Help with finding a new laptop for university!

[mchuong]

Hello fellow RFDers.

Looking for a new laptop as I am starting university in the fall. Either going into engineering or geophysics. I have been looking around and am thinking about getting an ultrabook. The one I have set me eye on is the Asus Zenbook, specifically the UX32VD-DB71. It has an IPS (1920x1080) display, 3rd gen i7 processor, switchable Intel HD 4000 Graphics/Nvidia GT 620M 1GB Dedicated and a hybrid HDD: 500GB 5400RPM and 24GB SSD.

Looking to spend around $1300 as a base price for the laptop itself. It will be used at school and at home. I will probably buy a monitor to connect this to at home so I have a bigger display. Will be doing regular web browsing, documents, occasionally playing games (Diablo 3, Counter Strike: GO, some other titles). Looking for portability as I will be carrying it to and from school everyday.

If I do get the Zenbook above I will probably switch out the 500GB HDD and swap it with a 256GB SSD and turn the 500GB into a portable HDD. Possibly upgrade the RAM as well. Would this be a decent laptop for everyday use at home and school?

Not looking to get a Mac, just bought a Macbook Pro to try it out and I will be returning it in the next week. Although it is nice OSX isn't for me and especially not for gaming.

Are there any ultrabooks/laptops that are comparable to this particular Zenbook? Either out now or coming out in the near future (early September latest)?

TIA :D

[water01]

personally, i think UX32VD-DB71 is already a nice choice. like its hairline spun metal design, light and durable.

[mchuong]

personally, i think UX32VD-DB71 is already a nice choice. like its hairline spun metal design, light and durable.

Yeah, I love the design of it. I'm going to see if I can find a store who has this on display in the morning. I want to see it up close. With what is out right now I couldn't find any other ultrabook that had this kind of specs to it. Did not really pay attention to the new ultrabooks coming out this year so I don't know if anyone else has something comparable to this

[sickcars]

Very nice good quality laptop.

My suggestion is that you buy it from an actual computers store like ncix where you will get 2yr warranty unlike if you were to buy it from a place like FutureShop or Bestbuy where they say you only have 1yr warranty.

[mchuong]

Very nice good quality laptop.

My suggestion is that you buy it from an actual computers store like ncix where you will get 2yr warranty unlike if you were to buy it from a place like FutureShop or Bestbuy where they say you only have 1yr warranty.

If I was to purchase it I was going to get the extended warranty for it. The full 4 years as I was hoping it would last me for that long. I was planning to buy it at a computer store, not just an electronics store.

Would getting that for home and school use be better or should I get a seperate laptop for school and desktop for home use? For example get the UX31A-DB51 instead and a decent desktop for home.

[Tha DraGun]

Very nice good quality laptop.

My suggestion is that you buy it from an actual computers store like ncix where you will get 2yr warranty unlike if you were to buy it from a place like FutureShop or Bestbuy where they say you only have 1yr warranty.

I dunno, every site Ive seen is only 1yr warranty.

1YR Global Warranty / 1YR Accidental Damage / 30-Day Zero Bright Dot

[sickcars]

2-year limited International hardware warranty. *different by country

http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=72593&vpn=UX32VD-DB71&manufacture=ASUS&promoid=1254




I dunno, every site Ive seen is only 1yr warranty.

1YR Global Warranty / 1YR Accidental Damage / 30-Day Zero Bright Dot

[sickcars]

Well if you get 2 computers it will cost you more $ for decent ones. If you only get the laptop I'm sure it will be fine just more wear and tear on it and so on but if you get the extended warranty then you should be covered for most things.


If I was to purchase it I was going to get the extended warranty for it. The full 4 years as I was hoping it would last me for that long. I was planning to buy it at a computer store, not just an electronics store.

Would getting that for home and school use be better or should I get a seperate laptop for school and desktop for home use? For example get the UX31A-DB51 instead and a decent desktop for home.

[Tha DraGun]

2-year limited International hardware warranty. *different by country

http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=72593&vpn=UX32VD-DB71&manufacture=ASUS&promoid=1254

I would want to confirm there is a 2-year warranty in Canada. They say two different things...
It also says this at the bottom under "Warranty"


Product Warranty
NCIX provides a 30 day limited warranty on this product. The remainder of the 1 year warranty is provided by the manufacturer.
Video Cards:
All ASUS VGA cards purchased after January 1st, 2001 will carry 3 year warranty services from purchase date. ASUS product warranty is based on the serial number printed. First 30 days limited warranty is through NCIX.com. The remainder of the 3 year warranty is provided directly by ASUS. For more details, please visit support.asus.com.

