<p>I can’t really help with your choice, since that’s more of a subjective decision, but I can try to help with some of your technical questions.</p>
<p>Lenovo makes excellent, reliable laptops for a very reasonable price, and that’s before you tack on the student discounts they offer. The Ideapad Y series would be your best bet if you were looking for a dedicated GPU that can handle recent games (Diablo III, etc.), the GT 555M will be able to handle (almost) any movie or game, though you’ll have to keep your games’ graphical settings near the lower end of the spectrum. I would recommend the Y570 with the i5 out of that series if you’re looking for the best performance for your dollar.</p>
<p>Here’s why: Unless you do heavy video editing or 3D modelling, an i7 processor won’t give any benefit to your laptop besides sucking up more power and making the laptop more expensive. If you do use those programs often, though, then an i7 processor model is the way to go.</p>
<p>As far as CPUs go, Ivy Bridge processors are not all that different from Sandy Bridge. Not enough to warrant paying more for a laptop that already has dedicated graphics, anyways. Ivy Bridge does have far superior integrated graphics (Intel HD 4000 vs. Sandy Bridge’s HD 3000), but the difference in performance between Ivy and Sandy is so small, it’s not worth considering as a pro/con for either. If you decide not to go for a dedicated GPU in your laptop, Ivy Bridge will be the better choice, but otherwise, you should consider them equal.</p>
<p>Plenty of laptops have open space for a second hard drive, so that if you can’t afford an SSD when you buy it, you can always upgrade it yourself later. If you find a laptop you like that doesn’t have an SSD, check to see if it has second hard drive bay, and if it does, you can always pick up a Crucial M4 whenever you have the spare cash. Make sure you read the warranty on your laptop, though, since some warranties (like Apple’s) are voided if you open up the case on your laptop.</p>
<p>Unless you’re doing a lot of video editing, Photoshop, or 3D modelling, 4GB of RAM should be plenty. Even 2GB is easily operable, though I’m pretty sure most manufacturers have made 4GB the standard.</p>
<p>I’m not sure whether I explained everything well, but I hope it helps you further narrow down what you’re looking for.</p>
<p>Okay, bear with me and keep in mind that any prices I list do not include a student discount.</p>
<p>
The Y series is currently in your $800 price range still (without the student discount even) and still meets the most of your criteria. You’re still somewhat paying for an “ultrabook portability” premium with the U series (the U410 is what I would suggest for you, but more on that in a sec) eventhough they aren’t the most protable of the bunch. The plus is that they do come with higher rated battery life than their ultraslim kin.</p>
<p>
This is almost absolutely true. The differences between 2nd Gen and 3rd Gen i5 and i7 will mostly depend on comparing dual- or quad-core low- or high-voltage CPUs. If I remember right, you’re in Engineering? More on this later too.</p>
<p>
I know you want higher RAM because you plan on doing some form of gaming along with your regular usage and in a lot of cases (depending on the game) 2GB will not be enough and 4GB will be just passing it. Luckily, RAM is typically user-upgradable on the cheap. What you may find in some modern competitive laptops for your criteria is a ‘hybrid hard drive’ where they include a 32GB SSD (on top of the 500-750GB HDD) for the OS cache. This allows the OS to boot faster and for most of your operating programs to feel mosre snappy, but won’t contribute beneficially to your day to day usage or data transfer rates. More on this one too.</p>
<p>Hopefully this is going to look organized enough. Dell Inspiron 14z 14" ultrabook
$800
3rd Gen i5
6GB RAM
500GB HDD @5400 + 32GB SSD
HD Graphics 4000</p>
<p>Acer Aspire Timeline X 14" notebook
$730
2nd Gen i5 @ 2.5GHz
4GB RAM
500GB HDD
Nvidia GeForce 540M</p>
<p>Lenovo IdeaPad Y470p 14" notebook
$800
2nd Gen i7 @ 2.2GHz
8GB RAM
750GB HDD @5400
AMD Radeon HD 7690</p>
<p>I’ve mentioned the Acer Timeline and Lenovo Y470p before, but I wanted to include here the Dell and Lenovo ultrabooks for portability options and comparison, but I will mention that they will not be equivalent in power.</p>
<p>Dell Inspriron 14z
Eventhough it is from Dell’s consumer line I’m suggesting you look into it (read some reviews and mess with on in-store for a bit) because it is fitting your list except for the dedicated graphics. A couple things, however. 1) The Intel HD 4000 integrated graphics is pushing out benchmarks and framerates that are double the HD 3000 - which makes it even better than some dedicated graphics. This is mostly seen with the higher voltage CPUs however, not like the ones they are putting in the ultrabooks, so the framerates from the 4000 in machines like the Dell 14z are expected to be on the lower side. Let me explain: according to Notebookcheck, the HD 4000 will get ~41fps on Skyrim. However, these tests include results from low and high voltage Intel CPUs with the high voltage ones (more powerful ones) putting up a higher average fps. The same when comparing other games like MW3, B3, Crysis 2, and StarCraft II. The review explicitly states
