Great Budget Gaming Laptop
931790
First ASUS ROG product purchased. The build quality is exceptional and the appeal gives off a serious look, separating it from the crowd (ahem, Mac). I'm going to test the product for 30 days and hope it survives.

Some of the complains I have are:

Power button is inconveniently placed directly on the top-right of the number pad, which means if you were crunching numbers, you may accidentally hit the power button.

The surface is made of glossy aluminum and is a magnet for fingerprints

The biggest complain I had was the GPU not being 4GB of Video Memory. You'd think with this hefty price tag they could have at least added the extra 2GB to complete it.

Some of the good points on this are

Study build, could have been lighter though, but that's where the new slimmer model is getting releases soon, but it's overpriced if you asked me.

The keyboard feels really right for your comfort and needs, not to mention a ROG mouse was also included.

Its technically overkill for a laptop to h... Read more
3486574
Great for gaming on the budget. Had it for a while and it's an amazing monitor. Glad I made the upgrade to a bigger screen, made a lot of difference. Highly recommended.
442430
Bought this for web surfing, streaming and gaming. Does all of that very well, very satisfied with performance. Nice screen, I like the keyboard and the case is fairly slim. Runs games well.  Borderlands 2 and Skyrim on high settings at 1920x1080 run without a hiccup. Great value for the money.  Plan on replacing the hdd with a ssd as it's definitely the bottleneck of the system.

Two things I dislike. One is there is a single mousepad button that controls the right click and left click functions- makes it hard to play games. Definitely need an external mouse or controller if you want to play games.  Secondly, it gets hot very quickly when gaming. These both can be fixed but definitely are negatives.  Overall it's a great machine, though.
1527478
17.3 inch screen, great graphics for the price, this is a great gaming laptop if you're not looking to spend $2000+ on a laptop capable of playing games.  It ran 3 EVE Online clients without a hitch, it can run games circa 2013 at mid-high settings and if you purchase this laptop for travel use and you have a main rig at home, this will definitely suffice.

I paid for 2 day shipping and after a day I doubted the delivery date but the seller responded with an email that it would arrive on the right date and it did, so I vouch for trusting them.
3932498
This is a pretty solid laptop for the price, and I'm honestly kind of surprised at that. First off, this is about the cheapest you can get a decent i5 for, and the laptops that offer them at a lower price don't seem to be very good setups. When I ordered the laptop, though, I figured that because it's so cheap that it would feel horribly cheap, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that it had a decent feel to it. It's by no means a top-of-the-line construction, but it exceeded my expectations at this price for sure.

As far as performance goes, it's pretty responsive, honestly. As with all laptops, you have to get one designed for what you'll be using it for, and if you need a laptop for school and other relatively light tasks, this is a good choice. It can handle very light gaming, but anything intensive and it will quickly get pretty warm, so I wouldn't stress it too much. It can handle game streaming through Steam, so if you've got a nice desktop, you should look into doing that, because this laptop won't even break a sweat with streaming games to it. Other than that, I did find that replacing the HDD with an SSD was a fantastic choice, and from a cold power-down, it literally only takes 5 seconds to boot. Most people pay $800+ for those sorts of boot times, and if you know what you're doing, you can get it for right about $500. If you do go that route, though, keep in mind that swapping out the hard drive IS a bit of a pain... you remove all of the screws on the back first, then you actually remove the KEYBOARD, not the back...

As for a few minor cons, I would say that the touch pad is a bit annoying to use (but I never really like them anyway), and like all pre-built systems, it comes with its fair share of bloatware. As long as you know what yo're doing, though, you can remove that easily enough. :)
1501033
I've had this laptop for about 3 days now and I have to say that it is everything that I wanted in a gaming laptop and just a laptop overall. However, because I had this for such a limited amount of time I cannot say how well it performs after months of use. I do, however, plan on updating this review oncesome time has passed.
The only  concern so far is that sometimes while gaming I get lag spikes where my frames per second (FPS) drops really low for just a second or two and then goes back to normal. I have no idea as to why this happened exactly since the game I was playing wasn't very demanding on my GPU. My best guess was that there was dust in the GPU so I wiped the table that I had my laptop on and dusted out the dust. Hopefully this issue doesnt reoccur. Or I may have to return its since a laptop for this price should not have any lag spikes on such a low graphic game.
Last thing is that the delivery time was fast. It came several hours earlier than the described time.
All in all great, just a bit concerned about the 2 lag spikes that occurred.
3840035
I've owned this laptop for close to 2 years, Ive put it through its paces and it runs 24/7 only shutting down to update.

