All round laptop under 55k

D

Hi everyone,
I am planning to buy a new laptop.
1) Budget: 55k

2)Essentials:
processor: 3rd gen i5
hard disk:500 gb or more
ram: 4gb or more
screen size : 14" or more
weight: under 2 kg
good heat dissipation

3) Brands
Like: Sony, Dell , HP
Any brand will do if its reliable and value for money.

4) Primary use: Programming and browsing
occasional gaming

5)optional features:
discreet graphics
ssd(solid state drives)
power down usb charging
backlit keyboard

6)Can anyone clarify my following queries?
a) Which one is better in terms of value for money and futureproofing: 3rd gen processor vs 2nd gen processors?
b) Are 3rd generation graphics capability enough for occasional gaming?
c) Do ssd improve the performance of the system?
d) nvidia graphics card or amd?

I have shortlisted some options. Feel free to suggest any other options.
IdeaPad Z580 Metallic Grey 59-333345
Lenovo U410 59-342778
Lenovo U310 59-342832
HP ENVY 4-1025tx Notebook PC
HP ENVY 4-1003tx Notebook PC
HP ENVY 4-1002tx Notebook PC
HP 2000-2116TU Notebook PC
HP Pavilion dm4-3010tx Entertainment Notebook PC (A3W41PA)
Inspiron 14z V540602IN8
Sony Vaio SVE14116GNB
Sony Vaio SVT11113FGS
Acer S3-391-53314G52add (NX.M1FSI.001)
Toshiba Satellite U840
Samsung NP530U4C-S01IN

Thanks beforehand for your help.
Devesh

You just asked what I had in mind. Even I am planning to buy a laptop or an ultrabook in the range of 50 to 55k. I thought of using the same thread instead of creating a new one.
Even I have the same requirements as you in terms of screen size. I do not need a bulky laptop, a 14 or 15 inch screen would be great.

check out the Dell Inspiron 15R special edition or Samsung NP550P5C S01IN....do you want an ultrabook or a normal notebook??

D

dan4u said:
check out the Dell Inspiron 15R special edition or Samsung NP550P5C S01IN....do you want an ultrabook or a normal notebook??

Hi dan,
I am not sure whether my requirements and budget fall in an ultrabook or a notebook segment. I would term it as a notebook with some features of ultrabook like 3rd gen processor and lightweight but with the pricing and connectivity options of a regular notebook. What are your views regarding lenovo products?

Get Dell Inspiron 15R special edition with 1080p screen.

J

^ Is that available in stores or is it just available via dell website?

Jripper said:
^ Is that available in stores or is it just available via dell website?

yes available at local dealers also.

Guys, how is this Sony Vaio laptop: Link ?

OS:Windows® 7 Professional with Service Pack 1 64bit
RAM: 4 GB DDR3 1600 MT/s
HDD: 500 GB SATA 5400 rpm
GPU: Intel® HD Graphics 4000
Display: 14 inch TFT colour display with LED backlight
HD web camera with Resolution: 1280 x 1024
Can get up to 9 hours of batter backup with optional battery (practically maybe 6 hours, which is decent)

Price: 49k (Maybe 48k in Flipkart)

Link to Dell 15R Special Edition: Link

Link to Dell Inspiron 14 (New model): Link

Link to Sony Vaio SVE14116: Link

@Dev_t: Check these 3 links. Among these 3, I liked Vaio model more. The 15 inch Dell model looks good on paper, but it is bulky compared to 14 inch Dell and 14 inch Vaio.
Vaio looks good in terms of design, comes with Windows 7 Home Professional, and an unused RAM slot, and also better audio compared to Dell models.

Personally I feel HD resolution might not be such a deal-breaker since we hardly watch HD movies on laptop. HD movies are supposed to be enjoyed on wide screens. We can connect the laptop to a monitor or TV and enjoy HD resolution there.

webgenius said:
Guys, how is this Sony Vaio laptop: Link ?

OS:Windows® 7 Professional with Service Pack 1 64bit
RAM: 4 GB DDR3 1600 MT/s
HDD: 500 GB SATA 5400 rpm
GPU: Intel® HD Graphics 4000
Display: 14 inch TFT colour display with LED backlight
HD web camera with Resolution: 1280 x 1024
Can get up to 9 hours of batter backup with optional battery (practically maybe 6 hours, which is decent)

Price: 49k (Maybe 48k in Flipkart)

Link to Dell 15R Special Edition: Link

Link to Dell Inspiron 14 (New model): Link

Link to Sony Vaio SVE14116: Link

@Dev_t: Check these 3 links. Among these 3, I liked Vaio model more. The 15 inch Dell model looks good on paper, but it is bulky compared to 14 inch Dell and 14 inch Vaio.
Vaio looks good in terms of design, comes with Windows 7 Home Professional, and an unused RAM slot, and also better audio compared to Dell models.

