ASUS N61JQ-XV1 16-Inch Versatile Entertainment Laptop (Dark Brown)

Technical Details

- Intel Core i7-740QM Quad-Core Processor 1.73GHz with turbo boost up to 2.93GHz
- 4GB of DDR3 1066MHz SDRAM, 2 slots, 8GB Max; ATI HD5730 graphics with 1GB DDR3 VRAM
- 500GB Hard Drive (7200 RPM); Super Multi Optical Disk Drive; Wi-Fi 802.11 bgn
- HDMI Port; USB 3.0 port; Bluetooth; 2.0MP Webcam
- 16-Inch HD (1366x768) LED Display; Windows 7 Home Premium (64 bit) Operating System

There wasn't many reviews out there about this system so i decided to leave one. A laptop with i7 OMG! This is just a note: Most of the software pre-installed on this system are 64-bit versions so if your wondering why some of the same programs on your 32-bit computer have been updated or newer versions available that is why. I discovered that after i deleted some of them and found out the 32-bit versions of the programs wouldn't work on this computer windows update would constantly give me an ERROR message trying to update the 32-bit software so I had to re-download the 64-bit versions.

PROS:

I have never owned a 64-bit computer or a laptop before and I have always bought Dell desktops in the past. After searching around for months i couldn't find a laptop with these specs and price tag as the ASUS N61JQ Laptop anywhere. Newegg.com had the same laptop at the same price however Amazon offered free 2-day shipping so i went with Amazon. I received this laptop about 3 weeks ago and i couldn't be happier with my decision. It is a powerhouse and does everything i throw at it without a hiccup. I do a lot of TV recording and commercial editing and video editing and file transfers and downloading with a little gaming thrown in there and it does all the above flawlessly. It is incredibly faster than my 32-bit XPS Dell Desktop and its in laptop form! It runs at about 50-60 degrees Celsius during normal use however i did buy a Targus cooler. I have never seen the temp over 67 C. So far i have not had any negative things to say about its performance. I found most of the bloatware pre-installed on this system somewhat useful so i only had to remove a few programs i did not need. I plan to upgrade my DVD drive to blu-ray. I recommend buying Cyberlink Power DVD 10 with this system. It makes watching dvd's or videos look amazing! but that's just personal preference. The brown color of the cover on this laptop looks black with a hint of dark dark brown. You cant tell its brownish unless you shine a light right on it. I think it looks really classy.
The UBS port is AWESOME! Copy movies and TV shows to my external in like seconds. I did a complete back up of my ASUS primary hard rive (138GB) and it transferred everything to my external hard drive in about 5 minutes!! The 64-bit IE Browser seems to me to be considerably faster then the 32-bit browser. All of the slots are on the sides (i.e. power chord plug in, USB, Ethernet) because the screen folds to low in the back to have any there.

CONS:

Since this computer is a powerhouse the battery only lasts about 45 to 90 minutes under normal use and since the screen hangs down so low in the back I'm not sure if you can get a bigger battery for it or not. So if you don't mind having your laptop plugged in most of the time i would definitely recommend this laptop. I would consider it more of a sleek and stylish portable desktop till they make a bigger battery for it. The screen seems dull to me(compared to HD TV's) but for a HD screen on a laptop that's not really a complaint. I wish the keys were back-lit. And this isn't really a complaint about the system itself per say but I have discovered that there isn't many programs out there yet designed for 64-bit computers. Even the browsers out there are still in beta stages. Even though i would prefer 64-bit software, most of the 32-bit programs will still run on a 64-bit system. Hope this review was helpful! If anyone has any more questions feel free to ask me: bobber311@hotmail.com

Overall I am pleased with this laptop.
Pros:
Everything was delivered as expected.
Fast processor.
All hardware worked out of the box.
Cooling is very good for an i7 processor and graphics card. Does not get hot at the keyboard or wrist rest at all. Gets a little warm at the vents, but not as much as other comparable laptops.
Warranty on Asus is better than most brands.

Cons:
Keyboard is a little flexible and not as good as others that are comparable, but is sufficient.
Although there is a number pad, the zero key is shortened, which can be annoying
Sound is good, but not spectacular
As expected there is a lot of plastic, but it is solid overall
Fair amount of bloatware, but it is easy to remove.

