G73JW-XT1 opinions?

I am looking at the G73JW-XT1 on Tiger Direct ASUS G73JW-XT1 Laptop Computer - Intel Core i7-740QM 1.73GHz, 8GB DDR3, 500GB HDD, Blu-ray Player/DVDRW, 17.3 Full HD, Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit, Black, 2-Year Warranty, 1-Year Accidental at TigerDirect.com.

I have searched this forum for experiences with this specific model, but not really found any. A1, X1, etc seem to be much more popular. Does anything other than the configuration of components set this model apart from the more well-known versions?

I will be using this computer for solid model design work (Inventor and Solidworks), photo and video editing (Photoshop). It is ironic that I'm looking at a gaming computer as I really don't play games. This just seems like a loaded system that will last me (performance wise) for years. I just hope it will prove to be durable.

The reviews on Tiger Direct are extremely positive, but I have read about so many problems with the G series on this forum that I am having second thoughts. Any XT1 owners out there who are willing to share some advice?

Thanks!

 

The CPU is definitely better than the 720QM that comes w/ A1/A2/X1. I dunno why it says Blu-ray Player/DVDRW tho. You might wanna check up on that (a bluray player adds $100.00 to the cost). It'll do just fine w/ SolidWorks. I'm using SolidWorks with my A1 for school work and it works flawlessly.

 

Cool, thanks for the quick reply! Many of the TD reviewers said that the computer ships with Bluray hardware but no software. I can deal with that. I'm actually getting it for last week's price ($100 less).

I just sent a decked out HP DV7 back because it crapped out after six hours of use. Now I'm a bit gunshy as a result.

 

For me, I rather have the 8x DVD-RW instead of the 4x Blu-ray player. I never buy Blu-ray disks.

 

I had not considered the speed differences between the two drives. 4x read? Write? It's not even listed on the description...

Still, I like having the ability to play a disc even though I'll probably be playing from my network most of the time.

Does yours have USB 3.0?

 

Oh my bad, I thought that was a G73JH. No, I don't have USB 3.0, cause mine is G73JH. It shouldn't affect your decision to buy that laptop though. All JW comes w/ USB 3.0 anyways, even if its not listed (being Tigerdirect and all).

 

Should I have reservations about purchasing from TD?

 

I just bought this model from a local tigerdirect store. It was $100 less than what was on the website. I ran furmark (1920x1080, 8xAA, fullscreen) for more than 6 hours and it reached the max temp of 79C. I didn't try the blueray yet. So far so good!

 

Wow, $100 less than last week's $1399?! I don't have to pay tax which saves me $140.

 

Sorry, I clicked on the link and it gave me $1499. So mine was at $1399 at the store.

 

Pretty sweet deal on this configuration. Hows the build quality and general feel? I have seen the one at best buy, but that was months ago.

 

I haven't had any problems with it. I'll only be able to test performance on my games next week. The laptop itself looks pretty solid and I don't think it is as heavy as some ppl said.. I was used to a gateway p7805-u, and the asus feels lighter. Being rubberized is nice, and the design is great (cooling-wise).

If there are any specific things you want to know I may check for you, just ask.. =) (excluding game performance)

 

Sounds good. I don't suppose you've had a chance to test bluetooth or usb 3.0. people both here and on TD reported issues.

 

I'll post some results as soon as I test it.

 

Just as a point of reference, what are the Windows Experience numbers? I went back to Best Buy and looked at their version (with the ATI 5850 card). It only got 6.0s on graphics performance. The HP I had to send back scored a 6.5 and a 6.7 with the ATI 5650!

 

processor - 7.1
ram - 7.4
graphics - 6.9
gaming graphics - 6.9
primary hd - 5.9

Are those scores reliable anyway? Never real cared bout them..

