G73Jx-xx---Which to get and more ?'s

Hey ladies and gents! I'm a first time poster here, and I want to say how incredibly impressed I am with the community. I've researched a lot of forums looking for a lot of answers and I've yet to come across one that is as friendly, helpful, encouraging, and professional as this one! I love some of the more abstract questions that get asked on these boards, and I've found damn near every answer for nearly every question I have. Pretty impressive relative to prior experience on other boards!

I'm looking for advice from some experienced users. I'm weighing the pros and cons of purchasing a G73JH-BST7 from Best Buy, or a G73JW-XA1 from Amazon. It doesn't seem like there are a ton of differences between the two models, and most aspects of each model can be upgraded anyway. The one difference that can't really be changed is the graphics card(at least from my understanding).

What are your opinions on the ATI 5870 and the NVIDIA GTX 460M?
Which performs better on a day to day basis(ie. heat, power usage)?
Which performs better under serious stress from a high end game?
Are there any differences in D11 capability?
Does the additional dedicated RAM give the 460M any noticeable advantage?

Not related to the graphics card:

How well do these models hold up to use over time? I've had the chance to get my hands on the BB model and love the fit and finish. Especially the rubberized matte finish. But, I'm curious how well this finish holds up over time. Granted it seemed to show little to no fingerprints, but it also seemed susceptible to scratching. Has anyone seen any significant wearing of the surface next to the touchpad where your palms rest? I've worn down both of the last two notebooks I've owned

It seems that installing an upgraded screen, optical drive, and hard drive are all pretty easy. How good are the quality of the screens that are available(obviously only needed if I went with the JH)? Does replacing any of these items void any warranty?

How important is it to get the IC7 thermal paste on the CPU? Does it really make that much of a difference considering the cooling potential of the machine?

And last but not least... How significant of a loss is the USB 3.0 port if I went with the JH. Do any of you foresee it being an issue in the future?

I know I threw a ton of questions out there, but I haven't found many direct answers to what I have asked and I would greatly appreciate any advice. I don't purchase new notebooks frequently. When I do I intend to keep them for a long, long time. I just want to make sure this is going to be a solid, long-lasting choice!!! I hope to be an owner of a G73 soon so I can be part of the club around here. Thanks all in advance!

 

I have a JH. Works great, and I don't have to worry about nvidia screwing around.

My was pasted well, so I havn't re-pasted. I've seen it get as high as 92 with OCCT, but tops out at 86 in starcraft 2.

 

5870 has better fps rating and it is all around better but has enormous probelems that can be fixed easily

460m has no problems but performs par or under the 5870 but has better dx11 ratings..

IC7 doesnt make much of a difference compared to the stock i dont think its worth the extra $.

USB3.0 makes your system 360* FUTURE PROOF 3.0 is a 10 year thing and should not miss out on it... you'll be left behind if you dont have 3.0 10x faster than 2.0 easily...

Having a lower res screen means better VIdeo Card Performance and doesnt make much differnce and i prefer the lower better


EDIT: All of this info is coming from someone that doesnt even OWN a G73 at all! I did my research and my studying for approx 10 days and waiting for THIS

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220821&Tpk=asus refurbished
To get back in stock... ask more questions if you want and btw i think most of your guestions/worries will be answered in http://www.asusrog.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?88-G73-Series&order=desc

THey are the official ROG forum but not as active as this..





Again this is a EDIT

Both V Cards have DX11 COMP and SHader 5.0 COMP...


I will get the JW if you have the extra doe if you dont get the JH

 

Hope my last post is gold to you...

 

Thanks for the quick replies!

Even if I get the JH I'll likely get an upgraded screen to have the higher resolution.

For those of you that have upgraded to the higher res screen or seen both, is the 1080p screen brighter? Does it have better color, contrast, and clarity compared to the 720p?

How does the 460M have better DX11 ratings?

The 3.0 issue sounds like a little bit of a bummer. It really narrows the options down if it's going to be that big of a deal in the future.

 

Yeah trust me 3.0 is gigantic its a once in a decade update! PLUS one bad thing is that the G73 doesnt even have a PCIe slot so you cant even add a 3.0 card!