This baby has it all, it doesn't overheat, the processor is so fast I've had tons of programs downloading, open, doing tasks, and I've played all kinds of games. The color is not really brown so much as it is sleek and black. The keyboard is not as flexible, but way preferable compared to other laptops I have seen. The sound quality is really nice for just being a laptop, and it's great for watching movies and drawing art.

It's a bit heavier and kinda big to lug around, but you won't regret this purchase. This is a well built, fast, and will last for a really long time.

I've had mine for two and a half weeks and love it! Does not overheat AT ALL. You can have it on your lap without burning!
I have a wireless mouse for it, so I can't say wether the touchpad is bad or not, but the few times I used it, it worked just fine.

It is FAST! Compared to our other two desktops and two laptops(All Dell's), it is extremely faster. Webcam is great. Asus start-up video is nice. The Control Deck is very sweet!

It is light for its size. It is big, but still portable because it is light.

Glass screen is reflective, but hardly noticable.

I do have to say I got the blue screen of death. This has everything to do with Windows though and nothing to do with the laptop itself. I bought Registry Mechanics and it fixed the problem.

Overall an amazing laptop with great features. A good deal!

This Asus Laptop PC is a great computer all around. First, let me say, I have owned many computers over the years, and I work at a help desk and previously worked as a Computer Technician at a major retailer. This computer is the best 849.99 I've ever spent. If you're into gaming, (if not skip to next paragraph) I've been able to play World of Warcraft, Call of Duty Black OPS, Team Fortress 2, and more, with Maximum resolution, with no lag. In fact, it outperforms my custom built desktop PC that I paid over 1000 dollars for a year ago. For more advanced tech users, my FPS is over 60 at all times on max resolution with high graphic detail. Pretty impressive I must say. HOWEVER - IF you are planning on doing any kind of gaming, buy a cooling pad. Though I haven't seen performance suffer yet, this thing gets REALLY hot, REALLY fast, especially if you're gaming.

In other notes, this computer is ridiculously fast. On other computers, Id restart the computer, usually go and come back 30 seconds to 3 minutes later. With this laptop, I barely even have enough time to get out of my seat before its already back into windows after a restart. Multitasking is great, It has done everything I have asked it to do with ease. Style wise its pretty nice, the keyboard is comfortable and it has a full numpad, although the 0 is kind of hard to hit if you're used to the traditional numpad. The Bluetooth is cool especially if you're an iphone or droid user, for Iphone tethering, essentially giving you internet anywhere you go (havent done this yet but plan to). Also the webcam's quality is better than most integrated ones ive seen in the past.

Screen Resolution wise, its 1366x768 isnt bad at all. I know alot of people prefer the 1920x1080 but its truthfully comfortable with the screen resolution it has already. The screen is really nice and bright and its definition is outstanding. The speakers dont go quite as loud as I would hope, but not many laptops do.

Last, note the Hard drive is 7200 RPM. This thing really moves, and you can see a difference, and also the USB is great too. Data transfer time is non existent.

OVerall, 5 Stars. Only thing I would suggest is to get a cooling pad and definitely a wireless mouse.

Got this for $849 on a black friday deal and boy is it worth every penny!
Pros: Super fast processor and graphics are simply amazing. Asus has provided customizable contrast, brightness and gamma correction in the way of display modes that can be changed with a single button!
Great Sound, speakers are loud and crisp. Dedicated music keys.
Other great things include the great screen and the non-shiny keypad areas - so it's not a fingerprint magnet like those Dells!
USB is a nice addition, and the bluetooth is great.
TEST: Ran 3D mark and played Call of Duty: Black Ops at 1280*720, full setting, max detail. Not a single frame lagged. The 5730 and the i7 tore into it like it was a dos game!!

Cons: All those features listed above pull a heck of a lot out of the battery. And you CANT upgrade to a 9 or 12 cell so if you need portability this is not the laptop for you. Gives 1 and a half hours max on performance setting. But hey, I knew what I wanted so I'm not complaining!
Also had some bloatware that I spent some time removing, but a lot of it was actually useful.
only 2 USB ports and 1 usb port, and they are all spread out (2 on tight side at each end and usb on the left)
Packaging was dented - but the inner box with the laptop was totally intact. (not really a con)
Keyboard looks slightly flimsy so hardcore gamers should get a gaming keyboard.

Overall, totally satisfied and recommend this to anybody!

-Play Starcraft 2 on Ultra Settings which is the max setting.... smooth and runs great... graphics are so detailed!
-Counter Strike excellent smooth graphics with no lag
-Left 4 Dead 2 excellent smooth graphics with no lag
-World of Warcraft excellent smooth graphics with no lag
-Speakers are great!
-Good price for these specs.

