Advice on ASUS G53 purchase.

Hi everyone,

I'm looking to purchase an ASUS G53JW with the following specs:

> ASUS G53jw 1920 x 1080 FHD-SZ056V
> CPU = 740QM i7
> RAM = 8GB
> Optical Drive = 4XBluRay/DVD-RW/CDRW
> Primary Drive = 500GB 7200RPM
> Secondary Drive = 500GB 7200RPM
> Wireless = Intel 6200
> OS = Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit
> Additional Battery (2 total)
> Additional A/C (2 total)
> 3yrs ASUS Global Warranty


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However I've recently been 'burnt' very badly by my previous Alienware m15x-R1 purchase:


http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-area-51-aurora-legacy-systems/515823-hinge-broken-m15x-screen-again.html#post6674496

As you can read not only in my posts but other Alienware customers, there were some major flaws in this laptop and also in the customer support (driver support + warranty). However it did have some good features that I really liked such as:

- Hot swappable drive bay for extra battery, 2nd hard drive or DVD drive
-> hence the additional battery in the above config

- Stealth mode
-> reverse of the G53JW turbo button

- Hybrid Graphics technology
-> G53SW won't have a similar tech available?!

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Given this history, I'm approaching this next laptop purchase very cautiously.

I've been able to research a couple of things on my own such as:

- Getting the i740QM is a more than adequate option
http://forum.notebookreview.com/hardware-components-aftermarket-upgrades/501067-i7-740qm-i7-840qm.html
[Solved] Urgent: Intel i7-720QM vs Intel i7-840QM - CPUs - CPU-Components
http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=1553442

- 64-bit Windows 7 is required to fully utilize the >3GB RAM

- Current Seagate Momentus XT 500GB Hybrid drive may not be worth the extra cost


Seagate Momentus XT 500GB Solid State Hybrid Drive Review - Final Thoughts and Conclusions - Legit Reviews
Hybrid Seagate Hard Drive Has Performance Issues - Slashdot

- Intel 6200 WiFi card shows improvement over stock but 6300 not worth it
[Solved] Intel ultimate 6300 wifi with two antennae - General-Laptops-Notebooks - Laptops-Notebooks

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However I still have some questions that I would appreciate answered:

1) Has anybody noticed any major problems with this laptop so far in terms of structure/chassis, components and/or driver support?

2) Has anybody had any major problems with Windows 7 64-bit and this laptop?
-> I currently use Windows 7 32-bit but have 8GB of DDR2 RAM. I reluctant to switch over due to support for 64-bit drivers and software....

3) Would anybody strongly suggest the a small SSD drive just for the OS?
-> I currently use about 120GB for Windows 7 OS and Programs, with Games partitioned on a different drive but same physical drive. These could go on the 500GB second physical hard-drive = better config?

4) Should I wait for Sandy Bridge, not so much to purchase the G53SW but to see if the price of the G53Jw comes down further?

5) Any Australian G53JW owners that would like to recommended a supplier?

Currently it's about AUD$2000 reduced from about $2500. The Australian suppliers I've looked into are:

MLN:
https://www.mln.com.au/product/?itemID=837&typeID=23#
-> Cheapest and I can visit the store in my city.

Logical Blue One:
Logical Blue One - ASUS G53JW-A1
-> Guy on phone seemed he might be problematic to deal with (+ Whirlpool forum research)

Affordable Laptops:
ASUS G53JW laptop notebook - G53JW-HD-SX109V - G53JW-A1 - G53JW-FHD-SZ056V - 15.6 inch gaming laptop with GTX 460M
-> Guy on phone seemed good to deal with. (+ Whirlpool forum research)

CPL:
CPL - Cheap Computers & Notebooks
-> Very bad website

5) Any other advice on the research I've done and/or the configuration I describe above?

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Sorry for the long post but I thought I might save some other Australian customers some time as well!

 

Unfortunately I live in the US, so I can't comment on some of the questions.

None so far really. The only major problem I have is the AUO screen, which is really sub-standard in color display compared to other manufacturers.

None at all. Most 64bit drivers have matured over the years.

I would definitely recommend a small SSD along with a large data drive. The SSD in mine at the moment (OCZ Vertex 60GB) speeds up the booting time from 30 seconds to 10 seconds. Of course, you might need a larger SSD than 60GB if you also want to put your games on the drive.

It really depends, although I don't think G53jw's price is coming down any further.

 

The G53SW should take another 1 or 2 months before it comes out so might want to take that into consideration if you need a laptop in the near future.

 

@viperabyss:

1) That's interesting about the screen, I hadn't heard that.
2) I assumed as much but lack the experience.
3) SSDs just cost so damn much! Perhaps I look into in the future, but games alone are 180GB in addition to the 120Gb for OS + programs.
4) Again good to know thanks! Any particular reason/reference?

@myxcon:
Thanks I had heard that. The performance increase of Sandy Bridge seems great according to the reviews thus far:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/3922/intels-sandy-bridge-architecture-exposed

There's no urgency on the upgrade and I think the SW will be at least +$500 of the JW variant to start with. Just hoping that it woul dbring hte price down of the JW variant.