Asus G551JM / G551 review – a fair priced 15.6 inch gaming laptop

60 Comments

  1. ergterte

    December 19, 2014 at 7:26 pm

    do you know how to the coil whine? I also found it very annoying

    • ergterte

      December 19, 2014 at 7:27 pm

      fix*

  2. Roman

    December 21, 2014 at 9:33 am

    Hi! Thanks for the cool review.
    I want to buy this laptop but I can’t find the model with IPS screen anywhere. Tell me please where can I get the same configuration as you had in your review!

    • NOJ

      February 18, 2015 at 1:42 am

      To get exact you want got to Asus directly, in Taiwan, will get 2 year factory warranty plus option to purchase an extended 2 year warranty. Cosiderable cost saving on purchase price versus retail in other country, The warranty also covers ware and tear, shipping. I live in Australia my wife is from Taiwan. she only runs either ASUS or ?? sorry forgot other brand. Her last lappy is HP nothing but trouble with major overheating, failed optics drive x 3, ram, cpu and fans. Today we ordered our new lappy with top specs and IPS. With extended warranty AU$1600.00 (AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR).

  3. oll_40

    December 21, 2014 at 4:37 pm

    Hi. nice review. I was wondering there are lots of different ram types. Which type of ram did they install to this laptop. Is there a specific ram for it? Like low woltage ones 1.35v or the 1.50v ones. Will PC3 12800 8 gb 204 pin work? Thanks in advence

    • Andrei Girbea

      December 23, 2014 at 1:17 pm

      Low voltage RAM is usually the main pick for Asus laptops. There’s a HwInfo pic in the hardware section, should show you the exact model number for the memory modules installed

  4. nanny

    December 31, 2014 at 2:58 pm

    if anyone has a strange noise when you come your ear to keyboard like “bzzzzzzz” is hearable if you are near to keyboard or touchpad it is normal?

    • sankar

      March 2, 2015 at 12:25 am

      i do found any fix?

  5. ashween

    January 1, 2015 at 9:14 am

    Which laptop do you suggest between this 2, asus g551-jm and MSI ge70-2pe?

    • omid

      February 17, 2015 at 9:05 pm

      i try both of them and also have g551jm
      this is the best laptop in the world
      better than all othe gaming laptop

  6. Rick

    January 10, 2015 at 10:21 am

    Hi there, thx for the awesome review, I think I might just get this laptop but before I do can you help explain to me more about the “Coil Whine” on this device? I’d would really help me out alot thx.

    • Andrei Girbea

      January 11, 2015 at 5:19 pm

      Rick, do a Google search on Coil Whine. It’s a specific kind of sound caused by certain components (usually CPU or GPU) under load. Hard to get in depth in a comment, but there are plenty of articles out there on this topic

  7. Maria

    January 10, 2015 at 7:17 pm

    Nice review, almost convinced me to get this laptop if my mind wouldn`t be stuck on the thinkpad w530 ( it`s not available anymore in stores, I`ve only found one for 4000 lei but it`s a lower version, with only hd+ display that probably has only 60% adobergb, quadro k1000m 2Gb graphics, i7-3740QM, up to 32gb ram). I was wondering if you know anything about it, how would it compare to g551jm even if it`s an older laptop. Display seems to be better on the asus wich is very important, the weight is similar, the thinkpad keyboard I love, but I just can`t make a decision.
    I will only use it for some 3ds max, autocad, graphic design….a little photo/video editing (not at a professional level), no games at all :D
    Thank you.

    • Andrei Girbea

      January 11, 2015 at 9:14 pm

      Well, that Lenovo is old and can’t stand next to the GL551 in terms of performance. However, Lenovo has a W540 (released in 2014) and I’ve heard rumors of a future W550 that should be unveiled sometime this year, with Broadwell hardware.

      The W550 will definitely offer a modern screen plus all the known Thinkpad goodies (build quality, keyboard, warranty, post sale services). I’m pretty sure it won’t be cheap though. In fact, it will surely cost a lot more than the GL551.

