G1S: The Best $2300 I've Ever Spent. Hands Down.

a few months ago i began to do some research on laptops because i knew i would be moving out of my parents' place and going to college in the fall. because so many of my peers and colleagues have suggested to me the importance of having a notebook as an integral part of a college student's life, i made damn sure i would have enough money to buy a laptop that would last me for several years. i also wanted to do a fair bit of gaming because i had been deprived and missed out on a lot of classics i.e. half-life 2 due to my sub-par dell desktop.

anyway, i initially thought dell and hp were the only two choices i had; sure there are others, but why bother? dell and hp are both great companies! yea right. i have had horrible problems with my dell throughout the years and don't even get me started on their piss poor customer service. nonetheless, i was pretty stoked about throwing down two grand on a nice, 17" entertainment notebook that i could do some light gaming on. so, i was debating between a dell inspiron and some santa rosa hp, and i came upon these forums to look for opinions. that's when i began to see what a great, helpful community this is. some random guy messaged me and let me know what was up. then i started to browse threads and found a whole new world of motherboards, graphics cards, leakage, heat, etc. then i found out about compal, asus, sager, and a whole slew of lesser-known, but quality brands. after doing some more extended research, i came upon the asus g1s...and its reputation needs no explanation. it's the gaudy, powerful, 15", affordable gaming computer from a company that actually makes its own parts.

let me just say the last few years of saving up money from three different jobs have DEFINITELY been worth it. it's been a few months since i have purchased the g1s and rarely frequent these boards as much as i used to. nontheless, i had to stop by and let everyone know: if you have $2300, need a laptop that CAN game, get the g1s.

its battery is great, it doesn't run too hot (i use a cooler), the screen is beautiful, its durable as hell, it looks slick (it's not gaudy at all as no one really even recognizes it and thinks it's some random off-brand), has minimal bloatware, and IT CAN GAME. i play a lot of source games, bf2, and i have played oblivion and fear on this beast and they all ran great. i have my 360 for my primary gaming, but this thing is great to play some cs with my friends back from my hometown every once in a while. i take it with me everyday to campus, type notes on it in class (which helped me ace my psych and mythology class tests), use it in the library, and come home and do surfing, gaming, and my online homework at night. i rarely have bought things that i can honestly say have more than met my expectations and this is definitely one of them; the other would be my guitar.

oh yea, the mouse and BOOKBAG this thing came with are incredible. the mouse runs so smooth and i use the targus bag as my primary backpack, lugging around my notebook, books, and folders to campus everyday. plus, i don't think anyone of the 50,000 kids at my university even have this bag, mouse, or laptop. now THAT'S awesome lol. but yea, if anyone has had doubts about this beast, please don't screw yourself over and not take the plunge. this thing is amazing and the haters probably nitpick way too much i.e. keyboard flex and light leakage.

 

omfg .. i'm going for the g1s-b1 !
with your comment .. i decided to buy it !!

thx

 

I Love My G1S too but i spend ~2000 with 3GB Ram,why 2300$?

 

he's probably in Australia

EDIT: hum no, he's in florida.

Man, you got ripped off...

For $2300, you put another $300 and get a Clevo D900C with 8700M GT SLI

 

True, but that's a 17 incher..... I like my laptops to be laptops not desktop replacements haha...

I'm still in love with my G1s as well every since I got it back in June. Great machine, although my biggest complaint is the screen isn't the best! I've had to RMA the screen 2 times... But, Asus had great support and I had to pay next to nothing to fix it. Thumbs Up!

Btw, 2 hours battery life is good to you lol?

 

but how did you pay 2300 already? There's a MSRP on that -_-

 

I would like to ask what cooler you got?

 

2300$ is high maybe he has added in some extra stuff and counts that with the cost, also he must have added taxes.

Still I think I have seen the G1S for 1800$

I think the C90 is the way to go 1300$ and it beats the G1S in performance but it wont be as good in clase with the low battery life, the G1S defintitly does better for battery life.

 

I brought my G1S for 2000$ Cdn. It runs like I want it... as long as you can single out all the bloat ware.. but after a week and some frustration, I am enjoying it now

 

I got mine w/ 160gbexternal hardrive and 4gb ram upgrade(G1s B1) for 2100 at xoticpc.com

I can't wait till it arrives!!!

