ASUS G73JH Laptop Review

When Asus promises a machine for players, we are rarely disappointed
with the output. Following a model incorporating Nvidia 3D Vision, the
ROG series (Republic of Gamers) extended its offer to cut a new
benchmark for performance, performance and … performance! Moreover,
for the video game that involve text input (this is possible, however),
the G73JH is majestic like the F117A Night Hawk plane which is largely
based. And as the airplane it draws, the PC player is promised by Asus
as extremely "Stealth". Let us proceed to test new PC. Note that this
configuration will be marketed from April.

The PC games have a huge share at this time. After Alienware M11x (and a
refresh M17x whose test is expected to soon), Asus is coming out with
weapons of mass destruction for player. The Taiwanese are never short of
ideas on these things, but it is true that with G73JH, the Alienware
has to worry. And in terms of finishing, we are left speechless! Goodbye
to plastic glossy and look pest: the G73JH is dressed all in black with
a soft coating that reminds of camouflage material and adds real
character to its "fighter".

No defects in the body!

This PC is solid, with its 17.3 inch HD screen. With the lines
projecting with relatively rounded edges, this laptop does not go
unnoticed. Its design is remarkable: not too thick, it is slightly
tilted towards the user for optimal ergonomics. The circulation of air
under the chassis is also facilitated. Note that the landing gear of
this notebook is thick rubber pads. Everything is thought out in detail.

We talked about user comfort: the keyboard is small with rubber pads and
backlit (three different intensities) is extremely enjoyable in games
because surrounded by palm rest mass. The center stands proudly on
touchpad, wide, responsive and comfortable. Asus provides a mouse player
signed by Razer that is accurate to go to the shooters. Also note the
presence of SteelSeries headphones and a carrying bag in the carton
packaging: what going on Lan Party Fully equipped. Finally, a trapdoor
beneath the machine gives access to all components, CPU excluded.

Between cruise flight and post-combustion …

To do justice to the outside, nothing beats a beautiful interior. Of
course, when talking about machine player, we do not expect to find a
low-power processor at the helm. It is equipped with the Core i7 720QM
(1.6 GHz on each of its four core, 2.8 GHz Turbo Mode). In the BIOS of
the machine, it is possible to switch to turbo mode (enabled by default,
but Asus does not support …), that is to say that the processor will
be overclocked automatically in all circumstances. If you switch to
Normal mode, a push button TwinTurbo, located in the upper left of the
keyboard, allows the machine to undergo a lightweight overclocking (4 to
6%). In fact, we have not really seen any impact on our test results
regarding the normal mode with TwinTurbo active. Turbo mode can be
enabled in the BIOS, the difference are slightly more noticeable, but
does not affect much.

Reactor technically mature

The Intel processor is supported by 8 GB of DDR3 memory. A little
extravagance cannot hurt and Windows 7 Edition 64-bit seems particularly
appreciating the thing since the note index is 7.5 (out of a possible
7.9). Finally, the graphics are more than equal: an ATI Mobility Radeon
HD 5870 with 1GB of dedicated memory. What’s more than comfortable in
games, even the definition of native HD screen (1920 x 1080 pixels).
Also, if you play in a lower definition, as long as you keep the ratio
16/9, the screen displays beautiful pictures and you can get a little
stronger in the resource component in increasing detail and filters. We
were able to play Dirt 2 without problem in DirectX 11, as in most of
our test sets, without having to retrace our high detail settings.
Everything passes and this is a true happiness. Finally, the presence of
a Blu-ray is really significant, especially considering its price.

Finally, with the cooling system and the internal layout of the machine!
The fan is very quiet. The hot air is expelled to the rear by two
openings consistent and we must recognize that efficiency is to go: even
in phases of extreme stress, the temperature remains quite acceptable
and normal.

Some negative points

The storage equipment spoils this somewhat ideal picture. The two hard
drives of 500 GB in this laptop have a speed of 5400 rpm. Clearly it’s
like square wheels on a racing car! Why not have opted for models at
7200 rpm (or more), a SSD for the system and a model of 640 GB for
storage? Besides this, Windows quickly endorse this choice because the
machine scoops a 5.8 (on 7.9) with respect to the index on disk. And our
test programs confirmed: the disks reading and writing are definitely
down compared to the advantages of the machine in general.

The sound is ensured by the EAX Advanced HD 4.0 system of Creative and
PC incorporates low mini cabinet. If the quality is good overall, as
soon as you activate the spatialization of sound, it’s a catastrophe. It
must go through the helmet that is made more audible. However, few
players are using the speakers, so this part of the machine should be
operated occasionally for watching movies.

Features

The ASUS ROG G73Jh is like no other gaming notebook. Instead of a gaudy
chassis laden with gimmicks, the G73Jh instead boasts an understated yet
striking design inspired by the iconic F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighter.
Far from being merely cosmetic, the G73Jh’s angular design actually
improves your gaming experience. All the heat and noise-generating
components have been grouped together at the rear of the notebook,
allowing you to game in cool and quiet comfort. The tapering of the
chassis also enables the keyboard plane to be inclined by 5
degrees—improving ergonomics so that you can game for hours on end
without any strain.