      In other words, the GL551 should do fine for what you need. Not sure if you’ll fully benefit from the graphics though, I’m not up-to-date with 3ds, maya, autocad, etc and don’t know how well they handle these Nvidia chips these days. Maybe you should dig a bit on this matter, cause if these apps don’t put the GPU to work, you could also consider the Asus N551, which is a slightly different and cheaper model, with somewhat poorer graphics.

      • Maria

        January 12, 2015 at 10:02 am

        Yes, w550 is coming soon ( youtube.com/watch?v=OHnkmGxCnaQ min. 2:57; actually w550s and w541).
        From what i`ve red they put the gpu to work but the ones in the w series are more adequate for cad work. Anyway, I found yesterday a better version of the w530 ( quadro k2000m and fhd screen with calibrator, but sh with warranty) for less than I can get the asus so I can use the extra money for more ram and an ssd. And a new w540 would be way out of my budget.
        Anyway, thank you for your answer and keep on with the good reviews!

  8. John

    February 1, 2015 at 9:18 am

    Is anyone able to tell what’s the exact make and model of ram memory on this model G551JM ?

    • oll_40

      February 1, 2015 at 3:09 pm

      It is SAMSUN 8 GB 2RX8 PC3L-12800-11-13-F3 on my laptop

      • John

        February 2, 2015 at 9:48 am

        Thanks mate. I’ll have a look on mine and see if it’s the same. Just want to upgrade to 16GB.

    • omid

      February 17, 2015 at 9:03 pm

      16 gb ddr3 1600

  9. Nickson

    February 15, 2015 at 6:56 pm

    What screwdrivers do I need to access 2.5 inch bay and optical disc drive ?
    PH00, PH0 or PH1 ?

  10. omid

    February 17, 2015 at 9:02 pm

    hello
    i have this laptop
    i have a problem
    my g551jm turns off with out do somthing special (sometimes on gaming mode.sometimes when watching a movie.somtimes when i dont do anyyyy thing)
    no shut down
    all the power of the laptop goes off in one second
    .
    heeeeeeeelp

  11. Nickson

    February 18, 2015 at 11:02 am

    Andrei Girbea, can you tell me, please, what screwdrivers do you use to disassemble this notebook ?

    • Andrei Girbea

      February 18, 2015 at 11:27 am

      standard Philips screwdriver

      • Nickson

        February 18, 2015 at 1:47 pm

        There are four basic sizes of Phillips screwdriver — from #0 to #4 — #0 being the smallest. The most common sizes are #2 and #1.
        What exact size do you mean by saying ‘standard Philips screwdriver’ ?
        Is it #2, #1 or something else ?

      • Andrei Girbea

        February 18, 2015 at 6:19 pm

        You’re right but I actually don’t have the laptop around anymore and I don’t remember which one was it. It’s the #2, but I’m only 50% sure of that. I have a set with different heads and I just pick the one most appropriate in each situation. Sry I can’t be of more help.

  12. ole

    February 26, 2015 at 3:11 pm

    I have just bought the asus G551 gaming laptop, but the mic is not really working. I have tried to fix it, but i can’t skype with friends or anything. Do you know how to fix the mic?

    • Andrei Girbea

      February 26, 2015 at 7:37 pm

      Have you tried other apps? Like Sound Recorder in Windows? do they work with that? I haven’t heard of this problem, so you’ll probably have to ask Asus about it

  13. Ramesh

    March 5, 2015 at 1:07 am

    Asus G551jm or Acer Aspire v 15 nitro .Which one has better battery life ?
    Also please tell overall which one is better for college .

  14. Cypher

    March 11, 2015 at 7:39 am

    Hi there. Thanks for a really impressive review.
    Just want to ask your opinion: I’m about to buy myself a new laptop, so I’m split between Asus G551JM and Dell Inspiron 15 7537. so which would you suggest? Price is definitely an issue, but I’m willing to spend more if it’s worth it. I’m not much of a gamer (since I own gaming consoles) but I do use my laptop for softwares like Photoshop, Sony Vegas, Solidwork, etc. I’m also looking for a laptop that tends not to slow down (lagging) on long usage or high load.
    Your opinion is very much appreciated. Thank you!

