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    ASUS G73SW Owners' Lounge

    Discussion in 'ASUS Reviews and Owners' Lounges' started by Gooz, Jan 11, 2011.

  1. byusinger84

    byusinger84 Newbie

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    Last night I went to Best Buy and saw the G73SW with the 750 gig HD for $1299. It only had 1 gig of RAM for the GTX 460 (vs 1.5 gig I've seen everywhere else), a single 750 G 7200 RPM drive, 1600x900 display, DVD Burner, Bluetooth, Wifi, WiMax, and the new Sandy Bridge Core i7. It's a beautiful machine, and probably not a bad deal. The only thing is though, I REALLY want to be able to add a second HD at some point and do a RAID 0. I need to find out for sure that I can do it with this model. I went into the BIOS and I only had options for AHCI and IDE for hard drive modes, so maybe this one doesn't do it. Can anyone confirm if this can or cannot do RAID? If you have a link to somewhere, even better. Thanks,
     
  2. ALLurGroceries

    ALLurGroceries  Vegan Vermin Super Moderator

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    None of the G73 series can do RAID.
     
  3. Typecast

    Typecast NBR's Tamed Zombie

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    1gb of gtx 460? Huh. Unfortunately, The G73 units does not support raid 0.
     
  4. byusinger84

    byusinger84 Newbie

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    Really? I thought I've seen some models have two 320 G or 500 G? Are the just using JBOD then?
     
  5. ALLurGroceries

    ALLurGroceries  Vegan Vermin Super Moderator

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    There are two drive bays but the ICH controller does not support RAID.
     
  6. byusinger84

    byusinger84 Newbie

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    Gotcha. Well, then this should make it easy. Amazon has essentially the same model G73SW, but the XA1 comes with the 1080p screen, 1.5gb GTX 460, no WiMax, and the year accidental warranty where-as as far as I can tell, the Best Buy one has been stripped of the accidental. So we're talking $100 difference. Probably worth it in the end right? Especially since I'd have to pay tax on the Best Buy one, but not the one from Amazon. What do you guys think?
     
  7. Typecast

    Typecast NBR's Tamed Zombie

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    Yeah. Go for the amazon one. What application did you use to check the vram of the gtx460?
     
  8. byusinger84

    byusinger84 Newbie

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    Well, the first thing that gave it away was the price tag, then the sticker on the actual, physical machine says GTX 460 1 GB, then I downloaded the latest GPU-Z which also reported only 1 gig of video memory.
     
  9. myx

    myx Notebook Deity

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    Bump/ More screens please from owners of new rev g73sw if possible please. :)
     
  10. Flanker4741

    Flanker4741 Notebook Enthusiast

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    What I like about buying mine from Best Buy is I get 14 days to check it out,my first JH had a problem. Best Buy quickly gave me a brand new one. Later I thought it may not have been a real problem it could have just been the power manager software. since I have shut it off the replacement system has not frozen up. But Best Buy did not complain they replaced it.

    So when the new SW arrived I did not worry about the tax since I am in the rewards program and if it goes on sale in 45 days I get a price match.
    Last year Best Buy gave me $230 US in gift cards for shopping around December. So I will stick with Best Buy. :)
     
  11. byusinger84

    byusinger84 Newbie

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    That's good and all, but for $100 I'd be getting an accidental warranty and a better screen (resolution wise). Is that not worth it?
     
  12. lava_volcanica

    lava_volcanica Newbie

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    Hello, can you tell me which model you saw?, is that I have not seen it published on the bestbuy website, and next week I will be in Orlando and wanted to buy an asus g73sw with sandy bridge processor.

    To everybody, Which model do you recommend under $ 1500, I've seen, g73sw-xt1 and g73sw-XA1, another one that you recommend?, and might you say the main differences between these models?, I know the model XA1 costs $ 1339 and includes Gaming Backpack, Mouse and a 750 GB hard drive; and the xt1 does not include Gaming Backpack and Mouse, Hard Drive 500 GB capacity and has bluray.

    I think the XA1 is better deal, but has no release date, there are only pre-orders, does anyone know when is the release date?, cause I'll be two weeks in usa and i want to buy the best laptop possible. Greetings to all, and sorry for my english. :D
     
  13. byusinger84

    byusinger84 Newbie

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    Yeah, I couldn't find it either on the website, but it is in two different stores that I went in.

