PR-0927 Posted June 24, 2012 Share Posted June 24, 2012 So I'm going to be buying a laptop soon for law school (moving out to LA to go to USC Gould School of Law). And I'm just stuck between these two beauties. Please read the rest VERY carefully if you care to give any input. The ASUS Zenbook Prime UX32VD-DB71 is a 13.3" ultrabook with a 1080p IPS screen (matte/anti-glare), a backlit-keyboard, a low-power Core i7 dual-core Ivy Bridge (will this quickly feel slow and obsolete?), a GeForce GT 620M, 4GB of DDR3 1600 SDRAM, and a 500GB 5400RPM HDD (with a 30GB iSSD - it's one of those hybrid drive things). Not a fan of the low RAM or slow HDD (I abhor 5400RPM HDDs). But, if I buy that laptop, I can purchase the following two things and swap out the RAM and HDD (RAM will then be 6GB): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147163 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231481 It's a great laptop. But it's by no means a super-powerful PC. It also has no optical drive. But it looks beautiful. More importantly (I pretty much don't care about aesthetics), its portability, battery life, and weight are quite nice: http://www.xoticpc.com/asus-ux32vddb71-preorder-p-4682.html The Clevo P150EM is a 15.6" gaming laptop with a 1080p screen (matte/ant-glare 95% NTSC Color Gamut option available), a backlit-keyboard, a quad-core Core i7 Ivy Bridge, a GeForce GTX 670M, 12GB of DDR3 1600 SDRAM (the upgrade from 8GB to 12GB of RAM is free!), and a 500GB 7200RPM HDD. It's a wonderful laptop as well. It's not exactly the most mobile or light, nor is its battery life amazing. And its design is fairly bland/blank. The screen resolution is the same as the Zenbook's, but since it's 15.6" rather than 13.3", the pixel density is less (meaning it's not as sharp - it also is not an IPS screen). But it's HIGHLY-customizable and very powerful. Anything and everything can be upgraded on it, and the backlight features on the keyboard are pretty awesome: http://www.xoticpc.com/sager-np9150-clevo-p150em-p-4341.html In the configurations I want them (the Zenbook with the separate RAM and SSD purchases, vs. the P150EM on that above website), the price is only $1 apart. What do I do? What would you recommend? I will be taking my gaming desktop (Core i7 920 @ 4.0GHz, GTX 680 SC+, 12GB DDR3 1691 RAM) with me as well. But the swapping of parts in the Zenbook may be an overall pain, and may be nerve-wracking. Thanks in advance for any advice I might get! - PR-0927 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boba Rhett Posted June 26, 2012 Share Posted June 26, 2012 They're both amazing. Since you already have a gaming desktop, I'd go for the one that's easier to carry around to classes/library. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PR-0927 Posted June 26, 2012 Author Share Posted June 26, 2012 They're both amazing. Since you already have a gaming desktop, I'd go for the one that's easier to carry around to classes/library. Yeah, totally agreed - I asked around on other forums too, and that's basically the input I received. Actually I started considering the Sony VAIO S (15") as well, but when I learned that the SATA bus was limited to SATA II speeds (because of Sony tampering) and that the display had a bit of orange tint, I was redirected to the Zenbook UX32VD. Thanks for your input! - PR-0927 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynk Former Posted June 26, 2012 Share Posted June 26, 2012 I'd personally wait for the Windows 8 laptops to come out but that's just me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PR-0927 Posted June 27, 2012 Author Share Posted June 27, 2012 I'd personally wait for the Windows 8 laptops to come out but that's just me... Yeah, I can't since I start law school in the fall and those won't be released until 2013. Plus, I'll just do a full wipe and install once it comes out anyways. - PR-0927 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth Avlectus Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 Maybe this is just uninformed but...i7 has no onboard video so, won't you be using up (read:wasting) your video card on non-gaming and non-performance duties? I was under the impression that unless you're only going to be using i7 systems for stuff which demands performance, it'd be a better idea to get an i5 so you can switch back to onboard video for your regular applications. *shrug* I'm just bringing this up because I don't like hearing how people spend big $$$ on top of the line stuff, only to mistakenly drive it into the ground, often during something important. Just looking out, that's all. I know you're probably not rich, buuuuut If I were you I'd get a cheaper one for schoolwork and get the one you want only for gaming. Take this for what you will. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynk Former Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 Yeah, I can't since I start law school in the fall and those won't be released until 2013. Plus, I'll just do a full wipe and install once it comes out anyways. - PR-0927 October 2012 is when the first ones will be released, but yeah. I'll be holding out as long as possible before March 2013... right now I have my sights set on the Lenovo Ideapad Yoga, but I'm hoping there are other choices to be had. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PR-0927 Posted June 27, 2012 Author Share Posted June 27, 2012 Maybe this is just uninformed but...i7 has no onboard video so, won't you be using up (read:wasting) your video card on non-gaming and non-performance duties? I was under the impression that unless you're only going to be using i7 systems for stuff which demands performance, it'd be a better idea to get an i5 so you can switch back to onboard video for your regular applications. *shrug* I'm just bringing this up because I don't like hearing how people spend big $$$ on top of the line stuff, only to mistakenly drive it into the ground, often during something important. Just looking out, that's all. I know you're probably not rich, buuuuut If I were you I'd get a cheaper one for schoolwork and get the one you want only for gaming. Take this for what you will. Well the i7 and i5 series of CPUs also differ in performance, and can make an impact in even non-gaming activities (on a laptop especially). And who knows - what if I do some extremely light gaming on it, or want to watch/edit 1080p movies? Or perhaps even do some media editing (photo or video)? But I'm getting this variant because of two main things - the 1080p display, and because it's the only one you can pop open and modify (for the RAM/HDD). - PR-0927 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynk Former Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 Again, if you were willing to wait, Ivy Bridge would be the way to go in terms of the overall performance and power consumption scale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Q Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 $1200? Are you going to be doing much gaming on it? Even so, $1200? SRSLY? 1) The Intel HD 4000 that makes up the GPU half of mobile Ivy Bridge CPUs can even play Crysis at decent settings. There's no longer any need to pay for discrete graphics on a laptop unless you're getting it specifically for gaming. 2) ASUS makes quality 14" laptops that go on sale for < $400. My brother-in-law just bought one with an i3 2350M (2.3GHz) and I was amazed at how well-put-together it was. He added a 240GB SSD, put the included platter drive in a USB 3.0 external enclosure and the thing just flies. Total cost: < $600. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth Avlectus Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 Well the i7 and i5 series of CPUs also differ in performance, and can make an impact in even non-gaming activities (on a laptop especially). Impact as in...what? I'm looking into options for a custom beast myself, so I certainly understand the urge you have to want the biggest and baddest. I'm sure the emotional aspect of it is testosterone driven to some extent. Let's maybe take a step back for a minute. Unless you're doing enthusiast level stuff, hyper-threading, cutting edge programming, or just running multiple instances of 1-3 programs at once, I really don't think you'll need an i7's processing power. What exactly are your priorities with this ideal dream-machine? RAM and vidcard are primary determinants for gaming and multimedia. Processing helps but only to a point. It's marginal after that point. You have to think if you're giving the graphical processing to the vid cards which is the brunt of it in gaming and multimedia, the processor only handles the mere remainder. And who knows - what if I do some extremely light gaming on it, or want to watch/edit 1080p movies? Or perhaps even do some media editing (photo or video)? Gaming is the most demanding, multimedia second or third. Enthusiast level benchmarking jockeys around those two if I'm not mistaken, often tying for first or falling slightly behind and pushing multimedia down a step. So, no, nothing you've said thus far really justifies spending the additional money on an i7 processor. Not to me anyhow. But I'm getting this variant because of two main things - the 1080p display, and because it's the only one you can pop open and modify (for the RAM/HDD). - PR-0927 You might have a look around first and seriously listen to Q and lynk...if for no other reason than holding off 'till prices drop at the very least. Those are undeniably attractive features. Linus on YT has had custom laptops made and for respectable prices. Also his store has great deals. Sometimes even killer deals that disappear within an hour of first offering. Check it out. http://us.ncix.com/ At the very least it is a competitor price wise and selection wise to newegg and tiger direct. I just really think if you have $1000+ to spend, you still get a nice machine that would suit your needs just fine for LESS and use the left over money to get some other really nice stuff for your machine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PR-0927 Posted June 28, 2012 Author Share Posted June 28, 2012 Again, if you were willing to wait, Ivy Bridge would be the way to go in terms of the overall performance and power consumption scale. This is an Ivy Bridge-equipped notebook. $1200? Are you going to be doing much gaming on it? Even so, $1200? SRSLY? 1) The Intel HD 4000 that makes up the GPU half of mobile Ivy Bridge CPUs can even play Crysis at decent settings. There's no longer any need to pay for discrete graphics on a laptop unless you're getting it specifically for gaming. 2) ASUS makes quality 14" laptops that go on sale for < $400. My brother-in-law just bought one with an i3 2350M (2.3GHz) and I was amazed at how well-put-together it was. He added a 240GB SSD, put the included platter drive in a USB 3.0 external enclosure and the thing just flies. Total cost: < $600. Yes, because virtually all quality laptops with a 1080p screen are about that price. And 1080p is mandatory for me. I cannot stand low resolution displays. Gaming I do on my hand-built desktop. Impact as in...what? I'm looking into options for a custom beast myself, so I certainly understand the urge you have to want the biggest and baddest. I'm sure the emotional aspect of it is testosterone driven to some extent. Let's maybe take a step back for a minute. Unless you're doing enthusiast level stuff, hyper-threading, cutting edge programming, or just running multiple instances of 1-3 programs at once, I really don't think you'll need an i7's processing power. What exactly are your