<p>Product</a> Detail - Compare Page</p>
<p>So I am nearly finalizing my decision for the 13-14 school year as a freshman.
Basically I want to know which one of these four would be ideal for someone going into Engineering and would like to have some entertainment (very minor gaming).</p>
<p>All of these laptops would be more than enough for what you need them for. From what I’ve read, engineering majors don’t really need high-powered computers until much later in their careers. Now, one thing is that the HP Envy Touchsmart does not have an optical drive(CD/DVD drive), so keep in mind that you might want to purchase an external one if you go with that laptop. </p>
<p>Personally I like the SONY Vaio, because they have a good reputation and have been compared to Macs. All of these computers have a 1 terabyte hard drive or greater. 1 terabyte is 1024 gigabytes, so you should never run out of space. </p>
<p>Honestly the differences between these computers will probably be undetectable to you or me. Obviously you get what you pay for. If you’re on a budget, go for the Lenovo. If not, go with which one you just like the look of the best. I hope this helps!</p>
<p>Sony Vaio…good reputation? Not in the computer tech/IT community I am a part of where Sony Vaios are viewed as overpriced computers with exceedingly poor build quality/QC. </p>
<p>I’ve experienced this as someone who worked on Vaio notebooks for clients and from observing how the plastic parts like the optical drive tray door falls apart without much prompting. Macs are much more well-built than Vaios IME. </p>
<p>As for HP’s their QC/build quality is such I also would recommend against them. Overheating issues, high frequency of motherboard failures, etc. </p>
<p>Of the brands, I’d only feel some confidence with the Lenovos.</p>
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Meh overall Sony only good qualities are Playstation and TVs. Many of Sony laptops had been weak compared to others. However the one I listed seem to be well received. </p>
<p>As for HP, I’m typing on this site with one that is nearly 2 years old with intel Pentium. I agree that the HP is nearly always warm at time as well but I never really sit a laptop on my lap or any other body parts so I have no complaint there, could be a problem carrying though. </p>
<p>Lenovo I have no clue, only that it is nearly highly recommended. I am not liking the lack of 1 more 3.0 USB slots and the possible weakish battery life and wifi.</p>
<p>Asus is my top choice right now but still not sure.</p>
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<li><p>Any specific reason you chose Best Buy? You can buy some of these computers from sites like newegg and in many cases, directly from the manufacturer themselves, at prices that are typically far cheaper than Best Buy (for example, your Asus laptop is selling for $975 on newegg). If you have an attachment to the traditional “Brick and Mortar” stores, that’s fine, but just be aware that at many of the stores (especially Best Buy), you’ll find that the parts that make the computer so renown from a manufacturer are replaced with lower grade (same build quality though) parts. </p></li>
<li><p>I would not recommend purchasing the HP laptop. HP’s have terrible build quality. My first laptop was an HP laptop - I loved it to death, until only a year and a half into its lovely life, I decided to open the laptop (normally) and all of a sudden, the left hinge snapped open, broke through the plastic screen bezel, smashed up into the LCD screen and fractured it so much that it no longer displays. I never had any problems with the performance, but an issue like that is simply unforgivable (especially when purchasing replacement parts costs more than the laptop!). I can send you a picture, if you’re curious.</p></li>
<li><p>If you’re looking into only “minor gaming”, I would not recommend buying the Asus laptop. An integrated Intel HD 4000 will get you where you need to go. A discrete GT400-600m card will get you far beyond where you need to go. A discrete GT740m card will send you to the moon and back. If you enjoy overkill though, feel free.</p></li>
<li><p>Sony, as mentioned before, is not the most reputable brand when it comes to laptops. I wouldn’t recommend purchasing from them.</p></li>
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<p>Personally, I think you should really refine your search - if you looked further than Best Buy and did some serious research into your alternatives, I can almost guarantee that you can find a computer that will not only fit your needs but will also fit your wallet.</p>