Personally I feel HD resolution might not be such a deal-breaker since we hardly watch HD movies on laptop. HD movies are supposed to be enjoyed on wide screens. We can connect the laptop to a monitor or TV and enjoy HD resolution there.

That sony vaio is highly over priced nothing to wow about that. Neither it has dedicated GPU nor the low weight for a 14" laptop battery is average only up to 4.5 hours that can be found normal in every 3rd gen core-i5 laptops, and unused RAM slot is also found in new hp & dell laptops. And every laptop can be connected to watch in widescreen HDTV, nothing new.

@Dev_t Best you can buy is dell inspiron 15R comes with core-i5, 6GB RAM, 1TB HDD, 2GB HD 7730M GPU, back-lit keyboard and incredible 1080p screen.
Customize if you want to or better to leave. Dell service is much better, you will get onsite accidental complete cover in every part of the country unlike limited of sony vaio.

You can avoid VAT by using govt employee ID. It will cost you 55k exactly.

RON28 said:
yes available at local dealers also.

I could only find the 15r SE(i7 ver) with the dealers. No 14r se or the i5 version of 15r se.

rider said:
You can avoid VAT by using govt employee ID. It will cost you 55k exactly.

How to use this discount? IS it applicable for both online and store purchases? and the discount is for state govt or central govt employees? It's 5% off?

Ashish247 said:
How to use this discount? IS it applicable for both online and store purchases? and the discount is for state govt or central govt employees? It's 5% off?

Better to consult to dell india customer care department. AFAIK you will get VAT free that 5% of the price, by arranging ID proof of you relative or family friend who works in central govt like teacher, bank manager, doctor, engineer etc.

Where did you see that 15r has full HD resolution? I saw the specs of 15r special edition in Dell site and it is not full HD.

webgenius said:
Where did you see that 15r has full HD resolution? I saw the specs of 15r special edition in Dell site and it is not full HD.

No, it has full HD 1080p model option, check carefully.

webgenius said:
Where did you see that 15r has full HD resolution? I saw the specs of 15r special edition in Dell site and it is not full HD.

check here for FHD:
i5 model
i7 model.

Your budget will fit the i5 model..

@ratul and rider: Thanks for the links and suggestions. I was not looking at the special edition model, hence it was not mentioned as full HD there.

I liked Dell Inspiron 14Z more because of its low weight, sleek design, 8GB RAM, HD 7570M with 1GB GDDR5, and good battery life.

My questions:
1) I have used Dell sleek business line 14-inch laptops before and find it more comfortable for carrying around when travelling abroad. How will the 15r be in that aspect? It is almost 1 KG more than 14Z and looks bulky (in the pics at least)

2) The resolution of 15r is definitely better with support for full HD. Can this be a deal-breaker? Major usage of this laptop will be for browsing, skype calls, songs, movies (hardly watch full HD format movies. Most of the ones I watch will be in 1280x720 or lesser resolution), gaming (although very doubtful. Haven't played any game in last 2 years) and other general applications.

3) 15r has a better i5 based processor. Will the performance difference be visible for my usage?

4) 14Z has 8GB RAM where as 15r has 6GB RAM. I think the difference won't be visible for my usage. is that right?

15r has full HD support, has slightly better processor. But weighs more, looks bulky and has 2GB less RAM. Is full HD support really that important to opt over portability?

Please give your valuable suggestions guys.

@mrwebgenius, as i said dell inspiron 15R SE is good overall for a 55k budget who wants 1080p screen and medicore graphic performance in a bugdet.
From specs Dell Inspiron 14Z is not a good choice, as per your needs you need a light ultrabook laptop with good performance.
So as per your overall requirement, the best ultrabook for you is HP Envy 4-1002TX has much better option, it weighs just 1.75 kg, 19.81 mm about 2 cm thick and battery life is also great, you will get 5-7 hours depending you usage and screen brightness. It also has beats audio system with trible bass reflex mini-woofer for incredible sound experiance and HD 7670M 2GB graphic card, that is much better than Dell Inspiron 14Z's HD 7570M 1GB. Hp CoolSense feature that helps to control the laptop's temperature. After sales of hp is truly great you will get 1 year accidental cover that covers everything of the laptop, included charger and battery.
And for RAM you can easily upgrade manually by putting 4GB 1600 Mhz more RAM as it has 2 unused slot for expansion. I personally upgraded my RAM from 4 to 8 GB. 4GB RAM costs just 1200 bucks, no warranty void, no issues. You should visit hp world and check how greatly build laptop, it is.

