Review of Gigabyte U2442D-CF1 14-Inch Ultrabook (Aluminum Champagne Gold)

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $1,099.00
Sale Price: $969.95
Today's Bonus: 12% Off

This notebook could be improved in a number of ways, but since there's nothing else quite like it, I give it a full 5-stars.

Asus was supposed to release a similar notebook, as were a couple other manufacturers, but they turned out to be vaporware.

I searched high and low for a lightweight/ultraportable with a decent resolution (greater than 1366x768, this one is 1600x900) and a proper dedicated graphics card (2gb GT 730M).

The GT 730M is more than just a rebadged GT 640M as some sites have called it, it's has a higher stock clock speed (725 vs 625)putting it closer to the GT 650M and some reports have referred to the core as a GK207 vs GK107, w/ 24 ROPS vs. 16. I haven't yet figured out how to verify this, nor have I been able to get the latest drivers directly from Nvidia to load. On the subject of drivers, Gigabyte offers Windows 7 versions of all the software, drivers, and even a Windows 7 bios so you don't have to use Windows 8 if you don't want to.

The notebook really is light weight and runs quite cool. The stock msata SSD is the tried and true Crucial M4 which doesn't have the top benchmark numbers, but in real world use, it's a rocket. The notebook also has room for a second normal 7 or 9.5mm hard drive which is completely unheard of in a 'true' ultrabook. I believe the Gigabyte U2442D doesn't get to wear an "Ultrabook" sticker because it comes with an i5 instead of an i7, however the i5 is much faster than any of the low voltage dual core i7's and many of the previous regular voltage dual core i7's. i7 used to mean 4-cores with hyper-threading flagship performance, but now it just means at least $200 more on the sticker price.

A few things to consider if you're looking to purchase one of these notebooks; the aluminum lid has a gold-ish tint to it and the rest of it is just grey plastic. It doesn't really look premium and I slapped on a skin for the lid and a few stickers on the palm rest to keep it from getting scratched up too quickly. The screen is a traditional matte which is great for glare, but not so great for keeping clean or getting the sharpest colors. The notebook comes with Windows 8, which really sucks for productivity (but most computers come with Windows 8). The Nvidia Kepler architecture is great for gaming, but even with 384 Cuda cores, it sucks at openCL so GPU acceleration of programs like Matlab, Solidworks, Photoshop, Ansys, Comsol, etc aren't going to really benefit from the dedicated card like they would with an ATI/AMD dedicated card of the same level.

At the end of the day, it's a very capable, very light weight notebook for playing and getting work done. When the box arrives you will not be disapointed, the packaging is sharp and Gigabyte throws in extras like a very nice leather sleeve and a keyboard cover/screen cloth.

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Had high hopes for this model, but alas -quality control is apparently a severe issue with Gigabyte's laptop line.

At the time of purchase, over two months ago, this ultrabook did occupy a unique place with features others did not have and a low price. It's poor screen quality is its one obvious fail.

However, within one week, it inexplicably failed to turn on or show any sign of life when plugged in. Gigabyte issued a RA# and it was sent back via slow UPS on their account. Two weeks later, they reported no problem and send it back.

However, the same problem occurred after 3 more days, rendering the unit useless. It was sent back again and Gigabyte tecch said they had now figured out the problem and I would have to get a whole new unit, losing my HD setup and info.

A new unit was sent to me, 6 weeks after purchase with time spent on using it amounting to less than a week.

Turned it on and there was a big dead green pixel in the middle of the screen. Haven't seen that in a new laptop for many years. With no way of fixing the totally dead pixel, I had to return it yet again.

This time I asked for a refund, which had to come form GB because they had sent a new unit and the seller could not refund for that. Getting a refund from Gigabyte is not an easy feat -seems to have to go through Taiwan management .

Nine weeks after purchase, I am left with no answer to emails about when or how the refund will be issued. Chuck, the lone man in LA handling such customer service, seems to be an honest enough guy, but Gigabyte management and policies -and obviously Quality Control -are a clear fail.

Asus Notebook (ROG) G75VW-DH71 17.3inch Intel Core i7-3630QM 1.5TB Reviews

Customer Ratings:

I'm in school and need a powerful laptop for 2D and 3D digital graphic design. It handles even high poly models beautifully. It is a bit heavy, but if what you need is a good workhorse, this is it. great for gaming as well.

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Best HP G72-260US 17.3-Inch Laptop Deals

Customer Ratings:

Big, beautiful wide-screen. Laptop runs fast, quiet and cool. Windows 7 is a definite upgrade from Vista. I was a little worried about the touch-pad area at first because it has the same texture as the rest of the laptop surface. However, the touch-pad area is fully customizable and adjustable through the menus. The one con I was concerned about before purchasing this laptop was the speakers (Altec Lansing). The speakers are fairly weak, and the sound, like on most mid-level laptops is only adequate. Battery life clocked in at a little over 3 hours. Overall, I'm satisfied with my purchase.

