I need help choosing between these laptops!!!

[madisoncrosby]

Hello everyone, i am buying a laptop in the next couple days and I am seeking some advice. I have about a 8 to 9 hundred dollar budget and have found 3 very nice laptops in my range. They are extremely similar, and i mean EXTREMELY similar so i was wondering if a laptop guru could point me out some details im missing? thanks so much i will link all laptops and list the parts that they all share.

what they SHARE:

I7 3610QM @2.3Ghz
6G ram
15.6 inch screens ( resolutions not all equal)

my quick take on each

ACER ASPIRE V3
http/www.amazon.com/Acer-Aspire-V3-571G-9435-15-6-Inch-Midnight/dp/B0085H63QU/ref=sr_1_2?m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1345733902&sr=1-2

-640m card better than ASUS worse than lenovo, resolution is not full 1080, 100$ cheaper, 5400 rpm HDD

lenovo ideapad y580
http/www.amazon.com/Lenovo-IdeaPad-20994CU-15-6-Inch-Laptop/dp/B0082PRC1U/ref=sr_1_11?m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1345733973&sr=1-11

-Best video card gtx 660m, reviews say it overheats, 5400 rpm HDD

ASUS n56VM
http/www.amazon.com/N56VM-AB71-Full-HD-15-6-Inch-1080P-Laptop/dp/B008HDOEG8/ref=sr_1_10?m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1345734024&sr=1-10

worst video card 630m (reason this one doesnt just win it for me) 1080 led, 7200 rpm HDD, aesthetically pleasing, good reviews'


I truly only play sc2 on low graphics but would like to get into some more games. so light gaming plus student computer. please help me choose one, and dont just say that one, give me a train of thought with an answer. thanks.

 

[Chairman Ray]

I would go with the Lenovo out of those 3. The first one is Acer. Acer sacrifices build quality to reduce cost, so while you are getting decent specs for the price, the laptop itself won't last more than a few years. Lenovo and Asus both have some of the best build qualities and the laptop will probably last long enough for its specs to become obsolete. Between those 2, the deciding factor is the gpu. The 630m just doesn't cut it for 1080p gaming. The 660m is a great card. It overheats because it's supposed to, as all stronger cards will produce more heat. You can overcome that by putting less load on your gpu.

 

[Pinhedd]

Acer is not even an option.

Lenovo and Asus both offer great build quality and are reliable enough to earn the Pinhedd seal of approval.

I would personally go with the Asus. If you want to game on a laptop you should drop $2500 into an Alienware, otherwise just get a desktop.

You should also check out Sager and Clevo. Sager uses Clevo as their OEM so either one will be the same. They're extremely customizable so you can pick and choose what you want. Clevo's build quality is on par with Lenovo.

 

[jsrudd]

There is another variant of the Ideapad that has a 64GB SSD as well as a hard drive. You might look into it.

http/www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834246629

 

[madisoncrosby]

thanks so much for the replies guys, its definitely between the asus and the lenovo. its a matter of whether i want to buy a better HDD for the lenovo or just be happy with the 630m the n56vm comes with,... one last question, the ASUS says its full 1080p but the lenovo does not, does this mean the resolution on the asus would be bettter?

 

[Pinhedd]

thanks so much for the replies guys, its definitely between the asus and the lenovo. its a matter of whether i want to buy a better HDD for the lenovo or just be happy with the 630m the n56vm comes with,... one last question, the ASUS says its full 1080p but the lenovo does not, does this mean the resolution on the asus would be bettter?

That's correct. The display on the Asus is 1920x1080 and the display on the Lenovo is 1366x768

 

[madisoncrosby]

Im leaning towards the ASUS the aesthetics and the HDD actually being at 7200 rpm is kinda pushing me towards it. i truly only play sc2 on low settings can the 630m handle this?

 

[madisoncrosby]

so i guess my dilemma is , run a game on an inferior card on a superior screen, or on a superior card on an inferior screen

 

[Chairman Ray]

Im leaning towards the ASUS the aesthetics and the HDD actually being at 7200 rpm is kinda pushing me towards it. i truly only play sc2 on low settings can the 630m handle this?

If you are only looking for sc2 on low, the 630m can definitely take it. I think the 630m can even play it on medium since it's not a gpu heavy game.