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ASUS G53JW-XA1 Republic of Gamers 15.6-Inch Gaming Laptop Review
ASUS G53JW-XA1 Republic of Gamers 15.6-Inch Gaming Laptop "x"
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ASUS G53JW-XA1 Republic of Gamers 15.6-Inch Gaming Laptop Reviews
I am setting up my new Asus G53JW-XA1 and I have it next to my Sony Vaio i7 laptop and the difference in quality is beyond belief.For one thing, the screen on the Asus is about 70% brighter and clearer even though my vaio is a 17 inch and the Asus is 15.3 inch. The LED and Graphics cards are the best I have seen.The next most important thing for me comparing these machines side by side is that I don't hear a peep coming from the Asus. The new cooling system in the Asus is so quiet I don't even hear it. I have never had a laptop that didn't have the fan blowing really hard and constant. I am a programmer and run my laptops about 20 hours a day at high performance. The Sony is alway running so hot that I have to have cooling stand for it. The Asus - No cooling stand and no fan noise. This is probably the best thing for me since I am in front of my computer all day.I opted to buy 16 GB of Laptop memory for my new machine since it can handle it. The only bummer about this machine, is that it is not easy to open to install RAM. Normally, I would just unscrew, pop out the old ram and pop the new ram in... bam, done. For this machine, I'm going to take it to Best Buy and have the Geeks (bigger geeks than me) do it, so I don't destroy the machine in the process.This machine and any in this new line up are a terrific deal!
Asus may "Target 3 business day turnaround time for repair/replacement" but as they reminded me when I complained "we target 3 days...the actual repairs may take much longer". They RECEIVED my laptop for repair on February 10. It is now March 12. They still have not been able to give me a status on the repair. I've called 5 times. The last 2 times they assured me that a supervisor would call me back. I have yet to receive a call from anyone at ASUS let alone get a status on the repair. I just called again this evening and they said they don't have a status from the repair facility so I should call back on Monday.Don't believe the 1 year warranty or the "1 Year Accidental Damage Warranty (ADW)" either for several reasons:1) Asus classified the problem that occurred with my laptop as "Customer Induced Damage" and said that isn't covered by the regular warranty or the "1 Year Accidental Damage Warranty (ADW)".2) Asus claimed that I never sent in the warranty card even though I sent it well within the 60 day window. To their credit, they allowed me fill out the form on the web site after the 60 days when I call them about the problem. Several weeks after I sent in the laptop for repair, they returned my warranty card (even though it was sent to the correct address, filled out properly, and sent in well before the 60 day deadline). The warranty card that was included with the laptop said to mail it in and did not mention a web site.The problem I had with the laptop was that the power plug was loose when I got it. It worked fine for about a week. After the first week, the plug required a slight wiggle where it plugged into the laptop to make contact so that it would charge. This worked fine for about another couple of weeks week but the degree to which you had to wiggle the plug got larger. The small pin inside power plug (attached to the motherboard) eventually broke off and the laptop would not charge any more. When I called them for a warranty repair they said it would not be covered by the "warranty" since it was "Customer Induced Damage". I explained that the lose power plug was present since I got the laptop and the problem got worse over time until eventually the pin broke off. They said that if I would have sent the laptop in before the pin broke off that it would have been covered but since I waited until the pin broke off it would not be covered. I said "Wait a minute, I thought I had a 1 year Accidental Damage Warranty" to which they responded "It only covers drops, spills, power surges, and fire damage". When I asked if the repair would have been covered if I called and said that I dropped the laptop which resulted in the motherboard pin for the power plug breaking off, they said "Yes". After quite a bit of arguing and requesting a supervisor they finally agreed to cover the repair if I sent it in.When the laptop was working, it was great. Unfortunately, ASUS has had the laptop longer now in repair than I was able to use it and I have no status on when it will be repaired.I buy a ton of stuff on Amazon and have generally been very satisfied. This is the first product that I've been disappointed with sufficiently to write a review.--Update 3/14/2011 - Called back on Monday as suggested. The customer rep said Asus' systems were down so they still can provide status on the laptop. He suggested I should call back in 30 minutes or more. Called back 1 hour later and their system is still down. The person I talked to said that I need to be aware that repairs take up to 14 business days. I said that "you received the returned laptop on 2/10/2011 so it is well beyond 14 business days". The person said they would hand-carry the request for information to a supervisor who would call me back with a status.--Update 3/15/2011 - Still have not received a call back or email from Asus as promised but the status changed today to from "In Repair" to "Product Received > (Waiting) > Repairing > Final Testing > Packing > Ready for Shipping > Repair Finished". I even have a valid FedEx overnight shipping number. Maybe I just had to talk to the right person at Asus. I'll provide an update tomorrow after I receive the repaired unit.--Update 04/01/2011 - We have had the laptop back for a couple of weeks now and it is working fine. The power plug is no longer loose when plugged into the laptop. I'm positive now that there was a problem with the power plug when we originally got it. Asus finally called me back to ask about my experience. They spent about 20 minutes on the phone and patiently listened to what I said. They apologized for the problems I encountered and said they are working to improve customer support since they recognize there is a problem. I upgraded my 1 star review to a 3 star review because the laptop is really nice when it is working.