@rider: I checked HP Envy 4-1002TX before. The only important thing absent in it is an optical drive. I need a optical drive since I'm no longer using a DVD player. I play some movies from the DVD. So an optical drive is a must for me. Also most of the software like MS office suite and others still ship win a DVD. So an optical drive would be really missed.

I'm also considering Sony E Series laptop. The reviews seem to be very good for this one.

Please suggest any other ultrabook that has an optical drive.

webgenius said:
@rider: I checked HP Envy 4-1002TX before. The only important thing absent in it is an optical drive. I need a optical drive since I'm no longer using a DVD player. I play some movies from the DVD. So an optical drive is a must for me. Also most of the software like MS office suite and others still ship win a DVD. So an optical drive would be really missed.

I'm also considering Sony E Series laptop. The reviews seem to be very good for this one.

Please suggest any other ultrabook that has an optical drive.

SVE14A15FNW is a good laptop as per you needs, weighs just 2.3kg but it seems to be highly over priced as it has HD 7670M which also comes in 10k lower laptops of dell and hp.

Generally, thinner ultrabooks come with no optical drive, people buy portable drives for the use.
*www.flipkart.com/transcend-slim-po...GZZS&ref=556423c1-8f0d-4397-a324-766e1f8ddae7

If you still want ultrabook with optical drive, there are only two options:
Inspiron 14z but you have to compromise with graphic and sound performance.
Acer Aspire Timeline Ultra M5 481T you have to compromise with no dedicated graphic card only 3 cell battery and pathetic after sales by acer.

Dev_t said:
a) Which one is better in terms of value for money and futureproofing: 3rd gen processor vs 2nd gen processors?
b) Are 3rd generation graphics capability enough for occasional gaming?
c) Do ssd improve the performance of the system?
d) nvidia graphics card or amd?

a) Pretty subjective question. Pick 2nd gen if your dGPU > HD4000 otherwise 3nd gen (owing to HD4000).

b) Yes/No. (Old games/Latest(demanding) games) But altogether yes.

c) Yes, boot times and loading of apps installed in SSD.

d) Not a good question. You can't judge a person by his clothes. AMD provides more VFM performance though.

rider said:
battery is average only up to 4.5 hours that can be found normal in every 3rd gen core-i5 laptops

2nd gen or 3rd gen, they don't decide battery life of a laptop. Its the battery capacity and overall system power consumption which shows the real story. Don't mislead others.

webgenius said:
My questions:
1) I have used Dell sleek business line 14-inch laptops before and find it more comfortable for carrying around when travelling abroad. How will the 15r be in that aspect? It is almost 1 KG more than 14Z and looks bulky (in the pics at least)

2) The resolution of 15r is definitely better with support for full HD. Can this be a deal-breaker? Major usage of this laptop will be for browsing, skype calls, songs, movies (hardly watch full HD format movies. Most of the ones I watch will be in 1280x720 or lesser resolution), gaming (although very doubtful. Haven't played any game in last 2 years) and other general applications.

3) 15r has a better i5 based processor. Will the performance difference be visible for my usage?

4) 14Z has 8GB RAM where as 15r has 6GB RAM. I think the difference won't be visible for my usage. is that right?

15r has full HD support, has slightly better processor. But weighs more, looks bulky and has 2GB less RAM. Is full HD support really that important to opt over portability?

Please give your valuable suggestions guys.

1) 15"6 is too heavy when compared to 14". Go for 14" if you can.

2) No, opt for portability. Your usage doesn't requires 1080p.

3) Yes. 4GB is enough for 99% apps.

4) As said in #2, portability > 1080p. I simply can't carry a kilo more just to boast my screen. (pretty much subjective to usage & need)

rider said:
And for RAM you can easily upgrade manually by putting 4GB 1600 Mhz more RAM as it has 2 ~~unused~~ slot for expansion.

Total no of slots = 2. (used+unused/1+1)

webgenius said:
@rider: I checked HP Envy 4-1002TX before. The only important thing absent in it is an optical drive. I need a optical drive since I'm no longer using a DVD player. I play some movies from the DVD. So an optical drive is a must for me. Also most of the software like MS office suite and others still ship win a DVD. So an optical drive would be really missed.

I'm also considering Sony E Series laptop. The reviews seem to be very good for this one.

Please suggest any other ultrabook that has an optical drive.

