G74SX-XC1 vs A1

I've been in the market for a new laptop and I found a lot of great information here, so after coming across these two laptops I figured I'd better hop on the forums. Could someone enlighten me as to why the price difference between the 2 is $560? I'm comparing them on Newegg right now and aside from the ram and the hard drive I don't understand what constitutes the extra 500 bucks. Someone enlighten me please.

Links for comparison
Newegg.com - ASUS G74 Series G74SX-XC1 Notebook Intel Core i7 2630QM(2.00GHz) 17.3" 8GB Memory DDR3 750GB HDD 7200rpm Blu-ray-enabled DVD±RW/CD-RW NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M

Newegg.com - ASUS G74 Series G74SX-A1 Notebook Intel Core i7 2630QM(2.00GHz) 17.3" 12GB Memory DDR3 1333 1.5TB HDD 7200rpm BD Combo NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M

 

I've been wondering the same thing. It makes me suspicious that the XC1 uses substandard parts somewhere, like the BB models.

 

Hmmmm, I just bought the XC1 yesterday. Looking at the two links, they do mention that the A1 has LED backlighting for the monitor, yet strangely doesn't mention this for the XC1. With the better screen, additional RAM, and extra HDD, that could explain the $500 difference.

But I should note that the XC1 was never $1149 - it was about the same price as the A1. The $1149 is apparently a Black Friday deal.

 

It might possibly have the 128-bit 560m in the lesser XC1, unless they only do that with BB models.

However, I did purchased my G73SW refurbished from Newegg and it was a BB model.

 

I double checked - the XC1 has the GTX 560M with 3 GB memory and correct me if I am wrong, but the 1.5 and 3 GB 560M are 192-bit while the 2/4 GB 560M are the 128-bit bus ones.

Also, strangely enough, the XC1 appears to be targeted towards Canada, as a Google search results primarily with Canada-related websites (e.g. amazon.ca) so I am wondering if the XC1 is somehow geographically directed to CA (for whatever reason).

On top of that, I looked at some of the CA websites that were selling the XC1 - most were selling them for at least $1,500, about the same as the -A1, if not just a little cheaper. They do confirm that the XC1 has an LED-backlit monitor.

 

As I mentioned before, I've been keeping my eye on the G73 and G74 on both Newegg and Amazon. I've never seen a G74 for less than $1400 on either site until yesterday, so I am pretty sure it's a deal (perhaps even a steal). Newegg lists the XC1 on their Black Friday deals page (about 4 pages total).

Typically I'd rather buy from Amazon because they have a 30-day refund policy, no questions asked. Newegg has a lame exchange-only policy, and even worse, they can opt to have ASUS attempt to repair the laptop. And we all know how terribly incompetent and slow ASUS customer service is. I pray my XC1 has no defects but from what I read online, defects are pretty rampant.

 

JUST ordered the -XC1 from NewEgg!! It's overkill (for me), but I just couldn't find a better deal for a 17", well-spec'ed multimedia i7 with dedicated graphics, full HD, blu-ray playback & a nice keyboard. I hadn't noticed this thread, but I'd discovered what others have said...it looks like NE got ahold of some Canadian stock, but all the specs/parts look as good as all the top G74s.

I was tempted by the new N77SF-A1, which B&H has IN STOCK for only $1216. Prettier, lighter (wife would have preferred it, I'm sure!), pretty dam close, spec-wise (even burns Blu-Rays), but I prefer rugged (I like that the hinges aren't on the corners of the G74, like most others are), and I really like backlit keyboards & something that runs cool (I hafta think the N77 would get HOT under load).

I made the mistake of going Black Friday shopping...mostly to see how the Asus looked/felt in person, which I did @ our new TigerDirect store. Not quite as big as I thought it'd be, after reading reviews...and also, the size diff between the G73/74 and the 15.6" models wasn't as dramatic as I thought it'd be.

Can't wait...feel like a kid, even though I started hunting for a great $800 machine . I'll let you know what I think about it, though my opinion as a non-serious gamer might not be that important to y'all.

PS. [I might start another thread w/this question, unless someone here can help me]:

Can anyone recommend a good carrying/shoulder-strap CASE....not a backpack...for a beast this big? Just big enuf for the laptop, brick & a few doo-dads.

Thanks!

 

what kind of defects should I look for? And I guess I could read the fine print, but wouldn't NewEgg swap out for a new machine if there were problems...if only for a week or two?

 

here's a BF deal @ newegg... G74SX-XN1 for $1,099.99 -- go thru ebates, get 1.3% cashback --> Coupons, Promo Codes and Cash Back Savings - Ebates.com

Newegg.com - ASUS G74 Series G74SX-XN1 Notebook Intel Core i7 2630QM(2.00GHz) 17.3" 12GB Memory DDR3 1333 500GB HDD 7200rpm DVD Super Multi NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M

 

Yeah...that one popped up @ midnight EST, along with several other additions to their original BF list (I was doing my std., obscenely over the top research/comparison shopping at the time)

But I figured, for the extra $50, the XC1 gives you BD playback & a bigger hard drive...while all you surrender a measly 4GB memory.

BTW, both of these say "Save w/Microsoft Office 2010, Limited Offer". Does that mean it COMES with Office 2010 (probby Home, that's OK), or was I s'posed to add that to my order somehow? It was weird how the offer didn't provide a link and/or details.

 

yep..i also ordered this model and have the same concern

i've seen some problems online like the power button, touchpad , etc

 

The defects I am concerned about are the ones that require me to send the machine back to ASUS. Like something that's wrong with the screen (e.g. vertical/horizontal lines of suck pixels). I've read several occurrences of this already. I've read of other defects only cropping up after a few weeks of use but I think the maxim still holds true - if you don't encounter any hardware problems within the first month, you won't for the next five years.

A lot of silly 'defects' that are easily remedied software-wise are non-issues for me. I have a fairly good handle on troubleshooting and fixing laptops, this really isn't a defect at all, but people still send in their machines for things that can be easily fixed by driver updates or uninstalling some kind of bloatware.

 

Note that you will often see problems in a more visible manner on the internet. The people who have problems are more likely to complain. If there are let's say over fifty to a hundred people on the same site, let's say NBR, complaining about a particular issue shortly after getting a particular model, then the issue may be widespread. I remember a batch of defective G73 that newegg had, there were no problems with units from other manufacturers. If you want an example of a truly widespread issue, look up G73 and GSOD.

If you order from newegg, they usually have a good return policy allowing you to send them their units in the first couple of days after you receive it so there's no dealing with Asus' RMA.

 

Thanks for the heads up, tijo. Also, I did take into consideration what you mentioned, and I hope the case applies to the notebook. There is the saying that one boo is louder than a hundred cheers and this applies to online reviews too. In fact, whenever I'm reading through reviews I tersely skip the positive ones and focus mainly on the negative ones.

But I do agree with you in that the internet makes problems more visible. It's actually pretty rare that products I buy have defects, from slow cookers to other laptops I've owned in the past.