[New</a> Inspiron 14z Ultrabook? ? Built-in DVD & Skullcandy Speakers | Dell](<a href=“Shop: Dell Site Map of All Products, Solutions & Services | Dell USA”>Shop: Dell Site Map of All Products, Solutions & Services | Dell USA)
[Intel</a> HD Graphics 4000 - Notebookcheck.net Tech](<a href=“http://www.notebookcheck.net/Intel-HD-Graphics-4000.69168.0.html]Intel”>http://www.notebookcheck.net/Intel-HD-Graphics-4000.69168.0.html)
2) While this model comes with the mentioned ‘hybrid drive’ the HDD included does run at 5400rpm, so again it will generally be the same as just having the HDD when using extensive programs and when transferring files. And 3) this is still considered an ultrabook and while it can seem plenty portable, it can lack the raw power that you may or may not be seeking. This helps to keep it portable and keep the battery going for as long as it can. If your budget was bigger I would have suggested the new Dell XPS 14 over this because it is built with better materials and comes with the same exact hardware (only 2GB less in RAM) and ‘flashier’ technology like a backlit kayboard. But at $1,100 it’s more of a “Hey look at my cool looking computer” than a “I need to make this work for what I have” sort of machine, if that makes any sense.</p>
<p>Lenovo IdeaPad U410
Eventhough I am admittedly partial to this machine, I think it’s hitting it on the head for you in many ways. It’s your described size (14"), in your price range ($800 w/o student discount), comes with a whopping 8GB RAM out of the box, and includes both a hybrid drive and dedicated graphics (Nvidia GeForce 610M, which I think we’ve covered here before). It’s an ultrabook, so it is portable, but not as portable as others in the class. It basrely meets the physical dimension reqs to qualify. I’m starting to see this one in stores so I suggest messing around with it (or at least the U310 13.3" counterpart since it’s almost the identical system, just a bit smaller). Where I like this Lenovo over the above Dell is that it comes with a dedicated GPU with the low-voltage CPU which seems to serve better than the integrated+low-voltage combo. Therefore, IMO while the Nvidia GeForce 610M overall may be just under the HD 4000 in fps benchmarks, I think if you removed the high-voltage CPU data, the 610 will scout ahead. A side plus, for me anyway, is that the keyboard on the U310 I got my hands on felt phenominal so hopefully the U410 would follow suit, and knowing Lenovo, that is a high possibility. And if you’re mindful of computer aesthetics (like me) you’ll appreciate the offered colors on this model.
[IdeaPad</a> U410 Ultrabook - affordable laptop from Lenovo (US)](<a href=“http://www.lenovo.com/products/us/laptop/ideapad/u-series/u410/]IdeaPad”>http://www.lenovo.com/products/us/laptop/ideapad/u-series/u410/)
[NVIDIA</a> GeForce 610M - Notebookcheck.net Tech](<a href=“http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-610M.63759.0.html]NVIDIA”>http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-610M.63759.0.html)</p>
<p>Acer Aspire Timeline X
I mention this one (again) because it may be worth it to you for a second look. It’s just a bit cheaper, but will come with a 2nd Gen i5. You can upgrade the RAM yourself on the cheap side (since you’re saving money already anyway), but it doesn’t come with a hybrid drive, just the good old fashioned HDD. And here comes my spit about 2nd vs 3rd Gen Intel CPU: You’re absolutely right that a 2nd Gen CPU should not be considered outdated hardware now that 3rd Gen is rolling of the assembly lines and they are still fully capable of high performance. The only real drawback I see to taking an SB CPU over IB is that if you’re uding integrated graphics the SB will come with HD 3000 vs 4000 (which I’ve already stated can be up to 2X better). But in dedicated GPU cases, like this Acer, the difference will not be so much - and even better if you can save some money for going with the SB. 3rd Gen IB CPUs will come with the ability to use internal technologies that are able to conserve/use less energy and boot your machine in a timelier fashion, but often times those advantages can be minute and not discernable to the everyday user. It would mostly be different from model to model. The clock speed for the CPU on this particular model is higher as well (2.5 GHz), so it should be able to take full advantage of the GeForce 540M on board. As KolonelK suggests, you can always upgrade to SSD later on.