That Vaio model is good if you can justify its cost (its overpriced IMHO but if you can afford it, IT IS good).

PS: Opt for external ODD anyday over a laptop ODD as latter turn to be kaput frequently. My vaio ODD dumped after reading only 1 DVD

dashing.sujay said:
a) Pretty subjective question. Pick 2nd gen if your dGPU > HD4000 otherwise 3nd gen (owing to HD4000).

b) Yes/No. (Old games/Latest(demanding) games) But altogether yes.

c) Yes, boot times and loading of apps installed in SSD.

d) Not a good question. You can't judge a person by his clothes. AMD provides more VFM performance though.

2nd gen or 3rd gen, they don't decide battery life of a laptop. Its the battery capacity and overall system power consumption which shows the real story. Don't mislead others.

1) 15"6 is too heavy when compared to 14". Go for 14" if you can.

2) No, opt for portability. Your usage doesn't requires 1080p.

3) Yes. 4GB is enough for 99% apps.

4) As said in #2, portability > 1080p. I simply can't carry a kilo more just to boast my screen. (pretty much subjective to usage & need)

Total no of slots = 2. (used+unused/1+1)

That Vaio model is good if you can justify its cost (its overpriced IMHO but if you can afford it, IT IS good).

PS: Opt for external ODD anyday over a laptop ODD as latter turn to be kaput frequently. My vaio ODD dumped after reading only 1 DVD

mr sujay! I'm not misleading anyone about the battery performance, 2nd gen 3rd gen matters for the battery life. 3rd gen core-i5 has better battery life as it comes with 22nm lithography and some new better technology, though both consumes 35W of power. Overall other laptops are same in terms of battery, if we not talk about dedicated GPU. Generally, laptop comes with 6 cell battery and same power consuming mobo, HDD, RAM, keyboard, screen and optical drive. So there is no need to talk about overall power consumption, i said it has normal battery as other 3rd gen core-i5 laptops give same battery life like hp g6, dell inspiron 15R that have same 6 cell battery produces the same amount of battery as this vaio laptop can provide, this is why i said there is nothing to wow about.

rider said:
mr sujay! I'm not misleading anyone about the battery performance, 2nd gen 3rd gen matters for the battery life. 3rd gen core-i5 has better battery life as it comes with 22nm lithography and some new better technology, though both consumes 35W of power. Overall other laptops are same in terms of battery, if we not talk about dedicated GPU. Generally, laptop comes with 6 cell battery and same power consuming mobo, HDD, RAM, keyboard, screen and optical drive. So there is no need to talk about overall power consumption, i said it has normal battery as other 3rd gen core-i5 laptops give same battery life, for you information hp g6, dell inspiron15R with core-i5 laptop have same 6 cell battery and gives the same amount of battery as this vaio laptop can provide, this is why i said there is nothing to wow about.

Your statement was misleading in the form that you framed it wrong. If you read your own post carefully it gives an impression that 3rd gen CPUs give better battery back up irrespective of battery capacity, which is absolutely wrong. And I didn't compared 2nd gen to 3rd gen. I just said it majorly depends on battery capacity and on system power consumption (this is subjective).

PS: I'm yet to see any test that proves 3rd gen battery back up credibility over 2nd gen (by a good amount).

dashing.sujay said:
Your statement was misleading in the form that you framed it wrong. If you read your own post carefully it gives an impression that 3rd gen CPUs give better battery back up irrespective of battery capacity, which is absolutely wrong. And I didn't compared 2nd gen to 3rd gen. I just said it majorly depends on battery capacity and on system power consumption (this is subjective).

There was no need to mention of battery capacity, you are talking in wrong sense. I agree battery cell capacity matters the more. Its quite obvious more cell will give more battery life, and 6 cell battery life common among all in this range, so why to talk about battery capacity in every case.
In fact your statement is quite misleading:

2nd gen or 3rd gen, they don't decide battery life of a laptop

which clearly mention that you are comparing 2nd gen and 3rd gen core-i5.

rider said:
There was no need to mention of battery capacity, you are talking in wrong sense. I agree battery cell capacity matters the more. Its quite obvious more cell will give more battery life, and 6 cell battery life common among all in this range, so why to talk about battery capacity in every case.
In fact your statement is quite misleading:

Why is there no need to mention about battery capacity when it matters the most? You're taking others for granted that they'll automatically understand what you want to say, which doesn't happens. Plus, battery capacity of every laptop manufacturer differs, if not by a great difference, but in some case yeah. Point is, you shouldn't generalise too much.

which clearly mention that you are comparing 2nd gen and 3rd gen core-i5.

