Oct 30, 2013
323
0
11,010
Can't you go to a best buy or some kind of store that would have a display model for an Asus. Any g750 series is the same laptop with different internals, so if you could see and touch any g750 you would get a feel of the laptop itself.
 

Kcsingh

Honorable
Aug 22, 2013
11
0
10,560


I live in Denmark and we suck when it comes to show products, im not even kidding.....

No stores actually sell Alienware, the few one that sell MSI don't have them as display cause they are too expensive.... i mean dafug....

Asus i have only found on internet stores so fare. :(
Another sad pad thing is i can buy stuff on the net use it try it, then return it within 14 days, i wouldn't mind doing that but just seems like a big hassle.

But i've seen a few videos now on the internet, the Asus actually looks like a good buy, i see the point in Jm and j's but personally i'd go for the stronger GPU
 

Dblkk

Honorable
Oct 30, 2013
323
0
11,010


I kind of know what you mean, im in the us, and only gaming notebook i could see was the asus. No msi, razer, or anything. The whole 14 day thing i used over and over and over again until i found what is 'my personal' best laptop. It is a hastle yes, but it led me to find my 'no comprimise' laptop. (haha surface slogan which btw i own and love). But with the asus being to me a 100% laptop, maybe for you its not, but if it is cheaper and gives better components than the alienware, i really dont see how much better the alienware could possibly be to make up for that fact. Now the asus/msi is the harder choice since to me msi=alienware which is lower on my perfect laptop scale than asus, but the msi offers more for less. If your not liking the msi feeling, from everything ive heard/read it is very similar to the alienware. Your basically buying the name.
 

Kcsingh

Honorable
Aug 22, 2013
11
0
10,560


Hehe maybe i should try that too haha :D
well i'll be honest if the Alienware still looked liked the m17x i'd buy it just for those awesome looks, but now they are more mat in it etc so they actually don't look that great.
with that said, i've been reading a lot and looking on vids about the J's and Dominator with 870 and 880 design wise im stuck i think the MSI kinda looks sleek, without having any bumps/weird looking kinda style, while the asus does. But i'm reading / seeing good stuff on both
I also noticed i can get same specs as J's for a cheaper mount of mney and get a better version of j's in dominator style for only 50 euro more. So price/hardware wise i'm starting to lean towards MSI - but i still have my big fear of extreme heat from the msi