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I'm just saying. Be careful. I bought this sleek looking laptop from Office Depot. It had all the bells and whistles and the price was $600, give or take a few lunches: webcam, 17" screen, lightweight, windows 7. At home office, and during my 14 day free trial from Office Depot, I found that HP had not loaded my webcam. Next I couldn't find my "insert" button. HP tech support from India(very nice, very professional, and very patient) corrected the webcam and the "insert" button, which is a bit of a pain as you have to depress the shift button and then the "delete" button, even though there is a button next to the "delete" which unequivocally says "ins" but rest nexts to "prt sc" on same button. So, are you with me? Now, I am getting worried that someone in design forgot the insert software and "jury rigged" the delete button to quickly correct. Then,there's the cursor and touchpad. You seem to constantly have to clean your hands for the cursor to move "at will" when you are trying to merrily go about your computer business. Then,yes there's more, in a lamp lit desk office environment you can't see the letters on the keyboard very clearly...could have made the white on black ink bolder to help out aging eyes. Then, the computer started shutting down without my assistance(Computer number one).so computer number one was returned and I was given a replacement. But, alas,same scenario...without the automatic shutoffs...but with continued webcam and "insert" button issues....so, that is why I am packing it up again....14 days is not long enough to find what other bugs may hide in my brand new computer...I have loved HP for many years, so am sorely disappointed that I have been sold two "lemons" to date. I will be glad to retract all of what I have written if HP will let me know "what gives?".

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Got this two years ago and it has been a good computer. It is time to replace the battery to give me a bit longer when I am unplugged.

Honest reviews on HP G72-260US 17.3-Inch Laptop

It boots up quickly (not as fast as an apple). The keypad on the side is awesome if you're using it for work. One thing to note however is the speakers broke after about 2 days of use. Everything else works fine though.

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The laptop itself is fine, but the real life battery life is about 2.5 hours, NOT the 4-5 hours that HP claims. It has all the specs to be a good laptop (dual core processor, 4 GB of memory) but the mouse pad/pointing device is INCREDIBLY ANNOYING! It keeps doing all kinds of annoying things like zooming in or out, or paging up or down when all i want it to do is move and point where i want it to. And bringing up the Synaptics Pointing Device program and trying to fix the annoying habits was futile. It seems like HP decided the looks of the pointer/mouse pad were more important than it functioning simply and properly.

I was removing a virus from my sister's 2005 laptop the other day and her pointing device was so simple and just did what it was supposed to do. And of course there's tons of annoying software that I don't want pre-loaded on Windows.

Discount Presario CQ62-219WM WQ778UAR 15.6" LED Notebook - Celeron 900 2.20

Customer Ratings:

In short: this computer looks cool, is powerful (at least enough for digital art and music making), and is damn cheap.

The cons here would be that, when this thing was refurbished, they must have installed all of the computer's old drivers and such, so for about the first week of usage, whenever the computer was turned on, it always had some driver to configure. This is mostly ironed out now though. I actually bought this instead of the net-book which i was initially considering as this was only a bit more expensive but much more powerful (2.2ghz compared to every netbook's pitiful 1.8ghz more powerful). I really love this thing.

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This Presario CQ62 is a great device. It is easy to set up, easy to use, and it has a long battery life.

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Shipment took 2 weeks to arrive but it was received as expected. The design of the Laptop is very good. I always have confidence in Compaq and this one continue to convince. It doesn't have a webcam,but I knew it before I ordered. So far, I am pleased with this order.

Buy Lenovo IdeaPad G580 59344054 15.6 LED Notebook Intel Core i5-3210M

Customer Ratings:

I have found the laptop to be a good one. I have had it over a month now and experienced no problems other than getting used to Window 8. Te battery holds a good charge and can usually go five hours or more. It is a 15 inch screen and has a convenient number pad next to the keyboard.

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Review of ASUS U52F-BBL5 15.6" Notebook PC (Refurbished)

Customer Ratings:

I currently have this laptop. Long battery life, quiet laptop, and graphics are good. No complaints here. The keyboard is very nice and includs a number pad which I find is very useful. It is not a heavy laptop either and works great for traveling.

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I purchased this laptop at Best Buy a year ago or so. So far no issues with the computer at all. I use this thing in college, and its great for a college student that wants more than just internet and word processing. I do run games on it (Mostly CIV-5 and Minecraft) but they do not run the best. Games can get laggy at times. I cannot edit video very well, and because of this I am looking into a new laptop, but I will be keeping this until it is dead. I also love how this computer is low key. No flashy chrome plates all over it. The rubberized wrist rest and back is very cool, IMO.

Pros: Good specs for the price. The LEDs on the front of it are not supernova bright like my previous Dell, and my roommates Gateway. i5 processor is great and is still super fast at boot up.

Cons: Nothing that is to be expected from a laptop of this range. Dont expect to game on this thing with high settings.

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I have had this laptop since Christmas and am very pleased with the performance and features. Still trying to get rid of some of the bloatware that was installed, but this is my issue not the ASUS laptop. Great buy with plenty of disk space and RAM.

