The A8Js vs the Z96J

So I've been doing some research for a little bit and slimmed my choices down to these two.

There are several considerations about myself:
1) I really don't care about size/weight - I have a strong back and it 5 lbs compared to 9 lbs really makes no difference to me.
2) I don't care about looks. I already have a woman. Unfortunately.
3) I haven't played games in ages but I used to be an incredibly avid gamer and wouldn't mind playing games ocassionally here and there. Video card remains important because I like to do graphics-intensive work on laptop every now and then (e.g. watching DVDs, Photoshop, Flash, future HD content, etc.).

Here are my own conclusions I've came up with regarding the A8Js vs the Z96J
1) Both are roughly the same price (EDIT: considering both are equipped with T7200, 1GB memory, 100GB hdd)
2) A8Js is 14" WXGA+ (1440x900) while the Z96J is 15" WSXGA+ (1680x1050)
3) A8Js has Go 7700 with 512MB VRAM; Z96J has ATI X1600 with 256MB VRAM and an additional 256MB from system memory

Those are perhaps the biggest differences between the two. I had a previous conversation with Stamar - he mentioned that the Z96J is less bright (200 nits, equivalent to that of the Sony FE screen) whereas the A8Js is about 220 nits).

I find the resolution of the Z96J to be impressive, but on the same hand I wonder if the X1600 can handle such a resolution. It makes little sense to go for the higher resolution screen if the video card struggles to maintain it (or if I have to downrez games in order to play them satisfactorily). Is the X1600 powerful enough?

Another huge difference is that since the A8Js is an ensemble line, I would have warranty directly through ASUS. Another impressive feature is that they also gaurantee a zero dead pixel policy where I can get an exchange if I find one of those annoying things. Honestly, I figured dead pixels are not very common (maybe even rare) and even if they are indeed around they may not be very noticeable especially on a 15" WSXGA+ screen. Laptops these days are quite durable and defects are uncommon so I am actually not too concerned about the warranty.

Besides the biggest differences in screen size, resolution, graphics, and warranty, what are everybody else's thoughts regarding other things such as the LCD screen quality, build quality/durability of these, or anything else I should know about?

 

If you don't play games much, then don't even think twice about the video card. I had a 15.4 @ 1680 x 1050 and it is visually comparable to the A8Js in terms how small the text looks, etc. It had a Radeon 9200 in it and it handled most things at the time just fine (no super high-end games, but back then it played Call of Duty without a hitch)

If you don't care about portability or gaming, then I'd go for the screen real estate and get the bigger machine. And if you do care about gaming, the x1600 will treat you fine. Who cares if you have knock it down to 1280x800 to squeeze out a little performance on high-end games. You'll probably have a similar issue with either machine. I bet the 15 or 15.4 screens have much better viewing angles though...

-Ryan

 

Thanks for the reply, rybocf!

While I haven't been playing games for ages, the reason so isn't particularly because I dislike gaming or lack time for it but because my current laptop is too weak to play any!

Regardless of gaming, I was concerned about the ATI X1600 being too weak in playing HD video (1980x1080) - should that be a valid concern? I am hoping that the X1600 can handle full-blown HD video smoothly (I think that's 26+ fps?).

 

One thing to note is the Ensemble line qualifies for the Vista Upgrade program whereas the Z96J does not. This is a decent chunk of change.

Like it or not, we will be using Vista someday and it is a nice way to show off a new video card!
Bob

 

You mentioned above that you want your laptop to do all of this:

Will you likely be needing a DVI port? To hook up to an external monitors or TV's?

Also how much time do you have until you want to purchase a laptop, some are waiting for the V1J, G1P. However they may be a bit pricey. despite the fact the Go 7700 is a more powerful GPU than the X1600, rybocf is right about the resolution, it may have to be lowered in order for some games to be played nicely.

As a DTR i would be in favour of a bigger screen, hence the Z96J, however if your looking for portability with DVI, the A8js is pretty much top of the line.

 

Because you are waiting until jan , you like the 512 mb 7700 go AND the 1680 x 1050 resolution

You want the g1p its msrp will be 1799 though.

 

Oh it will my friend, it will...

You suck!

Oh right, my opinion: A8Js if you're really into gaming and want the best bang for your buck there, or Z96J if you like the option to hand pick and customize your internals such as CPU/RAM/HDD. Also, barebones (Z96J) comes cheaper---in fact I would consider the S96J if I were you, it is cheaper in price still but offers all of the other advantages as well. The 1280x800 resolution is excellent also for me, I thought it might be too low-res having used a high res monitor beforehand but I love it. You will not, however, have the option for internal bluetooth with the S96J.

 

the auo screens in the s96j and the z96j are dimmer but they have a better viewing angle that is true.

I wouldnt trade but the stats show that is correct.

 

Thanks for all the responses, folks - I truly appreciated them all.

I did not even notice the G1P (funny how earlier I didn't even notice the A8Js). If the G1P is slated to be released in mid-late Dec with realistic dates approaching sometime in January, that's a close call - I may very well just duke it out a few more months and wait for the Santa Rosa chipset to come out (in addition to all the faulty, preliminary bugs/issues of the major Windows Vista OS being flattened away).

 

Man, don't play the waiting game---it'll be agonizing as Intel keeps pushing mass shipment dates back and back, meanwhile you'll be stuck during the holidays without your baby (I'm talking about your laptop, not your woman)...