Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I have been researching getting a new laptop for quite a while now. I am quite experienced with computers in general. I'm not really a PC gamer (I prefer to game on Xbox 360 and PS3 because I like to be in the living room). That being said, I like powerful PCs, because they do everything faster, so I was seriously considering an Alienware, the MacBook Pro, and this Asus. The Alienware has a really cool design, and great performance. The Macbook Pro was very sleek with a nice, elegant design, and provided the benefit of being able to install native Windows XP via Bootcamp (I still need XP for some of my vintage PC stuff). The Asus has a very cool design, very good performance, nice graphics card, excellent specs, and a beautiful 1080p screen. To get the same specs as the Asus on the other 2 you'd have to pay almost twice as much.
So I didn't like the other two twice as much as the Asus, so I took the plunge.
I ordered it from Amazon because of the very favorable experience I'd had with them in the past. I read about them putting the laptop box inside of another box with no padding, allowing the laptop to shift around during shipping - which is not good for drives, etc. Some said to order 1 day shipping to avoid this. I ordered 1-day shipping, but they still shipped it in a larger box with no padding, so this part isn't great. I was very unhappy with the shipping arrangements (they shipped it signature required, which I understand given the $$$; I tried to get UPS to hold it at the distribution center because I wasn't going to be home so I could pick it up later that day - they said NO, the shipper has to call to do this - I called Amazon and they contacted UPS, but they DIDN'T tell UPS that I wanted to pick it up that day, so I had to wait a day. Ordinarily this is OK with me, but I paid $50 to get it overnight so I was not happy. I emailed Amazon about this. They apologized and refunded my shipping cost, which was nice of them.)
Anyway, I eventually got it. Opening the laptop box, it's well packed. I comes with a Republic of Gamers bookbag and gaming mouse (both with ROG logos and both seem to be high quality) - pretty nice extras.
The laptop just looks so cool. I'm very glad I decided to get the 15" screen as opposed to the 17". Both have 1080p, and I like a screen with higher density pixels. Really nice design on the whole. Magnetic lid closure, bright clear screen, no dead pixels. It's really quiet and stays quite cool, although I haven't given it a real test yet. I burned my Recovery DVDs without a hitch. Tested the media reader, camera, microphone, ports, etc. Everything checks out. The keyboard does have a little flex, but it's hardly noticeable. If no-one told you it had the flex, you probably wouldn't have noticed it. Sure, if you STARE at it when pressing keys, you notice it, but I think people are really blowing this fault out of proportion. The key backlighting is nice, but it looks a little messy with the light escaping from the edge of the keys. I would prefer that just the letters on the keys are lit. The trackpad works well, although smaller than many other laptops, and much smaller than the MacBook Pro. It's very zippy, and runs everything very quickly. Lots of bloatware, but I'm in the process of reinstalling a clean windows copy.
Design things I would change: 1) I would have put the power plug in the back because it looks so messy in the middle of the right side of the laptop. 2) I would like to have had the USB ports towards the back not the front, so the cables stay out of my way. 3) screen hinge is a bit stiff, so you have to hold the base down while opening it to keep it on the table, 4) screen doesn't pivot back quite far enough for me. These quibbles are pretty minor though.
One thing that is clear the moment you open this thing up. It's so masculine. It really makes the MacBook Pro seem quite girly. The stealth-fighter look is totally badass. Now I love macs, and I've got a few, but this machine just makes you feel like a man (grunt, growl). Yes, it's heavier and thicker than the MacBook Pro, but I plan on using it as a desktop replacement anyway.
So I'm very happy with my purchase. I would have liked to have a Blu-ray drive in it. Given the sale price with the $150 rebate on top of that, it can't be beat for value.
If you've been considering it, GO FOR IT! I think you'll be very happy with your choice.
Click Here to see more reviews about: ASUS G53SW-A1 Republic of Gamers 15.6-Inch Gaming Laptop
They'll Never Know What Hit'em Every gamer knows that the latest games demands the best performance. That's why ASUS made sure that the Republic of Gamers (ROG) G53Sw-A1 is jam-packed with one-of-a-kind innovation that will propel mobile gaming performance to unseen levels. Now powered by the 2nd generation Intel Core i7-2630QM quad-core processor, experience top-of-the-line adaptable speed and responsiveness for the most demanding tasks. Featuring the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M graphics engine that comes with a massive 1.5GB of GDDR5 VRAM, the ROG G53Sw-A1 leads in DirectX 11 gaming for advanced tessellation and faster graphics rendering. And while others struggle to find the keys in dimly lit areas, the backlit gaming keyboard gives you the edge in the dark to put you ahead of the competition. The ROG G53Sw-A1 showcases a stealth fighter-inspired design with a unique thermal design that promotes airflow and keeps air away from you. Plus, its 15.6-inch LED-backlit Full HD display delivers the latest in high-definition entertainment with brilliant 1080p playback.The ROG G53Sw-A1 breaks from the heard of traditional gaming notebooks with built-in overclocking feature through the ASUS Power4Gear Hybrid utility—instantly giving you extreme power with a push of a button. The ROG G53Sw-A1 also boasts 750GB 7200rpm hard drive, 8GB DDR3 system memory, Super Multi DVD drive, high-speed wireless N, SuperSpeed USB 3.0 connectivity, Bluetooth3.0, HDMI connectivity, 2.0 megapixel camera, and stereo speakers with EAX Advanced HD 5.0 sound.
