Yet another laptop enquiry thread

[lokijortunn]

Hi everyone, i've read through the last 2 months on laptop recommendations but i do have some minor conditions differing from other threads

1. $1000CAD is my limit ($1200 inc tax) can't move on this at all
2. must have 2 year warranty
3. some game playing (more civ5 and Final fantasy XIV, no FPS)
4. mobility a big plus as i need to take it to university every day along with 2000 page textbooks.
optional
5. SSD would be a nice addition but i can always upgrade later
6. Screen size don't feel the need for a 17" screen but open to suggestions if it gives more bang for my buck

thanks in advance for any suggestions

[lokijortunn]

Do I need to post any more information or are the recommendations all the same as in the other threads?

[FreeKnight]

I'd suspect FFXIV is going to have some harsh graphics requirements, if you can bump your max up to ~1200 the Asus G55 or an MSI G6 series could work for you and will function as a decent gaming laptop.


Edit;
Actually Newegg has a G55 on sale right now for 999.99 with free shipping;
Newegg.ca - Refurbished: ASUS G75 Series G75VW-BBK5 Notebook Intel Core i7 3610QM(2.30GHz) 17.3" 8GB Memory 1TB HDD Double-layer DVD+/-RW/CD-RW NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M

It's refurbished, but I don't think you find a Laptop with a 660M for much less

[SKYMTL]

Ideapad Y580: Laptop Computers | IdeaPad Y Series | Y580 | Lenovo | (CA)

IMO, at $850 it is currently the best value around.

3 year warranty is only an extra $65.

[lokijortunn]

Originally Posted by FreeKnight

I'd suspect FFXIV is going to have some harsh graphics requirements, if you can bump your max up to ~1200 the Asus G55 or an MSI G6 series could work for you and will function as a decent gaming laptop.


Edit;
Actually Newegg has a G55 on sale right now for 999.99 with free shipping;
Newegg.ca - Refurbished: ASUS G75 Series G75VW-BBK5 Notebook Intel Core i7 3610QM(2.30GHz) 17.3" 8GB Memory 1TB HDD Double-layer DVD+/-RW/CD-RW NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M

It's refurbished, but I don't think you find a Laptop with a 660M for much less

thanks for the heads up, would love to get the either the G55 (can't see it for 999.99) or even the G75- however i require 2 year warranty which unless i'm mistaken doesn't apply if its a refurbished model. Asus has had a good reputation for their gaming laptop lately and while their exhausts look funny they apparently do their job well. SKYMTL: Great suggestion! I've read conflicting information on the build quality (some say its feels cheap and the keyboard in particular is very flexible, while others don't say there is a problem) of the lenovo Y580, the specs on paper sound great especially if you go for the 1080p display. As you state its cheap to get a 2 year warranty so it fits my specifications. 6lb isn't light but that what you get when you go for a more powerful machine.

[FreeKnight]

Oh, sorry, I could have sworn I was looking at a G55 when I saw the link. My bad.

[SKYMTL]

Honestly, it is very hard to find a combination of performance, price, weight, build quality and size these days. Bumping the budget up by $200 would put entry level Sagers into the price range but again, you don't seem to have much flexibility there.

One option is to wait until Haswell is launched in the summer. It should incorporate excellent GPU capabilities for Ultrabook-like chassis.

[lokijortunn]

If it was money to spend i would be more than happy to bump up the price however i need to get a receipt hence the restrictions on price and the 2 year warranty saw this on newegg today soo sad it doesn't come with the usual Asus 2 year warranty :( Newegg.ca - Refurbished: ASUS G75 Series G75VW-BBK5 Notebook Intel Core i7 3610QM(2.30GHz) 17.3" 8GB Memory 1TB HDD Double-layer DVD+/-RW/CD-RW NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M

[JJThomp]

Originally Posted by lokijortunn

If it was money to spend i would be more than happy to bump up the price however i need to get a receipt hence the restrictions on price and the 2 year warranty saw this on newegg today soo sad it doesn't come with the usual Asus 2 year warranty :( Newegg.ca - Refurbished: ASUS G75 Series G75VW-BBK5 Notebook Intel Core i7 3610QM(2.30GHz) 17.3" 8GB Memory 1TB HDD Double-layer DVD+/-RW/CD-RW NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M

Honestly it is a refurb with the same specs as the cheaper y580... Take the Y580, at that price you can pick up an SSD for it and a caddy to put in the optical drive bay.

[lokijortunn]

Does anyone know anything about the Asus G46VW PC CANADA - ASUS G46VW-DS51-CA I5-3230M 8G-DDR3 750G HDD NO ODD W8 14.1 HD+ NV GTX660M 2G HDMI [G46VW-DS51-CA] - The Original and Highly Rated All-Canadian WebStore I'm hoping that there might be a sale on it which would put it in my price range and hopefuly the 14" form factor might mean that is more portable then the 17" models