I use this laptop for College, social media, and gaming.
I can play skyrim, Planetside 2, Far cry 3, dead island, you name it i can play it. this PC does an amazing job at handling them.
it can get a little hot, so a stand or external fan would be advised for more then 4hrs of use.

the battery has lost most of its charge sitting at 2hrs at fully charged.

i've only had one major malfunction from this laptop, which was an update of some sort that Messed up my hard drive, thankfully my Warranty was still in check (saved 400 bucks).

All in all, this laptop has been worth its money, And i do not regret it in the slightest.
perfect for medium to heavy gaming, and decent for College use as well.
3882090
The Acer Aspire V3-572G-587W came at a steal for $600, $650, including tax. Now, allow me to over all the basics that one must want to know about this computer. As a fellow gamer myself, when I was searching the internet for a suitable, budget gaming laptop  (and I mean $400-$600 only), I came across this one. This seemed to perfectly fit my needs, for the right price. After days of researching, I could not find a single computer at its price, that beat its performance.

I will address many concerns that I know that I had when I purchased this computer. Reviews did not answer all of my questions and I hope to do so.

Concern #1: Do multiple keypresses register at the same time? (important for gamers): Yes. In my experience, multiple keys DO work.

Concern#2: How bad is the touchpad? : If you are really a gamer, and is buying this for gaming, you would usually have a USB mouse. Otherwise, yes, the touchpad IS confusing but it is not "terrible" as some people say it is.

Concern#3: What games can it play? : The NVIDIA Geforce GT 840m is a capable graphics processor, although it is not meant for heavy gaming. In casual games like League of Legends, my fps does not stutter below 60, even with graphic settings on VERY HIGH.

Here is the list of games I have tried with this processor, and the average FPS I notice whilst playing (will be updating as more games are played):

LoL: 60fps (Very high setings)(Stutters in large team fights)
Minecraft: 30-100 fps (fancy, SL max, vsync, render 120) (30fps in heavily, heavily populated spawns in servers)
Guild Wars 2: 30fps (high settings)(little to no stutter)
Archeage: 30-45fps (all high settings)(haven't tested very high)
APB Reloaded: 40fps (high settings)(anti-aliasing none)
Skyrim: 30-35 fps STABLE. (Ultra settings) (50+ mods installed)(ENB Preset, 2k textures, Mesh enhancer, etc.)
Witcher 2: 20-25 fps (Medium-High Settings)

Concern#4: Does it heat up? : The answer is, yes. It does rack the heat, quite a bit. But a cooling pad will do WONDERS. And especially if you are a gamer, I would invest in a cooling pad.

Concern#5: How good is the CPU? RAM? HDD? : The CPU is frankly, not very good. I expected more from an i5, generation 4. It is dual core, 1.7ghz, 2.4 ghz max. Though it is decent with light and daily tasks, I would like to think what is holding this computer back in terms of graphical processing is in fact the CPU. Also, Intel i5's come with integrated HD 4400 cards on them.

The RAM is probably more than you will ever need, even as a gamer, unless you have four games open at the same time (which is highly unlikely, especially on a laptop). 7.9 of it is usable for me, and after uninstalling various bloatware of Acer and Windows 8.1, I am down to around 2 gigs of RAM usage with Chrome and other various apps open in the background.

The HDD, again, is disappointing. But please read carefully. The HDD is a 500gb, 5400 RPM model. It is not suitable for gaming. I assure you it works decently well enough, at the least. Maybe replacing it with an SSD or a 7200. Although it does not affect performance much, it may irk some customers.

Concern#6: Is there a removable battery? : Yes. There is. And the battery is (kind of) easily removed as well.

