ASUS G74SX Owners' Lounge

Question about the numpad/numlock issue... it boggles the mind that ASUS would leave this out, since it's been a standard of keyboards since the dawn of time...

Question is, does this mean the numpad won't work as arrow-keys, and it is STRICTLY numbers? I assume most games still allow them to be keybound regardless...

Another question, sorry for spam: I'm looking at the G74sx DH71 or DH72. I really like the case design and cooling process of this laptop, and the "guts" of the machine seem pretty good. My only issue with it is that I can't seem to locate a model that will allow an upgrade to either the Nvidia GTX 580M or the Radeon HD 6990M. Anyone know if there is a model that carries either of these GPUs?

 

The G74SX only offers the GTX560m and there is no way to upgrade it either, the GPU is soldered to the motherboard this time.

If you have a second question right after posting, you can use the edit button .

 

That's correct, about them not functioning as directional keys. I don't understand what you mean about being keybound in games.....


And yes, as you say.....since the dawn of time. It do indeed boggle the mind.

 

i bought my kingston 1866 pnp memory at 135 and found it on another site for 79 bux =( now i have to buy it again to make myself feel better.. lol

nevertheless i can now buy a cheap laptop with shared graphic memory such as ANY intel HD 3000 i think, and boost up its performance lol.

ps, it looked so good in my g74sx =D

 

im sorry if this has been asked before but im new to the forums but a LONG TIME asus user. I just ordered a new G74SX with the 3gb 560M and 1080p screen along with a 128gb SSD to put in as soon as it gets here. The asus page lists the maximum ram supported as 16Gb but there are now 8gb sticks on the market. has anyone tried to put a full 32Gb in? My old centrino2 G50 was only supported for 4Gb but i had 8 in it. I just dont want to waste $300 on 4 8Gb sticks if they wont work.

 

Yes, there are owners who are using 32Gb.....but I think they may be using Win Pro or Ultimate. I believe Home Premium may recognize 32Gb, but only uses up to 16Gb. You can read about some users' experiences here.

 

what could anyone possibly use 32 gb is still a wonder to me
although 16 gb of ramdisk isnt bad, and ramdisk is faster than ssd, if you dont shut the computer down that is.

 

There's one guy on the ROG forum who processes huge data sets (he's an astronomer, I think)....that's the one time I've seen where a huge amount RAM seemed justified. But for the vast majority of us, even 12Gb most G74s have is overkill.

 

Ok, I haven't been on this forum for a while but I have a strange problem with my g74. I swapped out the hdd's for a samsung 256gb ssd and wd 750gb. I took out all the asus crapware. Everything is working fine until... I started backing up my videos/tv shows to a cloud service. Usually what I do is start an upload and go to bed. Well even though all power options say never sleep my g74 goes to sleep during the night and I've practically got to kick it to get it to wake up. The cloud backup software says uploaded paused by user. Anybody got any clues what's going on? Thanks!

Hi BrodyBoy, a while ago you gave me a link to order another cable for my second hdd in my g74. I went to order the cable and it looks like its in europe (prices are in euros). Do you know a source for that cable here in the states? Thanks!

 

What about hibernate? Are you sure that option isn't set somewhere?

Sorry...just saw this. I haven't seen the cable sold separately (though I haven't really looked beyond the obvious sites). I've seen the whole 2nd HDD installation set (HDD caddy, SATA board, ribbon cable) sold on eBay.

Do you really need just the cable? You could probably find a comparable cable online. But if you need the additional components, I would check eBay and find the whole set sold together.

 

Hi BrodyBoy, i did find in advanced power options an option to turn off the hdd and i set this to 1,000 minutes and the problem seems to be better. But, where would i check to see if hibernation is turning on? Thanks!

 

It's also in Advanced Power settings. To avoid the hibernation state, set Hibernate to "Never" and also set Allow hybrid sleep to "Never."

 

Hi BrodyBoy, thanks for the info! I fixed my problem and the g74 doesn't sleep anymore. I do have one question my ssd's software says i should boot in ACHI mode to improve performance. I saw an article on the web which shows you how to change this without crashing windows, but I was wondering how much difference this would make? And, is it even necessary? Thanks!

