Decent gaming laptop. None of the unnecessary fancy features
590346
I use this laptop for my gaming while on the road. This is not my main gaming machine.

Here's the thing. This isn't a top of the line laptop with all the latest features. This is a workhorse laptop that is the cheapest laptop (that i could find) that has a dedicated graphics card. I bought it to play world of warcraft on and while it doesn't keep up with my desktop it plays all of my games just fine.

Perfect product for what i was looking for. If you're looking to get this to start into computer gaming or just to take your games on the road then this is a decent laptop. If you're looking to make this your main machine with the best possible performance and all the fancy features you should probably get something else.
4926501
I've been using it for a week now and haven't had any problems with it. I tried a couple of games with gta 5 being the most demanding one, all ran smoothly on at least high settings. Let's be honest - for ultra you'd probably need a machine for at least twice as much.
Pros:
-probably the best value you could get for that money (there's another option with G 970m 3gb and 8gb ram, rest equal but can't remember the brand. It's not a widely known one though). That alone is 5 stars for me.
- doesn't heat up much
- looks sleek but I guess it's a more subjective thing
- comes with a mouse
- quiet

Cons :
- it catches fingerprints everywhere easily
- ips fhd should be an upgrade but I still feel it's not good enough. It just doesn't look that good plus display is pretty dark even with brightness maxed out in my opinion
- all USB ports are located toward the front edge which makes you either drag mouse cord all the way around or just stacked between laptop and mouse itself. It feels inconvenient for me.
- the mouse isn't that good

Overall:
is it good for gaming ? Yes.
Is it worth its price? Most definitely!
Is it a high-end gaming laptop?  Absolutely not.
4stars
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
2630422
3.75/5

For the price, this machine is pretty good. Geforce GTX 960 is a wonderful graphics card that's great for 1080p gaming. You'll be able to max out a lot of games, and play the more higher end games at a steady framerate at medium - high settings. The ram is 8gb, which is good. The hard drive is 1tb, also good. And the processor does the job well, and doesn't bottleneck anything. There is a 500 Watt PSU, which is good.

There are two major problems I have.

1. The computer is very, very loud. Almost unbearable
2. the built in internet is very slow.

I wasn't expecting a quiet computer, and the sound doesn't bother me too much. But I have to admit that the amount of sound this thing produces is that of a small mini-vacuum running in the background or that of a loud fan. It can get very, very annoying.

The built-in internet is very slow. I had to buy an external wifi adapter to help the wifi go faster. If you're connecting it through ethernet, then it's no big deal. But if you're going to use wifi, then you're going to need a wifi card.

Oh, and it does come with a keyboard and mouse. The mouse is decent, but the keyboard is not that great. Still usable, just not the most optimal.

While there are some problems, the overall machine is pretty good. With the GTX 960, you can play many games at 1080p and the performance is fantastic.
1774072
Good budget gaming laptop. I suggest adding another 8GB of RAM tho since it badly needs it (for me atleast).
2567045
Decent computer at a decent price.  I use it to play Civilization and Xcom, the kids use it for homework. A little lag on graphic intense applications but otherwise no problems.  My only major complaint is that I should have gotten a touchscreen system.  Windows 8 works fine with a mouse, but it is designed for a touchscreen. I wouldn't get a windows 8 notebook that didn't have a touchscreen because it works for crap using a notebook touchpad.
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.
2755113
Bought for my 7 year old son.  He plays WoW, LoL, TF2 and Heroes of the Storm beta just fine.
The upgrade to Windows 8.1 isn't fun and can be very time consuming - but that's not Asus fault.
It has been a great laptop for the price.  He loves it.
4134387
Not really what you would consider a gaming laptop however it is powerful and good for casual gaming and work/school productivity. Battery life is dismal, likely a 4 hr charge at best and it's internal so that's why it's not 5 star quality. Brushed aluminum is a nice feel and it can be downgraded from Win10
3725183
The Lenovo Y50 is the absolutely cheapest way to get a GTX 860M which is a card capable of playing every game on the market with medium to high settings at the very least.

Build: The design is pretty sleek and beautiful. It has a strong center hinge connecting the base and the display, allowing for a lot of durability as opposed to two smaller hinges on the outskirts of the display like some cheaper laptops offer. It's fairly lightweight at 5.3lbs for a 15.6" gaming laptop and is less than an inch thick so it maintains a sleek look and easy portability.

