Should I get a new G73?

On 10.1 Cat drivers my computer is golden. I've seen threads about how to fix the issue with vBios's and whatnot but I don't feel comfortable going that far for a small performance boost. I've seen people saying it's a hardware issue on these units if you can't run all the drivers.
Under Best Buy policy, if this is a hardware issue, it's a defect and I can exchange this G73 for a new one. But I'm not sure if it's worth it or if it is a real defect.

Thoughts?

 

Have you actually tried upgrading to 10.6? If you follow correct update procedure more people than not can get 10.6 going without issues.

There is a good guide on updating, though if your computer is stock then you can get away with a single over the top install in many cases. Ie. 10.1 to 10.6 is fine, but can get problems if you go 10.1 to 10.x then 10.6.

Also try to avoid gaming while the laptop is plugged in and the battery is charging.. I get crashes when gaming and charging the battery, like it isn't providing enough juice to do both!

http://forum.notebookreview.com/asus-gaming-notebook-forum/498015-g73-gsod-fixes-resources.html

10.1 are fine on mine, so are 10.6 and there is a considerable boost of FPS in new games.

Also bear in mind that when new catalyst drivers come out they may totally eliminate the GSOD issues one day! (version 11 maybe??)

 

According to my inverter, my unit hits 140 watts when recharging battery and idling, so I wouldn't be surprised with a 150w brick. You can always get a larger capacity brick to solve that.

Targus APA05US 180w unit is available at Centrix for $30.