Solved! Sell my Optioned Macbook pro 17 for an Asus G73 ???

[5abivt]

Would just love to hear peoples opinions. I take this laptop to work and Im almost always connected to a power source. It's a Macbook pro Unibody 17". I got it ordered with the 3.06 ghz cpu and a 128 gb SSD 4GB ram and the 9600GT 512mb. As my first new mac product I was blown away by 2 things. 1. Price. 2. performance & reliability. This laptop has been PHENOMENAL over the last year. It boots up in 10 seconds and shuts down in 1 second. The screen is brilliant and it just looks epic which is one of the reasons why I had to have it. I spent over $3300 cdn on it. It was also my first experience with osx which is amazing. no pop ups. no garbage. no errors. no slowdowns. no spyware blah blah blah. it just works like it did on day 1 blazing fast.

now my problem is I do game a little on it. i play wow and frozen throne on it. I WANT to be able to play CS source and COD 4 on it as well which I believe CS source will not play on a mac unless I boot camp which I dont want to bother with. I am more than tempted to sell it to buy an Asus g73 with 8gb ram, the i7, gtx 460 etc etc. The specs are just awesome on that machine. I ABSOLUTELY HATE APPLES MOUSE ACCELERATION. I cannot get rid of it. I even have a mac specific death adder mouse I use and it helps but I cant stand the feel of the mouse. I get home on my desktop and the mouse is just epic.

ANyone have experience with both?

I will be carrying it in and out of work every day (2 minute walk from the car to inside)

I know my mac plays wow well but I want to be able to play cs Source cod/4 and crank up the settings.

How is the build quality on the Asus?

Opinions on Mac OSX vs Windows 7 ? My experience is limited to xp 32 bit. I bought an HP HDX (20 inch laptop) last year and it was cool but hated vista ultimate.

Also if anyone knows where i can customize an Asus IN canada that would be great.

The Asus I will get if I do decide to sell the mac is:

i7 proc
8 GB ram
GTX 460 Nvidia
2 X OCZ 90GB SSD HDs

I realize that this hardware will probably blow my macbooks into last year but I don't want to regret the decision. I dont want to open up the lid on an asus and cry when i see square edges, and the plastic frame around the screen or even hear it creak. Will I miss the glass touchpad on the mac? Ive become so used to it I cry when i see people using a regular laptop pad with 2 buttons.

Is there a better built machine out there that has a great video card, and has a build quality simialr to a macbook ? I like the Asus ventilation and stealth bomber looks but not so sure about the rest.


Any thoughts or comments are appreciated.

 

[buwish]

I guess it depends on how important gaming is to you in comparison to the other things you use the macbook for. What else do you use it for, i.e. graphic editing, etc...? If you want to step over to PC, you are surely getting more bang for your buck in regard to the hardware, not to mention that Asus makes a quality/reliable laptop. In regard to Windows, it has evolved immensely since XP. I used MAC OS a fair amount in college, but that was a few years ago. I would say that it's still the same old Windows under the hood, but with a far more modern UI- something similar to MAC OS. W7 isn't as a big of a resource hog as Vista and it is a lot smoother, but not as seamless as MAC OS.

Take a look at the GPU link in my sig to get an idea of what you'd be getting graphics wise with your current configuration. You may want to step up to a 480m or even go with an HD 5870.

What is your planned budget?

 

[5abivt]

I pretty much use it for nothing intensive. Browsing the web, watching movies or streaming sports or youtube. I do like playing with imovie and such. I read about the Asus not having a great LCD which is one thing I think will be very important, especially viewing area. I am walking back and forth while I watch the laptop at work and I think maybe Im taking for granted the macs screen.

I don't think I need a killer video card for CS source and world of warcraft with the occasional cod4. But on breaks I do want to be able to play those games .

I've been starting to think about an MX17 as well now. I saw a review on youtube which shows it has a glass (or similar) screen like the macs that goes edge toedge which to me looks really good. I don't think I'd want to go sli as it drives the price up way too much and from what I see they just offer dx10 games atm.

I double checked my invoice from apple and my mac was $3197 + tax. Ouch. I was planing to sell for $2400 or so and maybe pitch in a few hundred if I HAD to. so basically $2700 is ballpark.

