Help me to choose a laptop

[reds1892]

Hello guys,

I am a new member here.I start this thread because i can't decide which of the below laptops to chose.Here are my two choices:

1.Sony Vaio s15
-Intel Core i5 - 3210M 2.50GHz
-4GB (1x4GB) DDR3 1333MHz
-640GB SATA (5400rpm)
-Intel Graphics HD 4000
nVidia GeForce GT 640M LE 1GB dedicated
-15.5" WXGA Full HD (1920x1080)
-2.0Kg

2.Lenovo Ideapad Y580
-Intel Core i5 - 3210M 2.50GHz
-6GB (1x4GB+1x6GB) DDR3 1333MHz
-500GB SATA (5400rpm) + ssd 32GB msata
-nVIDIA GeForce GT 660M 2GB
-15.6'' HD LED (1366X768)
-2.8Kg

I want your opinions about these laptops.I am student in university(i am studying electrical engineering) and i want to do different jobs with them.I prefer lenovo,but the only thing that i am concerned is its weight.I am not sure if i can transport it easily.Tell me what do you think about this.I understand that lenovo is much better,but i like vaio's design,height etc.Also, vaio has better screen and is FHD.Which laptop will you choose? Have they got disadvantages?

Thanks

[edit1754]

Well, the difference betwee the two screens will always affect you, and the difference between the two GPUs will only affect you when gaming or running other GPU-intensive software.

What games / GPU-intensive-software do you plan on running, and could you post the links to these two models?

[reds1892]

I don't play games often,but i want a good performance if i decide to play.So,i don't need a gaming laptop.I plan to run autocad,matlab,spice etc and programming.About the screen display,i have read that 1920x1080 is too high for 15,5 inches and make the things look smaller.I have found these two models from greek shops.Thus,i don't know if it is useful to post links.If this can help,tell me to do it.

[oinkmooblah]

I would definitely go with the Vaio. 1080p is ideal for 15.5". It does make things smaller, but they're certainly readable (especially since you're young- we'll assume your eyes are fairly good). And the extra screen real estate is great. Because things are "smaller", you can fit two windows side-by-side, which is incredibly useful for college. I'm studying electrical engineering as well, and am now selling my U300s (13.3" 1366x768) for a Series 9 (13.3" 1600x900) because I can't have my lab results on one side of the screen and my lab report on the other (without annoying zooming and such), and for CAD software, the more space you have, the better.

Further, the 640LE can reportedly be overclocked to basically be the same as a 650 or 660. If you're that worried about the GPU, keep that in mind.

And lastly, portability. This depends on the kind of student you are, but I'm personally a big fan of working outside of my room- in friends' dorms, in libraries, etc. The difference in portability between these two machines is quite significant if you find yourself traveling with your laptop for long periods of time (for instance, if you bring your laptop to all of your classes). The battery life between these machines is comparable though.

[reds1892]

Does the ssd 32gb msata which is used by lenovo make laptop faster?This ssd is lower class than a ssd 64gb or 128gb?How can i use such a small ssd?The difference in speed from a hdd 5400 rpm is big?

[oinkmooblah]

The SSD is much, much faster than a 5400 rpm HDD. The msata designation is just the interface it connects with; it has nothing to do with the class. However, it likely will be slower than dedicated SSDs, as this is only designed to act as a cache. Commonly used applications will be stored on it to improve boot time and access speeds for those specific programs. Overall, the computer should feel a bit faster.

Honestly, 1366x768 on a 15.6" screen is unbearable for my eyes (you can discern individual pixels without much difficulty), so I'd definitely choose the Vaio (which also benefits from awesome viewing angles). If the low screen resolution won't bother you, and you don't mind the extra heft, the Y580 is going to feel faster.

[edit1754]

The poor quality of a 15.6" 1366x768 display isn't so much due to the discernability of the individual pixels (though that does contribute), it's more due to the poor contrast of a typical 15.6" 1366x768 display. 15.6" 1366x768 displays tend to be low-grade LCD panels that appear washed out due to low contrast.