G73 BB Version Review

This is a review for the BB version with the following specs.

CPU: i7-720QM quad core
memory: 6GB DDR3
HDD: seagate 500GB 7200rpm
GFX: ATI mobility radeon 5870 with 1GB GDDR5 vram
display: 17.3" HD+ LED-lcd, 1600x900
other feature: wifi, HDMI, card reader, VGA, DVD-RW, 8-cell battery, etc.

This model is sold for $1199 at Best Buy.

First of all, if you are looking to buy this, I recommend getting the LG screen because comparing the 2 side by side, the AUO screen is the WORST screen I have ever seen. The LG screen is gorgeous imo. Not RGB LED quality but above average. The vertical viewing angle is quite impressive. Visit this thread for more info. http://forum.notebookreview.com/asu...een-best-buy-g73jh-we-may-have-found-way.html

I put in an extra 2gb stick of ram to make it 8gb total and my Hitachi 7k500 HD for a total of 1TB storage. What I have is essentially an A2 model with a lower res screen that I wanted to increase the longevity of the 5870. Again, the LG screen is gorgeous IMO.

Build quality

Coming from the P7805u, this one is a more sexy machine....by far. The gateway was a fingerprint magnet but I can't get fingerprints on this no matter how I try. The keyboard has some flex though. The weight of this notebook is reasonable for its size. I picked up an m17x once and I swear it weighted almost twice as much as the G73. Overall, solid build quality with strong plastic layered with the rubberized lining.

Keyboard

Nope, no laggy keyboard or missing keystrokes here. Everything works well but I still haven't gotten used to using the chiclet style keyboard. So far, not liking it for gaming. I notice my skill decreased

Speakers

The sound this baby puts out is amazing. The best bass from a notebook that I have ever heard. I uninstalled all creative software as they are known to cause conflict, not noticing any loss in sound quality. When you plug in a good pair of headphones into the jack, I can hear a noticeable difference in quality between this jack and the jack of my gateway. I am VERY IMPRESSED with the quality of the audio output from the jack. If you are considering the Clevos and you care about sound quality, this factor alone is enough to make me go the G73 route.

Benchies

Coming soon. I did a few runs of 3dmark and heaven benchmark already. I will post it up later today.

Heaven Benchmark v2.0
FPS:
25.8
Scores:
650
Min FPS:
5.1
Max FPS:
69.2

dx 11, 1600x900
clocks at 840/1150 max gpu temperature = 86 deg

 

Wouldn't worry about benches as it IS a g73 at it's core. Really the main things a lot of people would like are hi res pictures of the screen, the noise/heat emissions, and the always asked question "does it have a sub" (yes).

Pretty sure I'll be taking a trip to buffalo for one of these soon enough, for some reason $1200 seems a lot easier to swallow than $1600...

 

Nice review +1 rep!

 

Update on the GSOD issue. If you get GSOD with ANY drivers, pls do yourself a favor and exchange it. My first one had GSOD problems but a quick trip to BB fixed it. I believe it is not a hardware issue.

 

Update: 10.4 official drivers work better than the 10.6 leaked drivers. Huge performance drop in Heaven DX11 bench.

 

3dmark added. Also, when installing new drivers, USE DRIVER SWEEPER. A CLEAN driver install gave me a noticeable performance boost.

 

Looks like you are having fun with your G73. Hope you adjust to the chiclet keys to keep up your BC2, not that I have any doubts you are still stomping all over everyone

 

Ironically, I have been playing more WC3 with this notebook...fail...

 

Does anyone knows if the HDD (HDD: seagate 500GB 7200rpm) is single. Is there an extra bay for upgradding, with a SDD, maybe?

Thanks!

 

Yes, single 500GB HD. The 2nd bay is open but no bracket is included. I just use abut of foam to keep the drive in place.

Cheers,

 

How run BFBC2 on your G73 ?

 

I run it native 1600x900. medium detail, low shadow, high effect, medium texture. 4X AF, 2X AA, HBAO off and get a solid 60+ fps most of the time. I hit the 40s when something explodes near me.

 

Anyone knows it the Intel's SSD comes with the brackets?

Thanks again!

 

For the G73? I'm going to guess and say no

 

Thanks for the review, added to the Info Booth and to the Reviews and Owners' Lounges Index thread.

E.B.E., ASUS forum moderator