    • Andrei Girbea

      March 12, 2015 at 12:14 pm

      Well, I haven’t tested that Dell, so can’t really comment on it. This Asus has good user reviews and should handle that kind of software well. Also consider which company offers better support and post-sale services (including warranty) in your country, that could be decisive when trying to decide between similar devices.

  15. isa

    March 12, 2015 at 4:40 am

    it is too important for us how to calibrate laptop…could you know tell me how you calirate?

    • Andrei Girbea

      March 12, 2015 at 12:23 pm

      I’m using a Spyder4Elite, but other similar colorimeter will work as well.

  16. isa katirci

    March 12, 2015 at 10:18 am

    du you know how to calibre this laptop?

  17. Owen Bagley-Freer

    March 16, 2015 at 9:51 pm

    Just wondering how the screen size can be 15.6″ and the overall size is 15.06″??

    • Alex

      March 27, 2015 at 9:17 pm

      15.6″ is the diagonal size while 15.06″ is the length

  18. isa katirci

    March 17, 2015 at 8:29 am

    you said that I’m using a Spyder4Elite, but other similar colorimeter will work as well. so then please share your Calibrated Settings….Brightness,Contrast,Preset mode,RGB,luminance (cd/m2),Black Point (cd/m2),Contrast Ratio….

    if you share Calibrated Settings , i will buy this laptop immediately in a short time….Lastly the most important thing is that it is flicker free…. youtube.com/watch?v=QMXYfi2lRdA this video explain how to test flicker free…

  19. owen Bagley-Freer

    March 17, 2015 at 9:29 pm

    I have this lapotop and can share with you the calibration .ICC profile if you like.
    I used an Xrite i1 display Pro. Just remeber that no 2 screens are exactly the same!

    If you are to buy this laptop try and get the Maxwell, 4gb version of the GTX860M. there are also 2 gb models and ones based on the older Kepler architecture.

    • isa katırcı

      March 18, 2015 at 8:55 am

      i cant see anything about the calibration :( where did you share on web site?
      and i will buy laptop with 4gb version of the GTX860M…thanks your comment..

  20. isa katirci

    March 19, 2015 at 8:47 pm

    i have just 1 350 $ which is equal to 3500 Turkish Liras….I have been waiting your calibrating setting for two weeks…please help me…i have no time i must to code java dissertation…i wanna particularly to buy this laptop because of good diplay.. :)

  21. Zentteng

    March 22, 2015 at 1:32 pm

    Im was interested with this model too soon will get one for myself..
    But im wondering how can i determine the type of graphic that inside the notebook is Maxwell or Kepler?
    Since i read a lot of the article all the information they provided didnt show the type of graphic..

  22. Owen Bagley-Freer

    March 23, 2015 at 7:06 pm

    I’m pretty sure that all of the G551 versions on sale now use Maxwell architecture.

    I bought one last week and it has GTX 860M 4GB Maxwell.

    If you can then run GPU-Z in the store, you want the GPU to be GM 107.

  23. Joshua

    March 24, 2015 at 12:50 am

    Hi,
    What would you recommend? The G551JM or the G551? Is the G551 better due to the dual fan cooling system?

  24. Alex

    March 27, 2015 at 5:46 am

    Hello!
    i just got the g551jm and i can’t find drivers for him, any help please!

  25. Eric

    April 15, 2015 at 6:14 pm

    How did you remove the optical drive? The screw on the bottom holds the drive in I assume, but I can’t find a way to pull it out. Thanks

  26. AGUSTIN

    June 6, 2015 at 12:41 am

    a este laptop se puede instalar un ssd de 512 GB O UN SSD DE 500 gb, agradecere si alguien sabe ????

  27. SILVA

    June 10, 2015 at 3:21 pm

    Install a laptop esta UN 512GB SSD OR SSD 500GB can , agradecere if anyone knows ????

