ASUS Republic of Gamers G51JX-X3 15.6-Inch Gaming Laptop (Blue)

Full Description

5 Reviews

1. Overall, I’m very happy with this laptop. I don’t use my computers unplugged very often at all, so battery life isn’t a big issue. I was a bit timid about buying another Asus since my last one was defective, but the 2 year warranty made me feel better about taking a chance on this model. This may tell how long it’s been since I bought a laptop but it was common to see 2 year warranties and frankly I’m surprised that not all the Asus models offer this coverage. To be fair, I give this laptop 4.5 stars, being dinged primarily for going “cheap” with the OS choice.

   Gripes:
   Windows 7 64-bit Home Premium for a “high end” gaming platform just doesn’t make sense. I was expecting, at a minimum, the Professional version at this price point. As an aside, nearly all my complaints are around Windows and the lack of it’s ability to run many not-so-old applications that I depend on. So be prepared to also drop some bucks on newer versions of programs that won’t run on 7 that were perfect on XP. Also, approximately 100gb chunk of the 500gb hard drive is not available out of the box thanks to Microsoft’s “instant upgrade” OS to Professional/Ultimate are already on the drive. I guess it’s convenient for some to upgrade this way but I always insist on a Physical Disc for that day the hard drive craters. (Asus: It would be helpful if you offered instructions or an “uninstall” option to delete these files for those of us that want our hard drive space for our use), or maybe I should charge Microsoft rent?

   No Blu-ray. Ok, maybe I shouldn’t list it as a gripe since I knew it didn’t have this when I bought it, but seriously, why go through the hassle and expense of a true 1080p display and NOT have a drive to watch/load Bluray or HD titles?? I hope Asus will make a replacement drive available with Blu-ray/HD capability at a reasonable cost. By the way, Microsoft did not think it important to support HD playback in Windows 7 (incredible blunder!) and as of this date I have not found a pre-installed application on this machine that will play Bluray/HD files! More $$$ for a program for that I guess.

   Speakers: The sound is best summed up as anemic. I was expecting much more from the Altec Lansing branding…while they sound ok (not great by any standard, as an audiophile), my biggest gripe is VERY LITTLE OUPUT AT MAX compared to my last HP notebook which would get loud enough to embarrass me! No worries with this one in this regard, sadly. (Asus,I’ve gone through all the convoluted menus to try to tweak more output but I’m disappointed!). Not enough bass nor treble. . Perhaps I got a bad sound module?? At least the headphone output is quite good.

   The included bag, while appreciated, is just large enough to carry the laptop/power brick, mouse and few knick-knacks. It feels a bit on the cheap side compared to my other Targus bag. Perhaps it’s easier on your back this way.

   This is not really a gripe, just a “heads up”: Heat! Under heavy load (or any graphics intensive operation) this puppy will pump out some BTU’s! It’s main exit vent is on the left side and I’ve found it quite handy for keeping my coffee HOT (not just warm!). This is almost a plus but I can see why Asus didn’t want to advertise this. Just be careful for spillage. The heat is extreme enough under load that I worry about anything remotely flammable within a foot or so of the vent. Asus did a great job of keeping the heat off the keyboard and upper area (although it definitely will be welcome in the winter, keeping your hands warm while you type!). I have read that the Intel i7 chip is a HOT chip under load, so this is going to be “normal” if you run an i7 quad core, no matter who builds it. The i5 I had previous was also a hot machine, but the i7 is definitely hotter.

   What I like:

   The part of any laptop you look at the most and thus, in my opinion, the most important part, the display,is sharp and bright. Colors are natural and the “Splendid” application allows one to customize viewing almost limitlessly. Perhaps 1080p on a 15.6″ screen is a bit overkill, but I’m not complaining. I do find myself zooming in a lot though.

   Keyboard lighting is great and you can adjust the intensity (3 settings to choose from). The ergonomics is fair and I really love having a keypad on the keyboard. The keys feel a slight-bit on the “cheap” side but they work just fine. I say “fair” on the ergonomics since the edge of the palm rest tends to “bite” into my lower forearms after a few minutes. The top of this palm rest is coated with a “rubbery” layer which is comfortable enough but the edge is just a little too sharp for my tastes. This is not a big issue but I’m very thorough and critical of my big ticket items.

