Looking for an Ultrabook

[Philipp]

Hey guys,

I came across this forum and hope to receive some answers to a few questions I have.
So far I'm a student and doing my Bachelor of Informatics in Germany.
For that matter I want to buy an Laptop/Ultrabook that I can work with (Coding in C++, Java, Scheme, ASM, ..).


I want to spend around 800-1000€.
The size shouldn't be smaller than 13", but I'd really like it to be 15" or even more.. (Preferable 1920x1080)
It shouldn't be too heavy and have a battery life of ~5-6 hours (When working with it..)
Playing games is not a 'MUST', but it would be nice if I can play games like Starcraft II, Guild Wars II or something like that (Medium-High). Note - It's for working purposes, not gaming..
From times to time I am editing videos, but only in rare cases.
A HDD of 1TB is enough. I wouldn't mind to have a small (50GB) SSD in it if the price allows as well as a DVD ROM/Writer.
The Ultrabook should stay 'working' for the next 3 years.

Now I have looked around within the past days but I am simply not sure what to buy.
I had a Ultrabook by Samsung in mind, then again I wondered if an i5 is enough. Processor is really what I have no clue about.
The thing is I want to have something that looks good and solid. Samsung's Ultrabooks look similar to a Macbook and are made out of aluminium. That's basically what I want. Plastic is.. I don't know. I don't trust it..
I came across a brand called 'Lenovo' but the keyboard was just plain bad. So that's a No-Go. You might wonder why I don't purchase a Macbook? Because I want to work with Windows 7/8 (Really, I rather go for a Windows 7...).
This is where I checked through already:
http/www.samsung.com/au/consumer/pc-peripherals/notebook-pc/ultra-book/NP530U3C-A06AU?pid=au_ultrabooksubtype_keyvisual1_ultra_book_20121022
http/www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ultrabook/shop-ultrabook.html
But really, there is so much and I'm lost within all the possibilities.
Please help me. I would really appreciate it.
If I forgot any information you need just post within and I will reply as soon as humanly possible
By the way: I live in Germany so any shop within the EU is 'possible'. Else I'll have to pay too much taxes

Best regards, Philipp.

 

[Philipp]

Bump?

Honestly, if I forgot something just tell me about it and I'll add it.
I've no idea what to go for..

 

[1upac]

ASUS Zenbook UX32VD-DH71 Ultrabook Intel Core i7 3517U(1.90GHz) 13.3" Full HD 4GB DDR3 Memory 500GB HDD + 24GB SSD HDD 5400rpm NVIDIA GeForce GT 620M

By the looks of it it has almost everything you need. Build quality is phenomenal based on what I have tested in store. I always reccomend ASUS and would buy this if I had the money.

http/www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834230670

cheers

 

[jaguarskx]

You are not going to find an ultrabook with an optical drive because an optical drive does not fall within an ultrabook approved specifications. That basically means ultrabooks are not supposed to have a DVD or Blu-Ray drive.

Sony released a few new laptops in the US that runs Windows 8 and are also pretty light (4.42lbs or just over 2kg) for a 15.5" laptop with a 1920x1080 resolution screen and DVD drive. I would assume they will sell similar models in Germany.

http/www.newegg.com/Product/Productcompare.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100006740&IsNodeId=1&bop=And&ActiveSearchResult=True&CompareItemList=32|34-127-880^34-127-880-TS%2C34-127-882^34-127-882-TS%2C34-127-878^34-127-878-TS

The version nVidia GT 640LE is too weak to seriously play games at 1920x1080, but it is pretty good for 1366x768 and should be decent for 1600x900. That is should you decide to play games later. If strictly no gaming, then the Intel HD 4000 should be fine. At least in the US, if you want the quad core i7 "QM" CPU, then you need to choose the model with the nVidia GT 640LE.

 

[Philipp]

ASUS Zenbook UX32VD-DH71 Ultrabook Intel Core i7 3517U(1.90GHz) 13.3" Full HD 4GB DDR3 Memory 500GB HDD + 24GB SSD HDD 5400rpm NVIDIA GeForce GT 620M

By the looks of it it has almost everything you need. Build quality is phenomenal based on what I have tested in store. I always reccomend ASUS and would buy this if I had the money.

http/www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834230670

cheers

Hey,

The Asus Zenbook you linked does in fact use the i7 3517U (1.90GHz), however, you linked to another processor instead (An i7 Quad)
So I got the Zenbook on the one hand and an [URL="http/www.samsung.com/us/computer/laptops/NP530U3C-A06US-specs]Samsung Series 5 13.3 ULTRA[/URL] on the other one.

Those two are what I decide between now (if there comes nothing even better for the same price).
Both do have the i7 3517U processor, an 13.3" display@1366x768 .
The Samsung however does have 6 GB RAM (Zeenbook = 4 only) and a 128 GB SSD (ONLY). The Zenbook does have a 500GB HDD plus 24 GB SSD.
In the end I want an Ultrabook that does have this exact design both of the above ultrabooks have.

Question now is - Do the said differences really make a difference in the end?
Plus: Which GFX is better? The Intel® HD Graphics 4000 or NVIDIA GeForce GT 620M 1GB
Various forums tell that they 'guess' the NVIDIA is better. ([URL="http/rog.asus.com/forum/showthread.php?20159-Integrated-Intel%AE-HD-Graphics-4000-vs-NVIDIA-GeForce-GT-620]SOURCE[/URL])

My budget can go up to 1400$ (or 1100€) (+/- 50€)!
So, any last help?
Thanks for all the effort so far! You guys are GREAT!