    As for which model to get, I haven't decided that either. I'd get the one on Amazon no brainer, but I need a new laptop right now really bad so I may end up getting the Best Buy one.
     
  14. lava_volcanica

    lava_volcanica Newbie

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    Hi, i did not understand what you meant in that part in bold :) , I also need to buy a laptop next week and I want to find the best, hopefully they put soon the model mentioned in the bestbuy website, do you like the model from bestbuy?, do you recommend it?, do you remember the model name?.

    I hope you find the best laptop for you. greetings.
     
  15. byusinger84

    byusinger84 Newbie

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  16. gadefer

    gadefer Notebook Enthusiast

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    Guys, would be extreme to customize a G73SW-A1 to around US$3000,00?
    I would get:
    Intel i7 2820QM
    IC Diamond in the CPU and GPU
    16gb DDR3 1600mhz
    SSD Crucial C300 120gb
    Seagate Momentus XT 500gb
    Bluray burner
    intel n6300 wifi

    I'm from Brazil and I'm going to buy this in my visit to USA. I'll use this for like 3~5 years. Is there any other option that would be better?
     
  17. Jease550

    Jease550 Notebook Enthusiast

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    I just ordered mine from tigerdirect. It shipped the same day (yesterday) so I recommend the tigerdirect if you can't wait like me. It's the XT1 but I ordered a SSD with mine so I would have been wasting a HDD if I ordered the XA1.
     
  18. vicivc

    vicivc Newbie

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    I just ordered mine. The SB CPU comes with Intel HD Graphics. With an Intel wifi card, I was hoping that Widi will work. However, G73SW does not support Nvidia Optimus, which leads to the possibility that the SB integrated graphic function might be disabled by Asus. Can anyone confirm that if Intel HD Graphics is functioning? Thanks!

    WiDi requirement:
    Intel Wireless Display
     
  19. byusinger84

    byusinger84 Newbie

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    It doesn't work with discrete cards unless you have Lucidlogix Virtu which comes with the yet to be released Z68 chipset. So to answer your question, the onboard graphics are disabled which means no optimus nor Quick Sync.
     
  20. mautbur

    mautbur Notebook Enthusiast

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    I have a question for you guys in the forum, how does an Alienware R3 compare with the Asus G73-SW A1 with the same specs.
     
  21. myx

    myx Notebook Deity

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    I doubt you can find something as powerful as a G73 at stock config. An r3 configured to same specs as a G73 comes out at over 300-400usd difference (when I last checked).
    As mentioned in the earlier pages, there is no optimus on g73 nor will widi work without the intel gpu.
     
  22. FF-FANATIC

    FF-FANATIC Notebook Enthusiast

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    I just bought ASUS G73SW-A1 from Amazon and I’m planning to upgrade the OS to 64-bit Windows 7 Ultimate but I was wondering if there’s any “safe” update that is advisable to make afterwards (like BIOS for example)?
     
  23. NaterGator

    NaterGator Notebook Guru

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    The OS is 64 bit by default as the laptop comes with 8GB of ram which is only addressable from a 64 bit OS.

    Personally I went through the backup DVD procedure and then wiped the OS and reinstalled with a fresh copy of Win 7 Ultimate to get rid of all traces of the ASUS bloatware. Very happy I went that route, and it was very painless. Though Win7SP1 has come out since then, so I'd consider slipstreaming it onto your installation media beforehand for cleanliness.
     
  24. FF-FANATIC

    FF-FANATIC Notebook Enthusiast

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    So none of ASUS preinstalled programs and features are good? And what about BIOS and other similar updates that I may need to install?
     
  25. myx

    myx Notebook Deity

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    There is a thread somewhere explaining exactly what each preinstalled program does. Might want to look that up to see what you can reinstall and what not.
     
  26. Aristan

    Aristan Newbie

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    Just picked up a G73SW Saturday at Bestbuy. So far so good. I don't like to rev my machines very often so hopefully this one will be with me for a while, though there are some pretty scary reviews out there for dealing with ASUS support.

    The machine for now performs as billed. I played FalloutNV last night for about four hours with graphics setting set at ultra across the board and the thing barely got warm. Played Civ5 for a bit as well and I'm not sure the fans ever really turned on. So far I'm very happy.

