Pick between these two laptops for gaming & video encoding.

[MTDEW]

Which would you rather have for gaming and video encoding option 1 or option 2?

I own the Asus and im think of upgrading to the Qosmio Q870, but im not so sure i'd care for moving to the GTS 360m from my current GTX 260m

Could the GTS 360m in the Qosmio be yanked and replaced with the GTX 260m since to me thats its big weak spot over the Asus?



Option 1

Asus G72GX
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Asus+-+L...&skuId=9556125
specs
17.3" screen @ 1680 x 900
Intel Core 2 Duo @ 2.53ghz (dual core)
6GB DDR2
500gb 5400 rpm hdd
1gb GTX 260m
Double-layer DVD±RW/CD-RW






Option 2

TOSHIBA Qosmio X505-Q870
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16834114797
18.4" screen @ 1680 x 945
Intel core i7 @ 1.6ghz (quad core)
4gb DDR3
500gb 7200rpm hdd
1gb GTS 360m
Blu-ray Disc ROM and DVD SuperMulti drive




What it seems to come down to is five things.
The Asus GTX 260m is faster at gaming than the Qosmio GTS 360m
The quad core will be faster at video encoding than the dual core
The Qosmio should have slightly better battery life since its more power friendly
The Qosmio has an 18.4" screen vs the Asus 17.3"
The Qosmio has better speakers

And aesthetics is a personal opinion, mine is neither is ugly but i give the toshiba the edge in looks & style.


Once again , Which would you rather have for gaming and video encoding option 1 or option 2?

 

[CurseTheSky]

It's not much of an upgrade over what you have now. I'd keep what you have, and wait another 4-6 months for things to get a bit more interesting.

 

[MTDEW]

It's not much of an upgrade over what you have now. I'd keep what you have, and wait another 4-6 months for things to get a bit more interesting.

LOL, i argue that point with myself all the time, but thats no fun.

I'll honestly admit, the Qosmio's style really appeals to me and i cannot keep from looking at it.
Obviously, your advice is the smartest move and i'm aware of that, but that darn metallic red/black scheme with 18.4" screen wont get out of my head..LMAO

So i figured i'd ask people outright....

If you were buying one today....which would you buy?

Forget that i own the Asus, would you buy the Qosmio if you didnt own either and had to choose?


Its not like i cannot sell the Asus.

 

[CurseTheSky]

Honestly, I'd probably spend 48 hours (or more) Googling for user reviews to determine any common problem with either model. For example, does the keyboard suck? Is the LCD panel horrible? Does it overheat or is it wicked noisy? Will the chassis fall apart in 3 months? Then I'd make my decision from there.

The internal specs are only half the battle. If this is going to sit on a desk hooked up to an external monitor, mouse, and keyboard all the time, it doesn't matter quite as much. If it's actually going to be used for portability, then it matters a ton.

Functionality and build quality aside, I'd probably spend a bit extra and grab one of these http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16834220695. Strictly between those two, I'd probably grab the Toshiba - the GPU is going to be outdated in a year or two anyway, so even if the GTX 260M is a bit more powerful, it won't be "top of the line" for long. Again, I'd definitely do a lot of research first, though.

 

[Nebor]

I just bought the Asus a couple weeks ago. Waiting for it to get to me. I picked it solely because of the 260 over the 360. The extra processor power isn't going to make up the difference lost by the video card in many games.

 

[Emulex]

toshiba has a super badass encoding laptop - because it has their proprietary video encode board on it - tmpgenc can use it for nearly 2X speed increase (then add some CUDA on top of that)

 

[Dodger1]

I'd get this one http://www.xoticpc.com/asus-g73jha2-order-p-2761.html?wconfigure=yes but it's turned out to be so popular that no ones got any in stock

 

[MTDEW]

I'd get this one http://www.xoticpc.com/asus-g73jha2-order-p-2761.html?wconfigure=yes but it's turned out to be so popular that no ones got any in stock

Sold my G72GX and thats what im waiting for.
ETA is 3-13-2010
If the build quality is as good as my old Asus , im sure i'll be more than pleased.
THNX for help guys,
I wasnt considering the G73 since its been out of stock everywhere and i didnt wanna wait, but the more you look at the specs and what you get from the G73LH-A2, it really is one of the best deals around for a laptop.

 

[GT1999]

Have you checked out www.powernotebooks.com?

This is the one I've been looking at. 80 or 160GB SSD, and a 500GB for storage. Top of the line Radeon mobility graphics. i7. What else do you need?

http://www.powernotebooks.com/ASUS-G73JH-gaming-laptops-notebooks-sys-3114.html

 

[Dodger1]

I've never ran across the high demand that the G73 has generated but as you said "it really is one of the best deals around for a laptop." As a side benefit, this laptop is causing the other notebook manufactures to lower their prices.

FYI, if you want to really drool, check out this laptop:

http://www.malibal.com/boutique/pc/configurePrd.asp?idproduct=148

Which was reviewed @

http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=5549

Way to many $'s for my needs but way cool

 

[Emulex]

http://tmpgenc.pegasys-inc.com/en/product/te4xp_spurs.html

check that out. qosmio

 

[MTDEW]

So has anyone seen any versions of the Asus G73JH available anywhere yet?

Darn things are near impossible to find and im seeing estimates of anywhere from 3-11-2010 to 3-30-2010 as possible availability dates.

or how about a laptop with similar specs/features for about the same price range?