 

I think they are very subjective. Considering my HP was an i7-740 with ATI 5650, 8GB of 1033, and a 640GB 7200 RPM HD it's scores were:
6.7
7.1
6.5
6.7
5.9
The processor score is the only thing that seems a little off, but then again, faster RAM and a stronger card may enhance it's performance.
I don't think it is a straight apples to apples comparison, but sort of "a rising tide lifts all ships" type of thing.

 

I'm thinking of pulling the trigger on an XT1 from TigerDirect, but before I do so, I have a couple questions.

- What model WiFi adapter comes installed from TigerDirect?
- Does this model come with the bracket for the second drive?
- Are they still available for $1,399 at the stores (I need the specific geographical Location of the Tigerdirect store)
- Has anyone experienced any issues with this specific model that I should look for once I open the box.
- Does it ship with the Win 7 Media? I ask this because a couple months ago I bought Win 7 Ultimate to upgrade my old Alienware which used to run Vista. If I want to install Win 7 Ultimate on the G73 is it possible to transfer the Win 7 Premium license of the G73 to the my old laptop?
- Is there a "How to Upgrade the OS" thread for the G73 that I should read before I take the plunge?
- Any other place I can get a G73JW with the same features as the one in Tigerdirect for less? (Bonus Question)

Thanks....

 

I'm in the same boat as tamanaco. Been looking for a laptop for a while now and have been debating between this one and a Dell XPS17.

What would you guys recommend?

Also, since I'm a student, would you say this laptop with its power cord is mobile friendly? I heard the power supply on the power cord is pretty huge.

 

I'm the same situation as JagC88.

I haven't heard about XPS failures, but a lot of complaints about the other versions of G73.

Does anybody have any complaint about G73Jw XT1?

 

remember guys, the G73 JW X models are only 1 yr warranty instead of the 2yr warranty from ASUS.

XT1
XN1
XR1

 

Tiger's version is 2yr warranty


Limited Warranty


This Item's Warranty is:
- 24 Months Parts
- 24 Months Labor

Warranty provided by
- Asus
- View Warranty Info

 

I just got the XT1 model and it has the 20224 warranty info right on the box.

 

How is the power supply on the charger? I've heard it's quite big and would be cumbersome to have to carry around if you're going back and forth from classes and home....

 

One more questions:

Any advantage/disadvantage ordering this machine via Amazon instead of directly from Tigerdirect? Would it be easier to return, get an RMA or a refund from Amazon? I know that the machine ships from Circuitcity (Same as Tigerdirect), but would I be wrong thinking that Amazon "could" intervene and help me in case I get a lemon shipped from Circuitcity?

The Amazon site mentions the 2 yr warranty, but not the 1 year accidental or the 30 days flawless display. Are all of these warranties shipped in the Asus box?

Amazon.com: ASUS G73JW-XT1 17.3" w/ 8GB RAM, BluRay & 2 YR War: Computer & Accessories

ASUS G73JW-XT1 Laptop Computer - Intel Core i7-740QM 1.73GHz, 8GB DDR3, 500GB HDD, Blu-ray Player/DVDRW, 17.3 Full HD, Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit, Black, 2-Year Warranty, 1-Year Accidental at TigerDirect.com

 

Hmm, thanks for bringing that up tamanaco. If somebody could answer that question it would be great.

 

Wow... so far, no answers yet. Can someone with an XT1 give us an answer to some or any of the questions I posted. I'd like to order this laptop some time this W/E and get it before the end of the year. The wife actually thinks that it's a little too big and ugly and that it won't look good on the coffee table. I don't want her to get a second chance and look at the display unit at Best Buy again. Once I pull the trigger on this thing... and get it... she won't be able to pry it off from my hands even as corpse.

 

Well, that's because most of your questions are a) unknowable (no guaranteed wifi brand of card, just guaranteed wifi-N) and b) easily found if you did the work yourself - such as stock levels and specific store locations.

Though no, the brackets never come "empty" - if they're not using the drive bay, they don't send a spare.

MS licenses transfer just fine, you may have to call in to activate though. As per the license, only one copy running on a computer at a time.

