MSI G Series GE60 2OE-073US 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black/Red) Review

Customer Ratings:

I had a PC which was not as powerful as this notebook is supposed to be, but had to leave it in my country.

I had that PC for almost 3 years, and it was working WAY better than this notebook. The notebook sometimes crushes when all I have is google chrome open with, lets say, around 15 tabs, and maybe windows media player, and when it comes back from hivernating it takes no less than 2 minutes to begin working properly.

Besides, the battery life is a joke, using wifi (just mails and maybe some web surfing, no videos or whatsoever) and excel (basic, nothing too demanding) it won't even last for 2 hours.

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Reviews of TOSHIBA Satellite L505D-LS5010 Notebook PC - AMD Athlon II

Customer Ratings:

Pros

Cheap price (460.00 for mine with shipping)

Dual Core processor

4gb DDR2

Windows 7 x64

Plenty of inputs, but lacks a modem (shouldnt matter for much, but con for me since it is a work computer)

Cons

A bit weak in the graphic's department (Fine, unless you plan to use this for gaming)

rather weak battery life (Lowest brightness + Eco Mode gets me 2 1/2 hrs)

Does not come with Driver or restore disk!

I bought this laptop looking for something cheap and powerful, and this thing has power aplenty. Boots in around 20 seconds. It can handle WoW at max resolution, even in Dalaran without chugging, so it is capable of doing some modest gaming. If your like me and looking for a powerful laptop for under 500 dollars, I really cant recommend this laptop enough. I am starting a job as a field networking engineer, so having my own laptop was a must. I had to buy an external 56k to USB modem and a USB to DB-9 Serial converter, but I really didnt expect to find a laptop that had such old technologies standard anyway, but it is worth noting. The battery life may prove to be an issue during long class sessions or long nights on site, but at around 2 hours, it is satisfactory.

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Pros : Ram, cpu, and hard drive compliment each other well. Integrated video card is impressive: Rise of Legends and Age of Empires 3 run very well with settings at 3/4 of the max. Win7 Premium was a welcome addition (I had thought basic would certainly be installed.) Very light and reasonably quiet. Screen and keyboard take some getting used to (both are wider than standard), but are well-suited to most tasks.

Cons: Almost all the bundled software is useless and adds a significant amount of overhead to usage. Overall I spent 3 hours uninstalling and updating. Windows 7 is definitely the best Windows OS so far, but severely lags behind the most popular Linux distros, namely Ubuntu and Fedora, for everyday use and productivity.

The battery life is average: 2 to 4 hours, depending on how you use it (however it's not a big issue to me.)

Best Deals for TOSHIBA Satellite L505D-LS5010 Notebook PC - AMD Athlon II

I have always liked Toshiba in that they keep adding more features to their laptops! This one is no different. The dual core technology enables this machine to multi-task on a whole new level. The wide screen allows for enjoyable movie/TV watching. I also like the windows media center addition. This laptop is very versatile when compared to those of equal value.

Buy Dell Inspiron i17R-1316sLV 17-Inch Laptop

Customer Ratings:

First off, yes...this is a Windows 8 laptop. Don't let that deter you from purchasing this brilliant laptop. Windows 8 DOES take some getting used to, but what new thing in life doesn't? Besides there is a very simple way get away from the tiled "Metro" look and revert back to the old desktop, it's built INTO Windows 8. I found it tons of fun exploring the new OS and the different apps for it. True, the store is pretty bare compared to what Apple and Google offer, but what is there is pretty good for starters. Now, onto Dell's great bit of machinery and also to let you in on a little secret...this laptop and it's $800 older brother have "pretty much" the same processor regardless of the i5 and i7 names and the $200 difference. They are both DUAL CORE at heart. Period. I've done my research and ALMOST bought the i7 version thinking it was natively a quad-core chip....nope. I looked up both processor names at Intel's websites and the core specs both show they are dual-core, with the ablility to overclock themselves(a power boost). The thing is, they can work as a quad core chip due to Dual Threading(able to handle 4 instructions at once as opposed to just 2). The difference really comes in the RAM, with the i5 laptop having 6GB and the i7 having 8GB. Other than that, you can save $200. They have the same USB 3.0 and 2.0 ports, same DVD +/RW drive, same 1TB hard drive, same screen resolution of 1600x900. If anything, the colors offered are different. Now, onto the laptop. If you're looking for a machine that can handle the lightwork of everyday activities or some more higher end things like HD video editing, then this is what you want. Netflix(a Windows 8 app) and all other sort of media look fantastic on it's beautiful 17" , 16:9 screen. Gotta love the extra keyboard real estate with it's separate number pad. Keyboard feedback is fantastic and very responsive, as is the the touchpad. Start up and shutdown are also substantially quicker compared to all the Windows 7 laptops in this category(obviously disregarding the Ultrabooks). True, this isn't as mobile as your standard 13" laptop, but once you open this thing up and power it on...you won't care. I highly recommend this laptop if you want a reliable machine that can take the lower to higher end of your computing needs. Lastly, no, this is NOT a good choice if you are looking to game on this with settings on HIGH and things turned up to 11 ,as the graphics card...just isn't up to par. It can handle things decently on low to mid level, but look elsewhere if you want some serious gaming and unleashing the games' full potential. Thanks for reading and let me know if you have ANY questions on a topic that I did or didn't answer and I'll be happy to help. Thanks again!

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I bought this computer last week and it is AMAZING! Wicked fast, no slow down with multiple programs running in the background. I'm even able to play a lot of games on the highest setting. Great buy!

Best Deals for Dell Inspiron i17R-1316sLV 17-Inch Laptop

This Dell Inspiron 17" laptop computer has exceeded all my expectations for my requirements of a laptop computer and a work unit. Very well engineered and well built with a nice appearance. Well worth its low, economical price.

Honest reviews on Dell Inspiron i17R-1316sLV 17-Inch Laptop

I give it 5 stars based on ease of use, great screen resolution.

Although I would recommend using a wireless mouse since Windows 8 is really intended for touch screen. Once I installed the mouse it was fabulous experience.

There was not a lot of unwanted software and apps installed. Just the usual you'd expect from the manufacturer plus a few others.

Like the trial version of MCAfee was installed. I'm a Norton Guy and do like to have the choice of virus protection. But with MCAfee installed at first it did assist in getting set up online for registration and updates a lot less worrisome. Once all the updates were done I easily uninstalled MCAfee and installed my Norton.

So far so good.... there you have it ... 5 stars with the mouse I had to purchase. Without the mouse ... it would not be a very pleasant experience with Windows 8 unless it's a touch screen.

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I was a little nervous about Windows 8 but find that with some digging you can figure it out. for example i was confused about getting itunes on it since the website (Apple) showed it as downloaded when it wasn't. I had to do it from the "desktop" icon which looks just like windows 7.

I love the laptop itself. It's large, with a huge screen. I did have some trouble finding a case i liked. most stores only stock cases for laptops up to 16", not 17.3". But it's a great desktop replacement and I generally won't be travelling with it but I do want it to be portable because I do tend to move around a lot.

Reviews of HP Pavilion DM3-1130US 13.3-Inch Laptop (Silver)

Customer Ratings:

The HP Pavilion dm3 1130us (AMD CPU & ATI GPU model) is a good compromise between the portability of a netbook and the functionality of a full sized laptop. Technically in the "Ultra-portable/Thin & Light" category, I would say it is a netbook on steroids. I was looking for a portable computing solution but didn't want a small keyboard or a hard-to-read/small screen. It had to have a small form factor, yet have a more powerful processor and graphics than traditional netbooks. I use it mainly for office work, web surfing, video streaming, music listening and light gaming.

Most of the specs are readily available on Amazon, but you can get a more in-depth overview by going to HP's site and looking up the dm3z line in their Ultra-Portable category. The 1130 is essentially a later production run of the 1030, which is still available on Amazon as of this writing.

