G74SX DH71 optimization

[Cecil Paladin]

Hi everyone,

Last night I bought an ASUS Laptop:

G74SX-DH71 w/ Core i7-2670QM, 12GB, 1.5TB, Blu-ray Combo, 17.3in LED Full HD, GeForce GTX 560M, Win 7 Home Premium 64-bit.

What is the best way to optimize my computer? I noticed that it came with a lot of pre-installed ASUS programs that I won't use, should I delete some of these?

I am going to mainly use this computer to play Diablo 3 (hopefully on the highest graphics setting) upon release and also to download movies and music.

I would appreciate if anyone could let me know what they did to their laptop to get the best out of it without having to install new parts.

Thanks very much.

[BrodyBoy]

The VERY best way to optimize its performance is to do a clean WIndows installation, followed by essential drivers and your own programs. No bloatware. That's what many owners around here have done.

Short of that, though....yes, it's a good idea to uninstall any and all of the extraneous utilities you don't want. (Uninstall, not delete.)

[Cecil Paladin]

Hi Brodyboy,

What do you mean by a clean Windows Installation?

After I took the computer out of the packaging last night, I booted it up, configured Windows, and since then I have installed Starcraft 2. Are you saying I should do a system restore and then download the drivers after that?

[BrodyBoy]

No....I'm not saying you should do anything differently. It's entirely a matter of each owner's personal choice and needs.

So briefly, there are two kinds of Windows installations:
(1) An OEM installation, like the one Asus put on your G74 at the factory. This has your copy of Windows, along with all the drivers and extra software Asus has chosen to install. All that "extra" software is often referred to by owners as bloatware. (This isn't exclusive to Asus....if you had gotten a Sony, Toshiba, etc., you'd have their assortment of bloatware.)

(2) A clean installation. This is where you install Windows...just a straight-up copy of Windows as Microsoft releases it....then you install the additional drivers needs for the hardware installed in your machine. In this scenario, no bloatware (or otherwise unwanted software) is ever part of the installation to begin with. That's why we call it a "clean" installation. (When we do this on an OEM machine, we can use the Windows product key we already paid for with the computer....you don't have to buy a new copy of Windows.)

A system restore (assuming you mean a factory restore?) is essentially a reset back to the OEM installation, restoring your computer just as it was when you first turned it on. So if your configuration somehow gets all messed up, that's one way to "start over," but it's not the same as a clean installation. It re-installs everything...including all the original bloatware.

I was just saying that a clean installation is the optimal way to get good, stable performance out of the computer. But short of that, removing as much of the bloatware as you can will help "unclutter" the installation.

[smellons]

I highly agree with Brody. In fact, the day I received my G53SW, I did a reformat and reinstall of Windows 7.

It was pretty painless as the laptop is fast, and Windows 7 does a great job of recognizing drivers and applying updates.

Since then, I haven't had any trouble with drivers or bloatware and my system has been running great.

(Well, except for a pesky bluetooth driver..)

As far as I know, the only necessary Asus program is the ATK Package and the Power4Gear program.

[BrodyBoy]

As far as I know, the only necessary Asus program is the ATK Package and the Power4Gear program.

Power4Gear isn't necessary. And it has been implicated in a number of issues.....for the most stable clean installation, use Windows Power Options and just leave P4G off the system.