Blender Render

Hi guys, remember that I said I was no where to be found for weeks. This is what I have been doing, aside from work! I got so obsessed with game assets that I wanted to make one for my self.

I'm not new to 3D modeling. I've been modeling with SketchUp for years. Heck, our internet cafe table was planned and modeled in SketchUp. But, in the recent days, I modeled and tried to import my SketchUp model into the game Cities: Skylines, it worked but the textures were all wrong. The thing is, I'm new to the UV Mapping thing for texturing 3D models. And, SketchUp only offers it via Extensions from other modders and not on the vanilla software itself. So, I had to find better ways to migrate to a better 3D modeling software. Then, I found Blender, it's free and community is very helpful.

It took me 2 days to be able to get what I originally did in SketchUp to Blender. And was able to publish 2 Steam Workshop items based on what I wanted for my game assets. Blender is complex, vast and very powerful tool that doesn't really mess up with your system unless you are rendering heavy and complex 3D model. But for my models so far, it was perfect!

The picture above, you see, is my first Blender render based on the YouTube tutorial for noobs. I did it side by side as I watched the YouTube video. As you can see in the rendered image, it looks a bit "fat" hahah "A Fat Ugly Ass Cup" LOL. But, that was me being NOOB and messing around with controls. Speaking of controls, it was crazy, totally unconventional for me but it all makes sense now as I when through modeling my things and it was pretty amazing.

I got to familiarize on things really fast, UV Mapping as I understood it with blender, was amazing. A total manipulation of textures the way you wanted and how you wanted it!

Now my next goal is to make a Water texture that works in-game with the water system and transparency textures that work with in-game also. I'm moving fast-paced here. By getting the fast/crash course on the modeling, cleaning and optimization of the model, now I'm super excited to be able to graphically produce a water texture that animates inside the game as well as the transparency texture. The transparency texture is just for the glass of a building that needs to reflect and also illuminates at night. Woah.. okay, I got 3 things to work on Blender next time! woooh! Super excited.

I'll be putting links from those crash courses I've used to be able to make these lovely rendered models below:

Stage

Pool

I was able to import these goodies to the game, links are also provided below:

Stage

Pool

I have a new project. But i'll work on the glass transparency texture first before fixing the pool to work with the water system. I may add some beautiful add-ons too when needed. :D

Don't forget to visit my sponsor's website:

Please leave a comment and let me know what you think. Cheers!

LINKS
Stage Plaza here.
Swim Club here.
Blender tutorials here, here, here, here, here, here and here.

That Coding Trap

Weeks ago, I got a lot of requests from the office to update my plugin. I waited for my team to fully evaluate those issues because, you know, some of those "issues" are more likely user-related. HAHA! So, I finally got extra time off to review the cases and of course, I then updated the plugin.

At first look, I was, sure yeah why not this is just a 5 minute fix. And then, later became 1 hour, 2 hours until the next time I checked my clock, it was like 8 hours have passed. This is my Coding Trap. It sure looks like a 5 minute fix. Yes, actually, it was a 5 minute fix, until I decided to improve it and add more features to it and then when QA team comes in, they just flood me with bugs I haven't seen why stress testing my own code! HAHA. Yes, this is the coding trap the trap where you get lost in time and you realized, what just happened? Did I miss something?

I was so in to my coding that I barely remembered to eat and sleep. I was in front of my laptop coding the entire time! When I said, i finally got time to review the cases, it was the an early 10 minutes before my Off. But no, I don't know, but I decided to take the coding head on, 10 minutes before my Off duty. So, yes! OMG! It took me another 8 hours to fully furnish and add crazy features to the plugin requests they have been bugging me about. LOL.

It was a very fun experience though, I noticed that I wouldn't stop until I figured it out. I didn't even remembered to eat or sleep. LOL. So yeah, that's one of the reason why my gaming blog has been silent for almost a week I think. LOL.

I got more news coming up though, I've dealt with new stuff that I will share on my next post!

Don't forget to visit my sponsor's website:

Please leave a comment and let me know what you think. Cheers!

