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Frijolero
Jan 24, 2009

by Nyc_Tattoo

DrDork posted:

It's a last-gen laptop with mediocre build and component quality. It's a fair price for what you get (and don't get). Here's a review of basically the same laptop (minor part name fuckery because BestBuy manages to get model numbers exclusive to their stores): http://www.cnet.com/laptops/lenovo-ideapad-z400-touch/4505-3121_7-35561178.html

e; it's also worth considering that for $100 more you can get a T430, which'll get you a poo poo-ton better build quality, a bigger battery, and shave about a pound off the weight. You do lose 100MHz off the CPU (ignorable) and 2GB of RAM ($25 from Newegg), but if you can swing the extra $100 you'll be a lot happier with the laptop you end up with.

Thanks a bunch!

I just really like how good the CPU is for $530. Also, the cheapest T430 I've found is $730. I've yet to decide though.

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teagone
Jun 10, 2003

That was pretty intense, huh?

Is it weird that even though I have a MacBook Air, I still want one of the HP Chromebooks? The orange one looks amazing. Do any of you own a Chromebook and a MacBook, but find yourself using the Chromebook more?

DrDork
Dec 29, 2003
commanding officer of the Army of Dorkness

Frijolero posted:

Thanks a bunch!

I just really like how good the CPU is for $530. Also, the cheapest T430 I've found is $730. I've yet to decide though.
If you're looking at BB, I'm assuming you're in the US, in which case you should look at the OP for the B&N link, which will save you quite a bit off the normal list-price of Lenovo laptops. A T430 w/1600x900 screen is $648.00 today. Also recommended if you spend any time on iffy WiFi is the 6205 card for $10. Honestly, that's recommended even if you're not on iffy WiFi all the time.

Srebrenica Surprise
Aug 23, 2008

"L-O-V-E's just another word I never learned to pronounce."
CPU speed, like most paper-specs on laptops, has been absolutely meaningless for years. Every piece of poo poo Best Buy $500 special has an i5 something or other a thousand times beyond what any application cares about, the deciding factor for performance is overwhelmingly I/O bottlenecked. Don't buy laptops on specs, buy them on ergonomics and build quality.

Hadlock
Nov 9, 2004

Frijolero posted:

I am missing something with this Lenovo?

It's $530. Here are the specs:
- i5-3230m: 2.6GHz
-14"

For $100 more you can get a T430 from the same company with a Real Keyboard and a magnesium frame, will last you half a decade.

As mentioned above, even an i3 is ludicrously fast, your main bottleneck these days is feeding the CPU, that means 4GB+ ram and a SSD.

Frijolero
Jan 24, 2009

by Nyc_Tattoo
Thanks for all the advice peeps. I'm set on the T430. I am a little upset that HDMI and Webcam are not standard but it's a great computer for $666.

vv Yeah, I went with the webcam and the 1600x900 options. vv

Frijolero fucked around with this message at 03:07 on Sep 17, 2013

OXBALLS DOT COM
Sep 11, 2005

by FactsAreUseless
Young Orc

Frijolero posted:

Thanks for all the advice peeps. I'm set on the T430. I am a little upset that HDMI and Webcam are not standard but it's a great computer for $666.

The webcam is like a $20 option and you can get a mini-DP to HDMI adapter for less than $10 online.

dissss
Nov 10, 2007

I'm a terrible forums poster with terrible opinions.

Here's a cat fucking a squid.

Srebrenica Surprise posted:

CPU speed, like most paper-specs on laptops, has been absolutely meaningless for years. Every piece of poo poo Best Buy $500 special has an i5 something or other a thousand times beyond what any application cares about, the deciding factor for performance is overwhelmingly I/O bottlenecked. Don't buy laptops on specs, buy them on ergonomics and build quality.

There is a surprising amount if low end stuff with the AMD E1 processors around which basically belong in netbooks - I'd say you still need to be careful with them.

With Intel its not such an issue as even the cheaper Pentiums are still fast enough.