 

[Maziar]

Your MBP has a better build/display quality than G73 along with more battery life and less weight.
However,if you are planning to play games,then G73 is a good choice.AW M17x is even better and has an awesome RGB LED display.

 

[5abivt]

Right now alienware needs an update. I dont think i want to buy an AW in light of all the competition like the g73 that everyone is jumping on. The last thing i would want is to spend 3k and then see a new model that is better in every way a few months later. Other wise it looked like the better bet.

I looked at my MBP and perhaps its because I have a Zagg full shield on it and a speck satin case I never really get to see it in it's aluminum beauty. I really do love this machine i'm very used to it in every way. It's just for gaming.... i would use a laptop more than I do if i was able to play all my windows games.

ANyhow I priced out a build i think I will consider :

ASUS G73JW-XR1 Republic of Gamers Laptop
- No Notebook Cooler
- No External Keyboard or Mouse
- No Fingerprint Reader
- No Dock/Hub/Adapter
- None Standard*
- No Car Adapter
- Smart Li-ion Battery (8-Cell)
- Asus G Series Backpack made by Targus - SPECIAL!
- Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
- No TV Tuner
- Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
- No Network Accessory
- Intel® Ultimate-N 6300 - 802.11A/B/G/N Wireless LAN Module (Includes 3rd Antenna)
- Internal Bluetooth + EDR
- - 2X/4X Blu-Ray Reader + 8X DVDRW/CDRW Super Multi Combo Drive
- Internal 8-in-1 Card Reader: MMC/SD/Mini-SD/XD/Memory Stick/MS Pro/MS Duo/MS Pro Duo
- No Floppy Drive
- No Back Up Software
- No Back Up Hard Drive
- NO External USB Optical Drive
- No Additional Hard Drive in ODD Bay (When adding Hard Drive, Optical Drive Is Not Included/Removed)
- - 90GB OCZ Vertex 2 Sandforce Solid State Drive (Up to Sequential Read 285MB/s - Write 275MB/s SSD Serial-ATA II)
- - 90GB OCZ Vertex 2 Sandforce Solid State Drive (Up to Sequential Read 285MB/s - Write 275MB/s SSD Serial-ATA II)
- Standard Matching Color WASD Keys
- Standard White Backlit Keyboard
- Default Blue LED Light Bar (Below LCD)
- No Afterburner Light Package
- Standard Finish
- 8,192MB (8GB) DDR3 1333MHz Dual Channel Memory (2x4GB)
- No Video Adapter
- nVidia GeForce GTX 460M 1,536MB PCI-Express GDDR5 DX11
- IC Diamond Thermal Compound - CPU + GPU-
- - Intel® Core™ i7-740QM, 1.73-2.93GHz, (45nm, 6MB L3 cache) - Standard
- ASUS Zero Bright Dot (ZBD) 30 Day Pixel Guarantee
- 17.3" FHD 16:9 "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright LED Glossy Screen (1920x1080)-
- FREE!! UPS GROUND SHIPPING (Use Coupon Code FREESHIP in Checkout - US Only)
- No Xotic PC Gear
- 1 Year ASUS GLOBAL Warranty 24/7 Support / 1 Year North America (N.A.) Accidental Coverage (Accidental Requires Registration)
- No Software Bundle
- No Office Software
- No thanks, do not create backup recovery DVD's
- Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit Pre-Installed + Drivers & Utilities Disk
- No Thanks, Please do not Overclock my system

 

[Maziar]

That's a great config
If the looks of the laptop aren't important to you,then consider Sager laptops too.It's high-end models offer a great price/performance ratio.

 

[5abivt]

Ok so I decided the Asus is out. It's just too big. One big thing I love about my mac is how small and light it is. I do love the fact that the battery lasts 8 hrs give or take which is great (obviously not gaming) but considering over the whole time I've had it I'm almost always plugged in I'm giving thought to the ALienware M15x.

