Technology Test Drive and Review

March 30, 2012

Asus G74SX Review

While mainstream users are still snapping up tablets in order to play Angry Birds in front of the TV, hardcore gamers will still need to look to powerful laptops if they want their portable fix of fragging. The Asus G74SX is the latest in a long line of expensive laptops which promise to deliver the graphical grunt you would normally only find on a desktop PC. At this end of the market the money should really not be an obstacle, so it all comes down to features and performance.

The G74SX is definitely endowed with class-leading capabilities, the most obvious of which is the large 17.3 inch screen that has a native resolution of 1920×1080 for full HD gaming and movie playback. Because this screen is also 3D ready you can play some of the latest titles in all of their stereoscopic glory, provided you do not mind wearing those active shutter glasses that are necessary to correctly view the effect. The offshoot of 3D compatibility is that the screen is also very bright, so even when used in 2D mode it will feel alive with colour and action.

In terms of processing power the G74SX does not let gamers down thanks to its Intel Core i7 2630QM CPU which can blaze through most tasks without any issues. You also get 8GB of RAM and a terabyte and a half of storage space, which is more than most high end desktops and certainly a good deal roomier than rival laptops like the Alienware M18x.

On the media side of things there is a Blu Ray drive built into this Asus machine, so you can watch 3D movies from the disc as well as your 2D collection. Of course the cavernous hard drive lends itself to HD movie downloads via the Wi-Fi connection, although video streaming may be more your thing given the number of competing services which offer this for a monthly fee.

Tests show that you will only get about an hour and a half of battery life out of the Asus G74SX, but this is hardly surprising given the power hungry nature of the hardware which you will find inside of its shell. The components also mean that it is a little on the heavy side, weighing in at 4.6 kilograms. However, all gaming laptops are invariably weighty and people looking to invest in one will have to take this in their stride.

If you want to play Battlefield 3 or Skyrim when you are out and about then this is the laptop to choose. Its 3D display is big and bright enough to keep your eyes on the prize and its media playback will let you take the functions of a Freeview DVD player with you on the road. Just be prepared for the Asus G74SX to make quite a dent in your bank balance.