There is a "install windows 7 thread" somewhere around here. Couldn't point you there myself, but it comes up in google whenever I need it ... (though not so well in the forum search).

As for the lowest price... there have been several threads that go up saying "Asus G73 now available at ..." but they tend to die off, as each store runs out of stock. They're generally well priced too, just dig back a few pages.

 

Hey OP i purchased this same laptop from tigerdirect. Needless to say I was satisfied with the overall build quality of this machine when I first received it. When I installed windows 7 for the first time, I got an installation error. the atheros wireless adapter that came with it did not pick up any signal from where I was using it. Also when I had my Alesis usb studio monitors connected to the laptop, i heard crackling noises. I should have sent it back to tigerdirect for a refund, but I made a big mistake by sending it to ASUS RMA. Now i'm on the 3rd week of waiting and it still says its repairing. I actually wrote a review on tigerdirect's site, but it seems as if they rejected my review when I submitted it. I guess that's why you see all the positive feedback on that page. I realized that when you buy an asus g73, its really a lottery. If you happen to get a good one, it'll serve you well but if you get a bad one it'll bring you hell.

 

I bought this model at CompUSA, which is affiliated with TigerDirect I believe. It was 1499 and came with an unimpressive Atheros AR9285, but I've ordered an Intel 6200, which according to other people, is a worthy upgrade. It's only like 20 buck and putting it in only takes like 10 minutes (or so I've read). I don't know about the brackets. Overall the computer is working great (though I've only had it for two days). I haven't stress tested it or anything though, or played any games yet.

I was wondering though, what are peoples temps looking like at idle and load? At idle, using speedfan I get the following readings:
GPU-56c
HD-38c
Temp1:45c, Core 0, core 1:44c, Core's 2-5: around 40c (I don't know why there are 6 cores on here, so don't ask )
Anyone else getting similar readings?

I don't know what temps are good for the gtx 460m graphics card and i7-740qm cpu. Any help would be appreciated!

 

Excuse me if im wrong but i think the lack of XT1 specific reviews are because the XT types are only sold by "generic websites" like tiger direct and newegg

 

does it support: Intel Wireless Display?

 

Well, last night I pulled the trigger on the XT1 directly from Tigerdirect. The total bill came out to $1511.36 $1499.00+$11.37 S&H... No Tax!

I had placed the 6200 Centrino Wireless adapter on my Wish List at Newegg at $20.95, but this morning I got an email offering the 6200 for $16.24+$6.29 S&H total $22.53 and so I pulled the trigger on that too.

I guess the next thing I'd get will either be the 500GB Momentus XT Hybrid or a OCZ Solid-State Drive. Not clear to me yet if I should get the Agility, the Vertex or the Vertex 2... I guess I need to research it a bit more, but I'd have to wait to get it. I'm done with the computer spending for now.

Btw, I found that the 500GB Momentus can be had for $99 at Newegg with $20 off w/ promo code EMCZNPY49 which ends 1/5/11.

Edit: My understanding, so far, is that there is no Intel Wireless display built-in in the G73. At first I thought I might be getting these Amimon chip based WHDI kits as shown here: http://hothardware.com/Reviews/WHDI-Kits-Explored-Asus-Wicast-briteView-HDelight/ but the transmitter is still too bulky. I'll wait until one of these 1080p WHDI Kits come with an USB stick transmitter like this one http://www.digitaltrends.com/comput...reproduces-your-screen-on-your-tv-wirelessly/

 

I just use a 12' HDMI cable

 

Thank you all for your input. Today, I returned my second G73JH laptop to BestBuy and tomorrow I will be going to TigerDirect and getting the Jw from there. I feel like the Best Buy verion is more like the BestBuy G73 rather than the Asus G73. Few hundred dollars more, but you get a product that Asus is ready to stand behind. faster drive, usb 3.0, and the full hd?- it's a no brainer. Thanks again! I'm prepared to dish out 1499 plus tax- they said if i have any coupon codes i can use them- does anyone have any?

it's not that it won't look good on the coffee table, the coffee table won't look good under it. It's not a laptop chicks can appreciate... they can't hold it right cause it's too heavy, which is a huge selling point.

