New Laptop Decision: Input Welcome!!

So I am finally upgrading my laptop. I just graduated from UNC and have a ThinkPad T43 that is about 4.5 years old. Still running like a champ, but a bit outdated at this point with my Pentium M and ATI Radeon X300, not to mention all the bloatware put on it from my university. I have been researching like a beast for about 2 months now, and I'm down to the wire on my decisions.

Here are my final choices:
N71Vn (but just found out there is an N71JQ for preorder??)
G51J (or Jx, I'm assuming)

Uses? Mostly multitasking and web-browsing, music and videos, some graphic design, and a bit of gaming. Since I'm out of school, won't really need anything business oriented, etc. I talked to Ken from GenTech a little, and am waiting for another reply, but I figured I would ask the masses and see what you guys think. I feel super conflicted on which model to get, in terms of which has the best pro's and the least con's. Any information would be seriously welcome!!

 

First thing needed... whats your budget like.. Also, when you said Graphics design, what type of program/s you plan on using, and what games do you plan on playing/want to play. This will help us find a good system for your needs. Also, for videos, do you want blu-ray or no prefrence.

 

Not too much preference on the Blu-Ray. It's kind of a nice if you have it, but don't care too much if it isn't there kind of thing for me. Budget... preferably, I would say under $1600-ish. If I could, I would like it to include a 3 year Asus warranty, and I don't have to worry about being out the states, so just the US warranty I guess. As for design, I use Adobe and Corel randomly, and I sometimes run Movie Maker, etc for video editing. I was a communications media production major in school. I'm not a huge gamer, but I would be interested in trying, just don't know where to start. I play a bit of COD (but mostly on Xbox or random games on my familie's Wii). I was worried about buying a gaming computer, but it seems that just do everything better!!

And I just saw the G73. Wow is all I can say. I would love it, but do I need it? I am horrible with decision making!

 

http://1toppc.com/Merchant2/merchan...e=N71Vn-A1&Category_Code=AS17&Product_Count=6

I think this would be a perfect fit for you then. Would provide excellent support for doing your work and multi-threading tasks that you may have. This laptop will also play any game out there to date on medium to high settings. The design is not over the top and will provide for excellent functionality as both a personal laptop as well as one you could take into meetings without being to flashy.

http://1toppc.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=N61Vn-A2&Category_Code=
Would also be a excellent choice. Has a LED screen which is supose to be better than LCD. Also, this one has a blue-ray player. All other specs are the same as the one listed above.

 

I guess it may be overkill to go for the G73 then, right? I think I'm caught up in the hype of the newest laptop, and the idea of the group buy, which would get more bang for the buck? Do you think I would be better off with the Vn models or wait for the newer JQ versions?

 

Well, the G73 would be awesome for anyone. But sense your really not a big gamer, I dont feel you would get its full potential and would then be throwing away your money. The above listed are probably the best for you and what you listed for money wise. You cant go wrong either way, but if you want to spend 500 more on the G73, then be my guest, but I doubt you would benifit it based on what you said you would be using it for.

 

Aha, that's what I was wondering about. I wouldn't use the newer one to it's potential since I don't game.

I guess that brings me back to my last question. Do you think I would be better off with the Vn models or wait for the newer JQ versions? This is referring to the N61/71.

 

You could always get my G51. =P One of the coolest running systems in the G series =] Specs in sig, and a link to the sale if you're interested =]

 

Super super tempting, but I don't think my parents would be willing to buy from someone, since they are the ones backing me at the moment. It's a graduation present to get a new one. I wish, though, because I like the back design on yours a lot.

I got another reply from Ken over at GenTech, and he seems to think the G51Jx is the best possible buy for me. Any thoughts? Apparently it's a downgrade from the G51J, even though that one had BSOD problems all over the place? He thought it is better than the N series.

 

I think I am still seriously on the fence with this one, especially hearing conflicting things about the G51Jx.

HELP!

 

Its your choice, I still think for what you want, what I have listed up there is the best for your needs. The G51Jx is still out for the masses to judge becuase of the ammount of issues with its predecessor, G51J-A1. But do take Ken's word, he is an extremely knowledgeable person and very well trusted in these forums.

 

All right, so I talked with Justin W about my options, and we are down to the N71 series and the G72GX. It's down to the wire at this point, and I'm getting really excited. Yay! Any other input while I make my decision??? :-D

 

I'd definitely go for the G73. its the same price as the G72, has more ram, better cpu, better GPU, more HDD space, blu-ray stock, and a far better cooling system. it might be overkill, but it'd be better to get more for your money now. the G72 is a waste of cash.