How do you feel I am comparing it? Apparently, my statement meant "irrespective" of 2nd/3rd gen. I just quoted your "3rd gen" thing to light the battery capacity role. You shouldn't have mentioned "gen" funda altogether. It was like 3rd gen = better back up, without mentioning of 2nd gen, which obviously meant it lags, but contrastingly, it doesn't.

PS: Do you even know what lithography means ?

dashing.sujay said:
Why is there no need to mention about battery capacity when it matters the most? You're taking others for granted that they'll automatically understand what you want to say, which doesn't happens. Plus, battery capacity of every laptop manufacturer differs, if not by a great difference, but in some case yeah. Point is, you shouldn't generalise too much.

How do you feel I am comparing it? Apparently, my statement meant "irrespective" of 2nd/3rd gen. I just quoted your "3rd gen" thing to light the battery capacity role. You shouldn't have mentioned "gen" funda altogether. It was like 3rd gen = better back up, without mentioning of 2nd gen, which obviously meant it lags, but contrastingly, it doesn't.

Take a chill pill dude, you are too much irreverently posting, 6 cell battery life is quite understandable and common among all other core-i5 laptops of this segment, now you would say mention everything about the laptop. Tell me which laptop comes with other than 6 cell battery in 3rd gen core-i5 3210M?? By default 6 cell battery is common in laptops here. Don't say some customization option or other optional battery in market. Every laptop's battery can be upgraded further.
And FYI as far as I know in physics 1 cell = 1100 mAH so 6 cell = 1100x4 = 4400mAH. According to you it may varies brand by brand a little bit, but not much in practical life, you are tottaly talking irrelevant now to compete this argument. So, kindly calm down you sony fanboynism and accept the truth.

^When did I favoured any Vaio (like a fanboy) here ?

PS: Good luck with your physics.

dashing.sujay said:
^When did I favoured any Vaio (like a fanboy) here ?

PS: Good luck with your physics.

tell me what's wrong i said, 1 cell Lithium ion battery = 1100mAH or 1200mAH in sony's physics?

rider said:
tell me what's wrong i said, 1 cell = 1100mAH or 1200mAH in sony's physics?

Nothing wrong with your physics facts (check your maths though), but all 6 cell batteries don't have same back up. Their watt hour capacity is different. If only 6 cell would have mattered, then all 6 cell should be giving nearly same back up which is not the case.

And stop making sarcastic comments, I didn't favoured Sony here, not a bit. If I did show them, otherwise unnecessary attacking will lend you something to regret.

Alright! now what rule I violated in TDF rules?? that will lend me to regret? huh I'm not attacking something its just a casual debate its you that are getting the sarcasm. Just because you are a moderating here you can do whatever you want, I'm not afraid of you but afraid to violate the TDF rules okay. Good Night!

I never said you violated TDF rules. I just said why are you making sarcastic comments related to Sony on me, when I never favored it. Once its fine, but not repetitive.

D

chill @rider and @dashing.sujay...both of you know a lot about h/w which reflects in your posts...may be a seperate thread would be a good place for the discussion about batteries and back up...I just wanted to know your views about brands other than dell and sony...how about my choices in lenovo and toshiba ??

Dev_t said:
chill @rider and @dashing.sujay...both of you know a lot about h/w which reflects in your posts...may be a seperate thread would be a good place for the discussion about batteries and back up...I just wanted to know your views about brands other than dell and sony...how about my choices in lenovo and toshiba ??

Sorry dev_t for spoiling your thread. Quality wise hp, vaio, asus, apple, thinkpad laptops are good. In market right now hp and dell have the best after sales, their laptops comes with accidental damage cover onsite warranty which makes the laptop totally insured. Sony vaio after sales is fine, from this year they started onsite service in limited cities, but still no accidental damage cover. Where are you from In north india specailly delhi ncr region lenovo after sales is pathetic, but I read lenovo service is fine in south region. And no idea how is toshiba laptops warranty never, very few people buy toshiba laptops. In your budget better to avoid lenovo and toshiba, they highly priced with nothing special.
How do you like dell inspiron 15R SE that I suggested?

Dev_t said:
chill @rider and @dashing.sujay...both of you know a lot about h/w which reflects in your posts...may be a seperate thread would be a good place for the discussion about batteries and back up...I just wanted to know your views about brands other than dell and sony...how about my choices in lenovo and toshiba ??

