Yesterday I got to spend some time with an interesting new notebook from ASUS – the G51J 3D.  As the name implies, there is something special about the gaming notebook in that it supports NVIDIA 3D Vision technology.  If 3D Vision is a new term for you, you should definitely check out my reviews of other 3D Vision offerings in the desktop world to get some background.  The basic premise is that a user wears NVIDIA-built active shutter glasses in conjunction with a true 120 Hz LCD panel to produce real-time 3D effects that are in many cases pretty stunning. 

ASUS and NVIDIA showcase new notebook with 3D Vision integration - Mobile 3

Part of ASUS’ gaming series of notebooks, the G51J 3D will be available in December and should have a retail price of about $1699.  It is the worlds first notebook with 3D Vision support – the key factor of which is the 1366×768 resolution 120 Hz LCD panel.   You can see from the photo above that the IR transmitter required for syncing the glasses and screen is still an external unit that plugs into the notebook via USB.  This was somewhat disappointing as I assumed it would have been integrated into the bezel of the monitor.  NVIDIA says that while future options later in 2010 may integrate that, the first round of 3D Vision capable notebooks will not.

The 3D glasses and transmitter are of course included in the package with the ASUS notebook though – so no need to hunt around for a set of these online if you pick up the G51J 3D.

ASUS and NVIDIA showcase new notebook with 3D Vision integration - Mobile 4

Besides the support for 3D technology, the G51J is still a capable gaming notebook with fairly impressive specs.  They include a 15.6-in display powered by an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260M 1GB discrete graphics solution, an Intel Core i5-720QM Lynnfield-based processor, 4GB of DDR3 memory, 640GB of standard spindle-based storage and of course a 64-bit version of Windows 7 Home Premium.

As I said above, I got to spend some time with the notebook in person yesterday and I came away just as impressed with this first mobile version of 3D Vision as I have been with the desktop version since its release.  Besides the obvious benefits of 3D gaming, NVIDIA and ASUS were also showing off support for 3D images (taken with the new Fujifilm 3D camera) and videos – but good luck finding a lot of source material there. 
Fremont, CA (November 17, 2009) – As the first notebook capable of producing realistic 3D visuals in games and videos, the new ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) G51J 3D is designed to deliver a truly immersive gaming and multimedia experience to gamers everywhere. Equipped with NVIDIA® 3D Vision™ and bundled with specially designed 3D glasses, the ASUS G51J 3D—which sports an NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 260M with 1GB DDR3 video memory — delivers adrenaline-pumping, edge-of-your-seat visuals anytime, anywhere. EAX and CMSS audio technology further enhances in-game immersion, delivering crystal clear sound and compelling environment audio effects through bespoke Altec Lansing® speakers. Powered by an Intel® Core™ i7 processor and 64-bit Windows® 7 operating system, the ASUS G51J 3D is the weapon of choice for discerning gamers who enjoy gaming-on-the-move.

Immersive Gaming: Bridging the Gap between the Virtual and Reality
Equipped with NVIDIA® 3D Vision™, the ASUS G51J 3D delivers ultra-realistic graphics that come to life before the user. A pair of 3D Vision™ active-shutter glasses coupled with a wide-range infra-red emitter delivers stereoscopic images with clarity, brightness and depth-of-field (DOP) at full resolution without any viewing angle restrictions. The GPU driver and a 120Hz 3D panel render each scene twice, delivering up to 60 images evenly to each eye, amounting to a total of up to 120 images at any given time. Gamers can experience total immersion into their games from what were previously flat 2D worlds, to true-to-life 3D. With up to 400 PC games that work out-of-the-box with 3D Vision, gamers can experience a whole new dimension of gaming never-before seen, with recently released games such as Resident Evil® 5, Borderlands™, World of Warcraft®: Wrath of the Lich King™, Batman®: Arkham Asylum™ and Star Trek® D-A-C.

“NVIDIA® is excited about the world’s first 3D Vision notebook coming from ASUS,” said Phil Eisler, General Manager of 3D Vision business unit at NVIDIA®. “The ASUS G51J 3D notebook will set the standard by which gaming and 3D notebooks will be judged. Congratulations to ASUS for achieving this monumental milestone!”

Complementing the immersive visual effects is EAX Advanced HD 4.0 3D audio technology and CMSS surround sound. EAX Advanced HD 4.0 audio technology enhances in-game environments and scenarios by providing corresponding three dimensional sound effects. It can provide up to 64 additional sound effects from its sound library, and produces ultra-realistic spatial effects for more than 300 supported games. Together with high fidelity Altec Lansing® speakers, the ASUS G51J 3D delivers a gaming and multimedia audio experience that no other notebook can match.

A Juggernaut of Power: Multitasking and Gaming Performance 
Powered by the latest Intel® Core™ i7 processor for multitasking muscle on-the-move, the ASUS G51J 3D features four dedicated physical cores working in tandem with the operating system and applications for additional performance. It allows users to utilize and launch multiple applications, and to enjoy high definition multimedia and processor-intensive games effortlessly.

Set to Stun: Mind-blowing Graphics at Incredible Speeds
The main area of concern for any discerning gamer when it comes to a gaming notebook is graphics, and the ASUS G51J 3D is designed specifically to meet or exceed their expectations. ASUS’ engineers have cleverly circumvented the thermal and placement issues that typically arise from fitting an NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 260M into a 15.6-inch notebook. With 1GB DDR3 video memory onboard, the ASUS G51J 3D attained a 3DMark®06 score of well over 11,000*, a significant leap from other 15-inch to 16-inch notebooks in the market today.

Pricing and Availability
The ASUS G51J 3D notebook will be available in North America soon from Amazon.com, Newegg.com and other authorized resellers. The introductory MSRP is $1699.99 USD. For more information please visit our website.