ViciousXUSMC's Ultimate G73JH Review

My precision m6400 has a 220 watt huge freaking brick and it has one gpu, probably cause of nvidia, hey where in Jersey do you live?

 

Looking forward to a more in depth look at the battery life when you have run it in.

 

If you click the gallery it takes you to larger images. From there when viewing each picture there is a maginfying glass to zoom in further. I uploaded all the pictures @ 1920xXXXX but original size is ~3300x used a Nikon D70 at max quality settings for jpeg mode. I would love to have a D90 or something and kick it up another notch but most image host sites kill off a lot of the quality anyways.

 

None, the W90 only had issued due to its 2 gpu configuration, it was not standard in any way and required a lot of work on our behalf to get it working. We did get it working though the W90 is using new drivers now.

Already we have modded new drivers for the G73, I have not tried them yet but others have.

 

Well it was maxed out and that stage is full of stuff like snow in the air. I think its part of both though. Its beta but its also just really demanding on those settings. I think with medium quality settings it will run good and not look much worse.

I have not put enough time into playing the beta to even know what I am doing so have not experimented with settings yet, just dove in for a quick benchmark.

 

there are alot of people complaining about bfbc2 performance in the official forums, and developers are saying that they are going to fix it a little bit, so thats good news for me We are going to see it March 2nd (i hope i can get my g73 by then)

P.S. can someone try running bfbfc2 in AA 8x, because i read one post, that suprisingly this boosts fps for some odd reason?
P.P.S. also current beta doesnt have high settings. what is said to be high, actually is medium (i think)

 

Hey Vic, I played COD MW2 for about an hour with the laptop sitting on a desk, CPU max temp was 62 C another run of an hour on top of a Zalman cooler and the max temp was 57 C.

So the vents on the botton do play their part in the cooling, even when 62 C is not hot at all.... lol

 

woah. nice pro review dude. impressive

1) WHy does crysis only get 25fps avg.
2) doesn't the gtx 260m get 35fps avg at 1440x900 ??? ret.Q http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=5802292#post5802292
3) So how much better is the hd5870 vs the 260m as im on the fence ?

 

It's not even a contest. A single HD5870 is about the same as dual 260M.

 

Crysis is sponsored by Nvidia it runs better on there gpu design/drivers. Its also just a horribly optimized game period.

The 5870 will spank the 260 its even beating dual 260's in many games. Who knows may also have to do with the cpu. I have found the new i7 is not so great for all games. It gave me some issues in GRID, and I think I have spotted a few anomalies similar for Mass Effect during cut scenes.

 

It is absolutely better, Ati hd 5870 doesn't have an official Driver as i know, and cannot show it's real performance. For Gtx 260m, Nvidia released lots of drivers for that card as i know again. [ Correct me if I'm wrong ]

http://www.notebookcheck.net/Computer-Games-on-Laptop-Graphic-Cards.13849.0.html

But, see even HD 4850 performs better then Gtx 260m... HD 4850 crysis at high, 45 fps. Gtx 260m crysis at high, 36 fps.

Btw, haven't you watch these??
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyVomeaGSBk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsAu71-2df8

 

makes sense as a 260m is essentially using the g80 architecture from 3+ years ago whereas 5870 mobility is built on the modern jupiter chip.

can't wait to see what dual 5870s can do once alienware and sager get their models out.

Great review Vicious -- I think you just sold some g73s for Asus. Don't want to be the grammar/spelling police, but you may want to clean it up a tad when you get the time

 

Thank you for the wonderful review. I can't wait to have it. Hearing this just made it all that better and more some. Thank you sir. Peace

 

Yes vicous your right, i have a panasonic lumix and i can't upload good quality online, i wish they allow it, but the freaking internet cannot be updated cause the powers that be want to destroy it.

 

OK guys. I am trying to record a fraps video demo of Bad COmpany 2, but am having some issues. What I will say is that it runs at 40-52 fps on max as long as you turn AA and AX off.

It looks fantastic on max even with AA and AX off. I have not heard about it running better on 8x, but it doesn't matter. It runs completely smooth on high as long as you disable AA and AX.

 

I believe two things about ATi HD5870. One ATi Mobile HD5870 drivers are not nearly as good as they should be.

Two Nvidia has a larger budget than ATi. Almost every major game I've played has been sponsored by Nvidia and has been optimized for Nvidia cards. It's real shame that game developers are unable to create games that are optimized for ALL gamers, not just Nvidia users. It's pretty stupid if you ask me. Considering ATi is more affordable and has a large loyal following why the developers would want to say pissoff to ATi users is weird.

 

You guys have a great fps with crysis. I get around the same performance at 1920x1080, except I have to run it all medium!!

 

That score really isn't bad at all. Don't forget, Nvidia pulled a lot of shenanigans with their "The Way it's Meant to be Played" garbage which was basically a money transfer to developers to optimize the game better for their hardware. That's the cynic in me talking. More level headed people will tell you that it was a great cross-development experiment that yielded a better game-play experience.

