ASUS G73Jh: Today's Top Gaming Laptop
by Jarred Walton on April 17, 2010 2:25 AM ESTG73Jh: Test System and Benchmark Setup
Unlike the HD 5650 in the Acer 5740G, the HD 5870 is actually powerful enough to run games at high detail with DirectX 11 enabled. There are still times where you'll need to turn off a few settings (STALKER: Call of Pripyat with SSAO and all other features enabled will run at under 20 FPS at 1080p), but at reasonable settings without antialiasing you can get over 30FPS. Of course, some of the less demanding titles (e.g. Left 4 Dead 2) can run with 4xAA and maximum detail and still push 60+ FPS. As mentioned earlier, the Mobility HD 5870 is really more like the desktop HD 5770 (800 Stream Processors), and you should set your expectations accordingly. NVIDIA certainly isn't in a better position on laptops, where their top SKU is the GTX 285M—essentially a mobile version of the old 9800 GTX desktop chip with 128 CUDA Cores—and they don't even have a mobile DX11 alternative. Really, if you're after the fastest mobile GPU right now, it would have to be the HD 5870. SLI and CrossFire solutions would still be faster, but we prefer a single GPU if possible as it alleviates driver and game compatibility headaches.
Speaking of drivers, we mentioned back in February that AMD had committed to a new mobile driver program where they would roll out desktop and mobile drivers simultaneously. Some expressed skepticism, but so far AMD has kept their promise and the latest 10.3 Catalyst drivers work with most ATI-equipped notebooks. The exceptions are Toshiba, Sony, and Panasonic notebooks (presumably because those OEMs opted out of AMD's mobile driver program), as well as ATI-equipped laptops with switchable graphics. Remember NVIDIA's Optimus story where they said releasing updated drivers for switchable graphics was extremely difficult? Well, they appear to be right, as neither NVIDIA nor ATI have provided updated drivers for switchable graphics to date. In fact, that's the primary reason the Alienware M11x didn’t get an Editors' Choice award. If you want updated drivers, it appears discrete only or Optimus are the only current solutions with support.
Okay, enough stalling. Here's a recap of the system specs for the ASUS G73Jh-A2. Then we'll get right to the interesting stuff: gaming performance.
| ASUS G73Jh-A2 Testbed | |
| Processor |
Intel Core i7-720QM (4x1.60GHz, 45nm, 6MB L3, Turbo to 2.80GHz, 45W) |
| Memory | 4x2GB DDR3-1333 (Max 4x2GB) |
| Graphics |
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5870 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 800 SPs, 700/1.0GHz Core/RAM clocks (4.0GHz effective) |
| Display | 17.3" LED Glossy 16:9 1080p (1920x1080) |
| Hard Drive(s) | 2x500GB 7200RPM HDD (non-RAID) |
| Optical Drive | 8x DVDR SuperMulti |
| Battery | 8-Cell, 14.6V, 75Wh |
| Operating System | Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit |
| Pricing |
$1505 Online (Note: 9-10 day special order) $1548 Alternative (In and out of stock everywhere) |
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JarredWalton - Monday, April 19, 2010 - link
According to [l=this page]http://www.em-zero.com/index.php/2010/02/everythin...[/l], the X3 version comes with two 320GB HDDs. That would make sense as the only 640GB 2.5" HDDs are 5400RPM models, so unless ASUS wants to downgrade RPMs for higher density a couple (older) 320GB 7200RPM drives is the easiest solution.Obeah - Wednesday, April 21, 2010 - link
Sweet, thanks!!mofo3k - Monday, April 19, 2010 - link
I don't know anyone who uses their notebook on battery power anymore, especially for gaming. I think that for me at least, it won't really be a deal breaker because if I just want to "surf the web" or check my Facebook account, I'll do that on my Droid. I don't have to break out the case, open it up, pull out the notebook, wait for it to boot up and try to find a comfortable place/position to set it in. Then when I'm done, have to reverse the process.If there's any pc segment that's still concerned with battery life, then they should get a netbook anyway. That's how it would work for me at least and others may differ in opinion I guess.
JarredWalton - Monday, April 19, 2010 - link
I agree that battery life isn't a real concern on a gaming notebook like this, but for regular notebooks it's definitely an important metric. I use laptops off battery power all the time. Sure, I could bring along the brick and plug it in, but that's inconvenient. If you get a CULV laptop or something similar with good battery life, you can work all day and never deal with any cords. As for why I run the tests on gaming notebooks, it's just for completeness' sake. :-)faizan123 - Monday, April 19, 2010 - link
http://www.xoticpc.com/asus-g73jha1-order-p-2731.h...It also includes a Bluray for some lesser price.