P.N.T.M.
Jan 14, 2006

tiny dinosaurs
Fun Shoe

Srebrenica Surprise posted:

CPU speed, like most paper-specs on laptops, has been absolutely meaningless for years. Every piece of poo poo Best Buy $500 special has an i5 something or other a thousand times beyond what any application cares about, the deciding factor for performance is overwhelmingly I/O bottlenecked. Don't buy laptops on specs, buy them on ergonomics and build quality.

Which is absolutely great since every company's mantra of "100mHz = $50 - $100" is frightful.

Thanks to this thread, I am now saving up for a t430. It'll take me a while, but maybe they will do a Haswell refresh by the time I get there :3:

Hadlock
Nov 9, 2004

Frijolero posted:

Thanks for all the advice peeps. I'm set on the T430. I am a little upset that HDMI and Webcam are not standard

There's an excellent adapter in the OP for like, $3 shipped

DrDork
Dec 29, 2003
commanding officer of the Army of Dorkness

P.N.T.M. posted:

Which is absolutely great since every company's mantra of "100mHz = $50 - $100" is frightful.

Thanks to this thread, I am now saving up for a t430. It'll take me a while, but maybe they will do a Haswell refresh by the time I get there :3:
Haswell refresh should drop in November. The hardware options actually look reasonably good (especially the T440p), and they're finally taking the step into 1080p (though doubtless as a pricey option). Downside is you lose the physical mouse buttons (both for the trackpad and the clitmouse) so if you're the type who REALLY LOVES them, you may be disappointed. They also will probably not be $650 when they first drop.

Macichne Leainig
Jul 26, 2012

by VG
Well I think I just bought an Acer S3 with Sandy Bridge i3 at $120, but time will tell. Maybe I can replace this shithouse Asus where the DVD drive and headphone jack both failed in a year.

tijag
Aug 6, 2002
Regular sized laptops with regular mobile CPU's are coming, right? About the only ones that I can find so far are 'ultra books' and I just want a regular 15" laptop with Haswell. Why are those not out yet?

Naffer
Oct 26, 2004

Not a good chemist

tijag posted:

Regular sized laptops with regular mobile CPU's are coming, right? About the only ones that I can find so far are 'ultra books' and I just want a regular 15" laptop with Haswell. Why are those not out yet?
There's the Lenovo y510p, the Dell Inspiron 15R, the Dell Latitude 15 5000 series, the Dell Precision M4800 etc.

GrizzlyCow
May 30, 2011
It doesn't look like Intel is going to release any "normal" version of the Core i5 for Haswell. They're all Ultra Low Voltage. Only their Pentiums, Celerons, and Core i7 processor lines will have normal mobile versions. The processors with Iris integrated graphics operate at a TDP and frequency closer to Ivy Bridge's -M Core i5 processors.

It looks like Intel is phasing out higher performance, higher power consumption processors outside their Core i7 line.

FISHMANPET
Mar 3, 2007

Sweet 'N Sour
Can't
Melt
Steel Beams
Well they've got 27W i5s, I think it's mostly a branding change it that they're saying everything they make is Ultra Lower Power now.

Rooster Brooster
Mar 30, 2001

Maybe it doesn't really matter anymore.
So I'm looking to buy in the next month or so, but I'm way out of the loop on the best sites to do research. What sites are good at reviewing all the latest and greatest? Bonus points for good comparison-shopping features.

Hadlock
Nov 9, 2004

Intel owns the name Ultrabook, they are in year three of their campaign. If you need and under powered laptop with 4 hours or less of battery life and worse graphics, you can always buy an AMD. Outside of best buy can you even buy an AMD laptop anymore?

Intel offers a quad core i7 if you need a true mobile workstation. A modern i5 is just stupid fast for anything else these days. My i5-3320 laptop benchmarks faster than my i5-750 desktop.

