Help me find a "near" ultrabook

[LokutusofBorg]

I'm trying to find a "near"-Ultrabook. I think my requirements below will explain what I mean by that. I want compact, light, good screen, and customizability.

I'll try to be specific so it's easier to give recommendations and guide me to what I want.

Must Haves

• Screen: 14", no bigger
• Screen finish: Matte
• Reso: 1080p
• Panel: IPS
• CPU: Core i5 true quad core
• CPU Gen: Broadwell or Haswell
• RAM: Minimal -- I will be upgrading this, so must have 2 upgradeable RAM slots
• HDD: 2.5" mechanical HDD (I have my own 2.5" SSD to put in)
• Preferred Brands: Dell, Lenovo, Asus EDIT: Add Toshiba
• Preferred Vendors: Dell.com, Lenovo.com, Amazon.com
• Networking: Gigabit Ethernet, Wireless AC, Bluetooth

Flexible/Optional Items

• Budget: $600 to $900
• CPU: Will settle for 2-Core/4-Thread (still i5)
• Graphics: (Intel only, but will upgrade CPU to get better graphics)
• Touchscreen: Would prefer to not have one, only acceptable if it retains matte screen
• Screen: Will take a *quality* 13" over a 14"
• Discounts: Would prefer *no* complex deals or coupons or gift cards, and NO refurbs (except MAYBE Dell Outlet)

I hope that's enough info without being too much. I'm a software dev, and have used Lenovo W-series, Dell Latitude series, and other high-end notebooks, but pricing them out for a home build stretches the budget to $1200+. I need something a notch or two below that, without going with a POS Acer or something (sorry, I have a pet peeve about Acer -- and HP too now that I think about it).

Suggestions are most welcome, as are any questions for clarification.

TIA.

 

[VirtualLarry]

CPU: Core i5 true quad core
CPU: Will settle for 2-Core/4-Thread (still i5)
without going with a POS Acer or something (sorry, I have a pet peeve about Acer -- and HP too now that I think about it).

I think that your dreams of a true i5 quad-core are going to be dashed. AFAIK, all laptop i5s are dual-core, with HyperThreading and Turbo. The only laptop quadcores are the i7 "QM" (quad mobile) series CPUs.

I agree with you about Acer. I have an Acer that came with Win7, it's sort of ultrabook-y, it's a lightweight 11.6" with a six-cell battery and a 1007U. It's somewhat falling apart, after little more than a year or two of use.

 

[Torn Mind]

Mobile Intel chips with a quad core are designated with a Q after the four digits, and I believe only mobile i7s have that.

Acers are terrible. Fragile little things they are.

 

[LokutusofBorg]

Okay, no worries on the CPU. I will take a 2C/4T. Will just have to research which ones come with what GPU.

Any suggestions on specific models to look at? I am totally unfamiliar with the consumer models each of these brands offers that are actually worth considering. (Other than the XPS 13, I suppose.)

 

[sm625]

delete

 

[LokutusofBorg]

Can anybody recommend me any bang-for-buck good, light laptops that don't already have an SSD in them?

 

[RossMAN]

Would prefer *no* complex deals or coupons or gift cards, and NO refurbs (except MAYBE Dell Outlet)

LOL @ complex deals but I know exactly what you mean. I've had friends, family and co-workers ask for advice on computers and electronics. I can usually find a good deal but it involves a few hoops including coupons, price matching, rebates and a dash of luck.

Dell Outlet currently has coupons offering up to 35% off here's a sample system:

Processor: Intel Core 4th Generation i5-4200U Processor (3M Cache, up to 2.6 GHz), UMA, 6GB
Windows 8.1
128 GB Full Mini-Card Mobility Solid State Drive
8 GB DDR3 1600MHz
13.3 inch LED Backlit Touch Display with Truelife and FHD resolution (1920 x 1080)
Dell Outlet XPS 13 - 9333

$879 - 30% = $615.30 less whatever you can sell the 128GB SSD for. Yes I know you said no SSD but that wasn't an option for the XPS 13 I was checking out.

I would also check out the Lenovo Outlet as well, use the filters on the left, I just found 4 systems for under $800 which meet your general criteria.

If you're willing to consider a larger 15.6" I've seen a few brand new Dell/Lenovo's that are decently equipped from $499 to $749.

Just check out SlickDeals, register, search and use their deal alerts.

Best of luck :thumbsup:

 

[r0n]

Lenovo Outlet is a great place to snatch some deals but you have to play the wait and snatch game.

 

[LokutusofBorg]

Awesome thanks guys.

 

[RossMAN]

Lenovo Outlet is a great place to snatch some deals but you have to play the wait and snatch game.

Agreed, I've been stalking the Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga then I discovered the newer Yoga 12.

Decisions!

I want fast, portable, premium, business grade... so hard to find under $700 but it does exist.

 

[JWade]

I picked up an alienware 13 for just under $900 when they had a coupon, came with the i7, 16gb ram, the better screen, only downside of it came with a 1tb mechanical drive not an ssd, which I will be upgrading soon

 

[LokutusofBorg]

For me the mechanical drive is what I want. I've never been much of a fan of the Alienware brand, but I'll give them a look. Thanks.

 

[JWade]

I got mine off the delloutlet site. just have to wait and be patient for the coupon codes, and waiting for what you want to be instock

 

[LokutusofBorg]

Well, the "what I want in stock" is really the essence of my thread here... Inspiron, XPS, Yoga, an Asus?

I've gone into Best Buy many times and their in-stock selection is horrible, so I don't know which models from each brand meet the criteria in my OP.

I've never owned an Asus, and with Dell and Lenovo I've only had them issued to me at work so they were the highest end models, which are way out of budget for a home computer.

I guess I just need to spend the time reading all the various product pages and figuring out which ones fit the bill? I was just hoping to short-circuit all that time spent by asking for a few suggestions from the hive-mind here...

WOOT actually had a refurb Latitude 7440 on a WOOT-off earlier today for $600 or so, but the damn thing had a 760p screen... Argh! So close! That's been my work computer for the last 8 months and I'd buy a refurb of that, but not without a 1080p screen.

 

[Hulk]

My Lenovo t450s ticks most of your boxes. I ordered it with only the built in 4GB of RAM and added an 8GB stick for 12 total. I also pulled the 500GB mechanical drive for a 500GB SSD.

The important thing for was is matte IPS screen and I'm absolutely loving every minute of using it. I've had it for a few months and use it pretty hard. It's been flawless.

 

[LokutusofBorg]

Did you buy directly from Lenovo.com?

 

[dawza]

Another vote for the T450S. Only one RAM slot but soldered 4 GB + 8 GB is plenty for most purposes, and the system is compatible with the 16 GB DDR3 SODIMM Intelligent Memory manufactures.

Got mine directly from Lenovo new a little over a month ago. Took about a week to get it, although I have no idea what their stock levels are at the moment. System was about $900 (options: 1080 screen, backlit KB, W7x64 Pro, and upgrade to 3 yr depot warranty); another $250 for aftermarket 2.5" SSD, an m2 SSD, and 8 GB SODIMM.

I'm not a dev, but I work extensively in R, and the ThinkPad KB and trackpoint alone keep me in their ecosystem. The reliability, thin profile, and respectable battery life are expensive but personally justifiable icing on top.

If not a real ThinkPad, I could deal with a Latitude or Elitebook. I would stay away from Toshibas (even the higher-end lines) based on experience with several models for work-- frustrating issues with drivers (hotkeys notably), loud, hot, and awful KBs.