    There is no RAID support for this model, though this is something I'm very unlikely to do. This set up also has the 1GB Nvidia (not the 1.5GB). Now I'm not a powergamer, though I like to play some on occasion. This for now seems like a good combination of power at what I consider a reasonable price, though I consider anything around $1300 to be pretty reasonable for a computer (my first real PC was a desktop 486-66 that cost ~$2000 when the highest processor at the time was a P90. Before that I had an Atari400, 800 and then 1040ST). All computers these days are cheap in my book.

    Are there other things I should be aware of? I did delete some of the Bloatware, though not much for now.

    I also saw a request for shots from new owners. Anything of particular interest?
     
  27. myx

    myx Notebook Deity

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  28. ljc0810

    ljc0810 Notebook Enthusiast

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    @Jease550 - I'm thinking of of ordering one also from Tigerdirect ... were they able to assure you that this is a the new one with the revised motherboard to fix the SB recall ?
     
  29. Flanker4741

    Flanker4741 Notebook Enthusiast

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    I bought the G73JH in December it has been really good, so I just bought a G73SW and so far it also has been running good.
    I do not feel you have anything to really worry about with your new G73SW.
     
  30. deeplyblue

    deeplyblue Notebook Guru

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    byusinger84 meant that the amazon machine is the obvious choice - one that requires no thought - in fact no brain (a very obvious choice) - to make it, so it's a "no brainer".

    Except, of course, that it's not available now. Which makes it a matter requiring thought for someone who also needs to get the machine in a very limited timeframe.

    That's the trouble with "no brainers" - they've usually got something going for them for somebody, even if that isn't obvious to anybody else.
     
  31. Aristan

    Aristan Newbie

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    Just scanning the last few pages again. Should have seen what you wanted though I just caught the request and did not bother to read the quote.

    [​IMG]

    Looks like I may have gotten lucky not having gotten read up before I bought the PC.

    I did get the PC two days ago, and the salesman said it had just come in that day (take that for what you will).

    I have yet to read through the entire thread (though will). I have seen a lot of posts on bios revisions. Are any of these valid with a new motherboard revision?

    Thanks for any insight.
     
  32. byusinger84

    byusinger84 Newbie

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    Well put Deeply Blue! :)

    So much for my "no brainer" anyway. I still haven't picked one yet :p
     
  33. dkillone

    dkillone Notebook Evangelist

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    :D, just became available about 1hr ago, I should be getting mine weds. I had the JH last summer, but I'm certainly excited to have a SB laptop.

    Amazon.com: ASUS G73SW-XA1 Republic of Gamers 17.3-Inch Gaming Laptop (Dark Grey): Computer & Accessories
     
  34. myx

    myx Notebook Deity

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    Long story short, rev_o5 is the new revision mobo and rev_04 is the broken b2 revision (from the long string of numbers and letters generated in the cmd prompt window). Some of us, including myself will not be able to exchange the laptop bought when they came out and will only be eligible for a mobo exchange and I'm looking for a way to find out differences between old and new revised mobos. :)

    Thx for the info provided.
     
  35. Robly

    Robly Notebook Enthusiast

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    Hi all! Had a G73JW-3DE on order at the beginning of the month - a day later, they put up the SW for preorder (naturally, I switched the order over).

    Either way, they were expected in stock w/c 14th, so this week. Just got an email stating that the asus factory aren't shipping until the 21st and so I shouldn't expect it till the 25th :( this is a long, painful month...

    They say that they are getting the first consignment of SWs in the UK though, so I guess all I can do is sit here and moan about it!

    My main query is as to how well it performs in 3D, and what kind of loss in framerate to expect when compared to running the same software without 3D enabled at the same settings.

    G73SW - 8GB - 1.5TB - Win 7 Prem 64bit - 17'' 3D - B/Tooth - B/Ray - Gaming Powerhouse - Asus Outlet
     
  36. myx

    myx Notebook Deity

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    3d will half your framerate :)
     
  37. Sharcon

    Sharcon Newbie

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    I've had my G73sw for a couple of days now and I must say I am loving it. I returned a G73jh to Best Buy and exchanged it for the SB version after I saw they had it on the shelf. I figured for the extra 100 bucks it was a great deal even though it still has the 1600x900 screen. I do have one issue though with the sound. The sound on the JH model sounded much fuller. The new SW model has sounded very tinny and to make things worse now the THX will not recognize the device to enable the sound adjustments. I have re installed the realtek drivers and the THX from the Asus support site but no luck. Do I have any other options other than the stock win eq settings ?
     