Coffee, We Meet Again

Hey, I'd like to share something to you, I'm not a coffee drinker at all. I'm not even an alcohol drinker. Nope. I'm more of a juice/water person. To be specific, I love fresh coco water! But, today, I drank coffee, after a very very long time since I have tasted coffee. Oh, don't be confused. I also drink mocha shake, eat coffee flavored ice cream and all other sorts of coffee flavored stuff. But, I just don't drink that hot coffee.

I don't know but something just came to me, that thing that changed me. I don't know what it is, but I have done a lot of things in just one day. Usually, I complain about a lot of things and blame it on my schedule and achieve little during my day. But today, I feel free! I have done a lot of things. Achieved a lot in a day! Yay! And, that was without coffee yet.

On the second half of my day, it suddenly occurred to me that I "must drink coffee". Maybe because I needed to renew my energy. But that's not really it. I'm just so energetic today. Perhaps it's because of the things I shredded off my life. Like, I just don't care for the things that never mattered to me in the very first place, things that take up my time and consumed me. Those things that pretends to be what it is but it isn't at all. Well, as they say, once you get rid of those that don't really matter, you get to be FREE and truly happy. :D

I know this hasn't been about coffee at all. I hated the heat that gets transferred to me when I drink hot coffee. That's why I have only been eating/drinking cold versions of it. I'm a tropical girl, I don't need that heat in me.. I want cold stuff. But right now, I get to feel that cold breeze outside my window that is actually there every midnight because I have more time to care for those that really matter. :D May be on my next post I will write in detail about my schedule stuff.

Today, I'm researching on how to make coffee ice cream. My mom has weird collection of coffee waiting to be consumed, and I like to make a coffee ice cream out of it.

Perhaps you can share me your recipe?

Don't forget to visit my sponsor's website:

Please leave a comment and let me know what you think. Cheers!

LINKS
Photo not mine, source link here.

The 46-Gigapixel Photo of the Milkyway

You know, I just couldn't pass up this glorious image of the galaxy. This is the compressed version of the 46-Gigapixel photo of the Milkyway taken over a 5 year period. If you want more info check the links below.

Aside from me getting super excited with the new Mass Effect game that will take place in Andromeda, it just makes me feel so little. Like, anyone's life don't matter. You and I don't matter. Things are busy up there doing their thing. HAHA. But on the other side of that, is that we are all special. Despite the vast infinite dark space, we have life, we have purpose. We are alive.

Have a blessed Sunday everyone~!


Don't forget to visit my sponsor's website:

Please leave a comment and let me know what you think. Cheers!

LINKS
Resource link here and here.

SUBSCRIBE
YouTube: thesabeltuto

GoPro Hero 3+: DashCam Adventures #2 - Church, Mall, Drive-Thru

I think, I may have the right settings this time. Not as good as a 60fps video but good enough to time-lapse a city driving session without compromising the battery and storage capacity.

This DashCam adventure of mine is a bit sick. I sometimes wish something will happen right in front of my camera but at the same time it's kinda scary! Anyway, welcome to my City, Cagayan de Oro City! Yay! lel.

Here's the rest of the day in speed vid last Sunday
This is recorded via time-lapse 2 shots / 1 sec. Using GoPro Hero 3+ Black Edition.

Don't forget to visit my sponsor's website:

Please leave a comment and let me know what you think. Cheers!

LINKS
Video link here.

SUBSCRIBE
YouTube: thesabeltuto

GoPro Hero 3+: DashCam Adventures #1 - Carwash and 3TB

So, I noticed I have a thing for speed vids... I was driving long hours on Friday to get to our farm, I tried the time-lapse and thought of making a speed video out of it. But the timings were off, I took 60 seconds gap to each take and it looked so bad. Plus, I didn't have proper mounting on it.

