Thinking of joining you all..

[spursbob]

..with the purchase of a G74SX-CST1-CBIL for $1,229.97 minus 10%. There isn't too much info. out there about this model so perhaps I'm paying over the odds but it seems like a good deal to me. I see there are a few Canadians here with this model who can maybe set me straight. It is now on clearance at Staples and has been pulled from their site so not much to look at. I'm getting one shipped to my local store and I'm planning on buying it for $1107 with the 10% discount coupon next Saturday. Wise choice or should I be looking for something else Asus wise?
Thanks in advance.

[dstrakele]

I'd confim your retailer has a return or exchange policy for defective units. Then if you should have the misfortune to get a unit with a problem, you can get a refund or exchange it for a new system. Since you report it is a clearance unit, exchange will be unlikely, but I'd still rather have my money back then RMA it to ASUS and have to wait while they repair it. Once you enter the RMA process, problem resolution is with ASUS and not the retailer, so the computer problem is then YOUR problem and the retailer is off the hook.

[fostert]

..with the purchase of a G74SX-CST1-CBIL for $1,229.97 minus 10%. There isn't too much info. out there about this model so perhaps I'm paying over the odds but it seems like a good deal to me. I see there are a few Canadians here with this model who can maybe set me straight. It is now on clearance at Staples and has been pulled from their site so not much to look at. I'm getting one shipped to my local store and I'm planning on buying it for $1107 with the 10% discount coupon next Saturday. Wise choice or should I be looking for something else Asus wise?
Thanks in advance.

@spursbob: I got that exact model (CST1-CBIL) from Staples in my city back in October. It was and still is a terrific deal: $1350 Cdn. got me the 1920x1080 FHD screen, 8 GB of RAM, 3GB GTX560M, 2x500GB 7200 HDDs (I'm sure you know the specs) and one rock solid machine that I can honesty say I have never experienced any of the common G74 problems that i have seen on this forum with. It too being a G74 has the same idiosyncrasies (like turning off the touchpad in the BIOS locks the keyboard), but I am very happy with the Staples version: it is as top-notch a G74 as any other out there, and certainly not a "gimped" model like the BestBuy versions.

You have 15 days with them to try it and return it to them for refund. The only thing I do not like with the CBIL is the 1 year warranty with ASUS. Why not the standard 2 years? I'm crossing my fingers I never need to exercise it.

The only drag about Staples for me was their "special":\ free World of Warcraft Cataclysm game with purchase. What they don't tell you is that it is an expansion set that requires you to own the original game to use; it is useless otherwise. Staples wouldn't budge and give me something else in its place, even a lower price kids game for my daughter. Useless.

[spursbob]

I'd confim your retailer has a return or exchange policy for defective units. Then if you should have the misfortune to get a unit with a problem, you can get a refund or exchange it for a new system. Since you report it is a clearance unit, exchange will be unlikely, but I'd still rather have my money back then RMA it to ASUS and have to wait while they repair it. Once you enter the RMA process, problem resolution is with ASUS and not the retailer, so the computer problem is then YOUR problem and the retailer is off the hook.

I have 14 days to return it if unhappy which will be my only option I guess due to the clearance. Cheers for the advice.

[spursbob]

@spursbob: I got that exact model (CST1-CBIL) from Staples in my city back in October. It was and still is a terrific deal: $1350 Cdn. got me the 1920x1080 FHD screen, 8 GB of RAM, 3GB GTX560M, 2x500GB 7200 HDDs (I'm sure you know the specs) and one rock solid machine that I can honesty say I have never experienced any of the common G74 problems that i have seen on this forum with. It too being a G74 has the same idiosyncrasies (like turning off the touchpad in the BIOS locks the keyboard), but I am very happy with the Staples version: it is as top-notch a G74 as any other out there, and certainly not a "gimped" model like the BestBuy versions.

You have 15 days with them to try it and return it to them for refund. The only thing I do not like with the CBIL is the 1 year warranty with ASUS. Why not the standard 2 years? I'm crossing my fingers I never need to exercise it.

The only drag about Staples for me was their "special":\ free World of Warcraft Cataclysm game with purchase. What they don't tell you is that it is an expansion set that requires you to own the original game to use; it is useless otherwise. Staples wouldn't budge and give me something else in its place, even a lower price kids game for my daughter. Useless.

Good to hear you are extremely satisfied with yours and have had no issues; hopefully mine is fine too. This forum makes scary reading. The 1 year warranty sucks but seems to be very common in Canada except Quebec where consumers are protected by the 'reasonable length of time' law so 1 year means nothing. I didn't see any free game offers Cataclysm will soon be on Kijiji. Cheers.

