Asus G51J Core i7 Mobile Gaming Notebook Review
Introduction and Specifications
Windows 7 is upon us, and with the launch of Microsoft's self-proclaimed "best operating system" comes a slew of new desktop machines, notebooks, and netbooks looking to take advantage of its added stability and features. One of the companies that is looking to serve up a number of new Win7-based rigs is Asus, and without a doubt they have assembled an interesting and compelling offering in their G51J-A1 notebook. Hitting the sweet spot between the average-sized 15" machine and the full-on desktop replacement, the refreshed G51 maintains the 15" form factor yet packs enough horsepower to plow through even the latest game titles.
If you'll recall, we reviewed the prior G51 back in August, a machine that went by the name of G51VX-RX05. The G51J-A1 (which we're looking at today) is exactly, spec-for-spec, the same machine except for three huge differences: the processor, chipset, and operating system. At the heart of the G51J-A1 is the brand spankin' new Intel Core i7-720QM CPU, which is clocked at 1.60GHz with a 2.8GHz Turbo Boost function, pared to the mobile PM55 chipset. And of course, Windows Vista has been replaced by Windows 7 Home Premium, an OS that feels more solid and less resource intensive from top to bottom.
What you're left with is a really capable gaming machine with plenty of power to handle day-to-day duties, multimedia playback and pretty much anything else you'd expect from a portable machine. All within a case that's just marginally thicker than "standard" 15" machines. It's a nice package for those desiring high-end performance normally found only within 17"+ desktop replacements, but in an enclosure that won't break your back when lugging it around. So, the only question now is how well does it really perform. Follow us through the pages to come to find out.
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- Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
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- Intel Core i7-720QM 1.6GHz Quad-Core Processor (2.8GHz Turbo Boost)
- Intel's PM55 Express Chipset (1333MHz FSB)
- 4GB of DDR3 RAM (1066MHz)
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260M Mobile GPU
- 15.6 Inch Glossy Full HD Display (1920x1080)
- VGA and HDMI Outputs
- Two (2) 320GB ST9320423AS Seagate Momentus 7200.4 Hard Drives; 7200RPM
- 8x Super Multi DVD Burner (Hitachi HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GT30N)
- 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi (Intel WiFi Link 1000 BGN)
- Integrated 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet, Bluetooth 2.0
- Integrated 2.1 Altec-Lansing Speaker System (Bottom-Mounted Subwoofer)
- 2.0 MP Camera
- 3-in-1 Multimedia Card Reader (SD, MMC, MSPRO)
- ExpressCard 54 Slot
- 2 x USB 2.0 Ports; 1 x Mini 1394 (FireWire); 1 x USB 2.0 compliant / eSATA port with PowerShare; 2 headphone jacks; 1 audio input
- 14.6" x 10.3" x 1.3" - 1.6" - Dimensions
- 7.2 Pounds - Weight
- Bundled Backpack And Razer Mouse
- 6-Cell Battery
- Retail (Before Discounts) Price As Tested: $1499
- 2 Year Standard Warranty, 1 Year Accidental Damage, Free Two-Way Shipping
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