priorities with this ideal dream-machine? RAM and vidcard are primary determinants for gaming and multimedia. Processing helps but only to a point. It's marginal after that point. You have to think if you're giving the graphical processing to the vid cards which is the brunt of it in gaming and multimedia, the processor only handles the mere remainder. Gaming is the most demanding, multimedia second or third. Enthusiast level benchmarking jockeys around those two if I'm not mistaken, often tying for first or falling slightly behind and pushing multimedia down a step. So, no, nothing you've said thus far really justifies spending the additional money on an i7 processor. Not to me anyhow. You might have a look around first and seriously listen to Q and lynk...if for no other reason than holding off 'till prices drop at the very least. Those are undeniably attractive features. Linus on YT has had custom laptops made and for respectable prices. Also his store has great deals. Sometimes even killer deals that disappear within an hour of first offering. Check it out. http://us.ncix.com/ At the very least it is a competitor price wise and selection wise to newegg and tiger direct. I just really think if you have $1000+ to spend, you still get a nice machine that would suit your needs just fine for LESS and use the left over money to get some other really nice stuff for your machine. Well it's not my ideal dream machine, haha. I need a lightweight, portable, quality laptop for law school. I have an extremely high-end gaming desktop for gaming purposes, but I might do light gaming on this. In the end, what I said earlier in this post should answer some questions. Also, the RAM is necessary - people were reporting that with 4GB some tasks were handling less than optimally. Only $21 to go to 6GB. And again, I don't care about the discrete GPU much - it's such a weak one that it's barely above the integrated one. But this one is genuinely the only one you can open up and fiddle with. The UX31A variants are soldered down and cannot be modified (RAM or HDD/SSD). That last factor, and the mandatory at-least-1080p-display thing of mine trump pretty much everything else. - PR-0927 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Q Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 Yes, because virtually all quality laptops with a 1080p screen are about that price. And 1080p is mandatory for me. I cannot stand low resolution displays. 1080p on a 13-14" screen? ROFLcopter. It's all in your head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PR-0927 Posted June 28, 2012 Author Share Posted June 28, 2012 1080p on a 13-14" screen? ROFLcopter. It's all in your head. Yep, and no it certainly isn't - I have very good eyesight and love for pixel density to be as high as possible. Some don't prefer it, some do. A friend of mine has a Sony VAIO Z. It's 13.1" and the resolution is 1600x900. And honestly, I'd prefer stuff to be scaled smaller than his. I can still differentiate pixels too easily on his. - PR-0927 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth Avlectus Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 Well it's not my ideal dream machine, haha. I need a lightweight, portable, quality laptop for law school. I have an extremely high-end gaming desktop for gaming purposes, but I might do light gaming on this. Ah. In the end, what I said earlier in this post should answer some questions. Also, the RAM is necessary - people were reporting that with 4GB some tasks were handling less than optimally. Only $21 to go to 6GB. And again, I don't care about the discrete GPU much - it's such a weak one that it's barely above the integrated one. But this one is genuinely the only one you can open up and fiddle with. The UX31A variants are soldered down and cannot be modified (RAM or HDD/SSD). That last factor, and the mandatory at-least-1080p-display thing of mine trump pretty much everything else. - PR-0927 Well, if this is the only model offering what you want, you really have no other choices. If that's what's important to ya, I'm certainly not one to tell you otherwise. NCIX gives good deals on ram chipsets. Just something to keep in mind about 1080p on laptops: their cards (especially ones that aren't mid-upper level) have trouble cramming all that down into the screen on laptops. *shrug* May not be the case with yours...but I figure you'd appreciate a heads up just in case. Do let us know once you've made your decision and you have it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PR-0927 Posted June 28, 2012 Author Share Posted June 28, 2012 Well, if this is the only model offering what you want, you really have no other choices. If that's what's important to ya, I'm certainly not one to tell you otherwise. NCIX gives good deals on ram chipsets. Just something to keep in mind about 1080p on laptops: their cards (especially ones that aren't mid-upper level) have trouble cramming all that down into the screen on laptops. *shrug* May not be the case with yours...but I figure you'd appreciate a heads up just in case. Do let us know once you've made your decision and you have it. Haha thanks, much appreciated. Yeah, I kind of came to a decision based on input from other forums and some friends already. Nobody responded here for quite some time. xD And thanks for the heads up on NCIX - I'll check them out! I was concerned about integrated or barely-discrete GPUs (GeForce GT 620M) running 1080p displays well, but I did a lot of research and found even that the latest integrated GPUs (Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge ones) work totally fine (and even can run some games surprisingly well) for 1080p usages. - PR-0927 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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