ASUS G50V LAPTOP FOR GAMING ADDICTS!

Gaming laptops

Today's gamers have a mind-boggling variety of games and gaming platforms to choose from. PC games, the Sony PlayStations and the Nintendo Wii, all vie for their attention. And to provide for gaming needs on the move, they have the versatile, albeit small Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP).

But, is there a gaming platform or device that is portable, that enhances the game's visual experience to a bigger size than the PSP, is able to connect to the web for group/ online gaming and can it also double up to perform the user's other computing needs? That's where the gaming laptop enters. It being a very niche segment, there aren't too many options for buyers of gaming laptops.

And the buyers of these laptops here may also be a smaller group. But, that hasn't deterred ASUS from launching its G50V, a feature-packed, very capable gaming laptop.

At a glance

This is a laptop built with gaming addicts in mind. The ASUS G50V has 'youth' written all over. One look at the G50V and you know it is no 'run-of-the-mill' laptop. The smooth black lid has a Lambo-style, shield-shaped 'Republic of Gamers' logo in the middle, as if to ensure you don't mistake it for something in which you just create dreary Excel and Word files.

The youth-oriented design doesn't end with the lid. Flip it open and you are dazzled by the bright orange coloured borders to the keyboard and trackpad. The control indicators and trackpad sport a cool-blue LED-lit border. The side of the trackpad below the keyboard has a rubberised feel, which again tries to tell you {lsquo}this machine is different,' and could be especially useful for better grip while gaming.

The panel above the keyboard has controls that are touch-sensitive, including ones for switching screen modes and controlling the speaker volume. On its side, again in cool-blue LED, is a display window, which throws up information such as battery charge, CPU and RAM usage and also whatever custom text you want to display.

The touchpad has a slightly rough, matt surface that helps easier tracking. The buttons below are quite large so that you don't miss them if you prefer to use the buttons instead of the mouse in a fast moving game. A nice surprise is the full-fledged number pad as you find in normal keyboards, but this does not affect your typing.

A closer look...

As you power up, you have an option of quickly booting into the ExpressGate mini Linux application, where you can browse the Net or make Skype calls. This is useful if you have to quickly browse the Net or listen to music without waiting for the full Windows boot, which would take more time.

The display from the 15.4-inch screen is brilliant... it has to be; this is supposed to be a gaming laptop. With the help of the touch-sensitive buttons above the keyboard, you can also tweak the display to step down brightness (and power) if you are not gaming.

There is a 2-megapixel Webcam and a microphone above the screen. The Webcam is decent, but performance is nothing too special.

The ASUS perks

The G50V comes with Altec Lansing speakers. The sound is better than in many other notebooks, but is not quite loud enough. We expected better sound in a gaming laptop, more so with Altec Lansing speakers. Sound effects play an important part in the gaming experience. Though the reproduction from the speakers was a bit weak, the full-sized 'Siberia Steelseries Gaming Headset' which is an optional accessory with the laptop did help experience the game better.

The laptop comes with a mouse (optional) that looks like it has undergone genetic mutation. There are buttons and wheels all around it that can be put to use in games. To make things easy, ASUS has included a separate user manual for the mouse.

How does it perform?

The G50V doesn't let you down in its core focus - gaming performance. No wonder, because it comes with an Nvidia GeForce 9700M GT graphics processor backed by 512 MB of GDDR3 memory. For those technically inclined and also for those who wish to know more about the graphics card, ASUS says the '9700M has 32 DirectX 10-class compute cores and a 128-bit memory interface, and it is largely derived form the G96 GPU that powers desktop graphics cards like the GeForce 9500 GT.'

The G50V comes with 4GB RAM, but ASUS warns that 'due to the 32-bit Operation System's limitation, only 3 GB will show up with a 4 GB memory. The 64-bit Operating System will not have this issue.'

The laptop comes with several 'performance modes' that will squeeze out power from the processor based on your demands and based on the game you are playing. We hit the keys with two games - the hugely popular GRID and Alone in the dark. And the 'Oohs' and the 'Aahs' echoed in our office thanks to the stunning clarity of the animation in the G50V's screen.

There is no stuttering and the graphics processor's power comes through clearly when you consider how heavy an application these two games can be. Of course, the one thing we missed was dedicated gaming accessories. Using the keys can be quite disappointing, since the level of control they offer is limited.

Other features

The entire unit, including the adapter (which itself is quite heavy) weighs over 3 kg. Though the weight is on the higher side, the unit is likely to find its place among young buyers who won't mind carrying it around. The G50V is also one hot laptop, quite literally. Make sure you have good ventilation under the unit, if you ever actually attempt using it on your lap. Otherwise, it will be 'crispy fried legs, anyone!'

The G50V also comes with an attractive (but optional) Republic of Gamers backpack. The build quality is excellent. There are four USB ports, a VGA port, a FireWire port, a HDMI port, a DVD cum Blu-ray optical drive, a multi-card reader slot and ExpressCard slot.

The batteries lasted for over two hours with some less power-hungry games. It is better you carry the adapter with you if you have plans to hang out with your friends for a longer time. The colourful lighting all around the laptop is cool, but also ensures that the battery drains fast and charges slowly. Even the {lsquo}power-saving' mode leaves a few lights blinking.

On the whole, the G50V is something that you can proudly take to parties.

The design is a head turner and the laptop doesn't disappoint you performance-wise too. One drawback could be the weight, but young buyers shouldn't be too bothered, given its looks and performance. You may also want to connect more powerful external speakers to enhance the G50V's sound reproduction.

Specifications

Processor & cache memory: Intel Core 2 Duo Processor

Operating System: Windows Vista Ultimate, Vista Home Premium

Main memory: DDR2 800 MHz SDRAM, 2 x SODIMM socket for expansion up to 4GB SDRAM

Video graphics & memory: NVIDIA GeForce 9700M GT External 512MB GDDR3 VRAM

Dimension & weight: 37.5 x 26.5 x 3.43-4.06 cm (W x D x H), 3.3 kg (with 6 cell battery,1xHDD)

Audio: Built-in Azalia compliant audio chip, with 3D effect & full duplex
Support Dolby Home Theater, Altec Lansing co-brand speakers

Optical Drive: Blu-Ray DVD Combo

Card reader: 8 in 1 card reader, SD,MMC,MS,MS-Pro,mini SD w/adapter,MS-Duo,MS-Pro Duo via adapter

Warranty & support: 2-year limited global hardware warranty, 1-year battery pack warranty

OS Compatibility: Windows Vista, Windows XP driver is not available

Price : Rs 1,15,000

Rating:

Aesthetics & design: 5
UI and software: 4
Features: 4
Value for money: 4

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