[Aspire</a> TimelineX | Models](<a href=“http://us.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/models/aspire-timelinex]Aspire”>http://us.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/models/aspire-timelinex)
[NVIDIA</a> GeForce GT 540M - Notebookcheck.net Tech](<a href=“http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-GT-540M.41715.0.html]NVIDIA”>http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-GT-540M.41715.0.html)</p>
<p>Lenovo IdeaPad Y470p
This was reviewed in previous posts, but I’ll mention it in line and accordance to the rest for comparison’s sake. The one priced on the Lenovo site comes with a 2nd Gen quad-core i7 at 2.2 GHZ clock speed. Arguably better than the i5 in the Acer Timeline X. Arguably as well is the superiority of the GPU of the AMD Radeon HD 7690 to the GeForce 540M (also mentioned previously). Plus 8GB RAM and a 50% bugger HDD than the rest (750GB) and you’ve got yourself an overall fitting machine as you describe your wants. Portability is sacrificed here compared to the Dell and Lenovo U410, but comes with the same 14" 1366x768 screen. I wish I could readily track down some comparable models with better displays for you in your price range, but I can’t. Maybe someone else can?
[IdeaPad</a> Y470p - powerful multimedia laptop - Lenovo (US)](<a href=“http://www.lenovo.com/products/us/laptop/ideapad/y-series/y470p/]IdeaPad”>http://www.lenovo.com/products/us/laptop/ideapad/y-series/y470p/)</p>
<p>In summary, if you’re willing to reconsider integrated graphics (with the power of the HD 4000), then you may have a few more options like the Dell 14z, also so long as you’re willing to cope with a low-voltage CPU to obtain a nice portability and longer battery life factor. If not, then you can still consider the U410 with the low-voltage CPU but still dedicated GPU couple while still getting a nice portable footprint and good out-of-box specs. If none of it is jiving, then reexamine the Acer and Lenovo Y470p. There are cheaper laptops out there, but they tend to be cheap because a) they offer less than stellar hardware and specs or b) are built with less than stellar materials and may not be as portable or durable.</p>
<p>Wow, thank you guys so much for the incredibly informative replies. I cannot believe how much luck I am having on this forum. </p>
<p>First and foremost, I completely did not know that about how the 3rd gen processor with integrated might match a second generation with a dedicated card. As long as I can get some decent framerates (I don’t care about high quality or low quality) I’m fine with whatever. That is really good information to know.</p>
<p>Turtlerock – I am with you on being partial to Lenovo. So many of my friends (and as stated by KolonelK) have had great luck with them and they really seem like they make a good quality product. So far they are my #1 choice. I am wary of Dell only because they have gotten the reputation over the years of making cheap computers, but I know of course if you buy one of their expensive ones you will get a better product. </p>
<p>With their student discount (and some other tricks that I pulled), I should be able to score the U410 laptop with the 3rd generation i5, 8 gig RAM, Geforce 610, and 500gb 7200rpm hard drive for $711. No supplemental SSD on this one, but the 7200 RPM is better than a 5400 RPM I guess. I talked to Lenovo the other day and was informed that their U series did not include a supplemental hard drive space. Oh well. Another problem with this is that the U410 standard laptop does not have a guaranteed shipping date, it just says “Ships in more than 4 weeks”. So this is a potential roadblock.</p>
<p>On the other hand, I can get their U410 “Ultrabook” for the exact same price. This one has the i3 processor (but 1.8 GHz), the same video card, 6 gigs of RAM (I am not worried about a RAM upgrade), a 500 gig 5400 RPM with a 32g SSD. For $824 I can get the i5 processor with 8 gig of RAM and a 1T HDD. Like I said though, I’m not trying to go over $800. How does a 5400 RPM HDD compare to a 7200 RPM? Would you guys just recommended getting the bigger 7200 RPM without the supplemental SSD? I’m really not too nit-picky about bootup times, so maybe I can just overlook the SSD and just get the one with the best HDD.</p>
<p>The other one I like is the Y570. It’s got the second gen i7, Geforce 555, 8 gb RAM, 500 GB 7200 HDD (a little on the small side, but the computer I’m running now has half that and I haven’t even filled up HALF of what mine has, so in essence I’d probably only use like a quarter to a third of the 500 Gig hard drive). I do like this one. I know Kolonel was warning about the i7 really draining your battery life for really not getting much use, and with a dedicated graphics card, I wonder if the i7 is even necessary. It says it can get up to 4 hours on a charge (and we all know how companies tend to inflate their statistics), which is pretty bad for a college student who will be walking around a massive campus. </p>
<p>The Y470 is lighter and has an AMD Radeon 7690, which I am unsure of. It still sports the same battery life, so I’m not really wooed by the more sleek design if it’s still going to drain the crap out of the battery if that makes sense. </p>
