G51VX-X1A or G71GX-RX05? trying to decide

Ive been looking for a moderately priced gaming laptop and I'm liking what Asus has to offer. I was pretty set on getting the G51VX-X1A from newegg but when i saw the G71GX-RX05 at best buy I was torn. I kind of want the G51's smaller screen for mobility but the G71 is a nice deal for what you get. I like that the G71 has more ram and a bigger HD but I'm wondering how much difference the 5400 rpm compared to the 7200 would make. Since I've started reading around I've seen some reviews saying that the G71's lights can't be completely turned off so I'm wondering if that is the same on the G51. Is there a way to fix that? Also, so far I've read that the viewing angles are pretty bad on the G71 and was wondering if the G51 was the same.

I'm going to be using this as my main computer and probably will be playing games like fallout 3, Orange Box and various FPS's

This is my first time buying a laptop and I don't know a lot about choosing hardware so any advice or help would be much appreciated!

 

the only difference between 5400 aand 7200 is loading time- and even at that for video games... you don't lose and fraps

the only lights that cannot be turned off are the logo and the bar directly under it. It's not that big of a deal, and there isn't a way to fix it as of yet.

The viewing angles are indeed bad on the RX05. its really tempermental if the screen is tilted to high or too low..

unless you are going to be watching movies with friends, i'd get the RX05. its much more powerful and is possibly the cheapest bang-for-buck laptop on the market with full power

 

Granted, the performance is so similar in the two that it boils down to the non-performance features.

Do you like 15-inch or 17-inch? Would you rather have a chiclet/backlit keyboard? What colors do you like?

 

what is a chiclet keyboard btw

 

Each key is spaced apart a little bit instead of being right next to each other in standard keyboards. Its kinda hard to explain but just go look it up on google images.

 

http://www.netbookchoice.com/2009/04/19/so-what-is-a-‘chiclet’-keyboard-anyway/

 

oh... i see.... thanks

 

Yeah, its this keyboard that is one of the main selling points for me for the G51 over the G71. That and the fact that it is backlit, makes it sexy as hell...

 

Yeah I love the backlit keyboard for sure. THe graphic on the lid is fine but i like the look of the G51VX-RX05's lid better. So I think I'm leaning toward the g51 mainly because of portability and the keyboard but I'm gonna wait a little while till some more reviews come out before buying it.

 

The RX05 is not really more powerful (its the X1A he is talking about), as they have the same CPU (P8700), the same CPU the only real difference "power wise" is the RX05 has 6GB RAM (Max12) compared to the X1A 4GB (Max8). Now the RX05 can be OC'd higher if you limited yourself only to using the supplied ASUS OC software (15% vs 7.5%)

The X1A has a high resolution 1920x1080 LED backlight screen, Bluetooth, smaller but quicker HDD, Backlight Chiclet Keyboard and a much much better warranty. Size is relative depending on your needs and likes. Also as it was mentioned before the viewing angles on the RX05 are horrible which is not a biggie unless you want to share the screen with another since you both (or more) can't share the relative small sweet spot. No one has commented on the angles of the screen that comes with the X1A.

I mean if you are gunna lug this thing around (it is a laptop) then having ASUS 1year of accidental protection could pay off in spades; although you only get 1 replacement which could still be the difference of paying for a new laptop if something horrible happened.

 

I am also trying to decide, one thing to consider though, is if you live in one the tax free newegg sites get the X1A, especially if you do not already have a 1080p external monitor.

 

I don't understand why having an external 1080p monitor would be a reason to get the X1A.

 

Edited ha, I was saying the full hd screen is good if you do not already have high res external monitor or televison to connect the laptop to.

 

Yeah the warranty on the G51 is definitely a plus and I'm gonna be using this for my college classes so it would be nice. The one thing that I need to make sure of is if I really want the chiclet keyboard. I've never really used one but I'm sure I could adjust pretty quick.

 

to make a note, the 16 inch screen on the g51 is a 16x9, and the one on the g71 is a 17 inch 16x10, meaning that the while the diagonal measures of the g51 are an inch shorter, the ratio of height to width means that its reallyclose to how wide the g71gx.

 

yeah well the X1A dropped to 1,299 on Newegg so I believe I have decided on getting it now. Thanks for the info and help!

 

Your avatar scares me Poor Jigglypuff

 

Damn. Guess I have to lower my price too