Asus G74SX Review - Quiet, Fast, Sturdy and Bright Laptop
This ASUS G74SX laptop performs well as a result of the pairing of a quick CPU, a quick GPU, and plenty of RAM for each. The keyboard and chassis stay cool even after being on all day, so cool that it's very difficult to tell if the laptop is on by feel, it feels like room temperature to me.
The screen hinge does a good job of keeping the screen in a steady position even as I type this review while sitting on a couch with the laptop on my lap.The matte screen is bright and crisp, with a much nicer surface coating texture than my desktop IPS LCDs.
I haven't used the 3D glasses much yet, but even so I recommend this model over the other G74SX models that lack the 3D display since the matte screen and very high brightness capabilities of the 3D panel make it possible to work in what would otherwise have been poor lighting conditions for the dimmer, glossy-screened 2D models.
The memory configuration this laptop ships with is three 4GB DDR3-1333 SODIMMs, two DIMMs in one bank, and a single DIMM in the other bank. Mine shipped with the same Samsung 1.5v DIMMs mentioned on other reviews on the internet.Because I write a lot of code that can take advantage of more memory, and because having a non-uniform memory configuration can cause performance irregularities I decided to upgrade to 16GB.
I was unable to locate a reliable source for a fourth, matching Samsung DIMM so I bought four 4GB DIMMs DDR-1333 DIMMs that Crucial recommends for this system. As a bonus the DIMMs from Crucial only require 1.35v, which should help further reduce the laptop's temperature compared to the original 1.5v DIMMs. Eager to use the laptop, I ran just a single pass of Memtest86+, but so far, so good. I've not experienced a single bluescreen or any application instability, and my WEI Memory score went up by 0.1 point.I wanted a faster boot and applications drive so I swapped out the primary 750GB WD Black drive for a Intel 320 Series 160 GB SATA 3.0 SSD. I'm very pleased with the boot, login, and overall responsiveness improvements. After installing the SSD I installed Windows 7 Ultimate x64. I have also since replaced the secondary hard drive with a Samsung 830 Series 128 GB SATA III SSD, also with great results.
I also wanted a wireless card with better support in other operating systems and a better reputation for good performance than the wireless card this laptop shipped with an AzureWave AW-NB037H, so I purchased and installed an Intel 6230 WiFi + Bluetooth 3.0 adapter. Installation was painless, and fn+F2 (the enable/disable wireless button) works great still.
I've now put about 60-70GB of data across the Intel WiFi card's network link.... no problems with drop outs or performance, Asus G74SX review still work Great. I also picked up this Right Angle 90 Degree Converter for 5.5 x 2.5mm Connector - LC53 adapter for the power cable to ensure that the power cable didn't get in the way of my mouse. ASUS G74SX review still works great, but may have been unnecessary based upon where I'm finding I keep my mouse.
After my modifications, my WEI scores are:
- 1. Processor: 7.5
- 2. Memory: 7.6
- 3. Graphics: 7.2
- 4. Gaming Graphics: 7.2
- 5. Primary hard disk: 7.7
After installing Win 7 Ultimate I found a good reference of where to get the latest drivers for this system on the Republic of Gamers Forum. I was pleased to discover that this ASUS G74SX, even with the 3DVision support, can use the stock video drivers from the Nvidia website.
At night sometimes the display was feeling a bit too bright, so I installed the Asus Splendid app/driver so I could quickly swap color profiles and found one of the color profiles it includes is a lot easier on the eyes.
The ASUS G74SX laptop is sturdy, has a pleasant feel, and the keyboard spacing is very comfortable.
A nice backpack and gaming mouse ship with the laptop.
CON'S Asus G74SX Review :
There are lots of mentions of keyboard woes with the Asus G74SX Review on the internet, I wasn't sure what to expect. I'm running the 2.0.3 BIOS and latest keyboard filter and ATK drivers. Here's what I found... quite a few keys needed to be broken in a bit to register properly, when encountering a missed keystroke, I carefully exercised the offending key about a dozen times, the key feel noticeably changes for the better and all is well.
The only on-going issues I'm experiencing are:
- if I hit the left-most or right-most edge of the left arrow key I can basically press it all the way down without it registering. It was easy to learn not to do this... to write this review I had to hunt around to remember which key it was that had this issue.
