Hello all

I will be in the market for a lappie sometime in the near future (not too sure exactly when as I have the urge, but not yet the need for one) and after some digging around, I've narrowed it down to these three locally available models:

1) MSI GE-40
2) Lenovo Y410P
3) Illegear RE-13 Pro

I'll list the pros and cons (for me) of each model:

GE-40

Pros
Balanced in pretty much every sense
- Price (Midway point RM 3,650 - Garage Sales)
- Dimension/Weight (2 kgs)
- Screen (1600 x 900)
- Batt life

Cons
- Despite the higher resolution screen, reviews have said that the screen leaves much to be desired.
- Malaysia not having the SSD option (could be circumvented by buying it separately and manually swapping out the ODD)

Y410P

Pros
- Cheap! (RM 2,900.00)
- Design in my eyes look better than the GE 40
- Did I mention cheap?

Cons
- Heaviest and fattest (2.5 kg)
- Screen (1366 x 768). Seems like the local version don't have the 1600 x 900
- Stock HDD is only 5400 RPM
- batt life

Illegear RE-13 Pro

Pros
- Lightest (Not thinnest though)
- Best Screen (1920 x 1080 IPS)
- Ability to somewhat customise how it looks (Lappie without logo anyone? Now that's smexy )

Cons
- Frightfully expensive at RM 4,200 for the base spec relative to the other two
- Goes up even higher if you wanna customise the innards

Other notes

I'm leaning towards the GE40 tbh as it looks to me to be the most balanced in every way. If the Illegear wasn't so expensive for the base spec, or if I feel richer and have bought all my other needs first, it would definitely go into my list of "highly considered".

However, I am not an expert and my knowledge is gathered from stalking key individuals in the forum (yes I'm creepy like that)

So, comment and advise away! Which of the three would you blow your money on? Did I miss anything important when comparing the three? Should I wait for something that will be released late this year or early next?

GE 40 @ RM 3,650
Y410 @ RM 2,900
RE-13 PRO @ RM 4,199

PS: I'm looking for a balance between weight/performance/price. I already have an ok rig at home and I don't really play games that are too demanding. Mostly will be used for heavy multi tasking and maybe some autocad/solid works (when I eventually get around to it) with a little bit of AI and PS thrown in.

Well, I could always hook it up to my TV I suppose. It's just that the weight and thickness of the Y410 is a bit of a turn off But it is cheap though. Kinda like best bang for your buck kinda cheap. Sigh.

Thanks for your input though

I know you use the GE40 *insert maniacal laugh here*

That's a lot of disk space you have there man. That I didn't realise

Anyways, regarding the Illlegear, if I were to get it as bare as possible though, wouldn't upgrading it myself void whatever warranty they give?

On a different note, is RM 550 really worth it for the bump to the display and GPU?

HD+ --> FHD
GTX 760M --> GTX 765M

I'll be using it mostly for work...and a bit of play. Somewhere in the 60/40 distribution? For work it'll be mainly used for Excel (Many many many open at the same time). For play; AI, PS, with a bit of gaming on the side. Mostly RPG, and old ones at that - Skyrim, D3, Dragonage (Not too demanding I think). Much later on I'll also hope to use it for Solid Works and AutoCad (not too much on AutoCad though). Finally probably some Matlab thrown in.

I need it to be as light as possible (within reasonable means of course) since there is a chance I'll be travelling a lot for work. I was from the old skool Inspiron 1520 (the only gen with a dGPU I think), and that piece of machine is not light...especially if you take the public transport. Especially so in Malaysia, with the crowd and heat.

Thank you for the feedback regarding the screen btw. Much appreciated. So the screen isn't so bad if you're out and about then? Is the difference moving from a FHD to an HD+ very jarring or is it acceptable?

Don't really have a budget? Though I think the most I would fork out for a lappie at this point in time is RM 4,000. Since I don't think anything more than that is justified for someone that's not really a hardcore gamer.

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So guys, am I missing any other notebooks worthy of note? How bout future releases? Since I'm not really in a rush to buy one atm.