Anyway, yesterday I went out to have my car washed and bought 3 TB Hard Drive! LOL Yep, Additional 3 TB for my game-play recordings and what not. I got a proper mounting for my dashcam and experimented on a 2 second time-lapse capture. The video below is the output. LOL

I'm super noob at this though, I really wanted to capture at 60fps video. But, I find it troublesome for battery and effectiveness especially if its just purely traffic. Anyway, let me know what you think in the comment section below. Thanks!

I got addicted to speed videos lately.... hahaha
This is recorded via timelapse 1 shot / 2 secs. Using GoPro Hero 3+ Black Edition.

Don't forget to visit my sponsor's website:

Please leave a comment and let me know what you think. Cheers!

LINKS
Video link here.

SUBSCRIBE
YouTube: thesabeltuto

Cities: Skylines - After Dark - Unlock Playing with the Boys Achievement

Hi guys, I'm back with Cities: Skylines guide for After Dark expansion pack achievement, "Playing with the Boys." I have here with me a save game download link and a speed build video of how I was able to achieve it. Also, no worries, I will write down below a guide of how you can achieve it for your current map.

Playing With The Boys

In order to unlock this achievement, you'll need at least 1,000 squares of commercial zone specialized for Beach / Tourisim. To do that you'll need:

1. Great demand for commercial
2. Great positive income to cover possible expenses
3. Enough workers to work on the establishments

So now we are ready to zone out areas for our achievement. Here is how:

1. Go to Zones (1st tab of zones)
2. Zone the area you want
3. Go to Commercial Specialization (3 tab of zones)
4. Select the Tourism Specialization (1st zone item)
5. Zone the area with Commercial
6. Make sure your zones are OCCUPIED at least 1,000 square zones to unlock the achievement

There you have it guys. Steam Workshop link is available below.

Speed Build Video

Now now, I was able to remove the annoying popups every time a friend goes in game. An whoollaa, I was able to notice the glorious achievement popup! Yay!

Cheers!


LINKS
Video link here.
Download Save Game here.
Check out my 100% Achievement Guide here.

SUBSCRIBE
YouTube: thesabeltuto

Cities: Skylines - After Dark - Unlock Leisure Suites Achievement

Hi guys, I was able to unlock Leisure Suites Achievement of Cities: Skylines - After Dark expansion pack. I have recorded a video as well as created a guide on Steam Workshop.

Leisure Suites

In order to unlock this achievement, you'll need at least 1,000 squares of commercial zone specialized for Leisure. To do that you'll need:

1. Great demand for commercial
2. Great positive income to cover possible expenses
3. Enough workers to work on the establishments

Now, it took me a while to figure out how this specialized zone is to be done. It has been a long time since I have played the game. So, in case you are wondering, here is how:

1. Go to Zones (1st tab of zones)
2. Zone the area you want
3. Go to Commercial Specialization (3 tab of zones)
4. Select the Leisure Specialization (2nd zone item)
5. Zone the area with Commercial
6. Make sure your zones are OCCUPIED at least 1,000 square zones to unlock the achievement

There you have it guys. In case you want to do shortcut, I shared my save game on the Steam Workshop, link below.

Speed Build Video

This is how I was able to unlock the achievement. I had a lot of mods added here to do the map very quickly. But, I was able to unlock the achievements anyway. Enjoy the video.




Cheers!


LINKS
Video link here.
Download Save Game here.
Check out my 100% Achievement Guide here.

SUBSCRIBE
YouTube: thesabeltuto

Razer Naga Epic Chroma - Jumping/Teleporting Issues - Opened For Inspection / Repair

Hi guys, I've finally had enough of the stupid mouse jumping or what you call mouse teleporting with the Razer Naga Epic Chroma. I initially opened the mouse for checking why my wired is no longer functioning. But somehow I was able to fix the mouse jumping / teleporting issue.

