High Resolution Display w/ i5 or greater

[Kraftology]

I recently got a Dell Inspiron 17r from Dell. The CPU and RAM specs on the laptop work for me however the 1600 X 900 resolution is awful!!! So I am getting rid of it to get something with a better display.

I was looking at the Sony VAIO F2 Series VPCF232FX/B 16.4-Inch Laptop (Matte Black). This meets all my requirements, and reviews say the screen is good... however I just want to make sure I am not overpaying for this considering I just stumbled on the xoticpc site which has intrigued me.

How are the displays of the machines there assuming i chose something with 1080p?

Is the Sony F2 a good choice? Any other recommendations?


What is your budget?
750 - 1000

What country will you be buying this in?
USA

What size notebook do you prefer?
Mainstream (15 - 16-inch screen)
Desktop Replacement (17-inch + screen)

What brands do you like or dislike?
Dislike: Dell

Would you consider a refurbished laptop?
No

What are the primary tasks you need this notebook for?
Web Surfing, Movie Streaming and Viewing, Output Video to TV or Large Monitor, Casual Gaming

Where will you be using this laptop?
Will stay on desk

How many hours of battery life do you need?
2

Will you be buying online or in store?
online or in store

Which OS do you prefer?
Windows 7

List the screen resolutions that interest you:
Max Resolution (1920 x 1080)

Do you prefer a glossy or matte screen?
Glossy or Matte is fine

Is the laptops design important to you?
No

Approximately what date will you be buying this laptop?
Around 05/13/2012

How long do you want this laptop to last?
3 years

How much storage capacity do you need?
320 GB

Are you interested in SSD for storage?
No

Do you want a built-in optical drive, what type?
DVD Burner

[misterhobbs]

The Sager NP6165 you probably were looking at on Xotic is a good alternative. The video card of the Sager is much, much better. Also, you can upgrade to the 3610qm and still stay below $1000. So, the two of the most important components (the GPU and CPU) are much better with the Sager for around the same price, which IMO makes it a better deal. You could even toss in an SSD for a total of around $1050 if you can afford it.

[Kraftology]

I never really heard of Sager before this last week. This concerns me. Additionaly i like that the Sony has backlit keys. This will actually be useful to me. Where as the SAGER i would have to spend over 1000k. This is over my budget. Is there anything that I may be missing that is going to give me 1080p with backlit keys under the 1k price point?

[Prasad]

I never really heard of Sager before this last week.

No fear. Reviews are right here. And most of them are for Sager laptops..

[Destrel]

I never really heard of Sager before this last week. This concerns me. Additionaly i like that the Sony has backlit keys. This will actually be useful to me. Where as the SAGER i would have to spend over 1000k. This is over my budget. Is there anything that I may be missing that is going to give me 1080p with backlit keys under the 1k price point?

When I was purchasing my current notebook 4 years ago, I had also not heard of them, but now I am a really satisfied customer. They are essentially a boutique high-end brand, but at their notebooks tend to be very reasonably priced. The build is of very high quality and durability.

Anyway, this laptop for example (also Sager...), is significantly better than the Sony Viao you mention (better CPU, vastly better GPU, bigger screen and so on) and cheaper too (can be had for around $900 though you might want to add/upgrade some features for even better performance): Sager NP6175 / Clevo W170ER - XOTIC PC - Sager 17.3" Laptop

The only thing it lacks is back-lit keys, so if those are an essential feature for you, you might have to look elsewhere.

[Kraftology]

I will not really be gaming on this PC since I have a desktop for that, so the extra CPU and GPU power wouldn't really be used. This laptop will pretty much just be a surfing machine. I originally targeted budget laptops as the CPU / GPU of budget machines do me just fine, however the low resolution of budget laptops is complete garbage IMHO, therefore the upgrade. The IVY architecture does intrigue me however I am already pushing my budget at $920 with the Sony. At the end of the day I am looking for the cheapest 1080p 15.6 - 17.3 laptop I can get. Backlit keys are a plus

[Kraftology]

OK, I changed my mind. I canceled my order for the Sony. I guess I will just spend more money

Since screen awesomeness is my first priority. What do you recommend to me with this in mind.

1. Excellent not cheap 1080p 17" Display
2. Ivy Bridge
3. Backlit keyboard
4. Near or under 1k

Thanks!!

[Prasad]

If you want my frank opinion, having a gaming capable desktop already, you should save up and get the bare minimalistic (functionality-wise) laptop that you need and not what you want, since unlike most people that I know of, it won't be your primary/only machine.

[Kraftology]

i just need something with a decent screen and resolution and mediocre CPU. All the research i have done still points me to the Sony F2 series laptop i think

[Destrel]

I will not really be gaming on this PC since I have a desktop for that, so the extra CPU and GPU power wouldn't really be used. This laptop will pretty much just be a surfing machine. I originally targeted budget laptops as the CPU / GPU of budget machines do me just fine, however the low resolution of budget laptops is complete garbage IMHO, therefore the upgrade. The IVY architecture does intrigue me however I am already pushing my budget at $920 with the Sony. At the end of the day I am looking for the cheapest 1080p 15.6 - 17.3 laptop I can get. Backlit keys are a plus

OK, that does change things. I had assumed this would be your only and/or primary machine. If you just want the laptop for surfing, yes, there is bound to be something cheaper. Though it is true that the cheap laptops tend to have awful screens. Personally, I spend a lot of time staring into the screen of my laptop, so I certainly sympathize with your desire for 1080p and 17", as those are my requirements too - I refuse to buy anything with a smaller screen or worse resolution, but I only have one machine - no desktop, so all my computer-time is spent behind the notebook.

For your purposes, I would suggest something like this HP laptop: Newegg.ca - HP Pavilion g7-1330ca Notebook Intel Core i3 2350M(2.30GHz) 17.3" 6GB Memory DDR3 750GB HDD 5400rpm DVD Super Multi AMD Radeon HD 6520G

It has a 17" anti-glare screen with 1080p resolution and LED back-lighting, and a price tag of only $669.99. The other specs are more than adequate for a surfing machine. I would go with this and save some money.

Should you want a more powerful machine under $1000 with a Ivy Bridge quad core and a good graphics card, I would go with the Sager notebook I linked. Since you already have a good desktop, though, the HP computer seems to be more than adequate.