Looking for yet another laptop recommendation - higher end edition!

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Drizzt321

Junior Member
May 20, 2009
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Ok, so, new laptop time, my old one (still chugging along, although I b0rked the OS) is a Dell Inspiron 1505 from back in 2005. Yes, that old. So, now that I have a bit of money, time for something new. Primary uses are going to be some level of photo viewing/editing/downloading plus software development, and maybe some light gaming. I'd like Optimus since it can theoretically provide for longer battery run times, but I'm not going to limit myself to laptops with it.

14" or 15", I still want it to be fairly portable, I'm definitely not looking for a full desktop replacement. Build quality is also pretty important for me. My biggest thing that I don't know if it's even possible to get is a good quality LCD (decent color reproduction, good contrast and black/white levels, overall can pump up the brightness pretty high even if it washes out colors some). I'm almost certainly going to be paying extra for an upgraded resolution panel, and I fail to see why manufacturers can't have at least 1 or 2 models that happen to have a good quality panel as part of an upgrade option. Oh, and 16:10 anyone? Guess I'm asking for way too much.

In looking around at the physical styling, the new HP Elitebook P series looks pretty nice, and of course Lenovo Thinkpads. Not sure about the Dell styling, but I'm open to them for now. Any other specific models that people like? I'd like actual "I've used it" recommendations. Oh, and I'm looking for around $1500, but I'm willing to go up to around $2000 if I'm getting what I really want.
 
Demo24

Demo24

Diamond Member
Aug 5, 2004
8,356
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Vaios? I'm awaiting mine at the moment, I should get it sometime next week (with Fedex now), so if you've not gotten anything by then I can give you feedback.
 
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Drizzt321

Junior Member
May 20, 2009
19
0
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Which Vaio? Just went and checked, looks like the C series (or Business E series) is what I'd get, as it's the only one with a 14"/15.5" with a high res display. Unfortunately doesn't offer Optimus (just ATI) as an upgrade option.

Also, some past Vaio's I've seen haven't honestly looked that great to me, although it might be different with the newer models.
 
Schadenfreude

Schadenfreude

Lifer
Dec 28, 2001
11,391
3
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Drizzt321 said:
Right, but it's not in the 14"/15" size notebooks. I have been looking at the T420/T520 though.
Click to expand...

I was just going to jump in and suggest the T420: while I know that it has a 1600x900 display upgrade option, I am not sure about the color accuracy/quality if you're looking to do any photo editing on it.

While not exactly "portable" I do have to say that the 1080 panel used in the Dell XPS 15 is really bright; while this isn't a review for the L502, you can see it listed in the chart and that its display trades punches w/ 17" panels as one of the best. That is my main rig at this time and while it isn't the most portable of rigs the display is fan-tastic.

At this time, while there certainly are several well-made systems available that should fit your requirements, I'd wait a bit until the Llano systems are more readily available and the back-to-school sales begin in earnest.
 
gsaldivar

gsaldivar

Diamond Member
Apr 30, 2001
8,691
1
81
Lenovo Thinkpad W520 (15.4"):

- Intel Sandy Bridge-based, up to quad-core i7-2920XM
- Nvidia Quadro 2GB discrete graphics card
- 4 RAM slots for up to 16GB of RAM
- mSATA SSD slot (add an SSD without sacrificing a drive bay)
- Ultrabay expandable (do two hard drives/RAID + SSD if you want!)
- Up to Full HD 1920x1080 screen
- Optional built-in Pantone color-calibration sensor
- Lenovo Thinkpad military-spec build quality

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Mk25pxQ3E8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hG13u2enh0g
 
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Drizzt321

Junior Member
May 20, 2009
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Hadn't thought of the W520. I saw "mobile workstation" and didn't bother reading further. I thought it was the one with the 2nd pull out LCD which was the kind I definitely didn't want. Also thought it would be a lot more expensive...but with the current coupons, it's definitely in my price range.

P.S. It's 15.6", no 15.4" :p
 
gsaldivar

gsaldivar

Diamond Member
Apr 30, 2001
8,691
1
81
Drizzt321 said:
I thought it was the one with the 2nd pull out LCD which was the kind I definitely didn't want.
Click to expand...

You're thinking of the 17", it was a bit large for most people and has since been discontinued. I stand corrected on the screen size. :)
 
gsaldivar

gsaldivar

Diamond Member
Apr 30, 2001
8,691
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Drizzt321 said:
with the current coupons, it's definitely in my price range.
Click to expand...

Be sure that your coupons are for the W520 and not the older W510. The updated one has the 2nd gen Intel Sandy Bridge that you will definitely want for demanding graphic design tasks. You can save an additional $100-200+ by getting your RAM and mSATA SSD from Newegg and installing it yourself.

Good luck!
 
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Drizzt321

Junior Member
May 20, 2009
19
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Yup, the coupons are for the W520. What's nice is the stock is 1x4GB, so I'll get a single 1x4GB from NewEgg to match instead of paying $$$ for 2x4GB from them. I still can't believe they mark that up so freaking much. I guess it's because then that DIMM is covered under warranty, etc.

