Are the upgrades for ASUS G73Jw-3DE worth it?

As an online game player, I am considering purchase of a ASUS G73Jw-3DE. At around $1,900 it comes equiped with lots of stuff and is rated well. But there is a variety of upgrades available including extreem chipsets, extra RAM, cooling materials, etc., etc. With almost everything upgraded the cost can rise above $4,100. My question for you expert owners is what, if anything, is really worth upgrading on the current stock model? Given the rapid outdating of computer components, does a top-of-the-line model really buy you anything worthwhile? Additionally, is a gaming 3d computer worth it to begin with? Thanks for all your help!

 

I don't think it's worth it. Like you said new stuff would be up for not that long. I think you would be good with the stock version. Save up the rest of your budget and wait for a better CPU and especially GPU.

 

Is the 120hz screen on the 3de that much better than the a1 model?

 

I would get the stock model, and decide later if you need any upgrades. The most noticeable upgrade you can do is get a SSD for the system, or upgrade the CPU to a 920XM or 940XM, but that can be pricey.

 

Thanks to all for your thoughts. Chastity, the i7-940x extreme CPU upgrade adds $1,105 and a SSD Crucial C300 256GB SATA III adds $519. I can aford the cost (with some strain) are they worth that much improvement in game play?

 

I know you asked Chastity, but i'll throw my 2 cents...
i7-940x is way too overpriced.
G73jw bottleneck is the gfx card not the CPU.
Also keep in mind that the 2nd gen of i-core cpu's are close or better than i7-940x and waaaaaay cheaper - fe. an i7-2720qm is better and 3 times cheaper.

If you really need lotsa CPU power my advice would be to wait till march/april so Intel can fix their chipsets and get a G73SW, else get a regular i7-740qm or an i7-840. Anything more from the i7-xxx generation is overkill in terms of price/performance

Regarding the SSD drives... yea, they are worth every penny... but get a 200+ GB SSD, anything less feels sooooo cramped

 

Once again, thanks to all for your helpful comments. Based on your info I think I will wait until later this year to see what Asus comes up with & let Intel fix any problem areas. The only question I had that was not addressed is whether or not 3d gaming is fun, great, boring, not worth it, or whatever. Is 3d a waste or absolutely necessary for gamming enjoyment?

 

Well, I wouldn't say it's a waste, since it's still a 120Hz panel no matter what. What's a killer is the overhead the 3D has on framerate.

 

The screen is really nice. High quality. 3d gaming sucks these days, even with a monster desktop setup 3d gaming is still only in the 40fps range. On the g73, it's in the 15fps range, unless your game is olllld.....

 

Well, I only played Avatar the game and Far Cry2 on my g53 in 3d, all maxed out and with AAx4 but they are old dx 10 games.
I must say i find it impressive and entertaining, but it is far from being a must.
Also keep in mind that the 3d G53 model comes only with a 1366x768 screen which helps the framerate in 3d mode.