ASUS G74SX Owners' Lounge

800 is nothing you could go 100mhz more and be just fine. Try 850mhz if your worried. No real tweaks, if you want a real boost get a ssd for the os and apps/games and use that hdd as the second drive for documents/music etc.

 

again good info yeah i currently run crysis 2 on the new texture pack and dx 11 enabled and at the extreme settings and get about 29-35fps which i suppose is not bad right? also ill try to overclock to 850 \

 

Not bad, about 5fps more than my 460m can do. So thats good! Try some more mhz and let us know!

 

hello everyone, i have a strange issue that hopefully someone here might have an idea on. i have had my g74sx-a1 for a few days now and like it except for one problem, every game i have installed opens in windowed mode and none of them have the option to change that setting. i have tried checking control panel and regular windows settings and nothing fixes it. i did put an ssd and did a clean install of win7 and it was doing this before the ssd as well. the only thing i can think of that is different about mine is i do seem to be one of the few that has the samsung screen sec544b. if anyone has any ideas on this one i'd be interested in hearing about a fix cause i'm fresh out . oh, the games are dirt 2 &3, fallout new vegas and red faction armageddon.

 

/\/\ i have that same issue opens up in window mode wierd LOL. that is also the monitor ID i have as well the sec544B.

 

Guys, may I ask, did you purchase a Best Buy model? As far as I know the A1 should have the beautiful CMO screen. Exotic confirmed that this is the standard for their A1 model.

The Samsung panel so far has only been reported on BB purchases.

In Europe there is also a third (thus far untested) panel that is LED instead of TFT, but I haven' been able to obtain the panel number...

 

no best buy here, i do have the A1, 3gig 560, 16 gigs ram, got it at a local store a friend owns, they are an asus reseller, they also had another A1 in stock and put dirt3 on when i told them about problem, did the same thing on that one as well, it also had the samsung screen as well. the screen looks good on both compared to my g72

 

yeah mine is the best buy version but like before i went to best buy and checked their floor model (they had 2 of them ) one had the cmo other had the sec544B. Then also had a g73sw in stock that had the cmo one as well. this is getting wierd with the displays.

 

So which did you prefer? CMO or Samsung? Since you saw both them them next to each other...

Where they A1 versu A2 model? The A2 model is more expensive...

 

really couldnt tell the diffrence in their bright lights in the store but my screen seems to be fine to me

 

hmm probably you have tried these already, but here goes -

1. try hitting alt+enter after starting the game.
2. check the graphics settings under 'Video' in the games. what are the resolutions they are set at? What is the resolution of your screen?
3. try creating a shortcut on desktop, and under Properties-> Run, select "Maximized" instead of "Normal Window"

 

thanks man!! alt+enter worked for me in al my games that was doing this

 

Hello, all:

I have an Asus G74SX-A1 coming from XoticPC. UPS tracking says it's supposed to arrive tomorrow. Now I'm an Aptosid Linux user and will be creating a dual boot setup keeping Windows around mainly for Portal 2 and some oddball software I use once in a blue moon. Has anyone here tried this machine with Linux, and if so, are there any show-stoppers I should be aware of?

(I'm getting Intel wireless, so no worries about the stock wireless card if there are bugs with that.)

Thanks, all.

- Trip

 

Will you confirm your display Hardware ID for us please? Also thanks for reporting exact configuration and a few benchmarks.

If you need a calibrated screen profile for your screen, maybe I can post one for you.

 

Provide me some instructions on how to do so, and I will be glad to provide such information once it arrives tomorrow.

I'm not even sure what a calibrated screen profile is.

- Trip

 

Control Panel >> System >> Device Manager >> Monitors >> PnP Monitor

Then on the last tab, choose Hardware ID in the pick-list and read it.

A calibrated color profile allows you to transform the colors of your screen into a perfectly natural profile, which allows Films and video games to look more natural.

 

Hi everyone, just need some help from G74sx owners. I WAS a very happy and excited owner of the new G74sx-xc1 until I opened the package and was faced with a problem.