If you are looking for a gaming laptop, this runs any modern game so smooth with no lag.
This laptop can do everything else from videos, mic over skype, creating documents, and other things that you can do with a non gaming laptop.

This laptop is pretty light weight and a good size for my backpack. The brightness of the screen is very bright.
Cool number pad included on the right side of the keyboard.

Great warranty offer. 1 year defect warranty and 1 year damage warranty.

Overall, I would recommend this laptop to anyone. Asus brand is from taiwan and they build quality laptops so the company is in pretty good standing.

What I would like to change is the 4gb of ram. I am going to add 8 gb of ram just to enhance the laptop performance. Although it already runs great I just want it...haha

I have looked into buying a laptop for a 2 months. This laptop has some pretty sweet aspects for anyone. I am no computer expert but i am a deal finding expert. I looked for and actually tested out some other computers before this one. I do some FPS gaming and a little dj-ing. The upper level gaming Asus (Republic of Gamers) was just a HUGE piece of equipment. It had great properties but at that point I would just get a desktop. So I went with this one for many reasons that turned out to be true.
--Pros--
-i7 740qm May be unstable in this setup though, idk (not an expert)
-Great for the money. It's the best buy out in my opinion!
-Pretty top notch graphics card. ati hd 5730.
-Cool 3 finger touch option on touchpad. Sensitivity is great. Keyboard is nice.
-Free! 1 year warranty! Good warranty, too!
-USB is super quick. Wasn't bad on bloatware. Looks nice!

--Cons--
-Not as stable, quick, impressive interior and exterior as the Republic of Gamers laptops
-Ati Raedon 5730 Graphics even runs this thing pretty hot while gaming but that's the only time.
-It is built kind of cheap so don't drop it like I did. I had the headphones in the jack and now the jack won't put out sound. But the warranty will handle that, which I will send in shortly to get fixed.
-Speakers are crap compared to other laptops. But It's not like that would break a deal cause I don't use them much.
-Overclocking really makes the proccesor jumpy even when checking your e-mail.

I give it a 4 stars because of what the long term aspect of it being able to withstand the pressure I would but it through physically and internally. I predict the obvoius quality flaws could tear this down a star. I have macs in the house I am at. You can't drop this like I can drop a mac. Just sayin!

. . . I've got an Asus Eee PC and if I needed another netbook I'd buy another today. So I wanted to like this notebook. But it locked up on me several times in the first few days. I got a replacement and it froze up within 15 minutes. Absolutely frozen, no Task Manager, nothing. Had to shut it off at the switch, then hope Windows would boot up. So I have two boxes here for UPS to pick up in the morning, getting a refund and starting over. Maybe it's just a bad batch right now (November 2010). But no way I could keep these.
When it ran, it ran fine for what I do - Office, web surfing, Filemaker, email. A couple of points though:
- runs HOT. I got a cooling pad right away
- battery life pretty weak, maybe an hour and a half-2 hours just looking at web pages. That would have gotten old after a while
- sound is clear, but mostly midrange and high end, not much bass for tunes or movies
So there you go. If you get one of these and it runs strong for the first week, you're probably OK. But I sent two back.
Once again, Amazon gets 5 stars for handling this so quickly.

The ASUS N61JQ-XV1 is a little powerhouse in its own right. With the i7 740q, 4GB DDR3 Ram, 500GB(7400rpm) HD, and an Mid-High range Ati Radeon HD 5730, its got everything one could want for under 1000$. While the i7 itself isen't as fast as the desktop version, the processor, is still a beast within its own right. I've been able to run Fallout New Vegas and Dragon Age:Origins on near max settings with many tabs on chrome, while updates were running in the background without any sign of slowdowns at all. Despite what everyone has said about the sound I find it quite impressive considering that I used to own an HP dv-8000. Getting to the point if your looking for a laptop with good specs for a deal breaker this is the laptop for you.

Pros
I7 740qm processor
ATI 5730 HD graphics card (great for gaming)
Quiet (i can barely even hear the fan)
7400rpm 500 gig hd deals with files like it's nothing
Powerful for what you pay for

Cons
Side vent can get very hot at times
Short battery life averages around 2 hours without any high end processes running
Cheap plastic speakers(just aesthics, dosent really matter)
The keyboard is quite small imo(and im a person with small hands)