ASUS G74 Series G74SX-XN1 Notebook Intel Core i7 2630QM(2.00GHz) 17.3" 12GB Memory DDR3 1333 500GB HDD 7200rpm DVD Super Multi NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M

Pros: This laptop is a powerhouse when working with virtual machine and servers.

Cons: Very large and bulky.

Other Thoughts: It doesn't make me sandwiches.

Pros: Besides tech support when I first bought it I have no complaints. Putting in a second HD SSD was a dream. Plays cod black ops multiplayer no hassle gaming. High setting screen res 1920x1080

Cons: none did I mention tech support don't know sheeet!!!!!

Other Thoughts: bought it in august haven't had a problem. Runs even better with a Samsung ssd in it. Very easy to install. If you have a problem and want some help please ask.

Pros: The combination of the i7, the GTX 560M and 12GB RAM allows you to play most games at "Ultra" settings without so much as a glitch. One of the most common complaints with SW:TOR is it's high-end hardware requirements for smooth game-play. With all settings on as high as they can go, my average fps is 40-60 depending on number of chars around, etc.

The laptop's case is very sleek and just all around cool looking. With the large ventilation located at the back, the inside stays cool as well. The back-lit keyboard looks nice and is great in a dark room.

I love the included facial recognition log-in system (they call it SmartLogon). The background you're in front of can play a factor in the recognition, but regardless, it works really well... Just take pictures of yourself using the SmartLogon manager in front of the most common backgrounds you plan to use this feature in.

System restore works well and allows you to restore using a different partitioning schem

Cons: The first thing I noticed was the partitioning of the drives: a "system" partition (c:) and a data partition (d:). I consider this a con (for me anyway) because of the wasted time I had to spend performing a system restore - not something I wanted to do with a new laptop.

The next thing I noticed after I had a chance to play with for a while was how often my palms touched the mouse-pad when I'm typing. Imagine trying to write code with your cursor constantly brought to a random location on the page. Thankfuly, the mouse-pad's settings allow you to turn it off if an external mouse is detected.

The keyboard has some "hard" keys. For example, I need to use more than necessary pressure on the delete key, the arrows keys and F9-F12. The F2 key randomly pops out.

The USB ports are touchy. I often notice when I have any type of device plugged in (tried diff cables) that Windows detects it was removed - while clearly still plugged-in.

Other Thoughts: Despite from the aforementioned cons, this laptop has become my main computer for everyday use.

I use this laptop for web application development, micro-controller programing, and gaming (TF2, BCBF2, Star Craft II, SW:TOR, Warcraft III), and of course email, writing, drawing, surfing the web, etc.

Pros: This powerhouse is great at running games. It runs most games on High/Ultra high settings. Although on some newer games on Ultra high settings I have noticed a drop in frame rate from time to time but nothing that will effect game play very much. The cooling system in it is top notch, with all it's venting done out the back, keeping your legs cool and not struggling to pull air from the bottom of the case while sitting on your lap. The 500gig HD is plenty of space to get started with and there is a second slot for an extra hard drive later down the road. Just don't throw away the adapter that it comes with like I did otherwise when you go to put in a new one you will find yourself back here to buy a new one! Also 12gigs of ram is more than enough and there is still an extra slot to add more.

Cons: There are a few things I have noticed with this laptop since I first started using it. I have an issue with the track pad being a bit wacky at times when I'm not using a mouse. A restart will usually resolve that issue. Also due to the size of it, when your trying to type and your palm brushes the corners of the track pad it will mess with you lol. This is going to happen with any laptop, it just seems to happen more often on this particular PC because the pad is so large. Also the holes above the keyboard and under the screen often traps small particles of whatever might happen to be floating around.

Other Thoughts: Over all I'm very satisfied with this rig. It has performed very well. One more reminder, keep this thing clean, you need to regularly blow out the dust from inside the case with a can of air or you will start to see a increase in CPU temperatures.

Pros: I love this machine. Came with 500gb 7200 rpm HD which works fine and no problem with gaming. Great graphics card for the price I paid at 1300. Has 12 gigs of ram which is great for the price and I can still put in another stick.

Cons: I need to put a ssd in for the primary hd but for the price what do you expect. Bought 128gb samsung a month ago but haven't put it in as of yet. Can't wait to see this thing wail then.

