Hi guys, i just came back from surveying for my first laptop. I'm pretty much locked on to 2 specific models from Lenovo, the Y400 and Z400.

the Z400 specs are i7 processor; 8GB RAM (upgraded from 4gb); Intel® HD Graphics 4000 and GT730M, 1TB Hard drive, 14' with free backpack and mouse for RM2780. Price is quoted from Digital centre in Sunway Pyramid.

Where as for the Y400, it's quoted at 2799 with i7, 4gb ram, GT650M, 500gb hdd, 14'.

I have a few questions:

(1) why does Lenovo website put Intel HD Graphics 4000 instead of GT730M?

(2) Is the GT730M better than the GT650M in terms of performance? What are the benchmarks?

(3) My budget is around RM2800, are there any more products revolving around those specs?

(4) Do you guys think I can get a better deal in LowYat?

(5) How do i ensure that i'm getting the official Lenovo warranty?

(6) Should i extend my warranty period and get the international one?

(7) What about the microsoft office? I use them very often for my college assignments, i asked them about it, and they offered me KingSoft. What is KingSoft?

(8) Do i need to be worried about the anti virus? Will they provide me?

(9) It's stated in lenovo website that Y400 has 3 hours of battery life and the Z400 has up to 5 hours. Will the battery life be shorter after a few years? Does battery life really matter?

(10) Is touch screen really necessary or just a luxury for windows 8?

My usage of laptop is mainly for gaming(MW3, fifa 13, COD, Skyrim, Crysis) , entertainment and assignments.

Thank you so much, sifus!

1.the model that comes with pentium dual core will equip intel hd graphics, and same goes along with those models that come with GT740M which has nvidia optimus equipped.

2.its GT740M for the Z400. the GT740M is on par with GT650M.

3.the acer aspire v3 with full hd IPS display.

4.not really. the laptop is yet still new. some more, there isnt a festive season. BUT, PC fair is this week at KLCC! take a look at PC fair is better.

5.check whether its AP set or local lenovo set. the product codes normally end with (MY) at the end (excluding brackets).

6.if you switch to international warranty, you have to know which country is under the international warranty T&C.

7.not sure about office softwares. i just only use MS office so far.

8.Not sure but anti-virus is pretty bothering. i never install an anti-virus in my laptop and let it 'naked' whole year. but so far, i dont get virus attacks. just dont visit prawn site and you are safe.

9.Z400 battery life up to 5 hours is applicable to pentium dual core only. if you buy i7 and GT740M, it will last about the same as Y400.

10. depends on user's thought. its just a marketing gimmick somehow.

if you are into gaming, entertainment and assignment, you should get the core i5 spec (w/o touchscreen). its cheaper compared to i7 spec.

Hey man, thanks for your reply.

2. If it's on par, then why is it in a different name?

3. I have yet to find that acer today, but i will look for it when i get to lowyat.

4. This week as in now? (7/4/2013) or next week (14/4/2013)?

8. Do they normally provide an antivirus for me?

9. Why are you so sure 5 hours is for dual core only? So if that's the case, is 3-4 hours of battery life normal for laptops?

10. i'm not getting the touch screen one and i want an i7 because it's a long term laptop and i don't want it to get replaced so quickly. Do you think i should get the i5 instead?

1) There are a lot of configurations for the same model. Z400 is more like a design, which makes up a lot of sub models.
2) GT 740M = GT 650M. GT 730M is slower.
3) 2.8K allows you to get Z400 touch - i7 + GT 740M.
4) PC Fair? Ignore it. A lot of con cases happened.
5) After getting your laptop, register your serial on Lenovo's website .
6) That's personal preference. If you don't mind pay extra, why not? It is good to have extended warranty.
7) Kingsoft Office Suite is an alternative to Microsoft Office.
8) Normally 3-6 months trial version is included. But it does not matter. You can install yourself. There are plenty of free 1, in fact you can even Microsoft Security Essential. Free from microsoft as long as you have the genuine Windows! There is no single paid version anti virus provides 100% protection, the main issue is from user.
9) That is more like full charge battery life. Yes, battery is a wear and tear hardware. But normally, the batter life will be shorter in real life rather than the one stated on the website due to different usage level.
10) It is good for Metro UI, kinda practical.

