I need help buying a laptop, but I don't think the laptop I want exists.

[ValiantZX]

Copied from Reddit's /r/suggestalaptop:

Country of purchase: USA (If at all possible though I'd like to be able to go into a store to feel the laptop for myself before buying it)

Budget range: $700-800

Purpose: School (Computer Science, some CAD work, and light gaming)

Screen size preference: MUST BE 14"

OS preference: Windows 8 preferred

Gaming requirements (example games and desired fps/settings): League of Legends, Starcraft II, Civilization V, etc.

Performance requirements: I do some work in AutoCAD so it has to be able to run that pretty well.

Method of computer support: Self support, I do IT work for a small business

Brand preferences and reasons (already owned accessories, familiarity, business compatibility): ASUS and Lenovo, because of their reliability and build quality

Any particular style that you like: I'm a big fan of industrial design. If the Macbook Pro had a dedicated GPU and sold for $800 that would be my dream laptop. I'm also a huge fan of ASUS'es Zenbook line.

Which of the following qualities would you prefer?
Long battery life -vs- Low weight: Long battery life
Build quality -vs- Low price: Build quality
Low noise/heat -vs- High performance: High performance

Would you pay a premium for something that has:
High resolution screen: No
A great keyboard: Yes
A great touchpad/mouse buttons: YES, definitely. I want something on par with the Macbook's touchpad
Great audio: This is extremely far down the list, as I'm going to be using headphones 100% of the time.

List any features that are critical: (e.g. Optical drive, USB 3.0, SD card slot, ethernet port, HDMI port, bluetooth, VGA port, removable battery, glossy screen, matte screen, etc.) It is important for it to have an anti gloss or matte screen, as I tend to work outside a lot and here in Texas it tends to get pretty sunny.

Other: I looked at the Lenovo U410 and it seemed perfect at first but I was turned off by the fact by the fact that it had WiFi connectivity and speed issues, so that one's off the list.
Thank you so much for your help!

 

[Nicholas Ng]

I recommend this: Dell Inspiron 14R

It has a HDMI port, 2 USB 3.0 port, 8 in 1 card reader, Windows 8 64-Bit and the i5-4200U processor uses only 17W, perfect for you battery life concerns. It also has a built-in HD Graphics 4400 that should be able to play your games in Medium quality. It's 14 Inch and it also has touch features, you'll find it nice for Windows 8. It's keyboard is chiclet type and the touch pad looks decent. It's speaker is made of MaxxAudio® 4.0, but you will be using headphones anyway, still a very good speaker if you ever need it.

I trust Dell personally because I have ordered my laptop from their site.

 

[ValiantZX]

I recommend this: Dell Inspiron 14R

It has a HDMI port, 2 USB 3.0 port, 8 in 1 card reader, Windows 8 64-Bit and the i5-4200U processor uses only 17W, perfect for you battery life concerns. It also has a built-in HD Graphics 4400 that should be able to play your games in Medium quality. It's 14 Inch and it also has touch features, you'll find it nice for Windows 8. It's keyboard is chiclet type and the touch pad looks decent. It's speaker is made of MaxxAudio® 4.0, but you will be using headphones anyway, still a very good speaker if you ever need it.

I trust Dell personally because I have ordered my laptop from their site.

I'm sorry, I should have clarified. I'm not going for Windows 8 because of the metro features, I despise them. I like Windows 8 because of the new task manager and the better boot times, not to mention the increased general speed and stability. I have had problems with Dell in the past, so I'm not a huge fan of them, and I want something with a little more "oomph" in the graphics department (dedicated graphics would be nice). Thank you so much for helping anyway!