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[crazygambit]

So I need a new notebook. I've done a search, but only old threads pop up, so I thought I'd made a new one to ask.

Edit: I should point out I'm not in the US so prices can vary significantly. I'll put up the prices for the stuff I'm looking at.

I'm looking at a desktop replacement, so portability is not an issue (I have a netbook for that). I need something in 17" and that's pretty snappy. Also the screen must at least be 1080p.

I mostly want it for work, big powerpoint presentations with lots of high res photos, video playback, lots of stuff open at the same time, etc. Gaming is not necessary.

I've basically narrowed it down to 2.

OP should add price tags for all the comps he wants to look at so we can have a price reference

Edit: I should point out I'm not in the US so prices can vary significantly. I'll put up the prices for the stuff I'm looking at.

Samsung RF712: $1,500 (including tax) for the 750GB one and about $1,700 for 1TB (I'm thinking 750GB is the way to go here)

Processor: Intel Core i7-2670QM 2,2GHz turbo 3,1GHz/ 6MB cache / 32 nm/
Cores: 4 physical
Chipset: Mobile Intel® HM65 Express Chipset
RAM: 8 GB DDR3

HDD: 1 TB 5400 rpm
Screen: 17,3" LED Full HD 3D (1920 x 1080) 16:9 Super Bright Plus (400nit contrast)
Video: AMD HD6650M 1 GB, Dedicated.
Optical Bluray Drive.
2 USB 3.0 ports

Also the screen is 3D and it comes with active glasses, but I don't care about that at all (I already have a big 3D TV). The bolded is where it's better than my next candidate. The bluray drive might be nice if I could rip my BD collection there. That would be worthwhile.

However I know nothing about the build quality of this notebook and whether the screen is any good, especially in comparison with my next candidate.

Second choice:

17" Macbook Pro Early 2011 model $2,500

MC725
Processor: Intel Core i7 quad-core de 2.2 GHz
HDD: 750GB at 5400 rpm
Graphics: HD Intel 3000 with 384 MB of SDRAM DDR3 shared with main memory
AMD Radeon HD 6750M with 1 GB of GDDR5 memory
4 GB RAM
Screen: LED 17" 1920 x 1200

The first is considerably cheaper than the second. US$ 800 cheaper where I live. The current Macbook Pro is out of my budget being US$ 700 more expensive than the early 2011 model (which is on sale). So take that into account where giving your opinions. I already have a Mini and like Mac OS just fine, but I could live with Windows if I had to. I feel that if the screen is sufficiently better in this one it might be worth the extra price for me.

And the Mini is not good enough for the kind of work I need the computer for, it's far too slow and runs out of memory too much, so keep that in mind as well. Plus I use it as an HTPC and it's very uncomfortable to work with.

If there's something else out there I've missed feel free to point it out. And do try to back up your choice with some arguments.

 

[felipeko]

Hi, i had almost the same requirements as you (no need for portability, a 17'' screen, with a lot of processing power to leave things open). I looked at a lot of options, and in the end i settled with Asus G74SX-AH71.

It's a gamming machine, but it's great for everything else, and with a nice price tag.

Intel Core i7 2670QM Processor 2.2GHz
16GB DD3 RAM (4 slots)
750GB 7200RPM Hard Drive (2 slots, so you can add an SSD)
17.3-Inch Screen
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M (3gb)
1080p
3 USB 2.0
1 USB 3.0

It`s a really big and heavy notebook (9.4 pounds), but it has a excelent (silent) cooling system, which is more important for me.

 

[Somnid]

Desktop replacement is silly, you either need to move it or you don't and if you don't you always want the desktop because it's cheaper. Is your netbook able to cover for your mobile needs? If not then you need a notebook, otherwise don't bother.

Also, there's a huge amount of shake up going on this year with rumors of a high-res Mac Book and of course all number of Window 8 ultra books coming in all number of form factors, if you can hang on until Fall you'll have a ton more options.

 

[WascallyWabbit]

OP should add price tags for all the comps he wants to look at so we can have a price reference

 

[felipeko]

Desktop replacement is silly, you either need to move it or you don't and if you don't you always want the desktop because it's cheaper. Is your netbook able to cover for your mobile needs? If not then you need a notebook, otherwise don't bother.

Also, there's a huge amount of shake up going on this year with rumors of a high-res Mac Book and of course all number of Window 8 ultra books coming in all number of form factors, if you can hang on until Fall you'll have a ton more options.

I like to take my notebook to others rooms and bed. For everything else i have a netbook, tablet and smartphone... Also, having a battery is great for power outages.

My other reason is because i'm brazilian, and i bought this notebook on my vacation to USA, so it was cheaper than buying a similar desktop here.

 

[crazygambit]

Hi, i had almost the same requirements as you (no need for portability, a 17'' screen, with a lot of processing power to leave things open). I looked at a lot of options, and in the end i settled with Asus G74SX-AH71.

It's a gamming machine, but it's great for everything else, and with a nice price tag.

Intel Core i7 2670QM Processor 2.2GHz
16GB DD3 RAM (4 slots)
750GB 7200RPM Hard Drive (2 slots, so you can add an SSD)
17.3-Inch Screen
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M (3gb)
1080p
3 USB 2.0
1 USB 3.0

It`s a really big and heavy notebook (9.4 pounds), but it has a excelent (silent) cooling system, which is more important for me.

Thanks for the response. I didn't think about it, but yes, that it's silent is a very big deal for me as well. Weight and battery life, not so much.

Looking at it's local price for me, it's around $2,600. I think the Samsung would be much better value considering those prices.

Desktop replacement is silly, you either need to move it or you don't and if you don't you always want the desktop because it's cheaper. Is your netbook able to cover for your mobile needs? If not then you need a notebook, otherwise don't bother.

Also, there's a huge amount of shake up going on this year with rumors of a high-res Mac Book and of course all number of Window 8 ultra books coming in all number of form factors, if you can hang on until Fall you'll have a ton more options.

I didn't really wanna get into this too much, but basically I have no place to put a desktop computer (mainly the monitor) so while portability is not a requirement it does need to fold to be put away when not in use. Since all notebooks do this no matter how large I didn't feel the need to point it out in the OP.

So to be clear, a desktop is out of the question so I need the next best thing, which is a powerful notebook.