Sound Cards:
All ASUS audio cards carry 3 year warranty services from purchase date. ASUS product warranty is based on the serial number printed. First 30 days limited warranty is through NCIX.com. The remainder of the 3 year warranty is provided directly by ASUS. For more details, please visit support.asus.com.

ASUS LCD Monitors:
ASUS LCD monitors carry a 7 day DOA warranty from NCIX, and 3 years limited manufacturer warranty from purchase date. For details on DOA (dead on arrival), bright/dark dot warranty, please visit support.asus.com.

Asus EEE Pads:
Asus EEE Pads carry a 1 year limited warranty from purchase date. For technical support, please call the service hotline at 1-888-678-3688.

Asus Notebooks:
ASUS Notebook Service Center in Toronto, Canada.
For ASUS branded notebooks (not including Eee products and Built-on ASUS):

Complete Customer Care Package

One of the industry’s most complete customer care packages offers a level of coverage that adds to the price of competing products:

1 Year Global Warranty (estimated $100 value, FREE)
30-Day Flawless Display Guarantee: If you discover one defective bright dot within 30 days of purchase, ASUS will replace the panel at no cost.
Two way free shipping
24/7 tech support: 1-888-678-3688
Accidents Happen

You have extra protection when they happen to your ASUS notebook purchased in the US or Canada. ASUS will fix it or replace it for you at no charge during the first year after purchase in the event of damage from accidental spills, drops, electrical surges, or fire.

Warranty covering accidental drops, spills, power surges, and fire damage
Target 3 business day turnaround time for repair / replacement; not including receiving and shipping time
One-way shipping (from ASUS to the user) at no additional cost
24/7 toll-free phone support
One incident covered per notebook

[mchuong]

Well if you get 2 computers it will cost you more $ for decent ones. If you only get the laptop I'm sure it will be fine just more wear and tear on it and so on but if you get the extended warranty then you should be covered for most things.

I am in Calgary so I will probably be getting it from Memory Express and get the 4 year IPR replacement for it. I think I will hold off on getting it until early September because the new NE store is having its grand opening then. Hoping I will be able to get a better deal on it. Might end up buying everything from them: laptop, SSD, enclosure for HDD I'm taking out and a monitor.

[Mars2012]

I don't have any suggestions for a laptop, but curiosity is getting the better of me. You say you are going into university in the Fall, but you haven't decided what you are taking? How does that work? My daughter been registered for Engineering since at least March. Are you going to just "wing it" and see what classes are still available?

Btw, we liked the Memory Express in Calgary...good place to shop and helpful staff.

[mchuong]

I don't have any suggestions for a laptop, but curiosity is getting the better of me. You say you are going into university in the Fall, but you haven't decided what you are taking? How does that work? My daughter been registered for Engineering since at least March. Are you going to just "wing it" and see what classes are still available?

Btw, we liked the Memory Express in Calgary...good place to shop and helpful staff.

I recieved the offer for an early acceptance for engineering but as of now I have not been fully admitted. On the website I am still in a tentative admission position. I should be finding out whether or not I have been accepted into engineering this week or so. Classes for engineering at the UofC are given to you so I already have my schedule if I was accepted.

[Mars2012]

I recieved the offer for an early acceptance for engineering but as of now I have not been fully admitted. On the website I am still in a tentative admission position. I should be finding out whether or not I have been accepted into engineering this week or so. Classes for engineering at the UofC are given to you so I already have my schedule if I was accepted.

OIC...best of luck to you in your studies.:)

[mchuong]

OIC...best of luck to you in your studies.:)

Thanks!

[george__]

Your parents must be so happy!!! Engineering !!

[ElvaSoShexai]

I have been looking at the same ultrabooks as u and the only other one I am considering is the samsung 9 series which is very nice but a bit pricier.

Can't stand how most other ultrabooks/portable laptops all have that crappy 720p resolution. I like the extra desktop real estate with the higher resolution

[mchuong]

The cost of everything is adding up. Laptop ($1300), SSD ($215), RAM Upgrade ($53), Enclosure for HDD (~$30). With 4 year warranty an extra $300 not to say a monitor for home use. Cost of everything will be $2000+.

