tj_extreme
Daemon Poster
- Messages
- 812
- Location
- Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
I've had my G75 for a week or so now. First off, I'd like to thank all those that helped me make my decision on this laptop. Second, regarding benchmarks. I downloaded the basic versions of 3DMark11 and PCMark07. 3DMark kept getting stuck while playing the first video. I'm looking into that issue. PCMark07 had a similar issue. When they are resolved, I will update this review to include scores. My system's current specs are as follows.
Core i7-3610QM @2.30GHz (turbo up to 3.3GHz) 6MB L3 cache
GeForce GTX 660m 2GB GDDR5
8GB RAM (don't know what brand is in there)
Windows 7 x64
17.3" 1080p LED display
120GB OCZ Vertex 3+1TB Seagate Momentus
Aesthetics
Carrying on with the traditional "Blackhawk" style vents on the back, paired with a thermal system that's not so much advanced as it is practical, the G75 sure is a looker. Coming in at a hefty 8.7 lbs, and almost an inch thick at its thinnest point, it's no Ultrabook. Some design changes you'll notice if you've owned a G series in the past are a slight change in the vents in the back. They still work the same (great,) just look a bit different. Better, IMHO. Another big difference is that the G75 has a two tone color scheme. The chassis is all (bar the bottom) a sort of rubberized black coating. Fingerprints aren't an issue here, and it feels good in the hand. The keyboard, however, is backed by an aluminum plate, which I'm pretty sure is real aluminum. Some like it, some hate it, but it doesn't hinder or help performance so no worries there. The hinges are solid, and the display is anything but wobbly. It won't open a full 180 degrees though, due to the large vents in the back. This time around, Asus included some user removable fan filters (which are just metal, wash with water, dry, replace) for each of the two easily accesible fans. One of the fans is unveiled when you remove the back cover, which is also where you access the RAM/HDD bays. The other fan has its own cover, with only one screw. Asus includes a special fan filter reminder in their bundled software, that reminds you every once in a while to clean the filters. The G75 has a large touchpad with a smooth coating that makes it a breeze to use. The buttons below are large and provide a satisfying click when pressed. My only gripe about the touchpad is that the Multitouch gestures are sometimes a bit finicky. Scrolling works fine, but rotation, and zooming is a bit of a challenge. The Keyboard is large and has spaced out keys that provide good feedback and distance when pressed. The backlight, while white only, is adjustable on the fly and at the highest setting actually hurts my eyes at night. Also included, like most contenders in the 17" category, is a number pad. If I had to describe the keyboard on the G75, I'd call it 'The Thinkpad Keyboard of Gaming Laptops.' It's that comfortable. Also located on the underside is a small subwoofer, which was a total surprise to me. While it's too small to vibrate your pants off, it helps out in making the sound that much better. The speakers are clear and crisp, even at max volume. Quite loud as well. All the hot air is directed out the back, and the keyboard region and your lap both stay cool to the tough, even after a 6 hour BF3 session. Kudos to Asus on the design.
Design: 9.0/10
Performance
Being an early adapter of Ivy Bridge, I was skeptical of how it would perform in comparison to the amazing Sandy Bridge Processors that preceded it. Though I haven't had a chance to bench it yet, it slices through everything I throw its way, like a hot knife through butter. Folding, audio editing, Photoshop, CAD, DJing, is no match for it. I have yet to experience any system hangs or slow downs. Ivy speaks for itself. Maybe it's not the best overclocker for desktops, but for laptops it hits the spot. Gaming is amazing on this. Let me touch on the display for a moment. While it's not an IPS panel, it IS LED backlit, and it gets VERY bright when at the highest level. It's also a matte screen, so no glare issues with it. Overall, very pleasant to look at. Back to gaming. I really wanted a model with the 670m in it. Instead, I ended up with the Kepler based 660m. I noticed a lot of people ragging on it, saying how much better the 670m is. Decide for yourself; Here's me playing Skyrim, 1080p, 4xAA, all high settings, High Res texture pack.
Keep in mind, while frapsing I lost 10+ FPS. My average seems to be 43 with the high res pack. Not too shabby. Adding the SSD was a piece of cake because of the easy access bays, and I have a new RAM kit to install to bring it up to 16GB, just haven't had the time. It boots in about 20 seconds, including startup programs. Battery lasts about 3 hours on average with normal use, about 1 or so when gaming. Quiet, even while gaming. Sometimes I don't know if the fans are even still working or not.
