Looking for a laptop under US$ 1100

[smilingbird]

I've searched the forum, but I could not find the exact same thing (most of them are unresolved).. I'm looking for a new laptop, and here's my criteria:

m in the market for a new mainstream laptop.

1) Budget: below $1100

2) Size: 15" - 16" screen

3) Screen: prefer non-glossy, must be full HD (not 1366x768), confused about LED and LCD

4) Portability: I don't lug my laptop around so much, but I'm not sure if I want something like ASUS G55. Just way to heavy for me if I do have to carry my laptop around (plus it has a very short battery life).

5) Battery life: Like I said, this new laptop will probably spend most of its time on my desk, but I think 3-4 hours on full charge is desired (standard usage, MS office, browsing, NOT gaming).

6) Games: sometimes (Assassin's creed, witcher 2, civilization 5,etc.), doesn't have to be High. Medium is what I usually go with

7) Tasks: mainly for school, but like I said, I game sometimes

8) Storage capacity: at least 500 GB (I think that's enough for me)

9) considerations:

ASUS N56VZ-RB71 -> http/www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0394503

Lenovo Y580 -> https/shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/controller/e/web/LenovoPortal/en_US/catalog.workflow:item.detail?GroupID=457&Code=209945U&category_id=AC523278A4F13F27A84F5F5622D1AC7A

MSI GE60 -> http/www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834152339

10) Laptop life: at least 5 years. I intend to keep it forever 😛

11) Optical drive: don't really use it

12) Brand preference: I heard ASUS has the best build quality (the reason why I'm leaning more towards the ASUS laptop). However, I've received mixed reviews on Lenovo and MSI. Some say the IdeaPad line doesn't have a good build quality (only the ThinkPad does). and I'm not experienced with MSI quality.

13) Country: United States (USA)

14) Other considerations:
I also put a special emphasis on build quality. I don't want to deal with customer service, and I don't think I can spend the time (with school and stuff). I don't abuse my electronics (other than gaming), so I wish this new laptop would last for as long as possible (forever , at least 5 years).

I'm not in a hurry, so you could suggest me to wait for a better deal (if you think that's going to happen, a price drop).


what would you recommend?

 

[hpfreak]

could you help me on choosing a CPU ?



3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-3610QM Processor ( 6MB L3 Cache, 2.30GHz)
3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-3720QM Processor ( 6MB L3 Cache, 2.60GHz) [+$160.00]
3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-3820QM Processor ( 8MB L3 Cache, 2.70GHz) [+$350.00]


between these three, in my mind I am only putting the 3610 and 3720 into consideration. Is the .30 GHz really worth the extra 160 ?

Personally, I wouldn't upgrade. There will be a performance boost, but unless you're doing something like autocad and need the most juice you can get out of your system, then you shouldn't need to worry about it. I've been using the 1.6 GHz Core i7 on my laptop for the past 2 years, and it works fine- I do a lot of CPU intensive tasks, and the specs are adequate, everything is snappy and works well.
Your uses for your laptop aren't going to push you into the category of enthusiasts and the like that need the highest specs. In all honesty, the Core i5 would be adequate for you- so I would not worry about choosing between the Core i7 CPUs, don't try squeeze it in there and get the 3720QM, and if you do have the extra money to burn, I'd put it towards getting an SSD- that will have a greater effect than a minor change in CPU clock speeds.

Oh, and by the way.. LPC Digital is an online retailer that specializes in Clevo/Sager products.

 

[smilingbird]

what's LPC digital ? :X .

I'm basicaly getting the same thing, except I'm unsure which CPU to choose ..

3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-3610QM Processor ( 6MB L3 Cache, 2.30GHz)
3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-3720QM Processor ( 6MB L3 Cache, 2.60GHz) [+$160.00]
3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-3820QM Processor ( 8MB L3 Cache, 2.70GHz) [+$350.00]



If I copy your build, it still adds up to 1094. . (?) ]

Also, how did you get it to have " Remove all branding " ?

oh, I bought it from LPC Digital

they also have the option to remove all branding (no Sager sticker), so you'll have a sleek black design (I guess, still waiting for mine). :lol:

where did you get your configuration? (which reseller)

I think the 3610 is powerful enough. getting a more powerful processor will make your laptop even more resource hungry (thus you deplete your battery even faster), but if you don't mind, why not? :lol:

 

[ayobmx]

oh, I bought it from LPC Digital

they also have the option to remove all branding (no Sager sticker), so you'll have a sleek black design (I guess, still waiting for mine). :lol:

where did you get your configuration? (which reseller)

I think the 3610 is powerful enough. getting a more powerful processor will make your laptop even more resource hungry (thus you deplete your battery even faster), but if you don't mind, why not? :lol:

ohh lol i thought it was some part T_T . my bad haha .

The only thing making me hesitate on getting the sager is the bulkiness and weight :X

 

[smilingbird]

ohh lol i thought it was some part T_T . my bad haha .

The only thing making me hesitate on getting the sager is the bulkiness and weight :X

if that's really important to you, I recommend the ASUS N56VZ.I've seen one, and it's really nice. however, it has a lower graphic card memory compared to Sager (2 GB ddr3 for ASUS, 1GB ddr5 for Sager). plus ASUS has a better speaker (plus you get an additional sub-woofer). I've posted the link on the first page. check it out, maybe you'll like it.. at a glance I think that's the only difference I found, haven't looked at it for a while. :lol:

 

[smilingbird]

are you still here?!

who? me?? yep, cuz I got email notif, so I keep coming back. lol

bought the laptop though..

 

[ayobmx]

I've decided on getting the sager.

For the wireless card, whats the difference between the internal and the intel centrino ?


Looking at other laptops now, what makes a sager so special ? The hardware is pretty much the same in terms of in its price range.

 

[ayobmx]

bump, help please ? 🙁

 

[smilingbird]

i just bought a sager 6165 with a i7 upgrade for about 1100$ and its awesome. 1920 x 1080 and i play sc2 and diablo 3 on high settings. sc2 actually recommended that i set all settings on ultra. and this is with a gt 650m. I play battlefield 3 on med- high settings as well. no dead pixels, very sturdy and doesnt feel cheap. came within 3 days of order (but i live pretty close to them) and free shipping in the US.

The only odd thing about the 6165 is that the speakers are on the bottom of the laptop. However it doesnt really affect the quality of the sound because the laptop is slightly elevated by half inch stubs on the bottom.

overall its a great laptop

so I just bought this model, and there's one optional update: Lenovo – Display – ThinkPad Display 1920x1080 update. if I remember it correctly, the size is pretty small (like 27kb).. does anyone have any idea what is?