College, ~$1500, DV6/GE60/Series 7?

[K_Wall_24]

Lenovo ThinkPad W530 is a winner, partly due to my school computer store having Lenovo technicians on hand for warranty repairs and the reliability/durability of their machines

Since I started looking for a laptop, I went from a MacBook Pro > HP Envy 17 > Sager NP9170 > Sager NP9150 > HP Envy 15 > {Started This Thread} > HP DV6 Quad Edition > MSI GE60 > Sager NP6165 > Lenovo ThinkPad W530, and I'm sure I missed some steps. Picking a laptop is something I hope I never have this much trouble with again.

First off, I've been looking at 15" notebooks all night all month. My budget is $1,500, but if absolutely necessary, I can stretch to $1,750. This is as high as I can go, and must include tax and, if applicable, shipping

What I don't want:

Clevo P150EM/P151EM/W150ER - Too expensive, heavy.
Lenovo IdeaPad Y580 - RAM and screen not configurable/upgradable
HP DV6 - Heat issue, touchpad issue, not configurable in Canada; shipping to US and bringing it back to Canada would make warranty a pain to deal with, I would think. correct me if I'm wrong. Otherwise, it would be perfect.
HP Envy 15 - Same problems as DV6, and slightly more expensive than the DV6.
MSI GE60 - Not very well built, from what I've read. Would love to hear positive things though,
Samsung Series 7 - Gamer too heavy, Gamer and Chronos CPU not up to spec, Out of Date
Clevo W250ES - Warranty repairs would take too long, and I would need my computer for school

What I am looking at:

Lenovo ThinkPad W530 - Price is right, warranty would be quick, but the graphics are a little low(meh, graphics aren't priority).
Anything else you guys can think of.

The specs I recommend need are as follows:
15" 1920x1080 Screen
Ivy Bridge 3rd-gen Quad-Core i7 2.3GHz or 2.6GHz
4-8GB RAM stock, needs to support 16GB or more (will be upgrading later)
Optical media drive. Can be internal or external, but I need a DVD burner at minimum.
Less than 6lbs.
Must be purchased in Canada, or if purchased online, must ship to Canada.

The specs I'd like:
Backlit keyboard.
Matte screen.
HDMI out.
Bluetooth
Blu-ray, only if it comes standard or is very cheap.

Now, maybe this doesn't exist, and maybe I'm a fool for thinking it does, but I'm going to be reliant on this thing for 3 years, so I'm not taking this lightly.

The completed info form is below for reference. I just really need some help, and this is the best place to go.

What Notebook Should I Buy Form:

Spoiler :

What is your budget?
$1,500, but it's adjustable if needed

What country will you be buying this in?
Canada

What size notebook do you prefer?
Mainstream (15 - 16-inch screen)

Would you consider a refurbished laptop?
No.

What are the primary tasks you need this notebook for?
Web Surfing, Office and Productivity Software, Listening to Music, Photo Editing, Computer Programming, Movie Streaming and Viewing, Output Video to TV or Large Monitor, Casual Gaming

and Heavy Virtualization (the laptop needs to support 16 or more GB of RAM, which I will be buying later, and should probably have a 3rd gen/Ivy Bridge Core i7)

Where will you be using this laptop?
Will be used different places and Will stay on desk

How many hours of battery life do you need?
As much as i can get, preferably 4 or more.

Will you be buying online or in store?
Online, most likely. I'd love to be able to buy it at a brick-and-mortar store, but my requirements are better dealt with online. I'll be shipping it to Canada, though, and a few sites won't ship configured builds to Canada (I'm looking at you, HP)

Which OS do you prefer?
Windows 7, but it doesn't need it pre-installed, as I have my own copy.

List the screen resolutions that interest you:
High Resolution (1600 x 900)
Preferably Max Resolution (1920 x 1080)

Do you prefer a glossy or matte screen?
Matte is preferred

Is the laptops design important to you?
Yes, but not as important as functionality.

Approximately what date will you be buying this laptop?
July 2012

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

How much storage capacity do you need?
750 GB or more

Are you interested in SSD for storage?
Maybe, but not initially. It'd be an upgrade I'd make down the road.

Do you want a built-in optical drive, what type?
DVD Burner; Blu-Ray Reader/DVD burner if possible (read: if standard or extremely cheap)

What are you most concerned about?
Heat, weight, RAM upgradability/processor (see above), build quality

[ZaZ]

My guess would be you can put 16GB of memory in the Y580. If you plan to carry this around a lot, you may wish to go with something smaller. You might want to consider the FAQ stuck at the top of this forum and post back. That would help us narrow things down a bit.

[K_Wall_24]

My guess would be you can put 16GB of memory in the Y580. If you plan to carry this around a lot, you may wish to go with something smaller. You might want to consider the FAQ stuck at the top of this forum and post back. That would help us narrow things down a bit.