Back to what I was looking for;

Basically, I wanted a MacBook but only had about five hundred bucks to spend. I'm a Mac user normally but could not see paying so much for a laptop. I searched high & low and weighed several other options. In this laptop segment and at this price point, it is all about compromise and what you want as an end user. In this end, the 1130us was the best fit for me. I was able to find it on sale for under five hundred on the OfficeMax site and then found a dollar rebate. I used that saving to buy a , and so far that is working perfectly too. I was a little leery about getting an HP since they don't have the best reliability reputation, but I would expect more problem reports from a company that sells so many computers. My mother-in-law has a 3 year old Pavilion that still runs like new.

What I like about it:

1. It's fast, faster than I expected. Initial set-up was a snap. The 1.6GHz AMD Athon Neo X2 dual-core processor and ATI Mobility Radeon HD3200 graphics see to that. Perhaps not the best combo for intense Photoshop sessions or cutting edge 3D gaming, but I have several apps and browser windows open at once with no system slowdowns. Online video from various sources streams just fine and I've played a number of games (including Star Wars Battlefront) with no issues. The AMD cpu and ATI gpu combo uses more wattage than the Intel option, but I think you would sacrifice computing power for battery life if you went the Pentium or Core Duo route.

1b. 7200 RPM 320GB Hard Drive. Did I say it was fast? And spacious.

2. The screen. It is glossy, but not as bad as some and it is nice and bright. 13.3" w/ a 1366x768 widescreen resolution means things are a bit smaller than on a standard desktop monitor, but everything is nice and crisp and the colors are good. It seems much bigger. HD content looks great on it and the viewing angle isn't bad. I had a stuck pixel, but it went away. The lid opens about 135 degrees back so you can easily work with it on your lap. It has a nice firm hinge so there are no worries of it falling one way or the other.

3. Wi-Fi draft N. I've only had fast and excellent connectivity so far. Having bluetooth is nice too, but I've yet to use it.

4. Windows 7, not a cobbled Started Edition. Coming from OSX, I have to say I'm growing more and more impressed with the latest Windows OS. It seems to have more intricacies than with OSX, but I'm getting used to it and have to say the user interface is top notch. Before this, I've used XP and am so glad that Microsoft has finally refined their product. Connect a device for the first time and either the drivers are already there or they download automatically. Nice. Lots of eye candy too.

5. Touch pad. Some reviewers pan it, but I find it works well for me after a slight learning curve. Sure, it is the only fingerprint magnet on an otherwise lovely case, but I like the feel of the shiny chrome finish and find the multi-finger gestures useful. The "mouse-buttons" could be a little easier to depress, but that is a small quibble, just tap the pad. It is also very customizable to your specific needs. The 1030us touch pad had some wake-from-sleep issues, but that was fixed in the latest BIOS. I also use a but have no problems adjusting to the touch pad if I leave mouse at the office.

6. 4 USB, 5-in1 card reader, 1 VGA, and 1 HDMI port. Connectivity ahoy!

7. Full sized keyboard. It took a little adjustment, but I like the quiet, island style keys. When in the proper position, I can type just as fast as with my desktop's keyboard. I measured it, and it is slightly LARGER than my G5's primary keyboard area!

8. The case. This is one sturdy feeling case with little or no flex that I can detect. You can hold it by a corner without fear. I love that it isn't a finger print magnet like so many others out there. The brushed aluminum finish is very attractive and gives it a high-end appearance.

9. It came with 4GB DDR2 ram, expandable to 8GB. With the 64bit OS, I could do this, but see no need to at the present time.

10. Cool. Even after all day use the air blowing out of the rear side exhaust vent is only slightly warm. The front wrist rests can get a little warm, but never uncomfortable (at least to me).

11. Quiet. If a completely silent room you can hear the faint breath of the fan, but otherwise it and the spinning hard drive are unnoticeable.

12. Well packaged. There are no disks included, but the manual and documentation are pretty clear.

13. Price. Find this on sale and you've got yourself one heck of a deal!

What's not so great about it:

1. It is about 13" wide and weights about nearly 5 pounds with the battery inserted. For me that's no big deal but if you plan to lug your laptop around a lot, you may want to look at something smaller and lighter. It is only one inch thick so it slides easily into most bags.

2. Speakers. You know going in that they won't be that great, but I still couldn't help being a little disappointed. However, I tweaked the sound settings and get decent output now, though not very loud. It does the job though. Use earphones. I connected it to my speakers with a subwoofer and Pandora radio sounds terrific!

3. Battery life. I get about 4 hours of constant general use life out of it. Another reviewer stated he was able to play the entire Fellowship of the Ring movie before it went into hibernation, but I have not tested that. The good news is that 4 hours is still decent, and the power cord isn't too cumbersome. If you need an all-day, cord-free laptop/netbook, look elsewhere.

4. Some bloatware. Being new to Windows I researched what to do when you first get a computer. One of the most common recommendations is to remove the manufacturer installed software. I got rid of the MS Office trial and Norton. I'll still playing around with the suite of HP software. I may keep some, but will probably ditch a good bit of it. However, some users may like the included software. Even with it, the 1130us is a speedy customer.

5. No optical drive, but I knew that and won't need one every day. The Samsung will also be useful for my other computers.

6. No OS restore disk. I know, there is no optical drive and there is a recovery partition, but it still would have been nice.

7. Possible fit and finish issues. I just noticed a very slight gap along the top right front edge where the wrist wrest meets the side paneling. Pressing down on it does reveal a little flex. Not enough to return it, but it is worth keeping an eye on and could be cause for concern. It is too early to tell. (see my product photos)

I have not used the Quickweb feature, but Windows 7 boots up (after some re-configuration) in less than a minute so I'm not sure I'd need it. I've also not yet used the HDMI out port or webcam. I plan to test both soon and have heard that the webcam is good in low light. I've only been using the 1130us for a little over a week so I can't speak to its long-term reliability, but so far so good. I'll post an update if I have anything new to add.

So, is the dm3 1130us the right model for you? If you are not a 3D gamer and want a nice looking, sturdy, portable laptop without most of the limitations of a netbook, then the answer could be "yes". Of course, technology is changing rapidly and in a few months the next latest and greatest will be out. But if you need something now, and want a lot of oomph at a great value, then the dm3 1130us could be your best bet. It exceeds my expectations at a price point other laptops couldn't match, so that is why I'm giving it 5 (4 1/2 actually) stars.

UPDATE-March 30, 2011: It is over a year later and I'm still loving this little machine. No major issues. Yes, the left palm rest can get a bit warm, but I've never had it become uncomfortably so. It still does everything I need it to with little fuss.

UPDATE-June 09, 2011: The DM3-1130US is still going strong. My wife has taken over this computer when it's at home. During they day it gets put through it's paces playing Pandora with other web-related activities. Word processing too. At night she often likes to bring it to bed to watch videos on YouTube and catch up on email. She sometimes is frustrated with the trackpad, but that's about it.

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No more MacBook Pro envy for me!!!I love computers and have owned many laptops over the years, everything from Mac PowerBooks to Dell Mini's. I thought for a long time about buying a new MacBook Pro. I loved the size (13 inch model)and the brushed silver look and many of the apps. What I DID not like was the price and the fact that I could not use Office OneNote(as a teacher and a mother, this is one app I truly cannot live without!!) on the Mac without having to purchase Windows 7 and Parallels. Did some playing around in computer stores with both the Mac and other computers and fell upon this HP dm3. Loved it from the first touch. It is solidly built, beautiful to look at, light-weight, and perhaps most important to me, FAST!! I do not play computer games but do a lot of web surfing, watch streaming video,and use lots of photo and movie apps. This little guy is just as fast as my big and much more expensive desktop replacement,and simply blows my Dell Mini right out of the water. Not even in the same league!