Buy ASUS Zenbook UX32A-DB31 13.3-Inch Ultrabook

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $749.99
Sale Price: $569.89
Today's Bonus: 24% Off

This laptop may only have an i3 but it still is really fast. Its super light and really well built. The screen looks great.

One important thing I did that made this laptop even more of a deal was to:

Format the SSD drive and install Windows on it. This allows the laptop to boot to Windows all on the SSD and really speeds everything up. It also clears up any asus bloatware and allows you to install only what you need. Also after installing Office and some other key programs to the SSD, and turning of the page file and hibernation I have 11gb free. Other than that I plan to install most programs on the traditional hdd.

The other thing I did was put a 8gb stick of ram in it ($44). This may or may not have been necessary but it can't hurt to have a total of 10gb of ram.

Overall this laptop is one of the best purchases I have made in a long time. Installing Windows on the SSD and still having the large traditional hdd really gives you the best of both worlds.

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I've had this for about a week now and unfortunately posted a glowing review before I had a good amount of time with this laptop. I suppose that is because it looks so fantastic that it really does give you a great first impression.

Here are some issues I have found:

1. FAN NOISE

Initially I said it was practically silent. The fan noise itself is not bad. However the fans on my laptop seem to turn on and off with too little time in-between cycles. It becomes quickly annoying to hear the fan power up, stay on for 10 (sometimes 5!) seconds and then power down for ten seconds then power up again etc. Having said that I am particularly sensitive to fan noise. Most other people would probably be happy with it just stay clear if you have sensitivity to fan noise like me.

2. SCREEN

There is a haze on the screen that is very irritating and hard on the eyes. It also distorts photos slightly in my opinion. I guess that is the price of a matt screen? In any case I hate it. The colors are also off out of the box. It was set far too blue and I ended up spending hours trying to tweak it just right. I've never had to do this before out of the box.

3. SD CARD

An inserted SD card sticks out more than 1/2 way!

4. HDD

THe HDD has only 200GB or so free out of the box so there is plenty of optimizing to do to make full use out of the 320gb space.

5. BLOATWARE

Lots of bloat from Asus

And here are the nice surprises:

1. BATTERY LIFE

I can get about 6 1/2-7 hours out of it just browsing the web (flash ads blocked).

2. BUILD and LOOKS

Fantastic piece of equipment and solidly built.

3. SSD

The SSD cache can be used like a regular drive as someone else mentioned. Installing windows onto this makes the system fly. Boot up time was faster than my wife's Toshiba Z835 for instance at around 20 seconds. You can have plenty of storage space on the HDD whilst having the benefits of a fast SSD. This also allows you to have two separate installations (perhaps windows 7 and windows 8!) and it is easy to switch drives to boot up by hitting the esc key when you first switch it on. Fantastic!

4. TOUCHPAD

Actually works very nicely once you tweak it how you want eg using firefox YetAnotherSMoothScrolling for firefox and also setting the mouse wheel turns to 4 helps internet explorer scrolling.

Overall the screen and the fan turning on and off in quick succession just kills this for me so I cannot recommend it.

Best Deals for ASUS Zenbook UX32A-DB31 13.3-Inch Ultrabook

The comparison chart for this laptop says it comes with a Core i3-3217U 1.4 GHz CPU, and the description says that it comes with a 3rd gen Intel® Core i3-2367 processor (repeatedly). Neither of these is true. The laptop comes with an i3-2367, but this is a 2nd generation processor, not a 3rd. This makes a big difference as the newer generation runs faster, cooler, and has better video capability (Intel HD 4000 as opposed to HD 3000). In addition, the listing says it comes with a 320 gig 7200 RPM hard drive, whereas the laptop has a 5400 RPM hybrid hard drive.

With a 3rd gen CPU and a fast hard drive, I believe this laptop would be worth the price. However, the listing is very misleading. Another reviewer has brought this up already and nothing was changed, and the question was brought up months ago by someone else in the questions section. I was hoping that they had refreshed the specs and bought it anyway, but it's still the same old chipset. Very misleading.

The product itself is performing as expected so far; it is exactly the form factor we wanted, and we will need to decide if sticking with old technology or returning for a refund based on an inaccurate listing would be better. I will say that the system needed to reboot about six times to install updates and until it finished, there were all kinds of errors during boot about drivers not installed, etc. Not a problem for us but could be for someone who is expecting it to just work.

Honest reviews on ASUS Zenbook UX32A-DB31 13.3-Inch Ultrabook

This is a wonderful Ultrabook. The machine feels sturdy and rigid with its great metal shell. There is *no* flex on the keyboard and the display glides easily. Asus payed attention to detail on this machine, from the well placed USB 3.0 ports to the nice rubber gasket around the screen (to seal the keyboard + screen when closed) This laptop has a great UEFI implementation without all the mess of the Windows 8 SecureBoot. (it ships with Windows 7)

The only cons I really have for this laptop are:

* Erratic Synaptics trackpad. The thing has the tendency to go crazy if you rest one two many fingers near it.

