Buying A Laptop, Am I Getting Good Value?

[DrSpychology]

So I've been thinking about getting a laptop for a while now, and I think I found one that's perfect for me. However, I want to run it through a couple of other people to see if I'm getting good value/money and if I'm not buying an overspecced machine for what I need.

 

So I'm currently considering an ASUS N56VZ, which has a nVidia 650m, i7-3630QM, 750GB 5400 RPM, 6 GB of DDR3 RAM, a 1080p matte screen and a backlit keyboard.

 

I want something with a good screen, a GPU that's able to run games at native resolution (don't need to run Crysis 3 at max settings, just indie games and games like Skyrim and Bioshock Infinite at low-medium settings), a backlit keyboard would be nice, decent battery life (wanted 4-5 hours, but haven't found a powerful machine that gets too much over 3 hours like this one) and something that doesn't look absolutely terrible.

 

A good alternative would be the Lenovo Y580, which has a stronger 660m GPU, but it costs the same (900€) as the Asus N56VZ with an i5, a glossy, lower brightness screen, cheaper materials and a thinker body. Right now I'm favoring the Asus because  the overall package seems to be better and it also includes quite some accessories (laptop bag, usb mouse, subwoofer)

 

Anyways, I'd love to hear your opinion!

[BlackOutCrisis]

When I google both of those sku's I end up with different specs than what you listed so I can't really say which one to get. From what I googled though the lenovo has better parts.

[DrSpychology]

Of those two the asus one is probably the better choice, the lenovo will run games better but the Asus is a btter deal in my opinion. I would keep looking though, Find one with a better gpu in it.

 

On the nVidia side, there are only GTX 6xxm cards, which are usually very power consuming and only get in heavy and bulky machines (mostly 17" machines, which seem too big for me). AMD, however, offers some great mobile power, but I can't find one that's faster than the 650m and doesn't cost too much. I'd love to get the new Samsung Series 7 15" with an 8870m, but it's just way out of my price range.

[glutesontheloose]

Currently typing this comment on a Asus N56VB. I just got it 3-4 days ago and It is awesome.

 

what I have is a newer N56V. It has 3630QM, GT740M, 8GB RAM and 1TB HDD. Still not sure how GT740M differs from GT650M and I can't see comparisons on the net. They look same on the spec sheet though from notebookcheck.

 

I suggest you get the N56V, I heard some complaints about the Lenovo Y500 Series regarding bad touchpad (was also one of my choices when looking for a laptop before). I was also looking for the N56VZ since last year but couldn't get a hold of it since the stores I go to doesn't have stock. The VB just came out a few days ago. If you ever do go for the N56V then I suggest get a faster HDD or SSD. Its the only thing I want to change on the laptop since it sometimes slow things down.

 

If you want to know how some games run then just PM me.

[DrSpychology]

Currently typing this comment on a Asus N56VB. I just got it 3-4 days ago and It is awesome.

 

what I have is a newer N56V. It has 3630QM, GT740M, 8GB RAM and 1TB HDD. Still not sure how GT740M differs from GT650M and I can't see comparisons on the net. They look same on the spec sheet though from notebookcheck.

 

I suggest you get the N56V, I heard some complaints about the Lenovo Y500 Series regarding bad touchpad (was also one of my choices when looking for a laptop before). I was also looking for the N56VZ since last year but couldn't get a hold of it since the stores I go to doesn't have stock. The VB just came out a few days ago. If you ever do go for the N56V then I suggest get a faster HDD or SSD. Its the only thing I want to change on the laptop since it sometimes slow things down.

 

If you want to know how some games run then just PM me.

 

Just read a review of that model, and I'm looking into buying that one with an i5, since I don't really need an i7. Haven't seen it appear, but it's definitely on my number 1 spot at the moment. Also, I might buy a 256 gb SSD in a couple of months and install it.

[zhick]

Just pointing out: the GT650m is basically the same chip as the GTX660m, so if there's an unlocked bios for your particular laptop (check TechInferno) you can usually oc it to similar levels.