If I could give this more stars, I would...this is a fast, sleek 13-inch (just the right size) computer that is every bit as pretty as the MacBook Pro. I am not a big fan of touchpads; I always use a mouse. That being said, I actually love this one!

I would be remiss not to mention that the service at Amazon is absolutely second-to-none. I had originally ordered an Asus 13 inch but changed my mind after reading some comments about the wireless abilities (plus, it kind of freaked me out buying someting that I had never actually touched.)Having played with this one at the store was really the deal-maker for me. They have the finest customer service on this planet, and I would never buy my computers from anywhere else. Also worth mentioning...bought the SquareTrade 3-year warranty that includes spills, etc. I had an old MacBook(6 years old)that I had a SquareTrade warranty on. It died one day, I mailed it in, and had my complete purchase price in my bank account within a week. Very much worth the money! P.S. This is the only review I have ever written although I have been a loyal Amazon fan for years. Guess that shows how much I really do love this machine!!

Best Deals for HP Pavilion DM3-1130US 13.3-Inch Laptop (Silver)

I got the DM3-1130 (the AMD processor) in early February, after an extensive search to replace my HP Pavilion dv5000. I had considered ASUS and Macbooks, in particular, as I wanted something in the 13-inch range, lightweight and with a good track record.

This model has more memory than the slightly more expensive ASUS model of this size, and Macbooks, while perennially getting great reviews, cost hundreds more. I use this for personal use and for some business use (Internet, writing, some photo editing), so a Macbook wasn't worth it. Sorry, Justin Long.

After my brief time with my new HP, here are the pros and cons, for anyone considering it:

Pros:

1) It truly is a lightweight, portable model

2) The style is hard to beat, if you like the metal look

3) The keyboard style is different than what I'm used to, but I've found the chiclet style very use to type with

4) HP Quickweb is a useful, practical feature to get you on the Internet/listening to music or looking at photos without accessing Windows 7

5) Windows 7 itself rivals Apple's platform in the litany of user-friendly features and style. I was very impressed.

6) The battery life is about what was advertisedprobably in the 4 hour range, if you're using wireless and looking at photos, etc. People who are only getting two hours probably are watching a movie and/or didn't let the battery fully drain the first time before they charged it.

7) The four USB ports, the SD slot and the exhaust fan on the side are all nice features.

8) I haven't had any problems with the mousepadpeople who have commented negatively on it, I would guess, want the world's perfect mousepad. It's functional. And sure, it gets fingerprints on it, but that's because you use your fingers to use it. What do you expect? And are you trying to impress people with your fingerprint-less mousepad?

9) I was installing multiple programs and browsing the Internet all at once and experienced no interruptions or slow down. At least in that test, the RAM and processor are keeping up. I went with the AMD instead of Intel partly for cost (much cheaper), but also because I was told by some computer experts AMD might work a little faster. No regrets yet.

Cons:

1) The left palm area gets hotter than you'd like.

2) I had a problem after registering/setting up my laptop. After installing a few programs I needed to restart. When I got to the log-on screen and entered the password I had selected during startup when I created an account, Windows kept telling me I was incorrect, although I was sure (and the password hint verified) that I was right. HP tech service said that sometimes happens when an administrator password is selected during start-up, and had me restore my system. It worked (I just didn't enter a password during setting up screen), although I had to reinstall stuff I had already installed before, as you'd expect. Lost some time, but not a huge deal. You'd think it could have been avoided with a simple "Set up a user password later", as I'm sure I'm not the only person that's happened to. That's more of Windows' fault than HP's. At the least, HP tech service was helpful.

3) No optical drive, which you need to make a recovery disk at some point. I'll have to borrow one. Since most software is downloaded these days, I won't otherwise need it. It's something you have to give up if you want an ultraportable model, in most cases.

4) HP offers a $50 rebate for this model, but it's not valid if you buy it off of Amazon. I knew that ahead of timestill went with Amazon because it was cheaper than factory direct, but that's a bummer.

Honest reviews on HP Pavilion DM3-1130US 13.3-Inch Laptop (Silver)

Pros:

I was looking at netbooks, but found them too small. This is a perfect size for the coffee table, and looks very slick with the brushed aluminum. I has a really nice screen, and a great keyboard, with the play/pause/volume buttons you need for music playback on the top row. The HDMI out and 4 USB ports are a plus too.

Cons:

I haven't had any problems with with plastic trim coming apart, as one reviewer did. The only design flaw that I see is the rubber pieces that prevent the screen bezel from touching the keyboard bezel when the lid is closed are a little too small or shallow, so the screen bezel does get some very slight scratches. I think this can be minimized by not putting anything too heavy on top of the computer when closed, and not squeezing it too tight when carrying it. But that's a minor problem. Also, the computer does get a little warm (esp. under the left palm, probably where the CPU is), perhaps too warm for extended use on one's lap, but it's super quiet -a trade-off I can live with.

Bottom Line:

This is a great little laptop for the money. I highly recommend it.

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I recieved this laptop yesterday (2/5/10)and here is my review: When I removed the laptop from the box and held it, I was impressed with the laptop's construction. The keyboard is big enough for my hands, and the 13.3 inch screen is large enough for me to see. The laptop is not too heavy--but it is not too light. Unlike a netbook, this laptop has 320gb of hardrive and 4gb of rams, expandable to 8gb (that's very powerful for this little machine!). It has four usb ports and a hdmi port for hooking it up to a big screen TV. It also has a webcam camera and an internal microphone. The laptop is loaded with Windows 7 Home Premium for stability and a lot of HP software junk. The laptop has Bluetooth technology to communicate with other Bluetooth devices. The laptop doesn't have a fixed optical drive, which is cool since most software can be downloaded from the Internet. In closing, if you need a smaller laptop for just basic computing, a netbook will suffice. However, I would STRONGLY recommend you to spend more money on a laptop like the HP Pavilion DM3-1130US model, because sooner or later you will need a smaller laptop like this one for heavy duty computing.

Lenovo IdeaPad Z580 15.6-Inch Laptop (Metal - Gray) Review

Customer Ratings:

I received this laptop in November as a gift. My wife bought it from Lenovo directly. We now have two Lenovo laptops in our house with zero complaints. For the price, this is a great deal. It has a 1TB hard drive with 6GB DDR3 RAM. It loads faster than any of my other computers and has more memory than I could need. It also has 2 USB 3.0 ports for fast transfer speeds and 2 USB 2.0 ports. The speakers sound as good as you can ask for from a laptop. We paid a little extra through Lenovo for a built in card reader, which is very useful for transferring picture and video files easily, but an external reader works well too. The DVD drive works well, but the open button is a little difficult to find by feel since it is flush with the drive. The metal case looks sharp and is well built. Overall, I have no complaints about Lenovo. I have had 1 Lenovo for 2 years and this one for 6 months with not so much as a hiccup.

Note on Windows 8. I hated it so much I almost paid to put Windows 7 back on this computer. The biggest frustration was every time I touched the touchpad, the ridiculous "Charms Bar" would pop up along with a gigantic clock. It drove me insane. Lenovo support and their software support told me there was no way to get rid of it. Blogs said to mess with the registry files which scared me as I'm not a computer guy. I finally just disabled the installed touchpad in the control panel. It reverted to the basic touchpad functions without all the "intelligent" options. Now it works great and I no longer want to throw my computer across the room. I don't really use any of the Windows 8 features and I just use the old desktop format that I'm familiar with. Hope this helps.

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Works well, handle tasks thrown at it, nice design, good battery life. Would recommend this to anyone looking to use it as a student or for small business, who also wants a machine to handle multimedia without any lags.