I wonder if it would be better to get an ultrabook just for school and buy a decent desktop for home use. Or even keep the Macbook Pro I have.....

Would you guys say $1099+5% tax for an early 2011 Macbook Pro, i7, 500GB HDD with a 4 year warranty a good deal?

[george__]

The cost of everything is adding up. Laptop ($1300), SSD ($215), RAM Upgrade ($53), Enclosure for HDD (~$30). With 4 year warranty an extra $300 not to say a monitor for home use. Cost of everything will be $2000+.

I wonder if it would be better to get an ultrabook just for school and buy a decent desktop for home use. Or even keep the Macbook Pro I have.....

Would you guys say $1099+5% tax for an early 2011 Macbook Pro, i7, 500GB HDD with a 4 year warranty a good deal?

The SSD size is what? 500GB is pretty small which is why I'm guessing you're buying a hard drive enclosure?? If so, where's the cost of the extra hard drive? You might not need the extra 4 year warranty (by then you might be looking at a new laptop) but if the warranty covers accidental damage, it might be worth the investment.

It depends on what you're doing with the desktop and laptop. Going LGA1155 right now is basically a dead end, CPU wise. But LGA2011 is more for the ultra-high end not the general consumers. So LGA1155 is still good investment for gaming rig.

[mchuong]

The SSD size is what? 500GB is pretty small which is why I'm guessing you're buying a hard drive enclosure?? If so, where's the cost of the extra hard drive? You might not need the extra 4 year warranty (by then you might be looking at a new laptop) but if the warranty covers accidental damage, it might be worth the investment.

Crucial M4 256GB. I was gonna take out the 500GB HDD out of the Zenbook and put it in an enclosure and swap it with the 256GB SSD. It is the IPR at Memory Express. They cover everything except physical and water damage. Dunno if accidental falls under physical, have to ask them that. And their warranty is if something is wrong they will swap my laptop with a brand new one. If they don't have that one in stock or its discontinued they will replace it with the next model up from it.

With everything added up it will cost over $2000 for this setup. Maybe a lower class Zenbook with an i5 and SSD already installed + a desktop might be a better choice.

[george__]

It's overkill for school dude unless you're using autocad and some really cpu intense software.

The M4 256GB is fair price $215 isn't bad.
The warranty kinda sucks, if no accidental, I'd rather be spending that money into a future laptop investment.

edit: My school laptop is a Thinkpad T510. So

i5-560m (this is before Sandy Bridge came out)
8GB of ram
1 x 320GB 7200rpm
1 x 320GB through a external enclosure
9 cell battery + external enclosure battery (when I need it)

It works perfect for school and I can last almost a whole day on battery. I use it for taking notes, watching videos, internet browsing, checking email and light gaming (starcraft, cs source).

At the time, it cost me about $1000. Just to give you a idea that you don't really need a $2k laptop for school.

[mchuong]

It depends on what you're doing with the desktop and laptop. Going LGA1155 right now is basically a dead end, CPU wise. But LGA2011 is more for the ultra-high end not the general consumers. So LGA1155 is still good investment for gaming rig.

Everyday use. Will be used for light gaming. I am more of a console guy so the multi-platform titles won't be played on a PC. Games like Diablo III, LoL, maybe some free online FPS' and other PC exclusives. I'm not into editing or anything like that, pretty much use PCs for Microsoft Office, bit of gaming and a lot of web browsing. I also have an iPhone 4S and an iPad 2 if that helps with anything. Probably will upgrade to the next iPhone when it comes out. :razz:



It's overkill for school dude unless you're using autocad and some really cpu intense software.

The M4 256GB is fair price $215 isn't bad.
The warranty kinda sucks, if no accidental, I'd rather be spending that money into a future laptop investment.

If I was gonna get that Zenbook then it would be used at home and school. I won't be using anything else. But it is kinda overkill I guess haha. It's the only ultrabook that has a dedicated GPU so I could play games if I wanted.

[george__]

^^ I edited my post... So yeah my conclusion stands, get a cheaper laptop and better desktop.

Also, playing video games on a laptop might kill it's life span (heat). And you reduce the life span of the the cpu cooler / fans on the laptop quicker. This is because it'll be running more often than if you weren't gaming because it will be trying to get the heat out. So still getting a desktop might be a good choice for a gaming system.