I don't know, but I don't want to chance the Y580. And I can't customize it(upgrade processor, parts, etc. when you order on their site), which I would like to do. I didn't think any of those are that heavy, as they're all under 6 lbs. I don't think that's unreasonable. If you're talking about the "What Notebook Should I Buy Form" its in the spoiler on the original post. Thanks for helping

EDIT: I just talked to another lenovo chat rep who said that it can only go to 8GB on the Y580, and that it's a hardware limitation.

Right now, I'm going to say it's between the Samsung Series 7, the GE60 and anything else. The Y580 is a no, unfortunately, due to RAM limitations. I think the GE60 is also a no, being a little more expensive than I would like. But maybe I'm just looking in the wrong spot (I was looking at XoticPC)

[ZaZ]

For most notebooks, upgrading the CPU is considered a violation of the terms of the warranty, though almost all notebook CPUs are socketed and can be upgraded.

[K_Wall_24]

For most notebooks, upgrading the CPU is considered a violation of the terms of the warranty, though almost all notebook CPUs are socketed and can be upgraded.

Sorry, when I said "upgrade parts" I meant when I order it, you can change the parts you want in it, right on their site. I can't do that with the Y580. I don't think I'd ever upgrade the processor myself even if I had the option. I just know I need an Ivy Bridge Core i7 and if possible I'd like to get the 3720QM as opposed to the 3610QM. Just editted that post to clarify.

[K_Wall_24]

Edited main post to reflect current conclusions.

[surjl0827]

If the budget is 1500$, the P150EM should be within your price range.... If you buy it, it'll still have the best bang to buck ratio than any of the other ones you've already mentioned. IT's really not that bulky.... MSI Ge60 is probably bulkier. I own a P151EM, which is basically the 150 without the backlit keyboards and 180 PSU.

It does have the backlit keyboard and pretty much offers the best mobile tech available out now. You will have to update the matte screen, maybe slap in a better graphics card. MSI and ASUS, which are the only 2 gaming laptop companies that I respect don't even offer anything above a GTX 670M. That's garbage in my opinion.


Visit ReflexNotebook.ca , they are the only real Canadian Sager reseller. They offer a NBR member discount I believe. I can't specify as it would be unethical for me as a customer. But I will say this: anything over 1500$ will get you a discount. You also get student discounts. Cashpayment/ bank wiring will get you a discount. So in theory, you can go a little over 1500$ and still be within budget. They are the CHEAPEST way to get a Sager in Canada.

If this is still too high, go for the Sager NP9130 or P151EM.
Basically same thing, will still suit your needs.

If you have any questions you can ask me.

[K_Wall_24]

Sorry, I shouldn't have said bulky. The weight is more of an issue. The GE60 is 5.28lbs, which is great, whereas the NP9130/9150 is 6.8lbs, give or take, not to mention a ~1.75lbs power brick.

I am, however, looking at the NP3260. I can get what I want, it's a little cheaper than the NP9150/30, a little bit lighter too, weighing in at 5.73lbs. The only thing is with the NP3260, the GPU can't be upgraded from the GT630M 1GB, and it's a fairly low-end one, whereas the GE60 is slightly better, with a GTX660M 2GB. Any thoughts on that?

My only other reason that I'm avoiding Clevo/Sager is that even from Reflex, I'm trying to keep under $1,500, but when the notebook I want costs me that or over, the taxes spike it by +$200. Now I realize this isn't a problem with the company, but I should get the 3-year warranty, which puts it past my budget, due to having to go through a reseller and worry about shipping and all that.

That's why the dv6 seemed perfect. I could configure it the way I wanted and come out just shy of $1,400 giving me a little headroom for taxes and such. But, alas, I can't get it in Canada.

Thank you for your input, this is a large purchase and I don't want to make the wrong decision.

EDIT: Main post edited and updated.

[surjl0827]

Okay. Max 1750$ now.
When I bought my NP9130 from Reflex,
it totalled to a 1500$ after tax.
I added a i7 3610QM
Canada shipping coverage
Windows7.

This was before discounts. I would still recommend 9130 or 9150, the 6 lbs really isn't that much. The DV6 looks good for the price but isn't veryfuture proof.

[K_Wall_24]

I would still recommend 9130 or 9150, the 6 lbs really isn't that much. The DV6 looks good for the price but isn't veryfuture proof.

No, i agree, 6lbs isn't bad. But those are closer to 7, 8.5 if you count the power bricks. I'm going to college, carrying it from class to class. That's my problem with getting those. If the weight (and power brick) wasn't an issue, the Sager NP9150 would be perfect, but it's just too much in my book. Mind you, if I want any gaming performance whatsoever, they're looking to be my only option. aside from the MSI GE60, which I'm waiting on an answer to a question about accessing the internals without breaking warranty.

I agree with your comment on the dv6, but given it's what I'd like, for the right price, I'd have gotten a 3 year warranty and been taking good care of it. I could probably make it last. Not that it matters, as I can't get it.

EDIT: GE60 is not for me. NEXT!