* Lots of software keys. You have to have Windows running + the proper drivers loaded or the screen brightness + keyboard brightness keys don't function.

* Linux support is hit-or-miss given how new the chipsets are.

* Lots of shovelware pre-installed. I recommend tossing the restore image and loading your own OS ASAP.

One selling point of this ultrabook for me was the ease of hardware upgrades. Asus did a wonderful job using a simple set of metal (plus metal threaded) torx screws to hold the thing together. 2GB RAM on board, one ram slot available (filled with a 2GB DDR3 stick of RAM). 10GB Maximum ram after upgrade :)

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This ultrabook is very sleek and lightweight. It is a quality product that looks as if a lot of thought was put into the design. Very light. I only have one issue. When booting up, (which is very quick), an error appears saying I have to install ATK0100 driver. It doesnt effect anything after you close the error windows, but is just a pain. So I went looking for this ATK0100 driver, and it seems like you need to purchase a program. These errors seem to be an ASUS thing. It would be great if I can just remove the program that is causing these error windows to pop up at start up. All in all this is a great little computer.

Update: The ATK0100 driver is actually on the laptop. Go to the start menu, programs, ASUS, edrivers and install the driver. This will stop the errors at boot up.

Best HP Pavilion G7-1261NR 17.3" Laptop (2.5-1.9GHZ AMD A4-3300m Deals

Customer Ratings:

Purchased the HP 1261NR on sale at Office Depot for $438 w/tax. Excellent deal. The bright screen display and size for the price is amazing! The webcam is crystal clear and makes me look good, which is important (right?). The sleek grey shell design is durable, good looking and easy to transport. At 6 lbs. someone did their design homework because it's extremely nice to carry. The laptop stays cool to the touch while in use. Loud Altec speakers in the front provide quality sound. I'm impressed with the design team at HP. Good job people.

In my opinion, if you get this laptop for under $600 w/tax, pat yourself on the back. 500 gig hd and 6 gigs of memory is sufficient for most users. Personally, I enjoy the SD slot, makes the transfer of files a breeze. Pop the SD card into the slot and bam! there's instant access to media. Awesome. BTW, Windows 7 is easy to use and is pretty much the same as XP (don't stress you'll laugh; 7 is very easy to use). Love that the laptop looks expensive but not super expensive. Perfectly "blending" (not too expensive, not too cheap) laptop for any pc environment.

The blue ray dvd player is great (little loud when playing) but for the price, noise is expected. The springboard to the keyboard is a little sticky. This too is something that is to be expected with price. Simple solution and cool; upgrade to the Microsoft wireless keyboard I reviewed. Touche.

Grab that $500 you've saved since reading my review on dumping AT&T. (Yes, I bought this lappy with the $ I saved dumping them). Be patient and search for this on sale. Order. Enjoy your new laptop which didn't empty your wallet.

Update: Used for over a month and still love this laptop. Connected a really old printer and the laptop downloaded the driver before I knew it! One of the best purchases I've made this year and worth the money.

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Bought two of these for Graduation gifts for my kids. I was threatening to take one of these for my own. Super fast, huge bright screen, and a built in Blue ray. You really can't go wrong.

Best Deals for HP Pavilion G7-1261NR 17.3" Laptop (2.5-1.9GHZ AMD A4-3300m

I bought this laptop at the beginning of July (2012). It is now almost the beginning of December (2012)and after 5 months of using this laptop almost 5 months I now feel that I can review it fairly. I read one of the reviews stated that you could not control contrast, but 2 keys and 3 keys from the escape button on the top left is a small beam and a large beam icon on each which changes the look of the display and perhaps the reviewer just needed to adjust the display. Other reviewers wrote about the battery life.I usually have mine plugged in because I have a terrific laptop table that I keep by my chair and once in a while I unplug to let the battery drain down. I AM really glad I waited to write my review, because I live in New Jersey and we lost our power for 2 full weeks and didn't have a whole lot of gas in the car, so we pretty much stayed home. Since we do have a Starbucks (internet hotspot) about a mile away,I was able to spend some time on the computer and fully charge the battery. On the other days I could go and play some already downloaded games (without electric, our home internet router would not work)in between reading my Kindles. Over the course of two weeks I did this several times. I believe that the battery lasted close to 3 hours, which is reasonable for this size laptop (17.3"). I do not feel that this unit is "delicate" (translation:cheap feeling) as one reviewer thought. I have an HP All-in-One wireless printer system. This laptop set it up automatically ready to use. I didn't have to do anything. I make my own greeting cards it works great with that program. I like to play games and they play without any glitches. The display is clear and bright, I've never had to adjust it. In all, it is a good computer especially for the price (although I DID pay quite a bit less for mine at the time through Amazon!). The 500GB hard drive is good (up from the 350 GB on my old laptop) and I also have an external hard drive to store pictures. I would recommend this to most average laptop users.

