Help finding a laptop, please.

[chowderek]

Budget: $1000

Preferred Brands: Vaio, Lenovo and ASUS but that's only because I hear good stuff about them. If any of you guys suggest other brands, that'd be nice.

Size: 14in to 15in (I might consider 16in though)

Screen Resolution: LED backlit 1600 x 900, if possible 1920 x 1080 Full HD (unlikely but I'm hoping)

Processor: No less than third gen. Intel i5, but i hear the i7 isn't worth the extra couple hundred of dollars... If the laptop has i7, I don't mind as long as it's still under the budget but I care about RAM, Display and Storage more.

Do the third gen i5s have quad cores? If so, that wouldn't be bad to have.

RAM: 6GB+ (more = better)

Storage: at least 500GB, speed (7200 rpm) > size

A decent mid range dedicated GPU to play relatively new games would be nice, it doesn't have to be at the highest settings.

I care more about the laptop's performance than it's weight and size but I'd still like to carry it around occasionally. Battery shouldn't be less than 4 hours.

Entertainment's important to me. I use the computer and internet a lot. I also listen to music, watch movies and play games now and then (things to keep in mind).


Additional Information:

- Audio should be

- Keyboard should have solid tactile feedback, decent space between keys and nice feel to it

- Touch pad should be responsive, not jumpy and have a nice satisfying click

- Backlit Keyboard would look nice but it's not necessary

- I don't really care if there isn't a Optical Drive (less weight)

I'm sorry if i sound demanding but I just want to make sure I buy a decent laptop that I can keep for a fair amount of time

 

[clutchc]

Rather than just toss out some models that I personally favor, it may be better if you check out http/www.notebookcheck.net/ for some details and professional opinions.

If you plan on gaming, you'll want a good discrete GPU. Here is their hierarchy chart for that: http/www.notebookcheck.net/Computer-Games-on-Laptop-Graphic-Cards.13849.0.html

I just got rid of my gaming laptop and bought a Thinkpad Edge 530 for everyday use. But the one I got wouldn't fit your requirements. It is more budget oriented. However, I would still suggest the higher-end Thinkpads for your consideration.
http/shop.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/thinkpad/index.html

 

[chowderek]

Rather than just toss out some models that I personally favor, it may be better if you check out http/www.notebookcheck.net/ for some details and professional opinions.

If you plan on gaming, you'll want a good discrete GPU. Here is their hierarchy chart for that: http/www.notebookcheck.net/Computer-Games-on-Laptop-Graphic-Cards.13849.0.html

I just got rid of my gaming laptop and bought a Thinkpad Edge 530 for everyday use. But the one I got wouldn't fit your requirements. It is more budget oriented. However, I would still suggest the higher-end Thinkpads for your consideration.
http/shop.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/thinkpad/index.html

That notebookcheck link was really helpful, but unfortunately Lenovo.us doesnt ship to Canada. Lenovo.ca either doesn't have the models or is too expensive. I'll keep looking though.

 

[clutchc]

That's strange. How can they not ship to Canada? The Lenovos are all made in China like every other PC.

 

[chowderek]

That's strange. How can they not ship to Canada? The Lenovos are all made in China like every other PC.

The Canadian version of the Lenovo site does but I'd like to buy from the US one because it has more choices and it's cheaper. Also the Canadian doesn't allow customization, which I would like to do on my machine. I guess I could buy from their resellers...