What's an ASUS and should I get one?

Okay, on my Odyssey to bestow upon myself a computer worthy of the gods I have run across this little beauty. Before I begin, this one should run me up about $1500 so that gives you an idea of what I am willing to spend.

BUT, have any of you heard of an ASUS? I certainly havent - or maybe I did and just didnt "connect". Is it worthy of my attention and - much more to the point - will it run sl?

Let me give you boffins some idea of hat this puppy is meant to do:

It has an Intel Core i7 processor and has a mainboard chipset (whatever that is) IntelPM55 Express. It's RAM technology is DDR3 SDRAM. Its processor number is 720QM.

Importantly, its Graphics controller is NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260M and the Video memory Installed size is 1 GB
The RAM installed size is 4 GB

As an incentive, if you like, I can give anyone who helps me a happy time when I finally get on board sl again - this is a borrowed system.
Thanks again, Jiggy.

I love mine. Got it a few months ago. Runs SL like a champ. I will have to look up my model details at home and let you know if it is the same one.

ASUS is both a computer company like Dell or Lenovo or HP, and a motherboard maker for hobbyists and white-box system builders. Other companies in this market are ECS, Gigabyte, and Tyan.

ASUS have a reputation for extremely solid enthusiast rigs, but my experience with some of their recent models is that this reputation may no longer be entirely deserved.

What is the exact motherboard model you're considering?

i've had two computers that were made with their motherboards and both were really very good systems..my next one wil be an Abit or Asus...well really i'll have to look and see ..but with those two i just remember having good systems i couldn't complain about..

It's the G51J

Repeat

G 51 J

It's the G51J, the newer version of the laptop I am using...faster memory, better processor. I can run SL on ultra settings, every visual effect on, draw distance of 256 meters, and 4x antialiasing. I also have a 22" monitor connected as a second screen. I would say it's the best value for a gaming laptop at the moment...you can get a more powerful Sager or Alienware, but it'll cost closer to $2000.

Asus is one of the few companies that make their own motherboards and video cards. They are fairly new to the US market, but they have been selling in the Asian market for years, and make parts for some well known brands (they made the Apple iBooks). In a recent study by Squaretrade (a provider of laptop warranty service), Asus was rated as the most reliable major brand (http://www.squaretrade.com/pages/laptop-reliability-1109/).

Umm.. Asus has been in the US market for over a decade. They haven't always made laptops, though.

Where I work we've been buying ASUS laptops that our local whitebox vendor rebrands for several years now. Some of them are carried all over the state for presentations and have survived quite well. I think the hardware is solid.

I've had my higher-end ASUS laptop for over a year and I've been happy with it as well--as happy as I can be with any laptop. I only use it for SL if I'm too sick to sit at my desk, but it does run SL well. (I hate laptop keyboards and touch pads, and it's a PITA to deal with peripheral keyboards and mice.)

Both my previous and current PCs are ASUS motherboards, though both are desktops built by 3rd party builders to my specs. Both have run just fine.

I gonna buy one!
I owe you!

/me thinks Jig should get another Dell. Unless you're all geeky, it's a pretty decent bet at a decent price..

Look into a EVGA also much better then the asus boards

Never buy a computer from a company that rhymes with "hell". I inherited a bunch of desktops from Dell when I was a network admin, and... damn, that was some sad collection of hardware.

Tristin: EVGA makes laptops?

ASUS are a US manufacturer of high spec laptops - they have a good reputation, but I have no personal experience of them. (At least I can say it is one make I have not had the chance to break!)

Don't confuse with Acer - another laptop manuafacturer which specialises in lower-mid range products.

The Asus spec sounds fine for SL, Jig - but check the warrantee - make sure you have the cover you need before you proceed.

Also - which operating system are you getting with it? IMO, Vista is a real pain - XP or Windows 7 seem better options.

It will come with Windows 7, either installed or as a free upgrade. The standard Asus warranty is 2 years parts and labor, 1 year accidental damage. That is unless you buy from Best Buy, in which case you only get 1 year warranty from Greek Squad.

I was reading this the other day about the reliability of laptops over a 3 year period.

Asus was #1, HP dead last, Apple & Dell in the Middle.

Link to the PDF: http://www.squaretrade.com/pages/laptop-reliability-1109

the G series laptops by asus are FANTASTIC some of the best laptops you can get.... as for the name asus, they are the worlds #1 motherboard maker.... laptops they use to do barebones kits so many independant laptops were really asus ones, they stopped doing that and just started selling there own name / brand.

Just for what it's worth- I have an inspiron from dell- it's 4 years old and is on its last legs.. It will be replaced in the next couple months. I did not buy it for SL- i did not need a hot machine- but... after four years, I can run SL, Gimp YM and multiple FF tabs- I can even throw in ZBrush and Avapainter in the back ground. No, that does not mean i can do anythign really fast and my FPS suck- but - I can run SL at Mid though no shadows and no glow - but, it still works. SO- yes get the best you can get that you can afford, my next system I am getting for SL so will shop for hotter grafix.

Just don't dis my Dell!

I got an ASUS last year after Chosen's enthusiastic recommendation. Runs SL beautifully. I have an N80V series.

Count me a fan.

20 years experience as a system and network administrator - I will never buy or recommend a Dell. Individual machines may be fine, but the build quality, part quality, reliability, and maintainability of Dell workstations we've purchased (premium priced business machines, even) has been unacceptable.

Just for correctness, ASUS is Taiwanese and they're probably more well known for their motherboard business than their laptop business.

My last couple machines have been ASUS-based and my next one will probably have one of their mobos in it, too. I usually build my own PCs, though. Not sure what, if anything, they have complete systems that aren't laptops.

I'll be happy to thoroughly check out the "warrantee", since that would be Jig. No cover necessary!

I just got a K70IO series Asus laptop over the weekend. It has NVidia GT 120M with 1Gb video ram, dual core 2.0 Gb cpu 4Gb Ram, and a 17 inch screen. (I was not looking for small in a laptop). It cost $700.

Overall, I like the machine. It runs SL just fine, (high graphics quaility, ~120m draw radius, avatar imposters off, hardware 4x antialiasing enabled -> ~15 frames/sec in a moderately crowded sim). The warrenty looks good on paper, and I have done business with the shop that services them locally for many years.

But, but if I were not a techie at heart, I would feel at a bit of a loss. The documentation is kind of sketchy, most of it on a sluggish, poorly indexed web site, and written in slightly shakey English. (I've worked with international English speakers all my life, I am good at it, but some of the things I have read leave me shaking my head wondering what the heck they meant) The laptop came with about 6 or 8 applications installed, mostly ASUS utilities, but without even a list of the names of what is installed, much less an explanation of what they do. It has been interesting puzzling out which are of interest, and which are not. Next I have to puzzle out how to use the ones that seem to be of interest.

So, I am quite happy with my new laptop, but I know a couple of people who would be in tears by now trying to figure out how to make it go.

This has been my experience with ASUS.


I have had 3 MOBOs of ASUS manufacture and the documentation is spotty at best. My StrikerII came with a booklet of 100+ pages and it looks like it could be very informative if the translation were a bit more smooth.

ETA~ I am very happy with ASUS products but have never owned one of their laptops.

How so? Most people open up the laptop, turn it on, and start using it. They don't *care* about the documentation or the mystery programs ASUS includes. They're probably just thankful they didn't get spam and spyware included with the unit.