I think that is about all I can think of at this moment. I am very pleased with this laptop and its performance thus far. If any of you have the same experience as me, I assure you it will be good. Please leave questions in the comments if interested.
1084361
This is a great gaming laptop for the price. I can run Gta 5 and Skyrim on high settings. Startup is fast and the fan gets very loud.
I recommend when you get this laptop upgrade to Windows 10 than reset the laptop so it will clear the unnecessary apps that slow the computer down. I also recommend a registry cleaner and make sure you set the default gpu to gtx 950 not intel 4400 graphics.
2175982
this processor works perfect for my budget gaming PC. bundled with a good graphics card, this will handle anything you throw at it. since it has a unlocked multiplier, it was a breeze to overclock to 4.0Ghz
3042785
note: there are places u can buy this PC for under 1k now.  However for 2 years ago almost this pc WAS a beast, I still have no problems playing games on it however I had to replace my VGA once and reformat a harddrive a few times.  Also id recommend getting an extra 2G RAM. Overall not bad, but you don't need NEED a laptop to game and can do it on a desktop you can get a EXTREMELY nice desktop for the price of this laptop.
4598245
This laptop is a decent choice for those looking for a budget computer. Hard core gamers, enthusiasts, or anyone else looking for high-performance should look elsewhere. But for surfing the internet, office programs, and other basic applications this is a great choice. The dual-core Intel processor is more than enough to run those basic applications smoothly and quickly. The 120GB hard drive is plenty to keep all your music, videos, etc.

You will definitely want to upgrade the RAM to 2GB (the max) from the 1GB it came with. New memory should cost less than $50 at many online computer retailers and it provides a *very* noticeable improvement in performance. Upgrading is very simple, you open the hatch on the bottom of the laptop, remove the 2 memory modules there (2 x 512mb) and install the new modules (2 x 1GB). For those interested, the type of RAM you're looking for is DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) 200-pin SO-DIMM. Although many of those retailers let you enter the model# and it shows you compatible memory you can buy.

The weight listed here at amazon is 9lbs, but the actual weight is much less. This laptop replaces a 4 year old Dell Inspiron that was really over 9lbs and this laptop is significantly less. I'd say probably closer to 6lbs.

This doesn't come with any of the extras you see on more expensive laptops such as memory card readers, media buttons (like play/pause, forward, rewind, etc), extra USB ports (there are only 2), or things like  bluetooth or N-wireless (it does come with B/G-wireless). The battery is also rather short, lasting only about 2 hours, a little more or less depending on the selected power profile.

The DVD drive reads and burns CDs and DVDs effortlessy. I don't use iTunes, so I can't comment on other's troubles with it, I'm sure it will influence your choice if that is a program you use frequently.

The screen is very very nice. Very clear and bright, and has a smooth anti-glare glass(?) covering. The build quality is overall very nice and feels solidly built.

For those interested, the Vista Experience scores are as follows:
Procesor=4.7
Memory (RAM)=4.2 (note that changing to 2GB did not affect this score)
Graphics=3.1 (poor due to Intel XMA graphics. this is why gamers should look elsewhere)
Gaming Graphics=3.3
Primary HardDisk=4.9
810150
This is a great laptop for the price. I would have expected to pay $1500 for a laptop like this. I don't use this laptop for games, I bought it for work. I got this laptop, because it had a nice I7-4700HQ processor. Another selling point was the ease of disassembly for servicing. All the parts can easily be replaced on this laptop, the keyboard, heat sink exhaust fan, hard drive, and ram can easily be replaced. The GPU+CPU fan is easily accessible, you can blow the dust out of it easily. There is a slot for a SDD drive.

I did try to play some game on this laptop, and I will post those figures.
Bioshock Infinite: 60 fps@75 C or 167 F on high settings.
Modern Warfare 3 60 fps@75 C or 167 F on high settings.

Those games ran very smoothy, and they ran stably as well.

Pros: Nice big 17.3" screen, great value for the price,  fast processor I7-4700HQ, good gpu Geforce GTX 860M, adjustable fan with a push of a button, great keyboard, & easy to repair.
Cons: Gets very hot and fan gets loud when you play games, you can void the warranty if you disassemble it, GPU+CPU shares the same fan, & the screen fades if you look at it vertically.
886327
I bought this primarily so I could do both gaming and video-editing when I'm traveling, and for the cost it definitely doesn't disappoint. I haven't actually done much editing with it (I have a high-end PC as well) but working with Premiere CS6 on this has been great. As for gaming, the only recent game that just doesn't run well enough on it regardless of settings is DOOM, which is a bit disappointing, but it is a very hardware-intensive game so it's not too surprising. Other games like GTA V however run like a dream, even on fairly high settings.