Im able to configure an alienware with :

oftware & Services
PROCESSOR Intel® Core™ i7 740QM Quad Core Processor, 1.73GHz (2.93GHz Turbo Mode, 6M Cache edit
OPERATING SYSTEM Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit, English edit
VIDEO CARD 1.5GB GDDR5 65W NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 460M edit
LCD PANEL 15.6-inch WideFHD 1920x1080 (1080p) WLED edit
MEMORY 8GB Dual Channel Memory (2x 4GB DDR3) edit
HARD DRIVE 128GB Solid State Drive edit
INTERNAL OPTICAL DRIVE Slot-Load Dual Layer DVD Burner (DVD+-RW, CD-RW) edit



It's coming out less than what im being offered for my macbook. On paper it should beat my mac in every way but I need to decide if I'm up for giving windows another chance.

ANyone have any opinions on overall dimensions between the 15x and the mbp 17 ? Are they close in size ? I'm tempted by the hardware on paper and to try gaming on a laptop with some serious grunt.

I just wish someone would make gaming machine that has round edges and a glass screen like the mac. I'd buy ANYTHING even if it was $4,000 if it just looked like a mac and had balls !

 

[BeefBravo]

Alienware is over priced. If the G73 is available with a "Fermi" (GeForce 460M or 480M) then it will be worth the go. The only cons I've read about the G73 was an issue with the original ATI graphics cards that were put in them. I have a G72 and the build quality is great. It performs well too & plays everything I throw at it on high settings. The G73 will easily outperform my G72 (especially with a GeForce GTX 480M & i7 under the hood). I have had zero problems with my G72 (I bought it a just 2 weeks before the G73 was announced; I wish I waited a bit longer now...lol).

 

[BeefBravo]

Asus makes a 15" notebook that competes with the Alienware for half the price. It's basically a 15" version of the G73. It has an i7, GeForce GTX 460M, 6GB DDR3 and is priced at $1449 through Newegg. It has a 1920x1080 screen too. The only setback is that it comes with a 500GB HDD @ 5200RPM (easily upgradable as is the RAM though). I recommend Asus over Alienware any day. Just my 2 cents, but I think Alienware is over priced when compaired to their competitors.

 

[BeefBravo]

http/www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220861

Just another option to consider (especially over the Alienware M15X)

 

[BeefBravo]

http/www.xoticpc.com/asus-g53jwa1-pre-order-p-2857.html?wconfigure=yes

This is another option to consider. XoticPC gives you upgrade options.

 

[5abivt]

Thanks for all those ideas guys I'm looking into them all !

My very last option would be to sell my Mac and just buy a new Mac with an i7 2.66 with 4gb ram (upgrade to 8 myself ), a 128 ssd and the new 330mgt gpu. Would cost me about $400 for the upgrade considering what I'd be getting for mine. I would gain a better proc, slightly better gpu an about an hour battery life. Hmm...

 

[Maziar]

Like i said,it really depends on what you do.
MBP 17" has a better build quality and more battery life than either M15x/G73JW but if you are going to play games, then consider a gaming laptop instead.
Or you can keep your MBP(with the upgrades) and build a cheap desktop for gaming.

 

[5abivt]

I already have a desktop this is mainly for lugging back and forth to work with me and play while I work or on breaks etc. In my line of work Im able to watch movies and stay online and do random stuff while I'm work here and there. I just wanted to be able to play CS source especially since its a perfect time killer and an easy game to play on/off when time allows.

My desktop is old but still plays all I need (28" lcd, e6750 c2d @ 3.4 ghz, 4 gb Mushkin Ram, 680i sli board, ANtec 850 quattro psu, GTX 470, p182 case. Nothing spectacular but plays the games I like very well so far.

 

[BeefBravo]

I looked at the MBP last night. When compaired to the Asus models a MBP would cost about $600 more for a lower performing model. I didn't look at upgrades or options, but they would only drop the price up further beyong that. So for a ruelly compaiable MBP you are going to pay a much higher price. I'm not too familiar with the "build quality" of the MBP, but if you consider paying a premium price for some minor aesthetically advanced qualities acceptable, then you could (in theory) "option" a MBP to the same specs as one of the Asus or Alienware models. Keep in mind though that if you invested those additional funds into upgrades on the Asus models you'll end up with a much higher performing machine. The bottom line is that if you want the best bang for your buck value then Asus is the way to go.