Asus
A45VS-VX026H, i5-3210M + Nvidia GT645M@RM2199[2.4kg], 2GB, 500GB, W8
K46CM-WX090H, i5-3317U + Nvidia GT635M@RM2199[2kg], 2GB, 500GB, W8, OD

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Added on December 23, 2012, 12:59 amWith your budget, come on
Of course, of course, need to think about mommy purse But if green light is given

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Added on December 23, 2012, 1:02 amCould you tell us what you are going to use the laptop for? Other preference?
Each has its strength

This post has been edited by nexus2238: Dec 23 2012, 01:02 AM

K46CM has ODD. S400 don't.

V5-471G-33214G50, i3-3217U + Nvidia GT620M@RM1799[2.1kg], 4GB, 500GB, W8
Anything specific you want to ask about this? Yes, it satisfy your usage requirement.
K46CM has better spec.

You can get Alienware M18x with GTX680M SLI at (guess what) illegear
Errr ... why don't you ask Prince J at LYN forum here. He is from illegear Direct from the horse's mouth, so to speak (Ask your mum to grill him )
http://forum.lowyat.net/topic/2613184
Basically, illegear is using the Clevo barebone, and give you the best for bucks components. Count our lucky stars that they are actually doing this in Malaysia for gamers Other than Dell Alienware, this is the only place that you could get customised gaming laptop in Malaysia with proper warranty support.

Hey, I bet your mum love you very much
I could only wish I had a mum who bought me RM15k laptop when I was young
Make sure you give her a big kiss and hug for Christmas and New Year

Between the K46CM and V5-471G, I think K46CM give you better value with better CPU and GPU with RM400 diff
If you want thin and light at your budget, from Dell you can only look at Inspiron 14z. It satisfy your usage (if you are indeed talking about MS Office), but get out-spec by the Asus and Acer at respective price point.
Dell do has better warranty support, so if you take the RM1799 spec, upgrade to 3 years warranty, then negotiate with Dell online a bit (aim for 5-10% discount, depend on how good you are at negotiation ), you will have a reasonably good machine for 3 years.

Good luck in your study
Aren't we all scare of our parents some time in our life?
As you grow older (and especially after you have your own kids), you will appreciate your parents more
In the mean time, enjoy the free lodging, free laundry, free food ...

W8 is pretty much standard now, give it a try. If you really don't want it, talk to the reseller to see if they can help you

Most satisfying? You are the only one that can tell
1. have you go out and actually look and touch the actual thing of each model? (look at screen, type the keyboard, use the touchpad, carry it, ...) Sometime, no matter how good things look on paper, if you don't like the real thing, you don't like the real thing
2. You said you want thin and light, then why are you considering A55VD? (that is a 15" 2.6kg bulk)
3. If you want good warranty support, pick Dell with 3 year warranty, just keep in mind K46CM or V5 can give you better spec.
4. If you want good spec, go with Asus or Acer, just keep in mind that if laptop broke down (touch wood), you will have to send to service centre, and may (or may not) wait for some time to get the laptop back.

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Added on December 23, 2012, 11:57 pmIf budget allow, MBA is a good choice. Just make sure OSX can run whatever software you want to run

This post has been edited by nexus2238: Dec 23 2012, 11:57 PM

Asus 14"
K46CM-WX059V, i3-3217U + Nvidia GT635M@RM1899[2kg], 2GB, 500GB, 4-cell battery, W7HP, OD

HP 14"
Pavilion G4-2132/2133TX, i5-3210M + AMD HD7670M@RM1899[2.19kg], 2GB ,500GB(7200rpm), W7HB, colors: white/black
Pavilion G4-2107AX, A10-4600M + AMD HD7670M@RM1899, 2GB, 500GB

Keyboard - this is subjective. Go and try it out on the actual laptop model and see if you like them.
Beats - with your budget, there is no HP models with Beats Another thing is HP Beats is actually related to the software (and the output through headsets etc), not the speakers per se.
Speakers in laptop in general are not good (no matter how good they claim they are) due to size limitation Connect to cheap / good desktop speakers for much better sound.

How dare you compare a 2/3 year old laptop (acer 5942g) with the legend "wait for it" ery Y480/580? (I'm just kidding).
But there are of different generation altogether in terms of CPU/GPU power. In terms of raw performance, it is not even funny to compare the two
Somebody offer you a 2nd hand 5942g?

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Added on December 24, 2012, 10:11 amhttp://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Asus-V...ok.85787.0.html
Read this review. Note spec may differ.

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Added on December 24, 2012, 10:18 amGood screen display - Why don't you go out and have a look at the display of these models and determine for yourself? (Look up and down, side to side, turn the display around ...) Note MBP has normal (but still relatively better than normal) TN display and the famed Retina Display (which is a lot more expensive). Trust your own eyes in this

Likely to cause less problem - ALL laptop models could fail. So if you are someone who prefer headache free (or should I say less headache) ownership experience, go for brand with good warranty support service in Malaysia.

