CAN'T find the right laptop :( Help please?

[tabur]

Hello!

I'm looking for a ultra high end laptop for work and recreation, with the following specs:

Strictly necessary:
- Intel core i7 (or better)
- Thin and portable! I don't want something that weighs too much or takes up space
- At least 1080p resolution, hopefully higher

Very desirable:
- 8GB + RAM
- Dedicated GPU (I won't use it for serious gaming, but I like knowing I can )
- 256 or more GB SSD
- 15 inch screen (can't be more than this as it won't fit in most work cases/bags)
- Keyboard with Numpad and backlight

I'm willing to spend $2.600 USD if it's worth it (maybe even a bit more), but I'd rather preserve my wealth if possible

I'll be using this machine to work mostly (engineering/simulation software, Excel+VBA and such) since I already have a gaming PC at home, but I also like being able to game on the go, although it's not a requirement.

I hate small displays, but unluckily 17'' is too big for most professional bags and it'd stand out too much at meetings, so I'd like to stick with 15-14 inches, but if it's worth it I can go down to 13.

That's pretty much it. The closest thing I found some time ago was an Asus Zenbook (UX51 I think?) but I feel it's a bit discontinued now.

Could you please help me? I feel I have searched all over the web for a suitable laptop but I've found nothing. If there's going to be a matching laptop later this year I don't mind waiting.

Thanks a lot guys!

 

[Guest]

Have you considered...
Lenovo y510p
Asus N550JV-DB 72 or 71
^ For gaming (and not worrying about thickness) these are some really nice options, of course for those you aren't getting an SSD, but for the prices of an SSD these days you could easily buy one and add them into your laptop.

Me personally, I'm honestly looking for the same things via i7, 1080p, discrete graphics, backlight keyboard, 8gb ram.. in the form factor of an ultrabook..
As a college student I wanted something slick and portable with the ability to play games and do what I want (tons of photo editing, gaming, schoolwork) for under $1000.
Of course for that budget, I'd always have to sacrifice something such as the resolution etc. but I've found that the Samsung ATIV book series fills my requirements.
After tons of hours of searching through ultrabooks/laptops, I've come down to this (although I was really looking at Acer Aspire laptops for awhile):
http/www.amazon.com/Samsung-15-6-Inch-Touchscreen-Laptop-Mineral/dp/B00B588J6S/ref=psdc1_t2_B00DVFMDN8_B00B588J6S

For only ~$730 via Amazon Warehouse (unless you want to order it new I'd understand, but I've ordered $2000+ in items from Amazon Warehouse and most of them seemed to be brand new, just repackaged or the package was opened. I've actually built my home gaming rig with parts ordered from Amazon Warehouse), it seems to fill all your requirements excluding the SSD. You can simply buy an SSD and add that in and itll still be less than half your budget.
Here are some nice prices on SSDs (I'm going to be adding in a SSD; ordering the series 6 laptop today) via Amazon:
Samsung 840 Evo series: 120gb $82, 250gb $146, 500gb $299, 750gb $399, 1tb $499
Crucial M500: 120gb $80, 240gb $135, 480gb $260, 960gb $449
With more research, you could probably find better deals.

So for less than half your budget, you can find something that fits all your needs and even include a 1TB ssd for still half your budget.
There's no need to break your bank; hope I helped!

 

[tabur]

Have you considered...
Lenovo y510p
Asus N550JV-DB 72 or 71
^ For gaming (and not worrying about thickness) these are some really nice options, of course for those you aren't getting an SSD, but for the prices of an SSD these days you could easily buy one and add them into your laptop.

Me personally, I'm honestly looking for the same things via i7, 1080p, discrete graphics, backlight keyboard, 8gb ram.. in the form factor of an ultrabook..
As a college student I wanted something slick and portable with the ability to play games and do what I want (tons of photo editing, gaming, schoolwork) for under $1000.
Of course for that budget, I'd always have to sacrifice something such as the resolution etc. but I've found that the Samsung ATIV book series fills my requirements.
After tons of hours of searching through ultrabooks/laptops, I've come down to this (although I was really looking at Acer Aspire laptops for awhile):
http/www.amazon.com/Samsung-15-6-Inch-Touchscreen-Laptop-Mineral/dp/B00B588J6S/ref=psdc1_t2_B00DVFMDN8_B00B588J6S