I am very pleased with this laptop. Graphics performance at max video options on all the games I own is flawless. The cooling system utilizing the rear vents is brilliant, and allows full gaming performance without the laptop becoming a hotplate. Compared to other laptop models in the same price range the features and performance are head and shoulders above the rest. I strongly recommend this box to gamers looking for a portable powerhouse.The only downside to this laptop was that I had to wait a few weeks until the order backlog caught up, but it appears that Amazon currently lists it as in stock.
You'll find it hard to beat the price on the G53JW-XA1 versus any other gaming laptop of similar capabilities. Speaking of capabilities, this laptop is more than capable of running all the games out there today at max detail levels (with a few exceptions, such as Metro 2033).Some key points:- The chiclet keyboard is a pleasure to type on- Windows starts in about 30 seconds- You can log-in to windows via facial recognition- It looks and "performs" like a jet fighter ;)- Perfect cooling system. I never even heard the fan, and never felt significant heat on my lap.Some cons:- As to be expected, there is a decent amount of "bloatware" installed by ASUS that I had to uninstall.- The 2MP webcam has a sllllooowwww response time. May I suggest the Logitech HD Pro Webcam C910 with 1080p Video or the Logitech 2 MP Portable Webcam C905 / QuickCam Pro for Notebooks as amazing alternatives?- Had to use my Netgear router's configure button to get wireless working. It works great now, however.- The buttons on the touchpad are going to end up strengthening my finger muscles (read: the buttons require a good amount of pressure to click)If you're at all waffling about purchasing this laptop then hold off. In Q1 2011 you'll start seeing laptops come out with CPUs using Intel's new Sandy Bridge architecture. These laptops will be coming in at a similar price point, but will be significantly more powerful (+40% performance according to early tests). If you can't wait, however, pick this bad boy up... it's well worth it.
*!*!UPDATE!*!* 6/15/11On the 29th of May, the pin inside my DC-IN (where you plug the power into the laptop) broke off into DC power connector. This left me unable to charge my laptop (as I soon noticed on the next morning, waking to a powerless laptop). I called Asus on the 30th, filed an RMA, self-packaged my laptop, paid for shipping, and sent it off. They received it on July 9th, had it fixed, and sent it on its way back on the 10th. It looks like the motherboard was defective for my unit (unsure of this), as I heard on the phone and the website mention something about this, and they marked that they changed my motherboard. I haven't researched this, but if you already have this laptop, check around and see if you need to send your laptop in for a motherboard replacement. In any case, I was planning that I would have to literally call and bug them to get my laptop returned to me (seeing as how their customer service and repairs are somewhat infamous) and was surprised to have the job done so promptly. Other than that, I do not have much to add. The laptop is still working very well (like new, in fact). My only new complaint is that it is difficult to open. I have to take out about 16 screws from the top in order to take off the bottom. I added a 2nd hard drive into the my laptop (yes, there is room for two hard drives). Also, at this time, I had 2 hours and 15 minutes battery life with the laptop in battery saving mode, whilst browsing the net and pandora radio playing. I'm still glad I made the purchase for this laptop; I still recommend it.*!*!UPDATE!*!* 1/11/11So it's been over a month of use for my laptop and I am still impressed.I have not had any problems with any of the hardware. Since purchase, I've bought a Western Digital My Book Essential 1 TB USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive and have had amazing results with 3.0 transfer speeds. I was originally considering to purchase a 3.0 enclosure and HDD; however, the price for doing so (at the time of purchase) was as much or more than the $99 1TB WD My Book 3.0. Transfer speeds on a USB 2.0 port get up to roughly 25MB/S. I just tested a transfer on the 3.0 USB port and transfer was around 100MB/S. The slowest transfer speed I've yet had with the 3.0 was around 60MB/S (Note, you must have a 3.0 capable device plugged into the 3.0 port to receive 3.0 speeds).----(And thus, the review prior to my update)----The first feature I want to compliment is the cooling system. I've never used a laptop that has a more efficient system for cooling than this Asus. The air coming out can even get so hot that I've considered to try cooking ramen when in-game (I kid). At least I know that by the force and heat of its exhaust, and no signs of overheating, that it is doing its job.The second feature that really stuck out was the keyboard design. I know that several other laptops I've seen sport a similar design (and many do not), but I really like the extra space between keys. I do not have big fingers, but if you are a bigger fingered guy (or gal) who is worried about a cramped keyboard, this one wont be a problem. The lighting of he keyboards is beautiful, and adjustable. From dim to bright (but never too bight), you wont need any secondary light (or rely on the screen) to guide you through the night.The 1080p screen is truly bright and beautiful! But it is NOT 3D