Needing new laptop, Lenovo vs HP

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Magica28

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Jun 10, 2013
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I'm currently using a Sony Vaio VPCCR2SFX which has the following specs:

Windows 7
Intel Core i5-2410M @2.30ghz
4GB RAM
14in 1366x768 display
Intel HD Graphics Family
500GB HD

I've had it for about two years and it's been a powerful laptop that's done everything I need it to do, performance wise. The things I do not like are the aesthetics, looked fabulous when I got it but first I noticed the red paint wearing off to reveal white patches on the bottom edges and the right mouse button. Then the plastic hinge covers fell off, then the right hinge itself broke and had to be welded back together. The right mouse button has sensitivity issues or something, occasionally it requires me to press significantly harder than normal to get it to work. The charger stopped working about a month or so ago and I had to have that replaced, and I have always hated the speakers, right from out of the box I could tell they were terrible quality, at least far worse than my previous laptops speakers, with not nearly enough volume, and the left speaker works when it wants to. Also I notice a sparking sound that occurs occasionally when sound is played, and I believe that has been happening ever since I've owned this laptop but it's always concerned me. So with all that, I've decided it's time I got a new laptop.

I mostly use mine daily for music, youtube, and some gaming, mostly just Sims 2 and 3, WoW, and Diablo 3, all of which run fine on med-high graphics. So I've picked out the following laptops and was wondering if they're powerful enough to do what I need them to do. Also if they're overqualified and you know of a cheaper option (I prefer Lenovo or HP, and hoping for a screen resolution bigger than 1366x768, and also a screen size that's at least 14in, and decent speakers).

HP ENVY 15z-j000 Notebook PC

Windows 8
AMD Quad-Core A8-5550M Accelerated Processor OR
AMD Quad-Core A10-5750M Accelerated Processor
6GB RAM
750GB 5400 rpm Hard Drive
15.6-inch diagonal Full HD BrightView LED-backlit Display (1920x1080)
AMD Radeon HD 8000 Series Graphics OR
AMD Radeon HD 8750M + HD 8000 Series Dual Graphics

I'm leaning more towards that laptop because of the price and the fact that I can customize what's inside. But also I've always wanted a lenovo and thought this one was good:

Lenovo IdeaPad Z400 Touch - 59365077

Windows 8
3rd Generation Intel Core i5-3230M Processor( 2.60GHz 1600MHz 3MB)
8GB RAM
1TB Hard Drive
Intel HD Graphics 4000
14.0" HD+ LED Multitouch 1600x900

I also considered HP ENVY 17t-j000 Select Edition Notebook PC and IdeaPad Y500 Laptop- 59371965 but thought they may be a little overqualified.So to sum up, as long as any/all of these are the same or better than what I'm currently using, I'll be happy.
 
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Brylord
Both are pretty decent looking, but I would say for the base options for both the HP is a better deal. For another $120 you can upgrade to the A10 and the 1080p screen. If you're running on integrated graphics with your current laptop and the experience is fine for you then you wouldn't even need to add a dedicated GPU. The A10 will outperform your current i5 by a lot when it comes to gaming. I can't speak about the speakers on either but my dad owns a HP DV7 with beats audio and it sounds great for a laptop. It appears that this HP also has a pretty similar audio setup, but it might be a bit quieter due to the smaller size.

The Lenovo would offer a pretty similar experience and would also outperform your current laptop, and has...
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Magica28

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Ok... with all due respect did you actually read my post or just the title? I listed quite a few HP and Lenovo models that I would like opinions on whether or not they're good, suited for my needs, and at least as good as what I'm currently using.
 
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the great randini

the great randini

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either will be ok, of the Lenovo choices, you will get better battery life with the first choice and that base model y500 should be better for gaming. but they are both VALUE laptops and I would not expect the gaming experience to be that good on either.
 
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Magica28

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That's fine I'm not planning on playing CoD or anything of the sort, can the lenovo's at least perform as well as my current laptop?
 