 

Yeah, the G1S is a very nice laptop. Still wouldn't trade my W3J for it though

 

Ya its a great laptop, really good for gaming, i also missed out on some good games because of my crappy desktop, but now i do all the gaming i want lol

i got mine from excalliberpc with a notebook cooler for 1699$, ill probably get more ram and it still wont hit 2000 lol

 

Doesn't matter what you paid. If you think you got a good deal, then you got a good deal. Game on.

 

Anyways, congrats man.

 

I like mine too. One thing though, if you're going to use a lid protector, get one early, the thing kind of scratches easily (especially microscratches, seriously, I had never ever put anything hard against the lid and just taken it around in a notebook bag and it's got these blotches on it that are visible from some angles).

 

what coolers do u guys use 4 the G1s? (If any)

 

yeah, congrats on the G1s...almost bought one myself, but I'm not a student and battery life didn't mean anything to me. for 2300 samolians, he must be including some add on stuff in that price.

 

hey guys, sorry it has taken me so long to respond; i've been terribly busy with a slew of tests and homework lately so it's been difficult to get on. anyway, in response to the reason my notebook cost so much, i bought it in late july/early august from xoticpc.com. the price is a bit lower now that the b1 is out (i have the a1) and i had a hdd upgrade (WHICH I WHOLLY RECOMMEND). as for what cooler i use, check out this link from circuitcity.com.

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Ante...89840/catOid/-15021/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

it's a really nice, dual-fan notebook cooler that the laptop rests on and it does the job well. i use the same one for keeping my 360 run cool and i haven't had any lockups thus far. it's really slim and fits in the targus bag the g1s comes with and runs off one of the usb ports in the back. as a cool bonus, the usb input of the cooler has an output on it so it technically doesn't take up one of the four ports because you just put another usb input into it.

anyway, i RECALL it being $2300 but it may have been closer to $2200 or even lower; i tend to exaggerate things. either way, i would've paid up to $2500 for it because this thing has really made my life easier as a result. it might not be economical for someone who isn't on the go at all times, but if you are, i highly suggest it. for instance, i'm at the science library on campus talking on aim, checking my facebook, e-mailing me TA, working on my online math homework, AND replying to all your guys' comments just because this laptop kicks so much ass. hell, i might decide to take a break in an hour or so and play some cs. as for the battery life, i rarely need to use all 2.5 hours of it (i set it to battery saving mode in class) because when i use it for extended periods of time on campus, i remember to bring my charger and plug it in.

there are no cons to this notebook i can think of. i was initially worried it would look too gaudy and maybe someone would think about lifting it, but from those who i have talked to about it, they think it's some cute, off-brand of dell or hp, not a notebook worth upwards of 2 grand.

i could go on and on, but i have a load of math homework ahead of me that's due tonight at 11:59 PM. if anyone has any specific questions about this thing, please don't hesitate to ask because i'll gladly give you my honest opinion. for example, i realize there is light leakage, but i honestly don't care about that sort of thing. i also realize there's keyboard flex and sometimes the keys get caught on your finger, but i also realize that's such a minor qualm in the grander scheme of things.

thanks for the responses!

 

If you're referring to UCF, I've seen quite a few G1's around campus.

 

nah, i'm referring to the UF campus. i'm definitely sure that many others have the G1s on campus, but with such an intense amount of students, i doubtfully will come across anyone anytime soon. i probably will happen to run into someone with it and possibly spark up a conversation, but i solely see the usual lenovos, dells, and hps often while in class, at the library, or browsing campus. are you a first-year at UCF?

 

@ Undoing ruin: Did ur G1s have the same CPU problems as others?

 

Nice description of your asus. I have a question: how do you consider is the build quality? I went to Best Buy to check it out, and I'm not sure if it was because the one they had showing was all used up and worn out, but to me it felt like it was built from cheap materials. Again, because at BB they had them all sort of locked, you can't even hold them up and check them well. I'd like to know your opinion on this.

I'm really thinking of getting this laptop, but before i pay those 1900 bucks I want to be very sure it's the right one.

 

whats a good lid protector?

 

Second. Hate it.

 

The quality of the materials is mostly top notch! You can pick it up from a corner and it'll feel tight and not flexy and loose. However, the optical drive part is kinda flimsy, and feels like it could break. Otherwise, just make sure to take good care of it, and it'll be fine.

