Can someone help me decide between the Best Buy G73jh and G60jh models?!

First off, I’m a noob, so sorry about the noob questions that are about to follow. I keep waffling between the Best Buy G60jh and a G73jh models (for $899 and $1199 respectively). I know the G73 is better, but is it really THAT much better as far as the actual experience? The way I look at it, the tradeoff I would make is like buying an extra Xbox 360 just to get the better specs, so I want to make sure it’s worth it. The kinds of questions I am interested in answering are:

1. For gaming, how much difference will the 6GB of RAM really make against the 4 GB of RAM, now and in the long run? Assume I always close all other programs whenever I run a game. Are there any single games out there that would use up all 4 GB right now?

2. I7 vs i5 processor? Don’t games these days run mostly off the graphics card? Will this really be noticeable?

3. Side by side, would there be a noticeable difference in a game like Crysis, with the details set to medium/high? (Noticeable to the naked eye that is, not to some benchmarking tool)

4. When the G73 utilizes directx 11, will that sacrifice performance? In other words, will a complex directx 11 compatible game look BETTER in 10.1 on the G60 than in directx 11 on the G73 because of faster frame rates and smoothness, etc? I guess this could depend on the game but in general…

5. Can anyone confirm how much better dx 11 really looks than 10.1? Take Bad Company 2 for example. Is it REALLY that much of a difference between the two laptops when you are playing it with the details maxed out with the different dx versions?

If anyone can answer ANY of these questions it would be much appreciated. I want to clarify I DO care about graphics, smoothness of games, and the overall longetivity, etc. I am just trying to nail down whether it’s really worth it in this case. I see all these benchmarking results showing the G73 has great performance, but I don’t know what they mean. In particular I don’t know if they are just numbers or if they really do make a significant difference in the overall experience.

For those unfamiliar with the specific models I'm talking about, here they are:

G60:
Asus - Laptop with Intel® Core™ i5 Processor - Blue/Black - G60JX-RBBX05

G73:
Asus - Laptop with Intel® Core™ i7 Processor - Black - G73JH-RBBX05

(While on the topic, I guess I could also be in the market for a G72 ($849), although the 5400 RPM hard drive is a major turnoff for me).

Thanks in advance

 

Here's a rough rundown.

Direct x 11 is GREATLY better in terms of graphic compared with dx10/9 (both of these are hardly noticeable). Any non-Best Buy include warranty. As for ram 4gb is enough (for now, the rest is future-proof). Also best buy, there is a chance in getting LG (good) screen or AUO (bad) screen.

edit: fix typo -hard to hardly

 

Thanks for the info!

I am disturbed about the lack of warranty if you go through best buy...there isn't even a factory warranty??? So if I called up Asus for a problem they would say "Oh, you got it from Best Buy? Tough!". That is concerning.

Does this mean the only way to have any kind of insurance on a Best Buy model is if you purchase the Geek Squad service plan?

 

buy their Geek squad plan and within 2 year "break it" and get a new one with better tech.

 

.......and to think I really believed everyone in these forums was decent!

 

Sorry too hijack, but I was looking to get the geek squad plan and haven't visited BB yet. Two questions: How much is it and can I buy it after purchasing the laptop (1-2 weeks)? Thanks!

 

I found the answer I was looking for...there is a 1 year factory warranty from Asus, but it does not apply to accidents, etc:

"Asus includes a one-year parts and labor warranty with the system, but unfortunately, Asus' accidental damage warranty does not apply to laptops purchased at Best Buy, which protects you against damage from fire, electrical surges, drops, and spills. You'll find the typical online help--FAQ and troubleshooting pages, driver downloads, and user forums--on the Asus support Web site. Lastly, retail stores offer a variety of extended warranty plans with your laptop purchase, but they're generally expensive and hard to use, so we do not recommend them. "

Pretty funny that they are recommending AGAINST purchasing a BB service plan at the BB website That's a CNET review embedded in it.

Asus - Laptop with Intel® Core™ i7 Processor - Black - G73JH-RBBX05

 

How can we tell what type of screen it is? Does it say LG or AUO anywhere?

Edit: Nevermind--just saw the other thread.