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Brylord

Brylord

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Both are pretty decent looking, but I would say for the base options for both the HP is a better deal. For another $120 you can upgrade to the A10 and the 1080p screen. If you're running on integrated graphics with your current laptop and the experience is fine for you then you wouldn't even need to add a dedicated GPU. The A10 will outperform your current i5 by a lot when it comes to gaming. I can't speak about the speakers on either but my dad owns a HP DV7 with beats audio and it sounds great for a laptop. It appears that this HP also has a pretty similar audio setup, but it might be a bit quieter due to the smaller size.

The Lenovo would offer a pretty similar experience and would also outperform your current laptop, and has the benefit of a touch screen, while the HP does not have that option until you get into the $899 range.

If it were me I'd get the HP, unless the touch screen is vital to you.

Update: I just saw there is a coupon for the HP store right now, NEWPC75 for $75 off a $699 computer. You could use these specs and get a pretty decent machine:

Windows 8 64
AMD Quad-Core A10-5750M Accelerated Processor
AMD Radeon HD 8000 Series Graphics
15.6-inch diagonal Full HD BrightView LED-backlit Display (1920x1080)
8GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
1TB 5400 rpm Hard Drive
No Additional Office Software
No additional security software
6-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery
No Internal DVD or CD Drive
Standard Keyboard
HP TrueVision HD Webcam w/ integrated digital mic
802.11b/g/n WLAN

That would put the whole system at $624.99 which would be a great price for what you get compared to the lenovo, and FYI the code is good through the 15th if you're buying soon.
 
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Magica28

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Thank you Brylord, you are a big help and if I get the HP I probably will use the specs you have listed. The touch screen on the lenovo isn't vital at all, I just thought it would be a fun feature and seemed like a decent laptop for the price. I actually gravitate more towards the Y500 when it comes to Lenovo's, which I assume would perform just as well if not better than the HP ENVY 15z.
 
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Brylord

Brylord

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Also if you do decide to go more high end then your first two options I would recommend something with a new 4th gen intel processor like this:

HP ENVY Touchsmart 15t-j000

Windows 8 64
4th generation Intel Core i7-4700MQ Processor
Intel HD Graphics 4600
15.6-inch diagonal Full HD BrightView LED-backlit Display (1920x1080)
8GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
1TB 5400 rpm Hard Drive
NO mSSD Hard Drive Acceleration Cache
No Additional Office Software
No additional security software
6-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery
No Internal DVD or CD Drive
Standard Keyboard
HP TrueVision HD Webcam w/ integrated digital mic
802.11b/g/n WLAN

Also with the coupon code: NEWPC150 you get $150 off for a price of $799.99 with the options I included. For one the i7 would be a step up from your current i5, the integrated graphics would still outperform your current laptop, Full HD screen 1080p, Touch Screen, and the new intel Haswell processors will also get better battery life than older generations.

If you'd prefer to go with Lenovo I'd check they're newer laptops with 4th gen CPU's, if memory serves HP,Lenovo,and Dell have all released new laptops with the latest CPU's

Hope that helps you make a decision :)
 
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Brylord

Brylord

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Due to the nature of the processors the HP would be better for gaming performance, but the Lenovo would be slightly faster for everyday tasks.
 
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Magica28

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I think I'm leaning more towards HP at this point, the ENVY 15 with your listed specs has a pretty nice pricetag on it, and the HP ENVY Touchsmart 15t-j000 that you listed seems nice as well. Before my current Vaio I had a HP, I forget which model but it lasted me about 4 years. How would you say the HP ENVY 17t-j000 Select Edition compares to the above two HP's if I were to possibly change, if recommended, the graphics to the NVIDIA GeForce GT 740M and/or the processor to i5-3380M? I keep going back to that one because of it's larger screen size but it's not a vital upgrade.
 
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Brylord

Brylord

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Honestly unless the screen size was a big issue I wouldn't get that one. Like I said the integrated graphics on a new i5/i7/A10 would be better than what you're running now, but the 740M would give you a noticeable bump in performance and it's not that much more to add on. And as for the CPU I wouldn't upgrade it unless it was from an i5 to an i7, not to a higher end i5.
 
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