I bought the G75-BBK version, it came out before all of the TS71/72/73 versions. It came with 8 GB of DDR3 1600 MHz RAM, a 1TB SATA hard drive, 2GB Geforce 660M video card, quad-core 3rd gen core i7 2.3 to 3.3 GHz CPU, 17.3" matted display (unlike the shiny G74 display), backlit keyboard. I added in 8 GB more of DDR3 RAM 1600 MHz, and a 256 solid state drive this machine absolutely screams. It was on sale at best buy for $1150 which is quite amazing for a non-online deal. I play battlefield 3 turned all the way up in on graphics, diablo3 all the way up, star wars the old republic, and some other games. Planning to get guild wars 2 when it comes out. Any of the G75's you go with will be good to run the latest games I would say for at least 2 years or more. From the ASUS site you can install the webcam visual ID login, so the webcam ID's your face and automatically logs you in if it knows it's you. Updated the turbo boost monitor to version 2.5, update the turbo boost monitor, get manuals and other drivers and asus apps, support, etc.The only thing I wish is that the video card they chose was an Nvidia MXM type. These are the only laptop video cards that are currently upgradeable, and are found very rarely, in very few laptops. You have to specifically look, and I was not doing so at the time. Regardless, it will run whatever you need for multiple years to come.
* 17.3" screen of good quality (for a TN panel)
* 1TB HDD
* nVidia 660M video (a 670m would have been nicer)
* Two HDD bays (both having aluminum holsters)
* 8GB of RAM, with two empty RAM slots available to upgrade to 16GB(DDR3-1600)
* Backlit keyboard (average quality)
* Windows 7 Home Premium (Professional might have been better)
* Multiple video outputs, including a mini-Displayport for monitors that use that connector (e.g. Apple Cinema Display). This is a welcomed surprise as I use an ACD.
Load temps (using CoreTemp 1.04RC) reveal the current temps of all 4 CPU cores:
idle temp: 39~44C.
under load: 59~66C.
Load was generated by running Skyrim, at 1920x1080, with ultra-high anti-aliasing settings (AA:8, AF:16), for 18 minutes and 37 seconds. With the default texture files; I have yet to update these, as I was told that downloadable texture files really enhance the experience... And, man, the quality of the graphics is GORGEOUS, with a very lucid frame rate... (up to 50FPS, my XBox version runs at 30FPS... I almost prefer 30FPS as it feels more like a feature film. 50FPS is close to the motion video standard of 60FPS...) I should say there was some choppiness at times, but that was BEFORE I downloaded the latest video driver, and people are recommending AA:4 and AF:8 instead. Either way, I've few gripes with the video subsystem. Now, back to temperatures:
While idle temps seem a tad high, load temps are PHENOMENAL for a high-res game at full settings, especially as it's hard to hear the fans running! Another laptop I own idles at 35C but under load goes up to 90C and it sounds like the fans are going to take off and fly around. A laptop I returned idled at 45C and under load got to 101C. Do note that water boils at 100C... I did also notice that a CPU temp reader did jack up the idle temp by 5C, which was bizarre... I did not use any utility internal to Asus.
Sadly, the battery is a bit wimpy and can only sustain the machine for ~3 hours... If you're a student, get an external battery to plug in, in case you can't find a power outlet. This may be a gaming PC, but the CPU will compile Java, VB, C, and other code faster than dual-core systems.
Also, the lack of Optimus technology means it won't shut down the nVidia GPU to enable the integrated Intel GPU embedded in the CPU in order to extend battery life... but this is a gaming machine, Asus decided to not bother with dynamic graphics switching... yet part of me would have liked the dynamic video card switching to save on battery life... especially in a classroom setting, despite the logo "republic of gamers" for all to see. :)
I upgraded the RAM. The back cover has one screw, and once that is removed, the cover has plastic tabs keep it *firmly* in place. Too firmly... it shouldn't be hard to open. One needs a spudger to pry off the cover. One could use a knife, but a spudger is completely plastic and is less likely to mar the case.
The second HDD bay has an aluminum holster, so you don't need to buy it separately online. That's a big plus. This model also has two empty RAM slots. I filled those right away.