Best Deals for Lenovo IdeaPad Z580 15.6-Inch Laptop (Metal - Gray)

The computer is fairly fast, has a good sound system, solid keyboard & keys. Doesn't get hot fast. Nice screen appearance.

Honest reviews on Lenovo IdeaPad Z580 15.6-Inch Laptop (Metal - Gray)

Only negative is lack of backlit keyboard. Touchpad seems too far left. Nice finish, Excellent value, considering my processing and speed needs

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Just started my own business and needed an affordable laptop that was powerful enough to handle my applications. This works great and even has a 10 key on it which I need. Not sure about Windows 8 yet, but the computer works great.

Lenovo Z570 10249UU 15.6-Inch Laptop (Gunmetal Grey) Review

Customer Ratings:

Fast laptop for a great price. I love this laptop. It comes with a lot of upgrades from my previous Lenovo. It has a vent cleaning system that keeps your vents clean from lint and dust. It has a feature that can speed up the time it takes the computer to boot up. It currently takes 60 seconds for my computer to completely boot up from the time I turn on the power and it gets a little shorter as the computer learns my habits. The keys are elevated for easier typing verses the flat type of key board that comes with a lot of laptops. I connect with the HDMI port to my TV and watch all of my 1080p movies without a single shutter or glitch. This computer is fast and does everything I want it to do. It has smart settings for preserving the battery life so it knows by the way you use it how to charge the battery for long battery life.

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After a lot of research, I ended up purchasing this laptop. After using it for around a month or so now, I can honestly say that I have no regrets. The price was great for what it is, I find that it's actually faster than my desktop. Has decent graphics, and the i7 is great. It runs my design and photography programs such as Photoshop and Lightroom wonderfully and I have yet to have any issue with it. It probably wouldn't do great for gaming, though. But overall it's a sleek little beast. Strongly recommend it. :)

April Update:

The honeymoon is over. Especially when the bride has run off to Lenovo "support" for multiple weeks.

About a month into use the PC just died. No charging, wouldn't start up. Called Lenovo support (after FINALLY finding the correct number) and worked with someone who could barely speak English. After a few minutes of trying to sell me an upgraded warranty, they said that it would need to be sent to Lenovo support, and that they would get a box to us. A week passes, no box. Called support again only to be told that **I** would be responsible for both the packaging AND the shipping.

A week and a half later I got the laptop back. Control sheet on the inside said "Reseat Memory. No parts replace." As someone who works in IT and has built a computer or 2 (or 20) in my lifetime, I found that a little far-fetched. Sure enough, the laptop still wasn't working. Called back and got a new work order number and this time they actually gave me a shipping label!

Long story short... still out... still waiting to get it back.. Overall it's great laptop when it actually works. But -2 stars for godawful support and, apparently, quality control.

Best Deals for Lenovo Z570 10249UU 15.6-Inch Laptop (Gunmetal Grey)

I finally upgraded to a new laptop and bought this one without much research. I am pleasantly surprised and the quality and speed. The only concerns I have is I don't get near 5 hours on the battery at the highest battery conservation level. Maybe I am doing something wrong, I usually get 3.5 hours. Also the ports are all over the place, this might be convenient for some but it makes it hard to plug in all the cables when at my desk. I bought a port replicator to solve this. All and all I think its a good laptop.

Honest reviews on Lenovo Z570 10249UU 15.6-Inch Laptop (Gunmetal Grey)

Purchased this for business use and am extremely pleased with the performance. Besides the speed, I particularly like the bright back-lighting on the screen. My older IBM ThinkPad gave me several years of good service, but it just could no longer keep up with running several apps, while using email and web browsing simultaneously.

Computer arrived on schedule and in perfect condition. No problems at all.

I was skeptical about Windows 7 (previous computer ran XP), but I have been pleasantly surprised with its ease of use while still giving me the control that I want. The ease with which I was able to network all of our computers that also run Windows 7 and are connected to an internet router was amazing. Easiest network I ever set up. Bluetooth connectivity is also nice. Computer immediately connected to my Bluetooth headset (Motorola H710), giving me a nice way to communicate during the webinars on workplace safety that I conduct often and should work nicely on Skype as well.

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Just got it last week. It is i7, 750 GB, 8 GB RAM. What I am not liking about it is: the place of a track pad. It pains my wrist. I am seriously consider returning it.Not comfortable at all. It could be good for left handers. I don't know which genius designed it. Igot a good deal so I bought it. Bad decision. Other than trackpad, laptop is good. sound system is good and webcam is not bad either. Just want to review so people don't make the same mistake. Make sure you are satisfied with the laptop before buying it. Don't buy without seeing it.

Review of ASUS UX32VD-DH71 13.3-Inch Zenbook ( Silver Aluminum )

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $1,299.00
Sale Price: $968.95
Today's Bonus: 25% Off

This is a great ultrabook if you are willing to upgrade it w/ a SSD (Samsung 830) and some RAM (8GB Mushkin). After that it's the most powerful gaming laptop will you need (for now). I installed Windows 7 on the new SSD and Windows 8 on the built-in 24GB SDD to dual-boot. It's very light and it's one of the very fun ultrabooks that can be upgraded. The pros:

i7 ivy bridge processor

Upgradeable memory (2GB + 8GB)

Upgradeable hard drive (SSD). Use the old 500GB with an enclosure for some portable storage

Upgradeable wireless card (maybe later to the 802.11ac standard)

Discrete graphics card Nvidia 620M

3x USB 3.0 ports

Normal sized HDMI port

1920x1080p resolution

Built-in 24GB SSD

Decent sound

**** UPDATE 07/11/2013***

After having this for a while I must say it is quite a good powerhouse after the upgrades. It's still not as powerful as my desktop but for travel it works great. The only gripe about this is that the trackpad isn't as good as what I would like. I would definitely recommend a mouse if you are planning to use it for long periods of time as the trackpad is very sensitive. Sensitive to the point when I want to double click that it moves the mouse ever so slightly and on this high resolution that slight movement will cause you to miss your target at times. Hopefully they will replace a software upgrade to fix that.

Everything else works as expected. :)

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Got this laptop in March ($1,249.99) and I've been so pleased! I'm here to share the love for this excellent machine (: It's difficult to find a laptop that is this thin, AND has a dedicated graphics card, AND has 1980x1080 resolution IPS display. Clean install your OS upon arrival and upgrade to an SSD and you will have an epic powerhouse in your hands.

GENERAL:

Dedicated graphics card (nvidia GeForce GT 620M 1gb) covers all my gaming and graphics needs.

This laptop is beautiful. It is slim and feels solid. I don't believe in covers/protectors and have an affinity for deserts so it's been dragged around on sandy surfaces, gardens and roofs so the cover has faint scratches, but it's held up very well for all my haphazard abuse. It comes with a very nice sleeve for slipping into tool-filled backpacks. I was actually terrified at how thin the chassis is when I removed it for upgrades, but when tightly clamped to the rest of the laptop the machine is very solid. Yay structural engineering \o/

The 13" IPS display is perfect. The matte texture and 1980x1080 resolution are a righteous combination. For those you haven't experienced matte IPS display, it's such an upgrade from normal gloss screens that at times it feels like you're reading a Kindle. I never thought I've become a display elitist until I got this computer.

UPGRADING RAM:

I'm happy with my 6gb of RAM. I recommend Google to see how much RAM you /really/ need; even gamers only usually need 6 or 8gb. Unless you're CADing in multiple VMs simultaneously I wouldn't worry about it. If you do fall into this category, then be aware that there's a 2gb DDR3 1600Mhz DIMM soldered to one slot in the motherboard, which means only one of the slots are available for upgrade, making the max 2gb + 8gb = 10gb RAM. I've heard you can unsolder the RAM but I was advised by a EE that this requires the use of a reflow gun and may be a tricky operation. But if you are truly running applications that eat a monstrous 16gb, then you might have the means for the deed. And note that the soldered RAM is 1600Mhz and find a matching one, for best performance.