List of My Mouse Issues

1. Wired connection no longer functioning
• Wireless mode off, connected wired = Not detected or no lights on.
• Wireless mode turned on, connected wired = Not detected or no lights on
• Wireless mode on, disconnected wired = Fully functioning mouse.
2. During wireless connection
• Mouse jumps or teleports randomly with great distance at least 1-3 seconds
3. Noise inside the mouse as I shake it
• I remember it doesn't have that noise when I first bought it

Razer Support Response:

1. The standard check it on other computer
• done and nothing
2. Razer Synapse
1. Uninstall > Restart > Install > Restart routine = Nothing
3. I got the bad one
• No repair offed
• No RMA since I bought it with the store agreement on No warranty (for lower pice) = GGWP

Anyway, today I got totally pissed and so bored that I took the mouse apart and check what's going on. I initially investigated the wired issue that I had. But, it looks like that the circuit board is intact and it's probably a circuitry piece after the connector is busted since turning on Wireless Mode and connecting the Wire seems functioning. I mean the wireless mode turned on is detecting the Wire connected. I'm not really a hardware girl but I wasn't able to remove the mouse wheel and the circuit board from the base of the mouse so, I'll never know.

The noisy piece inside my mouse fell off and it looks like some part of the mouse casing. It really doesn't seem important since I wiggled the circuit board trying to remove the mouse wheel and the entire thing was intact. Anyway, I gave up on the wired mode and tested the wireless mode mouse jumps / teleporting issue with that debris and it seemed working now. My wireless mode fucking mmo mouse doesn't seem to jump anymore. It looks like it buys me time to hold off in switching to Corsair peripherals for now! Cheers!

How To Open the Mouse

• Remove rubbers on the feet to see the 4 screws and then unscrew them
• Pull up the left and right click until the 3 top pieces are separated
• Do Not fully pull them since they are connected with wires
• Carefully, pull out the wires on it's base from the connectors
• Remember where they are connected
• You can now clean the insides or ravage them for fun
• Enjoy~!

Photos

So basically, it worked! Yay! I've enjoyed the cleaning so much! But! Halfway through writing this blog post, I the issue became so much worse! OMG! FU Razer! I'm totally switching sides now! GGWP!

As I went through the net, I found that the issue is present when battery is below 70% and some had their fix with making the LED lights setting to Bright. Well, that's how it is. This sucks!! Repaired Nothing! GG! Noob! zzzzz

Bye guys.

UPDATE

1. As I suspected it's a software issue. I deleted the profiles I originally had for the mouse. All of profiles deleted. Seems to be working fine.
• I will try to recreate the profiles and see what will happen.
• OK that fixed everything.. so far! YAY! ggwp!
2. Despite the removal of all profiles and unlinking the programs to profile, the issue is still back but not as bad as before.. I guess it's totally a buggy software. Shit!

LED Table - Attaching LED Strips To Standard Table

Hi guys! I just finished upgrading my table. I have attached LED strips around it and also behind my monitor. At first I thought it's just for aesthetics purposes but as I go through YouTube, I found that it has other benefits. I'll provide details and links below if you wish to do the same project.

As I write this article, my room is entirely dark and the only thing that's lit up is my computer, monitor, keyboard, mouse and my LED table! Yup, I don't seem to experience that nauseous feeling when I stare at my overly bright monitor. Before attaching LED strips behind my monitor, I used to feel very nauseous since the entire room is dark and my retina is focused on the overly bright monitor. Yes, I do get nauseous even when the monitor is at 0% brightness. I'm currently using a 27 inches IPS monitor from ASUS model VX279H. Yes, the 0% brightness is still very bright and makes me nauseous when entire room is dark! But, with my recent installation of LED strips behind the monitor, I don't seem to feel  nauseous anymore. The back is lit up and my eyes seem to accept the balanced brightness from my monitor screen to the back of the monitor and the surrounding lights of the table.

I'm going to show you how I did it. I didn't get to take pictures step-by-step but these are the things I got:

1. A 5 meter LED Strip, color white.
1. I think I got the 5050 LED since it's brighter.
2. I got a packaged LED Strip that already have a power adapter.
2. Soldering iron and solder.
3. Red and Black wire for connecting cut LED strips.
4. A plastic corrugated board.
5. Velcro tapes, scotch tapes and electrical tapes.
6. Scissors.

These are the steps on how I attached LED strips to my table and monitor.