Don't forget, Crysis is one of the worst optimized games in recent history. It has been well documented all over the net-webs.

 

Good reasoning there. That's what made me pick the Nikon D5000. Right between the D40 and D90, it is a great performer(just like the D70).

Really nice review, and thank you for all the time you've put into this!

JS

 

i'm not even buying this laptop but just had to say i enjoyed the awesome review very much!

 

Power Draw Statistics

No battery in the unit, pure AC adapter using a Kill A Watt meter to measure wattage taken from the wall by the unit.

G73 Power Adapter: 7.7A 19.5V = 150.5W

So the adapter is capable of delivering 150W standard and usually they can do more. What I am looking for is to make sure nothing reaches that 150w level or close.

Tests:

Desktop Idle - 60w
Youtube Video HD Full Screen - 75w
Wprime 4 threads maxing out CPU - 87w
Wprime 8 threads maxing out CPU - 95w
Furmark Maxing out GPU - 130w
Dead Space Game using GPU & CPU - 135w
OCCT Power Supply Test - 175w

And yeah OCCT did it.. lol but I do not think you can reach that kind of load ever in normal use.

 

Not a lot of wiggle room for overclocking or even a better cpu.

 

Just out of curiosity, any recommendations on which SSD to put in yourself after purchase (other than 80GB / 160GB G2 Intel X25-M Multi-Cell SSD Serial-ATA II)?

Couldn't afford to do it yet, so stuck with the stock 500/500 setup until I can get a SSD/500 going... or I suppose raiding two smaller SSD/SSD.

I have no clue how much space Win7 64bit takes up, but I probably wouldn't have many games on it, so I'm trying to guess what kind of size would be sufficient.

Thanks!

 

As far as I know, you can't do hardware RAID on G73JH

 

great review, Vicious.

making me think twice about getting something else.

 

I did not get to do any more benchmarks last night like I wanted I was so busy at work I did not even get all my work done.

Tonight I need to test the cooling system and see if the intake is on the top or the bottom. Other forum members said the intake on the top is misinformation and it still works from the bottom like normal. So have to test that for myself and see and update the review if needed.

There are vents on the bottom but seems too small/few for system cooling it looks more like passive cooling for HDD/RAM to me.

 

Alright, cheers for clarification!!! 40+ fps for one of the latest game is great imho. Let’s not forget that BC2 is a multiplayer game, which I believe puts more stress on the system than singleplayer. Moreover, for me gameplay >>> texture quality. I’m happy even with low settings, as long as game runs smooth. I mean, let’s face it: it’s better to kill an opponent, rather than enjoy ultrahigh textures of the grass being dead.

 

Exactly. I think the lowest it ever dropped was 31 fps and that was when all h3ll was breaking loose with multiple epic explosions and building sturcture collapses going on around me. Most of the time it runs at about 40fps. It goes as high as 56-58.

The problem I am having with the Fraps video recording is that it drops my frames down to 15fps when I start recording, no matter what I set the movie settings to in Fraps. Weird.

Anyhow, I was very excited to be able to play BC2 on max settings with good frames. Just have to set the aa and ax to 1x (off) in advanced. I can live without those, because at 1920, AA has a limited visual effect anyway.

 

Great review, very well written and thought out, thanks

 

Hello,

This isn’t a review but just a rundown of my experience with laptops and the G73 for the past week.

I’ve been a laptop user for all my needs for the past 10 years or so. I have used laptops as my entertainment, school, work and media station. For media I enjoy watching HD anime (anime community was on board with x264 well before I saw anything live action with it), fiddled with some encoding. For audio, I love music. I use laptops with USB output to a dedicated DAC, headphone amp and a 2 channel amp via to vintage JBL speakers. I have the laptop connected to the TV. Laptop does it all for me, never had a need for a desktop.

As a college student and now working in non-profit my budget for computers is always limited and I try to buy the most I can possible afford and keep it for a few years. For long time portability was very important as I used the laptop to take notes, do work in the library while at University. For work, non-profits have almost guaranteed the oldest machines you’ll find in an office setting. Laptop comes very handy as the two places I’ve worked allowed me to use my own computer. I went with 14” 4:3 screens for a while then 15.4”

My experience with the G73 has been different from the past. I decided I wanted a larger screen. I still didn’t want to buy a immobile, stationary desktop. Still wanted to use it as my media station and be portable enough to take to work. But the greatest benefit of the G73 has been the price. I paid less for my Asus G73 than I did for the G1 while getting the best ram, HDD, screen, GPU and CPU I’ve seen offered by any company standard. Even when ordering a Sager/Alienware I won’t find faster HDD/Ram/CPU/GPU. It’s impressive.

For gaming use I have overclocked the GPU with AMD’s GPU overclocker. The setting is 799/1100 and it’s been very stable with core temperature around 75-80. Speeds are great.