Off topic but when i was typing a fly went where i was typing text and me being really weird i went to the spot where the fly was and tryed back spacing to delete the fly.. didnt work.. EPIC FAIL


Also again on topic try googling "460m notebookcheck" and compare the results to :5870 notebookcheck"


I dont know anything about 1080P but it is probably brighter just a guess though

 

@DCx: Nvidia screwing around? After all the problems with ATI and their GSODs etc.?

@bloodt: Get the G73jw, you won't have to worry about the issues that tend to crop up for G73jh. Graphic performance is very similar.

ICT7 does make a significant difference for some people.

Also, the G73Jw-3DE should be out this week, if Asus sticks to the schedule.

 

G73JW-3DE will make your laptop completely FUTURE PROOF! the i7 versions come with 16gb of ram (correct me because i think i am wrong)

and the 3.0 of course

 

Don't waste your money on 16GB of RAM, it's completely unnecessary.

 

lol its for the 3d.... it is nescessary when there's 3d running

 

1) it comes with 8GB
2) 16gb is completely unnecessary, unless you work as professional video editor/graphic artist for a living
3) the amount of RAM has nothing to do with 3D capabilities.

it's unwise to help others if you don't know yourself...

 

@ Sarge - What problems are you talking about specifically? Just the GSOD? Or something else?

@Mark, thanks for the links. I'll have to go do a little more research at the link you posted. 3.0 is looking like a better and better option though. The 3DE looks great, but I don't have much need for 3D capability from my laptop and does Windows even recognize 16GB of RAM?

From what I'm gathering it sounds like the two graphics cards are very similar. I doubt that will be a deal breaker either way. Does the ATI still run a lot hotter, or is it not that noticeable?

Anyone have any input on the case itself and durability? Scratching, wearing on the palm rests, etc.

 

Windows will recognize 16GB of ram fYI 32gb max ram is about 3.25GB while... get ready 64TB's max is 4,000,000,000,000 B of ram which is 4tb of ram or 4000GB of ram so the OS will but the thing that restrains the CAP is the MOTHERBOARD, and the CPU we dont have anything in the world that uses 64bit compeletely...

Why did they add 8gb more? if you know tell me.....

OMG YOURE THE PERSON THAT DOESNT KNOW ANYTHING 3de i7 comes with 16GB!!!!!!!!! DAMN....

the i3;s and the i5's come with 8gb.... read more and study more

 

Let me repeat: it comes with 8GB of RAM, not 16. And I don't need to have it to know how 3D graphics work, regardless of what you think sounds better.

About RAM: 32-bit versions of Windows support up to 4GB of RAM, while 64-bit versions support 192GB.

 

All 3DEs come with 8GB of RAM, unless you customize it and add more yourself. And all 3DEs come with Core i7 740QM CPUs. Definetely not i5 and i3.

 

OK, here you go:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa366778(VS.85).aspx#physical_memory_limits_windows_7 - How much physical memory is supported by Windows 7

The link you provided is more than a moth old article, and is regarding G73 Jh, and all the merchants in that link list 8GB.

Here are the preorder links for the 3DE:
ASUS G73JW-3DE - XOTIC PC - ASUS Gaming Laptop
Asus G73JW-3DE 17.3" FHD 120Hz/NV GTX460M 1.5GB/740QM/8GB/1TB 7200 SSD Hybrid/BD-Burner/ Pre-Order: GenTech PC Store
Notice that they all list 8GB as default. This is the official Asus configuration.

 

No such thing as futureproof with 1 graphics card.

 

Forgot...

I meant these: http://forum.notebookreview.com/asu...492354-all-g73jh-problems-solutions-here.html

 

Thanks for the link. I'd read through most of these. I'm glad you weren't talking about something other than what's on this list!

Do any of you G73 owners have any input on the rubberized finish of the machine? Especially concerning how easily it scratches or wears. Thanks again guys!

 

I've had mine for 7 months now, I haven't noticed serious scratches or wear even thou I've taken mine and done a lot of traveling, also been disassembled twice. material does hide wear pretty well and is quite resistant to scratches (in my opinion).