Hadlock fucked around with this message at 19:38 on Sep 17, 2013

Genocyber
Jun 4, 2012

DrDork posted:

Haswell refresh should drop in November. The hardware options actually look reasonably good (especially the T440p), and they're finally taking the step into 1080p (though doubtless as a pricey option). Downside is you lose the physical mouse buttons (both for the trackpad and the clitmouse) so if you're the type who REALLY LOVES them, you may be disappointed. They also will probably not be $650 when they first drop.

When this happens, is it impossible to buy the older models, or do they typically keep them around as well?

Hadlock
Nov 9, 2004

Lenovo will probably dump old new stock in places like Woot, Overstock.com and keep a hawkish outlook on slickdeals

Lenovo sold Sandy Bridge along side Ivy bridge until sometime this spring, especially on their low end i3 models, but sometimes as the default i5. That may or may not be the case with Ivy/Haswell, as they just shipped T430's with sandybridge in them due to the same case type. Haswell models are much more thin to meet Intel's ultrabook requirements.

tijag
Aug 6, 2002
Are these 'ultrabooks' really capable of low end gaming? Say casual WoW just because I'm bored or something?

I want an rMBP, but $2200 for a laptop is off putting. I'm blow away by how many MBP's and rMBP's I see day to day in the Los Angeles area.

Does anyone besides apple make a 15" IPS screen laptop, preferably at 1920x1080, with decent battery life and good build quality, using Haswell?

Hadlock
Nov 9, 2004

tijag posted:

Are these 'ultrabooks' really capable of low end gaming? Say casual WoW just because I'm bored or something?

I want an rMBP, but $2200 for a laptop is off putting. I'm blow away by how many MBP's and rMBP's I see day to day in the Los Angeles area.

you can get a MBA for about a grand? I bet a lot of those rMBP were bought on credit cards

HD4000 will juuuust barely load and play BF3 @ 12-13fps, 4600 will do bf3 @ almost 20fps which is getting in to playable territory. Skyrim and Mass Effect 2 will play on med-low @ 30-40fps on a 1366x768 screen.

If you want casual gaming on a 1080p screen it's doable but you may need to crank down the resolution (Read: not native) to get an acceptable framerate for more modern, mainstream games.

The lowest end GPU that comes in haswell processors will happly play any indie game on steam that you throw at it.

Naffer
Oct 26, 2004

Not a good chemist

tijag posted:

Does anyone besides apple make a 15" IPS screen laptop, preferably at 1920x1080, with decent battery life and good build quality, using Haswell?

If you're ok with a 14" display and dual-core Haswell, this Acer ticks a lot of boxes for $1300 : http://anandtech.com/show/7238/acer-v7482pg9884-review-everything-you-need

OXBALLS DOT COM
Sep 11, 2005

by FactsAreUseless
Young Orc

tijag posted:

Are these 'ultrabooks' really capable of low end gaming? Say casual WoW just because I'm bored or something?

I want an rMBP, but $2200 for a laptop is off putting. I'm blow away by how many MBP's and rMBP's I see day to day in the Los Angeles area.

Does anyone besides apple make a 15" IPS screen laptop, preferably at 1920x1080, with decent battery life and good build quality, using Haswell?

T530 would hit all your requirements except for the IPS screen. However, the 1080 screen option has a very good 95% gamut TN screen that is almost as good.

Skooms
Nov 5, 2009
I posted earlier about purchasing a laptop from Lenovo - I'm still having trouble getting an account set up with the B&N link. I've tried three times now, using different e-mail addresses to no effect. Anyone else had similar problems?

Mr.Radar
Nov 5, 2005

You guys aren't going to believe this, but that guy is our games teacher.

Skooms posted:

I posted earlier about purchasing a laptop from Lenovo - I'm still having trouble getting an account set up with the B&N link. I've tried three times now, using different e-mail addresses to no effect. Anyone else had similar problems?