<p>And I’m not sure if you guys missed this, but Lenovo also has the U310 Ultrabook. It’s got the 3rd generation i5 with HD 4000 graphics (which as you both mentioned is comparable to a dedicated card), and a 500gb 5400rpm HDD with a SSD which is a nice bonus. This one looks like it IS in stock and has a ship date.</p>
<p>BOTTOM LINE: I think I may go with the IdeaPad U410 Laptop - 437623U - Graphite Gray. I’ll be able to get it for around $700, which is perfect. Double the battery life of the Y series, only four pounds and very thin, 3rd generation i5 (perfect), GeForce 610 1Mb. My only concern is the shipping. I think I may contact Lenovo again to see if they can ship it sooner. I really like this laptop. Otherwise, the U310 is the EXACT same price and the only difference is that it has the HD 4000 Graphics and a bonus SSD but a less powerful HDD, and only has 4 gig of RAM. </p>
<p>I’m really torn between the laptops in the U series.</p>
This past year Lenovo unseated Dell as the #2 computer company by market share and is quickly catching up to #1 (HP). HP had <4% growth over the last year whereas Lenovo had 17+% so they must be doing something right.</p>
<p>
The U310 & 410 began sales just earlier in June, so there may be a back-up from initial orders. In time this should clear up.</p>
<p>
IMO, not much in day to day. The 5400s are fine for what you will need. If you’re not picky about boot/resume time, then a small SSD cache won’t appeal to you and you can pass it up for a bigger or faster HDD if you so desire.</p>
<p>
I knew of, but didn’t mention these machines because they are 15.6 and 13.3" screens respectively. A little too big and small than I thought you were looking for. The U310 is very much in stock and in stores now so you can check it out and it’s pretty much just a small version of the U410. I checked it out at Fry’s the other day.</p>
<p>
IMO the i7 is not necessary. An i5 with dedicated is more than enough power for what you’re asking, and yes, will most likely end up just being a higher drain on the lackluster battery. 4 hours doesn’t seem like a lot and it may become a real inconvenience trying to find somewhere between classes to charge up, even if it’s for 30 minutes. You can always look into buying a second battery at a later time and switch them out (carrying the second one in your bag) when the first runs low. Just a thought.</p>
<p>
And it’s a smaller more portable machine.</p>
<p>
I agree that the non-ultrabook version of the U410 fits the bill (I should have added it along side of the ultrabook version in my comparison). If you’ve abandoned the Y470p, then this would be a good lenovo alternative.</p>
<p>–i7 is really unnecessary and will be a battery/money drain for really not that much added performance for day-to-day use.</p>
<p>–U series is the way to go for me. The Y series is more powerful, but is just not really practical for MOST of my uses. The battery life really sucks in the Y series and I’m not really thrilled about getting a second battery when I could just get a computer that would last me the whole day. It’ nearly two pounds heavier too.</p>
<p>So now that we’ve limited it down to the U series:</p>
<p>U310 and U310 Ultrabook: Both of these come with a stock i5 (ivy bridge) at 1.7Ghz (I’m not sure if the speed is good or bad), Intel HD 4000 Graphics (like you both mentioned is comparable to a dedicated card in some cases), and a 500gb HDD with an optional SSD if I bought the Ultrabook and paid a bit more. The only thing that steers me away from these is the RAM. I would ideally like more than 4 GB, but I’m not sure if I’m confident opening up my brand new laptop and installing the new RAM. I don’t want to void my warranty or anything like that. This is something to consider. And, also, as you pointed out turtle, the 13.3 inch screen would be small. Do you think this would be too small for comfort? I’ve never personally dealt with a screen that small so I have no idea.</p>
<p>U400: Only one laptop in this group that really fits my wants and budget. 2nd Gen i5 (2.50Ghz), AMD Radeon HD 6470M 1GB (as you mentioned turtle this is a better card than the Nvidia ones that come with the U series?), 6 GB RAM (better than the 4), 500 gig HDD. Heavier and thicker than the other ones at almost 4.5 pounds. Still, I could score the U400 for under $700.</p>
<p>As we have discussed the non-ultrabook U410 is a great option with a 3rd gen i5, 8 gig RAM, GeForce 610, etc. but the one I’m looking for won’t ship for 4+ weeks. Turtle I know you said this could change, but I need this laptop for college and I have heard Lenovo can be ridiculously slow shippers so I cannot risk me getting this laptop mid-September.</p>
<p>U410 Ultrabook: Ignoring their cheapest model (which comes with an i3), we have three options here. Options one and two would run me $750 with a 500gig HDD + 32gig SDD. Option three would run me $830 with a TB HDD and the 32 gig SSD. Here’s the thing…Options one and two are blue and ruby red, respectively. Option three is a metallic grey. This may sound incredibly stupid, but I am partial to color. All of these are ready to ship as well.</p>