Here is my dilemma...I just bought this 2 hours ago and the first thing was to install the ram and upgrade to my intel 320 SSD Then this happens. I look at a small package with the ribbon cable and the Sata plug for the 2nd HDD. I goto plug it in the motherboard end perfectly as it locks in place. I proceed to plug in the ribbon cable to the mini board with thesata end and the clip falls out (black tiny clip that is supposed to lock the ribbon cable in place. playing with this thing and ready to get a refund as no way in Hades will it stay in. Does anyone have any idea as to how this stays in as I am thinking it is defective.

I went back to the store and tried to get them to put it on and the tech could not and is saying it is defective...???....I then ask for a refund and they will not even though only the box was opened and the back panel was opened to install this stupid cable. Lesson learned..BUY FROM A REPUTABLE DEALER with a GOOD return policy.

To add fuel to the fire...I call ASUS and they must be the WORST to deal with. The customer service rep says they WILL NOT send out the sata end to me. Instead I am to ship the dam unit back to them for repair. My experience is totally the opposite of what I have been reading in that Asus support is top notch. IT IS NOT in my case.

Not sure what to do in this case. I have a 2 hour old notebook that will not allow me to add another drive and another MAJOR issue is this...

Caution as the Asus G74sx-xc1 on EVERY website that sells it, will state it comes with a 750GB hard drive + 160 GB SSD. This is false advertising as this model ONLY comes with a 750GB HD. So just a heads up to anyone considering buying this model.

I am anxious to try using this with raid on dual SSD but I will have to wait and figure out if I can get a exchange/refund as I have quite a fight ahead of me.... unless someone here can shine some light on this ribbon connector issue.

Thanks all!

 

I did a quick check for dealers that sell the G74SX-XC1 and it appears to be a made for Canada model, though some sites say they ship to the US. Three of the four resellers I checked only noted the unit as having one 750G HD. NCIX stated it was equipped with 750GB+160GB SSD though the specs at the bottom of the page have no mention of an SSD. I plan on phoning NCIX later today to explain the discrepancy.

http://ncix.com/products/?sku=63030#Specifications

http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=710_577_371&item_id=040374

http://www.amazon.ca/ASUS-G74SX-XC1-Republic-Gamers-17-3-Inch/dp/B005COY5KK

http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/PID-MX34550%28ME%29.aspx?curtab=2&wr=1

Too bad about your hassle with Asus. They generally offer good support but perhaps your problem lies with the fact you altered the stock unit that was shipped? I know that in some cases, manufacturers won't fully honour a warranty if the owner has installed after-market parts.

If you happen to reside in Canada, Staples is a reputable dealer that stocks some Asus laptops and offers no-hassle returns within the first 14 days. They can also order in a some Asus units they don't normally have on display. (ie. G73SW-3DE)

Personally I'm waiting for the G74SX-3DE as I previously owned the G73SW-A1 but had to return due to a faulty hard drive. As much as I like the dynamics of the A1 gloss display, I found the glare too distracting much of the time and so have decided to go with the matte.

By the way, for those unsatisfied with the audio output from their laptop, I highly recommend the SoundBlaster X-Fi 5.1 Pro. It made a major difference to the sound quality from my Sennheiser headphones. I could have opted with Creative's lesser no-surround unit but decided to future-proof in case I upgraded my external speakers.

 

Thanks Muzz.ca

Sigh of relief as I was able to refund the unit today. It was unfortunate as I was really hyped about it and the whole experience put a very bad taste in my mouth. I've bought Asus motherboards and parts for years and never had to do any warranty. Of course the minute I call to inquire, I was very disapointed.

I do reside in Canada and I heard there is an Asus repair depot close by which means I could've gone there and got service...but I am relieved to get my $$ back.

Now I'm back to square one... Alienware, MSI (gt780r) or G74sx (really scared to try again). I know this is the owners lounge for the g74sx, but I'm sure everyone did their homework before deciding on this notebook, but if you guys got the chance to do it again would you still stick with the g74sx?

One thing I found out after was that the G74sx does NOT support Raid 0. Is this right? I was hoping it would and was one of the major reasons for buying this model as well. MSI looks ok but also scared about reliability from what I've read on the web and Alienware is just pure $$$$ expensive. Gotta decide again....I just wanna kick some dx11 butt!!

Thanks again!

