ASUS G73Jh-X1 17.3-inch Desktop Replacement Laptop PC

Jul 7 2010 - The ASUS G73Jh-X1 provides a very high performance gaming platform albeit in a not so compact and lightweight design. The Core i7 quad core processor, 8GB of memory and Radoen Mobility HD 5870 graphics provide some stellar performance for mobile gaming. All of the power draw from this and the relatively small battery don't provide much running time away from a power outlet though. The extra thick girth and 8 pound weight make this less portable than some other available gaming systems but at $1600, it is hard to find such high performance with such a price.

Jul 7 2010 - The first thing that stands out about the ASUS G73Jh-X1 is its sheer size. The dimensions are quite similar to that of the behemoth Alienware M17x laptop and it is even thicker at 2.3-inches near the hinge. At least the system has a more reasonable eight pound weight. Unfortunately, the extra space around the exterior is missing a number of standard peripheral ports such as eSATA and FireWire that are common for such a laptop.

Since the ASUS G73Jh is designed for gaming, performance is critical. Powering the laptop is the Intel Core i7-720QM quad core processor. While the quad processor cores don't really impact many gaming titles, the overclocking functions of the processor help it turn in some impressive numbers all the same whether the programs needs one or four cores. The 8GB of DDR3 memory is actually quite surprising as most systems come with just 4GB. There isn't much difference in performance between these two amounts, this provides the system more room to grow with future memory intensive programs.

Storage is fairly typical of a basic desktop replacement laptop. It comes with a sizable 500GB hard drive that spins at a faster 7200rpm desktop rate. This gives it quick access to data while providing plenty of space for applications and media files. There is space within the sizable frame for a second drive but the system does not include a tray to easily add such an upgrade. It would have been nice to see the system include a Blu-ray compatible drive for HD video playback. Instead it comes equipped with a typical dual layer DVD burner for playback and recording of CDs and DVDS.

Gaming on the ASUS G73Jh is very strong thanks to the high resolution 17.3-inch LCD panel combined with the ATI Direct X 11 compatible graphics. The 17.3-inch screen provides some bright and colorful images with support for full 1080p video thanks to the 1920x1080 resolution. The only real downside is a fair amount of light bleed on the edges when viewing darker images or game scenery. The Radeon Mobility HD 5870 graphics provide it with smooth frame rates on the latest PC games up to the full panel resolution. It may not be able to use many filters on some of the newer games but it is still one of the best overall Direct X 11 graphics processors available.

Even with its very large size and 5200mAh battery pack, all of the performance features on the ASUS G73Jh-X1 take a toll on its running time. In my DVD playback tests, it was able to run just under two hours before going into the standby mode. This isn't totally unexpected for a gaming oriented laptop but it does fall short of the desktop replacement average.

On the whole, the ASUS G73Jh-X1 does an excellent job at providing a high performance gaming platform. It just would have been nicer to see it either in a more compact design or have longer battery life.