UPGRADING HARD DRIVE:

I replaced the hard drive with a Samsung 840 Pro 256GB SSD and life is beautiful (: Restarting my laptop is about as convenient as waking it from hibernation. Samsung 840 Pro series is the best of SSD at time of writing, but if you're going for something cheaper be aware that the slot is 7mm tall, and check the SSD height before purchasing or you may have to do awkward modifications (refer to Youtube for guidance if applicable). You'll find that Samsung 840 Pro is usually on sale somewhere on the internet, and can find a 256GB for

Discount Compaq Presario CQ60-410US 15.6-Inch Laptop

Customer Ratings:

I've been on the lookout for an inexpensive notebook for my niece and I took a good look at the Compaq CQ60. While this one didn't turn out to be the right choice for me it would be a good fit for someone looking for a low cost notebook for web browsing or light use around the home but doesn't like the small screens and keyboards found on netbooks. Because the build quality suffers somewhat to keep the material cost down this is not a good choice for anyone who would be taking it outside the home a lot (students, business travelers) where it's more likely to be dropped, bumped, or scratched. It's also not a good choice for anyone who might need to multi-task (say burn a CD while web browsing).

Let's take a quick look at the specs:

CPU The 2.2GHz Intel Celeron 900 is based off the same basic core as the Core2 Duo, except there is just one core and some features are not enabled (such as "SpeedStep" which is a power saving feature that slows your clock speed down when you unplug). The Celeron sits just below the "Pentium" line in terms of performance in most but not all instances. The dual-core Pentium typically has two slower cores so anytime you multi-task your real world experience is better (i.e. your web browser doesn't slow down when the anti-virus scan kicks in), however if you are just doing one thing (like playing a game) the higher clock speed of the 2.2GHz Celeron 900 will help. Because it doesn't have SpeedStep it will drain your battery faster when not plugged in. Home users who will have it plugged in most of the time probably won't care about this. I should note it is much more powerful than the "Atom" processor found in smaller netbooks (easily twice the performance) but much more power hungry.

Display This 15.6" display has the same resolution as more expensive notebooks (1366x768) but it's not quite as bright. Unless you need to use it outdoors the difference isn't a big deal. It's a good display for this price.

RAM 2GB is enough for light home use. Don't expect to do heavy gaming but light gaming will be fine.

HDD 160GB seems small now days but most home users use less 50GB. As long as you are not a heavy gamer or expect to edit a lot of video this is plenty.

Graphics The Intel 4500M graphics CPU is the newest from Intel and is a big improvement over their previous graphics parts. This is the same graphics chip you will find in most $1000 notebooks. Once again it's not for the heavy gamer but it perfect for most home users and better than most entry level notebooks.

Wireless This supports the most common standards "B" and "G" but doesn't support the newest "N". You can still connect to "N" wireless networks but you will run at the slower "G" speed. Most users won't notice the difference.

Battery The six cell Lithium Ion is a decent battery for this price (and the same battery you find in more expensive notebooks). You will get about 2 hours of battery life 3 if you turn off the wireless. This is much better than the 4 cell that is still offered in some entry level notebooks.

Build quality As mentioned earlier in order to hit a low price point the material quality is lower than more expensive notebooks. The hinges on these low cost notebooks are notorious failure points. Don't pick this up by the screen or your notebook will break within a year or two. However Compaqs overall are well designed and are generally better entry level computers than Gateways or Dells.

So if you are planning on using this mostly around the house and expect you will be plugged in most of the time this laptop will do everything you need and won't break the bank. As long as you aren't too rough with it you shouldn't have any problems. If your twin thirteen year old boys are going to use it, you might be in trouble. If you need to multitask (or just hate it when your computer slows down for a virus scan) look for a dual core CPU notebook.

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I found this laptop on sale at Office Depot on 15 August 2009 with a base price of $ minus $ instant rebate minus $ by mail. Final price of $ is a pretty good deal for this machine. This is my first Compaq/HP laptop, so I can't speak to longevity but after a week so far, so good. A couple of observations:

* Like most laptops (at least on the budget end) there is a fair amount of bloatware that should be removed for best performance and to free disk space.

* This is my first laptop that features a numeric keypad, very convenient!

* I haven't used the LiteScribe drive, but was surprised to find it on this value priced machine.

Performance is as expected with 2gb of RAM and a 2.2 ghz processor. Very adequate for web, MS Office and typical functions. Runs EVE Online satisfactorily.

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I purchased this laptop for my parents who use it for online bill pay, surfing the web, Facebook and the like. We got a great price here at Amazon.com and couldn't be happier with the laptop. I purchased based on cost and was a little nervous based on the mixed reviews, but the laptop has exceeded my expectations. I especially like the extended keyboard with full numeric key pad -a nice feature that I have not seen on any other laptop.

This is not a top-of-the line tricked out computer, but if you're looking for an internet surfing/bill pay device you should be very pleased.

Honest reviews on Compaq Presario CQ60-410US 15.6-Inch Laptop

I bought this laptop because it was cheap($350) and I figured the quality would be decent because it was an HP/Compaq. My poor rating is based on several factors 1. The initial quality of the laptop, and 2. Dealing with HP's tech support. Within the 1st 6 months of owning this pc, I began having problems with my power adaptor. The cable wasn't fitting snugly into the side port, so the battery wasn't charging. I called HP and they gave me instructions on sending the laptop to their repair facility. They informed me that the process would take more than a week, so I wasn't too happy about that, but it had to be done. I sent off the laptop, they "fixed" it and sent it back.

Upon powering up my laptop, I quickly realized that they did not fix the problem. I still had the same issue, and they must have either not fixed it and sent it back, or did not test their repair. So, I called again, went through the same process and sent it back. On the 2nd attempt, the issue was "fixed", but I am still having intermittent problems. HP had my laptop for almost 3 weeks, and I am still not happy with their results. I use this computer for work and can no longer afford to keep sending it off and waiting for 7-10 for them to try and fix the issue.

I called a friend who works for HP and she told me that the "Compaq" label is used on cheap computers that are usually sold to Asian markets. The only thing I was happy with regarding this laptop is the price, but in retrospect, I would have rather paid a little more and bought a different brand. I will never buy anything from HP again!

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Compaq Presario CQ60-410US 15.6-Inch Laptop

As everyone else says, it was a good price, I bought this laptop from Office Depot online, they only give you 14 days to return it, and after 18 days of light use..BAM!! the hard drive went!!! I called HP and they were a great help, very good, fast and friendly service , the next day I received a new hard drive in the mail and a set of new recovery cd's. They sent me instructions on how to install it myself and it was very easy. The wireless conection is very fast. I am happy with it (considering...)

HP Pavilion tx2513cl Entertainment - Turion X2 RM-70 / 2 GHz - RAM Reviews

Customer Ratings:

I bought a refurbished one of these back in 2010. Everyone complains about HP computers, but I never had an issue with mine. The battery holds less charge than it did when I first got it, which is completely understandable since it's over 2 years old, but even that is not much of an issue since I am using the regular battery and not an extended life one. When I got it, I immediately upgraded from Vista to 7 because of my own preference and for a while the drivers that support the pen and touch features were not fully funtional (the pen feature worked, but the touch display didn't). Early last year, they released the updated drivers so now it is fully functional. The laptop does get kinda hot at times, that is true. Apparently, this is something that all of the HP computers made in similar build to this one do. Really, if you just sit it on a flat surface (like a table) and make sure there are no obstructions near the vents, the latop runs quite smoothly and the heat shouldn't be much of an issue then.