capable! Unfortunately, like most laptops, the sweet-spot viewing angle is very limited. More on all this later. The text may be too small with original settings for some people (if you find yourself needing reading glasses), but Windows 7 makes it easy to adjust the resolution and text size. The graphics card allows me to run in the highest settings in most games (or near highest). Some games I play are Battlefield: Bad Company 2, Civilization 5, Left4Dead 2, DiRT 2, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Dawn of War II... I do not have exact settings and FPS on-hand, but if you would like for me to let you know what I can run and how well, comment and I'll reply. I personally require over 30FPS and prefer 60FPS. Just to give an idea of the power of the CPU & GPU, I am able to emulate Wii and Gamecube games on the Asus smoothly. I am still working out the PS2.I specialize in photo-editing and photo-manipulation. Taxing projects run smoothly in Adobe Photoshop, especially when compiling and exporting. I also specialize in audio recording, mixing, mastering, and composure. It is not too difficult to get the CPU going around 30-40% in running programs such as FL Studio (when using several powerful VSTs), but I've not had any problem with the CPU capping.The touchpad is big and can support more than one touch (I believe it is multi-touch?). In other words, I can put two fingers on the touch-pad and push them apart to zoom in on the web or a picture. It feels sensitive enough to me and easy enough to use. Some people may find the two mouse buttons to be tougher than usual to click. I personally did not have any trouble with the mouse buttons being difficult to push (it may just be that I prefer rougher buttons). Then again, I am primarily using a mouse via USB. The rubber palm-wrest is a nice addition to keep your wrists from hurting after long periods of typing.So Pros-Powerful Processor & GPU-Beautiful Screen & Well Spaced, Lit Keyboard-Super Intelligent Cooling Design-System is quick to boot and quick to shutdown-Nice, Crisp Altec Lansing Speakers-Room for a 2nd hard drive.-2 hour and 15 minute battery life in battery saving mode with light computer usage.So now onto the less pretty things.The Windows 7 environment, coming from a since year-one XP user (up until receiving this laptop) was impressed in many ways with the intuitive nature of the OS. However, I was frustrated several times with how difficult it was to get something done (or undone). Some things were easy, but some things seemed ridiculously difficult to do. I guess I should back that up but ...this is largely because there are protective/administrative rights that sometimes prevent things (like old files and updates) from getting removed when there is an uninstallation, repair installation, or an update. I received a nonsensical error ([...]) that prevented me from installing Games for Windows Live (GFWL), which is required by several games (unfortunately) to be played. In the end, I had to reinstall Windows 7 (from discs not supplied) and was able to finally install GFWL. That problem aside, it's taking some time to get use to.The webcam is only sufficient. If you like smooth, hi-def webcams, this 2.0 MP wont be to your likings. Generally it is slow, and not very detailed. But all-in-all if you are just a casual chatter/webcammer then it will suffice. The mic is good enough for voice-chatting and VOIP; however, I wouldn't use it in any capacity to record vocals for tracks, or instruments, if I were aiming for semi-professional quality. Like the webcam, the mic get's the job done, but nothing more.For me, the placement of the power charger on the right side of the laptop (previous laptops I've used were on the back), is awesome. But for some, I could see this being a problem. I love the placement, however. It's about 60% ways back on the right side. The power converter (box thingamajiger that is in the middle of the cord) is very large.The CD/DVD drive is on the left side, close to two USB ports. I've had the cord of my mouse get in the way of the CD/DVD drive, but it is only a minor inconvenience. I just wish the drive was placed either further back, or the USB slots behind the drive.The sound is good once you've done some tweaking. The supplied "Altec Lansing" speakers sound really nice and crisp for laptop speakers. There is no lower-mid or bass (which should be expected by most). When hooking up to my receiver (via headphone/line-out) there was no bass in music coming from my bookshelf speakers and sub-woofer. I am not sure if everyone has this problem, but I had to disable special effects in the audio control panel (things such as reverb, EQ, etcetera. There is one box to uncheck to do this). If you need to know how to do this, place a comment. After I disabled the effects, I had a nice range of sound. Although I've been spoiled by my Creative X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Pro card in my desktop, the laptop sound quality isn't bad (output from the laptop). Although, how I like to listen to music, the laptop cannot compete with my Fatal1ty card.Despite the screen's beautiful quality, viewing anything that is not mono-color will gain or lose contrast based on the viewing angle. Tilt the screen back and you will immediately see the darks darken and soon begin to inverse. Tilt the screen forward and all the colors wash out and become brighter. My Cowon S9 has an AMOLED screen that doesn't wash out at any angle, and this screen