1. Initial attachment of LED strips to my table by scotch tapes.
1. Measured how long it will take to circle around my table.
2. Lit up the LED to see how it looks like.
3. Final attachment to the table.
2. Positioned my monitor for the extra LED strips (extras are still attached to the table)
1. Measured and cut the plastic corrugated board.
2. Attached Velcro tapes to the monitor and the plastic board.
3. Initial attachment of LED strips to the plastic board.
4. Initially attached plastic board with LED strips to see how it looks.
3. Cut extra LED strips from the table
1. Final attachment of extra LED strips to the plastic board.
2. Measured distance from table to monitor and cut the Red and Black wire
3. Solder Red wire to the (+) of the LED strip and Black wire to the (-) of the LED strip
1. Solder wires to the main LED strip on table
2. Solder wires to the plastic board for monitor
4. Power on and test how it looks. 

I tested it and it looked amazing! But then, I realized that the middle drawer of my table was blocked by the LEDs. So, I had to cut the middle LEDs. Then, I soldered and routed the wires around. The extra LED strip taken from the middle was then attached to the back of the table for extra lighting effect. So yes, I had to re-solder the wires from the back! HAHA It took me several hours to finish the entire project because I was too hesitant to do the soldering. I didn't want to make a mistake. But in the very end, I did by miscalculating the middle drawer! HAHA!

Final Attachment of the LED for Monitor

Velcro tapes installed to be attached to the monitor

Initial lighting behind the monitor

The extra LED strip from the middle is installed

I am so enjoying my upgraded table!

These are my Instagram posts:

Left or right? Huehue #led #ledtable #pcmasterrace #glow #lights

A photo posted by Thesabel Tuto (@thesabeltuto) on Aug 29, 2015 at 8:02am PDT

Project done! #glowinthedark #glow #led #ledtable #battlestation #pcmasterrace #pc #gamergirl #gamer #wtfgamersonly #wtfgamer

A photo posted by Thesabel Tuto (@thesabeltuto) on Aug 29, 2015 at 10:22am PDT

LINKS:
Balanced brightness idea here.
How to install LED strips here, here, and here.

Dear Front End User - Dev Jokes Series

Dear Front End User,

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE! If you want something to be fixed ASAP, IMMEDIATELY and RIGHT NOW! Please please please Do:

1. Send us links
2. Send us screenshots
3. Write in bullet points
4. Quick and fast details

And please please please DO NOT panic, describe your immaculate discovery of the issue, vent out your frustrations on us, write an entire paragraph of how you want the "Click Here" button to be moved to the right side, add curved edges with glow-like styling, added shadows and change color from orange to blue.

Because these things we assure you are very very very quick and easy fix for us, if you have just:

1. Given us quick and fast details
2. Sent us links
3. Sent us screenshots
4. Written it in bullet points

Thank you and good luck!

DEVS

Catastrophes In Life

Hi Guys, I've been out for almost 3 weeks now! I had a lot of time to think about things, life and existence! LOL. But yeah, things I need to figure out in life. But, I had some blast full of experience in doing so. Ultimately, I had an idea on what to do next.

In the last two weeks of July, I got news from my mother that my relatives in Butuan was affected by a fire catastrophe. That their house was totaled and their entire life's possessions were all gone. I didn't believe it at first, but when I arrived I saw from the outside of their gate that their roof was bent from fire. From the looks of it, I thought that it was just the roof that got affected and everything else was good. Their neighboring lots were absolutely zeroed. So when I came down from our car, and knocked on the gate, I saw an empty burnt house. Titles were destroyed, wall paints are gone, glass windows are gone, everything is gone! They were totaled! And from the description of my uncle, the fire was as big as 2 floored house and it felt like they were burning in hell. The fire was so big and so fast that it reached the homes from the adjacent road! The fire was really big it felt like hell and it burned everything down to ashes. They were only able to save the children and no items were secured. So, I had a major thought about my life's possessions and earnings. Anything you have can be taken away from you in just a blink of an eye. I had to rearrange my life and my priorities. We were able to give them some things that we don't need anymore but those that we brought them were never enough to get them back on their feet and to continue to live on. We will get back to them soon and bring more things and money.