 

i won't suggest either of them.

Since you do not play pc games alot, no need to choose G series, it generates alot more heat(would cause unstable problems).

I suggest you should choose a laptop with i7 cpu and 1080p monitor, since you are a video editing guy. geforce 240m or radeon 4650 is fast enough and they are much cooler.

 

the G73 has a whole new cooling system which should generate a ton LESS heat.

 

So what would you think would fit that bill?

That's what I saw. Everyone keeps telling me it is way overkill though, which worries me, since people keep telling me it's a bad idea. You don't think that's a problem?

I'm not worried about heat, if that is going to be an issue. I'm going to up the thermal compound, and I usually run a cooling pad when I'm on.

 

its better to have overkill than to have low price erformance. with the G72 and N90 or w/e you're paying the same price for considerably less performance.

 

Point taken. Hey, maybe I'll start gaming more if I get a platform like this! I haven't done anything big previously because my current laptop can't handle it! My younger bro plays a lot on our home desktop, an XPS400 and I did some but it's slow as crap anymore. 10 min to boot, load, and pull up internet? No sir... Plus, if the price is comparable for so much better, it's worth it, right?

 

definitely worth it. no reason not to go with the G73. Especially since that i7 will be super fast for at least a few more years =]

 

For what you need...and guys please don't shoot me here in the ASUS forums....I would recommend the Dell Studio XPS 1645 with the i7 cpu and 16" RGBLED screen. It's an AMAZING screen...much higher quality than anything ASUS will put in their systems for sure. If you're planning on doing video and graphics work you'll want a high quality screen. I actually really like my screen in my G51J...but it doesn't compare to my wife's screen in her Studio XPS 1640 (only difference between the 1640 and 1645 is that it has a Core2Duo cpu rather than an i7).

 

I just realize the G72 costs the same as the G73 and thought, "Why is everyone saying not to get it?" Then I remembered, because I'm not a big gamer as of right now. I was about to get the N71JQ but the vid card is nowhere near as good, and the N71VN, which has a better card, is lacking everywhere else!

Oh, question... does the G73 have a subwoofer?

 

How do the prices and warranties compare though?

 

the G73 Does have a subwoofer.

 

standard 2 year warranty applies with the dell. starting price is the same with much weaker GPU, less ram, and less HDD space. also, they charge tax so its a 100$ more stock after taxes+shipping.

 

I can't even figure out where the i7 option is for the Studio XPS 16 on their page!

I have heard varying things about Dell. I have friends that hate them, and friends that love them, so I don't know where I fall in terms of that.

EDIT: I take it back, I found the option. It starts around $100 less than the G73 with some lower parts, as far as I can tell. My biggest push to go to Asus is comparable or better parts for comparable or less money!

 

the i7 option is on the far right when you click on Studio 16

 

Ouch, I just upped my warranty to 3 year premium and the 16'' RGBLED screen and I'm at $1883!!

 

plus taxes and shipping*

 

At this rate, I'll be way over $2000 by the time I am done... I'm looking at the forums and they claim to have serious throttling problems.

However there is a newer version with the Core i7-620. Just looking at pricing now... And it's up to $2000. I looked at the Studio 17, and priced it up to the G73... still had less comparable parts.

 

Don't even bother with the Studio 17...it's crap compared to the Studio XPS 16. BTW...are you a student at a college by any chance? You might qualify for the EPP discount. That's how we got my wife's for only like $1400...because my employer qualifies for the discount.

 

Oh and the warranty from Dell is much better than anywhere else....they'll send a tech to your house to replace parts and stuff like that. Only in very rare cases do they make you actually send in one of their laptops for RMA. Only reason I went with the ASUS instead of the Dell to be honest is the wait time for the Dell....at that time people were looking at 4-6 weeks (right after the release of the i7) and I wanted mine NOW. lol

 

I just graduated, actually. This is somewhat of a grad present, but it means I can't get discounts anymore...

 

You can always try. They don't HAVE to know you just graduated.

 

But really the only reason I'm suggesting the Dell over the ASUS G73 is because of the quality of the screen on the Dell for you. If you don't think it will be that big of a deal for you then by all means disregard my suggestions. lol

 

about this...i asked in another thread but got no response. what reason would asus put in the HD 5470 in the N71JQ as opposed to the HD 5730 that is in the N61JQ? the machines are the same series, fairly similar everywhere else, and for some reason put in this lower specced card. i would love the N71JQ with the 5730 in that it has a 1600x900 resolution as opposed to the 1366x768 resolution of the N61JQ. anyone have any insight on this?

