Asus G74 essential specs

Hey I am in the market for a G74, specs seem to vary greatly.

Especially staying away from BestBuy models, which are 900p instead of 1080p.

Also was wondering about the video memory. It seems like it is available as 1.5, 2.0, or 3.0 GB. When I made my desktop, was told that 1.5 or 3.0 were both better than 2.0. Wondering how big of a difference it makes. Obviously am thinking 3.0 is the best.

I was looking specifically at the A1 vs. the XN1 vs. the XC1 models.

 

The 1.5GB and 3.0GB models have a 192-bit bus, doesn't matter if you get the 1.5 or 3.0 model, the bus width is what matters and that's the reason to avoid the 2.0GB models. The difference between XN1/A1/XC1 is in the specs like RAM, HDD and the included goodies. The A1 comes with the backpack, mouse nd blu-ray while the others don't i think. There might be a difference in warranty and HDD configuration too. Look at the detailed spec sheet and you'll be able to find the differences.

 

I'd suggest getting the 3DE model for best screen out there, 120Hz+3d vision glasses (3gb video, 12GB ram, 750+750 7200rpm wd scorpio black drives)

 

Thanks, I am a little unclear about the GPU bus. Is it just analogous to bandwidth? i.e. it affects processing speed?

I understand a little about how the bus works between a CPU and RAM. I guess the best way to explain is there are more points of contact (bits) so data is accessed more rapidly. Is this the same in the GPU bus? It is between the video memory and the graphics processor?

I don't really worry about the display beyond 1080p. I do not plan to use the 3D features as it will be more of a workstation-gaming hybrid than a gaming-workstation hybrid. I just want max resolution for editing programs like photoshop.

 

I just meant the screen quality of the 3DE model is the best I've seen on G74's.

It's very bright and the 120Hz is easier on the eyes. I never used 3D myself.

About the bus, i just know that the 1,5GB and 3GB versions of GPU are around 15-20% faster than the 2GB model.

If it will be more workstation then i suggest you grab 2860qm core i7 CPU and 16GB of ram if possible (some shops customize ASUS laptops depending on your wish). And maybe a SSD for boot drive if u got the cash (go for reliable stuff for workstations like Crucial M4, Intel 510, Samsung 830 or Corsair Performance Pro)