Honest reviews on HP Pavilion G7-1261NR 17.3" Laptop (2.5-1.9GHZ AMD A4-3300m

This product is ok, not great! The webcam is crystal clear, the keys are easy to use, the screen is awesome and the appearance is great. However, the touch pad is somewhat stubborn at times. I have only been using this for three days and i am second guessing my purchase. The battery last for 1hour and that sucks, its like its an old battery. The computer also feels very delicate and as such, you have to treat it like an egg. Its a good computer but i think without good battery life and reliable touch pad, its just half way there.

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Right out of the box, the left mouse button was broken. It sticks easily and the spring is either worn out or completely ruined. It barely clicks. Compared to the right click, using the mouse is such a struggle I'd rather use the touch pad to click...

Secondly, the display driver fails catastrophically every 2 minutes or so. I have tried for months now with updating my windows updates and making sure the drivers are current and asking online how to stop this from happening with no solution in sight.

If I could, which I don't think I can now that I've owned the laptop for a few months now, I would return it and do it all again and buy a mac or a different brand. This laptop is terrible and I'm sad that a refurbished product passed inspection in this horrible condition which says how much the seller really looks into a laptop before selling it.

Best Sony VAIO VPCEL26FX/W 15.5-Inch Laptop (Glacier White) Deals

Customer Ratings:

Update to my original review: After having this computer for a few months now, I must say I'm not quite happy with it. I am always having internet connection problems and I have to go through the troupleshooting just to get a connection!? Also, realized the volume controls are controlled by having to press Alt+F4 for up and Alt+F5 for down AND with no back light keys, it's not very easy to do when in the dark. Still having trouble using the "instant" web feature. Now I'm stuck with it as my return window has expired.

This is my first Sony and just bought it a few days ago. It seems to be a good computer and and still learning and the bells and whistles. Having trouble accessing the "instant" web feature as you have to do the internet set up AGAIN after the initial set up. I gave it a 3-star because of having to duplicate the internet set up and for poor speaker sound quality (doesn't sound very loud).

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I'm very pleased with my purchase. It's so light weight compared to my last laptop. Haven't had a Sony before, it's a good choice for me.

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I purchased the Sony because it was highly recommended by a Techie friend. I was very disappointed in the screen resolution and the sound, which even at the maximum was still very low. Sadly I will be sending it back.

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After a string of BAD/DEFECTIVE Sony Vaio laptops, I decided to try "one more time" ....

so far, so good.....Great features: Bluray...HDMI...Large HDD.

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Spent 4 hours with Sony techs (did you reboot? Did you try another browser? did you try another movie?) trying to resolve why Netflix HD content stutters and falls out of synch. Just on this computer, and justd HD content. Can't fix it back it goes.

Discount Toshiba Qosmio X775-3DV80 17.3-Inch 3D Gaming Laptop - Fusion X2

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List Price: $1,899.99
Sale Price: $1,479.99
Today's Bonus: 22% Off

I purchased this laptop a little over a month ago and I am really happy with some aspects and disappointed with others. The 3D works great. The movies look good and so do the games played in 3D. It has some upconvert abilities when it comes to the 3D. It will upconvert DVDs only and not blurays or so far as I can tell. I could never get standard blurays to play in 3D but I'm sure you can find software that will do it. The PC runs great for normal activities but when it comes to gaming it does not run so great. The PC runs hotter than most as it is, although nothing too bad under normal use, however, when you try to play a game you get stutter for maybe 30 seconds where the frame rate drops significantly. This happens about every minute or two so it is annoying. The graphics are great but this stutter is a major issue that has not been addressed by Toshiba yet. For me even when I lower the graphics the stutter still occurs so it doesn't seem to matter. If you look this issue up on the Toshiba forum you will find several people having the same problem without an apparent solution. If Toshiba puts out an update to fix this problem I would give it 5 stars and recommend it but as it stands I would only recommend this computer if you don't plan on gaming. Weird that this laptop is advertised for gaming but yet has such a problem with doing the very thing it was marketed to do. **UPDATE** I forgot to revise my review but after the BIOS update the games play fine now without any stutter. I give the laptop 5 stars now.

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I bought a Qosmio X775-3Dv80 after Xmas from Amazon in 2011. Screen went bad the first week. Amazon sent me a new one. 3D and display card went south 2 weeks later on the second one. Amazon sent me another replacement.

Kudos for Amazon!!!

Wifi went out 3 weeks later on the 3rd one. Called Toshiba instead of Amazon. Toshiba repaired it (reinserted the wifi card).

5 months later, wifi crapped out again. Sent back to Toshiba. Toshiba repaired and sent it back.

However, upon reception back from the repair, I found a 2-inch long crack on one corner & a chip on the top cover, prying marks inside (trying to get the keyboard out?), and keyboard not seated all the way in. The shipping package undamaged

I contacted Toshiba again and was promised a "complementary" one (I didn't ask for it)

Days later when I called them about it, Tosh rep said NO such RECORD, but told me to send it back for repair.

I did so and got an email from Toshiba saying warranty doesn't cover cracks, and wanting $175.99 to fix it. What???? They broke it.