<p>So, ultimately, I have to stop wasting your guys’ time and decide on something…I can be a little bit of a stickler when it comes to buying something expensive (hence why this forum has gotten so many posts from you guys), but when I do buy something I’m always 100% sure that I’m getting the best product for my money. If the U310 is out of the picture because of the screen size, then I really only have the U400 or the U410 (standard and Ultrabook).</p>
Understandable worry. I would call and ask Lenovo about that specifically or see if you can find what their warranty covers online.</p>
<p>
I have a 17" laptop and my wife has a 13.3". There can be huge differences. This comes not just in the form of the physical screen size, but the resolution size as well. For example, all the Lenovo U series that we’re talking about will have 1366x768 resolution, which is basically a standard for the 13-14" screen sizes (much like the 4GB of RAM). The resolution size explains why some desktop icons or fonts appear smaller or bigger on two screens even though they may be the same physical size - 13.3" for example. Most people that use a bigger screen size, like myself, are used to having more screen “real estate” to throw open windows/programs around with. It’s what allows us to multitask easier because more things are in front of us at once. The smaller the screen size, the less likely you’ll be able to multitask in the same way. Most people that use higher resolutions like the sharpness and clarity that is brought within that “real estate”. Fonts/web pages can be shrunk and full displayed with less scroll command and other icons and images can appear more crisp and together. If you’re used to these two features, then it can be difficult, at first, to acclimate to a new way of multitasking/organizing/viewing or displaying the things going on with the screen. Again, can be hard at first, but eventually everyone can adapt to it - just a matter of how long they are willing to put up with the feeling of “different”. I plan to get a new machine with 14" screen or smaller (a change from my 17") for the portability factor. Being able to take the machine anywhere I need to go will be more important, to me, going into college than the things I’ve grown accustomed to with a bigger display (my current display also has a much higher resolution than the typical 1366x768 found on those smaller size screens). This is not to say that a 1366x768 can produce high quality images, especially with the newest integrated or dedicated GPUs, and it’s still technically considered to meet the definition of High Definition (720p).</p>
<p>
Yikes, I hear you. There’s no way to find alternative computers to use until it might arrive? If you call Lenovo are you able to get a definitive ship date from them or is it just a general “We’ll get around to it eventually.”?</p>
<p>
That sounds incredibly sane. Personally I would go for the cheaper red. It’s cheaper, you’ll get more looks, and I can’t find a way to justify needing the extra 250GB in a machine like that.</p>
<p>
I’m exactly the same way. I spent at least 6 months pouring over online reviews and data, lurking forums, and reading all I could about car dealership tricks and car buying tips when I was deciding to buy a brand new car last year. The more informed you are, then obviously the more informed decision you can make. I’d rather spend a long time researching to get exactly what I want than “not wasting my time” and getting something I may be unhappy with down the road because I realized I didn’t do enough and there could have been a better deal or better product for me out there. I’ve never been disappointed in a big purchase decision by acting like this.</p>
<p>
Sounds about where you’re at. If you think you can manage yourself and the things you want to do with your computer on a 13.3" screen, then I think the U310 is a good one for your budget. Plus, it’s been mentioned to me on multiple occasions that a 13.3" computer is usually the perfect size for most college classroom desks (like the small ones in a lecture hall). Anything bigger and people sometimes notice that portions of their machine are hanging off the desk. The U410 will come the 14" screen at a little heavier and thicker than the U310, but not considerably so, and because of this it should be able to pack more battery life as well. Plus the U410 comes in better colors ;)</p>
<p>Just talked a buddy that got a 13" Macbook for graduation and says he has no complains about the size at all. You’re right, dorm desks can be small as well as the desks in the libraries too. I just snooped around online and it does not look like upgrading the RAM will not void the warranty, and if I have a problem with it I could always just pop back in the original RAM before sending it in so they don’t notice. Still though, I would like to buy the computer without having to do anything to it right off the bat. Have heard mixed reviews on upgrading the RAM though. I think it being a laptop can make upgrading the RAM and other parts a sketchy process.</p>
<p>The U310 is a good option and comes with the HD4000 graphics, so I would save a lot of battery life by not having a dedicated card. Still, though, some games will not run well off integrated graphics, period. That being said, I’m an Engineering major at a very respected and challenging school, so it would be a joke to even say that I’m going to have very much time to game. I guess if I ever want to play Diablo in college I’ll just have to come home and go back to my desktop.</p>
