Deciding on a new laptop, Asus G51VX?

Hello,

I just recently found this forum after starting to look for a new laptop for college. Just to put things into perspective, I have been using the same laptop for around 4 years (all through high school) and am hoping that my next laptop lasts nearly as long, if not longer. I'm no stranger to modding my laptop in order to extend its life and as such I have no problems swapping out parts or using a custom/hacked BIOS. I've been looking at different threads in this forum for a few days reading about the G51 (and G71) and I wanted to clear a few things up.

First off I wanted to get some facts straight about the G51. From what I've read I understand that the G51 has an underclocked (from stock) 260m GTX, which i understand can be pretty easily overclocked to stock or above. What i want to know is can the G51 run at stock clocks or above without overheating if I don't have any external cooling (like a notebook cooler, etc)? Heat, as long as the computer does not overheat is not a problem for me as I'm used to it (My current laptop is a dell 9300 modded to use a 7800m GTX, which runs at well over 90C on full load).

The second question I have is about weight. I love my current 17" dell 9300, but the damn thing gets heavy if you're carrying it around everywhere, so i was looking for something lighter, that is still a potent gaming machine. So since i'm going to be carrying it around at college, I was wondering what the weight of both the G51 and G71 were, and if there was a tangible difference noticed when carrying the two of them around. As a side note I've read that the 9-cell battery of the G50 should work in the G51, and as such was wondering how much battery life one would get over the regular 6-cell in the G51? Also how much does the 9-cell add to the weight of the laptop?

Finally I was wondering about the general value of the G51VX-RX05, the G51VX-A1, and the G71VX. Is the A1 worth the extra ~$600 over the RX05 model, knowing that I would most likely switch out the Quad with a higher-end C2D in either case? I would prefer the higher resolution screen of the A1 but if I could, either once i purchased it or at a later date, switch the lower resolution screen of the RX05 with the 1900x1080 screen of the A1. I also prefer the 16:9 ratio to that of the G71. I also MUCH prefer the white backing of the RX05 to the A1's lighting backing (though personally I believe that both of the laptops are too flashy), and as such was wondering if it would be possible to switch the backings. Obviously it would only be worth switching the backings if the entire screen did not have to be changed, just the back part, though that seems unlikely. As I'm sure you can already tell I am leaning towards the G51VX-R05 but have not ruled out the other two laptops. My main question about the G71 (other than the weight concerns) is, since it is a larger laptop, is there a higher ceiling for overclocking the GPU (again without the aide of an external cooler)?

It seems that I have turned a forum post into an essay and I apologize to those whom had the unfortunate pleasure of reading the entire thing. Hopefully this will answer all the questions that I, and perhaps other people, have about the Asus G51 and G71 series laptops.

Thank you in Advance,
Deusx

Edit: One more quick question on the warranty on all Asus laptops. I understand that it is two years with one year accidental coverage, but if you get an Asus laptop from Best Buy the warranty is different (no accidental coverage, etc.). I was wondering if someone could elaborate as to the specifics of that? Also I understand that upgrading the CPU voids the warranty, but is there any way for them to tell if the old CPU was switched back before sending the laptop in for repair? I know that, in Dell's case at least, I have needed to send my old laptop back for repair and I have never faced a problem with their repair department as long as i put back the original parts before sending it for repair.

 

....wow that was a long one ...ok 1st off since you will switch the CPU anyway , go for the R05 , 2nd off since you like big screen , just get the R05 and buy a replacement WUXGA 15.6" on ebay ( shall be around 300) ...... and go work out lol ....17" is not that heavy ( I know it ....I have 3 17" already , and using 18.4 right now ...that is a to carry around lol) . And do not overclock the 260m ....since owners already report 83 C @ stock with the R05. OC the CPU shalln't be too hard with setfsb as long as you know how to do it. As of the modding with other GPUs .... have no idea since I don't have one on hand , so don't know if they use a solder on card or a MXM. The battery question ..someone else answer him please .... I have no idea how that gonna work.