This post has been edited by nexus2238: Dec 24 2012, 10:18 AM

If you want, PM astria sifu in LYN to find out a bit more on warranty support service scene in Australia
Your alternatives are:
1. Buy laptop in Malaysia from brands / models that offer international warranty, making sure that the brand / model is offering good warranty support in Australia. (the brand must be in Australia. the model better be sold in Australia as well with similar specs, otherwise spare part shortage, if any, could cause delay in warranty services)
2. Buy from Australia, and get the Oz warranty support Sell it when you come back (but laptop is more expensive in Australia )
For example:
XPS 14, i7-3517U + Nvidia GT630M + 128GB mSATA + 500GB(5400rpm) HDD + (1600x900)@RM4249[2.1kg], 8GB, backlit, spill resistant keyboard, W7HP/W8
http://configure.ap.dell.com/dellstore/con...s=dhs&cs=audhs1
Special deal now at AUD1.25k, normal price was AUD1.8k

Vaio SVS13125CV, i5-3210M + Nvidia GT640M LE@RM3099[1.72kg], 4GB, 750GB(5400rpm), W8; colors: maroon/white/black/pink; Vaio carrying case
XPS 14, i5-3317U + Nvidia GT630M + 32GB mSATA+ 500GB(5400rpm) HDD + (1600x900)@RM3749[2.1kg], 4GB, backlit, spill resistant keyboard, W8
Macbook Pro 13, i5 + Intel HD Graphics 4000, 4GB, 500GB(5400RPM) [2.06kg] @ RM3699

Performance - SVS13125CV. More powerful CPU, a lot more poweful GPU. But since it use M CPU, battery performance will suffer slightly. Then XPS 14, then MBP 13". Btw, XPS 14 is 14" while the other 2 are 13".

Worth the money - what is your intended usage? Chick dig MBP Aesthetics rule over specs

Hard to use MBP? No. OSX is not hard to learn, just take a bit of time getting use to if you have been using Win all your life. You just need to make sure all the software you expect to use can be run, 1 way or another, on OSX.

Connect external HDD to MBP - should not be a problem, since OSX can read file system format commonly found in Win environment (FAT, NTFS) (basically all external HDD off the shelf come with these format). If you really want to, you can re-format the external HDD using OSX, just that Win system then may not play well with it

Crysis 3 use the same engine as Crysis 2.

Steady

You pretty much set on AW since you like the bling bling and mummy like the warranty support?
If yes, then priorities (geezz, with your budget, still have to do this? )

What is generally most important for gaming?
GPU (so you max this out first)
CPU (standard should do, don't need to overkill)
DD (this usually is the BOTTLENECK. You don't want your HDD crawling to catch up. Get the biggest SSD you can. Get 2 if Dell allow (I have not check their DD configuration).
Then, left over, just max out on the RAM.

Now, do NOT just click buy and fork over the money.
Negotiate. Online chat with Dell sales agent. Chat with as many sales agent as you like, since each one could give you different deal.
What you want to achieve is: 10 - 15% reduction in list price. That mean you rake up until somewhere like RM17k, then you online chat to bring it down towards your RM15k budget. It can be done. And some sales agents will start throwing free gifts at you (like external mouse, keyboard, bag ... ), if you don't want them, counter and get more discount.
Once you pull it off, show it to mummy, and get more browny points

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Added on December 25, 2012, 8:24 amYou ignore the suffix i3-3110M vs i3-3217U.
3110M is the Mobile processor. More powerful than 3217U.
3217U is the ULV (ultra low voltage) processor. Run at lower wattage (17W vs 35W for 3110M). Save power, run cooler, more suitable for ultrabook. According to Intel, not all chips off the oven can be made to run in low wattage, so ULV processor is more expensive than M processor, even though M processor (for the same class) is more powerful.

If you ignore ultrabook, with your budget, you can get way better than HD 4000 & i3

Acer
Aspire V3-471G-53212G75d, i5-3210M + Nvidia GT630M@RM1899[2.3kg], 2GB, 750GB W8

Dell
Inspiron 14R, i5-3210M + Nvidia GT630M@RM1899[2.38kg], 4GB, 500GB(5400rpm), W7HP/W8

HP
Pavilion G4-2132/2133TX, i5-3210M + AMD HD7670M@RM1899[2.19kg], 2GB ,500GB(7200rpm), W7HB, colors: white/black
Pavilion G4-2107AX, A10-4600M + AMD HD7670M@RM1899, 2GB, 500GB

Lenovo
G480, i5-3210M + Nvidia GT635M@RM1899, 4GB, 1TB (5400rpm), W8, 2 yrs warranty

This post has been edited by nexus2238: Dec 25 2012, 08:29 AM

Err ... are you looking for 1 or 2 laptops?

Other than MBA, for your business needs, have a look at these as well:

ThinkPad T430U, i5-3317U + Intel HD4000 + 24GB mSATA + 500GB HDD@RM3799, 4GB, W7P, 3 years on-site warranty
Thinkpad X1 Carbon, i5-3317U + Intel HD4000 + 128GB SSD (1600x900)@RM5399[1.36kg], 4GB, W7P, backlit keyboard, no ODD

Dedicated graphic is not always on. Nvidia Optimus only turn on its GPU when needed, otherwise you are running on HD4000 as long as it is a Ivy Bridge CPU.
Also, it is not only for games. As long as you run anything graphical intensive, e.g. edit photo, video, it could kick in.