I'm still debating if I want the 1600x900 or 1920x1080 screen... On the one hand text will be harder to read, although I can increase the size/Win7 DPI, but on the other the extra pixels will be good for gaming & photo viewing/editing. It's a $200 upgrade, and kinda need to make the decision now. The 1920x1080 on my work 17" laptop looks pretty darn good, although text is sometimes a bit small. *sigh* But I do love my pixels...
 
gsaldivar

gsaldivar

Diamond Member
Apr 30, 2001
8,691
1
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Drizzt321 said:
Yup, the coupons are for the W520. What's nice is the stock is 1x4GB, so I'll get a single 1x4GB from NewEgg to match instead of paying $$$ for 2x4GB from them. I still can't believe they mark that up so freaking much. I guess it's because then that DIMM is covered under warranty, etc.

I'm still debating if I want the 1600x900 or 1920x1080 screen... On the one hand text will be harder to read, although I can increase the size/Win7 DPI, but on the other the extra pixels will be good for gaming & photo viewing/editing. It's a $200 upgrade, and kinda need to make the decision now. The 1920x1080 on my work 17" laptop looks pretty darn good, although text is sometimes a bit small. *sigh* But I do love my pixels...
Click to expand...

Get the best screen now. It's near impossible to upgrade the screen later. Also, I believe the full HD resolution screen is a better grade that is more color-accurate than the low resolution one. You might contact them to confirm that, or select Pantone color sensor and see if they require the full HD screen with that sensor.

I would purchase a cheap 8GB (4GB x 2) matched pair kit from Newegg, since there are 4 memory slots total, that gives you 12GB total. Photoshop will thank you...
 
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Drizzt321

Junior Member
May 20, 2009
19
0
61
Yea, probably right about the screen. I guess it was the $200 making me really think...do I actually need/want it. I think I do though, you're right.

Not sure I want 3 DIMMs in. Each additional DIMM adds some extra power usage. Although to be fair, it might not make a huge difference. I know something like Kingston's HyperX LoVo (ultra-low voltage, 1.25v) memory can use up to 1W less power at idle, and 3-4W less under load. But unfortunately that's desktop memory. Probably because most laptops don't let you adjust the DIMM voltage levels. But still, in a laptop at idle, that could amount to some real (although probably small) power savings.

But 2x4GB kits are still pretty cheap, so maybe I should just go for that. Probably be a few months before I get the mSATA, do some research, so if any more come out. Also for $200+ on top as a separate purchase, it's starting to stretch the budget.
 
Schadenfreude

Schadenfreude

Lifer
Dec 28, 2001
11,391
3
0
gsaldivar said:
Get the best screen now. It's near impossible to upgrade the screen later. Also, I believe the full HD resolution screen is a better grade that is more color-accurate than the low resolution one. You might contact them to confirm that, or select Pantone color sensor and see if they require the full HD screen with that sensor.

I would purchase a cheap 8GB (4GB x 2) matched pair kit from Newegg, since there are 4 memory slots total, that gives you 12GB total. Photoshop will thank you...
Click to expand...

Completely agreed; aside from RAM and HDD, you can pretty much consider the rest of the setup as a permanent part of the laptop - and generally speaking the upgraded displays have better colors/viewing angles/brightness than the standard ones.

Still, I'd say wait for Llano systems to be more readily available.
 
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Drizzt321

Junior Member
May 20, 2009
19
0
61
Funny thing is, I almost wish they had an option for a Core i5 dual core with higher max frequency/max turbo since even with Lightroom or Photoshop I probably won't take as much advantage of the 4 cores on the go vs 2 cores (well, 8 & 4 with HT).

Llano does look pretty nice, although I haven't really seen power usage stuff. Will it be just as power efficient as Core i5/i7 w/Optimus? It's also going to be what, another 3-6 months before we start seeing them and even then there might not be one with the build quality, etc I'm looking for? I dunno. They have a good deal now, this fits my needs extremely well, and they've got the coupons.
 
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Drizzt321

Junior Member
May 20, 2009
19
0
61
Well, pulled the trigger. It's actually been just about 6-7 months since my last big electronics purchase which was my 5Dm2 camera. Unfortunately estimated ship date is Jul 13. Ugh. That's what I get for a custom order.
 
gsaldivar

gsaldivar

Diamond Member
Apr 30, 2001
8,691
1
81
Congrats! It sounds like you have a good understanding of hardware, but in case you want to look through what others are saying, you might want to check Lenovo's W-series Thinkpad forum. Specifically, there is a bug in the latest W520 BIOS that causes Intel Speedstep to be disabled when switching back and forth from battery to AC power, all you need to do in this situation is unplug/replug the computer but you should be aware of the issue just in case. We expect Lenovo to have a BIOS update soon for it.

Good luck!
 
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Drizzt321

Junior Member
May 20, 2009
19
0
61
Yes, I follow Anandtech regularly, and been planning/researching laptops for a while.

Oh really? That's good to know about that bug, thanks!
 
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