[mchuong]

Right now I have a Lenovo Thinkpad Edge E520. Got it last year through a RFD thread.

-2nd gen i5-2410M
-Intel HD 3000 Graphics
-500GB HDD 7200RPM
-6-cell and 9-cell battery

[george__]

Right now I have a Lenovo Thinkpad Edge E520. Got it last year through a RFD thread.

-2nd gen i5
-Intel HD 3000 Graphics
-500GB HDD 7200RPM
-6-cell and 9-cell battery

Then why on earth are you trying to buy another laptop for school :|?
Is it too bulky? The graphics isn't going to be good for gaming though.

Edit, that sucker even supports m-sata. So go buy a 256GB M-sata SSD from Crucial. Keep the 500 GB as backup. :D

[Tha DraGun]

The zenbook is good because its small and very light. So carrying it around all day from class to class with all your books wont be a big deal. Thats why im considering this one over others.

[mchuong]

Then why on earth are you trying to buy another laptop for school :|?
Is it too bulky? The graphics isn't going to be good for gaming though.

Well my parents said after high school they would pay for a new laptop for uni LOL. It is a bit bulky but still portable I guess. Forgot to mention I upgraded my RAM to 8GB as well. Don't want to waste this offer as it might be be available later haha. I don't want to let them pay for something that much either though.

Edit: I was thinking get the Asus Zenbook UX31A-DB51. Already has a SSD and 3rd gen i5 processor, integrated graphics though. Trade my laptop for a decent desktop, already saw an ad with someone looking to trade their desktop for a laptop.

[george__]

Well my parents said after high school they would pay for a new laptop for uni LOL. It is a bit bulky but still portable I guess. Forgot to mention I upgraded my RAM to 8GB as well.

Ask them to give you $ for building a rig... You can buy a very nice gaming rig for around $1000 + tax if you want a I7 or $600-700ish for a i5 rig.

:P Are you SPOILED mchuong?

edit: Getting a zenbook will help you with the weight like Tha Dragun mentioned. My T510 is pushing 6-7 pounds compared to the zenbook which are under 3 pounds
Also you can get pretty good money from used Macbooks since they hold their value better than Windows equivalent.

[mchuong]

Ask them to give you $ for building a rig... You can buy a very nice gaming rig for around $1000 + tax if you want a I7 or $600-700ish for a i5 rig.

:P Are you SPOILED mchuong?

Not really. I work and pay for everyday stuff myself. My parents pay for my phone bill and insurance for my car (She got a heck of a deal for it though). I pay for gas and everything else. Bought my Thinkpad with my own money, the cost of the iPhone and iPad, my TV, all my consoles (PS3, 360, Wii, Vita, 3DS :D) and games. Dunno if that would be considered spoiled :lol:

[george__]

Your parents pay for your insurance for car, depending on age... That's really lucky LOL.

[mchuong]

Your parents pay for your insurance for car, depending on age... That's really lucky LOL.

Just graduated high school. Been driving since I was 16. The insurance costs about $1000 for myself and my parents. They sometimes use my car as well.

[Tha DraGun]

The advantage to getting the UX32VD-DB71 model is that you can upgrade it. Even if you dont upgrade, if your hard drive dies or your ram dies you can easily replace it yourself.. Perhaps 4gb is ok now, but maybe a year down the road you want more.. you can add more.
The other models your stuck with whats in the laptop, they can't be upgraded or replaced by yourself. After the warranty is done if you need it repaired because of Hard drive or ram it will be very costly..

[cloakster]

My suggestion, use your E520 for the first month of school and see how it goes. If its too heavy, get your parents to buy you the Zenbook Prime. If its good enough, get your parents to spend the $1.5k+ on something else.

[george__]

My suggestion, use your E520 for the first month of school and see how it goes. If its too heavy, get your parents to buy you the Zenbook Prime. If its good enough, get your parents to spend the $1.5k+ on something else.

:P OP might not fit in without a macbook though... jk!

[mchuong]

:P OP might not fit in without a macbook though... jk!

