Solved! Buying a gaming laptop, need help

shadowruna

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Feb 12, 2011
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18,510
Hi everyone,

I'll try to write this in some kind of order, but as im writing things keep popping into my head that i have to ask. Here goes.
I have recently been looking to buy a laptop. Ive looked on a few sites, but Xoticpc.com looks the best. I am undecided as to whether or not i should get a 17.3" or 15.6". My budget is around $1800, because i would have to pay shipping costs and taxes too. The setup i want is:

Sandy Bridge/740QM (depends how good sandy bridge is and availability)
GTX460M or better,
8GB ram,
1SSD for OS, 1 HDD for the rest,
standard dvd R/W

Let me know if i've missed something.The laptop's i have had my eye on are:

-ASUS G73SW-A1 17.3" (Sandy Bridge,8GB ram,gtx460m)
-ASUS G53JW-A1 15.6" ( i7 740QM,8GB ram,gtx460m)
-ASUS G53SW-A1 15.6"(exactly the same as the G73, i think, just that its 15.6")

I would prefer the Sandy Bridge in a 15.6" but apparently the G53SW wont be available before July and i would prefer a laptop sooner rather than later.
I know a few things about computers (I built both of mine), however i have never bought a laptop before (i've still used them) and so i am still unsure of a few things:
1. Has anyone had any experiences (good or bad) with ASUS or with any of the G-Series laptops?
2. How much better is Sandy Bridge than the Intel Core i7-740QM?
3. Thoughts on 15.6" vs 17.3"?
4. What kind of things would i have to deal with if i buy from the US? ie region codes for dvd/cd, power adapter etc
5. Are there any sites like xoticpc but for Australia?

If you need more information just let me know.
Any thoughts, experiences and/or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
 
Solution

Fadekyn

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Jan 15, 2011
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18,590
Asus customer service can be good and bad. I just purchased a refurb and the 800 number customer service is atrocious. I only had a broken AC adapter dongle tip and they wanted me to RMA my whole unit. Where as if it were new I would have just had to send AC adapter.

For some reason you don't learn of the different warranty treatment until after you buy. However, that 800 customer service number sends you to the Carribean call center.

If you call 510-739-3777 and hit 0 to get the switchboard you ask for CUSTOMER CARE. (They may ask if they're expecting your call, just say you were told to call back.) Customer Care is the American based call center that ASUS denies it has. Even the switchboard lady said they don't have American customer service but then transferred me here due to my specific situation.

Customer Care service is spectacular as customer service goes.

1) Answered above for ASUS customer service. Hardware: I have the G73jh and for the hour I played with it it was very very quiet and light for a 17incher.
2) Highest end SB supposedly exceeds desktops, but below that they're still very competetive to the desktop versions.
3) G73 runs cooler because it has dedicated fans for the GPU and CPU where as other laptops only do the GPU. Not sure if they do that for the 15 inch.
4) I would probably expect the normal region codes and power plug problems normally associate with you importing it to where ever you are. Ask xotic about that, they'll know.


I wish I could give you more information about the G73. The only two negatives I can give you for the hour I played with it are:

1) The left and right click under the track pad is pretty stiff, it's a rocker click so it's one solid bar that clicks to the left or right. The closer to the center of the clicker you get the less responsive it is. If gaming, this is a moot point since you'll probably be using an external mouse.
2) There is a small amount of keyboard give in the E,R,T,4,5 key section. With even less in the general upper left area of the keyboard. From there to the right the rest of the keyboard is rocksolid.
2-a) There is a rumor that when typing very very fast that there is a delay with the left shift key. Supposedly, at the beginning of a sentence if you type something like "Hi" it will actually type out as "HI". I can not confirm this and only saw it on one review.

I recommend checking out some of the reviews on youtube. XoticPC does 2 part reviews on a lot of these builds and there are good individual reviews that expose some of the flaws you'll find in these machines.

Lastly, take a looke at MSI rigs also, they were the other maker I was considering, but $$ constraints made the choice for me.