Looking for new laptop. Need advice

[Annon2255]

So I'm looking for a new laptop to buy in a few months. I'd like an Ultrabook or something similar Ultrabook size and weight, maybe NVidia 850m, good battery life, good processor, and around 15 inches or so.

Edit: Also, I'll be using this for work and probably some gaming (Diablio III, ESO, WoW, and more demanding things like Skyrim, BF4 if it's powerful enough.) I've got a gaming computer at home so I don't need it to play high end games, but I wouldn't mind if it could.

I've never purchased a laptop before so I'm not familiar with which brands are good and which to avoid. Does anyone have any guidance in this area or any specific laptop recommendations? Are there new models coming out soon I should wait for? I probably won't buy until August or so, so I have time to wait.


Thanks for everyone's help!

 

[dave_the_nerd]

...budget?

I just bought an Apple rMBP 15". If I could have its babies, I would.

 

[Annon2255]

I can probably do up to 1300 US. I'm not a big fan of Apple, so I'm not too interested in any of their products.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

$1300 is plenty for a middling ultrabook if you don't go too nuts on the options.

Since you're willing to wait until next fall (...student?), I'd at least wait until the next CPU refresh and see if there are any closeout deals on last fall's models. $200 saved on the base system is $200 more in goodies. (Bluetooth headphones? Additional software? Bulletproof laptop bag?)

Perennially good brands would be ASUS or Lenovo. Dell and HP often have nice ones too, but I tend to prefer their business lines to their consumer-oriented sub-brands.

 

[Annon2255]

Yes, I've decided to go back to school for some absurd reason. The program requires I have a laptop, so I figure if I'm going to get one I might as well get one that I can use for work and play.
Anyways, back on topic. Is it likely the refresh will boost battery life substantially? Or would I be better off getting the ones you suggest will be on closeout?

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Yes, I've decided to go back to school for some absurd reason. The program requires I have a laptop, so I figure if I'm going to get one I might as well get one that I can use for work and play.
Anyways, back on topic. Is it likely the refresh will boost battery life substantially? Or would I be better off getting the ones you suggest will be on closeout?

Every recent Intel CPU generation has improved battery life a bit.

That said, Ultrabooks are already posting 6-8 hours on battery. I don't think a 10% boost in that area would be worth the money. But that's IMO.

FWIW, I've been in and out of four different colleges in the last 14 years and am wrapping up my third degree. There are almost always some outlets available to plug in.

(In my day, we have 90 minutes of power on battery and we LIKED IT!)

If you find you're running out of power frequently, or that there aren't enough outlets for people, carry a little 3-way plug adapter with you just in case you have to politely ask somebody to share. If you're a commuter, get an inverter to charge it in the car.

 

[Annon2255]

So do you think I should wait for something like the gigabyte P34G v2 to become discounted when the cpu refresh comes? Is gigabyte a pretty good brand when it comes to laptops?

 

[Annon2255]

http://m.gigabyte.com/product/product.aspx?pid=4927&c=105000000
Link to specs on that laptop.

 

[Blain]

...maybe NVidia 850m,
good battery life,
good processor...

That's a trio that may be hard to balance.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

So do you think I should wait for something like the gigabyte P34G v2 to become discounted when the cpu refresh comes? Is gigabyte a pretty good brand when it comes to laptops?

That's exactly what I would do. :nods:

I don't know if Gigabyte in particular is a good brand for laptop - I didn't even know they made laptops until you pointed it out to me.

They make excellent motherboards, though, and the P34Gv2 has gotten some pretty good reviews.

 

[Annon2255]

That's a trio that may be hard to balance.

Yes, yes. I know. A guy can dream can't he?

 

[Annon2255]

That's exactly what I would do. :nods:

I don't know if Gigabyte in particular is a good brand for laptop - I didn't even know they made laptops until you pointed it out to me.

They make excellent motherboards, though, and the P34Gv2 has gotten some pretty good reviews.

Awesome, thanks for your help.

Does anyone else here have any experience with Gigabyte laptops?

 

[stateofmind]

I would definitely wait at this point. Your requirements will probably be met by some of the upcoming models - Lenovo Y40/Y50 and Acer V7-482PH succesor and maybe more

 

[Annon2255]

Those Lenovos do look pretty nice. Looks like I'll have plenty of options when I'm looking to purchase.