Another hopefully my last Laptop thread
I made a laptop thread a few weeks ago. It has died because I was the last to post on it. I've done lots of looking, and am probably going to buy this week or next.
There are a few I've been looking at.
[url=http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product/asus-asus-17-3-laptop-black-intel-core-i7-3630qm-256gb-ssd-500gb-hdd-16gb-ram-windows-8-english-g75vx-dh72-ca/10243106.aspx?path=b2fdc66d13221a1373a265e5423e2fc8en02&SearchPageIndex=1]Asus G75VX-DH72-CA[/url] Not sure what advantages an SSD has over a traditional HDD
[url=http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product/asus-asus-17-3-laptop-black-intel-core-i7-4700hq-2tb-hdd-16gb-ram-windows-8-g750jw-rb71-cb/10256772.aspx?path=24db7ab746e7c60e543b62392901e47een02&SearchPageIndex=1]Asus G750JW-RB71-CB[/url]
[url=http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product/razer-usa-razer-blade-1st-gen-17-3-laptop-black-intel-core-i7-2640m-256gb-ssd-8gb-ram-windows-7-english-rz09-00710100-r3u1/10235438.aspx?path=0fc0186a16ccf6ba4194c2e5db97d918en02]Razer Blade RZ09-00710100-R3U1[/url]
[url=http://shop.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/thinkpad/w-series/w530/?sb=:00000025:00003717:]Lenovo Thinkpad W530[/url]
I've been leaning more towards the Asus Laptops, followed by the Lenovo.
[header]From the old thread:[/header]
[b]Here are the requirements the school has given me.[/b]
- Intel Core i7 2.4+ GHz Processor (sounds damn ridiculous for this to be a minimum requirement IMO, but meh)
- 1440 x 900 minimum display, 15" minimum screen size
- >8 GB RAM
- >1 TB HDD @ 7200RPM/storage space. They recommend a separate SSD for the OS. Why, idk.
- Wireless 'b/g or n' type (?)
- DVD-RW or CD-RW drive.
- >1 GB Video Card
- Ethernet port.
Aside from this architecture stuff, I'll probably be using the laptop for very light applications (music, internet, word processing etc.) and very, very light gaming (if any). I would also prefer if it used a Windows OS (7 or 8, 7 preferably, because the older architecture students are saying that some programs may not work properly on 8). This is based purely on preference and my experiences with Windows 7, 8, XP, VS. Mac OS X (Snow Leopard and Lion), and Mac OS 9. I just prefer Windows, advantages and disadvantages aside. Furthermore, the more senior architecture students say that most of the programs work better on Windows. I would also like this laptop to last at least 4 years, without "dying," so to speak.
My budget is fairly large (I think); $3 500 CAD, exclusive of the programs needed for architecture.
So please, throw me some recommendations. And even if you don't or can't recommend a specific model, please tell me what companies/makes to look at and to avoid. Because, as I've said before, I've never owned a laptop, and are therefore completely new to them.
5 Comments • Newest first
[quote=yumtoast154]@ClementZ: I think it should be worth mentioning that if you buy from Lenovo's website, you're going to have to wait until the next blue moon for it to be delivered.
insufferable shipping times[/quote]
I can wait. I have until the 9th of September lol.
What do you know about MSI? I've been shown [url=http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=710_577_1198&item_id=060833&sid=cheqe1suf3qged8k1rv34e60g0]this[/url] as an alternative.
@ClementZ: I think it should be worth mentioning that if you buy from Lenovo's website, you're going to have to wait until the next blue moon for it to be delivered.
insufferable shipping times
[quote=yumtoast154]Why is their expectation for a display is relatively low? I'm assuming graphics is a critical element for architecture majors, so why not splurge on a 1920x1080 display? Also, the minimum CPU recommendation isn't too far-fetched for what you need.
On a side note, Lenovo makes sturdier laptops than ASUS'. I've bought dozens of ASUS products before (e.g. tablets, graphics cards, laptops, and monitors) and I like their laptops the least out of their product lineup. I mean, ASUS laptops are good, but there are always qualities that I can't ignore about them; some models have awful trackpads, some models have weak hinges, some get hot too quickly (though I do like aluminum builds), etc -- none of their laptops are perfect. So if you want your laptop to last 4+ years, I'd look at a Macbook or Lenovo Thinkpads which are great for work.
SSDs are faster, so moving your OS onto an SSD will of course improve start-up times and the like (though laptops running on W8 with 7,200 rpm drives start-up in <5 seconds). The problem is that SSDs are expensive.[/quote]
The thing with the Lenovo is that I'd need to ship it from the US. The model I posted isn't sold AFAIK in Canada.
Which means if something were to go wrong with it, I'd probably have to ship it back.
Why is their expectation for a display is relatively low? I'm assuming graphics is a critical element for architecture majors, so why not splurge on a 1920x1080 display? Also, the minimum CPU recommendation isn't too far-fetched for what you need.
On a side note, Lenovo makes sturdier laptops than ASUS'. I've bought dozens of ASUS products before (e.g. tablets, graphics cards, laptops, and monitors) and I like their laptops the least out of their product lineup. I mean, ASUS laptops are good, but there are always qualities that I can't ignore about them; some models have awful trackpads, some models have weak hinges, some get hot too quickly (though I do like aluminum builds), etc -- none of their laptops are perfect. So if you want your laptop to last 4+ years, I'd look at a Macbook or Lenovo Thinkpads which are great for work.
SSDs are faster, so moving your OS onto an SSD will of course improve start-up times and the like (though laptops running on W8 with 7,200 rpm drives start-up in <5 seconds). The problem is that SSDs are expensive.
the advantage of an ssd over an hdd is that it breaks more often