2. the GT740M is a newer generation of nvidia graphics, while the GT650M is an older generation.

4. this week as in 7/4/2013, from 12-14 April.

8. not sure. watched unboxing videos from youtube but they dont come with.

9. yes, because the Z400 is equipped with 4-cell battery. however, battery life varies on task.

10. get the i5 better. since you are not into professional work and dont need the power of quad core. it costs only RM2100-RM2300.

some additions to warranty. what i stated in 1st post is 1st step to know your set (to prevent you being conned). like sifu kingkingyyk said, after getting your laptop, you can register the product code at lenovo site.

If you intend to go pc-fair just bring along your tablet or your smartphone, surf to http://support.lenovo.com/en_MY/product-se...us/default.page , key-in the serial number and it will show u the location, warranty expiration date, model of the unit you intend to buy.. That should give you some peace of mind. Don't wait till you have purchased the unit then to realise you can't find the serial in that website..is too late obviously.

Hey kingkingyyk, raymondtong94 suggested the i5 instead of the i7. Which do you think i should get?

(3) if i get the i5, its about 2.2-2.3k, what should i do with the other money? Do i still need to upgrade my laptop?

(5) By that, you mean to register at the shop itself before going home or what?

(6) I might just get an extended warranty, thanks for the tip!

(7) It's a 3rd party programme? Will it run just like normal microsoft office?

(10) What is Metro UI?

So what is classified under professional work? Graphic designing? Won't games run more smoothly under i7 compared to i5? Or is it just all about the graphic card?

How do i identify if it's NOT an AP set, besides having (MY) at the end?

something like heavy coding compilation, heavy AutoCAD, Autodesk and so on. processor does less than the graphics card do in gaming.

Kingsoft is a 3rd party software. and it runs like MS office, but maybe different user interface.

Metro UI is the user interface that replaces the start menu in windows 8.

if you buy the i5 version with rest of the money, extend the warranty to 3 years.

This post has been edited by raymondtong94: Apr 7 2013, 04:41 PM

So it's not advisable to get the i7 for my type of usage? Is gaming considered heavy usage?

Does it run as well as the microsoft office? Cause when i surveyed, most windows 8 computer only offered a 1 month trial and retailers kept offering KingSoft. Is it used widely in the market now?

yeah, i will definitely extend it to 3 years.

Do you know anything about laptop coolers? Which is the most recommended one?

gaming is considered heavy graphic usage. so its not necessary for you to use i7 as the i5 is enough for you to game. however, not sure about kingsoft thou cuz MS office is still widely used.

i5 is a decent choice for non-intensive workloads. Gaming should be no problem.
3) SSD.
5) Backed home, check out your serial and register it on Lenovo website.
7) Yes
10) The "Tiles" in Windows 8. Google it.

This post has been edited by kingkingyyk: Apr 7 2013, 06:50 PM

All sifus here, i just bought the Z400 today. i wonder how can i disassemble the battery? lol.after it fully charged, i find no way to disassemble it.

the battery disassembly needs you to take off the back cover by unscrewing the screws. the difficulty level is not yet known.

holy cow...i doesn know it cant be disassemble like normal laptop do.
so the cable cannot be plugged whole night?else the battery life may decrease.

battery wont degrade so fast even you keep the adapter turned on. in case like if you use your laptop unplugged till the battery level 10%, then you are making the battery wear more faster, which results the battery looses its charging ability. another case is your battery is exposed to excess heat, which may cause battery damage. however, a battery has a lifespan of 3 years. after 3 years, there is a risk that the battery will fail, eventually.

oh.so its better use with plugged?thanks sifu

you are welcome. its better use with plugged if you want to game or heavy tasking, as battery mode performance is not great compared to plugged.

What is SSD for? A lot of people to me to get it, but what is it?

What?! So means i can't take off the battery like any other laptops can?!