Asus G51

The G51J is the latest 15-inch gaming notebook from ASUS, sporting the new Intel Core i7 mobile processor and Windows 7 operating system. This notebook shares a lot of features with the previous G51VX, with only a hardware refresh to support the Core i7 processor. The ASUS G51-series is a 15.6" gaming notebook offering dual hard drive bays, NVIDIA GTX 260M graphics, and an optional quad-core processor. To enhance the multimedia experience this notebook offers a 1080p 16:9 display, a backlit Chiclet-style keyboard, and Altec Lansing speakers.

ASUS G51J Specifications:
   

    Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
     Intel Core i7-720QM (1.6GHzGHz, 1333MHz FSB, 6MB Cache)
     15.6" WUXGA FHD LCD display at 1920x1080
     NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260M 1GB GDDR3 memory
     Intel 1000AGN Wireless, Bluetooth
     4GB PC3-8500 DDR3 SDRAM (2GB x 2)
     Two 320GB Seagate 7200RPM Hard Drives
     DVD SuperMulti
     Webcam, Altec Lansing speakers, Backpack, Razer Copperhead USB mouse
     120W (19V x 6.32A) 100-240V AC Adapter
     6-cell 53Wh 11.1v 4800mAh Lithium Ion battery
     Dimensions (WxDxH): 14.6" x 10.3" x 1.3-1.6"
     Weight: 7lbs 8.2oz
     2-Year Global Warranty/1-Year Accidental damage

Design

The design of the G51 is very gamer-inspired. The outside graphics are futuristic and cool, without being too over-dramatic for the casual gamer. At first glance the new design almost looks like the edges are scratched into the glossy surface, but upon closer inspection that is just the design of the artwork as it branches out to the top and bottom.

Speaker

 The Altec Lansing speakers sounded nice, but given the overall size of this notebook we had hoped for a subwoofer as well. Audio from the speakers consisted mostly of higher frequencies, with some midrange coming through. Bass was lacking, but without a subwoofer that is normal for most notebooks. As a gaming notebook I think headphones should be required, especially surround sound-enabled headphones so you can hear your surroundings and react accordingly.

 Keyboard and Touchpad

The keyboard was comfortable to use, and really helped solidify the overall look of the notebook. The keys and inner trim were all matching black, with white lettering that lights up when the backlight is enabled. The individual keys were easy to press, and felt very solid with very little wiggle if you moved your hand around the keyboard. Support was very good, with no flex noticed in the primary typing region. 

The G51 includes a large Synaptics touchpad with a very smooth barely- textured surface. The speed of the touchpad is excellent, with it able to smoothly pickup slow and steady movement, or quick targeting movement. No lag was noticed what-so-ever. X and Y-axis speeds were matched, allowing you to draw near perfect circles with your fingertip, instead of ovals. The touchpad buttons were easy to trigger, but didn't give as much feedback as longer throw buttons.

 

 

Battery Life

The ASUS G51J was not a super-efficient notebook by any stretch of the imagination thanks to a Core i7 mobile processor, NVIDIA GTX 260M graphics, and two 7200RPM hard drives. The G51J managed 1 hour and 32 minutes before turning off in our test with the screen brightness set to 70%, wireless active, and Windows 7 set to the "balanced" power profile. The previous G51 we tested with the Q9000 processor and similar configuration managed 1 hour and 26 minutes. Power consumption during the test was between 28 and 33 watts, quite a bit higher most notebooks we test. The Gateway P-7805u, which is a 17" gaming notebook that had similar levels of performance managed 3 hours and 29 minutes under the same test.

Performance

ASUS included some fairly impressive components in the G51J-series notebook, including an Intel Core i7 720 processor, NVIDIA GTX 260M graphics, dual Seagate 7200.4 hard drives, and newer DDR3 memory. One special feature of the Core i7 720 that we were dying to test is its ability to go into a super overclocking mode, pushing its clock speed from 1.6 to 2.8GHz. . if any. The first indication that the Extreme Overclock mode was not working as well as we had hoped was running wPrime, where we only saw a change of less than one second.

Pros:
    * Improved keyboard tray design
    * Speedy Intel Core i7 processor
    * $200 price drop compared to previous model

Cons:
    * Too much hype in the 1.6 to 2.8GHz overclocking feature

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