The G73Jh is so aggressively spec’ed, it’ll exceed the requirements of
the most demanding games for a long time to come. At its heart lies the
latest Intel Core i7 processor, DirectX 11-capable ATI Radeon HD5870
graphics, up to 8GB of DDR3 system memory, and 1TB of storage space. So
crank up those game settings to the max—the G73Jh will make easy work of
them. And if things do get a little jittery, simply overclock the
system on the fly to smooth the performance out again.

With its DirectX 11-capable graphics and 8-channel HD audio with EAX 4.0
compatibility, the G73Jh delivers next-generation, ultra-realistic
gaming on the go. Character models and textures look so incredibly
lifelike, you’ll forget you’re playing a game. And the in-game sound
effects and positional audio are so true-to-life, each bullet zing and
explosion will send you scurrying for cover.

Specifications

• Processor:
  • Intel
    Core i7 Processor 620M/820QM/720QM : 2.66 GHz – 1.6 GHz, with Turbo
    Boost up to 3.33/3.06/2.8 GHz;
  • Intel Core™ i5 Processor 540M/520M/430M : 2.53 GHz – 2.26 GHz, with
    Turbo Boost up to 3.06/2.93/2.53 GHz
  • Intel Core i3 Processor 350M/330M : 2.26 GHz – 2.13 GHz
• Operating System:
  • Genuine Windows 7 Ultimate
  • Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium
• Chipset: Mobile Intel HM55 Express Chipset
• Memory:
  • DDR3 1066/1333 MHz up to 8GB (Intel i7-720QM /
    i7-820QM platform)
  • DDR3 1066 MHz up to 4GB (Intel Core i7-620M/ i5 / i3 platform)
• Display: 17.3" Full HD (1920×1080)/HD+ (1600×900) Color-Shine
  (Glare-type)
• Video Graphics & Memory: ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5870, 1G GDDR5
  VRAM
• Hard Drive: Dual SATA support up to 1TB (5400 rpm/ 7200 rpm)
• Optical Drive:
  • DVD Super Multi
  • Blu-Ray DVD Combo
• Card Reader: 8 in 1 card reader, SD, MMC, MS, XD, Smart Media, mini
  SD w/ adapter, MS-Duo
• Camera: 2.0 Mega Pixel web camera

• Fax/Modem/LAN/WLAN:
  • Integrated 802.11 b/g/n
  • Built-in Bluetooth V2.1+EDR (optional)
• Interface:
  • 1 x Microphone-in jack
  • 1 x Headphone-out jack
  • 4 x USB 2.0 ports
  • 1 x RJ45 LAN Jack for LAN insert
  • 1 x HDMI
• Audio:
  • EAX Advanced HD 4.0
  • Built-in 2.1 channel stereo speakers
• Keyboard: 348mm size
• Battery Pack & Life: 8 cells – 5200 mAh
• AC Adapter:
  • Output: 16 V DC, 4.7 A, 150W
  • Input: 100-240 V AC, 50/60 Hz universal (Intel i7-720QM / i7-820QM
    platform)
  • Output: 19 V DC, 4.74 A, 120W
  • Input: 100~240 V AC, 50/60 Hz universal (Intel Core i7-620M/ i5 / i3
    platform)
• Dimension: 42.0 x 31.0 x 1.89~5.68 cm (W x D x H)
• Weight: 3.85 kg (with 8 cell battery)
• Supplied Accessories:
  • R.O.G. Lacer Mouse (optional)
  • R.O.G. Backpack (optional)
  • R.O.G. Headset (optional)
• Multimedia Software: WinDVD8 BD
• Virus & Tool Software:
  • Adobe Acrobat Reader 9.0
  • NERO 8 Essentials
  • Power2Go
  • Trend Micro Internet Security 2009/2010
• ASUS Utility:
  • ASUS SmartLogon
  • Asus Power4Gear Hybrid
  • Asus Live Update
  • Asus NB Probe +
  • ASUS Life Frame 3
  • ASUS Wireless Console
  • Virtual Camera
  • ASUS Splendid
  • ASUS Hotkey
  • ASUS Express Gate
  • Asus Screen Saver
  • Fancy Start
  • eManual
  • AI Recovery
• Warranty:
  • 2-year limited global hardware warranty
  • 1-year battery pack warranty

Conclusion

We had fun building an equivalent configuration on Dell’s site, from a
chassis of Alienware m17x. The manufacturer does not offer the Radeon
Mobility HD 5870 on its website and at lower graphics card and processor
below, we have more than $1500 above the price of the Asus. Then, of
course, Display Port and eSATA are not present on the G73JH but who
cares! Although hard drives do not honor the machine, it is difficult
not to put five stars for both the price and performance.