All of the new RAM was instantly found (DDR3-1600, 2x4GB modules). With 16GB, one can run two or three virtual machines with complete fluidity. If you're studying for MCSE certifications and need to install and run servers in a virtual setting.
The keyboard quality is fair. Not as good as one higher-cost laptop of similar hardware specs, but it's passable. Especially as the integrated wristrest is far and above the comparison laptop with the better keyboard (but no wristrest!
And there is only one LED under the spacebar (left side). Seeing photos online confirms this.
All in all, it's a fantastic laptop that allows much expandability, is fairly rugged, and most importantly remains cool and won't fry eggs (or anything else) while being used. If only the keyboard was a tad bit better, and the battery life longer (by an hour or two), but those are minor nitpicks...I've had my G75 about 3 weeks now so I've pretty much got everything set up how I want it and have had some time to kick the tires a bit. Runs everything I throw at it without a hiccup, Battlefield 3, everything maxed out, Skyrim with tons of High Res mods, Crysis 2 maxed out, no problems.
I've seen people complain about the sound, I haven't noticed any issues, certainly nothing that made me question what was wrong.
Earlier today Asus posted on their website mentioning that the display on the G75's display beat Apple's Retina display for color accuracy, so that's a big plus, and I will say the 1080p screen is nice!
I thought the matte finish of the exterior was going to be a fingerprint magnet but it's really not.
The only negative I can see is the 54000rpm HD, this is something I'll probably rectify pretty soon, just to put my machine's performance even more over the top.
It was a good buy, I'm really happy with it thusfar, I'll add any notes or discrepancies as the life of my machine continues.Great base system. I wanted to get a desktop replacement system at a great price and upgrade the components at my own. The Upgrades I did were 2 OCZ Vertex 4's in Raid0 and upgrade 8GB of ram to 32GB! This particular model G75VW-BBK5 is the more base model, so the money I saved I could invest into the quality parts I want. Installing the RAM was easy and didnt involve breaking any warranty stickers.
Pros: Upgraded to 32GB after for just $140.
1.1Gbps benchmark in Raid0 is absolutely insane. Things open before I click on them, its that fast!
Chiclet keys, Lightup keyboard, not on the "W" key to help train me to use asdw keys for gaming(grew up using cursor keys)
17" full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution
Cons: Having trouble getting Nvidia Linux Drivers 310 working, current or experimental. Eventually need to invest in a larger bag to transport this laptop.
Other Thoughts: Ubuntu install did alternate ubuntu 12.04.1 install disc for raid support and installed grub to the volume0 array. Ordered a 12.7mm HDD Caddy to replace the base DVD drive, put the slower 1TB 5400rpm drive it came with in there.THINGS I LIKE ARE THE LIGHTED KEYS, NUM PAD, AND LARGE CRISP SCREEN. I RATE THIS A 5 FOR PEOPLE THAT LOVE TO GAME. I PURCHASED THIS TO PLAY A FEW GAMES BUT NOTHING A 400-500 LAPTOP COULD NOT HANDLE. THAT IS JUST MY FAULT. I OVER DID IT. THINGS I DO NOT LIKE IS THAT IT IS VERY HEAVY AND BIG COMPARED TO SAY AN ALIANWEAR WITH THE SAME SPECS. NOT SAYING THAT IS BAD. IF YOU ARE A TRUE GAMER AND WOULD LIKE A LAPTOP THAT CAN PLAY THEM ALL THIS IS FOR U. I FOUND THAT AFTER I PURCHASED THIS I STARTED PLAYING MY XBOX AND ONLY USE THIS ASUS FOR INTERNET. FOR ME IT WAS OVERKILL BUT THIS IS A VERY NICE LAPTOP. ONE OTHER THING IS THAT ASUS HAS WAY TO MANY MODELS AND IT MAKE SHOPPING FOR THEM A NIGHTMARE. PRICES ARE ALL OVER AS IS SPECS. IF THEY ARE ALL GAMING LAPTOPS WHY NOT JUST HAVE SAY DIFFERENT SIZE ONES. BEFORE BUYING ONE JUST ASK SOMEONE THAT KNOWS COMPUTERS.
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