<p>I am probably going to buy this laptop today. They have this huge fourth of July sale going on and most of their laptops are 45% off. The prices are very good and fit right within my budget, so I think now may be the time to buy. Like I’ve mentioned before, the U400 is a good middle-of-the-road option. It’s got a 2nd gen i5, 6 gig of RAM, and the Radeon 6470 1gb video card. Plus it’d be under $700. Not too bad IMO.</p>
<p>Of course, the U410 is great and has absolutely everything I need, but the other colors just aren’t doing it for me. I like a good neutral gray color. I’m not big on the red, but if push came to shove I might do the blue. I’ve still got time to think about it.</p>
<p>So, what do you think? Would today be a good day to buy? I’d at least have a month to get used to it before I headed off to school. </p>
<p>Bottom line: I’m incredibly close to getting the U310 ultrabook. It’s got a great processor and the 4000 graphics are great, and the battery life and weight and dimensions are phenomenal. I just don’t know what to do about the 4 gig of RAM. It’d be an easy upgrade and I have found the RAM I would need to upgrade it, but I just do not know if it is upgradable. </p>
<p>The more I read the more I see that people’s upgrade experience with the U series (particularly adding RAM and a SSD) has been less than stellar. I wonder if I should just sink the $830 into the U410 ultrabook and get everything I want… I just can’t see 4 gig of RAM being enough for the U310, and if I end up not being able to upgrade it I’m screwed.</p>
<p>Doing a bit more research on my own, I found reviews for the U310 and the U400. On the U310:</p>
<p>“RAM can be configured up to 4GB through a single module. There are no maintenance hatches whatsoever, so easy configuration or swapping of the hard drive, mSATA drive, battery or RAM is out of the question.” – notebookcheck.com</p>
<p>This is a big disappointment. I think that pretty much takes this laptop out of the running for me. For most things nowadays, 4 gigs is just barely cutting it, especially if I am going to do some things on the laptop that push it.</p>
<p>On the U400, which offers 6 gigs of RAM: </p>
<p>"However, the U400 throws up some significant roadblocks for users who enjoy upgrading their own notebooks. The laptops only screws are hidden underneath the glued rubber pads on the U400s underside and according to several users on Lenovos forums, it is extremely difficult to reassemble the U400 afterwards. Were sure that enterprising U400 owners are already figuring out ways to disassemble and reassemble the notebook, but for layman users who simply want to upgrade their own hard drive or add more RAM, it is definitely disappointing that upgrading has been made into such a difficult task. "</p>
<p>So, if I’m going to get the U310, ultrabook or standard, I will have to make due with the 4 gigs. If I can’t do that, then the U310 is out of the question. Same goes with the U400. I’d have to make do with the 6 gigs. So basically if I wanted 8 gigs of RAM I’d have to go with the U410 or the U410 ultrabook.</p>
I vaguely remember mentions of the difficulty in removing the backplate to the U series for upgrade purposes. A main gripe is that the 4 latches/hooks that keep the plate secured to the other side of the laptop are ridiculously fragile and are easily broken when barely sliding it open after you remove the screws (which are under the rubber feet). Kind of like: [Lenovo</a> U400 Opening/Upgrading the inside - YouTube](<a href=“http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQdHFE8VV94]Lenovo”>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQdHFE8VV94)</p>
<p>Chalked up to a design flaw. I read it’s possible to do it if you’re very very careful. If you don’t like the thought of possibly breaking those hooks, but want 8GB of RAM, then you’re conclusion is correct that you’d have to go with the 410 that’s already pre-configured.</p>
<p>I think 6GB of RAM gives some very good breathing room (I’m not sure how much might be dedicated to engineering specific programs when they’re open, but I can imagine if you’re not doing to much else at the same time, then it shouldn’t be a problem). In my old 17" machine I have 4GB (upgraded from 2) and works fine while I run Vista, play Age of Conan (MMORPG), have an Excel file open and/or an internet browser (along with all the other background software like anti-virus etc) with no stutters. I can tell that AoC takes up a lot though, and that’s why I mention that 4 is cutting it close when most OSes these days require 1-2 (which is why 4 is becoming ever more standard). But if you feel more comfortable with 8, then I would heed your review findings about upgrading with these models. Nothing can be perfect.</p>
<p>
