ASUS G53JW-A1: Yes or No?

[Chanc]

I think I may have found a decent gaming laptop, but need some opinions from people more qualified than myself. Lately when I say that the first response is usually, "Get a desktop". I have a brand new desktop that works great for gaming. However, I need a new laptop and I want to get one that will run World of Warcraft and Starcraft II. The laptop I'm looking at is the ASUS G53JW-A1 Republic of Gamers laptop. I would like to be able to run both games on high while being able to play fluently for a couple hours a day. No intense and long gaming sessions. Here are the specs:

ASUS G53JW-A1 Republic of Gamers 15.6" Gaming Laptop (Black)

Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
Display: 15.6-inch LED-backlit Full HD display (1920 x 1080)
Processor: Intel Core i7-740QM quad-core processor (1.73 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 2.93 GHz)
Chipset: Intel HM55
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M 1.5GB GDDR5 VRAM
WLAN: 802.11 b/g/n (@ 2.4GHz), Bluetooth v2.1
LAN: 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet
Memory: 6GB DDR3 1333 MHz RAM, 4 x SODIMM (expandable to 16GB)
Storage:750GB 7200RPM hard drive
Optical Drive: Super Multi DVD
Camera: 2.0 megapixel
Speakers: High-quality stereo speakers with EAX 5.0 sound
Microphone: Digital Array Microphone
Card Reader: 8-in-1 card reader (MMC/SD/Mini-SD/XD/Memory stick/MS Pro/MS-Duo/MS-Pro Duo)
Input / Output: 1 x Mic-in, 1 x Headphone-out, 1 x VGA port/Mini D-Sub 15-pin for external monitor, 3 x USB 2.0 ports, 1 x USB 3.0 port, 1 x Gigabit LAN, 1 x HDMI, 1 x Kensington Lock
Battery: 8 cell
Dimensions: 15.6 x 11.9 x 0.8 ~ 2.0 –inches
Weight: 7.9 lbs (with 8 cell battery)
Color: Black

Price: $1,249.99 (After mail in rebate and credits. This includes shipping and taxes)

1.) Will this laptop play WoW and SC2, and if so how well will it play it?
2.) Any opinions on ASUS as a company or this specific model/line?
3.) Should I use a cooling pad with this laptop?

I really would appreciate any answers, opinions, or advice! Thanks a lot guys!

 

[Mousemonkey]

This topic has been moved from the section Video Games to section Laptops & Notebooks by Mousemonkey

 

[Maziar]

1)Can play it maxed out on 1080p(but maybe with few settings on medium and AA off)
2)ASUS "G" series are usually very good
3)Don't think so,It's got a decent cooling solution

 

[HPrometheus]

1) Will struggle with SCII at 1080p medium or lower settings
2) I'd recommend an HP Envy 14 better outfitted http://goo.gl/3Xgmg for about $1300
3) I would use a cooling pad with any model to prevent overheating or long term damage

 

[Maziar]

GTX 460M is powerful enough to max out SC2
http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-GTX-460M.33612.0.html
As you can see,it gets 30FPS easily on ultra settings
Also Envy 14 is signifcantly less powerful than G53 because of having a slower GPU.
Finally,it runs quite cool for a 15" laptop,so even without a cooler,it will work fine and the temps are good
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Asus-G53JW-3D-Gaming-Notebook-GTX-460M.38699.0.html