Looking for 3rd gen i core laptop with matte screen for under $600

[xenon2000]

Possible? The biggest issue with my searching, is the matte screen option.

I love Newegg's power searching. But of all the features you can search and filter, matte/antiglare is not one of them.

I have been to a few local stores. Fry's has about 2 matte screen options. But they were gaming rigs if I remember right. Which is fine, but the price was too high.

So, anyone know of any 3rd gen i core laptops with a matte screen? And with any luck, under $600.

I know HP has a custom option where a matte screen is $152 premium. But then the price goes up to quickly.

And if I missed it in my search, does anyone know of a good frequently updated list of matte laptops? Or retailers with filters for matte screens?

Update: Intel Comparison Chart

I see the 3rd gen i5 doesn't come in a quad core mobile version. Only 2 core, 4 thread. So I guess a Dual core will have to do. I would still like it to be a 3rd gen i5 though. As I already know an i7 at this price point is not going to happen.

 

[jaguarskx]

The only ones that I can think of are the Dell Latitude 14" E5430 and 15.6" E5530 series for under $600 (excluding tax & shipping)

http/www.dell.com/us/business/p/latitude-e5430/pd
http/www.dell.com/us/business/p/latitude-e5530/pd

Starting at $649 excluding tax is the Lenovo ThinkPad L series:

http/shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/controller/e/web/LenovoPortal/en_US/catalog.workflow:category.details?action=init&current-catalog-id=12F0696583E04D86B9B79B0FEC01C087&current-category-id=E40C202EFB1E4EB181C7D2D08172A68C

However, at that price you might as well also consider spending just a bit more for the ThinkPad T series.

http/shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/controller/e/web/LenovoPortal/en_US/catalog.workflow:category.details?action=init&current-catalog-id=12F0696583E04D86B9B79B0FEC01C087&current-category-id=19C791A03AF24034A0011B825513BCED


In the mobile CPU segment, the only quad core Intel CPUs are in the i7 series and only those with the "QM" designation. All other mobile Intel CPUs are dual core.

 

[xenon2000]

The only ones that I can think of are the Dell Latitude 14" E5430 and 15.6" E5530 series for under $600 (excluding tax & shipping)

http/www.dell.com/us/business/p/latitude-e5430/pd
http/www.dell.com/us/business/p/latitude-e5530/pd

Starting at $649 excluding tax is the Lenovo ThinkPad L series:

http/shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/controller/e/web/LenovoPortal/en_US/catalog.workflow:category.details?action=init&current-catalog-id=12F0696583E04D86B9B79B0FEC01C087&current-category-id=E40C202EFB1E4EB181C7D2D08172A68C

However, at that price you might as well also consider spending just a bit more for the ThinkPad T series.

http/shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/controller/e/web/LenovoPortal/en_US/catalog.workflow:category.details?action=init&current-catalog-id=12F0696583E04D86B9B79B0FEC01C087&current-category-id=19C791A03AF24034A0011B825513BCED

In the mobile CPU segment, the only quad core Intel CPUs are in the i7 series and only those with the "QM" designation. All other mobile Intel CPUs are dual core.

Perfect. Thanks. I went to dell and Lenovo before and wasn't able to find those anti-glare options. At least not without going into the business line up for more money. Thanks again. Dual core will have to do for now. Depending on a few things, I may spend more. Just trying to find the right starting price as I will be upgrading a few things myself later such as moving to SSD and 16 GB of ram. But not to start with.

 

[jaguarskx]

Just be aware that if you decide to upgrade to a quad core in the future, you will also need to replace the power brink as well.

 

[xenon2000]

Just be aware that if you decide to upgrade to a quad core in the future, you will also need to replace the power brink as well.

Sadly, at this point I am not seeing any i5 systems that I want to buy. The options around 600-700 don't have good base options, the dell ones I can't customize at all at purchase time, and the others don't have much flexibility in maximums to upgrade later.

So far for what I want it looks like an HP Customized system through Costco is my best option. But with the price too high.

So I don't know. Annoying that there seem to be plenty of systems with glossy screens that meet my base option needs, but the matte screen requirement is a killer.

I broke down last year and bought a new i5 laptop with glossy screen, but after a month I realized I just couldn't get over the reflections. Sold it at a loss. Not much of a loss, but it was that bad for me that I was willing to take a small loss on it. So now I just simply don't want a new laptop until I can get an IPS or matte screen system. My netbook is glossy, but it's also only 11" and was only $288. So I can deal with that. And I don't use it for much.

 

[jaguarskx]

The only alternative suggestion I can make is to look into an anti-glare screen protector. I also do not particularly like glossy screen so I decided to install a Green Onions 14" anti-glare screen on my Lenovo IdeaPad Y470.

It's not a perfect solution though. It's a bit of a compromise. First, even though the one I bought is designed for 14" wide screen laptops there is about an 1/8th of an inch height gap between the actual LCD panel and the anti-glare screen. The width is fine though. Second, since it is not a "clear glossy" screen protector, there is a slight decrease in sharpness, it was initially noticeable, but I have gotten used to it. It's not bad though, not like using lower than native resolution on a LCD panel/monitor. Lastly, you need a lot of patience (and a Clean Room). It's not like, "Okay, peel off the protect film on the anti-glare screen, then stick it on the laptop. Done". You need to deal with air bubbles and dust trapped between the LCD panel and the anti-glare screen. It takes a bit of time (especially if it's your 1st time doing this procedure) to get good results.

Overall, I like the Green Onions anti-glare since there are no reflections (other than the bottom 1/8th of an inch; hardly noticeable) and I can use it anywhere, even outdoors. However, my next laptop will definitely have a matte finish panel. I'm looking at a next gen 15.6" ThinkPad T series laptop.

Assuming your netbook has a 11.6" screen you can tryout the following 11.6" Green Onions anti-glare screen to judge for yourself. If you like the results then perhaps you can simply buy whatever laptop you want an then install a Green Onions screen on it.

http/www.amazon.com/Green-Onions-Supply-Anti-Glare-Protector/dp/B004M97HL0/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1369072964&sr=8-3&keywords=green+onions++anti+glare+11%22