 

in reference to the build quality, i can safely say this thing is very durable. now, first off, let me just tell you that i take VERY good care of my notebook and make damn well sure it's in the same condition as when i first got it. following every few days of regular usage i wipe down the palmrests and lid with a microfiber cloth and a very small amount of rubbing alcohol and water (2 parts water, 1 part isopropyl) and every few weeks i clean the screen with the same mixture but an even smaller amount of it. anyway, this thing attracts fingerprints and dust really easily, so keep that in mind and i suggest picking up a few microfiber cloths to get rid of them; i use the same for my guitar and ipod and it works great.

as for the actual durability of the g1s, it's outstanding. this thing is really build like a rock and, although it may look "plasticy" for lack of better words (what with the leds and the "gamer eye"), it feels so rock solid. for instance, the keys are smooth as hell, the touchpad has a honeycomb texture that makes it easier to use, and the things is hefty and overall rugged. compared to my girlfriend's dell, my good friend's compaq, and a slew of other notebooks i've been on over the last few months, this thing delivers in spades. if you take good care of it, i'm sure it will last you for several years at the bare minimum. Just remember that it is easy to splotch up with fingerprints; just wash your hands before you use it and, if you don't, simply wipe it down afterwards. a few seconds will go a long way to making this thing last a lot longer and remain in great condition.

as for scratches and the like, i have NEVER carried around this thing if it's not in the VERY durable and rugged targus bag it comes with. it's either resting on my desk at home, in the bag, or sitting on a desktop in class or at the library and never anywhere else. just take good care of it and i'm sure it will last you a very long time.

as for cpu problems, i have never had any problems nonemus.

 

Hi Undoing,

I bought my laptop the same time you did. And yes, if you got any add-ons, the price was over 2000. In fact, I paid 2400 for my G1s. I got the 160GB 7200-RPM harddrive, 3GB RAM, and the best warranty available.

I love the G1s...and the backpack is the coolest on campus IMO

There are a couple small things that nag me though.

For one, it takes up to 20 seconds sometimes for my control panel icons to all pop up. Everything else like gaming, is really fast. So there has to be some fix.

It does scratch very easy. I baby mine....yet I still have scratches.

Build quality is great.

The battery is not the best....mine gets 1 hour 55 minutes max. But this is a gaming laptop. I just find seats in my classrooms with plugs. 2 of my Biology classes are 3 hours long....no way the battery will go that long.

But the G1s is amazing. I can't find anything about the G1s that makes me say.......I wish I had not bought this!

 

hmm, that's odd that it takes that long for your control panel icons to all pop up. i have no idea what that could be a result of because i have the same exact computer as you except it has 2 GB of RAM. i agree, there has to be some fix and hopefully you'll find that out soon because i can see that getting annoying after some time.

with my computer set to battery saving mode, i can usually squeeze around 2 hours as well but i luckily don't have as long of classes as you do, so it's not that big of a deal to me. i'm sure i'll ultimately have more intense science classes down the road (i'm a pre-professional health science major) and i'll have to start bringing my charger to class as well.

as for scratches, maybe i've just been lucky or something with it because there are only hairline scratches that you have to shine a light onto directly in order to see; and only then, at certain angles.

but i wholly agree, this was worth every penny. everything from the mouse to the bag to the notebook itself (obviously) screams durability and "badass." i really like my setup: logitech z4 speakers, logitech g15 keyboard, the asus version of the logitech mx518, my fragmat, and the antec notebook cooler really come together and make me appreciate all those hours working over the last few years and how it's finally paid off lol.

 

There has been a CPU identified and confirmed by a Notebookreview.com member. Basically it only applies when your using it and the battery falls below 90%. The CPU will downclock GREATLY from a 2.2 to like a 1.6 or something. However, there was an unofficial fix released by the same guy...I forgot his board name, but the fix should be in the G1s Resource Thread. It should fix the problem.

 

I got a Notepal By Cooler Master, it seems to work really good, its got dual fan and its made for widescreens

Also what would be a good lid protector, ive got this one long scratch on it, barely visible, ive got no clue how it got there

 

I do exactly the same thing. Well my 2 friends and I atleast