 

You're welcome and good to hear you resolved your issue. I just got off the phone with NCIX and they say that in fact the G74SX-XC1 model comes with a "hybrid" disk, with the 750GB HD and a 160GB SSD combined. The G73 I previously owned had a 500GB HD/4GB SSD combo but the G74's storage system is news to me. Anyway, I would rather go with the dual 750GB HD array and install my own SSD later on.

 

There is no such hybrid disk - with those sizes it'll be two separate drives, and no hybrid caching functionality. Whoever you spoke to at NCIX is clueless.

And no, the laptop does not support raid 0 out of the box. You can upgrade Windows 7 to Professional or Ultimate however and use the dynamic disk feature to achieve it. You won't be able to use it on the boot volume, but the software raid in Windows is actually faster and use less CPU than chipset raid drivers. Since you can use it with partitions and not just entire drives, you can set up a raid 0 volume for programs and then use a raid 1 one for important things such as documents.

Personally I prefer a large SSD boot drive, two HDDs for maximum storage and external optical drive.

 

MONITOR/CMO1726

Ah, I see. Have to figure out how to do that in Linux, I guess.

- Trip

 

no probs, glad it worked!

try the shortcut method as well (3rd option above), that might help to directly launch the game into Fullscreen...

 

Looks like I found a problem.

It would appear that the Num Pad keys are not Num Pad keys. They're mapped to the top row number keys. Press Shift+NumPad1 and get an ! out. Looking in xev, the mapping is the same, meaning those keys cannot be remapped to any other functionality and are complete duplicates of the top row keys.

I really love the machine, and I can't believe Asus screwed up like that.

I'm going to call Asus and/or XoticPC tomorrow and see what they have to say.

- Trip

 

yeah i just tried that and that worked perfect!! I went to all the properties of ll my game shortcuts and change them all to maximize and it worked perfect! thanks man btw what should i overclock my graphics to what is a safe mhz but also get good performace? im using now msi afterburner but dont know what to change on the core, shader memory clock settings and the fan speed. thanks again any one can chime in and thanks blacklight!

 

I'm dissapointed aswell because of num lock button.

Only if I knew about this before buying the G74...
I can't refund it because I'm not from US. Some US relatives bought me this notebook and i can't RMA it in due time.

But I will try to sell it here and after that to buy a MSI... at gentech pc they have now the preorders for GT780 with GTX 570.

 

Just ordered the G74SX A1 with 16GB (1333) Ram and changed primary drive to the OCZ Vertex 3 240GB SATA 3 SSD with 750GB secondary. Cant wait until tuesday when I get it home.

Have been reading this forum and the G73SW forums regarding the laptops and I cant remember where in the owners lounge I saw info regarding clean install of windows 7. I spoke with the company I have ordered it with and they will ghost the current drive, then install the SSD and ghost back, which will put the ASUS Bloatware back, and they believe that the recovery drive will be lost????

Questions
1. How do I clean install windows without the Bloatware? can I use my windows 7 serial? ( I read it somewhere on the forums but cant remember where)
2. What is the better benchmarking software etc... to see where the laptop is at performance wise?
3. Any third party software that would be of use for monitoring the laptop internals etc....

my current laptop on last legs (4 years old and flogged out) so has been sometime since I have gone down this road.

Thanks in advance.

 

1: Download legal copy of Windows 7 Home Premium ISO:

http://msft-dnl.digitalrivercontent.net/msvista/pub/X15-65733/X15-65733.iso

And burn to the DVD. You can use it to clean install your Windows and use the product key from G74SX.

2: 3DMark 11:
3DMark 11 Basic Edition download from Guru3D.com

3DMark Vantage:
3DMark Vantage (Build 1.1.0) download from Guru3D.com

New nVidia 275.50 driver improves performance:
NVIDIA DRIVERS 275.50 BETA

Bad Company 2 video with 275.50 driver overclocked at 920/1840
‪Bad Company 2 on Asus G74SX, NV driver version 275.50 overclocked‬‏ - YouTube

280.19 beta is out too:
NVIDIA DRIVERS 280.19 BETA

MSI Afterburner GPU Overclocking tool:
MSI Afterburner

3:
CPU-Z:
CPUID - System & hardware benchmark, monitoring, reporting

HWinfo32:
HWiNFO32 Download

Furmark:
FurMark 1.8.2 download from Guru3D.com

 

Thanks for the info and links, guess i have some downloading to do before tuesday. Thanks again.