For only ~$730 via Amazon Warehouse (unless you want to order it new I'd understand, but I've ordered $2000+ in items from Amazon Warehouse and most of them seemed to be brand new, just repackaged or the package was opened. I've actually built my home gaming rig with parts ordered from Amazon Warehouse), it seems to fill all your requirements excluding the SSD. You can simply buy an SSD and add that in and itll still be less than half your budget.
Here are some nice prices on SSDs (I'm going to be adding in a SSD; ordering the series 6 laptop today) via Amazon:
Samsung 840 Evo series: 120gb $82, 250gb $146, 500gb $299, 750gb $399, 1tb $499
Crucial M500: 120gb $80, 240gb $135, 480gb $260, 960gb $449
With more research, you could probably find better deals.

So for less than half your budget, you can find something that fits all your needs and even include a 1TB ssd for still half your budget.
There's no need to break your bank; hope I helped!

First of all, thanks a lot for your input!
Now, about the first 2 notebooks, I think they are a bit bigger/heavier than what I am looking for (Ultrabook-ish), I actually had the Asus at work and I even found it a bit slow (maybe I had a more basic version?)

I just looked at the ATIV series and found that the ATIV 9 is quite good actually, but it doesn't have a Numeric Pad and I wish it had even better resolution (like the 13 inch one). If I can't find anything that meets all requirements I think I'll stick to that one

 

[Guest]

Have you considered...
Lenovo y510p
Asus N550JV-DB 72 or 71
^ For gaming (and not worrying about thickness) these are some really nice options, of course for those you aren't getting an SSD, but for the prices of an SSD these days you could easily buy one and add them into your laptop.

Me personally, I'm honestly looking for the same things via i7, 1080p, discrete graphics, backlight keyboard, 8gb ram.. in the form factor of an ultrabook..
As a college student I wanted something slick and portable with the ability to play games and do what I want (tons of photo editing, gaming, schoolwork) for under $1000.
Of course for that budget, I'd always have to sacrifice something such as the resolution etc. but I've found that the Samsung ATIV book series fills my requirements.
After tons of hours of searching through ultrabooks/laptops, I've come down to this (although I was really looking at Acer Aspire laptops for awhile):
http/www.amazon.com/Samsung-15-6-Inch-Touchscreen-Laptop-Mineral/dp/B00B588J6S/ref=psdc1_t2_B00DVFMDN8_B00B588J6S

For only ~$730 via Amazon Warehouse (unless you want to order it new I'd understand, but I've ordered $2000+ in items from Amazon Warehouse and most of them seemed to be brand new, just repackaged or the package was opened. I've actually built my home gaming rig with parts ordered from Amazon Warehouse), it seems to fill all your requirements excluding the SSD. You can simply buy an SSD and add that in and itll still be less than half your budget.
Here are some nice prices on SSDs (I'm going to be adding in a SSD; ordering the series 6 laptop today) via Amazon:
Samsung 840 Evo series: 120gb $82, 250gb $146, 500gb $299, 750gb $399, 1tb $499
Crucial M500: 120gb $80, 240gb $135, 480gb $260, 960gb $449
With more research, you could probably find better deals.

So for less than half your budget, you can find something that fits all your needs and even include a 1TB ssd for still half your budget.
There's no need to break your bank; hope I helped!

First of all, thanks a lot for your input!
Now, about the first 2 notebooks, I think they are a bit bigger/heavier than what I am looking for (Ultrabook-ish), I actually had the Asus at work and I even found it a bit slow (maybe I had a more basic version?)

I just looked at the ATIV series and found that the ATIV 9 is quite good actually, but it doesn't have a Numeric Pad and I wish it had even better resolution (like the 13 inch one). If I can't find anything that meets all requirements I think I'll stick to that one

In the ultrabook world, its hard finding something that meets ALL requirements. You'd have to sacrifice something always. What you could do is find an external numpad. The samsung 9 series is pretty new and looks good (if i had the money id look into them), just dont look at the 9 lite, but moreover the plus version. Im glad i was able to help and i hope the best in making your selection!

edit:
I originally ordered the Samsung series 6 laptop but decided to cancel because of the major trackpad issues it had (not sure if this applies to series 9).
Looking more into ultrabooks, I've found the Lenovo U530 Touch. I've found a model at best buy that I may end up buying, so you can maybe look into them also!