Called them again and got transferred to a case manager. I spent 30min with him explaining that Toshiba wanted to charge me for damage cause by the repairman, etc. He just kept repeating "Toshiba's warranty policy does not cover physical damages.", and " is there anything else I can help you with?" no matter what I tried to explain.

The previous rep told me to send it back in for repair instead of sending me a different unit???

I was so discussed that I told him "just send it back". It took them 5 weeks to send the damaged laptop back to me.

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Let me just say this is my first 3d capable laptop I have seen other 3d capable devices and was not impressed. Even considered them gimmicks. All that changed once this laptop showed up for my door.

This laptop is replacing my asus g73 Gaming laptop while a great laptop I do believe the Toshiba trumps it in several categories

Obviously this is the 2nd gen Intel Sandy bridge and blows away the other i7 chip in the asus

it also has the GTX 560m 3d capable video card. Which was a nice upgrade

The screen size remained the same but the Toshiba pulls off a win here as its a bit nicer quality the true 1080p resolution capabilities prob. help it in this categorize

Really It dominates the Asus except for the following in my opinion

I think the Asus design is more appealing

I think the keyboard is much nicer on the asus from a touch and input perspective.

the touch pad buttons are huge steps up from the Toshiba buttons.

So far i love this laptop and looks like its going to work out for a long time to come.

Honest reviews on Toshiba Qosmio X775-3DV80 17.3-Inch 3D Gaming Laptop - Fusion X2

I have had this computer for about a year when it started shutting down without warning. No error message, no blue screen of death, no kernel dump. It just shuts down completely and doesn't come back up again. So I did a search on the internet and found that this is a common problem with the model and many people have experienced it. Apparently the only cure is to have the unit replaced with a different model. If you get the same model, the same issue will crop up sooner or later. Toshiba is aware of this issue but still continues to sell a defective product. Before you decide to purchase this product, just do a search on the internet using the model name and 'shutdown' and you'll see what I mean.

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I am happy with my purchase. I have no real complaints about this laptop, the only problem I have had is with the 3D viewing falling out of synch after a few minutes of viewing with the 3D glasses, which tech support tells me will be resolved with a BIOS update which they will walk me through. Very fast, beautiful large display, handles anything I have thrown at it. Highly recommended.

Reviews of Amd - Athlon Neo X2 - L325 - 1.5 Ghz - 2 Gb - 250 Gb - 5400 Rpm

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My experience has been pretty limited, but as I have not read many reviews about the Edge with the Neo 1.5 GHz dual core processor, I thought it was worth discussing.

My first thoughts are the build quality is good, but not quite up to typical ThinkPad finish. I have the matte black finish, but it's not the same rubberized black finish that ThinkPad's are known for. This is just a matte black plastic. I was a little disappointed. The keyboard is as many have said fantastic. Very quiet, feels great. Lenovo did a great job with the design.

The screen is fine. The trackpoint is as expected. If you are new to ThinkPads, I think this is where there is a real productivity enhancer over a typical laptop. If you type, then use the mouse, then type, then use the mouse... in a typical setup you have to move your hand. With the trackpoint, you don't move your hand from the typical typing position. It saves time and energy. The middle trackpoint button serves as the scrolling down mechanism that most mice have. Overall, it's been a great design for the past 7 or 8 years for ThinkPad's, and I think most users once acclimated will appreciate it. Even if you don't, the trackpad is smooth and good.

I had read casual remarks from PC Magazine saying that the performance of the Neo processor was bad which made me concerned at first... but I haven't really found that to be the case. Windows 7 installation was relatively fast, installing the typical programs was relatively fast (VLC, Firefox, iTunes) I bought this computer to surf the web and write email. The performance exceeds my expectations for that. My home computer is an i7 2.6 quad core, so I'm used to speed, but I haven't been disappointed. I watched some youtube videos which tend to be flash and processor intensive, no issues there. I have not watched any downloaded videos yet, but the graphics card is superior to the GMA 4500HD, so I would be shocked if there is an issue. The wireless download speeds from some websites were pretty impressive. I use a Dlink MIR-655 wireless router and I was downloading from Apple's site at over 1MB per second. Not bad. Overall, it seemed crisp. Not what I was expecting from an "underpowered processor"

The computer doesn't run very hot... but it can be somewhat warm. I haven't tried a laptop that isn't. My lone complaint so far is that when the computer is working hard, the fan turns on, and it is audible. Not really loud, but audible. Audible even when the TV is on. Fans should not be audible on a ULV processor. Write that down Lenovo.

I was torn between this computer and the Dell Vostro v13. Ultimately I decided on this device over the Dell because the ThinkPad had the trackpoint, a well reviewed keyboard and a removable battery. I think I'm happy with my decision, but the Dell is without question a better looking device. Style over substance? In this case, I went with the substance.

Update 2/11/2010: After a day or two more, I can give some more insight. I attempted to watch Lost in 720p streaming from abc.com last night and had mixed results. When not running full screen, the processor can keep up. When running full screen, it can ALMOST keep up... but unfortunately, falls short. This isn't the biggest of deals, but I think users would want to know this before purchasing the machine. Watching streaming video in bed is just one of the many joys of owning a laptop.

