May I have some advice on which laptop to get?

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timchoi89 May 20, 2011

May I have some advice on which laptop to get?

Hey guys,

I'm thinking of getting a new laptop this weekend since my current laptop, the Asus F3SC ( gdgt.com/asus/f3sc/ ), is really starting to show its age.

As far as my ideal laptop, the specs I'd like are:

1. 14" widescreen

2. At least 4GB of RAM

3. Dedicated video card with 1GB of memory

4. At least one USB 3.0

5. GOOD Build Quality.

6. HDD should just be at least 500GB.

7. Decent battery life.

I'm leaning towards the Asus N43JF-A1 ( www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=34-220-87... ) because it seems to fit what I'm looking for. My budget is around $1000 (flexible to about $1400).

It's been a while since I've done any research on laptops, so I have a few other questions:

1. Is 1366 x 768 on a 14" screen decent or should I move on to something better?

2. From what I've seen, it seems like 4GB is the standard nowadays. Is that decent or, if I buy a laptop with 4GB, should I upgrade to 8GB?

3. I don't plan on playing too many games on the PC but it'd be nice for me to play some games smoothly (specifically TOTAL War series). Would a video card with 1GB of memory be enough? Also, I heard mixed reviews of Nvidia Optimus tech. What are your views on it?

4. I'd also like decent battery life. Last time I bought a laptop, I thought that 1.5 hrs on a single charge was good but I was quickly proven wrong. What's the standard battery life now of laptops with the performance I'm looking for? Obviously I'm not expecting 10+ hrs like some netbooks but I want to get a laptop that may at least run 3 hrs on a charge. Is that realistic? Is asking for 3 hrs charge underestimating what a decent battery life should be?

What other laptops would you guys recommend? I'm more partial to Asus since they're the ones I've started out with and they have excellent build quality and customer service. Has the build quality of Dell or HP gotten better over the past few years? From what I've seen, they have terrible build quality...one of my friends had to exchange his HP laptop 4 times!

Lastly, if there's anything that's missing in the list that I should consider, please let me know and suggest something that pertains to that missing bit of info. Thank you!

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Falcon 1 year ago

I'll just comment on ASUS laptops, in particular the style you are seeking. I had a (and still have) an ASUS W3J 14" laptop with a discrete graphics card and good build quality. I'd recommend grabbing their extended warranty if this will be you main machine just in case, but I've had great experience with the build on this laptop. It is going on almost six years now and still working just fine. As a laptop brand, ASUS makes lasting hardware at least.

Also, you might have to increase your budge to get some of the things you're seeking, just as a warning.

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hunthenning 1 year ago

Check out the Sony Vaio S. It looks like a nice laptop.

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timchoi89 2011-05-21 17:43:55

oh man....i checked it out today at Sony Style and it's soooo beautiful. I'm really really tempted to get it.

hunthenning 2011-05-21 18:07:23

Actually, my brother may be getting the same laptop. Be sure to try to get that free Xbox 360 deal if you can.

timchoi89 2011-05-21 18:08:23

The same laptop that I just mentioned in my question? Do you know if Amazon or Newegg are eligible for the free Xbox as well?

hunthenning 2011-05-21 18:38:15

They aren't. Its Hp.com, Dell.com, the Microsft Store, The Microsoft Store online, and Best Buy. Be sure to bring your student ID and use your student email address when you buy a PC.
windowsteamblog.com/windows/b/windowsexperience/ar...

timchoi89 2011-05-21 18:38:52

oh ok, thanks!

hunthenning 2011-05-21 19:06:37

No problem :)

timchoi89 2011-05-21 23:02:42

After a considerable amount of time collaborating with my friends and thinking about it myself, I'm 85% sure I'm getting the Vaio S. Thank you once again for the great advice! Hopefully I'll make up my mind soon and decide.

timchoi89 2011-05-23 10:13:52

Yesterday, I walked into the Sony Store 90% sure that I was going to buy the Vaio S but ended up not buying it. There's a very annoying quirk with it. You can't switch between integrated and dedicated graphics card unless all programs are closed which renders the physical switch useless for me. So, now I looked around again and I think I found the perfect match. I did a little research and found the Asus U41SV. It's Asus' ultraportable notebook but with a Sandy Bridge processor. Pricewise, it's going to be about the same as the as the Sony Vaio S.

Anyway, I just thought you might want to know that weird annoying quirk that the Vaio S had since your brother is considering getting one.

www.asus.com/Notebooks/Superior_Mobility/U41SV/#sp...

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dalhectar 2011-05-24 09:28:30

The NEW XPS 15z Launched today. Total redesign. Personally I would go with the one with the 1080p screen & 2 year warranty for $1099.

www.dell.com/us/p/xps-15z/fs.aspx

As far as build quality, it depends on what model you buy, Consumer lines like the Inspiron & dv6 don't have the build quality of the higher end lines such as the XPS, Envy series, Latitude, or Elitebook.

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