 

Hey, glad the sleeping thing's resolved!

So, when you installed your SSD and Windows, you had IDE mode set in your BIOS? Any particular reason?

I do think AHCI mode is preferable. If you follow the proper procedure for switching it after installation, it's not difficult. You'll want to do an "overall" re-install of the chipset and and then install the Intel RST.

 

Hi BrodyBoy what i did was clone windows off of the 500gb original hdd onto my ssd. It does seem realy fast and my pcmark7 score went up like 1500 points so i thought everything was all set until i saw that changing boot mode message in the samsung magic software. If achi mode doesn't make much of a difference i might just leave it the way it is. The article i read said you have to go through the bios to change it and that would be difficult for me. Thanks!

 

Yeah, the SATA mode is set in the BIOS, but it's a pretty simple setting. You also need to make a registry change, which might be the more complicated operation for some.

If you're not comfortable doing that stuff, you can just leave it. Should you decide later to change it, let me know. I can help walk you through it.

 

Hey guys,

Long time no see, I haven't been up to date with this thread I must admit.

I am just wondering whether anyone has heard rumours of the next refresh? The current model has been out for 6-7 months now.

Thanks.

 

There is a thread somewhere in the Asus gaming forum about a G75 likely sporting a GTX670m...

 

Thanks mate. Looks like a refresh is due sometime in April with the new Ivy Bridge processors.

Might as well wait a couple of months then

 

I love technology! There is always something worth waiting for in the near future.

 

i have asus G74sx. Anyone know how to reduce fan speed. I mean control fan speed manual. Speedfan is not working. I know it is risk. But the noise in the idle is disturbing. Fan speed is 2160-2180 rpm in idle

 

I've had problem with my wireless too. Keeps timing out. Opens fast on the first page and then everything drags. Found one post claiming this will do the trick to fix it:

Open Control Panel, click on: Device Manager->Network Adapters->Intel Centrino Wireless N 6150 (or your card). Then, right-click and open Properties. Click Advanced tab. Then, click "802.11n Mode" and click "Disabled". Then, click "OK".

Didn't work for me, but others say it's a magic bullet. Give it a go.

 

I don't think your "magic bullet" advisors were very well-informed.

I'd suggest you download the latest driver from Intel (assuming that's your card). Then uninstall and delete the existing drivers for any/all wireless network adapters listed in Device Manager. After uninstalling, reboot.

Install the new driver you downloaded. If you are installing an Intel driver, choose the custom install options and de-select any extraneous features you don't need, like WIMAX.

Reboot after the new driver installation.

Open the advanced device properties and make any changes required by your network. Pay particular attention to channel width (usually best on "Auto") and band selection (2.4Ghz or 5.2 Ghz, as appropriate to your network).

 

My microphone isn't working. When recording there is only static noise (no voice or anything else to hear) and I feel it might be from the fans, because the noise gets louder the instant I switch from Windows to a CPU/GPU-demanding game.
Could this be a hardware problem?
I have the newest High Def Audio Codecs from Realtek installed. When I tried to install the older ones from the Asus Homepage it said "No Driver was supported in this drivers package".
I also have the Creative THX TruStudio Settings installed which says "There is no supported audio device available".
The speakers however are working fine and the microphone from my USB-headset sounds perfectly normal, no static.
Running Win 7 SP1 x64
Any ideas?

 

Hello everyone! I am thinking of buying an Asus G74 laptop.

However, I am curious how it would handle my favourite game Men of War: Assault Squad.

A lot of decent laptops have problems with this game...
So I wonder if any of you have tried it out and if you experience any serious lag (that's not due to other player's limitations in multiplayer mode)?

 

From what I understand, in April there will be another release. G75 so if you can wait, it might be best to do so. But of course, there will always be another release on the horizon so if the G74 drops in price it might be the best move.

I am unsure about the game compatiability though.