   Wireless: The best and most sensitive I’ve witnessed yet. I’m amazed at the range this laptop wireless has from the base station. Almost double anything I’ve used prior to. Well done Asus!

   Bluetooth: I’ve had issues using Skype (about the only time I used the bluetooth) with it dropping my Plantronics headset after a few minutes in a session. It could be just Skype’s software, I don’t know. The headset works flawlessly for hours at a time with my Blackberry. Perhaps there is a conflict? I’m going to find out the problem and update when I do.

   Gaming/graphics capability: I consider myself a casual gamer but I’ve been VERY impressed with the frame-rate even at full 1920X1024 resolutions! Runs X3, Silent Hunter IV, Half-Life 2 with all options maxed no problem. (Heat! will be generated!) I will update on this as I try other games. My main use for this power is TurboCAD as I do a LOT of design work and this machine flies through everything I throw at it.

   The included mouse is great! I’ve always used logitech mice but I think I found a new alternative. It isn’t wireless (which would be even better) but it is a joy to use.

   The touchpad, while not the “new” style of the one on my other Asus, is much nicer to use. I HATE the multi-fingering gesturing and I MUCH prefer having a scroll bar like this one has. It also will auto-shut off when a mouse is attached (software option). This touchpad is great!

   I plan on doing a 90 day update so stay tuned.

2. I highly recommend this system. I recently purchased this system, moving up from a Dell Latitude D810, and I love it! You’ll be hard pressed to find a system with a 15″ screen that has 1920×1080 resolution, with a quad-core at this price. I was tempted to wait for the ASUS G73 series, but really wanted a 15″ display that was full HD. This system nearly matches the performance of my desktop which is an AMD Phenom x4 with 8GB RAM. I’m not much a of a gamer, but I plan to do more video and photo editing, and this seemed like a great system to do that effectively. Out of the box this system run like a champ and runs HOT; but can one expect from a system with horsepower? So far this system has traveled well. I haven’t used the backpack it came with because I have to carry another laptop when I travel. The AC adapter is large and bulky, and I don’t much like the 90 degree angled connector to the laptop, it either gets in the way of the network port, or in the way of the screen. The battery life on this system is not horrible for the horsepower that it has, but I would like to see a bigger battery for this for those long plane rides. Having the number pad on the right hand side is nice, but at the same time throws me off when I’m typing, when I want Backspace I usually press the Num Lock key. I recently had an issue with the video driver having an error and reloading. This only happened with FireFox trying to load something Java. A quick update of the video driver and to Java and the issue was resolved. I’m also surprised at how stable Windows 7 is on this system after seeing the mess that Vista was in general.

   My other complaints (And they are minor):
   No Blu-Ray – Cannot yet find one that would match the size and shape of the DVD-RW face plate that in installed.
   No TrackPoint on the keyboard
   No dedicated volume control – Though you can use Fn + F10-F12
   Webcam – Would have liked to have seen it slightly adjustable, not a big deal.

   I would actually rate this system 4.5 on a 5 point scale.

3. Pros
   Fast laptop
   Decent Graphics Card
   1080p LED screen is very nice
   Asus support/warranty
   Speakers are good
   Comes with backpack + mouse
   Webcam seems nice, haven’t tested it but the mic is pretty good

   Cons
   Mine came with a horrible bios glitch that took me two days to fix.
   Short battery life
   Speakers are a little on the soft side

   Conclusion
   It is a good laptop but mine started crashing as soon as i got it. It would blue screen on me, freeze, and just do crazy stuff. If this is happening to you make sure you update your drivers. The problems went away after I installed the new bios driver. It would be four stars if it didn’t crash on me in the beginning.

4. If you are looking for the best overall laptop for application and database development, look no further than the Asus G51JX-A1. This is the perfect machine to debug your code and develop complex queries. You can also play the latest and greatest games with your fellow developers!!! Also, the lighted keyboard is kind of cool when working late nights…

5. Digging on this computer. I couldn’t be happier with the purchase. DragonAge Origins settings are all on the highest levels and the computer screams. Dawn of War 2, Crysis and Bad Company 2 as well. The performance will please you. Take into account that this rig costs nearly a grand LESS than a comparable top-end game laptop you will be left wondering what does it take to please people who buy them. If price is an issue you will get everything you want and more while not breaking the bank with this laptop. My only regret is I didn’t get a TB HD and Blu-ray DVD Drive.