A neat feature about this computer is that it is Wacom Penabled and comes with Wacom drivers installed on it. For an artist, like myself, this is very handy as this feature is can utilize the pressure sensitivity of the screen. The 3 gigs of RAM already on the computer work pretty well, but I will be adding another gig to max it out for the artistic programs I use that really consume RAM, like Photoshop or Autodesk Maya. It actually runs fine with the 3 gigs though. It also comes with a little remote control that works with the media content.

Sometimes the fan gets kinda loud, but that seems to happen only when the computer is using a lot of memory. I do not recommend leaving disks in the computer when it is just starting up as it sometimes gives problems at startup. The battery does stick out the back and it is kind of annoying, but that's not really a funtionality issue as it is more of an aestetic issue. The only crappy thing I find is that it is not very easy to find a relatively cheap laptop case that fits it, since it is bigger than a netbook and smaller than most normal laptops but again, that is not a funtionality issue.

Overall, I am very pleased with this computer. It works for everything I need it for.

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Mother board burned up while I was in Brazil. Could not get it repaired

there since I did not purchase it in Brazil.

The transaction went well. No problem there but HP does have a problem with

laptops over heating.

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Customer Ratings:
List Price: $844.00
Sale Price: $499.95
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Powered by Intel's new Haswell processor, this laptop is much better than its predecessor, 17-e020us. Easy to set up, easy to use, fast, powerful. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a 17-inch laptop.

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I bought it from staples.com when the price was about $450. After two weeks, the machine keeps crashing when I play videos (e.g.,YouTube, hulu, Netflix), probably due to overheating. I have to return it though the price was pretty good.

Buy Lenovo IdeaPad Y560 Laptop Computer - 06465CU (Black) - Intel Core

Customer Ratings:

This computer could take anything I threw at it. It is perfect for multitasking. The built in JBL speakers are great for a laptop. The screen was good too. Perfect for HD movies and getting business done. This was my 3rd Lenovo/IBM and they delivered yet again. Looses a start due to being a bit big.

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Cheap ASUS Republic of Gamers G55VW-DH71 15.6-Inch Laptop

Customer Ratings:

I agree with most other reviews here. It is large and heavy, but overall has a good design. I'll add a few notes about upgrading.

Memory upgrade:

You can get to 16GB by purchasing a 2x 4GB package from Crucial and installing them in the user accessible area under the laptop. Unofficially, it will support 8GB sticks, so you can purchase a 2x 8GB package and get 24GB total (2x 4GB factory installed + 2x 8GB user installed). If you really wanted, you could also replace the two factory installed 4GB sticks with 8GB sticks to get 32GB, but you need to take apart the laptop to get to them (void warranty).

SSD upgrade:

There is only one hard drive bay (occupied by 500GB drive) so you can't easily just drop a 2.5 SSD drive in. Here are your options:

1. Replace the existing 500GB HDD with a 2.5 SSD. With only the SSD drive, you won't have much space for bulk storage.

2. Replace your DVD drive with a hard drive caddy and install a 2.5 SSD in the caddy. This allows for the SSD and 500GB HDD, but you lose your internal DVD. You can always purchase an external USB DVD drive.

3. Get an mSATA SSD. In order to get to the mSATA slot, you have to take apart the entire laptop (void warranty). It is a real pain to do this, but in the end you'll have your SSD, 500GB HDD and your DVD drive.

I ended up taking apart the laptop, replacing the two factory installed 4GB sticks with 8GB sticks and installing a 256GB mSATA SSD. The remaining 2x 4GB sticks were then reinstalled in the user accessible memory slots. So I now have 24GB of RAM, 256GB SSD, 500GB HDD. Later, I'll probably replace the 500GB HDD with a higher capacity and higher RPM HDD.

NOTE: Taking apart the laptop was no easy task. Do not do this unless you have experience and are willing to accept the risk of breaking your laptop. I've been told that this voids your warranty.

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History of the brand and Republic of Gamers series: The name Asus originates from Pegasus, winged horse of Greek mythology. The Republic of Gamers (ROG) brand has been around for more than five years now, and this G55V series notebook, like all the Asus Republic of Gamers (ROG) products promise, come with the best components. I originally purchased an Asus due to both word of mouth, and because I had seen the systems in use by my friends. Both my friends are particularly hard on PC hardware, and these previous generation ROG laptops are still working well. I have purchased two Asus. netbooks, and used these almost exclusively for past few years now. I was ready to play games with my friends that I could not with other systems not designed for gaming.

Overview of components in the system: Included in the Asus Republic of Gamers Laptop (G55VW-DH71s) list of impressive components is a quad core Intel CPU, and NVIDIA performance graphics solution. The Core i7-3610QM has a base clock frequency of 2.3 Ghz, with quad-core design. From my understanding of the TurboBoost i7 processor, some combination of drivers and software, in symphony along with the hardware and BIOS, transparently and automatically step up the clock rate as the demand for processing power increases, within the thermal capabilities of the hardware.

What's really good: That being said, the capabilities of the hardware are quite spectacular. The Asus G55V runs nice and cool, and the fans start to kick in noticeable only when the GPU reaches about 68 or 69 Celsius. While this is right at about 150 degrees farenheit, the bottom of the laptop doesn't seem to get uncomfortably warm, while the fan in the back seems to kick out a lot of heat without much noise or effort.

Transparent overclocking out of the box: Not every PC user knows what overclocking is. It has been around a long time. It the beginning no one tried it much, since it was either not easy or possible due to hardware limitations, or the PC user wouldn't want to attempt it because of the risk of overheating and killing the system once and for all. Fortunately, the G55V manages itself quite well, without any thought on the part of the user, and appears to change the hardware clock settings up or down in response to CPU and GPU demands, to save power, or to increase performance. I haven't noticed any throttling under moderate testing, the overclocking appears to be rather transparent. When doing nothing at all to tax the GPU, it will seriously underclock itself in order to save on power, and will ramp all the way up to full clock speed without any apparent lag. Perhaps more importantly, there is minimal increase in noise levels from the system fans kicking in while playing a game.

Performance in everyday use: When not gaming and actually working on the laptop, the system is really not taxed at all when using programs that are notorious for requiring lots of resources such as multiple tabs and internet browsers being open, along with Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat reader. I have not tested the computer processor extensively, but a quick run at 100% power during a test for 1 minute, the system neither started to run hot, nor did it become unstable at factory clocking settings. This is expected, but the lack of noticeable fan running when performing a heavy workload is something that makes using the system very pleasant. Without overclocking the PC, which is what any rational PC user would do when carrying about their normal business, I would suspect that the system will offer good performance, stability, and longevity due to the superior cooling system.

Pushing the limits of the hardware: More compact and previous generation laptops seem to make a lot of noise when their cooling system is pushed to the extreme, so I think it is safe to say that this PC is very overclock friendly based on a perusal of the forums, and anecdotal reports from my friend's laptop which is essentially the same model as this one, with a larger screen. The Republic of Gamers forum offers much advice and support to users wanting to push the limits of the hardware to new extremes. Interestingly, this current generation hardware doesn't need much of a push in my opinion, at this point in time.

Weaknesses in the hardware package: The weakest link in the system appears to be the "mere" 7,200 RPM mechanical hard drive, which is definitely a high performance laptop drive. After defragmenting the drive a few times, the computer seems adequately fast with the installed hard drive from the factory. Once booted up, I do not notice any times that the system has any noticeable lag. Indeed, the RAM specs are impressive, as are the CPU and GPU specs. The 7,200 RPM drives are actually quite fast, but with an SSD this computer will supposedly load Windows 7 in less than 20 seconds (possibly closer to 15 seconds according to test data from some of the latest hard drives). As the cost of hard drives continues to drop, as the capacity and speed increase, the SSD hard drive might be a smart upgrade at some point, but for my uses I really don't notice any lack of performance. I have used about 80 GB, and 400+ GB remain. My friend upgraded his to the SSD, so part of the urge to update is the "gotta have it factor" associated with the latest hardware, better known to professionals as conspicuous consumption.

