13.3"±/Under 2kg Sandybridge/Llano Laptop?

Ulti

Distinguished
Jan 6, 2009
7
0
18,510
Hey guys,

Basically I have a Dell Vostro 3550 (i5 2410M, 8GB DDR3 RAM, SATA3, USB3, HD6630M and 128GB Crucial M4 SSD) but I realised although it's a 15" laptop it's not actually as portable as I thought and due to my poor results in first year uni, I've decided to quit gaming altogether so I want to get a smaller laptop (preferably 13.3") with a Sandybridge processor for as cheap as possible.

It will be using the 128GB Crucial M4 SSD so SATA3 is a must but all Sandybridge laptops have SATA3 built into their motherboard but I'm not so sure about whether Llano does.

It'll be for uni uses so the full speed of the SSD is required along with a decent processor for my mathematical packages (studying Actuarial Science) so I think for my uses, Sandybridge>Llano, but if the price is right then I will choose Llano without a doubt (I'm a poor student after all!)
 
Can you really get along OK without a dedicated number pad?

Check out the Laptop Buyers FAQ before for some other questions I have.
 

Ulti

Distinguished
Jan 6, 2009
7
0
18,510
I feel the FAQ would clutter up my post even more so.

As I said, the cheapest sandybridge laptop with a screen of a size of about 13.3" will do.

I guess they usually weigh around 1.8kg-2.1kg so I can't really ask for any specific weight I guess.

Everything else doesn't matter to me, i.e. brand, gaming ability, battery life, dedicated number pad etc (funnily enough I don't use the dedicated number pad much, use the number row above qwerty more) can be forgone but if they're free (free as in the cheapest available option) then of course I'd take it.

I pretty much already know what the 13.3" laptops out there look like, i.e. they don't have an optical drive etc.

I assumed that as this was a .co.uk forum that people will assume I'm from the UK but I'm not so sure about that so I'd just like to confirm I am from the UK
 

Ulti

Distinguished
Jan 6, 2009
7
0
18,510
Thanks for the reply, still seems quite expensive for the Lenovo Z370, seems people in US get them Lenovos for so much cheaper! But I guess maybe their tax adds a lot.

I don't mind where I shop as I've still got a few weeks before uni starts.

Is the Z370 really the cheapest option? If there's a 14" out there with roughly same dimensions/weight then I wouldn't mind so much.

Thanks!
 
In many cases, if buying online, a US shopper can avoid sales taxes.

And in most cases, the smaller you go in laptop size the higher the prices go for the same hardware. Note the Z570 has a dedicated graphics card and still costs less then the Z370
Lenovo Z570 vs Z370

 

Ulti

Distinguished
Jan 6, 2009
7
0
18,510
Yeah my Dell with the same specs as the E420 cost me £316.80 from a special offer from Dell.

Shame I have to sacrifice so much performance and pay more just for a smaller laptop.

Seems the cheapest model still seems to be the Lenovo Z370.
 

Ulti

Distinguished
Jan 6, 2009
7
0
18,510
Unfortunately I need to keep my SSD and some of the RAM so I can't sell the Vostro 3550 till I get a new laptop.

I can see the Vostro V131 models here but they're £500+ for very basic configurations.

What are the model names of the 14" Llanos that are released in the UK? I've found some HP ones but they're even more expensive than Intel laptops, are there any cheap AMD Llanos?

Thanks!
 

Ulti

Distinguished
Jan 6, 2009
7
0
18,510
Thanks! Although it doesn't get the best reviews (I've read about 10 or so) they seem to be for battery life and DVD drive etc, those things I really don't care much about so I'm hoping its a good buy :)