In the last week of July, in my home town Cagayan de Oro, my computer enthusiast group was invited to a Mindanao wide event. It was the Mindanao Cyber Expo 2015. I was in total doubt to join because of what happened and saw from my relatives in Butuan. In the end, I decided to join and to keep my mind off of such tragedy. It was selfish but I also figured I need to enjoy things while they last. I will be posting photos of the event in a separate blog post.

In the first Sunday of August, I went to church and we had the topic of the Cost of Discipleship. It is about how we prioritize things in life. Absolutely in line with my experiences in the past 2 weeks. Our speaker talked about how we prayed to God about the things we wanted so much in life. I know I did pray for these things and somehow He gave me more that I could have ever imagined. Now the cost of it, the speaker told us that yes we did pray hard for it and now that we have it, do we still have time for Him? Are these things that we asked from Him keeping us away from Him? One of the examples our speaker gave us is in the Bible:

He said, "Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you." Genesis 22:2 

In this example, Abraham prayed for decades to have a child with the woman he loved so much. And now that he finally got him (Isaac), God wanted to test Abraham for his commitment to Him. This took me to the core. He was willing to give up his son to serve God. Can I do the same?

I prayed to have a job, for I have been jobless for few months. I got it, He gave it to me and I am being payed well to do so! Am I being a good servant to Him? I figured last year that I need to give back and be on the church always on Sundays and join life group weekly as well. This year, I am doing it better. But is it really enough? After the signs He gave me for two weeks. I figured, He can take away anything that's keeping me away to serve Him. Imagine all your life's possessions gone in an instant where you get to save nothing but yourself and your love ones. I mean you are lucky enough to save the people that mattered to you. But the things you worked hard for? It's just too painful. But then again, in the Bible the book of Job says it all. His faith was tested everything he has was taken away from him. His wealth, his family and even he was sick to the ground. He was down and he doubted God but in the very end, he repented and everything that was taken from him was doubled. What Job did in his life, in his faith, we must do, I must do. I will not get too attached to worldly things but to keep faith in God and be close to the people I love.

After all, it is a life worth living. :D

Asus Philippines PowerUser Gathering in Cagayan de Oro

Last July 2, 2015, Asus Philippines invited me to their PowerUser Gathering along with RELIC (Rig Enthusiasts' League of Iligan and Cagayan de Oro). As part of their product updates, they wanted to make the ROG (Republic of Gamers) a brand for power users, enthusiasts and gamers.

There was certain noise in the social media especially in Facebook where hashtag posts and images were flooding that night. These hashtags were #asusph #ROGontour #republicofgamers #rogcdo #rogcdopoweruser.

Of course, my Instagram and Facebook were flooded with such posts. Here are some of my posts during that night:

Now happening at Luxe Hotel #asus #republicofgamers #rog

A photo posted by Thesabel Tuto (@thesabeltuto) on Jul 2, 2015 at 4:32am PDT

Thanks for personalized name tag! #ROGontour #asusph #republicofgamers #rog #asus

A photo posted by Thesabel Tuto (@thesabeltuto) on Jul 2, 2015 at 5:31am PDT

Super fun event #ROGontour #asusph #republicofgamers #rog #asus

A photo posted by Thesabel Tuto (@thesabeltuto) on Jul 2, 2015 at 6:14am PDT

Thank you #asusph for the freebies.. complete na pang social climbing gear ko sa starbucks (as if I drink coffee) hahahahaha #ROGontour #republicofgamers #rog #asus #rogcdo

A photo posted by Thesabel Tuto (@thesabeltuto) on Jul 2, 2015 at 8:17am PDT

Making good use of the personalized name tag.. hahahaha #asusph #rogcdo #ROGontour #republicofgamers #asus

A photo posted by Thesabel Tuto (@thesabeltuto) on Jul 2, 2015 at 8:24am PDT

Nic's Pizza Baguettes

On June 13, 2015, my friend Kaye asked me to shoot her brother's food business. I couldn't wait to post my pictures online but I have to wait until they are able to use it for advertising. Today, I checked and they posted a couple of my pictures already, so I'm going to share it now!