Key Features
15.6-inch LED-backlit Full HD display for an immersive cinematic experience with a resolution up to 1920 x 1080 (Learn more)
2nd generation Intel Core i7-2630QM processor with Intel Turbo Boost 2.0 Technology for the best visibly smart performance that adapts to your needs (Learn more)
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M graphics with 1.5GB GDDR5 VRAM for leading DirectX 11 gaming (Learn more)
ASUS Power4Gear Hybrid that innovatively saves battery life and delivers extreme performance (Learn more)
SuperSpeed USB 3.0 for quicker device charging and up to 10x faster transfers than USB 2.01
750GB 7200rpm hard drive and 8GB of DDR3 system memory for smooth computing and ample storage for all your games and media files (Learn more)
Backlit gaming keyboard with ergonomic angled design for comfortable control in any lighting environment (Learn more)
Stereo speakers and EAX Advanced HD Audio for premium gaming sound (Learn more)
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Relax, ASUS Has You Covered Ranked as the #1 most reliable PC brand by 4 independent sources,2 readers and editors alike choose ASUS as their trusted notebook and netbook. ASUS relentlessly strives to exceed expectations of quality to ensure you an unmatched peace of mind every time you start your PC. This notebook also comes with the industry's most comprehensive warranty.
2 Year ASUS Global Warranty3 Offers a level of coverage that would add hundreds of dollars to the price of competing laptops:
2 year global warranty
30 day Flawless Display Guarantee
2-way free standard shipping
24/7 tech support
1 Year Accidental Damage Warranty (ADW)3 Whether your notebook is damaged by accidental spills, drops, electrical surges, or fire, ASUS will fix it or replace it for you during the first year after purchase.
Covers accidental drops, spills, power surges, and fire damage
Target 3 business day turnaround time for repair / replacement; not including receiving and shipping time
1-way shipping (from ASUS to the user) at no additional cost
24/7 toll-free phone support
What's in the Box
ROG G53Sw-A1
AC Adapter
8 cell Battery Pack
Warranty Information Card
Specifications
OperatingSystem: Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
Display: 15.6-inch LED-backlit Full HD display (1920 x 1080)
Processor: 2nd generation Intel Core i7-2630QM quad-core processor (2.0 GHz with Turbo Boost 2.0 up to 2.9 GHz)
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M 1.5GB GDDR5 VRAM
WLAN: 802.11 b/g/n (@ 2.4GHz), Bluetooth v3.0
LAN: 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet
Memory: 8GB DDR3 1333 MHz RAM, 4 x SODIMM (expandable to 16GB)
Storage: 750GB 7200rpm hard drive
Optical Drive: Super Multi DVD drive
Camera: 2.0 megapixel
Speakers: Stereo speakers with EAX HD 5.0 and THX TruStudio
Microphone: Digital Array Microphone
Card Reader: 8-in-1 card reader (MMC/SD/Mini-SD/XD/Memory stick/MS Pro/MS-Duo/MS-Pro Duo)
Input/ Output: 1 x Mic-in, 1 x Headphone-out, 1 x VGA port/Mini D-Sub 15-pin for external monitor, 3 x USB 2.0 ports, 1 x USB 3.0 port, 1 x Gigabit LAN,1 x HDMI, 1 x Kensington Lock
Battery: 8 cell
Dimensions: 15.4 x 11.7 x 0.8 ~ 2.0 –inches
Weight: 7.9 lbs (with 8 cell battery)
Color :Black
© 2011 ASUS Computer International. All Rights Reserved. ASUS is a registered trademark of ASUSTeK Computer. All specifications and terms are subject to change without notice. Please check with your supplier for exact offers on selected models. Products may not be available in all markets. Product may not be exactly as shown in photos.
1All figures theoretical values compared to USB 2.0 benchmarks for reference purposes. Actual speed depends on device and system status. 2Rated number 1 Windows-based PC maker in PCMag.com's Service & Reliability Report 2009. Rated number 1 PC brand according to SquareTrade, the leading direct-to-consumer warranty company (for more information visit http://www.squaretrade.com/pages/laptop-reliability-1109/ ). Rated number 1 reliable PC maker in Spring 2009's RESCUECOM report http://www.rescuecom.com/RESCUECOM269.html. Rated number 1 Windows-based PC brand in PCWorld.com survey http://www.pcworld.com/article/211074/the_tech_brands_you_can_trust.html. 3ASUS reserves the right to exclude certain SKUs; check with your retailer to confirm coverage of specific models. Valid for notebooks purchased in the US and Canada only. Certain retailers do not participate in ADW coverage. For complete details, please visit: usa.asus.com/event/ASUS360 and adw.asus.com/.
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