13" all arounder, S13 vs T430s vs Z13

[brandi]

Hi guys
I've been postponing this since March, hoping that some more interesting stuff came out but now it's time, I need to buy a new laptop.
I read the sticky thread (and many more) and I have a few ideas in my mind, I'm hoping you could help me decide.
I need a 13" to do everything, it's going to be my main and only machine. I travel a lot so portability is important. I work in visual effects and I need power, as much ram as I can get (guess 32 doesn't exist, 16 would be ideal, 8 minimum). I'd love to game at home as well, egpu would be perfect.

I was thinking about:

Sony S13
Screen seems good on this, not sure about color reproduction. I've seen it at the store and seemed like the hinge was very bad. I like that it's an all-in-one solution but the gpu is soso. As far as I know I can put up to 12gb of ram inside, and my own ssd (which is not gonna be as fast as buying in raid0, not sure by how much)

Lenovo T430s
Seems a slightly less powerful version of the S13 without gpu. The plus is thunderbolt which means egpu. Downside seems to be the screen, apparently really bad.

Sony Z13
This would be my first choice if not for a couple of reasons. First the fact that it uses proprietary ram and ssd systems, which means no upgradeability. I can live with that as it seems to accept 16gb of ram.
Second the bad gpu in the dock. Apparently to install an egpu I have to cut it (void warranty?) which is not an option. It'd be cool if Sony released an upgraded version of the dock with a decent gpu, but I guess we'll never know that.

I'm open to every other option, I don't mind any brand as long as it's a decent quality. I'm probably going to get an external warranty.

I come from a bad experience with a 4 years old LG p310, after a year the gpu started to become insanely hot and freeze the system. Cleaning it didn't help now I can't even watch a movie without connecting an external ventilation system. I'd like to not repeat this and get something that's going to last me for a few years, even if I have to spend some money into it.

Please any help is very welcome, thanks in advance



1) What is your budget?
Up to 3000

2) What size notebook would you prefer?
b. Ultraportable; 11" - 12” screen
c. Thin and Light; 13" - 14" screen

3) Where will you buying this notebook? You can select the flag of your country as an indicator.
Canada. Can order abroad if needed

6) What are the primary tasks will you be performing with this notebook?
Work (visual effects, graphic design, video editing), everyday stuff (surf, movies), gaming (as far as possible)

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, everything

9) How many hours of battery life do you need?
4-5

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?
without seeing it's ok

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

Screen Specifics

12) From the choices below, what screen resolution(s) would you prefer? Keep in mind screen size in conjunction with resolution will play a large role in overall viewing comfort level. Everyone is different. Some like really small text, while others like their text big and easy to read. Click here for Screen resolution information.
900p

13) Do you want a Glossy/reflective screen or a Matte/non-glossy screen?
Matte, not super important

Build Quality and Design

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

15) When are you buying this laptop?
july

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

Notebook Components

17) How much hard drive space do you need; 80GB to 640GB? Do you want a SSD drive?
ssd, at least 256

18) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a DVD Burner, Blu-ray Reader or Blu-Ray Burner?
it can be external

[brandi]

Anyone?

I noticed that I can't order a 16gb Z from the canadian Sony website, 8 top. That might just be enough to not consider it.

[RefinedPower]

wonder if you LG needs the cpu/gpu re siliconed to the heatsink... just a thought. might be worth taking it to a local shop, would cost $50-$100 around here to get that done.


some options though
clevo W110er: 11.6" with 650m GPU, I hear it gets hot though so not sure.

up coming Gigabyte U2442: 14" 900p, 640m very limited availability though.

Dell XPS 14" 900p, 630m, ULV CPUs though

Right now though i think the Sony S13 or Z13 are your best bet.

[ZaZ]

The Samsung Series 9 might be worth a look.

[kanuk]

Unfortunately, there really isn't anything that covers all those bases. The 11" Clevo probably comes closest.

If you need that kind of power you will probably have to step up to a 15.6" - something like an HP DV6, Lenovo Y580, Asus N56VZ, etc. The new Dell L521x is a 15" but relatively thin, and there's always the new Macbook Pro.

Otherwise, if you want the portability you won't have the horsepower...

[brandi]

Thanks for your help guys!

Would anyone recommend the Lenovo over the Sonys? Or another EGPU friendly (Thunderbolt) notebook?

I'd really like to stay around the 13/14" size. I thought about the Gigabyte U2442 but I'm concerned about the availability as you say and also about the overall build quality of the laptop. Is there any ETA?

wonder if you LG needs the cpu/gpu re siliconed to the heatsink... just a thought. might be worth taking it to a local shop, would cost $50-$100 around here to get that done.

It's a great idea thanks, wish I thought of this long ago
I also have a double cracked screen (from opening) and an irreplaceable dead battery that I didn't mention on the first post to not get it too long though, so I think I'll just pass.

[Bronsky]

I thought about the Gigabyte U2442 but I'm concerned about the availability as you say and also about the overall build quality of the laptop. Is there any ETA?

It was apparently already released in Taiwan. PCHome had a few units of the U2442N I5/GT640M (128SSD+750GB HD) for $1,200. http://shopping.pchome.com.tw/DHAV0V-A64336387 They sold out quickly. PCHome should have some new units in stock soon. No reviews yet from the new owners. Gigabyte is not known for its distribution network, but I would expect the notebook to start appearing at retailers in the US by the end of the month.

[pepper_john]

According to the gurus here (e.g.zaz), the screen on T430s is just average, not the best nor the worst.

if you can wait, thinkpad X1 carbon is coming out in Aug.

[Bronsky]

I've been watching the X220 and X230 on the B&N site have their price dropped every few days. ATM, you can get an I3/IPS X220 for $680 and the same configuration in the X230 for $780. That is hard to beat. As much as I like the carbon concept, paying almost $800 more to save a few millimeters in thickness, gain .8" diagonal display and a step up in resolution to HD+ (which is on a larger display) while sacrificing nearly 50% in battery duration is really hard for me to swallow. If I was in the market for a portable notebook ATM, I would find the deals on the X220 (last gen keyboard - second to none) hard to beat. If you need the stronger graphics of the HD4000 IGPU, it's only a $100 more.

BTW, sorry to hear about your problems with the P310. For awhile, it was the holy grail for those of us looking for lightweight graphic performance. I was going to buy one until the 3820TG came along.

[brandi]

I've been looking at the X1 carbon too, looks interesting. But no thunderbolt, right?

Yeah the P310 was great until it lasted, I wish (and thought) that by now there'd be more of its kind

Thanks again for your help