 

Just got my G74SX yesterday, what a beast. Here are the specs: i7 2630QM, 3GB gtx 560m (192bit), 8gb ram, 128gb SSD+750 GB WD scorpio black 7200rpm, 3D 120Hz matte screen (best screen ive used)

Havent had much time to play with it, just finished instaling everything and re-installing windows on the SSD.

 

Just got my G74SX-NH71 yesterday.

1920x1080, 2670QM, 3Gb 560m, 12Gb ram.

Added a 500Gb Momentus XT and fresh install of win 7.

Initial impressions weren't good with an extremely buggy keyboard and frequent Nvidia driver crashes.

Shipped with the 203 bios. Disabled hardware acceleration in FF, clean installed the 295.51 betas and the crashing stopped.

Updated the ATK package to 1.0.0014, reinstalled the keyboard filter and the missed keystrokes stopped, but my cursor began jumping all over...LOL.

Synaptic touchpad disabled is the only thing I can find that stops it, but I always use a mouse anyway, and now appear to have a perfectly operating laptop.

Very pleased with the IQ off the glossy screen and pleasantly surprised at the gaming performance. Metro 2033, L4d, Skyrim and AVP 2 all look great and play smoothly with no sudden drops or lag.

Happy camper here.

 

Can anyone provide me with info on how reliable G74SX are, got myself burned with acer8930 and throttle issues and i am curious does have any general issues that i should be aware of, cause i am planing to purchase G74SX-AH71 because it gives great value for money over Alienware m17x r3 $1599 model that was my first choice.

 

Well, the model is less than a year old, so it's impossible to state anything definitive about it's long-term reliability.

The G74 is not always problem-free. There have been units plagued by faulty touchpads and keyboards....a small proportion, I'm sure, but significant nonetheless....and many gamers get frustrated with the limited BIOS and lack of overclocking options. Purchased through legitimate channels, it carries a good warranty, but Asus support is, frankly, not good. So honestly, I would not recommend this model to someone who wants a plug-it-in-and-you're-done kind of laptop. This thing takes some user intervention, as the OEM installation is buggy and bloated.

When it's working well, though, it's really a great machine.

 

Hello G74 owners,
Please give me some advises, i want to upgrade my G74SX ram and HDD,
What models would you advise for:
SSD - I dont need much space 60GB+ would be enough.
RAM at 1866 MHz would it be a good upgrade?

Regards

 

I have personally found Intel and Crucial SSDs to be very reliable performers. The G74SX supports SATA III, so that would be a good choice to keep up with the latest tech. If you go with a 60ishGb drive, just be sure to set your default data locations over on the other drive. For most people, 60Gb is plenty of room for the OS and all their programs, so long as the user data is kept elsewhere.

I don't think you would notice any difference with 1866MHz RAM. (The G74 cannot use that speed above 8Gb anyway.) A more effective RAM upgrade is just adding more of what you've already got. Most G74 configs come with 12Gb, which is plenty for most of us. But if you want a memory upgrade, simply add another 4Gb module (or two, if you currently have 8Gb) to max out at 16Gb. Try to match the existing RAM....manufacturer, latency, model....if at all possible.

EDIT: Just read your model specs from your signature. You're already at 16Gb.....no point in upgrading that at all. As I said, the G74 will not run 16Gb at 1866MHz...it'll default back to 1333MHz....so there's truly no advantage to swapping out your existing RAM.)

 

Thanks for the answer, I will take a look at the Crucial SSD models and prices

 

I want to replace the crappy atheros card in my g74sx with an intel 6230, will this void my warranty? All I have to do is pop the back cover and replace it?

 

I'm interested in this too. Not very happy with the atheros performance.

 

From the pics of the G74SX i've seen, the adapter is accessible just by opening the back panel so no, it shouldn't void your warranty. I wouldn't use a 6230 if you have no need of bluetooth though and got for the more stable 6200.

 

Thanks tijo - do you know if it's a half height card? The item I found says so, but the image looks identical to intel's n 633.

6200

633 from newegg

The 633 is 450Mbps, which I'd prefer.

