Forward compatabilty, future desktop replacement and other considerations.

[human_aft3r_all]

Edit: Didn't get any replies to this topic. On my own research, I think that the Zenbook UX32VD is an affordable compromise between everything that I've been looking for. It's not to expensive at $1229-ish on xoticpc and I can upgrade it in the future. Any thoughts or other suggestions would be appreciated.

I am willing to hang onto that cash until september or so, but I am trying to take forward-compatability into consideration, so as well as the list below, I'd also want people's opinions on the importance of a thunderbolt port for external GPU and the likelihood that technology will ever surface (i've seen the GUS II demo). My basic issue is between a strong contender like a Dell XPS 14 that will serve my purposes that I can forsee, or to wait and gamble on the more powerhouse Gigabyte u2442 (with thunderbolt) or focus on build quality and ditch discreet graphics alltogether.

I am a game design student and I run Maya, UDK, Source SDK, 3DS Max as the most intensive processes. I have a desktop (i7 920, Diamond 4870x2, 18GB ddr3 ram) that will serve that purpose, and the XEON machines at my school building are great as well. I am trying to decide whether I want my laptop to ALSO be able to run that software, or if I should focus on a solid typing and usability experience that can run Photoshop, Illustrator and is good for coding.

1) What is your budget?

Ideally sub $1000, I can go higher, just something to keep in mind.

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


3) Where will you buying this notebook?

The USA, probably interweb

4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?

a. Like: I have had good experiences with Dells, Apples look nice but I would be loading Win7 instantly.

b. Dislike: HP, Sony (my current scratch magnet)

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

yes, but also only considering Ivy Bridge so that's nearly not an option

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

Option A: (discreet graphics)
Maya, 3ds Max, UDK, Adobe CS6 master collection, Steam games

Option B: (with GMA 4000)

Maya, Adobe CS6 Master Collection, TF2 and mid-low range games

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

both. If it benches higher than my desktop, I want to consider a docking solution, ideally as elegant as the Henge docks for macs, so I can use the machine with external monitors, kb& mouse, and eventually an external graphics card if it's worth considering

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

I have a nvidia 330m card in my machine now, according to notebookcheck its comparable to Intel GMA 4000 and that runs Maya, photoshop and Team Fortress 2 just fine. If I can get a better discreet card I will definitely utilize it in modeling, Unreal Development Kit and newer DX11 games

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

I would like 8+, full day of computing on reasonable settings.

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?

i would have to be reassured by multiple independent sources on the build quality and display on a laptop I can't see, but that's none of you guys' concern.

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

Win 7 Pro is the only one I can run until all design software is retooled for Win 8

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.


it MUST be 1600x900 or higher. Also, it needs to have strong colors and good viewing angles side-to-side.

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

doesn't matter as long as it looks good, is bright and has good color. I am okay with glossy.

Build Quality and Design

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

durable, non-scratchy materials, simple design and relative thinness without being a superlative are important.

15) When are you buying this laptop?

I can hold off until september before I need it.

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

two years at least, thus the speculation about thunderbolt.

Notebook Components

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

I have been operating my laptop on a 100gb usable 60gb striping raid, I can use a 128 ssd or 256 ssd just fine. I am okay with a spinning drive if there are significant price savings.

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

I do not want an optical drive at all.

==========


Thanks for the suggestions everyone!

[human_aft3r_all]

did I do something wrong with this post? It seems like it's getting buried with no responses.

[AZGaming]

did I do something wrong with this post? It seems like it's getting buried with no responses.

It took a day or so before I got any replies. While ya wait check out the sticky thin and light gaming laptops

Good luck!

[human_aft3r_all]

well I've been doing some research, and I think that I'm going to go with the Asus Zenbook UX32VD, it seems like it's portable and will handle some light gaming. Furthermore, I can upgrade the ram to 10GB and get an SSD when I get the cash.

[megafire455]

With your background as game design student you probably know best what you need as you did some thorough research.

How does the following relate to your primary question?
"Summary: I'm currently putting my first generation Vaio Z up for sale, (pm me if you're interested I suppose) before the monsoon of laptops hits this summer/fall and mine will be worth little to nothing."

[human_aft3r_all]

It really doesn't other than to illustrate that I'm going to be without a laptop fairly soon. I apologize if that's inappropriate on this board, it's removed.

I'd like to say that I know exactly what I need, but my experience fixing hardware and working with software has really mostly let me with a few absolutes and a lot of suspicion and quandaries regarding laptops. I would like to read more reviews and hear from users who have used a Zenbook UX32VD to help quell that.

My concerns regarding the laptop are primarily about battery life. 4.5 hours is not quite up to par for the price. However, it has a 7200 HDD in the machine. If I up the RAM to 10GB, and install an SSD, does anyone know how much gain I'm going to get on battery life?

Also, I don't really know how 1080p is going to work on a 13.3 inch screen. I have sharp eyes, but it still seems pretty tight.

lastly, heat seems to be a small concern in this machine about heat. There's conflicting reports, but it might be a problem.

Basically, if anyone has a serious reason to NOT go with this machine based on speculation or experience, let me know. OR, if there's a comparable contender at a lower price point or with better specs, i'd like to know as well. I really like the new Dell XPS 14 but with a 1GB graphics card and an i7 it costs $1500 which is ridiculous, and I can't get an i7 configuration without a stupid expensive SSD.

[kanuk]

If you want huge battery life you may want to look at Vaios with the sheet battery or the Lenovo X220.

[human_aft3r_all]

If you want huge battery life you may want to look at Vaios with the sheet battery or the Lenovo X220.

Well, I keep hearing the lcd assembly for the Vaio S is really flimsy, which concerns me. My current sony laptop is a huge scratch magnet too, I hate that. While the Vaio S is not out of the question, I am very concerned about the build quality.

I like the X220 a lot, my friend who is a sysadmin uses one, but the screen is far below what I need for 2d and 3d editing.

Thanks though, I will keep looking at the Vaio S.