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- my right shift key will stick in the down position (and registering as being down) if I push it all the way down by pushing on the center of the bottom edge of the key. To get it un-stuck I have to gently lift the top center of the key using a finger nail. I've also found this very easy to avoid doing... all I have to do is only push down on keys when my finger tips aren't on the edge of a key.
- Sometimes the fn+something key combinations seem not to register... no idea what's going on here... I think it's usually when I've hit the same combination several times in a row before the on screen indicator pops up. For example if I'm changing the sound volume or screen brightness.
- It comes loaded with ALOT of software, of which about half is just crap (trial versions, and watered down software). If you build your own machine by ordering it from [...], you have the option of them NOT installing all that stuff.
Solutions :
F3 definitely requires more force than the rest of the keys to register a keystroke. This was a bit annoying in Minecraft though it didn't get long for me to get used to hitting the key a bit harder. For whatever reason I think I tend to type lighter on my laptop keys than my desktop keyboard. The amount of force needed to make F3 work on my laptop keyboard is less than my normal typing pressure on my desktop keyboard.
All that said I've experienced none of these keyboard issues while programming, gaming, or writing this review. So, yes, keyboards really ought never have these issues, but I'm finding these issues are rarely triggered in my normal usage of the laptop, and thus don't spoil the experience.
Bottom Of Line Asus G74SX Review :
I'm very happy with this purchase, and I'm glad I opted for the 3D model with the bright, matte screen. I'm enjoying gaming on this laptop more that on my faster, purpose-built desktop which is not at all what I expected when I bought this ASUS G74SX .
If you are considering this unit, then I highly recommend it. If you are still hedging, Asus G74SX is available at Amazon.com so you might want to give one of their models a hands-on review before clicking the "Add to Cart" button.
Product Features and Technical Details Asus G74SX :
Product Features
- 1. 2.2 GHz Intel
- 2. 12 GB DIMM
- 3. 1500 GB 7200 rpm Hard Drive
- 4. 17.3-Inch Screen, Nvidia GTX 560M 3GB GDDR5
- 5. Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Processor, Memory, and Motherboard
- 1. Hardware Platform: PC
- 2. Processor: 2.2 GHz Intel Core i7
- 3. Number of Processors: 4
- 4. RAM: 12 GB
- 5. RAM Type: SODIMM
- 6. Max RAM: 12 GB
- 7. Memory Slots: 4
Hard Drive
- 1. Size: 1500 GB
- 2. Type: Serial ATA
- 3. Speed: 7200 rpm
Graphics and Display
- 1. Graphics Card: GeForce GTX 560M
- 2. Graphics RAM: 3000 MB
- 3. LCD Native Resolution: 1920 x 1080
Sound
Speakers: Altec Lansing HD
Ports and Connectivity
VGA Video Out Ports: 1
Cases and Expandability
- 1. Size (LWH): 12.8 inches, 16.5 inches, 2.4 inches
- 2. Weight: 9.4 pounds
Wireless
Wireless Type: 802.11bgn
Warranty and Support Asus G74SX :
Amazon.com Returns Policies: You may return any new computer purchased from Amazon.com that is "dead on arrival," arrives in damaged condition, or is still in unopened boxes, for a full refund within 30 days of purchase. Amazon.com reserves the right to test "dead on arrival" returns and impose a customer fee equal to 15 percent of the product sales price if the customer misrepresents the condition of the product.
Any returned computer that is damaged through customer misuse, is missing parts, or is in unsellable condition due to customer tampering will result in the customer being charged a higher restocking fee based on the condition of the product. Amazon.com will not accept returns of any desktop or notebook computer more than 30 days after you receive the shipment. New, used, and refurbished products purchased from Marketplace vendors are subject to the returns policy of the individual vendor.
Any returned computer that is damaged through customer misuse, is missing parts, or is in unsellable condition due to customer tampering will result in the customer being charged a higher restocking fee based on the condition of the product. Amazon.com will not accept returns of any desktop or notebook computer more than 30 days after you receive the shipment. New, used, and refurbished products purchased from Marketplace vendors are subject to the returns policy of the individual vendor.
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