Asus N73 now at Newegg - $999

Newegg.com - ASUS N73JN-X1 NoteBook Intel Core i5 450M(2.40GHz) 17.3" 4GB Memory DDR3 1066 500GB HDD 7200rpm DVD Super Multi NVIDIA GeForce GT 335M

UPDATE WITH REVIEW - mods, can we move this to the review section?

OK, I just got this yesterday and here are my initial thoughts:

Build quality - Phenomenal. Sleek and beautiful. The brushed metal really looks fantastic. Feels light for a 17 inch.

First boot - the laptop wouldn't boot up. I had to switch the boot order in the BIOS. Kind of crazy that I had to do that, but it worked fine from there on out.

Screen - Some will gripe about the lack of full HD. Personally, I find the 1600x900 to be more than enough pixel real estate. The screen is bright and beautiful. Horizontal viewing angles are good while vertical angles are just OK. The screen flickers black for a second at the windows login, I'm assuming this is Optimus kicking in. It flickers a little on battery at low brightness, but from what I understand this may be part of the "breaking in" process.

Touchpad - I love the feel of the brushed metal. I disabled most of the gestures except 2 and 3 finger strolling and put palm check to minimum, which I found was necessary for light taps to register. The unified left/right click button makes a nice sound as has just the right amount of give. The drivers are non-Synaptics, but they do the job. No single finger scrolling that I can see, but 2 finger scroll works well in it's place. I just returned an Envy because the touchpad drove me nuts (and build quality/noise was awful), this touchpad is much better.

Keyboard - The weakest element, for me. Non-chiclet. No backlight. Moderate flex all over. The keys are too flat and tend to press together. The arrow keys and numpad keys are too small. I don't usually like chiclet keys, but I think they may have worked better here. I'm sure I'll get used to it though. Still, I find myself wondering if the keyboard will be replaceable on this model.

Speakers - The best I've heard on a laptop. Better than the Studio XPS 16, which was my previous yardstick for audio quality. They're still laptop speakers, so don't expect too much bass, but they have plenty of volume and clarity.

Performance - Seems very capable so far. Burned recovery DVDs (5 DVDs!) while importing my mp3s from an external HD and web browsing and it didn't so much as stutter. Will try some SC2 later.

Battery life - Looks to be around 2+ hours, but it's too early to say. Need to run the battery through a few cycles. I also think it might benefit from a fresh Windows installation, without all the Asus bloatware.

Temps/Noise - The coolest, quietest laptop I've ever used. Seriously. Haven't done much graphics intensive stuff yet though.

HD/Ram access - I can't figure out how to get this thing open. Called Asus twice and the reps were of no help. There seems to be one large access panel on the bottom but I can't open it - I forced it pretty hard (at the advice of Asus) and half the tab broke off. I also removed the rubber stoppers from the panel and reglued them in the hopes of finding screws, but no dice. If anyone has suggestions on how to get the laptop open, I would greatly appreciate some help. Check Newegg for accurate pictures of the bottom.

Missing Newegg specs - USB 3.0 and Optimus are missing from the Newegg specs. It has both. Also, has bluetooth, I don't remember if Newegg lists that.

OVERALL - I'm very happy with this laptop at this price. I love the screen, touchpad, speakers, build quality, and performance so far. I don't love the keyboard, low battery life, and tricky access panels. I'm hoping I may be able to replace the keyboard with a chiclet version down the line, or at least reduce the flex with some double sided thermal tape. I've got a support ticket in to ASUS to help with the access panel. As far as battery life goes... we'll see how it holds up without the bloatware. I was expecting more with Optimus.

Intended modifications - if I ever get this thing open, I'm hoping for a second hard drive bay to add a SSD boot drive. If a 9-cell battery shows up for this model, I'll buy it. If a chiclet keyboard shows up, I'll give that a shot too. I may also add another 4gb of RAM down the road.

UPDATE 1 - Did a fresh Windows 7 installation, and the computer feels significantly lighter on its feet. Played about 6 hours of SC2 yesterday - I was playing on low settings and it was 100% smooth in 2v2. No heat or noise from the laptop that I noticed. I'll try cranking up the settings to medium/high next time.

UPDATE 2 - Couldn't get SC2 to run above low settings at first. Then realized I was running it on the Intel card! Upgraded Nvidia drivers from the Asus website and got SC2 running on the 335m. I can now max all settings with no noticeable slowdown. I still can't believe the game would run on the Intel card! Those integrated graphics have come a long way...

 

It is interesting to note that the pictures show a non island style keyboard. On the net some N73s have been demoed with an island style keyboard.

The N73 has one USB 3.0 port so the specs are incomplete. I wonder when the N53 will pop up.

 

I just ordered one express local delivery. Should have it later today - I'll post some thoughts. Zooming in on the website photos shows optimus and USB 3, so this sounds like a good deal to me.

 

This model (X1) is a 17.3" laptop WITHOUT Full HD, deal breaker
Rather I'm waiting for N53JN to come

 

I was checking out some screens at Fry's yesterday and I find the full HD too small for desktop work. Also, the graphics card will last longer at this resolution.

