i *think* i got a decent deal

[dkellogg3]

So, I got a bunch if cash for a new laptop for xmas... ended up with the Asus u56 from Best Buy. I5 2430m w/ 6 gb ram, 640 gb hdd , dvd multi, 1 usb 3.0, hdmi, 15.6 screen, and intel integrated hd3000 for $530 + tax. I was bouncing back and forth between the i7, the i5, and either the a8 or the a6. For my use, general home computing and some photoshop elements and premier elements, I think I ended up with a pretty good deal. What do you guys think?

 

[slugg]

Will it do what you need it to do? Yes.

Was it a good deal? Well, unless it's got a high resolution display, I'd say it's about average. Good price for a brick & mortar retail store, though. Keep in mind that Asus's warranty, when purchased through Best Buy, is pretty awesome. To me, that's worth it some of the time.

 

[thescreensavers]

Man, the Intel HD3000 is pretty much matches my ATI 3650 from 2008 in my laptop now.

 

[Schadenfreude]

If you're happy with the deal and it does what you're looking to do, that makes it a good deal.

From what you've described, any configuration that you've mentioned will do the job and I doubt you'd notice any difference unless you're going town working on 20-layered 4k^2 images - I'm obviously exaggerating, but all you're going for is general use, aside from a general preference/suggestions for higher-resolution displays, most laptops will suit your needs fine.

Man, the Intel HD3000 is pretty much matches my ATI 3650 from 2008 in my laptop now.

The OP didn't mention a need to game on his system, kinda making your statement pointless. Also, I'm thinking your 2008 laptop doesn't have the same battery life as the OP's.

 

[T_Yamamoto]

Man, the Intel HD3000 is pretty much matches my ATI 3650 from 2008 in my laptop now.

He's not going to game on it so it doesn't matter. My brothers lappy with HD 3000 can play tf2 pretty well

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus

 

[dkellogg3]

Yup, no gaming for me. I've barely got enough time to do the thing I need to do on it... never mind playing with it.

I looked around and it seems that machines with similar specs were running $50 to $70 more, and so far I really like the build quality of this one.

I'm satisfied, and no one is saying "you git screwed" so I'm happy... I guess my only follow up Q is whether you guys think its adequate for my intended tasks.

 

[slugg]

The only potential problem is screen real estate. Other than that, the computer can handle it just fine.

Asus's warranty deal with Best Buy adds value to your laptop, in my opinion. So for me, it's a good deal.

 

[bryanW1995]

Man, the Intel HD3000 is pretty much matches my ATI 3650 from 2008 in my laptop now.

Except that the intel integrated IQ is much lower.

 

[slugg]

Except that the intel integrated IQ is much lower.

For watching videos, it's actually really good...

 

[ThatsABigOne]

For watching videos, it's actually really good...

This. It can do 1080p youtube videos full screen.

 

[brybir]

I picked up an Acer Aspire TimelineX 4830TG-6450 with pretty similar specs to your computer:

2nd Generation Intel® Core™ i5-2430M Processor 2.40GHz with Turbo Boost Technology up to 3.0GHz
14" HD Widescreen CineCrystal™ LED-backlit Display
4096MB DDR3 Dual-Channel 1066MHz Memory
NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 540M with 1GB DDR3 VRAM
640GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
8X DVD-Super Multi Double-Layer Drive
802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ and Bluetooth® 2.1+EDR
Dolby® Advanced Home Theater® v4 Audio Enhancement
2 - USB 2.0 Ports & 1 - USB 3.0 Port



I picked this up for $599 with free shipping and thought it was a pretty good value. I really wanted something rated for 7-8 hours of battery life on a charge and something with value to mid graphics (the 540 with optimus is pretty cool, and I have it OC'd to a GT550).