G-series question

[katsujinken30]

I'm interested in purchasing either a G53sw/sx, G73sw, or G74 and am trying to make the best informed decision.

I already know to avoid the Best Buy models (BST, BBK, ect) but are there any others to avoid?

Also, are all the G53SX machines equiped with the GTX560 2Gb card with the reduced bus?

I'm looking to stay around 1k with my initial purchase and will look at upgrading later. I noticed lots of great info for modding, tuning, and repairing ASUS notebooks here and look forward to tinkering with my new machine in the future.

[BrodyBoy]

I would personally avoid the models with a 1600x900 display, though that could be difficult at your $1000 price point. If you like to tinker, most of the other components (that distinguish the different configurations) are easily upgradeable. The LCD isn't, so it you start there, you could gradually upgrade around it.

[katsujinken30]

Thanks!

I did notice a discrepency in resolutions. Is that limited to the Best Buy models or are there some other one's I should avoid.

I've found a few resources that break down the specs of various models, like this one http://g74sx.com/. I'm considering grabbing a notebook off ebay and have noticed even supposed tech vendors do not always seem to have specs listed that match up with the model they are selling.

Are there any comprehensive listings of detailed specs? I tried searching the forums, but have yet to find much info on models such as the NH models. I gather the XA# is the amazon spec, XT# is tiger direct.

Thanks again

[katsujinken30]

BrodyBoy wrote:
I would personally avoid the models with a 1600x900 display, though that could be difficult at your $1000 price point. If you like to tinker, most of the other components (that distinguish the different configurations) are easily upgradeable. The LCD isn't, so it you start there, you could gradually upgrade around it.

I would like to build on the best platform I can get, and the 1920x1080 res screen seems to be the way to go. I'm not averse to taking a box apart to change the things I can, but I'm shooting for the best jumping off point.

I did notice some issues noted in seller forums like Amazon and New Egg that seem to revolve around driver issues (easily fixed), but I was a little concerned with power plug problems and some past issues with the Sady Bridge chipsets. I'm inclined to belived the powr issue is a small minority, but is the chip set thing still looming if I buy a used demo machine or refurb?

Thanks.

[katsujinken30]

BrodyBoy wrote:
I would personally avoid the models with a 1600x900 display, though that could be difficult at your $1000 price point. If you like to tinker, most of the other components (that distinguish the different configurations) are easily upgradeable. The LCD isn't, so it you start there, you could gradually upgrade around it.

I can also probably go up a couple hundred bucks if I have to, I just have to deal with the fallout from my wife then.

[katsujinken30]

Last question for now, from my original post....

Are all the GTX560m 2Gb cards built on the 128-bit bus?

I'm told the 1.5 and 3 Gb are still 192-bit, is that fact or fiction?

If so I'll stick to the GTX460m models.

Thanks

[BrodyBoy]

katsujinken30 wrote:
Are all the GTX560m 2Gb cards built on the 128-bit bus?

I'm told the 1.5 and 3 Gb are still 192-bit, is that fact or fiction?
Thanks

Yes, that's my understanding.

[BrodyBoy]

The Sandy Bridge issue has long since been resolved, so no worries there.

The 1600x900 panel isn't just BB models. Many other configurations have this panel...including most of the lower-priced ones

There is no comprehensive listing of G74 configurations, because there are so many permutations. Some are specific to certain retailers, some are custom, etc. Amazon listing are usually pretty thorough, so that's a good way to compare the specs for different configurations.

Because these computers CAN have hardware issues, be sure to choose a retailer that has a good return policy, and make sure that you full Asus warranty coverage. eBay puchases can be "iffy" in this regard.

[katsujinken30]

BrodyBoy wrote:
The Sandy Bridge issue has long since been resolved, so no worries there.

The 1600x900 panel isn't just BB models. Many other configurations have this panel...including most of the lower-priced ones

There is no comprehensive listing of G74 configurations, because there are so many permutations. Some are specific to certain retailers, some are custom, etc. Amazon listing are usually pretty thorough, so that's a good way to compare the specs for different configurations.

Because these computers CAN have hardware issues, be sure to choose a retailer that has a good return policy, and make sure that you full Asus warranty coverage. eBay puchases can be "iffy" in this regard.

Thanks for the advice. There's a G53SW on amazon in my price range, that will probably be the one. I'm wary of ebay as well... I'm inclined to stick with vendors with a good return policy, solid history, and over 98% ratings.

Muchos Gracias, Bolshoi Spasiba, and Domo Arigato-Gozaishimas

[katsujinken30]

Oh...also found a good breakdown on the two video cards here....

http://rog.asus.com/forum/showthread.php?4524-GTX-460M-1.5GB-GDDR5-192-Bit-VS-GTX-560M-2GB-GDDR5-128...

Notebookcheck doesn't seem to note the discrepency, unfortunately.