 

Thanks for your quick reply saincteye. Yeah, sorry about the overly long post. The weight thing is a prefrence mostly, as I don't really have that much of a problem with my current laptop (~9 pounds), I just don't want to be carrying that along with books, etc. to classes. As for the 83C at stock is that at 500 or 550 at full load? From what I've read this laptop should be able to go above 90C without overheating which like i said doesn't bother me (my old laptop goes above 90C on load), I just wanted to know if it was going to overheat and shutdown if i OC'd it to 550 or mabye slightly above.
As for switching the GPU I wasn't really expecting to be able to do that. The only reason I was able to do that in my 9300 was that it shared almost the exact same internals as the XPS Gen 2.

 

warranty par ...... if you buy from some of the resellers ( bestbuy etc ...I think they have the list on the acd website) you will not get the 1yr accidental warranty and it''s only 1 yr limited warranty. (maybe that is why bestbuy selling those cheap ...and they can sell add-on warranties lol) The GPU overclock , I really won't push it , but I think you can override the overheat protection thing in bios. And also there is a yellow sticker on the CPU heatsink that said " warranty void if removed or damage " something like that .

 

Ahh I see so there is a warranty void sticker on the CPU heatsink (most likely covering a screw or something, correct?), that is a shame. Thanks for all the answers so far, please keep them coming!

 

Would like to point out that the graphics card in the G51VX is a 260m GTX, not a 260m GTS (not as powerful)...

 

Ahh thanks for pointing that out, i went ahead and fixed that in my original post. I must have typed it wrong initially.

 

Indeed. Standard clocks are supposed to be 550/1375/950. The Asus clocks are 500/1250/799.

Also very true. Just look at the optimization link in my signature.

Depends on several things, namely what you mean by "overheat". If you mean "hella hot", yes, it will run a bit warmer under standard clocks. If you mean "so hella hot it downclocks", then no. Never happened to me, and I've hit 98C overclocking the GPU and CPU to hell. (Which I only do for 3DMark bragging rights.)

It also depends on what you're doing. Everyday tasks? No problem. Relatively minor games? Also shouldn't be a problem. With two hours of Dark Sector (On top of a plastic Targus cooler, with a CPU overclock/undervolt combo and a 2.5% overclock over standard GTX 260m clocks) the GPU hit about 88C. Note that I have a hotter X9100 processor inside, which is almost twice the TPD of the standard P7350 processor.

As for Crysis... Using the exact same setup and clocks as Dark Sector, I hit about 92C after ninety minutes.

Temperature might seem alarming, but they're no problem.

I might be alone in this, but I like lower resolution screens. You get native resolution (read: sharp images) without the tiny icons and lower FPS in games.

I've upgraded my RX05. All told, with the laptop, the X9100 processor, second 320GB @ 7200rpm HDD, bluetooth dongle (funny word), I'm looking at about $1550, before tax and shipping. The Best Buy version is very upgradeable.

I would say probably. However, the 260m is powerful enough that you only need minor overclocking to get ultra settings and good FPS in high-end games.

There is a sticker over one of the heatsink screws that says "warranty void if removed or broken".

The only thing I've done is lift it to get access to the screw, and it looks like I never touched it. Don't take my word for it though, since I'm not an Asus tech who can tell if things have been tampered with.

 

Thanks for the informative reply Forge. Sounds like the warranty sticker is not the kind that disintegrates when you lift it up, so it should be relatively easy to do exactly as you said.

As for the GPU temperatures thats basicly what I wanted to know (if it downclocked). Have you tried playing crysis without a notebook cooler at those GPU clocks?

As for the screen resolution i personally prefer a higher resolution while in windows etc. and lower it in games for better performance. I don't really notice a difference in games playing them in non-native resolutions, and AA usually more than makes up for a low non-native resolution with less stress on the GPU. Again though, thats just a personal preference.

I've started looking at the G51VX-X1A from Newegg, as it has a better processor and screen than the BB G51 model, which were the two things I was concerned with before, plus it has the better ASUS warranty. The only real problem with the X1A in my opinion is that it has that awful lighting graphic on the backlid. I'm looking into wether or not I would be able to switch the X1A bezel with the BB bezel (lesser of two evils in my opinion).

 

Possibly. But like I said, I don't know what to look for.

I have not. However, I have run 3DMark tests with the cooler on and off, and there about a three to four degree variance in the GPU.

