In today’s Ultrabook-and MacBook Air-obsessed world, you'd
be forgiven for thinking that hulking desktop replacements are passe.
But Asus's Republic of Gamers G750JH (go.pcworld.com/g750jh)
is ready to prove you wrong.
The G750JH earned a mark of 435 on our WorldBench 8.1 test
suite, coming in more than four times as fast as our baseline model, an Asus
VivoBook S550CA. It's the second-fastest laptop we've tested, losing only to
the similarly equipped Micro Express NB5720 gaming machine.
Impressively
hefty, the G750JH is one of the fastest laptops we've seen.
That ultrafast performance is attributable in part to the
laptop's powerful components, which include a fourth-generation Intel Core
i7-4700HQ processor, 16GB of DDR3 RAM, and Nvidia's best mobile graphics
processor, the GeForce GTX780M. A 256GB solid-state drive
helps it start up in 7.3 seconds. That's crazy-fast for a
gaming laptop - the NB5720 takes twice as long to boot. The only thing that's
too fast about the G750JH is its battery life, which ends after just 3.5 hours.
As you might expect, the G750JH delivers top-notch graphics
performance. In our gaming tests it played everything smoothly, from Dirt
Showdown at Low quality settings and 1024 by 768 resolution (122.9 frames per
second) to BioShock Infinite at Ultra quality settings and 1920 by 1080
resolution (55.4 fps).
Asus ROG G750JH:
Wi-Fi (802.11a/c), Thunderbolt 1.0 support, a Blu-ray drive
Other welcome features include built-in Wi-Fi (802.11a/c),
Thunderbolt 1.0 support, a Blu-ray drive, and even a built-in headphone
amplifier.
The matte-finish screen measures a spacious 17.3 inches
diagonally and offers bright, crystal-clear graphics. It's not a touchscreen,
which isn't surprising for a gaming laptop but is a little disappointing
considering all the cool Windows 8 features.
The matte-black G750JH is reasonably attractive for a
desktop replacement. Its soft, angled cover picks up fingerprints, but as long
as you refrain from eating potato chips nearby, you should be fine. The
full-size keyboard (complete with a numeric keypad) is large and easy to type
on, and it feels solid, yet it's fairly quiet when you're typing rapidly. The
large touchpad has discrete, physical buttons; it's acceptable, but most gamers
will probably opt for an external mouse just for the feel.
The Asus G750JH is
heavy, at 10 pounds sans peripherals
The impressive speakers provide a good bass range and full
sound. If you use headphones, you'll appreciate the headphone amplifier, which
will help to plunge you into the on-screen action.
When a laptop emphasizes raw power, it sacrifices some
refinement. The Asus G750JH is heavy, at 10 pounds sans peripherals, and the
power brick weighs another 2 to 3 pounds. The system also lacks the lights and
pizzazz that gaming machines such as the Razer Blade get just right. But you
can't beat the graphics performance, and that's what really matters to the
gaming crowd.
Specifications
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Specs
·
17.3 inch 16:9 FHD EWV LED Backlight/Full HD 3D (1920x1080
120Hz)
·
Windows 8
·
Intel Core i7-4700HQ (2.4-3.4GHz)
·
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780M 4GB GDDR5 VRAM
·
16GB DDR3L 1600 MHz SDRAM (upgradable to 32GB)
·
750GB 7200 RPM With 256 GB SSD (both pre-partitioned into 2
different drives)
·
Blu-Ray
·
HD web camera
·
Built-in 2 Speakers And Array Microphone
·
2-in-1 card reader (SD/ MMC)
·
1 x Microphone-in jack, 1 x Headphone-out jack, 1 x VGA
port/Mini D-sub 15-pin, 1 x mini Display Port (Thunderbolt), 4 x USB 3.0
port, 1 x HDMI port, 1 x RJ45 LAN
·
Integrated 802.11 a/b/g/n, 10/100/1000 Base T, BT 4.0 support
(on WLAN+ BT 4.0 combo card)
·
8 Cells 5900 mAh 89 Whrs
·
410 x 318 x 18 ~58 mm (W xD x H) (w/ 8cell battery)
·
4.8 kg
Pros
·
Excellent performance
·
Silent while running, and the keyboard is quiet too
·
Speakers provide impressive bass and full sound
Cons
·
Heavy, bulky machine and AC adapter
Bottom
line
·
If you're looking fora powerful, portable gaming rig, the
Haswell-based Asus Republic of Gamers G750JH delivers the goods.
Price: $1,750
Overall: 4/5
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