Plus, it keeps the price under a grand - for me, it's worth it.

But yeah, if you need full HD it looks like the 53 is the way to go. Hopefully Asus will follow through and actually deliver it on the U.S. models.

UPDATE - Newegg cancelled my order. So... looks like I won't be getting this today. Debating whether to reorder on Monday.

 

I reordered again for same day local delivery. Thoughts forthcoming...

 

FHD FTW, honestly...

 

Just got it. A+ for looks - this thing is SLEEK. It's also very light for a 17 inch.

Stickers on the body confirm Optimus and USB 3.0.

Haven't charged it up yet (I'm at work) but I will do so in a couple of hours.

Touchpad feels very nice (unplugged). The keyboard is moderately flexy all over and not the island style keyboard seen in some models. I don't mind the lack of chiclet keys, but the flex is a little annoying - I may have to work on a fix for that.

 

Great to look at, but the 335M is just 'meh'.

 

w8ing 4 ur review..

 

I've updated the first post with a review. I'll keep adding to that post as I get more familiar with the laptop.

 

+ rep added

yeah, if you could add some benchmarks that would be great. I am curious how the 335m does in a non-ULV notebook.

 

thx, for the review.

i also returned my envy14 due to crap workmanship.

this n73 review make me more interested in the n53

 

#laptopper333: Have you some similar troubles? http://forum.notebookreview.com/asus/380681-asus-utility-bloatware-guide-12.html#post6526640

 

Nope, mine work perfectly. Have you tried reinstalling the keyboard drivers from the Asus CD?

 

Yes, without success. The ATK Package is the driver/utility responsible for enabling the Fn keys and separate media buttons. All the Fn keys do work, media too - except Mute and Volume Down. Maybe some broken piece.

 

Sorry to hear that - can you exchange the laptop? Sounds like a hardware problem.

I'm running into some problems updating the Nvidia graphics. I'm not getting very good SC2 performance above the low settings, which seems strange to me. I'd think this config should play at high settings smoothly, but it doesn't. When I look at the Nvidia settings, it doesn't seem to find any programs on my computer, which is weird. I'm suspicious that the Intel card is being used for SC, but when I try to update drivers from Nvidia's site, I get Nvidia errors like "no compatible hardware found".

Has anyone successfully updated the 335m drivers on this laptop?

 

I can and I'll do. I've installed the http://us.download.nvidia.com/Windows/258.96/258.96_notebook_winvista_win7_64bit_international_whql.exe without any problems. If you're not sure which graphic is used for that game, try to choose some special settings in Nvidia Control Panel (like no AA etc.) or Intel Control Panel and check the application, if it's being used.

 

Since this version was released on Newegg when should we expect the other variants like the N73Jn? Are they gated by the Nvidia GT 425M that is used?

 

I updated the graphics card with the drivers from the Asus site and it works now. Turns out I was running SC2 with just the Intel card! It was very smooth at low settings, but now I'm maxing everything with no problems.

 

Hey laptopper333 I was looking to get this lappy everything seems just about right except that battery life.. how much is it for just surfing the internet w/ Optimus working? 2 hours seems like a letdown. Does the larger screen size drain that much?

 

My best guess is maybe 2 1/2 hours. I haven't had time to test it thoroughly yet. Can anyone recommend a good battery testing program?

 

With that graphics card, whats the point? Its not really a g73 anymore. You're far better off paying an extra couple of hundred and getting the bestbuy version.

 

So, laptopper333, can you tell anything more detailed about battery life? Also, what about heat and fan noise?

 

After a few battery cycles, I think battery life is around 3 hours on power saver with light usage. I haven't really tested it exactly - is there a good program to do this? It's definitely well over 2 hours though, which was my initial estimate.

Fan noise hasn't been noticeable at all. Same with heat. It runs very cool and quiet.

 

$300 more for the G73 - not exactly pocket change.

Plus, Optimus most likely gives more portability on this laptop, although I haven't done a full battery test yet. Also, it's a much nicer looking system. The G73 looks like a toy to me.

Also, USB 3.0. Dual hard drive bays, which I confirmed after finally getting it open the other day (not sure if the G73 has this too).

The graphics card runs SC2 at maxed settings, which is all I need. I mostly play Blizzard games, and even then only occasionally. As long as it also runs d3 at medium settings when it comes out, I'll be more than satisfied.

For more hardcore gamers, the G73 is probably the way to go. But if you're just buying a system to game on, why not go with a console and save a bunch of money?

 

Could you tell me what exactly you have done?

 

Hi,

I recently purchased this laptop. I wonder, how do you know for sure which graphic card is being used? I just installed ffxiv beta and it runs SOOO sluggish. I think i was getting like 5fps. Is there a way to permanently disable the onboard graphic card? ALso, does it have anything to do with the face that i have an LCD plugged in to the laptop and i'm using that as my main display?

Any help would be useful, thanks.

 

theres a light indicator by the power button.
i read a review that said that its the gpu light indicator.
blue is for intergrated graphics and white is for dedicated.

 

$1000 seems a bit overpriced...especially considering the G72 goes for the same or lower price...

 

ah, i never knew about that. thanks!