ASUS recommendations? their website is confusing

I have heard good things about ASUS and wanted to search for a laptop that would meet my needs. However, their website is very confusing. Can I get some pointers here about what general model might meet my needs? Then I could search some more on their website.

I have tried the forum where you can ask "What notebook should I buy?" but have never gotten an answer there, and right now I'm looking specifically at ASUS.

I am looking for the following:

- 15.6" screen, 1920x1080 resolution <-- this is important

- wide angle display (I think the type I want is IPS but I'm not sure what that means)

- at least 2 USB 3.0 ports and at least one more USB port

- HDMI port

- not bulky, not heavy -- but it doesn't have to be the thinnest or lightest

- prefer no optical drive to save on weight and make it thinner

- Intel i7 4-core CPU, 16 GB RAM <-- doesn't have to be the fastest thing out there, but should be above average. I have some compute-intensive applications.

 

...Er sorry to burst your bubble but Asus support and quality tends to be horrible. @Phoenix can you do the thing?

 

if you want a laptop that works, avoid anything from ASUS.


click on the spoiler:

Spoiler

1) Returned my ASUS G751JY



2) ASUS = 0 quality, it's a matter of luck if you get a 100% working ASUS laptop, or any piece of hardware made by ASUS.



3) All the latest and previous last 3 Gen ASUS ROG laptops have USB port issues, it's all over their ROG forums



4) And old post I made 1 year back.......



All ASUS laptops has a problem with the left USB 3.0 Ports. You plug in a USB 3.0 HDD to the left top or left bottom ports and it will randomly keep disconnecting. That is for all G750 series, JX,JW,JH,JZ,JavaScript, you name it. don't believe me, just hang around on the ROG forums and see the jokes of problems they have. pathetic for the amount of money you pay. problems with screens,m auto dimming problem, contrast problem.


I wouldn't use an ASUS laptop anymore even if they gave it to me for free! cheap Taiwanese crap!


Did I forget to mention...


their implementation of Optimus is messed up...it is very tricky to force games to use your nVIDIA GPU unless you do a lot of settings and even then users on their forums complain that the freakin' games are using the Intel HD Graphics! LOL! horrible!


you want Testimony ? Please take the time to read this:


why ASUS? because people who buy ASUS cannot afford Clevo, no other reason on earth...that's a fact...I was one of them...


First laptop, 2 years ago..


G73Sw:


bought it and ran home like a little child wanting to see my lights in the chiclet keyboards....ooops...no lights...tried all driver updates..BIOS update...nope..


Called ASUS, they told me to bring it to the service center it's an easy fix!! whaaaat?? I buy a 2000 USD laptop and go to the service center next day? oh well..I did and they activated it with their BIOS tweak utility that they don't give to customers! great quality control Taiwanese Engineers! send out laptops for sale that don't work properly as advertised...


after 1 week...the screen started giving me fuzzy images...closing/opening the screen lid fixed the problem....wow!! what did I buy? a 1990 Toyota Corolla or a brand new gaming laptop??


They said they need to replace my screen! wow!! the laptop can't last a week without being repaired! i fought for a refund and got it after a long hassle...


next laptop...


ASUS G75VW,


ASUS decided to remove their awesome creative sound blaster audio chipset and put some cheap VIA audio chipset which made the subwoofer act like a center speaker rather than a subwoofer..


also..I only had the option to get the matte screen...oh well...people say matte is good...right? NOPE! not on ASUS! the ASUS matte screens look as if someone spilled grease all over them. very grainy image especially if you look at a white screen such as these forums or Google..if you look close..you can see the pixels of colorful rainbows! again shocked in awe for this cheap crap!


So I called ASUS complaining about the quality of the screen, they offered to change it to the 3D screen not coz I want 3D, but only because that is the only screen they have that is Glossy..


took the laptop...2 days..I get a call...sorry sir, we changed your screen, but fried your motherboard....we have no spare motherboards...so if you pay $500 USD we can give you a G750JX instead or you can wait till god knows when till we get a motherboard from Taiwan...


so I got the G750JX...


very bad driver support....ASUS released the win 8.1 drivers after 6 months of win 8.1 was released...anyone who upgraded while having the old drivers either got a non booting laptop after the upgrade due to outdated bluetooth/wifi drivers or had horrible problems....


next comes the 2D performance of their GTX770M....there is something not right about it! 3D was fine and performed as it should...but 2D was glitchy and choppy...imagine even a simple game of solitaire..the motion of the cards wasn't fluid...I used to get jealouse when I see my friends' Intel HD Graphics perform so smoothly in the Windows environment while my brand new gaming laptop cries in 2D...opening tabs in firefox...wow..another plethora of jerkiness / slow motion


next...they put cheap Atheros WLAN chipsets which cannot connect above 72 MBPS!! wow! had to pay 50 USD and get a Bigfoot Wireless N-Killer from the US and pay customs just to have a laptop perform like a normal computer


next.... USB 3.0 problems..


basically, I had to connect my USB drives to the right ports and the left ones were kept for my mouse and printer? why? because ASUS cannot produce a piece of hardware that functions right! they claim all ports are USB 3.0 and they are all in blue color...BIG LIE! it wasn't only me, I posted this on the ROG forums and every single one of the members verified the same!


I can't find my thread that I started, but here are 2 examples I quickly grabbed:


Asus G750 USB 3.0 Ports not working with some things


and


Is it normal that the top left USB port is very slow?


ASUS? HELLL NO!!


Worst case scenario, save some money and wait, then get a real gaming laptop from Alienware and be happy for life! rather than bite your fingers after you buy your ASUS


A quick Google search on the G750JX presents exactly what I experienced! I've probably formatted that laptop over 200 times twice daily just trying to make it work but every time some quirk happens...


USB 3.0 sooooo Slow on ASUS g750 jx [Solved] - Asus - Laptop Tech Support


USB problems G750 JX


Just got a G750JX, and with it, a whole suite of problems..


Asus ROG: G750JX-RB71 Screen Ghosting..


http://forum.notebookreview.com/asus-gaming-notebook-forum/727019-big-green-float-g750jx-screen.html


G750JX Cheap display, horizontal lines - www.hardwarezone.com.sg


Brand New Asus G750JX-RB71 has been crashing repeatedly


G750JX - 1day old - Black Screen and not Booting

 

Thanks for the info. So do you recommend Alienware for gaming laptops?

 

If you asked me this 2 years ago then my answer would be yes but now, they are over priced and only have BGA components, meaning they are soldered. Meaning, limited upgrades and if one component goes bad, your entire motherboard with all components needs replacement.

Right now, the best are the Clevo laptops,

Pick from these, they are Clevo laptops branded as EVOC (evolution overclock) and come with the unlocked Prema BIOS and Prema VBIOS for free:

EVOC High Performance Taptops

also take a look at this thread:

HIDevolution - The Best Company I ever dealt with

 

The Asus GL502VT/VY 15.6" would fit your needs.

Asus also has a GL702 17" model coming that has TB3 and works with the ROG XG Station 2 eGPU.

The current GL502's don't have TB3 and won't work with the XG2, but have discrete GPU 970m (VT) and 980m (VY) models.

Check out the threads here in the Asus forum, there are posts with videos showing the models, and reviews, as well as users that have purchased the GL502's with their feedback.

Asus ROG Strix GL502VT
http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/asus-rog-strix-gl502vt.790987/

Asus G502vt = 15.6 inches +970M slim
http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/asus-g502vt-15-6-inches-970m-slim.790694/

 

I would agree with the recommendation of the GL502VT model. I was thinking that when reading through your requirements, and hmscott was on the same page.