Uh... spraypaint is your friend?

On a serious note, maybe hold off on buying it. There might be a program that allows you to disable the lights. I know Clutch is trying to get one to work.

 

I'm surprised that there is only a 3 to 4 degree difference with a cooler (even if its only a benchmark), it makes me wonder if a cooler is even worth it?

As to the lights, yes but they are (in my opinion) flashy, though I do like the backlit keyboard. My main problem is with the lighting graphic on the back lid, which i believe is much worse than the while BB lid, which is why i was asking about switching the bezel.

Thanks again for your replies

 

Three to four degrees is the difference between running for an hour at 88C and running for an hour at 92C. Since heat is the leading laptop-hurter, it's definitely a worthwhile investment.

Anyway, I did a Crysis run for about an hour. CPU is at 3.1 GHz and undervolted to 1.250. GPU is at standard clocks (550/1375/950). Settings were native resolution, no AA, super high textures, everything else high. I was playing the map right when Nomad breaks out of the mountain, which means there was all kinds of particles (snow) flying around, as well as a lot of the enemies. Laptop cooler was off.

GPU maxed out at 96C, while CPU hit 66/62

 

While that Temperature for the GPU is quite hot, that is about what my 9300 with 7800m GTX runs at on full load. Though it gets quite hot, it my laptop GPU has not failed in the 3-4 years I've had it, so hopefully the GTX 260m is also designed to run at those temperatures.

Thanks for the info Forge.

I think i've pretty much decided on the X1A and later figure out how to switch the bezel, but I'm going to wait on ordering anything until after I get back from vacation in two weeks.

 

By the way, I forgot to mention that it was with the cooler off.

Since I've done it, I'm a proponent of getting a cheap model--the RX05--and upgrading it. The one-year warranty that you (might?) lose is peanuts, and I have a computer that is superior (barring resolution) or equal to the A1 for cheaper. I bet you could find a screen for cheap, if you know how to replace them.

 

I agree that the A1 is overpriced for what it is but there is now another option. The X1A is only $300 more than the BB model but comes with a better screen, better processor (at 2.53Ghz i don't find it nessary to put a new processor anymore, especially since you can OC the P8700 to 2.9Ghz), Bluetooth (not a big deal), better webcam (again, not a big deal) and the 2 year warranty. in my opinion that will cost less than upgrading the BB model with a better screen and processor, not to mention that there is a chance that the X1A motherboard might support the QX9300 processor, whereas the BB model for sure does not (as your tests have shown). The only problem in my opinion is the lightning graphic on the back lid of the laptop.

Again thanks for all your help Forge

 

God I wish I could get a hold of a 260m!

 

No problem. There is the satisfaction of "Kewl. I MADE this computer, you #$$%^%^ers!"

But with the way things are, the value of my computer--if it were brand new--would be at least 1700, because of the processor.

 

Absolutely.

One thing though, does anyone know the weight(s) of the G51 and G71 just the laptops? I've seen varying numbers for this. Also does anyone know for sure if the 9 cell G50 batteries work in the G51s? also how much do they add to the weight over the regular battery?

 

Thanks,Deux Ex,for asking the same questions I asked in the main G51 thread(re:the batteries and temps),which visibly got lost and forgotten.From what Forge is telling,the small drop in temp can help longevity... Forge,I know that U have a cooler.Which brand is it,and how does it manage the air?Pulling or blowing?Does the temp really get up without a cooler when optimizing with Tev's guide?Because,I see Ur point,but 3-4 degrees seem really hard-pressed to warrant a 50 to 100 bucks expense... Do U feel we could get away with honest temps without any cooler?

 

Well, I'm using a thirty-buck Best Buy Targus plastic cooler, and from what I've read they suck in comparison to other brands

It is the type of cooler that pushes air into the bottom of the laptop. I've lost my receipt, but it was about thirty-five or forty dollars.


As for longevity... if I could spawn an alternate universe where other-Forge used the computer for the exact same time that I use it, but without a cooler, other-Forge's computer will die in... I don't know, four to six months before mine?

I will always suggest you use a cooler when you can. Always. Speaking of whihc Newegg is offering Zalman NC2000 coolers for ten dollars off and free shipping.