Before reading, let me tell you that I own a g73jh with only one upgrade, and that is an SSD. I take great care of my laptop, and shouldn't have a reason for these problems.
Let me start with my list of problems in that I'm a film-maker, not a gamer. Even though rendering is CPU intense, I don't have many problems with my CPU.
So, I got this laptop from my boss as a present in June 2013, it was used, but it sat in his closet off, and was only ever used to writing. He gave it to me, because I was still editing on a Pentium 4, and was way over due to upgrade. He gave it too me, and told me he never had any problems and wish he could have used the laptop to it's full potential.
The problems began within an hour of me having the computer. The first problem I had was that when I re-installed the OS (Win 7) that was included with the laptop, it froze withing 30 minutes, and I had to re-install the OS again, because a file went corrupt. Then after that, I couldn't get all the drivers needed for it to run, and for the first 6 months, I had a blue-screen error almost every week, that would need to be put into safe mode and find out a problem. I installed every driver from Asus and the hardware in the laptop, and I still occasionally get them, this is the least of my worries still.
As a filmmaker, I need to be able to edit weddings and films for my clients or I could lose money, and I need something even relatively reliant, and this laptop was not it. Within 3 months of the blue screen error being resolved, it would overheat being idle. I ran a CPU check, and it ran at 85C idling with Turbo Boost off, and the Asus Power 4Gear client running at 1/4 power. Not good.
Over time, I accepted these problems as when I could use it, it was powerful, but the weakest link in the hardware the HDD, so I replace it with a Sumsung 840 Pro SSD in December, and when I install it, and boot it for the first time, it stalled for 3 days and wouldn't boot, and when I had lost hope I reboot it, and it suddenly worked perfect, except EVERY LED IN THE KEYBOARD STOPPED WORKING AT ONCE! This was a nice option, but not necessary. What ever.
Within 7 months, I was having major problems, and it still gets worse. In March, I started getting more problems. my SATA controller stopped working and all my Hard drives would disconnect, even the C:/ drive. No warning. Often, it would shut down for no reason, no warning. I even took measure to send a warning if my CPU, GPU, or Mobo was about 95C and would safely shut off. It works, as it sometimes does what it needs too, but too many times I will check the temperature and it is at 80C and shut off.
Asus G73jh is such a disappointment, I hope Alienware doesn't have these problems.