My suggestion would be to stay away from Toshiba as much as possible. My friend had a problem with some Satellite series laptop, and had to struggle for close to 3 months to get the problem rectified. Better to pay a few bucks more and get a Dell or HP laptop.

dashing.sujay said:
portability > 1080p. I simply can't carry a kilo more just to boast my screen. (pretty much subjective to usage & need)

Thanks for that comment. Really makes a lot of sense. Having a bulky setup just to watch a HD movie once in a couple of months doesn't make any sense.

dashing.sujay said:
That Vaio model is good if you can justify its cost (its overpriced IMHO but if you can afford it, IT IS good).

Looks like I'll be paying more if I buy this model. I'll rather stay away from it. IMHO (performance+portability) > looks

dashing.sujay said:
Opt for external ODD anyday over a laptop ODD as latter turn to be kaput frequently. My vaio ODD dumped after reading only 1 DVD

This maybe a silly question, but anyway here goes: Won't buying an external ODD negate the purpose of a laptop? I believe that we should not be spending another 2k for a piece of H/W when we're paying >50k for a laptop. Also it need to be carried with the laptop always.

@rider: Can you please explain why you feel HP ENVY 4-1002TX to be better than Dell 14Z? I see thatthe processor is the same in both the models. 14Z has 4GB more RAM than the HP model. Rest all features look the same.

Guys, could you please check this Dell model? This is the New Inspiron 14 and costs 45k. Weighs 2.1 KG, So it definitely is portable. Has 6GB RAM, 750GB HDD, NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 620M 1GB. But this misses out on the SkullCandy speakers. How is the audio quality and display for this model?

Right now I'm thinking about getting this new Inspiron model or 14Z. 14Z costs 10k more just for 200 gram less weight, and Skullcandy speakers. 14Z uses AMD Radeon™ HD 7570M with 1GB GDDR5, whereas Inspiron 14 uses NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 620M 1GB. Is the 10k extra amount worth paying for these? If it doesn't make much diference for my usage, i would rather go for Inspiron 14 only.

webgenius said:
This maybe a silly question, but anyway here goes: Won't buying an external ODD negate the purpose of a laptop? I believe that we should not be spending another 2k for a piece of H/W when we're paying >50k for a laptop. Also it need to be carried with the laptop always.

It does, but a laptop's ODD can get kaput very soon ( at least in my case). So, I just said to prefer an ext ODD.[/quote]

@rider: Can you please explain why you feel HP ENVY 4-1002TX to be better than Dell 14Z? I see that the processor is the same in both the models. 14Z has 4GB more RAM than the HP model. Rest all features look the same.

Not worth the extra 14k.

Guys, could you please check this Dell model? This is the New Inspiron 14 and costs 45k. Weighs 2.1 KG, So it definitely is portable. Has 6GB RAM, 750GB HDD, NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 620M 1GB. But this misses out on the SkullCandy speakers. How is the audio quality and display for this model?

Right now I'm thinking about getting this new Inspiron model or 14Z. 14Z costs 10k more just for 200 gram less weight, and Skullcandy speakers. 14Z uses AMD Radeon™ HD 7570M with 1GB GDDR5, whereas Inspiron 14 uses NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 620M 1GB. Is the 10k extra amount worth paying for these? If it doesn't make much diference for my usage, i would rather go for Inspiron 14 only.

Not worth extra 10k. Inspiron 14 should be fine for your usage.

Guys, look at this thread. There are a lot of complaints about 14Z losing WiFi connection regularly, and also it doesn't have a VGA port. This means it cannot be connected to a monitor or a projector. Good thing I noticed these.
Seriously, how can they call it an ultrabook if it does not even connect to Wi-Fi properly? Dell Inspiron 14Z is a strict No-No for me now.

I have also ruled out Inspiron 14 since the battery backup is a bit low (2-3 hours) compared to ultrabook (5-6 hours).

As recommended before, I looked at other ultrabook options and I shortlisted these two:
HP Envy 4-1046TX -> 58k
HP Envy 4-1025TX -> 53k

The only difference I see from Flipkart specs is that the higher priced model has a 32GB SSD to go along with 500GB HDD. Both of them have VGA ports. a DVD drive would be definitely missed, but I guess I'll have to buy an external drive as recommended before and carry it.

Guys, are these the two best options for a portable laptop/ultrabook? Is it safe to get the 53k priced model? Do you know any other model that I might have missed here?

Please suggest.

@dashing.sujay

Not worth the extra 14k.

LOL what?

rider said:
@dashing.sujay
LOL what?

lol. I think he was comparing Inspiron 14 and 14Z.

webgenius said:
Guys, look at this thread. There are a lot of complaints about 14Z losing WiFi connection regularly, and also it doesn't have a VGA port. This means it cannot be connected to a monitor or a projector. Good thing I noticed these.
Seriously, how can they call it an ultrabook if it does not even connect to Wi-Fi properly? Dell Inspiron 14Z is a strict No-No for me now.