Some performance data while playing a game: As I am typing this review right now, the battery suggests that there is more than 2-1/2 hours left on the charge. With five programs open, including Microsoft Office Word, multiple windows and tabs, the processor hovers around 1% usage. Add a game to the mix, such as Age of Empires III on maximal graphics settings, and the CPU hovers around 12%; this is with the game not paused, a large map, and the game on normal speed. It is utilizing almost 4 GB of the RAM at this point. GPU-Z tells me I'm using only 511 MB of graphics RAM, and the core clock is running at 835.2 Mhz on A/C power. The Republic of Gamers forums have all sorts of suggestions about which program to choose for overclocking, and how to completely disassemble the laptop if one wishes to replace the two more difficult to get to RAM sticks, and mSATA slot. This PC really has spectacular hardware.

Tree huggers versus performance: The system is actually an EPA Energy Star, and plenty of power options exist to save on power. I do not plan on overclocking at the moment, as the performance is excellent for the games that I have tried. I tried a demo of Company of Heroes, and downloaded a few benchmark tests just to make sure everything was in working order. My 3DMark scores, while not super impressive, are very respectable, and this system seems to have a near top of the line NVIDIA GTX 660M, while the CPU performance tests also came back with very good marks. More importantly, Flight Simulator X runs on the highest settings with a seemingly high and playable frame rate, and this program is notorious for taxing even the best systems when it came out just a few years back.

The Graphical Processing Unit: The NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX series 660M 2GB is fairly impressive. With an 80 GB per second memory bandwidth, and 384 unified shaders, the performance is very respectable. Reviewers found that one or two of the most demanding games might require a slightly lower than 1080p setting in order to run at maximal frame rates, the performance is excellent on marginally demanding newer games like Age of Empires III or Flight Simulator X.

The best things about this laptop may be interpreted as a pro or a con depending on the intended use of the PC: This laptop makes no apologies for it's size, it is actually much more modest than the 17" version of the machine, which is even an larger laptop. Again, copper cooling cores are not light, but copper is superb at moving heat. This laptop is all about performance, and the build quality is on par with Asus standards, which is excellent. While the specifications say 8.4 lbs is the weight, and the machine probably weights all of that, the machine appears smaller and lighter than it actually is when using it. Subtle details in the design make the machine appear smaller than it acutally is, which is a nice touch. The added bulk appears to be due to the space needed to accomplish what is a superb cooling system. Don't forget that this laptop also has a subwoofer. It is a nice laptop indeed.

The Asus Republic of Gamers (ROG) brand promises innovative hardware: Indeed, as the ROG brand promises, this is the most innovative PC performance hardware. One of the best overall gaming experiences I have had is while using this hardware. The coolest part about the Republic of Gamers franchise? They actually encourage you to push the limits of the hardware to the furthest possible limits of stability. There are numerous articles on the Republic of Gamers forums, which provide very useful posts from professionals. The price point is very reasonable given the excellent performance, upgradeability, and superior design. While I don't suggest overclocking the PC beyond the factory settings, it is nice to see that some folks have overclocked, and actively share their wisdom with other fanatics.

Functionalist Styling: While at least one die hard fan of the older Asus ROG series classic designs critized the massive cooling vents in the back styled like a fighter jet, to me they seem not only understandated, but perhaps even functionalist in their design. It cannot be denied that the large heat sinks, cooling fins, and large fans perform their job well, and are quiet while doing it.

Peripherals: While I see no purpose for it as of writing this article, this G55 is equipped with a Thunderbolt port: Apple fans would be familiar with this interface. Perhaps this interface can some day facilitate access to high speed storage. For now, it is nice to say that it is there.

Audio: The sound system seems pretty nice too: The system appears to contain an actual subwoofer, so anyone who says that the machine is larger and heavier, but fails to mention the fact that it features a sub, has not given the machine a fair review. The sound quality is actually quite good from the speakers. It is of ample volume, clear, and certainly adequate for playing a game. Especially impressive, in fact, for integrated laptop speakers.

Bright LED Backlit Display: The display is a high definition display, and wide screen format. With the native resolution, I can have two full sized windows open side by side, to facilitate working on my school assignments. I can read information from a *.pdf document, and type in Microsoft Office, side by side. There is little need to connect an external display, which is what I did when I was doing school research on my Asus netbook PC. The display is bright, and clear, with no dead pixels. One website suggested that the display is manufactured by LG, which is noted for making very good HDTV displays. The screen is a nice wide HD 1080 screen, and it connects nicely to my 42" HD TV. A legacy type display port is also present, which is nice just in case an older projector requires an old school monitor cable.

Attention to Deatil: Overall, the styling is very adult, and marginally understated; unlike some high end PCs which can be particularly flashy, and have all sorts of tacky LEDs, the only LEDs to be found on this system comprise the very bright backlight behind the display, and light up the keyboard. The keyboard brightness level is adjustable, which is a nice touch. It is attention to details like this that really make this PC a joy to use. The bezel around the keyboard appears to be brushed, polished metal, which is also a nice design touch.

Keyboard: Again, Asus takes a very conservative and elegant approach to the overall styling and feel of the notebook. The keyboard is great for gamers, since it is a compressed version of a desktop keyboard.

USB 3.0: The USB ports are 3.0 spec, which means they are fast, and there are four of them.

Internal Optical Disc Drive: The system appears to feature a DVD multi-recorder, and BluRay Player, and some users have opted to remove the CD/DVD/Blu-Ray drive in order to install a second hard drive. While I don't plan on removing this drive in order to perform this upgrade, and the mSATA slot buried under the keyboard is the only other Hard Drive option, it is just as easy to simply open the back hatch and pop in a Solid State Drive in order to maximize performance, and these drives are becoming more and more affordable, even in larger sizes like ½ TB.

Hardware Upgrades

Upgrading the Hardware: Looking at the disassembly instuctions (I would not want to attempt this myself, as I am not a professional), not only does the cooling system appear to be very robust, the important areas of the laptop are fairly easy to access. The laptop doesn't need any upgrades, in my opinion, but a complete review should take these factors into consideration.

SSD: Again, the simplest upgrade is removing the mechanical 7,200 RPM drive and opting for any high speed Solid State Drive (SSD). The stock 7,200 RPM drive appears to be the weakest link in the Windows Experience Index (5.9 rating). My friend performed this upgrade on his G7* series, and saw a huge jump in Windows Experience Index rating (I think his is now about 7 something on the Windows Experience Index arbitrary rating scale).

RAM: Removing one rear hatch provides access to 2 DDR32 slots. Depending on the configuration of your model, the machines with the latest quad core processor have 4 DDR3 slots in total, but two of those slots are under the keyboard and require complex disassembly by a professional. The two RAM slots under the rear hatch, as well as the factory equipped mechanical hard drive can be quite easily replaced by anyone with beginner to moderate PC upgrade skils. Two RAM slots are accessible by simply removing the back cover, and the 2.5" hard drive bay can be accessed from opening the same hatch. Again, the RAM is more than adequate, but ease of upgrades ensures the system can remains up to date in the future.

mSATA SSD Drive Optional: A custom configered G55V can be upgraded to have two hard drives, as mSATA SSDs are available in this form factor. Getting to this port, is a challenge, but both the disassembly instructions exist, and factory authorized repair centers should be able to perform the upgrade as well. This would allow the factory main 2.5" hard drive, to co-exist along with a very fast mSATA SSD. The operating system might be housed on this to allow for fast startups. Again, it is much easier to just replace the mechanical hard drive with an SSD, but this remains an option for some looking for this configuration.