As pictured, I have added another stick of memory as well as a WD black performance hard drive. Some people had said that adding a hard drive such as this would have a significant impact on the battery life but I have seen very little. I can still get 2-3 hours of gaming (depending on the game) on this while on a plane, which is great. I'd also like to note that the hard drive bay is empty in this laptop, so if you get one like I did, it's super easy to install as you don't have to replace anything. One of the two memory slots is also open, so adding another stick of that is also very simple. Thankfully there's only one plate on the bottom of this that covers these areas and there's only one screw holding it in place. I especially loved this since my first 10+ year old laptop had like a thousand of them.

My only issues with this thing that are worth mentioning are Windows 10 (which I have far too many issues with but this isn't the place for that) and a certain part of the outside design of the laptop, which I have taken photos of. The little plastic pieces that guard the heatsinks on the back and side can break very easily. And I mean /very/ easily. On top of that, when they do break, the metal bits of the heaksink itself can bend and fold together. That's honestly an easy fix, you can use anything that is thin enough to get in there and bend them back, but the plastic pieces are obviously different. As you can see in my photos, I have super-glued a few of them back on, and I'm straight-up missing a couple others. It's not like it's a massive issue or anything, especially if you don't plan on moving this thing around a lot, but if you travel with it like me, it's something you need to keep in mind. Otherwise I think the overall build quality is pretty good.

I guess the only other thing worth noting is the so-called sub-woofer. Technically it is a sub, but it's like the size of my thumb, and chances are you will rarely ever notice it. That being said, the speaker sound is still pretty good, just don't expect anything from the sub.

Overall, it was totally worth the cost and I would recommend it for anybody wanting something that's both affordable and has the power to run /almost/ any game currently on the market.
444442
I bought this desktop (my first) at Best Buy shortly before christmas for $479, and after a little less than a year of use, I can say it is easily worth more than that. I spend a fair amount of time on it, because I do online school. I also wanted it for PC gaming, but for this it was recommended to upgrade the GPU (AKA graphics/video card), so I did to a ASUS NVIDIA GTX 550 Ti 1Gb. But the included PSU (Power supply) was unable to provide enough power as it is only 350 watts. So I spent a little more extra money and upgraded the PSU to a Thermaltake 600W TR2. With these combined, I can run Skyrim on high with minimal to no glitches or framerate drops. Battlefield 3 is also gorgeous, and runs perfectly.

This desktop, when upgraded, is a perfect entry-level to mid-level gaming rig, for a great price. I am thinking about upgrading the CPU and RAM when I have enough spare cash, but overall, this machine is really great for what most people need.

<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Thermaltake-Power-Supply-240-Pin-600-Power-Supply-TR-600/dp/B0058FAYQ2/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Thermaltake Power Supply 240-Pin 600 Power Supply TR-600</a>
<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/ASUS-ENGTX550-Ti-DI-1GD5-GeForce-GTX-550-Ti-PCI-Express-2-0-Graphics-Card/dp/B007RFXVAC/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">ASUS ENGTX550 Ti/DI/1GD5 GeForce GTX 550 Ti PCI Express 2.0 Graphics Card</a>
2462013
Good quality laptop for budget prices. I purchased the i3 processor model, which is faster and more robust that the regular Pentium or celeron models. The 4gb memory was sufficient for my daughter for her basic school work. One can upgrade the memory to 8gb for $70 pretty easily. The hinges feel solid, and should last a while given daily use. The keyboard is kind of small, and does not feel comfortable for extended typing tasks. I find myself missing letters because you have to engage the keys more deliberatly than on other Dell laptops I have used. It is not going  to handle heavy duty gaming or other heavy processing tasks, but will handle everything a student can throw at it. It did have quite a bit of Dell bloat ware that I had to delete, not necessarily for space, but for removing clutter. I was able to install Office 365 easily, and it still has plenty of storage.
2080130
Great price point for a good quality gaming laptop. I got exactly what I expected with it. Great for CPU intensive and moderately GPU intensive gameplay.