Oh, did I mention that I was able to taste the food?! It was amazing! Very delicious and tasty Pizza Baguettes available here in Cagayan de Oro City! Just visit their store in front of Lourdes Grade School, Macasandig and look for Nic's Pizza Baguettes!

Nic's Pizza Baguettes

These are some of the photos I took for them. I can't wait to shoot for them again! :D

LINKS:

Like them on facebook here.

Asus ROG G551JW Laptop Full Review

Hi guys! Last week, I haven't posted anything regarding game updates and what not. I was busy tinkering my new Gaming Laptop! I was so excited, I played and worked with it for a very long time before even sharing it to the world.

I originally planned to get a Asus ROG G501JW, an entry level gaming laptop for just work purposes and a little Dota 2 gaming. On May 17, my father called from the Middle East and told me that he's on the store. He was told that the G501 is out of stock and they only have the G551 and G750 series. I was like, okay just get the G551 series, and he did! My father arrived home on May 21 with the ROG laptop, Yay! Next day he asked for the refund + travel fee, Nay! I paid him 72,000 PHP (around 1,580 USD). hahahahahaa So basically, it took me 3 weeks to fully transfer all my work files and few selected steam and origin games from my PC to the ROG (Republic of Gamers).

A week ago, Asus just launched these new models (G501, G551, G750) in the Philippines and the SRP for my G551J is 69,995 PHP (around 1,540 USD). The J has more variants like JK, JW, JZ, JX and I got the JW variant.

Specifications

Asus ROG G551JW. 

• 15.6" IPS FHD 1080p display.
• Intel i7-4720HQ @ 2.60 GHz
• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M
• 12GB DDR3 RAM upgradable to 16GB
• 2.7kg in weight.
• 1TB Hitachi HDD
• 128GB Kingston SSD.
• Others check the link below.

Screenshot from CAM software of NZXT.

Out of the Box

My father disposed of the main box that holds the laptop, free Asus ROG Bag, free the Asus ROG headset and free the Asus ROG mouse. He left it on the store because he could no longer carry it to the airport. But I did get the laptop box and the manuals, peripherals and all the freebies.

These are the images father sent me after he bought it in Middle East. The bag was so dark that I did not include it in this collage.

I got the Arabic keyboard since I got my father to buy from the Middle East. I personally don't trust re-sellers locally since they take freebies away and charge the same price! So sad!

First Start Up

The first time I turned on the computer it immediately booted up to the Windows setup. I just have to enter the time, location, laptop name, username and password. After the setup, it booted to windows 8.1 with all the pre-loaded drivers and all of the Asus software. Activation was quick, I just have to go online and click activate windows. The Windows Office was on a separate disk but I haven't installed it yet.

It says Windows 8 because the OEM and license is Windows 8. But the pre-loaded software is already updated to windows 8.1 so, YES! It has the start button!

Standard Start Up

Having a 128GB SSD as an OS Drive with Windows 8.1, the startup lasts somewhere between 2-3 seconds! Shutting down without updates is the same. Restarting is around 3-4 seconds!

Gaming

This gaming laptop is not for hardcore AA games. Well, it can run AA games but not ultra and definitely not 1080p, if you want 60fps. But it's sure great enough for small to mid games! Mid games like Dota 2 and The Sims 4!

My first time gaming on Asus ROG G551JW was amazing. It was my first time playing on an IPS display so my usual game like Dota 2 and The Sims 4 looked a bit more amazing and vibrant! It was my first time to really see the big difference between my Samsung 23" LED display and the 15.6" IPS display. All of the graphics looked more enhanced than the ordinary LED display.

Sorry no benchmarks here, I'm a PC gamer. Gaming laptop for me is just to cure my gaming withdrawal when I'm on the go. Okay?! Sorry.

