Light gaming laptop - three final contenders

[johncuffe]

Hi all,

I've being doing a lot of looking around at different laptops, in what I'd call the light gaming laptop category.

There doesn't seem to be too many options here! Really, what I'm looking for, is something that approximates the Razer Blade, but is about $500 - $1000 less, or at least good value for money! Either gaming laptops tend to be 8 pound monstrosities, or there are ultraportables with integrated graphics, or small screens. I'm looking for, ideally, a 15" fairly light laptop, that's capable of some gaming, but it doesn't have to break all the benchmarks. I won't be gaming a whole lot, because I'll be supposed to be working , but I'd be sad if it wasn't even an option! Also, I'd ideally like it to come in a pretty package!

From what I've seen, I've identified three major contenders - I'd love to hear your thoughts!

1. Samsung Series 9 NP900X4C-A03US 15-Inch Ultrabook - $1800

So, this is on the list, mainly because it's pretty sexy, and has Core i7, 256 Gb solid state, and 8 Gb RAM. The weak point here is obviously the HD4000, but from what I've seen, this can still run Diablo III, Left for Dead 2, and Starcraft II respectably... so that's passable? I'll call this, the "mature" option ! I wish they had a 1920x1080 screen option....

2. Sony VAIO VPC-Z116GXS - $1800

Also a fairly portable (3lbs), fairly powerful laptop (GT 330M), the weakness here is the small screen size, but it has better gaming than the Series 9. I'm wondering if I could get over this by just using the HD out to an external monitor... Same pixel density and weight as the Series 9, though not quite as impressive looking?

3. Eurocom Fox 4.0 (Clevo W150ERM) $1000
Best specs + gaming, (Core i7, 1920x1080, GT 650M, 256 GB SSD), not so portable, but not a monster (5.7 lbs). However, least attractive of the three, with reduced build quality. However, significantly cheaper than the others! I haven't been able to find many reviews of this one, anyone have some feedback?

I'd really appreciate some comments, this is going to be a tough decision !

Thanks in advance!

John.

 

[johncuffe]

Just realised I should probably fill this out, for etiquette if nothing else !!

1. What is your budget?
$1000 - $2500

2. What is the size of the notebook that you are considering?
15" ideally, possibly willing to go smaller

3. What screen resolution do you want?
As high as possible, no less that 1600 x 900.

4. Do you need a portable or desktop replacement laptop?
Portable.

5. How much battery life do you need?
Not loads!

6. Do you want to play games with your laptop? If so then please list the games that you want to with the settings that you want for these games. (Low,Medium or High)?
I'd like to play some games, medium is fine, low may be acceptable, as long as the game can still run and not look absolutely terrible!
Starcraft II,
Diablo III,
Some FPS, e.g. Left for Dead 2.

7. What other tasks do you want to do with your laptop? (Photo/Video editing, Etc.)
Nothing else, mainly light research use. (Core i7 would be an advantage, Core i5 would be fine)

8. How much storage (Hard Drive capacity) do you need?
Not much, would much much rather an SSD.

9. If you are considering specific sites to buy from, please post their links.
Amazon for the Series 9:
http/www.amazon.com/Sony-VPC-Z112GX-13-1-Inch-Laptop-Silver/dp/B00365DX7S/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1347581857&sr=1-2&keywords=Sony+VAIO+VPC-Z116GXS

Home website for the Eurocom
http/www.eurocom.com/
N.b. some nice customization options!

10. How long do you want to keep your laptop?
2 years or so. More the better naturally.

11. What kind of Optical drive do you need? DVD ROM/Writer,Bluray ROM/Writer,Etc ?
None, welcome to the future ;-)!

12. Please tell us about the brands that you prefer to buy from them and the brands that you don't like and explain the reasons.
N/A, but I would like the laptop to look nice.

13. What country do you live in?
Currently residing in the USA.

14. Please tell us any additional information if needed.
That's about it!

Thanks in advance!

John.