JarredWalton - Monday, April 19, 2010 - link
Yes, I think XoticPC is safe, though they also list the laptop as "pre-order" so it might be a few weeks before you get your laptop if you go through them. On the other hand, being able to customize the features of your G73Jh is nice. Not that there's much I'd recommend changing... 2x256GB C300 SSDs and an i7-920XM for only $4000! :-)http://www.resellerratings.com/store/Xotic_PC
faizan123 - Tuesday, April 20, 2010 - link
Ok But how about this http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Asus+-+Laptop+with+Int... . This has 6GB Ram and 500Gb of HDD which doesnt matter me much but what im really thinking of is the resolution of the screen which in the bestbuy case is just 1600 X 900 does it really make any difference. considering the difference in resolutions.JarredWalton - Tuesday, April 20, 2010 - link
Without testing that particular LCD, I have no idea how it performs, but there's a real chance the HD+ LCD is a dud as far as contrast. (Look at the W870CU HD+ LCD, for example--Clevo uses the same 1080p LCD as the G73Jh, but their HD+ unit stinks.) So if you're not worried about LCD quality, the $1200 Best Buy model has all of the performance shown here, just with a bit less RAM, one HDD, no backpack or mouse, and a lower resolution display.cadwerks.studios - Monday, April 19, 2010 - link
My favorite notebook and laptop company is still Malibalhttps://www.malibal.com
The World's Most Powerful Notebook For Graphics
... See More
Everywhere you look, companies claim to have the Ultimate Gaming Machine, but only at MALIBAL will you find a system that makes good on that promise and delivers performance worthy of the title. The new MALIBAL Veda Series gives you the ultimate gaming experience by taking speed to a whole new level. The state-of-the-art system utilizes SLI technology to take advantage of not one, but two of the fastest GPUs available from NVIDIA --the GeForce GTX 285M. With a gorgeous full HD widescreen display, the Veda is the fastest 18.4” display notebook available today. Beside its powerful performance and cutting-edge components, the Veda also features a futuristic design with a customizable luminous lighting array, buttonless luminescent touch sensor control panel, and eight unique programmable gaming keys that gives you total control with swift execution whether your passion is rooted in FPS, MMORPG, or RTS games.
Vibrant Cinematic Visuals
Whether you’re working on an important business document, watching a Blu-ray movie or playing a game, our 18.4-inch full HD widescreen display with a 1920x1080 pixel native resolution delivers enough screen real estate for all your needs. The widescreen display serves up vibrant colors and generous viewing angles, and provides brilliant clarity with theater-like viewing sensation for your favorite High-Definition content.
Three Hard Drives w/ RAID
Enjoy all the space you could ever want with industry-leading RAID-enabled fault tolerance storage capacities. The ultimate mobile data storage solution provides performance, utility, and security without compromising an internal optical drive.
Unique Programmable Gaming Buttons
The unit includes eight unique Gaming Buttons that are completely user-definable to allow ultimate control over your gaming experience. Whether your passion is rooted in FPS, MMORPG, or RTS games, the Veda is built to dominate with swift execution.
Slick and Futuristic
Revolutionize the way you control your notebook experience. The Veda’s Touch Sensor control panel is a state-of-the-art design featuring a buttonless luminous glassy panel with a touch sensor spread across the notebook. It provides control for the luminous appearance array, camera, Bluetooth, Wireless LAN, Application, Mute sound, and Volume with a single light touch. The customizable luminous lighting array lets you choose from 7 colors and transition effects across 3 distinct zones, front and rear vent panels.
Display: 18.4" 1920 x 1080 WUXGA LCD Active Matrix Display
Processor: Intel® Core™ i7-920XM, Extreme 8MB L3 Cache, 2.0-3.20GHz
Memory: (8GB) 8192MB, PC3-10660/1333MHz DDR3 - 2 SO-DIMM
Graphics Card: Dual NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 285M 1GB GDDR3
Hard Drive: 320GB 7200rpm 2.5" SATA-300
Hard Drive 2: 320GB 7200rpm 2.5" SATA-300
Hard Drive 3: 320GB 7200rpm 2.5" SATA-300
RAID: 0 High Performance (Two Hard Drive Configuration)
Optical Drive: 8X Multi DVD+/-R/RW RAM Dual-Layer Drive
Operating System: Microsoft® Windows® 7 Ultimate; 64-bit
Wireless: Intel® 6300 Ultimate-N 802.11A/B/G/N LAN and Bluetooth Card
Cooling: IC Diamond 7 Thermal Compound, CPU & GPU
Warranty: 3 Year Ltd. Parts and Labor Warranty with 24/7 USA-Based Support
Extras: Standard Black Carrying Case
Extras: Integrated 2.0 Megapixel Web Camera
Extras: Integrated 7 in 1 Card Reader
Extras: Integrated Fingerprint Reader
Extras: Microsoft Windows 7 DVD-ROM
Extras: MALIBAL Software & Drivers Disc
Extras: PowerDVD & Bison Cam Software Package
Software: Microsoft Office 2007 Professional Edition
$4,388.00
Now that's a notebook to make people drool over.
Dear ASUS can you please start making things like this?
JarredWalton - Tuesday, April 20, 2010 - link
I didn't say "fastest", I said "top", which is completely difference. The Malibal you just linked is yet another rebranded Clevo chassis, the X8100, which I mentioned at least once in this review. SLI GTX 285M is faster, but you lose DX11 support and you're paying nearly three times as much for that unit. So I'm not at all lazy but rather sensible. The number of people buying $4000+ laptops pales in comparison to those buying $1500 laptops.