Conclusion: The G55V series has top of the line hardware, one of the best cooling systems, good sound system, and great performance, at a great price point. The size is large, but between the flagship cooling system, sound system, and added optical disc drive, along with a full size keyboard, the system is simply a performance powerhouse, and a joy to use.

(This is a review that I wrote and initially published to Epinions).

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Bought it for portable gaming when I'm not at home. In a nutshull, I agree with other, more professional reviews that point out it has excellent cooling and performance at the expense of weight.

Cons:

1) Other reviews point out it's significantly heavier than most 15.6" laptops, but in practice I've found that the sheer size of the thing is actually more a problem for me than weight. I can carry it just fine in my backpack, but only after snugly fitting it in there. The power brick is also huge.

2) The keyboard is a little flimsy. The keys feel like they're precariously balanced such that when you hit a key it goes down at a slight angle in actual usage I haven't had problems with typing EXCEPT I have to hit the Esc key hard to get it to register. None of the other keys have given me issues.

Pros:

1) I have used it to play Guild Wars 2 for 4 straight hours at relatively high settings in 1920x1200 resolution without a noticeable rise in noise or temperature. I very much agree with Notebookcheck's review that said the cooling solution on this thing is in a class of its own.

2) Full keyboard with num pad.

3) Good viewing angles.

I recommend this laptop to anyone looking for a serious gaming solution on the move. I really really recommend this laptop to some looking for a primary gaming machine that doesn't plan to move it much I predict that its excellent and unique cooling system will provide stability and longevity that other gaming laptops will not stand up to after a year or two of heavy gaming usage.

Honest reviews on ASUS Republic of Gamers G55VW-DH71 15.6-Inch Laptop

First off let me just say that asus did a fantastic job building this beast. It is insanely fast and runs all of my games on the highest of settings. The screen is wonderful and holds up well even in well lit rooms. The speakers are much better than my old laptop but hey they are just laptop speakers. The track pad is a little off but i always use a wireless mouse so no set back there. It has FOUR usb 3.0 AND a thunderbolt port. yea a THUNDERBOLT port its crazy fast. Key board is back lit which is nice for gaming in the dark and has a dimmer so as to not distract you.

The only thing that I do not like about this product is windows 8. Windows 8 is really beautiful but it is slow and clunky and the learning curve is steep. I learned something new every day for a week when i got on my laptop. But my biggest peeve is that it has updated about 4 times in a week each update does nothing noticeable and each took about an hour!

P.S. the power brick weighs as much as a small child but if your going to complain about that go buy an ultrabook and complain about how it cant run half as fast as this machine.

Overall windows 8 isnt for everyone but this computer is for you serious gamers who need to be mobile!

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for ASUS Republic of Gamers G55VW-DH71 15.6-Inch Laptop

I've had big laptops, small laptops, tablets etc... finally i decided I needed a laptop that was actually powerful and would not slow me down, while i won't be using this for gaming i wanted the best of the best, and the most powerful in it's class. This laptop is heavy but its rock solid, at the end of the day i could really care less about the weight of the laptop or the size of the power brick. Im a good size guy so i just consider it some extra exercise. Tablets are a grey area for me, while they are portable and can even be a great desktop replacement (like the Surface Pro) i find they just slow me down, including iPad's/Android tablets etc..

Once i got this laptop i immediately replaced the internal hard drive with a 512GB SSD drive and 2x4 extra GB's of memory. I also put Windows 7 on the laptop, ill just never get used to Windows 8 and to be honest i think its lifespan is limited. I could care less about the tiles all over the place and when i run it in desktop mode i say to myself "why don't i just use Win 7?", so thats what I did and i couldn't be happier. This machine keeps cool, is quiet is is ridiculously fast. Did i mention the video card is a whopping Nvidia 2GB dedicated card? I love it so far!

Also, alot of people said they had issues replacing the drive because it as hard to get to? Maybe this is a newer model than what people have reviewed in the past, im not sure but it took me about 2 minutes to pop the back cover off, upgrade the ram and pop the new SSD drive in.

I would make sure you get this bag:

Everki Beacon Laptop Backpack with Gaming Console Sleeve, Fits up to 18-Inch (EKP117NBKCT)

At first i got the same bag as above in a smaller version and it said it fit up to 15.6", it was way too small, yes the screen may be 15.6" on the laptop but the body of the laptop is more like 17+ so make sure you get a BIG bag, the one above was the highest quality and had the most compartments and is the most comfortable.

Hope this info helps!

Buy Lenovo G580 15.6-Inch Laptop (Glossy Brown) Windows 8 Notebook PC

Customer Ratings:

The laptop is very beautiful; the color is subtle. The keyboard is so comfortable to use. The laptop is very lightweight and is very portable ( I attend grad school at night so this is an important factor for me). The battery life is also very good.

I found the Windows 8 operating system to be a lot of fun. I think anyone who is used to using devices with apps will appreciate Windows 8. I was nervous about buying this computer based upon the reviews of Windows 8, but I'm glad I took the chance. There will be a learning curve, but I was able to navigate my home screen, rearrange apps, download apps, etc... within a day or less.

I would recommend this laptop.

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excelente por el precio, aquí en Venezuela funciona muy bien, me llego en perfecto estado, este modelo no lo he encontrado en mi ciudad. hice una buena elección.

Best Deals for Lenovo G580 15.6-Inch Laptop (Glossy Brown) Windows 8 Notebook PC

I recommend this laptop for its overall specifications, including weight (mobility), USB3 capabilities, Large RAM, and overall speed. However, it is an entry level model. The chassis is flimsy and made of a generally low grade plastic and does not feel very sturdy in general, although it is not falling apart and has no physical defects out of the box. I got the 2nd Level The system is not a touch screen system (I bought it knowing this that is likely why the 50% discount on retail price), does not come with Windows 8 Pro preinstalled, which is only $35 to $65 US dollars at the time of this posting, and so it is disappointing because this is originally a Windows 7 system that was upgraded by the OEM to Windows 8x, and the processor, although fast and capable of virtualization, is not SLAT compatible and so does not allow for Support of the Microsoft Hypervisor Platform Technology.

It is a 64bit system with dual core 2.40GHz Processor, and 4 GB RAM, and a 300+ GB HDD, and is very light (like 3 lbs or less) with a nice screen size. So as mentioned previously is quick and mobile, but the flimsy chassis give me a little doubt about its durability. Thus, it is a nice system for a Student or a Home User that needs an extra laptop that is easy to carry and capable of running Windows 8 RT and .NET Desktop Applications.

Overall it is a recommendation from me because I still like working primarily on my desktop (I have Windows 8 Phone and Android Tablet for Touch Screen Apps) to do most of my general computing and programming, and because the specs are nice USB3, HDMI, Fast Ethernet Adapter, Broadcom 802.11n Wi-Fi Network Adapter, and other up to date features make this a fast and contemporary system that will be able to run all of the present and near future technologies, and if I don't physically abuse it I don't expect the any issues as a result of the entry level materials used to build the chassis.

Honest reviews on Lenovo G580 15.6-Inch Laptop (Glossy Brown) Windows 8 Notebook PC

For the price you can't go wrong, yes it does finger print easy get over it it's not a show car. Windows 8 is not a problem if you take some time to navigate around if you don't have time to work through the learning curve go with Windows 7 both are solid operating systems. Only reason I didn't give full 5 stars is the track pad is a bit wide and my palms tend to touch sending pointer wild this will become less of a problem the more I use the notebook. Other reason is I haven't yet put the machine through a true and thorough ringer of daily use so far I don't see any glaring flaws.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Lenovo G580 15.6-Inch Laptop (Glossy Brown) Windows 8 Notebook PC

love it so far, as promised in the description. will keep using lenovo product, i have not been dissapointed yet by them