Help choosing side machine

[mbahi.pakpak]

I need help choosing between 2 asus laptop for my side machine. The laptop is:
Asus tp410ur-ec301t
-i3 7100u
-2in1 with ips fhd 14" screen

a442ur
-i5 8250u
-tn hd 14" screen
-dvd rw(i won't really use this)

Other than listed above both have same/similar specs and also similar price, so i need some advice to choose between them. Do i go with better processor or should i consider other aspects too? If you have said laptop what's your impression for it.
I never had a 2in1 before so i have a question, when in tablet mode will the browser show page in desktop or mobile? I have a web business, so this will take into consideration because it will help me presenting my work to the client. Thanks in advance.

 

[GreyCatz]

1. If you're going to use a 2-in-1 for business purposes (presenting work to clients), then the IPS panel is a definite must. Your client won't be able to see a thing on a TN panel - or if he can see, then you won't be able to see anything.

2. I don't understand what you mean by the browser showing 'desktop or mobile'. When in tablet mode the screen will switch between portrait (tall) or landscape (flat) depending on how you're holding the computer.

3. The i5 model of course has the newest 8th gen CPU and for strictly personal use it would seem the obvious choice. But as I said earlier, if you and your client both want to see stuff on the screen, an IPS panel will offer a greater range of viewing angles compared to a TN panel.

 

[mbahi.pakpak]

@GreyCatz thanks for your answer, sorry for the late reply. What i mean by desktop or mobile, is to check the web viewing mode between devices. From your answer i assume the 2in1 does what i want. I guess i'll go with the 2in1. Do you think the processor is capable enough for my use.
Primary use for this machine is coding, office apps(excel, word, visio, powerpoint), and 10bit 1080p video playback. I won't really use this for gaming, even if i do i will only play jrpg title and the machines meet the requirements for said games.

 

[GreyCatz]

I took a closer look at your ASUS models, and just to be clear: Are these the laptop you're considering?

ASUS Vivobook Flip 14 TP410UR:
http/www.vatanbilgisayar.com/asus-tp410ur-core-i5-7200u-2-5ghz-8gb-ram-256ssd-14-2gb-touch-w10.html#urun-ozellikleri

ASUS Vivobook 14 A442UR:
https/www.bhinneka.com/asus-notebook-a442ur-ga042t-90nb0fi3-m01260-gold-sku3319066655

The Vivobook Flip TP410UR doesn't have a true IPS panel, but the 178-degree viewing angles come very close and will offer superior viewing compared to the TN panel in the A442UR.

If your budget allows for it, you might as well go for an 8th gen i5 CPU. But a 7th gen i5 is still a very capable CPU. A Core i3, even 7th gen, will allow for basic gaming - it's meant to be 'fuel-efficient'.

I don't know where you live and what specific options are available to you, but it seems that the clam-shell A442UR is mostly sold with 4GBs of RAM. That's a bit on the low end, but it's sufficient for standard productivity and office applications.

The 2-in-1 TP410UR is commercially available with 8GBs of RAM, and if you have to choose between a better CPU or more RAM my advice is to go for more RAM in this particular case. In other words, if you can find a TP410UR model on sale with 8GBs of RAM, you should get that one even if the CPU is only a 7th gen i3.

I hope this makes (some) sense.

Cheers,
GreyCatz.

 

[mbahi.pakpak]

Yes that's the one i consider buying. I live in Indonesia so the a442ur is perfect match, but the tp410ur is the i3 variant with conventional hdd rather than ssd, and the i5 variant is ~$200 more and it's with conventional hdd not ssd like the one you linked and it's outside my budget. I think the i5 8th gen variant come without dedicated graphic card so it will affect video playback performance. I will upgrade the ram to 8GB whichever model i get, and hopefully ssd in near future. I guess for my need better screen is more important than better processor like you said earlier right?

 

[GreyCatz]

The A442UR from Bhinneka comes with the 8th gen i5 CPU, the 2GB GTX 930 GPU, and a 1TB mechanical HDD. If your budget allows for a RAM upgrade to 8GBs, then it's a very good deal. But it's also the one with the standard TN panel, and it's a traditional clam-shell laptop. The 4GB version is Rp 7,700 - I don't know how expensive a RAM upgrade will be.

Bhinneka also have a TP410UR but it's more than Rp 10,000. However, there is an Rp 7,000 model but as you noticed it doesn't have a dedicated GPU, so it's strictly a business and productivity machine. The integrated Intel graphics unit is an HD 620 unit and it is actually a very decent engine. Just don't try any sophisticated gaming.

So, here are your options:

1. Buy the A442UR clam-shell model for Rp 7,700 and get a fast CPU and a great GPU. My guess is that you'll find a way to present your work on the screen in a useful way. You can save up for more RAM and an SSD down the road. In your spare-time you can play a lot of sophisticated 3D games.

OR:

2. Buy the TP410UR 2-in-1 model for Rp 7,000 and get a good-looking computer with great versatility. You'll primarily use it for business and office applications, and even with only 4GBs of RAM it will do the job with a decent IGP. But for gaming, you have to use another computer.

Cheers,
GreyCatz.

 

[mbahi.pakpak]

This is the one i will buy if i do go for 2in1 it have dedicated gpu.
https/tokopedia.link/sCoc/vGe2lzy4UJ
What do you think?
A442ur only have 1 variant here so the specs is the same with bhineka.

 

[GreyCatz]

This is the one i will buy if i do go for 2in1 it have dedicated gpu.
https/tokopedia.link/sCoc/vGe2lzy4UJ
What do you think?
A442ur only have 1 variant here so the specs is the same with bhineka.

I think you finally found your laptop. You get the flip versatility and the 2GB GPU for Rp 7,200. It's the 7th gen i3 so it may struggle with some games, but you should have a lot of games to choose from.

The moment you have some spare cash you might want to upgrade to 8GBs of RAM and an SSD.

Best of luck,
GreyCatz.

 

[mbahi.pakpak]

Thank you very much for all the answers, now i have clearer picture for what i want. I won't game much on the laptop anyway so i3 should be enough i guess, so the 2in1 it is.