Haha. I'll be like that guy in one of those commercials. Everyone opens their laptop and the one guys rotates his notebook and opens it. :razz:

[george__]

Haha. I'll be like that guy in one of those commercials. Everyone opens their laptop and the one guys rotates his notebook and opens it. :razz:

I ALWAYS get weird stares by people because the T series all look the same. So everyone thinks I am using a old laptop from like early 2000s. :P

[mchuong]

I have narrowed down my choices to two.

1. Buy the Asus UX32VD-DB71 and use it for home and school. Upgrade the HDD to a SSD, buy enclosure for HDD, possibly upgrade the RAM and buy a monitor for home use.

2. Buy a desktop and laptop. For the desktop I would be getting this one: http://forums.redflagdeals.com/costco-hp-pavilion-hpe-hpe-h8-1213cb-i7-750cad-1209568/

For the laptop I would get the Asus UX31A and not do any modifications to it at all.

Both options will end up costing me around the same price. I am hoping it will last me for 3-4 years.

Edit: Just thought of something else. Completely forget about an ultrabook and get a 15.6" laptop. It won't be as portable but then my laptop will have more than decent specs. Something like the Ideapad Y580 deal that expired a couple days ago.

[mchuong]

Major update.

So my budget has increased for the laptop and so have my choices for a laptop. I'll outline everything I'm using/wanting it for. Need a laptop that is portable, has good specs, can handle gaming (D3, SC2, online FPS, etc.), an SSD would be a plus and most importantly last for about 3-4 years.

Right now I have three main choices. First is a Zenbook and a desktop. Second is a 15" Macbook Pro. Third is a Retina Macbook Pro. I would be getting the 512GB SSD option for the retina and possibly the 16GB ram upgrade since you can't do it after and applecare. The retina would be the most expensive but from my friends experiences and others that I have read online, a Macbook will last a long time. For the 15" Macbook Pro I would probably get the 2.6GHz option, standard 750GB HDD, antiglare display and applecare. Right now Apple is offering the $100 Mac App Store card and through the education discount I get the macbook itself for $200 off and the upgrades are a bit cheaper. With what I configured the 15" MBP would be $2423 and the Retina would be $3068. I would upgrade the MBP after by replacing the optical disk drive with a 256GB SSD and upgrade the RAM to 16GB. After upgrading I think the price might go too close to the Retina.

Does this seem accurate for the upgrades?

$2423 for the MBP config. Upgrade to 256GB SSD, $250-$300. Upgrade ram, $125-$175. Total: $2798-$2908 Might be a bit lower since if there's a good sale.

Saw the Retina at the Apple Store and it looked really nice and it was pretty light for a 15" laptop as well. For either of them I would be dualbooting Windows as well. Already got a copy of Windows I can load onto it so no cost there.

I would rather have everything on one computer and not have two like the Zenbook+monitor option I mentioned above. I don't really do any PC gaming but would like to have the option to when I do. Are there any 15" Windows laptops that have the same specs as the MBP or RMBP, same portability, build quality, long lasting and battery life?

Please don't suggest the Lenovo Y580, it is a good laptop but I'm not interested in that one.

[_Allan_]

How much is Appleacare? Does it cover fire, electrical surge, water or drop damage? Does it ake sense to pay for an "extended warranty" that doesn't do anything?

[cloakster]

What about the Sony S series? Their 15" weighs only 4.4lbs and can be configured with i7, 4gb, GT 640m, 1080p display for only $1330. I know you don't want to, but building a desktop too is a great idea. A custom built desktop for ~$1000 will destroy any laptop you buy in performance.

[mchuong]

How much is Appleacare? Does it cover fire, electrical surge, water or drop damage? Does it ake sense to pay for an "extended warranty" that doesn't do anything?

AppleCare is $259 and covers the MacBook for 3 years. I don't think it covers water or drop damage. Don't know abut fire or electrical surge. I'll have to look into that. Although it might not be 'needed' I think it would be worthwhile to have since I plan on keeping the laptop for a while. So if anything goes wrong at least I have the coverage.


What about the Sony S series? Their 15" weighs only 4.4lbs and can be configured with i7, 4gb, GT 640m, 1080p display for only $1330. I know you don't want to, but building a desktop too is a great idea. A custom built desktop for ~$1000 will destroy any laptop you buy in performance.

I'll look into the S series. I know a desktop would beat a laptop in performance but I would like to have one computer for everything instead of two seperate. An i7 in a laptop and a decent graphics card is all I need, I don't think there's a need for me to have a desktop.