HIDevolution ASUS ROG Strix G18 G814JI 18" QHD+ 240Hz, 2.2 GHz i9-13980HX, RTX 4070, 64 GB DDR5 RAM, 4 TB PCIe SSD, Windows 11 Pro

i had a problem with my laptop and gave it 1 star rating at first because i was disappointed of the machine. i contacted ASUS customer service and they took care of it. the follow up letters, the support i've got from them and the quick repairs were very impressive. i just got the laptop back today and everything seems to be working good like when i first brought it home.

The computer came very well packaged. Graphics are everything I was hoping for. I use this primarily for 3d cad and am happy with the speed.I'm not a Windows 11 fan but don't have a choice.I like the lights and the choice of colors for the back-lit keys.I would buy this again.

Great support, replies same day . Had a problem with the laptop I made a refund. A couple of days and my money came to my card . I recommend the store.

The best laptop ever I've seen

I recently received my new Asus Rog Strix G18 from HIDEvolution. I actually purchased it directly from HIDEvolution rather than through Amazon because they offer some options not available through their pages on Amazon.My laptop is configured as HIDEvolution’s standard with the exception of 64gig of ram and an upgrade to the Intel wireless card.Here are my preliminary thoughts:On the laptop itself:The GreatPerformance – I am not using the laptop primarily for gaming, rather, for 3D CAD. Also, I tend to have many windows/programs open at once. My previous laptop, which was state of the art when I purchased it, struggled with opening and rendering my complex CAD files. The improvement here is dramatic. For example, opening a roughly 50 meg SketchUp file takes a few seconds vs a minute or more on my previous laptop. Changes are similarly rendered that much faster. Avoids a lot of frustration, saves time and makes me more productive.The keyboard is very nice to type on. Smooth, keys are well spaced and good sized with the exception of the right side shift key but that isn’t proving to be an issue.I never use a track pad, so it is convenient it is easily turned off with a function key.Using a function key, you have the ability to reduce the fan speed to make the it quieter but I am not finding fan noise an issue so I leave it at Performance. Cooling was an issue with my previous laptop and overheating may have led to crashing at times so I am in the “cooler is better even if it is a little louder” camp.While the overall size of the laptop might prove problematic occasionally, it is frankly worth any potential issues. HIDEvolution included a backpack style carrying bag, so I didn’t have to purchase a new one. The additional screen real estate vs my previous 16 inch laptop is very valuable. Even vs a previous 17.3 inch screen laptop, having the additional vertical space is more noticeable than I expected.The display itself is quite nice. Good brightness, not too effected by glare. Not quite as nice as my previous laptop with a 4K/UHD display but the difference isn’t particularly noticeable in CAD or video playback. Can’t speak to gaming at this time but I would expect to use an even larger external monitor for that.Good selection of ports and, yeah!, they are spaced out enough that plugging into one doesn’t interfere with another. One benefit of the overall size of the machine, I imagine.In spite of a large battery, it charges very quickly (see comment on brick below).The Good but Not Perfect:Keyboard lighting – there is a fancy selection of lighting effects but, frankly, I would prefer just simple white lighting. If you want static lighting, you seem to be stuck with red.It has 2 USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports. Since I use one for my trackball dongle, it would have been nice to have a third.Battery life – 90 Wh - well, given the specs of the machine, I guess you have to be realistic about battery life. It gets me through a full movie in video off its charger and that is the most common need I have for battery life, so OK. Most of the time it will be plugged in.The brick – the charger is just that, a brick. Be careful not to drop in on your toes. I think it weighs about as much as the laptop.General appearance – not particularly important, but it is pretty bland. The only thing that stands out is a band of LED lighting across the front lip. Nice, but it stays on when you close the machine or put it in sleep mode. You have to turn it off manually with a function key.Because ASUS allocated so much space to a track pad, the keyboard resides quite a way back. This gives you plenty of space to rest your wrists but means I am dragging my metal watchband clasp across the plastic face all the time. Frankly, laptop manufacturers should skip the trackpad and include a tracball.The Missing:Security – there is no fingerprint reader or infrared sensors for the camera, so you can’t use Windows Hello facial recognition. You will need a security key or rely on a PIN. I am still a little dubious about security keys because I tend to misplace things and tear my hair out trying to find them. Also, it’s one more thing to carry around and find a place to store.About my purchasing experience with HIDEvolution:As I mentioned, I chose to purchase directly from HIDEvolution because they offered some valuable options not available elsewhere. In addition to a wide assortment of hardware options (RAM up to 96 gig, for example), they offer customizing like laser engraving and wrapping. I took advantage of having my contact info engraved on the bottom of the laptop.They will also fine tune the screen and performance. I recommend their Tuning and Optimization Package that basically decrapifies the machine, removing all the bloatware and installing only what you agree you need and want.Max, the sales tech I dealt with, was very knowledgeable, didn’t try to upsell me but queried me on what my actual needs would be, and was always responsive even after hours and on weekends.While the website warned that customized machines might take a week or two to get, mine arrived within 3 days of finalizing the specs with Max.Finally, their prices are very competitive.Overall, an excellent retail experience.