I never got my e-mail to activate my account, but resetting my password after I created my account worked and let me log in.

bastardInABasket
May 22, 2001
Fun Shoe

Skooms posted:

I posted earlier about purchasing a laptop from Lenovo - I'm still having trouble getting an account set up with the B&N link. I've tried three times now, using different e-mail addresses to no effect. Anyone else had similar problems?

I don't know if it's similar to what you're seeing but I do recall running into an issue. After creating an account, I never got my activation email. So I tried creating another one and it said my email was already in use. So I just requested a password reset and got the email. I went through the reset process and the account worked fine. Ordered a T530 on 9/11 and UPS says it's shipped and supposed to arrive(CA, US) on friday the 20th. I think I'm supposed to consider myself lucky based on all the month long waiting stories I've read on their forums.

Skooms
Nov 5, 2009

Mr.Radar posted:

I never got my e-mail to activate my account, but resetting my password after I created my account worked and let me log in.

That did the trick. Any input on accidental damage warranties?

dpkg chopra
Jun 9, 2007

Fast Food Fight

Grimey Drawer

E30User posted:

I don't know if it's similar to what you're seeing but I do recall running into an issue. After creating an account, I never got my activation email. So I tried creating another one and it said my email was already in use. So I just requested a password reset and got the email. I went through the reset process and the account worked fine. Ordered a T530 on 9/11 and UPS says it's shipped and supposed to arrive(CA, US) on friday the 20th. I think I'm supposed to consider myself lucky based on all the month long waiting stories I've read on their forums.

Speaking of which, today I got an e-mail from Lenovo telling me that my shipment's been delayed but that I should expect it within 30 days from this notice (I ordered 12 days ago).

Thanks a million, Lenovo.

bull3964
Nov 18, 2000

DO YOU HEAR THAT? THAT'S THE SOUND OF ME PATTING MYSELF ON THE BACK.


Ur Getting Fatter posted:

Speaking of which, today I got an e-mail from Lenovo telling me that my shipment's been delayed but that I should expect it within 30 days from this notice (I ordered 12 days ago).

Thanks a million, Lenovo.

Yeah, I got that email too.

Then my y410p shipped the next day and should arrive Thursday. I think that email automatically fires out if they miss their original ship date estimate.

What's really amusing is Lenovo sent me a survey asking about my buying experience yesterday. I would think they would at LEAST wait until I got the thing.

dpkg chopra
Jun 9, 2007

Fast Food Fight

Grimey Drawer

bull3964 posted:

Yeah, I got that email too.

Then my y410p shipped the next day and should arrive Thursday. I think that email automatically fires out if they miss their original ship date estimate.

What's really amusing is Lenovo sent me a survey asking about my buying experience yesterday. I would think they would at LEAST wait until I got the thing.

That's somewhat reassuring. Thanks!

internet inc
Jun 13, 2005

brb
taking pictures
of ur house
What is the cheapest Haswell available right now? Bonus points if it's rugged and has a good screen/resolution.

Alternatively, does Haswell really matter if battery life isn't all that important?

(You might remember I recently asked about convertible tablet/laptops but I've changed my mind.)

Bob Morales
Aug 18, 2006


Just wear the fucking mask, Bob

I don't care how many people I probably infected with COVID-19 while refusing to wear a mask, my comfort is far more important than the health and safety of everyone around me!

internet inc posted:

Alternatively, does Haswell really matter if battery life isn't all that important?
No, It's basically the same performance as Ivy Bridge but has a possibly slight increase in graphics performance as well.

The Iron Rose
May 12, 2012

:minnie: Cat Army :minnie:

Skooms posted:

That did the trick. Any input on accidental damage warranties?

Saved my rear end when I was swapping out the HD and the SSD and broke something. If you use your computer a lot and aren't super careful with it, sure, go for it. I would, at any rate.