Keyboard: The keyboard is actually pretty solid. In my time with one I didn't experience any missed keystrokes or any spongy feeling to the keys like some other competitor's keyboards have had in the past. There is very little if any flex during average use. One could put some weight on it to get it to move a bit, but you shouldn't be stepping on a laptop anyways, haha.

Touchpad: Generally a decent touchpad that follows your fingers correctly. This is really a moot point for a gaming laptop for the most part, but it's plenty decent enough to use when not gaming.

Battery life: One can only really expect about 3-4 hours out of one of these with average use. It's rated for 5, but much like every other manufacturer, the battery life is rated at idle. During use it goes down a bit.

Performance: The i5 doesn't hurt gaming performance much. Most games aren't very CPU intensive and they rely much more on the graphics card and that is where this laptop excels. A GTX 860M in this price range is pretty unheard of, and the i5-4200H is a price easily paid for it.

Display: The display on this laptop is definitely its Achilles' heel. It's got a low quality TN panel with poor color reproduction and viewing angles. It'll fade quickly at different perspectives and the contrast is relatively poor. For a gaming laptop, that's not really  a big deal, but it isn't a great thing to have either. There are solutions, though.

Additional comments: This is absolutely the best bang for the buck. The only drawback is the display and maybe the mediocre battery life. However, the display can easily be upgraded to a high end IPS display with fantastic viewing angles and color reproduction for under $100. So if you're willing to do a little work on it, you'll get one hell of a deal.
2029291
The HDD is on the slow side, although this is a problem I was already familiar with. The build quality is quite good and the weight is nice.

i5 CPU is OK and the GPU is what someone might expect from Low-Mid range. The RAM can be bigger but 4 GB satisfy the normal user's activities.

I use this laptop with several virtual machines running on it at the same time. The laptop could take it :)

Overall, I recommend this laptop for the price conscious.
1035185
great laptop, especially for only $185. came with minor scratches that are barely visible. may take a while to charge; does not immediately turn on after plugging it in when it dies. okay for gaming.
3575012
This laptop is great for gaming, photo/video editing, and everything else. I play games like GTA IV, Rocket League, Portal 1 & 2, alot of Garrys Mod, the forest, and Golf with friends. Runs them without a problem. The body isn't too strong but it isn't bad either. there is some screen flex and keyboard bend as well, but not noticeable. Only two problems I have with this is that the track pad is way towards the left, so I always manage to right click when I want to just click it normally. The other problem is that it always randomly, probably every 10-15 minutes disconnects from the internet, and makes all other devices disconnect from the internet as well. This doesn't happen when you play games for some reason though, only when you do everything else. Gets pretty annoying fast
4533263
I bought this looking for a budget laptop that I could take to college in the Fall 2010 semester. Like most of the stuff I bought, I did some careful research and wanted a laptop that wouldn't break the bank but wouldn't be a pile of garbage by trying to stick to the budget route. Turns out this laptop was just what I needed without spending a whole lot.

It comes initially with XP on it and you get a Vista disc. Now I got it a year or so after it was initially released, so the upgrade to Vista pressure is less than it was a year or so ago. That seems to be among the chief complaints as well is that it comes with XP, but Lenovo encourages Vista. If you like XP, then you keep XP on it. Vista is a pile of junk. I felt that Microsoft got it right with Windows 7 but not so much with Vista. Either keep XP and/or put Linux / Windows 7 on this and you'll be fine.

As far as the specs go, it's got what you need to do what you need to do. For school, this laptop is going to be all I need. It's quick with a dual-core processor, it's got a fairly good amount of ram in 3gb (I am still partial to having 4gb though) and a nice wide screen with a good range of display/resolution settings. Most newer laptops are coming with bigger and bigger hard drives these days and that's a welcome relief from when you'd walk in and buy a "top" laptop with a 80 gig hard drive, lol. The 250 gig drive on this is nice for home/office/school use. Unless your work documents are really big blueprints/pdf's , you shouldn't have an issue filling this sucker up. Unless you download a lot of music/videos/etc.