 

UPS lost my JW-XT1. I was told that I have to wait until UPS finishes the tracking process (~6-8 days) before TigerDirect does anything about it. I want the computer sooner, but I can not cancel the order either because I need the invoice to be dated 2010 for tax purposes. So, now I'm sitting here with my new 6200 Centrino Wireless adapter, but with no computer to put it on.

 

Patience is a slow Virtue. I feel ya.

 

Arrrgggg, the JW is declared lost and finally UPS settles with TigerDirect. They tell me Friday that they're going to ship me the replacement, but then they email me telling me that they're back-ordered. Luckily they get a shipment the next day and they shipped the laptop yesterday, but now UPS tells that due to "Adverse Weather Conditions" the package might be delayed. Can't make this up.

Now, I'm here hoping that OCZ Vertex 2 60GB SSD goes on sale below $100 before the laptop arrives so that I can pull the trigger on that too. The Agility 2 is currently on sale at newegg for $89.99 after mail-in rebate with free shipping.

 

Just got the my XT1 from UPS after a 22 day wait... but now I have to wait for the 3 hours that is going to take to create the 6 Recovery DVDs.... SIX DVDs!!!

Oh well... In the meantime I'm thinking of ordering a Cooler Master Notepal u3 which has removable FANs to raise the laptop a bit off the coffee table. ($29 at newegg) From what I can gather the native cooling system of the G73 should be enough so I might not need the Notepal fans. (I rarely play games now-a-days anyway) If I don't need then... I should be able to attach a 4 port USB 3.0 hub underneath the Notepal so that I can end up with a passive (fanless) lapcooler with a USB 3.0 hub.

Has anyone used one of these Notepals u3 with a G73?... I looks like a good fit.

 

You should probably get the vertex 2, It has 50k rating of IOPS. The agility has only 10k rating of IOPS. Buy whatever suits you. Btw, Can you please update us if the XT1 has an extra hdd caddy? Thanks.

 

I caved in and ordered a Vertex 2 60GB SSD and the Notepal u3 from newegg. I should be getting them on Wednesday, at the latest. I will post if Xt1 has the extra hdd caddy when I remove the bottom cover of the XT1 to install the SDD and the Intel wireless card. I'm a little pissed that I had to pay for delivery given that the Vertex 2, the most expensive item, was supposed to be shipped free.

I won't be touching the laptop again until Tuesday or Wednesday when the stuff is scheduled to arrive. It might be delivered on Tuesday given that's being shipped from NJ and I live in NYC. I'm going to be tied up with football all day tomorrow and if the NY Jets beat the Steelers.... the hangover will probably end by Wednesday... anyway.

 

Okay. Hope it arrives sooner. How much did you get the vertex 2?

 

I paid $129.99 for it. (See summary attached on my previous post) - I had a chance to get the 60GB Agility 2 for about $90 during a temporary sale and OCZ rebate that newegg was featuring last week. Currently the Agility 2 and Vortex 2 are both $129.99. At the end, I was debating weather to get the Vortex 2 60GB (my 1st choice) or the A-Data S599 AS599S-64GM-C for $114.99 which also has the SF-1200 at newegg. I also found that this A-Data SSD is re-branded as the Micro Center G2 64GB which can be found for $99 if you search the web. I was going to wait for another newegg OCZ SSD sale, but in the end I had waited long enough for the laptop to arrive and I only want to open the laptop once a be done with it.

 

Ohh. Last week, I think I saw the vertex 2 for about $90+. Btw, when your cooler arrives can you please kindly take a picture with the g73 sitting on it? I think I should also get one. Thanks man.