I have also ruled out Inspiron 14 since the battery backup is a bit low (2-3 hours) compared to ultrabook (5-6 hours).

As recommended before, I looked at other ultrabook options and I shortlisted these two:
HP Envy 4-1046TX -> 58k
HP Envy 4-1025TX -> 53k

The only difference I see from Flipkart specs is that the higher priced model has a 32GB SSD to go along with 500GB HDD. Both of them have VGA ports. a DVD drive would be definitely missed, but I guess I'll have to buy an external drive as recommended before and carry it.

Guys, are these the two best options for a portable laptop/ultrabook? Is it safe to get the 53k priced model? Do you know any other model that I might have missed here?

Please suggest.

These HP Envy 4-1046TX and 1025TX are great options, buy of your choice. I suggest you get with SSD, it will make your laptop rocket fast windows experiential.

webgenius said:
lol. I think he was comparing Inspiron 14 and 14Z.

Oh! Alright!

For RAM expansion, better to put manually of g-skill or kingston 4 GB DDR3 1600Mhz.

I would suggest the Inspiron 14 as well, these ultrabook ULV is fine for basic usage but for programming its better to get a laptop with full power i5. Also Dell is a safe choice as it has the best after sales and support in India.

@ Rider, don't type too fast. Or use spellcheck.

Just a kind advice. Many of your posts are difficult to comprehend.

randomuser111 said:
@ Rider, don't type too fast. Or use spellcheck. Just a kind advice. Many of your posts are difficult to comprehend.

where?

Just go through your posts in this thread once buddy, you'll know.

randomuser111 said:
I would suggest the Inspiron 14 as well, these ultrabook ULV is fine for basic usage but for programming its better to get a laptop with full power i5. Also Dell is a safe choice as it has the best after sales and support in India.

True, i5-3317U is actually slower than even i3-2330M, so basically 53k for Envy is too much. If you're ready to shell out that much cash, then buy that Vaio (SVE14A15FN : E Series : VAIO™ Laptop & Computer : Sony India).

randomuser111 said:
@ Rider, don't type too fast. Or use ~~spell~~check. Just a kind advice. Many of your posts are difficult to comprehend.

grammar

Just go through your posts in this thread once buddy, you'll know.

Click to expand...

okay sony fanboy!

dashing.sujay said:
True, i5-3317U is actually slower than even i3-2330M, so basically 53k for Envy is too much. If you're ready to shell out that much cash, then buy that Vaio (SVE14A15FN : E Series : VAIO™ Laptop & Computer : Sony India).

grammar

You seem to be a grammar nazi. Why don't you help me in finding grammatical mistakes. And about laptop do you know hp envy 4 a core-i5 ULV processor laptop will give upto 7 hours of battery backup and weighs 550g less.

^
See Love, me being a Sony fanboy has nothing to do with it. I didn't even write the word Sony in this thread. I only said that as I've noticed since long that many of your posts are really difficult to understand because of some spelling/grammar errors. I just asked you to be a little careful and avoid such mistakes so everyone can comprehend your posts easily.

And anyway coming to your claim about the Envy battery life, this shows who is real fanboy. 7 hours is just HP claim, you will not get 7 hours with it. Even Flipkart user review says 5 hours. But since you will want more concrete proof than that. Here it is

Test HP Envy 6-1000sg Ultrabook - Notebookcheck.com Tests

And now compare the above figure (5h 51mins) with the figure of a similar Sony Vaio as Sujay recommended (6 hours 20 mins)

Quick Review Sony Vaio SV-E14A1M6EW Notebook - Notebookcheck.net Reviews

So even though on paper the ULV CPU should deliver better battery life, it's not actually the case as battery life does not depend on the CPU alone.

randomuser111 said:
^
See Love, me being a Sony fanboy has nothing to do with it. I didn't even write the word Sony in this thread. I only said that as I've noticed since long that many of your posts are really difficult to understand because of some spelling/grammar errors. I just asked you to be a little careful and avoid such mistakes so everyone can comprehend your posts easily.