being LED (which I am taking as being different from LCD), I had hoped that there would be a wide angle sweet-spot for viewing.The product was listed by Nvidia as containing a 3D capable screen (under Notebook LCD). It listed Asus G53JW without any suffix (e.g. -XA1). This led me to believe, along with Asus' poorly worded website, that this laptop had a 3D capable screen. In no capacity is it a 3D capable screen. After purchasing a Nvidia 3D Vision kit, and calling customer services (Asus and Nvidia) I came to an understanding that it did not have a 3D capable screen. It can output to one, but it does not have one. Even though Amazon does not list this product as 3D capable, I still assumed it was based on my research with Asus and Nvidia. Maybe this is obvious to you, but if some of you are like me, you may wish to know this before purchase. If you do want this in 3D, search for the G53JW-3DE version. After having informed the Nvidia representative about the misleading information on their website, they've since adjusted it (removing the laptop listings altogether).It is heavy. But the mobility I wanted was to be able to transport my laptop from desk to desk or take it overseas to a fancier desk. This isn't a laptop you carry with you on a nature hike or lug around a campus to sit in the grass and check Facebook. I'd imagine for most of those checking out this laptop, weight was hardly a deciding factor.So Cons-Adjusting to Windows 7 for a lifetime XP user-Mediocre webcam-Possible placement conflicts-Mouse buttons possibly tough to push.-Limited viewing angles.-Rather heavy-Difficult to open up to the basic innards.And The Other-I tested battery life at 100% to 10%, just light usage (web and music), lowest brightness, and it lasted somewhere from 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes. That may not be impressive compared to some light, underperforming laptops, but I hope nobody will buy this for superb battery life. It's good enough to chill out back for awhile. (Just happening to be testing my laptop battery on 6/15 and it lasted over two hours with light use. You can read about it in the update at the top).-It is pretty heavy. That should be expected.-When I called the Asus tech support (regarding the monitor not being recognized as 3D capable), the guy sounded like he knew very little about computers, always having to search their database. Nvidia on the other hand, the guy knew more than me. So yay for Nvidia support, boo for Asus support.-I had red, bloody eyes after the first day. Be sure to take breaks, especially at first if you aren't on laptops often.-The laptop included a LCD nice screen cleaning cloth. Nice!I realize it's hard to find our perfect review that tells us everything we want to know. And since I aim to be helpful, I will update this when I can. Please comment with your questions, where I was unclear, or where I may have been wrong, and I will do my best to comment back and answer your questions.
When looking at computers I look at what I am expecting to do with it, and how much money I am willing to spend. After searching for a suitable desktop replacement I came across this laptop. My primary goal with this laptop was going to be video editing (HD video using Sony Vegas Pro). I was looking for an i7, at least 1gb dedicated video card, and over 10gb of ram. I found all of this in the Asus G53JW-XA1. After doing some forum digging, I realized with the HDD expansion bay installing an SSD would be easy, provided when you ordered the bracket for the SSD it was in stock. I installed an Intel 120GB SSD with no issues, from power on to desktop ready to work takes around 8 seconds. The memory can be expanded to 16gb, with some patience and attention to detail. Right out of the box the SSD installation and 4gb ram upgrade is easy and can be achieved in about 30 minutes, tops. A youtube search for a guide will show how to install both the HDD and ram, Xotic pc has a great guide. I also turned on the laptop once to verify everything was working then proceeded to perform a fresh install of Windows 7 Pro, I will say that the included ASUS drivers disc is useful, there is also a guide for recommended driver installation, just search it. It basically goes from around 30 drivers/apps to 14, so less bloatware and drivers that may crash the system, more specifically the CREATIVE audio driver.Pros:*True Desktop replacement*Nice screen (I am connected via HDMI to a 1080p HD Asus Display, so the screen lid stays closed, but the quality was nice when I was making sure the laptop arrived in good condition)*1.5 GB Graphics Card*Decent BIOS*Ease of 2 HDD bay install/4th ram slot upgrade*Matte black finish of laptop, doesn't show dust and finger prints as easily*The cooling is also great even when editing/encoding videoCons:*For using as a desktop replacement the location of the power input is horrible, it is right next to the LAN connection, and limits the placement on a desk when trying to perform cable management.*Placement of USB ports, miss having some connectivity on the rear. I will take better cooling due to massive exhaust over usb ports thoughConclusionEverybody has different reasons for purchasing laptops/computers, I had a very specific reason and knew what I wanted. For the price, this laptop can almost compete with the price of a desktop with the same specs, I said almost, but then again the laptop is mobile. I would suggest this laptop.
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