 

@puremind

Could u please upload a calibrated screen profile?

 

3: MSI Afterburner not only allows you to overclock your GPU, but it also monitors your GPU load, heat etc. I've never been one to monitor my internals, but this one is nice considering tinkering can lead to disaster.

 

No wonder I'd never heard of it, lol. Thanks Skywise.

 

Next Friday I can. I am currently abroad...away from my computer.

 

Hey everyone. I have a g74sx-3de on the way. I am wondering if there are any issues installing Nvidia reference drivers directly? I currently have the g73SW-A1 and I download and install all the latest nvidia drivers without issue.

Also, can someone please clarify the issue with the number pad? I do not understand exatly what is going on. I use this for entering data into field while editing video and such.I am trying to see how this might affect me.

Thanks.

 

If all you use them for is numerical entry, then it does not impact you. It only matters if you use them for other purposes, such as shortcuts in games.

- Trip

 

Can you give an example where this wouldn't work? I do play some games but usually never need these keys but I am curious where this would be a problem.

 

Well, I'm not a gamer, but I've been told that some games like WoW allow for certain commands to be mapped to the keypad keys.

In my case, I am a Linux user and on my previous laptop had my keypad keys mapped to serve as volume and media controls. Definitely can't do that now.

- Trip

 

You can no longer do alt+xxx commands. This is a little problematic, but can be solved with the windows virtual keyboard where you can just click the symbol instead of doing an alt+xxx command.

If you're also used to using the keypad for ANYTHING other than numbers. That'll be a problem too. When I played WoW I had some of the number set to skills.

That's about it though. I can live without the shortcuts on my numpad. In fact I can barely even remember using the numbpad other than for numbers.

 

do you think that asus will upgrade GPU to 570m or to ati 6990 to compete with MSI? Any news or rumors about that?

 

No, I don't think so. You must understand, that Asus isn't aiming for the high-end group of laptops. They are aiming to be the best bang for the buck in the category of gaming laptops. Putting a 570m or a 6990m will increase the price of the laptop, and Asus isn't intending to do that.

 

Only if the 6990 or 570m were the same price as the 560m or less and thats not going to happen. So, no..

 

MSI GT780DXR have GTX570M now. The 570M upgrade only cost like $160. Shouldn`t really be any concern for Asus to include this GPU.
Bang for the buck, hell yeah. Looks like MSI is crusing ahead of Asus in this competition

 

Thanks. When I am editing and creating titles I use the alt+xxx shortcuts all the time to create symbols. So it will be an inconvenience but not a big one.

 

maybe in a G74SW or JW we will get a new/better GPU, just maybe

 

Cheers for this. Downloading the win 7 iso now

Is there any guide for installing a SSD to the G74? New to SSD disks. Do I just slam the SSD in there? how do I make it primary disk? any pins to swap place on?
Come end of month - Come SSD disk and RAM. So a lil help with this would be much appreciated!

The G74 I got has the 750gig HDD. Although its partitioned / split in half. can i "fix" this so its just 1x750gigs when I slam my new SSD in there?

Cheers!

 

ok a little help here i overclocked my GPU to 850(775 default) and the shader clocked it self to 1700. what should i overclock my memory clock? right now its at default 1250. thanks all

 

I got my settings at

Voltage not touched.. (standard)
CoreClock 900mhz
ShaderClock 1800Mhz

memoryclock 1600mhz


long sessions in BadCompany 2, Witcher 2.. no problems. never gone over 68C degrees i think it was.
Im on the standard nvidia drives as I cannot manually update to newer driver..

Hope it helps!

 

sweet thanks now like i said i have mine at 850/1700 but what should i put my memroy clock at?

 

Ive run into a problem with the DVD burner.. I dont have the blueray. So some standard dvd/rw unit.

Ive been trying to Burn some CDs now and almost everyone comes out faulty. Sometimes it fails at start = lost dvd-r, halfway or at finalizing... im going nuts. Ive gone thru maybe 15 DVD-Rs now... The Power2go program just crashes. and the windows one works but fails almost everytime??? help? Faulty DVD unit? or should i try some other program?

 

im not sure what the "rules" for this is.. So id like an answer aswell i've just maxed mine out and it seems to work !