Tested: ASUS G74SX 3D and N73SV - 17-inch powerplants

For content form, ASUS notit my tattoo! It’s a pleasure to write about notebooks, especially when high technology is built into them. These machines are kind of soundproof desktop PCs, just about everything much smaller, much more compact. For us technomans, a well-assembled notebook can be a real pleasure, as the designers delight us with heart-warming technical solutions due to the limited space available.

The two machines now coming to us praise the hands of ASUS designers, and of course the engineers at Intel and NVIDIA, who are responsible for performance. Speaking of praise, we can’t go without saying Intel’s fault, which made the IT press loud earlier this year.

It is known that a small grain of sand got into the machine in connection with the Sandy Bridge, the S67 controller in the P67, HXNUMX chipsets did not work perfectly, which could theoretically have led to data loss. In the meantime, this bug has been fixed, so ASUS machines that have just come to us now carry the new, improved chipset. Anyone who buys these no longer has to worry about the fault or possibly run a machine replacement. ASUS sent two completely different yet fundamentally similar configurations for the test. The basics in this case can be taken literally, since the chipset is the same, but everything else that is built on or around it is different. This allows you to create an office and a player configuration on a base. As the article will reveal, the basics are the same, but the two machines are completely different, both (at least graphically) in performance and externally.

The reason is simple, there are quite different expectations for an individual working with a machine and a different one playing with it. True, at work in this case we can best understand the usual office activities, if only because they rarely buy a laptop as a graphics workstation. So let's cut into the demonstration, start with the simpler and cheaper machine, and then put the monster for the players under the autopsy!

ASUS N73SV outside

A standard ASUS machine, 17,3 ″ in size, comes out of the standard ASUS packaging. This sounds boring now (not the size, of course), but it’s not, as ASUS laptops are going through very serious trunk development year after year, so in many cases they don’t follow but rather dictate the pace of the market. The cover is made of fiber-drawn aluminum, the metal radiates reliability, and the cool touch floods the owner with satisfaction. Well, it was just a sentence now, as if we had copied it from a brochure, even though it covers the truth. Opening the 3,4-pound machine reveals a solid yet eye-catching design.

The shape may already be familiar in connection with our previous articles, the meeting of the lower and upper part at the hinges has succeeded in a really elegant line. The keyboard brings the usual standard. The buttons move a relatively long way, but their operation is definitely nonetheless. With this machine, it is important that the spring force is well hit, because although the machine is specifically recommended by the manufacturer for entertainment, zehe listening, watching movies, I can still imagine that many people will choose it for work as well.

And this means that the prospective owner is likely to type a lot, and for anyone who writes a lot, it’s important that their fingers don’t get tired of pressing the keys. You can also see in the pictures that the numeric keypad did not lag behind the machine either, which is really positive. True, this is why the buttons are a bit cluttered around the enter, but in a short time, things can get used to it. Below the key, in the usual place, you will find the rather large touchpad, which is slightly recessed relative to the surrounding surface.

This solution is advantageous because the edge of the bench is well perceptible, but it is disadvantageous to have breakfast over the machine because crumbs collect in it. As a joke aside, cleaning the edges of the recessed surface can be a bit tricky, and of course not because of the crumbs. It is important that the wrist rest is also made of metal, so it does not heat up our hands even during prolonged use. There will also be a point in the gamer's note, which is an internal ability, but I still feel closer to the outside, and of course there is one now.

It’s nothing more than a sound system, which since it’s a quality entertainment machine, can’t be crappy. At ASUS, this is called SonicMAster technology and joint development with the deservedly renowned Bang & Olufsen. They promise the end of box sound, distortion, it’s time for the hi-fi era on the PC. After the outside, let's get acquainted with the inside!

ASUS N73SV inside

This page does not describe the exact configuration of the test configuration, it will be found in the measurements. The machines are always available in several configurations, and we do not know which versions will appear on the domestic market. In light of this, we’re more in line with the available solutions now, and with the gamer notation as well. We have already described that the machine is based on the latest HM65 Express chipset. There will be three types of processors. These are the Intel Core i7 2630QM, i5 2410M or i3 2310M.

It can be seen that a serious power plant and a machine offering the entrance level can be built on the same frame. DDR3 1333 MHz modules are eaten from memory. These can be used to build a two- or three-way system, depending on what the processor wants. For a three-way deployment, the maximum amount of memory can be 12 GB, for a two-way deployment 8 GB. We will also be able to see two versions from the display, although if we had to place a bet we would guess that the first version will be available. This is nothing more than a traditional TFT operating at 1600 × 900 pixels.

Of course, this would not be enough for a more serious installation, so in theory a solution with FullHD resolution and LED backlight could be included in the machine. Mass storage sizes can range from 320 GB / 5400 RPM to 750 GB / 7200 RPM. There are three halves of an optical drive. It can be a simple DVD burner, a Blu-ray DVD combo or a Blu-ray burner. We will have no problem accessing networks or other machines and devices. There are n standard WIFIs in addition to gigabit Ethernet. There’s no lack of Bluetooth either, but whether it’s 2.1 or 3.0 standard depends on the deployment.

An important point that we should not listen to is the battery. Well, ASUS has no problem with this, as we can get two types of batteries, but in both cases we can get six-cell batteries. The smaller 4400 can handle the larger 5500 mAh. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the thicker piece is likely to come with thicker machines. On the next page you can already meet the gamer machine, we leave the experience of operation and use on the last page, before which you can even see the results of the measurements.

ASUS N73SV: Full specification