I watch the Lenovo prices almost everyday (since I too was recently considering the U310) and I admit that the 4th of July deals they have are the lowest of the low I’ve seen over the last 6 months or so, though they have “special coupon deals” all the time. I’m not sure if Lenovo plans anything back-to-school-like since they already give a student discount. So, yeah, the prices for the next 10 hours or so are pretty good. Still, if you have any major reservations about them, then you should wait until you’re absolutely sure. I think the prices were about $80 more before the 4th of July sale week started, so about an extra 10% off than normal.</p>
<p>EDIT: I still think the U410s will be best for you, even with their slightly bigger size compared to the U310s. They should push out a bit more battery life and, as you’ve mentioned, offer higher out-of-box RAM and other superior hardware. I’m talking about the non-ultra one in Grey for $760: 3rd Gen i5 (1.7GHz), GeForce 610M, 500GB HDD @ 7200rpm, and 8GB RAM. Or the ultrabook Grey one for the same price: 3rd Gen i3 (1.8GHz), GeForce 610M, 500GB HDD @ 5400 + 32GB SSD, but 6GB RAM.</p>
<p>EDIT 2: My current 17" runs with the 4GB RAM like that on a 1.8GHz Intel Core 2 Centrino Duo processor too.</p>
<p>Thanks once again for the reply. You have been ever so helpful in finding me a good computer. I have been kicking myself all day and jumping back and forth between the U310, U400, and the U410 Ultrabook. Like I said before, I could not do the standard U410 model only because of the my shipping concerns. And the other U410 standard comes with an i3 which I don’t want.</p>
<p>So, finally, here’s what I’ve ruled out:</p>
<p>The U310 is on the smaller side, which can be good and bad (probably more bad for gaming and multitasking), boasts an ivy bridge i3, integrated graphics (meh), and a 500 gig HDD with a SSD as well. The 4 gigs of RAM with the limited upgrading ability killed it for me. I just cannot see myself using a compute for the next four years of college with only four gigabytes of RAM. So no deal on the U310.</p>
<p>The U400 was next up. This has got a 14" screen, 6 gigs of RAM, and the 500 gig HDD with no SSD. It’s pretty powerful and I have read reviews that say it’s good and performs better with gaming and other tasks than the U310, but it’s heavier and is a bit thicker. The killers with the U400 for me was the 2nd generation i5 (as we discusses this isn’t necessarily bad, but it’s still not as powerful as the ivy bridge especially when you’re running the same graphics as the other laptops). Also this does have the lackluster ability to upgrade the RAM, so I’d be stuck with 6 gigs. So I have to vote “nay” on the U400.</p>
<p>The U410 standard as we mentioned has the shipping quandary, and if I wanted to avoid that with the U410 I would have to settle with an i3, which I’m not doing.</p>
<p>SO! <em>drumroll</em></p>
<p>I’m going to get the U410 Ultrabook. It’s got a 14" screen, GeForce 610 1gb video card, 8 Gigs of RAM, 1 TB HDD+ 32g SSD. With the student discount and the fourth of July deal I’d be dropping $830 for the metallic gray. It’s four pounds and .83" thick (perfect). If I wanted to cut the HDD in half and get a 500gig with the same 32 gig SSD I would have to get the aqua blue (meh) or the metallic red (double meh). Ultimately I am willing to spring an extra $80 for double the hard drive space and the color I want. I am more than happy to shell out $830 for a computer I’m really going to love for all four years of college.</p>
<p>Tonight I will be purchasing the IdeaPad U410 Ultrabook - 437683U - Graphite Gray for $824.25. </p>
<p>Thanks for all of your help and I will definitely keep you posted on how it works! Thanks!</p>
<p>I’ve had my Lenovo ThinkPad E420 for 1 year now and I LOVE IT! It was a good 4-7 hours of battery life (6-7 taking notes, 4-6 browsing internet, listening to music). It is very light and stands up well to rough treatment. It has a larger touchpad, which I really like. It does charge slower than I would like it to, but because the battery lasts so long, I don’t complain. The screen bends all the way back to lay it flat which is really nice. It doesn’t overheat and has never gotten hot.</p>
<p>Glad I can help. Like it was mentioned before, the more information and opinion you receive the more informed a decision you can make. Enjoy your new computer, it should be pretty much everywhere with you for the next few years! Kind of like taking a long road trip with a car you love except it’s 1.5-2 tons lighter, but can’t get you from one place to the other at 65mph - but again, nothing can be perfect :p</p>
<p>I’ve looked extensively at that particular Lenovo model and if it were not for the Dell XPS 13, I would definitely be getting the Lenovo Ideapad U310. I’m about 99.9% sure the Dell XPS 13 is what I want, but that still leaves a 0.01% chance for Lenovo to woo me over until I make my purchase.</p>
<p>Feel free to post some sort of review here or through Lenovo/Amazon ratings to let others in on more information so that it can assist in them making an informed decision too! Pay it forward, so to speak.</p>
<p>A brand spankin’ new computer, pretty exciting. I can’t wait to get mine by the end of the Summer.</p>
<p>Fluteloop – Yeah, the battery life definitely attracted me about the Lenovo laptops, especially the Ultrabook ones like the U410. </p>
