Need advice on Two laptops

[Eraddd]

Hey Smogon, I need advice on a laptop.

My dad finally consented to buy me a laptop that'll last me more than two (!!) years. A few things details that I need for my laptop

1)Please for the love of God, I need at least an i3 Processor.
2)No integrated graphics card. It must be Nvidia 230m or higher
3)RAM I could care less about. 2GB DDR2 is good enough for me
4)Screen size should be from 14 - 16. I'm a student entering college, so no heavy lugging for me.

Now, I have found these two laptops.

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220699

or

http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=50106

Now both may be 799 CAD, but don't be fooled; with taxes, they cost around 900.

Now the Asus has a worser graphics card than the Acer, but has same specs everywhere else. Now, I'm worried about the build quality of this Acer (and Acer is general). I know Asus is reliable. Plus they have two years of warranty, not one like Acer. Is the upgrade in graphics card worth the risk of a lesser build quality and one year less of warranty?

And if you have any other suggestions, please post them here.

Thanks!

 

[Aura Guardian]

Which one you get all depends on what you want it for. If you need it for word processing, some programming, etc, then go for reliable. If you want to play video games, or something (college student? I advise against), then you may want improved graphics. What is the minimum graphics you need?

Your lack of care for extra RAM indicates this: Asus, not Acer.
That is my advice.

 

[chaos]

If you want something to last two years, you need to buy something with quality construction. I would recommend something like a Lenovo T series laptop.

 

[Eraddd]

If you want something to last two years, you need to buy something with quality construction. I would recommend something like a Lenovo T series laptop.

Problem:

T Series is too expensive (sigh)
Graphics Card isn't what I want.
I really want an i5+ processor.

T500 is amazing. I'll give you that. With the durability and everything. The build quality is amazing, but it's just out of my line.

 

[Firestorm]

Er, what are your needs? I can't think of anyone who would absolutely need an i5 processor over a Core 2 Duo instead of another 2GB of RAM. Is there something I'm missing here?

 

[Eraddd]

Er, what are your needs? I can't think of anyone who would absolutely need an i5 processor over a Core 2 Duo instead of another 2GB of RAM. Is there something I'm missing here?

No no, the two laptops have 4 gigs of RAM and i5 processor. What I'm asking is which is better, the Acer or Asus, and if there's a better option out there for around the same price (my family is in money saving mode).

 

[Firestorm]

I'd go with the Acer. Acers are pretty reliable (above the average I believe) and the video card is quite a bit better. It's also at a local store which makes it easier to exchange in the case of a DoA product. I'd check out the weight and battery life before buying. I don't know what school you're going to but older ones don't seem to have many outlets which causes quite a problem for my laptop. I'm perfectly fine at SFU's Surrey campus but their Burnaby campus is atrocious.

 

[FDS]

this sager may be of interest to you. they put an i5 in it with the default configuration ~$900
http://www.sagernotebook.com/category_browse.php?cid=&lcdsize=15

 

[Accent]

This is what I'm getting soon.

 

[cantab]

I'm a student entering college, so no heavy lugging for me.

I took a desktop PC and a CRT monitor when I went to University. By train. You by no means need a laptop (as opposed to having a desktop), unless you're flying I guess. Less weight helps mind. On the other hand, since you want a system that will last - desktops, even cheap ones, are in my experience more durable.

 

[cookie]

Desktops last longer simply because they're less mobile - a laptop is going to undergo a hell of a lot more movement than your average desktop.

 

[Polis4rule]

Sony's are pretty good and I've heard that Lenovo's are also pretty good machines (and reliable).

 

[Eraddd]

Thanks for all your advice guys. I picked up the Acer.

 

[Slingshot279]

get an alienware m11x, best of the best