 

the in-home service costs an arm and a leg, and there have been a fair bit of complaints about the techs doing more damage than good.

 

In home service is part of their standard warranty....at least that's what I'm gathering where it says "In home service after remote diagnosis" on their warranty page of the config.

 

Yeah I don't know at all, and I've asked a couple times. It's a total mystery for some reason! Argh...

And yeah, I have heard varying things about Dell warranty and service, and it does seem to cost a bit more.

 

im hoping that maybe the info that the sellers have gotten isnt finalized. xoticpc and powernotebooks didnt list that the N series has usb 3.0 slots and apparently they do.

The new N Series features USB 3.0 connectivity, which delivers up to 10 times faster multimedia data transfer rates compared to USB 2.0.

cant find any official information from asus on the N71JQ, so hopefully some wrong information is about and we will be pleasantly surprised soon.

 

That would be nice, because I liked some of the specs otherwise. I just wish they took the N61JQ's vid card and paired it with the N71JQ's high screen res. That would have been a better match, in my mind.

 

Like most people are saying, The G73 is overkill for what you're going to be doing with it. For video editing a powerful CPU--which the N71JQ has--is more important.

However, if it's good for gaming, it's pretty much good for everything else. The CPU and GPU on the G73 are going to be relevant for a long time, so you definitely won't be underpowered with the G73.

Ultimately, my vote for you would be the N71JQ.

 

well this is encouraging news. i emailed powernotebooks. ill paste my email and the response.

Hi
I am interested in the ASUS N71JQ-A1. Looking at your website I see that it is equipped with the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5730. Looking at other websites the GPU is listed as the HD 5470. Could you clarify which card will be in the machine when it ships and how confident you are in that assessment?

Thank you
______________________________________________________________

The ASUS Dealer sheet reports that it is the Mobility Radeon 5730, so we are
100% confident that the 5730 is the correct GPU.

ASUS has also released the official specs of their new N-series notebooks
after CES, and these specs confirm what their dealer sheet tells us:
http://asus.com/News.aspx?N_ID=Y5lBIemSOJ8Go3ZQ

Please let me know how I can be of further assistance

Thanks,
Tim Childree
PowerNotebooks.com

 

if you are not a G series' fan, I won't recommend a g73 which is not on sale yet.
I mean it does look good in the paper. but if I am really interested in buying it, I will wait for a while so that I can see the feedback of first buyers.

Asus is a very good brand, but if you could not find any model fit you..try other brands. Dell, Toshiba, (no acer)

 

I only see the specs for N61's?? IF it is the 5730, would it still be worse than the N71VN's GT 240m or would it be better?

 

well he said that the dealer sheet that they received lists the 5730 as the card. i think he used that spec sheet to show that the new n series books are outfitted with that card, supporting the dealer sheet.

i believe the 5730 it supposed to be much better than the 240m. notebookcheck reviewed the 5650 and the 250m barely edges it. the 5730 also supports directx11 while the 240m only supports 10.

ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650 graphics card review

here is another article from them that also has a graph that compares the 5650 with the 240m

Mobility Radeon HD 5000 series announced

edit: i responded to that email with...

Hi Tim

Thanks for the response; that is encouraging. Any thoughts as to why Xoticpc and other sites have the 5470 listed? Not at all doubting you, I would just assume you all would have received the same dealer sheets. Also would there be an option for 1333 DDR3 RAM any time soon? I can't remember what dealer I saw it on, but there was one that had it listed as an option for a 4 Gb version of the machine.

Thanks for your help Tim


ill let you know what i hear tomorrow

 

The newly-released Thinkpad W510 supposedly has 2 USB3.0 ports. The new Thinkpad models just came out yesterday.

Congrats on graduating btw.

 

Haha, thanks! Another TarHeel, who would've guessed??

I happened by their page to look, but those Lenovo's are so pricey. The T43 at least had the student discount when I was accepted, but now it's a little out of my range. The new ThinkPad Edge is pretty nifty, though.

 

I would recommend the new Sony F series with i7 and 1080p screen or Dell Studio 17 (would have to wait for 1080p screen and blu-ray to get back in stock). I have the latter and really like the laptop. Yes, there is throttling during gaming, but there is a solid workaround and it's a nice laptop (and not too expensive). Same for Sony (well, no idea on throttling).

 

I think I really like the N71JQ since I saw they updated the vid card, and it will be the 5730. I would love the G73, but it is a little overkill. I'm just so ready to order!!

 

well i havent heard back from powernotebooks, but i saw that xoticpc changed the card to the 5730. powernotebooks also has an option for 1333 ddr3 ram if you are interested.