Another thing that I didn't note is the sound. The speakers are located under the front of the keyboard. In your lap, sound is muffled and not good. This design is more ideal for a table or laptop pad. If you use the edge on your lap, you will experience poor sound.

Also, it definitely runs a little hotter than my wife's 2-3 year old macbook. That is kind of surprising. The battery life on the Neo is worse than the Intel Core Duo option, and I think that extra juice is turning into heat as the ThinkPad Edge review of the core duo processor has minimal heat issues.

In closing, I still like the laptop, but there are definitely compromises and issues that keep it from being easy to recommend. The Dell Vostro V13 at $650 is probably a better decision for most, albeit over $100 more than what I spent once you include delivery.

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Do not waste your money on this piece of junk! The CPU is so slow that it takes forever to turn the laptop on.

Buy ASUS N56VJ-DH71 2.4GHZ i7-3630QM 16GB 1TB 2GB NVIDIA GT 635M 15.6"

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Only problem is the location of HD memory card reader slot. It is in the front but basically underneath computer. I have to pick computer up to find it and hard to remove a card. If you take a lot of pictures and use HD memory cards you might be aggravated a little. ASUS should move the slot to the side. may just get a card reader to fix this..

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Reviews of HP Pavilion dv7t Quad Edition Notebook PC, Intel i7-2670QM (2.2

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Laptops have been around for quite a while and they keep improving. HP has really gotten it right with the DV7t Quad Series. These are powerful and beautiful machines that are well-thought out, with impeccable build construction, and lightning-fast performance. I bought the one featured here on Amazon with the exception that I added a 2GB Hard Disk Drive and went with 12GB of DRAM. Overkill perhaps, but there you are.

The screen is superb on this Notebook. I have an external HP 2511x 25 inch monitor which I have considered to be pretty much the gold standard for monitors. The 17 inch screen on the DV7t is every bit as crisp and bright (perhaps even a touch brighter and crisper) and is very, very pleasant to work with. The keyboard is well laid-out and the keys are what touch-typists like myself look for. The touchpad is about as good as pads of this type get, and it has a hardware off-switch by tapping rapidly on a designated part of the pad. So if you are using an external mouse, like I do, you can deactivate the touchpad without having to deal with layers of Windows menus.

One nice feature that the touchpad has is the ability to "pinch" the screen so that it is magnified less or more. This is a very convenient feature for those of us who wear reading glasses. If a given website uses too-small type, on this computer the user can "pinch" the touchpad causing the size of the type (i.e. the magnification of the web page) to increase to any desired amount. I find myself using this feature often.

The Blu-Ray disk drive works perfectly and the picture is incredible. I played several movies on it with great results. I have not burned any Blu-Ray files yet.

Performance of this computer is what you would expect: lightning-fast. It can manipulate huge digital files with ease and perform other heavy-duty tasks better than any other computer that I personally have used. Unfortunately most digital photography programs are still 32 bit, but when they become 64 bit this computer will be ready for them, with performance that we can only guess at.

Physically, this is a beautiful machine. The black chassis has a spectacularly nice metallic look to it that is not the fingerprint magnet of earlier HP chassis. There are 4 USB ports (two on each side) and an HDMI port, which many users will want to use in connection with a second monitor. Personally I would have preferred that the USB ports be on the back rather than on the side.

The audio on this unit is pretty good, but the volume could be better. Playing a Blu-Ray disk, I found myself wanting and preferring powered external speakers.

The fingerprint reader is easy to use and works well. This enables the user to scan a finger, and subsequently log into Windows with just a swipe of the finger rather than typing in a password. Very nice. The Hard Disk Drive indicator LED is (weirdly) on the side rather than the front, so it is not visible to the user and thus pretty useless. Not a huge issue in the greater scheme of things. In mitigation of this, the external headphone and speaker jacks are on the other side of the computer, rather than the front, which is a big improvement over earlier models on which these jacks were on the front, presenting the user with cumbersome cables. Plus, this unit gives you two speaker jacks instead of one, which is nice to have.

This is not a small computer. Most users will not be toting it around for casual use like a tablet or netbook. This one, with its 17 inch screen, is really a portable desktop computer and that is how it fits into my scheme of things. It is really designed to be the user's main computer (it has no compromises as regards performance) with the added capability of being portable and capable of use without an AC cable for a time. For me (I am an attorney) that means I can work with it at home or in the office, and when necessary take it to the courthouse. For this type use this computer is hard to beat. iPads and netbooks have their own niches, and this computer is no iPad. But there are still certain applications for which a full-powered computer is required, and the so-called demise of the personal computer will not be occurring any time soon.

This is the best computer that I have thus far owned and used. Recommended without reservation. RJB.