Among the minor cons are that it's not the flashiest looking laptop in the world but it certainly gets the job done. But the REAL con is the damned FN (function) key being where your CTRL key normally is (the CTRL key is just to the right of it). I've owned this for a little over a month and it's still tough getting used to. I just have to manually peck at the CTRL key to get stuff done with it but if that's the biggest con then I'll take it. Just give me something responsive and reliable and I'll be a happy laptop user. Battery life is not quite a con nor a pro, it just "is". It lasts around 3 hours unplugged (and less with activity or doing anything much more than idle). I guess for a budget laptop and a lot of laptops, 3 hours is pretty fair. 6 cell batteries can only do so much so I looked for a 9 cell for this one, but they don't offer it currently.

Now they have out a version out (of course after you buy these things, lol) that has Windows 7 Home Premium (64 bit) on it and from what I've read it's quite nice. I just wanted to dispel some of the negativity associated with this version of the laptop as I can't stand inaccurate reviews from other customers who have barely tried something.

Happy laptop hunting! 4.5 stars.
2257001
Before buying this laptop, I compared just two non-widescreen models, HP ZE5570US and this Toshi. The HP has too much silver plastic and it's just not my taste thought the HP is not that bulky as Toshi. For nearly one month ownership, A25-S279 is overall a good laptop as expected. The performance of 2.8P4+480M (512M-32M video) is more than enough for programming and some graphics s/w. Harddrive is very quiet. 54G wireless is no problem with my D-Link DI624 router. Not sure about PC game though.
However, you should notice there's no free CD burning s/w bundled but a trial one. Also the depth is a bit larger than a regular laptop. Be sure it'll fit your notebook case. They are the reasons I bought a Nero 6.0 Ultra and Samsanite carry case.
957220
I bought this a couple years back as a replacement to my aging XPS M1330. Comparing the two provides a good reference point in the progression of technology. This unassuming 2015 mid-range laptop made for a considerable upgrade over what was once a top-of-the-line, premium device back in 2007. Since then I've been satisfied with using it on a daily basis and don't see any reason to upgrade again in the foreseeable future.

The appearance of the machine is premium at a glance, but closer inspection reveals it doesn't quite have the attention to detail that marks the very best designs. The overall shape comes across as generic. The screen is on two big hinges that don't look great to me. The surface is a brushed metal that feels very nice and surprisingly premium, but the inside screen bezel and keyboard are plastic.  It is very thin and has the ports you would expect from a modern laptop. My overall impression is, "Yep, this is a modern thin laptop."

The keyboard itself doesn't feel great to use and feels like the one true downgrade over my old Dell. The arrow keys are weirdly small. The touchpad is located so that your palm inevitably grazes it while typing and throws your cursor to random places, interrupting typing. The mouse clicker buttons have minimal feedback and don't feel good to use at all. I ended up disabling it and highly recommend you just use a real mouse.

The screen is a sharp 1080p. Colors and contrast look good to my untrained eye. I don't have any complaints. It's not a touchscreen. The speakers sound good and get decent volume. Gaming performance is okay. Older and low-rez indie games run perfectly, but 3D games need to be played at 720p on low-medium in my experience. The webcam is crap. Overall speed while doing day-to-day work seems fine to me, but I think that's true of any laptop these days. The advertised 750GB is closer to 685 of usable space. That's still more than I'd ever need, but that comes down to personal use and preference.

I'll summarize with this: like I've already said, I'm satisfied with this machine-- but I wouldn't say I love it. It's a well-rounded, above-average device. I've focused on some of my personal negatives, but the combination of price, specs, and portability make this worth your consideration. I would recommend it if you want a well-rounded device that can do everything pretty well without breaking the bank.
45810
Disclaimer: arrived yesterday.

Um, fast (as in off to fully on and useful is 10-12 seconds). Even though the screen is 15", it feels larger. I don't honestly believe I would enjoy the 17" inch one as it would just be unwieldly to carry around. I like the way that you can use the Dragon Gaming Program (taskbar) to modify the performance of the laptop. Granted, I have only installed Steam, OpenOffice, and a few other programs, but a "full scan" with Ad-Aware took maybe three minutes. I am not 100% sold on the UI for Windows 10, but with Clam Shell for a start menu, it makes me feel better about it. (I'm an old man; get off my lawn.) So far, I haven't experienced any of the error messages others posted here. Putting the OS on the SSD seems to be the key to success here, and the third party which mods these laptops by installing SSD's did a great job of that. The only hiccup is I need to get some kind of cooling pad for the laptop to sit on when it is running super duper fast. It also seems to handle Battlefield well on max game settings.