<p>Turtle – Dell makes a good machine and I’m sure you’ve done much more research than I have. I will keep you posted on how I like the Lenovo. I actually did look at the Dell Inspiron 14z you told me about. I liked it, but it lacked in a lot of ways. For example, the laptop that would match the Lenovo I had was $900 with half the HDD and no SSD. It just seems that Lenovo gives you the most bang for your buck. You do have to shop around a bit (most of their laptops are similar but with little tweaks), but ultimately Lenovo seems like they build a great laptop for a great price. </p>
<p>You’ve been sticking with me all this time – best I can do is give you a full report on how the laptop works out. I should be getting it by the middle of July (given that Lenovo comes though and it doesn’t turn out like those shipping horror stories I read online). </p>
<p>I just noticed, now that it’s the next day, that same Lenovo model is $100 more expensive. I have a feeling it could be a while before it drops near to the $700’s again. Even came with the 3rd gen i5. Sweet deal for a brand new machine, IMO.</p>
<p>Yeah, I just went on and checked. Without the student discount, the exact laptop I bought is $919. Wow. With $51 tax I still paid well under $900. Glad I bought it yesterday…</p>
<p>Thus far I have had a disastrous experience with Lenovo. I placed my order on the 4th of July and it has not shipped out yet. Nobody at their horrible customer service center has any kind of clue when it will ship out either. They keep giving me these tentative “estimated shipping dates”, and every day they get pushed back to the next day. I am tired of being shoved around by this company. I have pleaded with them to just give me a definite date or a tracking number, and they have yet to deliver. I need this for school and do not have time to waste dealing with this company. If I do not get an answer or it does not ship within the next few days, I am cancelling and will take my business elsewhere.</p>
<p>Turtle–do you have any backup computers in mind besides anything from Lenovo? I think I paid a little bit under $900 for the computer including tax. I guess I just need some backups in case I cancel. My patience is dwindling with this joke of a company.</p>
<p>My jaw almost dropped as I read that. I’m really sorry you’re having such a bad experience and it will be taken into account when other recommend the brand.</p>
<p>Besides what I’ve mentioned before I can’t think of anything off the top of my head for all the previously stated criteria. I would again suggest the Acer Timeline X. 14" laptop (not ultrabook, but it’s lightweight and think when compared to other laptops) is in stores like the Microsoft store if you get in a bind to get the new machine in a jiffy.</p>
<p>Ugh, hopefully something pulls through in the immediate future, but completely understandable if you want to cancel the order.</p>
<p>Alright, so I guess my post yesterday sounded pretty dramatic. Basically here’s what I did:</p>
<p>I found the exact same laptop from Costco (with the 750g HDD) for $799. After happily cancelling my Lenovo order (and rejecting their offers of reducing my final cost by 10%), I bought the computer from Costco. Came with free Kaspersky 1 year virus protection and was less expensive than the Lenovo I bought. Said it would ship tomorrow. </p>
<p>The other reason I decided to cancel was because of Costco’s return policy. I have been hearing some things about the network card causing WiFi problems for the Lenovo U series. I have also read some horror stories about people having to ship their computer all the way back to China for them to repair it and waiting ages to get it back. I didn’t want to be a part of that problem. Costco has a 3 month open-box no questions asked full return policy, along with 2 years of a full warranty. You were right, Turtle, resellers are the way to go.</p>
<p>Sounds like the service should turn out better than you’ve experienced thus far and you should get it in time. Really glad you found an alternative.</p>
<p>I, on the other hand, decided not to go with the XPS 13 and go with the XPS 14 Ultrabook instead (Dell’s version of the U410). For $1-200 more than the 13 I get the newest CPUs (i5 IB vs SB), a higher res screen (1600x900 vs 1366x768), dedicated GPU (NVidia 630M vs Intel HD 3000), more ports, and longer battery life (8-cell vs 6-cell). It’s worth it to me, and I’ll be looking for it in-store (maybe Costco!).</p>
<p>Yeah, I’m glad I found an alternative too…I was really just feeling hopeless with Lenovo and didn’t see myself buying any other brand. It felt like the perfect computer but there was just no way I was getting it…until I found it on Costco for less than I bought it from Lenovo. It was a good day.</p>
<p>So, why are you going with a Dell? How much is the XPS 14 running you? I mean, before you buy, I can let you know how the U410 works for me? It sounds like that’s right up your alley for the hardware that you’re looking for. For how much help you’ve been for my computer search, the least I can do is maybe help you on yours?</p>
<p>I’ll be getting the computer Tuesday at the latest. When I open it up and get going on it I will report back to you! Maybe hold off on getting your computer then? I have heard good things about the Dell XPS series, but it does seem to me like the Lenovo gives a way better value…</p>