Thanks

 

Yep, half-height, there are no recent laptops with full height wireless adapters as far as i know. You will need to wire a third antenna and a matching router to get 450mpbs speeds. The 633 is the 6300, you can run it on two antennas and it'll still perform admirably well at 300mbps if you don't want to get a third antenna and wire it behind the screen.

 

Then 2 antennas and 300mbps it is. Thanks for the info tijo. I believe I'll grab one of these this weekend.

 

Honestly, i think getting the 6200 was one of the best upgrades i ever did, it gets better reception than my old Atheros and on top of that, i have a 5GHz router and i have the whole band to myself so i can hit transfer speeds or around 20MB/s LAN to WAN on good days and it never gets below 17MB/s. Part of that is the 6200, but the router also has a huge role in getting those speeds too.

You will most likely enjoy more stable connections regardless of what the rest of your wireless gear is.

 

That's what I'm hoping for. I can hit dl speeds upwards of 3.4mbps, but it isn't stable on the atheros. My wife can hit and maintain the same speeds consistently with her HP dv6 (broadcom I think) so I know it isn't the router or ISP dropping out.

Really looking forward to this - I can hit 31down/6up wired anytime, I'd love to "just" have 10 or 15/6 wireless and stable.

 

I bought the G74SX-XR1 from Pro-Star with one drive, thinking I could install my second drive in the laptop with no problem (silly me...). Got the laptop, and see it has no caddy or adapter to hook it up. So I call Pro-Star. They inform me that they do not sell these adapters, so I would have to talk to ASUS. I call ASUS. The technician tells me they do not sell them directly, so I would have to check with the E-store. So I call the E-Store. They do not have any in stock (since at least August). So I call ASUS. They say the E-Store is the only place you can buy them. The technician kept repeating that over and over again. So I asked to talk to his supervisor, who was not available. Left a message, no response.

Said all that to say, where the heck can I get the cable to hook this stinking drive up?? Anyone???

 

That's correct....it's one of the user-replaceable components inside the back panel. Aside from having to be careful with that tiny screw, and the fact that the actual connector is kind of tucked out of sight, it's a very easy swap.

 

It's very annoying when this happens, because it's supposed to come with the HDD accessory package. As you've discovered, unfortunately, it's simply missing in some packages. (Do be sure to check your G74 packaging very thoroughly....some people have found it in a plastic bag taped to the cardboard.)

If you must buy it, there's an eBay seller that always seems to have them, for $15. (This is a complete package, with the caddy, SATA board, cable, and screws). I've seen other listings there for a lot more, so look for that $15 listing.

This is the complete accessory set, BTW:

 

Rt clicked and saved. Thanks!

 

One last thing: Completely uninstall the Atheros driver before you shut down and do the physical card swap.

 

Yes, this oh and download the Intel drivers before you uninstall the atheros drivers and do the swap.

+rep for the pic showing the adapter by the way and it just made the sticky in the gaming section.

 

Got that Atheros swapped out to the intel n-6300

http://forum.notebookreview.com/asu...78-what-difference-nic-makes.html#post8329908

Thanks for the tips and help guys! So sweet to have a page load instantly ....

 

Hi guys

Im really troubled, and I come here asking for your help!
Ive bought this Asus, especifically 91171v which is a 3D model. Everything has run smoothly, up to the moment when I tried to do what I bought this PC for, Gaming!
My optical drive doesnt read games. More accurate, it doesnt read any executable disc, it just enters like in a repetitive cycle (judged by the sound it emites) and never finishes charging the content of the DVD. Music CD's run perfectly, Flims DVD are perfect too? however BluRay movies havent been able to be played but I think thats caused by the Roxio software, not sure thats the otical drive problem. So Please!! do you have any idea what should do? i got the PC today so the problem has actually presented since the start, couldnt tell if a specific installation (music sotware, internet browser) changed its working capacities.

 

You could search out the drives model - the manufacturer and see if there's a firmware update available. that's helped me in the past.

Is this it? I can't find it on an english peaking site....
PC portable de gamer 3D Asus G74SX-91171V

If you can find the specific drive model, that would help.