ASUS G53JW-XA1 Republic of Gamers 15.6-Inch Gaming Laptop Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)*!*!UPDATE!*!* 1/11/11
So 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 SpeakersSo 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
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.
-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...Read more›

Click Here to see more reviews about: ASUS G53JW-XA1 Republic of Gamers 15.6-Inch Gaming Laptop

They'll Never Know What Hit'em Every gamer knows that the latest games demands the best performance. But we don't believe in just meeting the minimum requirements, we believe in obliterating them. That's why we made sure that the Republic of Gamers (ROG) G53Jw-XA1 was jam-packed with one-of-a-kind innovation that propel mobile gaming performance to unseen levels. Featuring the new NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M graphics engine that comes with a massive 1.5GB of GDDR5 VRAM, the ROG G53Jw-XA1 leads in DirectX 11 gaming for advanced tessellation and faster graphics rendering. This gaming powerhouse, powered by the Intel Core i7-740QM quad-core processor, soars while performing several tasks simultaneously. And while others struggle to find the keys in dimly lit areas, the backlit gaming keyboard gives you the edge in the dark to put you ahead of the competition. The ROG G53Jw-XA1 showcases a stealth fighter-inspired design with a unique thermal design that promotes airflow and keeps the air away from you. Plus, its 15.6-inch LED-backlit full HD display lets you experience the latest in high-definition entertainment with brilliant 1080p playback.The ROG G53Jw-XA1 breaks from the heard of traditional gaming notebooks with built-in overclocking feature through the ASUS Power4Gear Hybrid utility – instantly giving you extreme power with a push of a button. The ROG G53Jw-XA1 also boasts 500GB 7200RPM hard drive, 6GB DDR3 system memory, high-speed wireless N, Intel Turbo Boost technology, SuperSpeed USB 3.0 connectivity, Bluetooth v2.1, HDMI connectivity, 2.0 megapixel camera, and Altec Lansing speakers with EAX Advanced HD 4.0 sound.

Key Features
15.6-inch LED-backlit full HD display for immersive cinematic experience with resolution up to 1920 x 1080 (Learn more)
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M graphics with 1.5GB GDDR5 VRAM for unprecedented DirectX 11 gaming(Learn more)
Intel Core i7-DD740QM processor with Intel Turbo Boost technology to automatically boost speed to your task at hand (Learn more)
ASUS Power4Gear Hybrid that innovatively saves battery life and delivers extreme performance (Learn more)
SuperSpeed USB 3.0 for quicker device charging and up to 10x faster transfers than USB 2.01
500GB 7200RPM hard drive and 6GB of DDR3 system memory for smooth computing and ample storage for all your games and media files (Learn more)
Backlit gaming keyboard with ergonomic tilt-up design for comfortable control in any lighting environment (Learn more)
Altec Lansing speakers and EAX Advanced HD Audio for premium gaming sound (Learn more)

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Relax, ASUS Has You Covered Ranked as the #1 most reliable PC brand by 3 independent sources2, readers and editors alike choose ASUS as their trusted notebook and netbook. ASUS relentlessly strive to exceed expectations of quality to ensure you an unmatched peace of mind every time you start your PC. This model is also backed by a strong commitment with the industry's most comprehensive warranty.
1 Year ASUSGlobal Warranty3 Offers a level of coverage that would add hundreds of dollars tothe price of competing laptops:
1year global warranty
30 day Flawless Display Guarantee
2-way free standard shipping
24/7 tech support

1 Year Accidental Damage Warranty (ADW)3 Whether your notebook is damaged by accidental spills, drops, electrical surges, or fire, ASUS will fix it or replace it for you during the first year after purchase.
Covers accidental drops, spills, power surges, and fire damage
Target 3 business day turnaround time for repair / replacement; not including receiving and shipping time
1-way shipping (from ASUS to the user) at no additional cost
24/7 toll-free phone support

What's in the Box
ROG G53Jw-XA1
AC Adapter
8 cell Battery Pack
Warranty Information Card

Specifications
OperatingSystem: Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
Display: 15.6-inch LED-backlit full HD display (1920 x 1080)
Processor: Intel Core i7-740QM quad-core processor (1.73 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 2.93 GHz)
Chipset: Intel HM55
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M 1.5GB GDDR5 VRAM
WLAN: 802.11 b/g/n (@ 2.4GHz), Bluetooth v2.1
LAN: 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet
Memory: 6GB DDR3 1333 MHz RAM, 4 x SODIMM (expandable to 16GB)
Storage:500GB 7200RPM hard drive
Optical Drive: Super Multi DVD
Camera: 2.0 megapixel
Speakers: Altec Lansing speakers with EAX 4.0 sound
Microphone: Digital Array Microphone
Card Reader: 8-in-1 card reader (MMC/SD/Mini-SD/XD/Memory stick/MS Pro/MS-Duo/MS-Pro Duo)
Input/ Output: 1 x Mic-in, 1 x Headphone-out, 1 x VGA port/Mini D-Sub 15-pin for external monitor, 3 x USB 2.0 ports, 1 x USB 3.0 port, 1 x Gigabit LAN,1 x HDMI, 1 x Kensington Lock
Battery: 8 cell
Dimensions: 15.6 x 11.9 x 0.8 ~ 2.0 –inches
Weight: 7.9 lbs (with 8 cell battery)
Color:Black

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1All figures theoretical values compared to USB 2.0 benchmarks for reference purposes. Actual speed depends on device and system status. 2Rated number 1 Windows-based PC maker in PCMag.com's Service & Reliability Report 2010. Rated number 1 PC brand according to SquareTrade, the leading direct-to-consumer warranty company (for more information visit http://www.squaretrade.com/pages/laptop-reliability-1109/ ). Rated number 1 reliable PC maker in Q2 2010's RESCUECOM report http://www.rescuecom.com/2010-2nd-Quarter-Computer-Reliability-Report.html 3ASUS reserves the right to exclude certain SKUs; check with your retailer to confirm coverage of specific models. Valid for notebooks purchased in the US and Canada only. Certain retailers do not participate in ADW coverage. For complete details, please visit: usa.asus.com/event/ASUS360 and adw.asus.com/.

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