I have done months of research on desktop replacement laptops and have come to the conclusion that the Asus g74sx is the all-around best choice for what I want. The cooling system in the RoG laptops are amazing and to get a laptop with the equivalent specs from a different brand would cost several hundred dollars more. To me, there just isn't a better choice to go with. I have not purchased an Asus before and none of the local retailers in my area have the G-series on their shelves. Because I can't physically handle the laptop, I am concerned with the product I will receive from ordering online.
I have never dropped $1500 on something over the internet so I am hesitant for that factor alone. I have two options that I need some help or just opinions on which would be the most advantageous choice because I do not know how reliable the USED laptops on Amazon are. I am more inclined to throw down the extra $200 to buy a new one to get the extra year warranty and so there are as few defects as possible. If anyone can provide me with some guidance or their personal experience in buying new vs. used products over Amazon, that would be a huge help for me.
The options available are listed below. I do not care about Blu-ray, as I do not watch movies from my computers. And the difference of 12-16gb of RAM doesn't seem too important. Also, the difference in hard-drive space is practically irrelevant to me because I have played on a machine for the last 8 years that has less than 200gb of space. So either option would be a huge improvement.
The first option is the G74SX-AH71:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005UUS6MO/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&seller=This rig has 16gb of RAM, 750gb HDD, NO Blu-ray, and only a 1 year Asus Global Warranty.
There are several USED laptops available for purchase. One of them being sold from Amazon Warehouse Deals in "Like-New" condition for just over $1300.
The second option is the G74SX-DH71:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005PAJI4Y/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&seller=This rig has 12gb of RAM, 1.5tb HDD, Blu-ray enabled, and a 2 year Asus Global Warranty.
There are several NEW and USED laptops available. Buying it new would cost $1550, but there are "Like-New" options sold from Amazon Warehouse Deals for just under $1300.