And anyway coming to your claim about the Envy battery life, this shows who is real fanboy. 7 hours is just HP claim, you will not get 7 hours with it. Even Flipkart user review says 5 hours. But since you will want more concrete proof than that. Here it is

Test HP Envy 6-1000sg Ultrabook - Notebookcheck.com Tests

And now compare the above figure (5h 51mins) with the figure of a similar Sony Vaio as Sujay recommended (6 hours 20 mins)

Quick Review Sony Vaio SV-E14A1M6EW Notebook - Notebookcheck.net Reviews

So even though on paper the ULV CPU should deliver better battery life, it's not actually the case as battery life does not depend on the CPU alone.

Sorry, if anything bothers you about calling you sony fanboy! I will not repeat saying this, okay. But you always agree that you are sony fanboy, what happen this time. And you avatar of sony clearly shows how love sony, its cool.
And stop it you I'm not a fan of any specific brand like you, I not always put sony vaio in suggestion like you, so think of it. And yes battery is upto 7 hours not only by hp, but also by users who are using this laptop. And stop giving me proof specs of flipkart, specs of battery life in flipkart are not always right, its just a shopping site. And stop giving me tests of other laptop like you do. I suggested Hp envy 4, the 14" model not hp envy 6 the bigger 15.6" laptop with 4 cell battery.

^
Well then you show us proof of the 7 hours battery life claim, then we shall believe you. Go ahead.

Oh and I don't think I have suggested Vaio as many times as you have suggested HP in each and every thread.

P.S. This post above is a perfect example of what me and Dashing.Sujay are trying to tell you. Let me help you find grammatical errors in this post.

Sorry, if anything bothers you about calling you sony fanboy! I will not repeat saying this, okay. But you always agree that you are sony fanboy, what happen this time. And you avatar of sony clearly shows how love sony, its cool.

And stop it you I'm not a fan of any specific brand like you, I not always put sony vaio in suggestion like you, so think of it. And yes battery is upto 7 hours not only by hp, but also by users who are using this laptop. And stop giving me proof specs of flipkart, specs of battery life in flipkart are not always right, its just a shopping site. And stop giving me tests of other laptop like you do. I suggested Hp envy 4, the 14" model not hp envy 6 the bigger 15.6" laptop with 4 cell battery.

I've not any specific proof right now for telling you that it has battery upto 7 hours, but as far i know by users it gives that much battery life in power saving mode, radeon graphic off and wifi on.
In laptop mag review:

During the LAPTOP Battery test, which involves continuous Web surfing via Wi-Fi, the Envy 4 lasted 6 hours and 18 minutes.

LINK
And thanks to tell me about my grammatical mistakes, i will try to avoid.

^
Isn't that same as the notebookcheck figure I provided ? Just 25 mins more. And definitely not 7 hours.

Envy 4 battery life reported by major review sites

Cnet - 5.5 hours
Slashgear -5 hours
PCMagazine - 5.45 hours
DigitalTrends - 6 hours

And btw Envy 4 and Envy 6 both have 4 cell battery only.

So battery life gain is negligible, but performance difference between ULV i5 and full power i5 is HUGE. 20-30% faster.

rider said:
~~And thanks to tell me about my grammatical mistakes, i will try to avoid.~~

And thanks for pointing out my grammatical mistakes. I'll try to avoid (better rectify) them from now.

D

Hi guys, thanks for your valuable advices. I really appreciate you sharing the insights. I couldn't post early as I was comparing the different options. My findings are:

1. Currently the products having a 3rd gen core i5 processor and a solid state drive have the core i5 3317u (ultra low voltage) processor. Its clock speed is quite less than the normal 3rd gen processors like core i5 3210m (standard power) processors, 1.7GHz vs 2.5GHz respectively. Will an SSD be able to offset the lack in the clock speed?

2. I am currently inclined towards a product with a core i5 3210m due to more processing power than core i5 3317u. But they are all in 15 inch screen. That means more power consumption and lesser battery life and that offsets the power saving advantage of 3rd gen processors. So as an alternate I was thinking of opting for a 2nd generation core i5 processor like 2450m which has the same clock speed as that of 3rd generation 3210m.

3. I have seen all the brands and I am preferring Dell over the others as I find them more value for money. For choices in Dell I have:
Inspiron 14z with corei5 3317u and SSD
Inspiron 15r Special Edition with core i5 3210m
Inspiron 15r with core i5 3210m

4. With those options I was considering another choice.
upgrade RAM in 15r SE from 4G to 8G (7k extra) vs upgrade to core i7 3632QM processor, quad core(6k extra).
If any of you has purchased a Dell, please post about the taxes which are to be paid extra from the advertised online price.

Thanx a lot,
Devesh

1) Yes.

2) I also vote for 3210M.

3) Dell != VFM. Instead have a look at HP ProBook 4430s (14", with 2430M @ 35k)

4) Stick with i5.