<p>Find out your College’s recommendation for laptops. They may offer a few models with a discount. The major benefit of buying the recommended laptop is if anything goes wrong the school’s IT department can usually help. Also, anything a Prof might use in class should be compatible with the recommended laptop.</p>
<p>I would get the Asus</p>
<p>I’d not go with Asus. Their customer service isn’t all that helpful. Plus, the construction on my sister’s Asus is rather shabby…</p>
<p>I would go with the Asus</p>
<p>@GenApo:
<p>-Also I been at this since March. I took a break because I heard the new processor was coming and then I went browsing in June but stores didn’t have them yet so I waiting about a month and now I need one so I can learn how to use it before school starts. I did have my eyes on Lenovo y510 but I found out that it wasn’t touchscreen so I had to start all over again. I do have another laptop in mind but I want to know which one of these laptops people recommend. </p>
<p>@OperaDad: My college recommend Dell. but their products haven’t been all too great lately. But I don’t expect compatibly issue with a school of 30,000 undergrads (meaning several difference ages and type of laptops. </p>
<p>@Serenity: What was the problem that made your sister contact customer service?</p>
<p>The screen wouldn’t turn on. My mom literally just fixed it yesterday. After 6 months. Customer service was no help. We sent it to them so they could try to figure out. They sent it back still not working. Said it would cost $300 for them just to open it up. The laptop only cost $400 initially. We weren’t paying them $300 to look at it.</p>
<p>$300 just to turn some screws and find out what the problem was and then put it back together? I would had put in money for a new laptop for that price.</p>
<p>Exactly. Which is why my mom got it back and ended up replacing the screen herself. I can’t remember how much it cost.</p>
<p>These computers are all pretty heavy (over 5.5 lbs), are you planning on lugging them around your campus?</p>
<p>I bought a ~4.5 lb laptop last year and I had to get rid of it because it was just too big, and it only had a 14" screen these are all 15.6".</p>
<p>6 pounds? Man that is totally nothing considering they’re only 15-inch. I can carry around my mom 17 inch (unsure of pounds) with little effort.</p>
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<p>Having replaced cracked LCD screens, the cost would include the cost of the replacement LCD itself which runs about $80-$100 and then the hourly labor charges which run around $60/hour and up. Moreover, replacing LCD screens is a delicate operation requiring some time and finesse to avoid damaging the replacement LCD or any nearby parts. </p>
<p>If the issue is an LCD inverter, however, that’s relatively cheap and doesn’t require as much time/finesse to replace. Even so, it’s not something one wants to attempt if they’re not comfortable taking apart their screen assemblies and working with high powered electrical parts. </p>
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<p>Ha! Back when I was in college, my first notebook weighed 11 pounds including adapter and I carried it to all my classes and sometimes even walked a few miles while I was at it. 4.5 pounds would have been considered extremely light back then. </p>
<p>:)</p>
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<p>And they still are. People are spoiled by light smartphone and smaller laptops. I personally do not like the size and lightness of a 13’’ which is why I prefer 15 or 17.</p>
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<p>The $300 was just for them to figure out what was wrong. My mom had her friend figure that out for free. Then she bought a replacement screen and I can’t remember if she or he replaced it. My mom could have done it (she’s learned enough from my brother to) but I’m not sure if she did or just got the friend to.</p>
<p>Then I’d go with the Asus because it is the only one that is sporting a dedicated gpu, the others are all running integrated intel. The Sony seems way over priced for its speed (despite the fusion drive) and HP is known for poor build quality.</p>
<p>Honestly if you cut out the touch screen requirement (which I own a touchscreen Dell XPS, it isn’t really that useful) you could save $150-300 and get a computer just as good.</p>
<p>Look like it’s the Asus. Not my final choice but my last three. </p>
<p>@barrk: I do prefer the full experience. Windows 8 as I tried out is much faster with touch.</p>