Samsung 14 inch vs ASUS 13 inch

[TheDeluxe2]

Hey all,

I am a little stuck between two laptops.

The first is the Samsung Series 7 14 inch notebook: Series 7 14? Notebook | Samsung Office


The second is the ASUS U36SG-XS71:
http://usa.asus.com/Notebooks/Superi...specifications
Exact Model: Amazon.com: ASUS U36SG-XS71 13.3 LED Notebook Intel Core i7 i7-2620M 2.70 GHz 8GB DDR3 160GB SSD NVIDIA GeForce GT 610M 802.11b/g/n Bluetooth 3.0 Windows 7 Professional 64-bit Black: Electronics

A little bit about myself:

I'll be heading to college soon and I am looking for a portable laptop that I can bring to class and take notes on that won't be too big for a desk. In addition, I edit a lot of photos and do enjoy some gaming. The most demanding games I will be playing would probably fall around Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, and Assassin's Creed Revelations.

When comparing these two laptops I see that the ASUS model comes with an i7-2620M at 2.70 GHz, while the Samsung model has an i5-2450M at 2.45 GHz. I am no computer expert so any advice on gaming and photo editing differences is appreciated.

Also, the Samsung has a backlit keyboard and a matte screen while the ASUS has a glossy screen and regular keyboard. Do either of these really matter?


Thanks for any help in advance,

-TheDeluxe2

[s2odin]

Go ahead and fill ### What Should I Buy FORM (Must Read Before Posting!) ### out so we can see what other options you may have.

Looks like you have a fairly large budget so there's lots of room to work.

[User Retired 2]

Neither has gaming grade dGPUs. Suggest you peruse the thin-and-light link in my sig. Sony SA, Acer 3830TG are the most powerful gaming 13" notebooks, or 14" Samsung Series-5 has a HD7550M.

Could also consider a smaller notebook like a 12" Lenovo X220, Dell E6220 or HP 2560P + ~$200 GTX460-768MB DIY eGPU. There you gain a more usable notebook, better warranty and more gaming graphics performance. More potent again when Thunderbolt will be released in notebooks like the 14" Lenovo S430 or T430u.

[TheDeluxe2]

1) What is your budget?

$700-$1300

2) What size notebook would you prefer?

Thin and Light; 13" - 14" screen

3) Where will you buying this notebook?

USA

4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
a. Like: ASUS, Samsung, Sony, Sager
b. Dislike: HP, DELL

5) Would you consider laptops that are refurbished/redistributed?

Yes

6) What are the primary tasks will you be performing with this notebook?

Word Processing, Photo Editing, Moderate Gaming.

7) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places, leaving it on your desk or both?

Both

8) Will you be playing games on your notebook? If so, please state which games or types of games?

Yes. Team Fortress 2, League of Legends, Assassin's Creed Revelations, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

9) How many hours of battery life do you need?

3-4 Hours

10) Would you prefer to see the notebooks you're considering before purchasing it or buying a notebook on-line without seeing it is OK?

Online is okay

11) What OS do you prefer? Windows (XP or Vista or Windows 7), Mac OS, Linux, etc.

Windows 7 or higher

Screen Specifics

12) From the choices below, what screen resolution(s) would you prefer?

Doesn't really matter to me

13) Do you want a Glossy/reflective screen or a Matte/non-glossy screen?

Either is fine. Slight preference for matte but it's not a deal breaker

Build Quality and Design

14) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?

Yes

15) When are you buying this laptop?

Sometime this year. Probably after July

16) How long do you want this laptop to last?

4-5 Years (I will be taking very good care of it)

Notebook Components

17) How much hard drive space do you need; 80GB to 640GB? Do you want a SSD drive?

While an SSD would be nice for speed, I would opt for a 750GB HDD or around that to store photos and games.

18) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a CDRW/DVD-ROM, DVD Burner or Blu-Ray drive?

Yes please.