Performance 8.75/10
http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/1676/cpuzall.png
Overall
Overall, I'd give the laptop a solid 9/10. There's not much more you can ask for in a gaming laptop, and Asus has made great strides in the way towards gaming nirvana. Minor gripes aside, the G75 is a solid laptop that will not disappoint.
Final verdict: 9/10
Core i7-3610QM @2.30GHz (turbo up to 3.3GHz) 6MB L3 cache
GeForce GTX 660m 2GB GDDR5
8GB RAM (don't know what brand is in there)
Windows 7 x64
17.3" 1080p LED display
120GB OCZ Vertex 3+1TB Seagate Momentus
Aesthetics
Carrying on with the traditional "Blackhawk" style vents on the back, paired with a thermal system that's not so much advanced as it is practical, the G75 sure is a looker. Coming in at a hefty 8.7 lbs, and almost an inch thick at its thinnest point, it's no Ultrabook. Some design changes you'll notice if you've owned a G series in the past are a slight change in the vents in the back. They still work the same (great,) just look a bit different. Better, IMHO. Another big difference is that the G75 has a two tone color scheme. The chassis is all (bar the bottom) a sort of rubberized black coating. Fingerprints aren't an issue here, and it feels good in the hand. The keyboard, however, is backed by an aluminum plate, which I'm pretty sure is real aluminum. Some like it, some hate it, but it doesn't hinder or help performance so no worries there. The hinges are solid, and the display is anything but wobbly. It won't open a full 180 degrees though, due to the large vents in the back. This time around, Asus included some user removable fan filters (which are just metal, wash with water, dry, replace) for each of the two easily accesible fans. One of the fans is unveiled when you remove the back cover, which is also where you access the RAM/HDD bays. The other fan has its own cover, with only one screw. Asus includes a special fan filter reminder in their bundled software, that reminds you every once in a while to clean the filters. The G75 has a large touchpad with a smooth coating that makes it a breeze to use. The buttons below are large and provide a satisfying click when pressed. My only gripe about the touchpad is that the Multitouch gestures are sometimes a bit finicky. Scrolling works fine, but rotation, and zooming is a bit of a challenge. The Keyboard is large and has spaced out keys that provide good feedback and distance when pressed. The backlight, while white only, is adjustable on the fly and at the highest setting actually hurts my eyes at night. Also included, like most contenders in the 17" category, is a number pad. If I had to describe the keyboard on the G75, I'd call it 'The Thinkpad Keyboard of Gaming Laptops.' It's that comfortable. Also located on the underside is a small subwoofer, which was a total surprise to me. While it's too small to vibrate your pants off, it helps out in making the sound that much better. The speakers are clear and crisp, even at max volume. Quite loud as well. All the hot air is directed out the back, and the keyboard region and your lap both stay cool to the tough, even after a 6 hour BF3 session. Kudos to Asus on the design.
Design: 9.0/10
Performance
Being an early adapter of Ivy Bridge, I was skeptical of how it would perform in comparison to the amazing Sandy Bridge Processors that preceded it. Though I haven't had a chance to bench it yet, it slices through everything I throw its way, like a hot knife through butter. Folding, audio editing, Photoshop, CAD, DJing, is no match for it. I have yet to experience any system hangs or slow downs. Ivy speaks for itself. Maybe it's not the best overclocker for desktops, but for laptops it hits the spot. Gaming is amazing on this. Let me touch on the display for a moment. While it's not an IPS panel, it IS LED backlit, and it gets VERY bright when at the highest level. It's also a matte screen, so no glare issues with it. Overall, very pleasant to look at. Back to gaming. I really wanted a model with the 670m in it. Instead, I ended up with the Kepler based 660m. I noticed a lot of people ragging on it, saying how much better the 670m is. Decide for yourself; Here's me playing Skyrim, 1080p, 4xAA, all high settings, High Res texture pack.
Keep in mind, while frapsing I lost 10+ FPS. My average seems to be 43 with the high res pack. Not too shabby. Adding the SSD was a piece of cake because of the easy access bays, and I have a new RAM kit to install to bring it up to 16GB, just haven't had the time. It boots in about 20 seconds, including startup programs. Battery lasts about 3 hours on average with normal use, about 1 or so when gaming. Quiet, even while gaming. Sometimes I don't know if the fans are even still working or not.
Performance 8.75/10
http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/1676/cpuzall.png
Overall
Overall, I'd give the laptop a solid 9/10. There's not much more you can ask for in a gaming laptop, and Asus has made great strides in the way towards gaming nirvana. Minor gripes aside, the G75 is a solid laptop that will not disappoint.
Final verdict: 9/10