 

Ok, late yesterday I got the Cooler Master U3 and the OCZ Vertex 2 60GB SSD. I'm little upset that the Vertex 2 is now $99.99 given that it is now discounted to $114.99 and you also get a $15.00 Manufacturer’s rebate if you buy it from new egg. Oh well…

I opened up the XT1 to finally install the Vertex 2 and the Intel 6200 wireless card and was not surprised by the missing hard drive caddy. I had an old 2.5" hard drive from an old IBM Thinkpad laying around. I removed the aluminum jacket (caddy) that it had and using a metal cutter modified it to create a little flap to screw it to the G73. I also added a plastic bag twist-tie to the back end to help me remove it when necessary. I used one of the screws that secured the installed caddy to the G73 chassis to secure the SSD with its modified caddy to the G73. I could not find a screw among the hundreds that I have that were a fit. I also used some of the packing peanuts on the back of the SSD to further secure it. (See Picts) I removed the original 500GB drive and put it away in a safe place. I'll put it back when I finish installing Win 7 Ultimate 64bit, install "most" of the Asus drivers & Utilities from the shipped CD, install all the "critical" applications and then apply all the Windows and Asus online Updates. I will probably remove all existing partitions (including the recovery) from the shipped drive and use it as my data drive.

As requested, I'm also attaching pictures of the Cooler Master NotePal U3. I found it to be the perfect fit for me. It can be used as a passive cooling stand (no fans) or as an active cooler stand (with fans). It's a perfect fit as the stand and G73 are the same width. One can still see a little bit of the cooler underneath because the sides of the G73 are angled. Also, the rubber squares on the back barely make contact with the underside of the laptop because the corners of the G73 are also angled. Still, the laptop sits on it securely without any wobble and it won't slide off the bottom of the stand even when down pressure is applied. The fans can be placed exactly under the G73 vents. The fans come with a clip-on thumb-wheel to adjust the speed of the fans and with a pass-through USB connector so you don't have to sacrifice a USB port to power the fans. Without the fans one can fit the G73 on the underside of the NotePal U3 and secure it with an included elastic band when you need to pack both for travel. Compare to my old A51 on a Lapcool4 this is a great improvement. (See Picts) In the future I might get a small USB 3.0 hub and attached it on the underside, but given that the "Beast" has two HDD drive bays I doubt that I'll need it as I can always get a larger secondary drive if and when I need it.

EDIT: Forgot... Here is a youtube video of the U3

Continue...

Just two more...

 

Wow. Nice work on the improvised caddy. Thanks for pics man! +1

 

Finished the hardware update. The SSD and the 6200 made a significant difference improving the performance of my JW-XT1, so I'm happy with additional investment.

A couple things to keep in mind for those new to JW hardware. I placed the SSD in the bay where the original hard drive was installed and kept the hard drive away while I installed Win 7 Ultimate and my critical apps on the SSD. To reinstall the hard drive I had to remove the caddy and flip on the hard drive in order for it to fit in the other bay (Right bay as you face the laptop screen). I also found that the SSD is identified as Disk 1 and the hard drive as Disk 0 in the BIOS. I don't know why this is, but so far, it has not caused any issues. The machine boots really fast from the SSD and I already removed all the partition (Including the recovery partition) and formatted the the hard drive as a single 500GB volume for data. I attached a picture of the bay compartments with the two drives installed and the before (HDD) and after (SSD) scores from Windows Experience Index. Btw, thanks to whomever consolidated the picts in my previous post.

Almost forgot... A couple questions for JW and OCZ SDD users.

1. Has anyone installed the IRST Driver Ver. 10.1.0.1008? Are there any improvements in this drivers that benefits the JW and/or the OCZ SSD?
2. Is there a specific firmware release that the OCZ SSD should have to achieve optimal performance in the JW? I know that there's a OCZ forum but I have not found the time to look for the info there. (Still have plenty of info to read in this forum)