ASUS N73JN-X1 vs ASUS N61JQ-X1 vs Asus G51JX-X3 vs ?

I posted here without much luck ... maybe you friendly Asus forum folks could help? You can check my What Notebook Should I Buy? thread for details, but here's a quick recap:

I'm in Canada, and would like to get a new laptop for no more than $1,100 Canadian + tax. I would like the following:

- 15.4" - 17" screen at 1600x900 (minimum)
- Core i5 or better
- Nvidia 335M or better (i.e. not ATI)
- 500 GB hard drive
- good keyboard including 10 digit number pad
- multiple USB ports

I will be using the computer for work (mostly just MS Office), Starcraft II ... oh, and like it or not, my under-10 wiener kids will probably use it on occasion, too.

So far, I'm leaning toward Asus, but I will gladly look at other brands. Right now, I'm looking at three models, but none is absolutely perfect (I don't ask for much, I know ).

On the N73JN, I like the 17.3" screen, 500GB HD, and being an Nvidia guy, the GT 335M (though I understand that on paper, it is not as good as the ATI HD 5730), and I have read reviews saying the sound is quite good. I'm not overly keen on the looks of the brushed metal cover (although, this might be good for durability?), I'm somewhat concerned about the quality/feel of the keyboard, I'm a bit put off by the one bar/two button mouse (touchpad), and not impressed with only one USB port.

On the N61JQ, I like the Core i7, though I don't know if this is something I really need/want, and it looks like a better keyboard. I like the cover better, though I've read (probably at notebookreview.com) that it is a bit flimsy. I've also read that the sound is not so great (even by laptop standards). Also, it has ATI graphics rather than Nvidia (I know, I know, it's "better" than the 335M), only 320GB hard drive, and 1366x768 screen.

The G51JX-X3 looks almost perfect, although it is somewhat galling that amazon.com sells it for $1,000 vs. $1,180 at the Canadian site. One concern I have, though, is that I have read that it has some overheating/shut down issues ... is this serious?

 

The ASUS N73JN-X1 has three USB ports, two of which are on the back beside the Ethernet port. The one on the side you see pictured is a USB 3.0 port.

Speaking of the N73JN-X1, I can play Grand Theft Auto 4 on it for about 30 minutes before quality/gameplay is lost to overheating issues... Thing is the laptop recommends I play on nearly all high settings... I play on nearly all low settings and run into heat issues 30 minutes in.

I know Starcraft II is pretty graphic intensive, so ASUS might not be your brand due to heat dispersion.

Im not sure why the bar mousepad puts you off, there is a feature to automatically disable it once you plug in a USB mouse. However if you insist on using the touchpad it functions fine.

The keyboard quality isn't really a problem, all keyboards have a learning curve.

TIP: There is never a time where you will be looking at the brushed metal cover for extended periods. Its a bell/whistle.

If you have any other questions about the N73JN-X1 feel free to ask.

 

Since my OP, I have ordered an N73 from newegg.

Yeah, it was silly of me to believe there would be only one USB port ... I took all the talk of "one USB 3.0 port" to mean just that one, and that there weren't any 2.0 ports.

I've only used a laptop a few times, and so each time, I find the keyboards awkward to use. I was just concerned about getting an exceptionally bad keyboard, when there might be "better" ones out there. I made my peace with the keyboard - I saw the same keyboard on another model in Best Buy, and, while I think it was in some ways worse than other keyboards in the store, I'm sure I can live with it.

The mousepad button thing - yeah, that's inconsequential, especially as I do plan on mostly using an optical mouse. And I have since come around the the brushed metal look - it might be alright.

Of course, now you throw the overheating thing at me, which somewhat concerns me ... but I'm kind of beyond the point of no return now! I must say, I'm a bit surprised - everything I've read so far suggests that heat is not an issue with this model. I guess if it gets too hot, I'll try a cooling pad and hope for the best.

 

... have you seen this thread? It seems GTA 4 is poorly optimized for PC, and it could be that your draw distance is set too high. I hope this helps!