Asus G53SX (Core i7 2670QM Processor 2.2GHz, 8GB RAM)

An oft-cited reason for the slow adoption of 3D TVs has been the need for glasses. As we often watch TV programs with other people, there's the cost associated with every additional pair of 3D glasses. Then, there's the comfort factor, especially if you wear prescription glasses.

This is something Nvidia acknowledged with the design tweaks made to its next-gen 3D Vision glasses. Hence, manufacturers are also introducing autostereoscopic displays, or glasses-free 3D. This 3D technology has made its way into laptops in the form of the Toshiba Qosmio F750. Asus is touting its G53SX as the first gaming notebook to use a similar technology.     

Upside

A limitation of glasses-free 3D technology are the narrow viewing angles. In many cases, you have to sit directly in front of the display to experience the 3D effect. The Asus G53SX gets around this by using the built-in Web cam to track the location of the user. This means it can adjust the 3D effect accordingly. However, this technology remains a single-user experience and your neighbor won't be able to enjoy it.

Asus has not tinkered with the black matte exterior of this Republic of Gamers (ROG) branded laptop so it looks identical to the previous version. You'll find a backlit chiclet keyboard slanted at a five-degree angle for greater comfort while the palmrest is made of a soft rubberized material.

The laptop's angular design is supposedly inspired by stealth planes. There's also a sound reason behind this design. The machine draws cool air through the front and pushes the warm exhaust through huge vents at the rear, ensuring that users won't feel the heat or be distracted by the hum of the fans. 

The main changes are under the hood. The G53SX predictably gets upgraded to a quad-core Intel Sandy Bridge processor running at 2.2GHz. Although the exact configuration may vary depending on the country, this laptop can support up to 16GB of RAM and two 7,200rpm hard drives.

The graphics chip--Nvidia's GeForce GTX 560M which supports the company's active-shutter 3D Vision technology--is the same on all configurations, but you get an option to upgrade the standard DVD writer to a Blu-ray combo drive. This may come in useful if you have a compatible 3D TV, as the G53SX also supports Nvidia's 3DTV Play technology, so you can stream 3D content to your big screen through HDMI.

Downside

From what we can tell, the right side of this laptop is rather crowded with ports and connectors--two USB ports, audio jacks, Ethernet, power and both VGA and HDMI. While it's convenient to have them on the sides, it does look a bit too concentrated on that flank and when fully utilized, the connected devices could get in the way of a right-handed user.

With a weight of 3.92kg, the Asus G53SX is heavy even for a gaming laptop. In comparison, the MSI GT780 weighs around the same and that has a larger 17.3-inch display. The G53SX is not something you'll want to move about too often.

Outlook

Perhaps recognizing that 3D is not everyone's cup of tea, Asus also offers a non-3D version of the G53SX that will cost less. Even without the 3D support, this is a very capable gaming laptop that will have no issues with the latest games. It helps, too, that it is a handsome machine, with none of the gaudy, flashy touches that one finds on some gaming laptops.

The non-3D G53SX will be available in Singapore next month, with the 3D version to follow in December. There's no official word on prices at this moment, but you can expect to pay between US$1,300 to US$1,500, depending on the configuration.