There have been "desktop-replacement” PCs that are notebooks almost in name only, such as Eurocom’s recently-reviewed Core i7-based D900F Panther. Perhaps light enough to carry from your office to the parking lot, such behemoths appeal mostly to those who want a desktop they can take home rather than a computing device they can take anywhere. This explains the drive by Intel to put Core i7 technology in a smaller, more heat-efficient product suitable for a wider user base, which we recently revealed as Clarksfield.
Always near the forefront of mobile technology, Asus jumped at the chance to build a gaming notebook using the new processor series. Yet, in an effort to reduce both heat and cost, Asus chose a far different product than the i7-920XM that Chris reviewed. Running 400 MHz slower and with 2MB less cache, the G51J’s i7-720QM allows Asus to price its product within easy reach of many mainstream gamers. Let’s see how it stacks up to our most modern gaming notebooks.
Asus G51J-A1 Configuration Comparison | |||
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Model | Asus G51J-A1 | Eurocom D900F Panther | MSI GT725-212US |
CPU | Intel Core i7-720QM 1.60 GHz-2.80 GHz, Quad Cores DMI 2.5GT/s, 6.0MB L3 Cache | Intel Core i7-965 Extreme 3.20 GHz-3.46 GHz, Quad Cores QPI 6.4GT/s, 8.0MB L3 Cache | Intel Core 2 Quad Q9000 2.00 GHz, Quad Cores FSB-1066, 6.0MB L2 Cache |
Chipset | Intel PM55 Express PCH | Intel X58/ICH10R | Intel PM45/ICH9M |
RAM | 4.0GB PC3-8500 | 6.0GB DDR3-1333 (as listed) | 4.0GB DDR2-800 |
Graphics | Nvidia GeForce GTX 260M 1.0GB | Nvidia GeForce GTX 280M 1.0GB | ATI Radeon HD 4850 512MB |
Display | 15.6" LED Backlit 1080p (1920x1080) | 17" WUXGA (1920x1200) | 17" WUXGA (1920x1200) |
HDD | 2x Seagate 7200.4 320GB, No-RAID | 2x Seagate 7200.4 500GB RAID 0 | WD Scorpio Black 320GB |
Sound | Integrated HD Audio, Soft EAX 4.0 | Integrated HD Audio | Integrated HD Audio |
Wired LAN | Integrated Gigabit LAN | Integrated Gigabit LAN | Integrated Gigabit LAN |
Wireless LAN | Intel WiFi Link 1000 802.11n | Intel WiFi Link 5300 802.11n | Atheros AR928X 802.11n |
Telephony | None | Integrated 56k Fax Modem | Integrated 56k Fax Modem |
Bluetooth | Internal Bluetooth Module | Internal Bluetooth Module | Internal Bluetooth Module |
Optical | H-L Data GT30N DVD-RAM | Panasonic UJ-130 BD-ROM DVD±RW | Optiarc BC-5500S BD-ROM DVD±RW |
Media Reader | Multi-format flash card interface | Multi-format flash card interface | Multi-format flash card interface |
Webcam | 2.0 Megapixel | 2.0 Megapixel | 2.0 Megapixel |
Expansion | ExpressCard/54 | ExpressCard/54 | ExpressCard/54 |
USB 2.0 | Four Ports (2 left, 2 right) | 4 Ports (right-side) | 4 Ports (2 left, 2 right) |
IEEE-1394 | 1x FireWire 400 (left-side) | 1x FireWire 400 (left-side) | 1x FireWire 400 (right-side) |
eSATA | 1x eSATA 3.0Gb/s (left-side) | 1x eSATA 3.0Gb/s (left-side) | 1x eSATA 3.0Gb/s (right-side) |
Audio I/O | Headphone/Digital Optical Out Combo, Microphone, Line-Input (right-side) | Line-In, Digital Out, Microphone, Headphone (front edge) | Headphone, Digital Out, Line-In, Microphone (right-side) |
Video Out | 1x VGA, 1x HDMI (left-side) | 1x DVI (rear), 1x HDMI (left-side) | 1x VGA, 1x HDMI (rear) |
Battery | Six-cell 11.1V 4800mAh | 12-cell 14.4V 6600mAh | Nine-cell 10.8V 7800mAh |
Weight | Notebook 7.4 lbs, Power Adapter 1.3 lbs., Total 8.7 lbs. | Notebook 11.8 lbs., Power Adapter 2.6 lbs., Total 14.4 lbs. | Notebook 7.8 lbs., Power Adapter 1.3 lbs., Total 9.1 lbs. |
OS | Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium | Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate | Windows Vista Home Premium |
Warranty | Two-year parts and labor (w/overnight shipping), One-Year accidental damage | One-year return service | Three-year electronics parts/labor One-year LCD/Battery |
Support | Two-year toll-free telephone | One-year online and telephone | Three-year online tech support |
Total Price | $1,500 | $4,586 | $1,600 |