Is there a small Sub $1k laptop that does at least 1080p out there?

[Anubis]

That has decent specs? Id like one that does at least 1080p. 1920x1200 would be even better, and by small i mean ~15 or smaller. I have a 12 year old dell that is a 15.4 that runs 1920*1200 but its slower than dirt and not 100% functional.

I dont really care who makes it as long as its not a total POS. Mainily just looking for ideas. Should be powerfull enough to do normal stuff as well as some light gaming/photoshop

 

[LOL_Wut_Axel]

If you're willing to go for a 15", then there's the Dell Inspiron 15R SE for $850 that has an i7-3632QM, 8GB of RAM and a Radeon HD 7730. It also has a 1920x1080 screen. That should be more than enough for gaming at Medium settings/720p and Photoshop.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16834200695

If you want something smaller, you'll have to go to the $1000-1100 range and get an ASUS Zenbook.

 

[RossMAN]

If you're willing to go for a 15", then there's the Dell Inspiron 15R SE for $850 that has an i7-3632QM, 8GB of RAM and a Radeon HD 7730. It also has a 1920x1080 screen. That should be more than enough for gaming at Medium settings/720p and Photoshop.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16834200695

If you want something smaller, you'll have to go to the $1000-1100 range and get an ASUS Zenbook.

This.

 

[RossMAN]

Just saw this Lenovo IdeaPad Y500 for $900 with free shipping @ Newegg.com

Core i5-3230M 2.6GHz CPU
6GB DDR3 Memory
1TB Hard Drive
Dual NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M SLI
HDMI & 2x USB 3.0
15.6" LCD (1920x1080) w/ Webcam
Backlit Keyboard
WiFi N + Bluetooth 4.0
6 Cell Battery
Windows 8

 

[RossMAN]

Here's another option, if gaming isn't as important and you prefer Windows 7 ... Dell XPS 15-L521X for $785.

Processor: Intel Core 3rd Generation i5-3210M Processor (3M Cache, up to 3.1 GHz - TPM)
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium
Dell outlet XPS 15 Laptop
32GB SSDR mSATA Card
500 GB SATA Hard Drive (7200 RPM)
6GB DDR3 SDRAM at 1600MHz
8X DVD +/- RW Drive
NVIDIA GeForce GT 630M with 1GB GDDR5 VRAM
15.6 Inch FHD 1080p Truelife WLED Display and Skype-Certified HD Webcam Silver Anodized Aluminum
9 Cell Battery
Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6235 and Bluetooth 3.0
English Keyboard
90W AC Adapter
Palmrest
125V Power Cord
Badge
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit Operating System DVD
Genuine Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium
Eligible for Microsoft Windows 8 upgrade for $39.99
Microsoft Office Starter – reduced functionality Word & Excel w/ads & no PowerPoint or Outlook

Edit: Link isn't working for me, reported possible Wifi issues and possible NO BACKLIT KEYBOARD <--- deal breaker for me.

 

[Anubis]

Ross, i got your PM and thanks for the suggestions. backlit keyboard not a big deal to me. nor is win 8 as i own enough copies of win 7 to fix that issue if i feel its needed

I do have a question, for the ones with dedicated vid cards can they run sound over HDMI like a normal computer? as in could i use it as a pseudo HTPC when connected right

 

[LOL_Wut_Axel]

Ross, i got your PM and thanks for the suggestions. backlit keyboard not a big deal to me. nor is win 8 as i own enough copies of win 7 to fix that issue if i feel its needed

I do have a question, for the ones with dedicated vid cards can they run sound over HDMI like a normal computer? as in could i use it as a pseudo HTPC when connected right

Yes, and yes.

 

[Anubis]

well thats good. that Dell you first posted about looks like a good dea. If i wanted coudl i slap in a BR drive or SSD? or are they pretty locked in

 

[LOL_Wut_Axel]

well thats good. that Dell you first posted about looks like a good dea. If i wanted coudl i slap in a BR drive or SSD? or are they pretty locked in

It'll be very easy to put in an SSD as it has a maintenance cover for replacing the HDD and RAM.

As for the optical drive, that's a bit harder. You can replace it, but you'll need to open the whole back panel by removing all the screws.

 

[Anubis]

Humm. are they even available to replace or would it simply be easier to just get the one that comes with a BR drive. which adds 300$ to the price.

 

[gorcorps]

Just saw this Lenovo IdeaPad Y500 for $900 with free shipping @ Newegg.com

What? They have SLI in mobile GPUs? This sounds sweet in theory but I bet it's not as powerful as one would think :hmm:

 

[Schadenfreude]

What? They have SLI in mobile GPUs? This sounds sweet in theory but I bet it's not as powerful as one would think :hmm:

GPU Performance

Many readers will be wondering whether two GeForce GT 650M GPUs can compete with real high-end models. To make it short, the answer is yes. The speed increases considerably when the SLI mode is available in a 3D program.

For example, both graphics cards achieved a GPU score of 3612 points in 3DMark 11 (1280x720, performance preset) and slightly surpass the GeForce GTX 670MX

 

[TJCS]

ASUS UX31A-DH51 13.3 inch @ B&H - $999.99, FS, Tax in NY.

Summary:

• 1.7GHz Intel Core i5-3317U Dual-Core
• 4GB of DDR3 RAM
• 128GB Solid State Drive
• Integrated Intel HD Graphics 4000
• 13.3" HD LED-Backlit IPS Display
• 1920 x 1080 Native Resolution
• 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0
• Bang and Olufsen ICEpower Speakers
• Integrated Webcam and Microphone
• Windows 8 (64-bit)

 

[RossMAN]

ASUS UX31A-DH51 13.3 inch @ B&H - $999.99, FS, Tax in NY.

Summary:

• 1.7GHz Intel Core i5-3317U Dual-Core
• 4GB of DDR3 RAM
• 128GB Solid State Drive
• Integrated Intel HD Graphics 4000
• 13.3" HD LED-Backlit IPS Display
• 1920 x 1080 Native Resolution
• 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0
• Bang and Olufsen ICEpower Speakers
• Integrated Webcam and Microphone
• Windows 8 (64-bit)

Slightly cheaper on Buy.com depending on if they charge sales tax in your state.

http://www.rakuten.com/prod/243339662.html

 

[Anubis]

thanks for all the suggestions
ended up ordering http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16834200677

the lenovo with SLI is pretty awesome but i simply wont use it BR has more potential for me

edit: lol its out of stock now. apparently i got the last one. its already shipped