This would be a first being able to play the latest games at high settings and native resolution on a laptop. So far I have played Crysis Warhead, and frame rate was smooth throughout, never experienced any stuttering or any slowdown that impacted the game play negatively. Killing Floor is a joke with 85 FPS @ 16 AF and 8 AA, everything highest. I played a few hours of FEAR 2 so far, and with everything high with 4AA it looks awesome, and no worries on stuttering or slowdown. Mass Effect 2 is an excellent game. And been getting on average of 60 FPS in that one. I will not try an MMORPG on this yet as I have called it quits on those games. No more time.

For office work, has been great. The keyboard is large and ample for quick typing. The large screen allows me to have multiple windows open making research, database work, and general work very easy. Photoshop CS4 is a breeze, fans don’t even go on for this work so far. The fan is great for office work. It doesn’t disturb you while working. In fact I hear the desktop computers around me more clearly than I do with the fan in the office. The sleek, black look of the G73 looks very business like. Anyone who has to take their notebook to meetings, you will look very awesome while doing so.

The backpack that arrived with the G73 is all black to my relief. Having bright green on the G1 backpack was not something I appreciated. While the backpack appears flimsy and dull, it’s surprisingly comfortable to use. The G73 fits in and is taken out with ease. The second compartment holds the powerpack, my headphones (very large Audio Technica AD900), a book to read on the train and my lunch for work. There is still space for more. The way the backpack sits, it feels as if far less weight than it is. Making walking to the train and to and from work from the subway a pleasant stroll. Because of the benign looks of the backpack I have no fear of attracting unwanted attention also. Backpack is sturdy and I hope to use for as long as I have the G73.

The mouse is great, if you are not a gamer, prolific internet browser or other intensive computer work. It’s perfect for someone you may know who only needs two buttons and the a scroll. Give it to them.

You may have problems with your roommate or significant other. My girlfriend wants this computer. She is amazed by the screen and dazzled by the lighted keyboard. Be prepared to defend your G73 from your roommate or anyone else!

To conclude this is a perfect laptop if your needs are the same as mine. If you need the top of the line laptop for gaming needs, then I suggest waiting for a dual cross-fire HD5870 rig. But if you need something that looks great, light weight, easy to transport with ample power, and on a budget, I can't think of a better machine.

 

lol, as soon as my 3 year old son saw it he declared it his computer and didn't want me to touch it.

 

I hope he didn't cry when you took it apart!

 

I think that is why he didn't want me to touch it, he knows what I do to my systems already.

 

another thing, im reading this behind the great firewall of China so non of the picasa images show up. it would be good if you could load them to the site for viewing. But i guess im probably the only one.

 

Nope your not the only one... the Army's filter blocks file sharing sites...the only pics I see are those posted directly in the thread.

 

Hehe, so true... After having my G73 for a week, I'm now having to sell my wife's 2 month old Qosmio, and get her one of these to match mine.

 

Hey which website has the fastest release for this laptop?

 

Awe, husband and wife G73's! Too bad you can't get it in pink for her!

 

Outstanding review sir. Really top notch all around.

I'd love to see you to get to that Dragon Age: Origins performance test.

 

Ran a 72 second timedemo in Orzimar. 1920x1080 everything maxed with 8x AA turned on.

2010-02-16 15:50:31 - DAOrigins
Frames: 3296 - Time: 72848ms - Avg: 45.245 - Min: 1 - Max: 71

Minimum 1 fps because I loaded into another area.

And also overclocked 800/1100 on the 5870:

2010-02-16 15:58:32 - DAOrigins
Frames: 3296 - Time: 72848ms - Avg: 52.039 - Min: 40 - Max: 70

 

Thanks for the straightforward review. This is the same reason I'm getting this laptop as well. My A2 should be here tomorrow afternoon.

 

Nice, very nice.

That's much better than I expected.

 

Yep.

Pretty impressive for a single card machine.

 

New G73JH-A1 owner (preorder). I'm fairly unfamiliar with how these benchmarks are calculated but would the 7fps you gained on the average framerate after overclocking be slightly exaggerated due to the 1fps you had briefly while loading into another area in the first benchmark? I'm asking only because I'm not sure whether to overclock or not, but if you can realistically expect the 15% increase in in-game performance that you got it might be worth it.

 

Well Doogie just dont overclock and if you find your performance less than desired than you need to choose between overclocking some or lowering your settings.

An average frame rate of 45 is very playable IMO esp for a game like Dragon age that does not move fast.

 

I know people who were part of the top ranking WoW raiding guilds during Sunwell in BC who played with 10-15 FPS, and these dudes were the tanks and healers...one was a raid leader. So 45 is definitely playable, considering a lot more stuff happens at all times during a Sunwell boss fight than in Dragon Age.

 

does anyone actually using the "Turbo" button to overclock, or does it really work..?

 

It works, as in it overclocks the cpu by 100mhz but it doesnt work as far as really helping gain any performance.

 

So its totally pointless then?

Hurry and post some battery life benchmarks would ya?

 

@ ViciousXUSMC Have you figured out about air coming into laptop cooling system? Is it sucked from upside or from bottom. If it is sucked from upside then there is no external cooler to cool it down. But if it sucked from bottom it's another deal. Very interested in that.