  28. yihtorng

    June 21, 2015 at 2:08 am

    how your calibrated the display for G551jm to make it better ? from intel hd software ??

    • Andrei Girbea

      June 22, 2015 at 8:32 pm

      I’m using a Spyder 4 Elite

      • yihtorng

        June 23, 2015 at 12:24 am

        appreciate if you could provide your icc profile
        by the way the g551jm u calibrate is TN panel ?

  29. Ilse

    July 22, 2015 at 11:51 am

    Hi!
    First and foremost, thank you for the review.

    I’m actually looking for a new laptop that needs to perform both at gaming and the full Adobe Suite (Photoshop, Premiere Pro etc..).
    I was thinking about either this laptop or the Lenovo y50 or the Acer v15 Nitro. But I’m a bit bothered by the missing optical drive on the latter two models.

    Is there any reccomendation you would make between these 3 for the use of photo and video editing?

    • Andrei Girbea

      July 22, 2015 at 1:15 pm

      Hardware wise they are mostly similar. The Acer is available in several options, but I’d reckon you’re looking at the Black edition with the quad-core CPU.

      Anyway, if you plan to use them for photo/video editing, I’d be careful about the Lenovo. Most models come with pretty poor TN panels and you’ll need a great screen for accurate color work.

      That leaves you with the Acer and the Asus and both have their pros and cons. You’d have to balance them yourself and decide which one is better suited for what you need.

      PS: don’t worry much about the lack of an optical drive. You can find USB ones for under $50 and without such an unit, manufacturers are able to create slimmer and lighter bodies, or squeeze larger batteries inside. I’d say that’s a win.

  30. vinz

    August 8, 2015 at 3:45 am

    if you have to choose between this product, the Asus ROG G551JM-DM052H and Lenovo Y50-70-8993, which one will you choose? and why?

  31. Shahbaz

    August 20, 2015 at 2:35 am

    Hello there , i am thinking of buying this particular model, here in Qatar, we are getting Nvidia GeForce GTX 960M (4 GB) graphics pre-installed in the laptop along with 12gb RAM, would this be enough for gaming?
    you views plz
    Thank you

    Asus ROG G551JW, Laptop, Intel Core i7-4720HQ, Nvidia GeForce GTX 960M (4 GB), 12 GB RAM, 128 GB SSD, 1 TB HDD, 15.6″, Windows 8.1

    • Andrei Girbea

      August 20, 2015 at 7:25 am

      If you want the latest titles on the Highest details, you shoudl AIM for Nbvidia 970M graphics or higher. If you’re willing to trim down the details here and there, this should do.

  32. baldeep

    November 16, 2015 at 11:12 am

    mm totally confused i have planned to buy a new laptop would u recommend me a laptop between asus 551 and asus 771

  33. Evan

    November 20, 2015 at 6:44 pm

    Hey, about the MSATA MINI drive mentioned. How difficult is it to remove the back plate? I know this voids the warranty, as i read somewhere else online. Also is there a MAX capacity that it can be?

    • Andrei Girbea

      November 20, 2015 at 8:29 pm

      Hi Even. Unfortunately I can’t remember, it’s been too long since I reviewed this product. I suggest you head over to the forums on notebookreview.com and try to find an Owner’s Thread for this laptop, then ask these questions there. You should get help. Sry I can’t do more for you.

      BTW< taking the entire back panel apart shouldn't be very hard, just make sure you take care of all the screws. If you're careful and don't break any plastic pins, this should not void warranty. Still, I'm not entirely sure you can use the mSATA slot as a boot drive, if that's what you intend. It's mostly used for a small caching SSD with most configurations, but on some laptops the UEFI allows it to be bootable.

  34. Vei

    December 1, 2015 at 4:59 am

    I have never ending problems with this rog laptop. Too much problems to even list it down here

  35. Costa

    February 9, 2016 at 7:00 pm

    How did you get that temps on that review my gl551jm same cpu 16gb ram and 860m 4gb bios 204 start throttle around 84ºC

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