[fostert]

Yes, the forum does make one nervous, but I realized over time here that 70% of the problems are software-related to Windows, drivers and their interactions with each other, and since most of the G74's bells and whistles are controlled by software it is a computer that is unusually prone to apparent hardware failures really due to software. Since I use Linux I experience none of these issues, but then I also lose the capability of controlling my keyboard backlight, screen brightness, touchpad on/off and sound volume etc via hotkeys. That doesn't matter to me, since I paid the big $$ for speed, screen size, and comfortable typing; i.e. a desktop replacement.

[dstrakele]

For today's mass-produced electronic gadgets, I think it is important to prepare for a possible defective unit. Be aware of your retailer's return and exchange policy. You want to be able to easily return a defective unit or better, immediately exchange your defective unit for a new one.

When you get your system, test every feature completely: Your only goal is to determine if you will keep or return/exchange the system within the retailer's return/exchange policy period.

- examine the display for stuck, bright, or dead pixels - or poor resolution, flickering on dark backgrounds at low brightness levels, etc.
- test all of the keys on the keyboard - including function key combinations
- test all ports on the system to make sure they function
- test the ODD to confirm it can read and record media
- test the camera and built-in microphone
- test the card reader
- test the touchpad, particularly when typing
- test the system audio performance
- test WLAN and LAN internet connectivity and performance
- run some stress tests, like furmark or Prime95 - monitor CPU and GPU temperatures during these tests
- run a chkdsk and memtest86 to confirm a sound file system and memory - get a SpeedFan Online Diagnostic Summary of your HDD(s)
- leave the system running and try to keep it busy for at least 48 hours - any electronic component failures are likely to occur in this time
- load up and test the main apps (or games) you plan to run on your system.
- do any other tests you can think of...

Let your system run and try to keep it busy for at least 48 hours straight. With electronic gadgets, failures are more likely in the first 48 hours of continuous use.

If you do encounter a problem, go to a support forum or google your issue and see if there is an easy fix. You have the advantage of studying the threads in this forum to learn about potential problems and their solutions BEFORE you've even received your laptop.

If you encounter a problem that resists an easy fix, try a factory restore or a clean Windows 7 installation if you feel like troubleshooting. The key is if your system has issues right out of the box that cannot be easily resolved, it is best to exchange the system, or return it for refund. It is possible you may need to make more than one exchange to get a system without issues. My rule of thumb is if the third exchange does not resolve the problem (three strikes, you're OUT), then re-evaluate your purchase decision.

Avoid letting the retailer convince you to RMA the system to the manufacturer. Once you do that, the system problems are now YOUR problems and must be dealt with between you and the manufacturer. The retailer is off the hook. Let any problems with brand new systems be the retailer's or the manufacturer's problems.

[tkd_ron]

I bought my g74sx-bbk7 (i7 2630qm,8gb ram, 2 500 gb 7200rpm drives, intel centrino 6150n wireless, gtx 560m 128 bit 2gb mem, 1600x900 display ) on clearance from best buy for $1099.00 and I am very happy with the machine, although it gets knocked for being gimped, I have had no problems with it in the five months I have been using it, and after doing a clean install it runs really fast and gaming on it is excellent I think the 128bit gimped card benefits from the lower resolution of hd+ i.e. realy fast frame rates.and other than the 128 bit card and 1600x 900 resolutuon it is no different in specs from a lot of the other g74's. I read this forum before I purchased my machine and it could be easy to get turned off by what you read about all the problems the g74s have but I believe that it is mostly a case of the "squeeky wheel" that is, we are mostly going to hear from those with a problem ,while the majority of owners are happily enjoying their machines problem free, I had always wanted an ASUS gaming laptop for years and now that I have one, even though " gimped" I love it.

[380mcn]

http://www.msi.com/product/nb/GT685-...=Specification

[M M L M]

..with the purchase of a G74SX-CST1-CBIL for $1,229.97 minus 10%. There isn't too much info. out there about this model so perhaps I'm paying over the odds but it seems like a good deal to me. I see there are a few Canadians here with this model who can maybe set me straight. It is now on clearance at Staples and has been pulled from their site so not much to look at. I'm getting one shipped to my local store and I'm planning on buying it for $1107 with the 10% discount coupon next Saturday. Wise choice or should I be looking for something else Asus wise?
Thanks in advance.

Hello, I am new too and I am french, that's hard for me some time for read and undersrtand all of what you said but I have buy the same model, and I have one little question. Any of you who have buy the Staples version can use the 3D vision wirless glasses ?

I have call Nvidia for verified if I can use with my model the 3d glasses and they do not think so, they tel me to call my asus seller for verified but as you know at Staples they look on google for answer almost all your question. So I have no idea if I can buy those glasses and use them or not. any one of you have try the glasses with the G74SX-CST1-CBIL

Thank's in advance !