Other Thoughts: All in all I love this Laptop and the Asus name is highly recognized as the best motherboard maker on the market today. I really don't use it that much but for gaming. I could trick it out some more when I get the time.

Pros: High Powered. Games run awesome on it. Very fast. Got a good deal on it too.

Cons: The rubberized piece near the mouse pad shows marks easily

Pros: This laptop is AWESOME! The build quality is very good, the small amount of bloatware is easy to uninstall, and the spec are just great. I have played MANY games on it, such as WoW, LoL, Need For Speed - The Run, and many more, and of yet have not found anything this monster cannot run on ultra. The cooling system is great, and I have never had a peak cpu temp over 67c, with idle temp around 32c. It is also nearly silent. Last laptop would reach 88c gaming and was LOUD for contrast.
Most of the reviews will tell you that the battery is not very long lasting, but I find this to be untrue. On balanced power setting, watching netflix in HD at max screen brightness and max volume, most of the time it will run for around 2 hours. If you want to play newish games on max settings at 1080p you should of course expect this to go down. I average a little over an hour of constant game play before I hit the battery warning. But who expects to do major gaming while on battery power for very long?

Cons: On the lowest screen brightness, the screen is still far to bright (hows that for an odd con, normally its the opposite, lol)
The maximum sound volume is a little weak, but not bad. As many of the forums will tell you, switching the audio profile in the THX audio mixer to headphones rather than internal gives you an increase in volume and quality though.
The trackpad is so big that you will find yourself touching it accidentally while typing, causing it to spaz out a bit, however most people who buy this machine will be using it with a mouse attached, and the trackpad is easily disabled with a function key.
Would have liked to see a center mouse button on the trackpad, having gotten used to having one, its integration in Firefox alone (opens link in new tab) is reason enough to have it.
Function keys for volume are to far from Fn key to reach with one hand, unless you a basketball player or something.

Other Thoughts: This beast is quite large, and a bit heavy, though less than I expected. I DO in fact lug it to work/school with me. Finding a bag it will fit in can be quite a challenge, and this version sold by newegg does NOT include the backpack that others report it being sold with.
If you want a semi-portable gaming powerhouse to replace our desktop, or older laptop, I would recommend this over an Alienware or quossimo (or whatever its called) any day, especially with the balance of price/hardware/silly frills others come with this machine offers. I find the minimalistic stealth look to be quite ascetically pleasing, compared by the multicolored strangely angular yet rounded builds offered by competitors.
If you looking for upgrades, I would go with a nice hybrid or ssd, and maxing out the RAM as first choices. Both are easy to do thanks to the large removable plate on the bottom.

Pros: I found this on sale awhile back for a mere $1,100 and now it's listed for $1,700 O_o For what I got it for the specs are amazing and will glide smooth through most games and applications. The twin exhaust fans along with the huge opening in the back for the air to be pushed from makes this laptop a beast at staying cool.

Cons: Hmmm cons .... Well I'm not a huge fan of power plugs that are located on the side of a Laptop but that's mere preference. Aside from that the only true downside is the need to press keys firmly to ensure that they are registered.

Other Thoughts: I'm not sure about paying $1,700 for the system, for that price I could probably have one customized by somewhere like DigitalStorm to more precisely meet my need, but for what they had it on sale for there was no real way to beat it.

Pros: Was great while it worked

Cons: Screen Failed within a month

Pros: - Powerful
- Fast
- Plenty of HDD space
- Stays Cool
- Decent Battery Life
- Cool Keyboard backlite

Cons: - Heavy
- Touch pad is in a bad spot
- Keys can stick (If not pressed hard enough. You learn to push harder right away however.)

Other Thoughts: A lot of people gave this -1 or 2 eggs simply because it was heavy, or because the sound was bad.

1) If you read the details of this laptop before you bought it, you would have known what you were getting yourself into. Yes it is heavy but you should have been well aware of the the moment you hit checkout.

2) People also complained that the sound was terrible. Not true. Yes this isn't the best sounding laptop on the market but this isn't designed as a portable home theater, it's a gaming laptop. Buy some gaming headphones and play. That's what the convenient head phone jack placement is there fore.

My only main gripe with this laptop is the mouse placement. it's about 1inch to the right, directly below the space bar, which doesn't make it to great when just general surfing the web. However, there is a simple remedy to this. Again it's a gaming laptop and if you know how to play games like the majority of us on Newegg, use a gaming mouse. Overall great laptop, picky buyers.