Ethanfr0me
Feb 2, 2012
I need a new work laptop, it has to run a couple of Windows only programs (like UPS Worldship) and also be able to handle some light Photoshop work. The T430 seems like a good choice, although it seems too heavy to haul to and from work everyday on my 45min public transit commute. Is the Macbook Air able to run native Windows programs that require Windows driver enabled hardware (Zebra label printer) via BootCamp? Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

DrDork
Dec 29, 2003
commanding officer of the Army of Dorkness

Skooms posted:

That did the trick. Any input on accidental damage warranties?
It's a personal thing, but like with all warranties, consider the fact that they would not offer them if they didn't make money on them. That said, look at your history with electronics and laptops. Have your last ones died a horrible, early death due to abuse? Are you prone to accidents? Do you have small children, or roommates who act like small children? If it did break and you couldn't afford to replace it right away, would that be an enormous problem? If so, accident protection may be for you. If, on the other hand, a broken laptop would be merely annoying, and most of your electronics tend to last well past their normal life, then there's probably no reason to get it.

Either way, don't bother with the battery warranty, as it's usually the same price (or even more!) than just buying a second battery from Amazon and stashing it away for when you need a replacement.

DrDork
Dec 29, 2003
commanding officer of the Army of Dorkness

tijag posted:

Are these 'ultrabooks' really capable of low end gaming? Say casual WoW just because I'm bored or something?

I want an rMBP, but $2200 for a laptop is off putting. I'm blow away by how many MBP's and rMBP's I see day to day in the Los Angeles area.

Does anyone besides apple make a 15" IPS screen laptop, preferably at 1920x1080, with decent battery life and good build quality, using Haswell?
You don't really need anything too fancy to run WoW. Even with just the HD4000, at 1920x1080 on Good presets (no FSAA), you should still get around 30FPS. Pretty much any discrete card will double that or more.

If you can wait until November, the T540 should be able to hit all your requirements at a good bit under $2200. In the meantime, there aren't a whole lot of shipping Haswell 15" laptops that aren't some crazy $2000 gaming setup (thanks to Apple hoovering up all the mid-level i5 chips to put into their own laptops). But by this holiday season you should have a healthy number of options for what you seek.

mugrim
Mar 2, 2007

The same eye cannot both look up to heaven and down to earth.
Has anyone used a T430 with the dedicated graphics card option? By any chance have you played bioshock infinite? It's one of the few games I really want to be able to play that's new, and as fun as the y410p looks if I could play it with moderate playability on a t430, the ease of upgrade and tremendous battery life would make a difference to me.

Likewise has anyone used a samsung series 5 ultratouch? It looks very up my alley but I'd like to hear if anyone likes it enough.

Also, is anyone else extremely turned off by these terrible number pad keyboards that are offset? I don't know how you would type with the thing on your lap without potentially tipping it over.

OXBALLS DOT COM
Sep 11, 2005

by FactsAreUseless
Young Orc

mugrim posted:

Also, is anyone else extremely turned off by these terrible number pad keyboards that are offset? I don't know how you would type with the thing on your lap without potentially tipping it over.

I have tried them out on borrowed laptops before and agree that they are extremely terrible.

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DrDork
Dec 29, 2003
commanding officer of the Army of Dorkness

mugrim posted:

Has anyone used a T430 with the dedicated graphics card option? By any chance have you played bioshock infinite? It's one of the few games I really want to be able to play that's new, and as fun as the y410p looks if I could play it with moderate playability on a t430, the ease of upgrade and tremendous battery life would make a difference to me.
While I haven't actually tried it myself, BioShock is a bridge too far unless you are really willing to compromise on the graphics. The NVS 5400M is almost identical to the GF 710M, so you can expect ~50FPS at 1280x720 and low preset, or 30FPS at 1336x768 and medium preset. Anything more than that and you're going to quickly end up in the unplayable ranges. The 730M that should be in the upcoming T440-series ads about 10FPS, but 1600x900 on anything higher than medium probably isn't happening, and 1080p is right out. A 750M is probably the minimum to play Bioshock on 1080p without needing to have absolutely everything minimized to keep it at 30FPS.

mugrim posted:

Also, is anyone else extremely turned off by these terrible number pad keyboards that are offset?
Yes.

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