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The pavillion feels very cheaply made compared to previus pavillions. It feels like a toy and like it would break if I looked at it wrong. I picked the computer up by the bottom and the bezel and this caused the screen to crack. HP will not cover it under warranty because they say it was "accidental damage". I picked up my computer on purpose ... not accidentally. I should have a reasonable expectation that the act of picking up the computer wouldn't break it. I've tried on other laptops to apply enough pressure to the bezel to effect the screen and I couldn't do it. I would not buy from HP and buy from a company with a better constructed product and better customer service.

Update HP has decided to do the right thing and fix the computer for free

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I ordered this laptop to do CAD work on. So far no problem opening and working with the very large Catia files I use for design. I had to mess around a little with the switchable graphics to get it to run Catia with the stand alone video card. It was trying to run it off of the built in video card. The obviously wan't cutting it. The battery life is pretty short, about 3-1/2 hours but that is expected considering the hardware this laptop has. I only have a few complaints. No back-lit keyboard, minor but slightly irritating for such an expensive laptop. HP bloatware that slows the boot time down quite a bit. The flat keyboard bezel was not snapped down all the way on the top part of the keyboard right at the center. I thought I was going to have to send the laptop back because of it but was able to snap it into place with a little prying and pushing. I guess I would say that the laptop is fast but typical of the way things are built now a days, not very refined and kind of cheap feeling. You shouldn't have to snap the keyboard in place on a brand new laptop you just spent $1,250 on. I guess if you really want build quality you could buy the similarly spec'd mac book pro and spend $3,000 for the same computer with a different OS.

Honest reviews on HP Pavilion dv7t Quad Edition Notebook PC, Intel i7-2670QM (2.2

La mejor inversion, super rapida , calidad de sonido, imagen, y salidas de video increible.....El autocad funciona sin tiempos de espera, igual que corel, photoshop, pinnacle studio, etc.

Tengo pc para muchos años...

Discount Lenovo U310 13.3-Inch Ultrabook

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List Price: $699.99
Sale Price: $564.95
Today's Bonus: 19% Off

I just received my laptop. I looks just as it does in the picture. It is as beautifully petite and light weight as described. I am running windows 8 on this pc right now and though it takes a little getting used to, I love it. I just had a full charge and I'm waiting to see how long it lasts -I wonder if it will reach that 6 hour average.

A couple of things that I had to remind myself about...

1. windows 8 and google chrome are not really good together in my opinion. Windows promotes all the Microsoft products first of course. Internet explorer actually functions better with this interface.

2. this device doesn't have the optical drive therefore my old Microsoft office 7 cd cannot be installed yet, I'm looking for other solutions

3. the camera is not that great in dim lighting, I will explore how well it works outside tomorrow

4. the keyboard is great its is small enough for my small hands and allows me to type perfectly on here.

SO far soo good! I am enjoying this new product! It is a great buy for someone like me who was on a tight budget and needed an extra portable laptop to take to class daily. ( I Just sold my Toshiba satellite Ls500, it weighed 6 pounds).

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Overall, I like the size of the computer, and when it actually works I like it.

Now for the bad parts. I really dislike Windows 8. I feel as though it is made for a touch screen computer only and is very clunky and non intuitive. I also have had a few other numerous problems with this computer. One being the wireless capability. My phone, my wife's phone, and my old computer all connect to the wireless network with no problem. This computer goes in and out all the time, and when you are working "via the cloud" on things for work losing a connection every few minutes can be maddening. Also, perhaps most frustrating is that when the computer goes to sleep, or hibernates, or you close the lid, it will not restart to where I left off. I am simply left with a blank screen. I have called tech support on this issue numerous times and am given a ticket number. Every time I call, they adjust the power settings and tell me to call back if it recurs. I have called back again and again and have literally had this issue since I got the computer.

I was eventually referred to their "premium software support" team and was told that it might be a problem with their preinstalled software, and they could fix it but I would be charged. My argument was that if I was shipped a product that did not work, they should be responsible for fixing it. They did not see it that way.

I ended up contacting Amazon to complain about Lenovo's terrible customer support and my experience and they immediately offered to refund my money and take the computer as a return with no questions asked.

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The battery life is not what I expected, It requieres to be charged every 3 hours. It doesn't worth what I have paid. Elena

Honest reviews on Lenovo U310 13.3-Inch Ultrabook

I was looking for an economical well featured lightweight laptop and onstensibly, this unit fills the bill.

It's quirky sometimes and locks up or reflects send/receive errors on Outlook but frankly, it's tough to know whether to ascribe those frustating deficiencies to the machine itself or the demons that befall a non-touchscreen version of the much maligned Windows 8.

I've added "Start8" to make it feel more like Windows7, but clearly, this is a WIN8 machine with a minor disguise.

Otherwise, it's fine -battery life is acceptable, weight is a bit heavy compared to other ultrabooks, but at the low end of the pricepoint, it's tolerable for travel.

I suppose reasonable minds would ascribe my challenges to the user(me)or Windows 8 . . not the machine itselfbut at this point, it's not what I would prefer . . but have to accept.

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Like the ultrabook but jury is still out on windows 8. Consider touch screen for windows 8. Overall for the price this is an excellent laptop.