  38. Bshiiq

    Bshiiq Notebook Enthusiast

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    I am thinking about buying the sw or the sw 3D. I would not use the 3D features at all, but I like that the 3D model comes with the blu-ray writer and a matte screen. Should I just go with the non 3d sw and upgrade, or is the 3d model worth it? I was not sure if the 3D model had any disadvantages, such as reduced battery life, when compared to the non 3D. Any advice would be appreciated.
     
  39. eduardot

    eduardot Notebook Enthusiast

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    Just bought the Asus g73SW from Amazon, any chance of it having the infamous processor error?
     
  40. ALLurGroceries

    ALLurGroceries  Vegan Vermin Super Moderator

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  41. vicivc

    vicivc Newbie

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    With a 120Hz 3D screen, a 3D glasses emitter, and a blu-ray writer, the 3D model might consume a little more power. Other than that, the 3D model is basically the same as non-3D model, except that matte screen. Power consumption shouldn't be a concern, because user will be more likely to plug in at all times.

    However, images on the 3D model's matte screen won't look as good as the non-3D model's glossy screen. Also, the 3D LCD doesn't cover as much color gamut space as the glossy one--You can spend extra dollar on a non-3D model to upgrade to a 90% of NTSC Color Gamut glossy screen. (XoticPC)

    If I were you, I would go for the 3D model. For one, I am neither a professional photographer nor movie mania. For two, keep seeing my own reflection on glossy screen is very annoying. For three, even though you can spend extra on the non-3D model to change the screen from glossy to matte, the total cost will be pretty much the same as just buying a 3D model. Hope that helps.
     
  42. Bshiiq

    Bshiiq Notebook Enthusiast

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    Thanks for the reply. Could anyone that has the glossy screen comment on how bad the glare is. I've seen some screens where it wasn't that bad and I've seen others that were almost like looking into a mirror.
     
  43. myx

    myx Notebook Deity

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    Regarding the glare effect I can say that it's not as bad on this G73sw compared to my old M17x R1. That one was a real mirror as you said, but this g73 I can actually take a peek at it. :)
     
  44. Retired UPRR

    Retired UPRR Notebook Enthusiast

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    I just joined the forum today after lurking for a while and I just wanted to say hello to everyone .

    My Asus G73SW-3DE shipped today ( from PowerNotebooks ) and will be here Monday ! :D

    I can hardly wait ! My Dell Inspiron 9300's screen went out a while back and I figured it was time to upgrade . It's stock with the exception of the boot drive which is upgraded to a Intel 510 Series 120GB SATA III SSD with a clean install of Windows 7 . I also ordered the Asus Windows 7 clean install DVD ( I figured it was worth the $15.00 ) .

    I'll post my take on it after I've had it a while unless I have some problem and need to post sooner for assistance .



    Edited because I forgot to subscribe to the thread .
     
  45. Hohlraum

    Hohlraum Notebook Geek

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    Haven't read all 60 pages of the thread but those of you who had a previous G73 model are you seeing any of the same mouse/keyboard/bsod issues that appear to have plagued the previous G73 models?
     
  46. myx

    myx Notebook Deity

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    No problems with the touchpad and bsod/gsod/etc-sod but some, and i repeat SOME, have mentioned getting keyboard lag. That does not include me though.
     
  47. Hohlraum

    Hohlraum Notebook Geek

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    Thanks man.

    So does anyone know if going to 16GB of mem on the SW requires removing the keyboard? Anyone posted the procedure with video/pics? I saw that video of the keyboard removal with the double sided tape. Was cringing through the hole thing. Looked like he was pulling siding off a house :/

    I think that if upgrading to the 27xx processor wasn't such a rip off at these asus retailers I probably would have ordered one by now.
     
  48. dkillone

    dkillone Notebook Evangelist

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    Yeah, you'll have to remove the kb. SW follows same chassis as the JH/JW, so all the placings will be the same.

    I'm getting my SW-XA1 today, can't wait to use it :>
     
  49. lpnowlan

    lpnowlan Notebook Consultant

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    I am also waiting on my G73SW-XA1 from Amazon sometime today (thank you amazon prime!)

    I'm gonna be installing my x25-m g2 in it, should be nice and fast ;)
     
  50. pho75

    pho75 Notebook Enthusiast

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    For those planning to buy the Tigerdirect version, consider using ebates.com. It said you will get back 3%. I don't know how or when you'll get the money, but it doesn't cost you a thing except an email sign-up, so why not. Could save you $45.
     
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