ASUS ROG G74Sx, Über Gaming Laptop for the Masses...

Über gaming laptops, these Über laptops are more than just a status symbol for the manufacturer and user, this is the modern work-horse computer. Republic of Gamers, the face of gaming at ASUS have released a new contender for the King of Über Gaming Laptops, the ROG G74Sx. ASUS has bestowed the G74Sx with the weapons to take the game to the current king, the Dell Alienware M17x. Boasting the latest generation Intel Core-i7 quad core processor and NVidia’s latest mobile GPU the NV 560 the ASUS has turned up to a knife fight with a 44 magnum. ASUS has managed to deliver an Über Gaming laptop that doesn’t scream look at me, it just does what you require without compromise. Just as happy editing your photo’s and shooting the hell out of your buddies in Battlefield this is a proper Desktop Replacement jack of all trades.

ASUS has paid great attention to the technical specifications for the G74Sx, a desktop replacement -DTR- laptop of this calibre can’t afford to have any weaknesses in the hardware department, this must be no compromise computing. The latest generation -second- Intel Core i7 quad core CPU (2630QM) is paired with the insanely fast NVIDIA GTX 560M GPU that includes 3GB video RAM. That’s a pretty strong opening combination, a fast left right. To round out the multimedia talents ASUS has provided the G74Sx with a full 1920×1090 Hi-Def LCD and supplied a splendid voice too, 8-channel HD audio with THX TruStudio, EAX Advanced HD 5.0 all enhancing movie watching and games. Storage options include the ability to combine multiple SSD drives into a single drive -RAID- or a mix of SSD and large storage hard drives. The expansion bays are easily accessible from the underside of the laptop, with the extra drive bay and memory slots accessed through a screw lock panel.

There is more to a laptop of this stature than just all night gaming sessions. Desktop replacement -DTR- laptops such as the M74Sx and the Alienware M17x must excel at many tasks that you wouldn’t consider on an everyday laptop. In fact they excel at doing many extremely complex tasks at once. In many ways a really good desktop replacement must be a jack of all trades, being able to tackle any application you throw at it or just do everyday tasks the DTR laptop must be across the board powerful. From heavy duty video editing to plodding around the web the ASUS ROG delivers no compromise computing. With the Blu-Ray burner option included the G74Sx would be easily capable of taking in raw footage and producing finalized Blu-Ray movies while downloading torrents and still not breaking a sweet..

Angular lines hide some of the most powerful silicon built into any laptop. While the G74Sx is no corporate vanilla laptop it’s not the most extreme looking DTR laptop either. The angular design of the laptop keeps the large keyboard useable with a 5 degree slope, which also adds to the stealthy angles that cover the outer corners. ASUS is proud to state that it has taken design ques from the US Navy’s Sea Shadow Stealth ship. Using a flat dark grey case with rubberised surfaces in the right places keeps the laptop looking stealthy and makes it comfortable too.

ASUS ROG G74sx, big vents.

Cooling such a formidable collection of silicon is a huge consideration. Trying to fit so much heat generating technology into such a small space is no easy feat. Complicating matters is time, the longer you push a machine to its limits the harder it is to cool. Gaming is one of those pass times that can run a laptop at it’s limit for long periods of time. To address this ASUS has designed a dual fan based cooling system to allow day long gaming sessions without any heat problems. The dual fans shift are from front underside through the laptop and out rear vents. Located front and back of the laptop fans operate independently depending on demand. Under extreme heat conditions air is forced in and sucked out of the laptop, with a straight through path a high flow rate is guaranteed, keeping everything moving and cool.

The keyboard is large and well spaced, the 5 degree angle of the keyboard makes typing and long term use comfortable. Even with the fully spaced keys there is still enough room for numeric keypad and separate arrow keys. The keys themselves are the chic-let style popular on laptops at the moment, with a light LED backlighting for dark environments. All round the keyboard is well laid out and designed.

highpants_asus_g74sx_a1_blip2 — ASUS ROG G74

Battery life is rated at 3 hours, not bad for a DTR class laptop. NVIDIA also include Optimus technology which allows the 560 GPU to be powered down and a secondary low power GPU used instead, saving power.

The 17.3″ widescreen model is already available with an 18.4″ version rumoured to be available before Christmas with exactly the same spec hardware just bigger everything else. The Current G74Sx 17.3 has two basic models that come in various configurations. The A1 model is the cheapest, with the lowest spec’d A1 selling for only $1,499 USD. That’s a barging basement Über gaming mega machine. The higher spec’d A2 model can go all the way up to $3,288 USD when all of the optional SSD’s, memory and Extreme Edition CPU are included.

With the G74Sx ASUS has managed to produce an Über gaming laptop for the masses, the G74Sx is able to fit into any situation from corporate professional to hard-core gamer. The G74Sx is one of those laptops that has an intimidating prescience, combining power and subdued good looks the ASUS backs up the prescience with power. With the comfort of an everyday car and the performance of a super car the G74Sx is like a down to earth super model, the Über laptop you can live with, the Über DTR for every situation.

Product Specifications:
Processor Intel® Core™ i7 2630QM Processor
Operating System Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium 64bit
Chipset Intel® HM65 Express Chipset
Memory DDR3 1333 MHz SDRAM, 4 x SO-DIMM socket for expansion up to 16 G SDRAM (Quad Core), 2 x SO-DIMM socket for expansion up to 8 G SDRAM (Dual Core)
Display 17.3″ 16:9 HD+ (1600×900)/Full HD (1920×1080)/Full HD 3D(1920×1080 120Hz) LED Backlight
Graphic NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 560M with 3GB GDDR5 VRAM, DX11
Storage 2.5″ SATA – Options include: 750GB 5400rpm/7200rpm, 640GB 5400rpm, 500GB 5400rpm/7200rpm, 500GB 7200rpm SSH, Dual HDD Support, 2.5″ SATA, 160GB SSD-
Optical Drive Blu-Ray DVD Combo or Super-Multi DVD Blue-ray Writer
Card Reader 3 -in-1 card reader ( SDXC/ MS/ MMC)
Camera HD Web Camera
Networking Integrated 802.11 b/g/n, Built-in Bluetooth™ V3.0 (Optional), 10/100/1000 Base T