What Laptop to Choose

[Outlaw]

I found this while at the store. 999.99 originally, and 899.99 until Feb 5th.
Toshiba Satellite® A665-S5183

Specs:
CPU- Core™ i7-2630QM (2Ghz)
HDD- 500GB (5400RPM)
RAM- 6GB DDR3
GFX- Geforce GT 540M
RES- 1366x768 (15.6")
NET- Gigabit/Wifi-N

Was comparing to two different Asus models which are more money.

First: $1199
Asus G73JH-BST7
Specs:
CPU- Core™ i7-740QM (1.73Ghz)
HDD- 640GB (5400RPM)
RAM- 6GB DDR3
GFX- Radeon HD 5870
RES- 1600x900 (17.3")
NET- Gigabit/Wifi

Second: $1449
Asus G73JW-XA1
Specs:
CPU- Core™ Intel i7-740QM (1.73Ghz)
HDD- 750GB (7200RPM)
RAM- 8GB DDR3
GFX- Geforce GTX 460m
RES- 1920x1080 (17.3")
NET- Gigabit/Wifi-BG


Aside from some of the obvious stuff... is the Toshiba good even at full prices of $1000. I am more of a desktop hardware person. I've searched the graphics cards on notebookcheck and the 5870 and the 460 are about the same performance wise. The 540 is where my main concern was. According to notebookcheck (reference only) it is in the upper portion of the 2nd class. Based on some of the games played and fps, it seems like it would work for almost all of todays games, just not necessarily with maxed eye candy, which I understand is hard to do in a laptop.

I'm not worried about the 15.6" vs the 17". Honestly I wouldn't mind the 15 as it would make it a little more portable plus with the HDMI out I could hook up my tv or 23" monitor if necessary.

I did find a review by notebookcheck on an acer with the graphics card, 15.6" screen, 8gb ram and i5 and seemed to do OK at med settings on Risen, Metro 2033 and Battlefield: BC2.


While I'm looking for myself, my boss is also looking for one. We aren't going to be buying tomorrow, but any input is greatly appreciated. Also, my search is not partial to either brands. I am Nvidia biased for the most part but if performance to cost points to ATI, I'm game. I would like to stay under 1200 and even less is better (hence the Toshiba which seems like a nice system).

Thanks as always,
Outlaw

[Airbozo]

I have the Asus G73JH (A1 I think (the one with the ATI GFX and raid setup)) and I love it!

I hate the smaller screens so I am biased.

This thing is heavy though. Mine came with a backpack and gaming mouse. The backpack is nice and has withstood some high-speed Motorcycle runs.. lol!

[Lothair]

I'd go with either Asus G73 models. They are superb Laptops. Pretty well known for being universally praised.

[DrkSide]

The third option would be my choice. Just for the 1080 screen.

I have been more than happy with my Dell XPS with the core i7 but it seems they have reworked the current lineup with only nvidia cards, and the highest you can get is a 435.

[x88x]

Personally, I wouldn't buy a Toshiba for myself...period. They used to make really good stuff (loong time ago), but in the last 5-7 years they've really been going downhill. Also, the 460m and mobility 5870 will step all over the 540m and not even notice it's there....really, just..no. That being said, at that crappy resolution it wouldn't have to work very hard in the first place. And that's what you really want to look at in terms of potential graphics performance; the resolution, not the screen size. Of those three, the Toshiba has by far the weakest GPU, but also by far the smallest resolution screen, so they'll balance each other out.

If it were me, from those choices, if money were no object I would definitely get #3. If it were, I think #2 is a very nice compromise and will give you good performance and a decent resolution screen. I'm sure if you shop around you can find it at a cheaper price too.

[diluzio91]

Just to add more confusion...

http://sagernotebook.com/

ugly as sin, but inexpensive and powerful.

[Luke122]

+1 vote AGAINST the Toshiba. I'm a bit biased though, as I have had/seen many Toshibas fail, and previously worked for a retail outlet that ONLY sold Asus due to the quality and value.

[x88x]

Just to add more confusion...

http://sagernotebook.com/

ugly as sin, but inexpensive and powerful.

++ on this. Sager's are well known for their reliability, and personally I rather like some of their new designs. ..worlds better than the old days when every high-end laptop was a giant block.

[TheMainMan]

+ 1 more against the Toshiba
I have a sister who (contrary to my advice) continues to buy Toshibas of escalating value and continues to be on a first name basis with the authorized Toshiba tech who fixes the seemingly endless stream of problems. I can't speak on the Asus laptops as I'm running an Acer but I've found Asus' customer service to be quite good in my experience.

[Outlaw]

Thanks for all the input. The input plus the recall on pretty much all Sandy Bridge processors, I don't think the Toshiba is in my future.

Is there maybe any others that you guys might recommend, or is that first asus going to be the winner of this?

Thanks again!
Outlaw