Update 06-15-2015: Dota 2 benchmark is added below.

Battery Life

Up to 3 hrs browsing, and up to 1.8 hrs gaming. Charging starts ONLY if below 95% battery life. Therefore, "plugged in, not charging" is not an issue.

Temperature

Temperature is one of the great concerns about gaming laptops or laptops in general. It's too complex so I will write my review in an array of items. Ambient 30-33c is the average temp in the Philippines and the 26-28c is under an air-conditioned room.

• Idle or browsing
• On Battery
• Ambient 30-33c, No Laptop Cooler = 50-52c
• Ambient 30-33c, With Laptop Cooler = 48-50c
• Ambient 26-28c, No Laptop Cooler = 46-48c
• Ambient 26-28c, With Laptop Cooler = 38-41c
• Plugged In or Charging
• Ambient 30-33c, No Laptop Cooler = 52-54c
• Ambient 30-33c, With Laptop Cooler = 40-44c
• Ambient 26-28c, No Laptop Cooler = 48-50c
• Ambient 26-28c, With Laptop Cooler = 40-42c
• Gaming
• Ambient 30-33c, No Laptop Cooler = 75-78c
• Ambient 30-33c, With Laptop Cooler = 74-75c
• Ambient 26-28c, No Laptop Cooler = 74-75c
• Ambient 26-28c, With Laptop Cooler = 71-75c

Notice that on gaming, the temps are almost the same whether or not I'm in an air-conditioned room and with or without laptop cooler. This is because the laptop is using 100% of the resources at all times. Temps doesn't differ much from being on battery or under plugged in or charging. When you play an AA game on it's best recommended settings and when it reaches 78c, you will notice a lag. It will reduce it's performance to compensate with the temperature. When the temperature drops, it will perform back to it's normal state. And the cycle will continue around the 70-78c...

So the question is, can you feel the heat on the keyboard left side? My answer is YES for Gaming and when you are in an ambient temperature of 30-33c. The heat exhaust is positioned on the QWERTY side of the laptop, so it does hurt while gaming! BUT only in and ambient of 30-33c.

Gaming on 26-28c, the 75c is not noticeable on the QWERTY side of the laptop. You can feel the heat but it doesn't feel like your hand is being fried like a bacon. It will just feel like a cellphone's heat while charging.

Design and Material

I like the design and color; black and red. The metal on the surface and the cover are amazing. But for a daily usage, the metal is a bit problematic for cleanliness. Fingerprints are everywhere and I feel nasty about it. So, I made a solution. I covered the keyboard area with Black Carbon Sticker! I'm happy about it, but I also want to cover the LED ROG Logo area but the design is curved and the color looks really good to patch it up. Cleaning it will be a pain. But messing it up while covering with Carbon will be more painful. So, I decided not to cover it and just the keyboard area and touch pad area.

I also covered my keyboard with silicone keyboard protector to avoid sweating the keys and dropping food "debris" lol! Forgive my acetate, I didn't have any silicone protector at that time. Forgive my silicone, the store doesn't have 15.6" keyboard protector. So yeah! hahahaha

Overall

Overall, Asus ROG G551JW was a great buy for me. Especially now that I can now work and play on different locations. My gaming pc, Bumblebee will not be flooded with work stuff but now a pure AA gaming machine! And this ROG laptop will be a full work and some play machine. The heat is there especially that I'm in the Philippines and it is hot but tolerable. For 1,580 USD laptop, it's the most worth it laptop ever! I've had laptops before that is worth far less than a quarter of it's price. They all die before a year because I game on it and then it can't handle it. I hope this can handle my usage and will last longer than my previous ones. Cheers!

My Gaming Gears Update May 21, 2015

ASUS ROG G551JW Official Wallpapers

UPDATE 06-15-2015

Dota 2 Benchmark: 1080p, AO on, VSync off, 100% Render

• Main Menu, Hero Picking - 60-115fps
• Farming and Laning - 60-79 fps
• Clashing - 40-75fps

Links:
View Asus official specs sheet here.
View my Gaming gears here.