If you want only HD 4000, you can actually drop you budget all the way down, if you don't even need ULV CPU normally found in ultrabook.

If you travel overseas a lot, you better get something light and tough

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Added on December 25, 2012, 2:12 pmDell
Inspiron 14, i3-3110M + Intel HD4000@RM1399[2.1kg], 2GB, 500GB(5400rpm), W8

Lenovo
G480, i5-3210M + Intel HD4000@RM1499, 2GB, 500GB (5400rpm), FreeDOS

Samsung
NP370R4E, i3-3110M + Intel HD4000@RM1699, 4GB, 500GB, W8

Sony
Vaio SVE14122CV, i3-3110M + Intel HD4000@RM1899[2.4kg], 2GB, 320GB(5400rpm), W8; colors: pink/white;Vaio backpack

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Added on December 25, 2012, 2:14 pmCheapest 15" matte screen there is:
Vostro 3560, i3-3110M + AMD HD7670M@RM2119[2.57kg], 4GB, 500GB(7200rpm), W7HB; colors: red/silver/bronze
Vostro 3560, i5-3210M + Intel HD4000@RM2199[2.57kg], 4GB, 500GB(7200rpm), W7HB; colors: red/silver/bronze

This post has been edited by nexus2238: Dec 25 2012, 02:14 PM

I am not the best man to ask I am Thinkpad man all the way

How could you even see the 32G SSD? (in file manager? or in device manager?)
Generally, for laptop that come with 24G/32G mSATA SSD, the SSD is usually setup for caching, not for user to save data on.
And no, if SSD is set for caching, your OS is NOT installed in the SSD.

Unless of course, you went into BIOS and change the setting

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Added on December 25, 2012, 10:17 pmIf you really want Asus 14"
A45VS-VX026H, i5-3210M + Nvidia GT645M@RM2199[2.4kg], 2GB, 500GB, W8

Otherwise, as raymondtong94 recommend, pretty much Lenovo Y series:
Y400, i7-3630QM + Nvidia GT650M@RM2799, 4GB, 500GB, W8, 120wPSU, swappable ODD
Y480, i7-3630QM + Nvidia GT650M (GDDR5) @RM2599 [JBL], 4GB, 500GB(5400rpm), backlit keyboard, freeDOS
Y480, i7-3610QM + Nvidia GT650(GDDR5)@RM2699[JBL], 4GB, 500GB(5400rpm), backlit keyboard, W7HB

This post has been edited by nexus2238: Dec 26 2012, 09:41 AM

Dell
Inspiron 14R (Special Edition), i5-3210M + Nvidia GT640M(28nm Kepler)@RM2049[2.38kg], 4GB, 500GB(7200rpm), W7HP/W8

Lenovo
G480, i5-3210M + Nvidia GT635M@RM1899, 4GB, 1TB (5400rpm), W8, 2 yrs warranty
Z480, i5-3210M + Nvidia GT640M@RM2299, 4GB, 1TB(5400rpm) W7HB, colors: grey/red/blue

Price is RSP, negotiable. Use your remaining budget to upgrade RAM (4G stick is ~RM80, more RAM is good for multitasking (opening lots of apps, tabs), just make sure the OS is 64bit), and extend warranty to 3 years on site (this would give you peace of mind), and cooling pad (reasonable good one cost < RM100). Btw, laptop ventilation always clog up with dust after period of use (no matter how good the ventilation system), make sure you clean it frequently (eg. using compressed air ... ).

Intel Smart Response (Intel Rapid Storage) is kind of a hit and miss in term of responsiveness (you can find out more if you google ...)
A full SSD solution is much more satisfying in term of user experience.

Now suppose you bought a laptop with a mSATA SSD for caching and HDD. After a while, you decide to upgrade the HDD to SSD (128G SSD is only ~RM250++ now, and the price / capacity is improving fast year on year). You don't need the mSATA for caching anymore, so you could reclaim it for storage (which I suspect is what the store you look at did, since lots of potential custormers always ask where is the mSATA SSD and the store keeper may be sick of it and did it on the display unit)

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Added on December 26, 2012, 9:57 amAesthetics (Z480 is more colourful, G480 is more budget feel). In terms of build quality, I don't find much different I suggest you go out and actually touch and feel the units (screen, keyboard, touchpad, carry it ...) to see how you like the models
Oh, and if you still have spare budget, consider swapping out the HDD (can be used as external HDD) with SSD (128G is ~ RM250++), improve responsiveness a lot

This post has been edited by nexus2238: Dec 26 2012, 10:28 AM

What kind of game you plan to play in MacBook? Not every PC game is available on OSX (unless you use Boot Camp to run Win).
The HD 4000 in relatively less expensive MBA/P can handle Facebook game, some net game, old strategy games ...
For heavy gaming, you need the GT650M found in MBP 15", and as TJ said, for those you are looking at RM5.5k+++

This post has been edited by nexus2238: Dec 26 2012, 03:44 PM