I guess the main questions I have now would be:

1) Is the price bump of RM 550 worth it to get a FHD/GTX 765M from an HD+/GTX 760M
2) For those that travel a lot, does 500g ~ 600g make a lot of difference?
3) Owners of Y410Ps, how do you find the screen and the overall weight/size of the machine? I've also heard it has heat issues?

Thanks a lot guys for the input. Much much MUCH appreciated

I've had many, many bad encounters with an Acer to the point of not daring to buy any more of their products. It's a personal thing though. Specs Look alright though for an ultrabook an at that price.

The man himself!

Thanks for the feedback. This would definitely bump it up to the "highly considered" zone


Very interesting approach to it. I guess you get what you pay for? If that is taken into consideration, I suppose it's better to hold out from buying one just yet and get a better one for something that would provide more satisfaction down the road.

Cheers for the change of perception mate.

I had the misfortune of thinking my "gaming" rig could handle SC2 on ultra. I was woefully wrong. Going full HD, rig couldn't take it

Hmm...IPS. I suppose if it's work the screen would make more of a difference then huh.

I was just thinking of getting it as bare as possible and popping in stuff as I go along OR I could just wait it out till some people decide to pay up their debts and I have more cash

Again, thank you for your input. If LYN was a tumblr variation, I'd be following you and a few other people

Lol whut? I wonder why they didn't just pop in a DDR 5? Funny people.

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I would like to thank everyone for their input. Helps a lot.

I've surmised that if I'm in a rush to get a mobile rig, I should go for the GE40 purely for the price/performance/weight ratio.

If I can hold out on buying it (which is sort of my current situation), I'd get the RE-13 PRO bare, and spec it bit by bit since warranty is not voided (That's really nice of them btw).

By waiting I can also (hopefully) wait for more Haswell systems to pop out...or somehow someone's developed how to compress everything into a small form factor without compromising on heat. One can hope

I'll leave the thread open in case of anything

Thanks again guys!

Physical damage? Lol. I think that's a given that should there be damage by the user, the warranty is generally void. Not really rocket science is it?

Still, I suppose it's a good heads up for those that have never taken apart a computer before.

Well 'ello there! Was hoping you'd reply

"Power at the cost of mobility"

How do you mean? I thought the two were about the same weight? Dimension-wise, the RE13 is thicker by about 2.7mm (compared to the thickest part of the GE40). That's about it, length and width-wise, it's actually thinner. Though I do suppose the height would make more of a difference in portability. In this case at least.

I totally share your sentiment regarding an Acer. A lot of bad, badddddd experiences. It seems that the moment the warranty dies, everything starts falling apart.

I was made to believe that MSI has an international warranty for the first year? If that's the case, it's really just getting a reduced warranty for better specs. The amazon link you gave earlier didn't have a promotion anymore. So I guess prospective buyers should have it bookmarked.

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Thanks again for the input guys!

edit: WTH? Click once and it double posts

This post has been edited by marquis: Jul 31 2013, 11:40 AM

Wow. He totally undercharged you for shipping. Good deal man!

Ah. Now that makes more sense. Forgive my oversight. Should have seen it 2-3 hours of extra time away from the plug is really quite a bonus tbh. Damn. Now this is quite a game changer. Thank you ever so much for pointing that out. Though I do like the look of the RE13 more now though. Especially if I could get it without any logos and just slap on my own vinyl design over it.

Battery life is still quite pertinent though since the whole point of having a portable computer is for it's portability. If I am away from a wall plug, I don't think I'll be doing any gaming so that point is definitely not moot. Hmmmmmm.

Again, thanks for all the input guys

As of right now and the sudden hike in unexpected expenditures, I don't forsee my self buying one anytime within the next two months

To answer your question though, it's either the GE40 or the RE13.

It all really boils down to what Eiraku has (so kindly) pointed out. Mobility in terms of battery life.

I love it when all these people pop in! I learn lotsa new stuff

Thanks again guys

PS: Unseen, why are you so intent on knowing which one I pick?

PPS: Lemme know if this thread should be closed. I think leaving it open is a brilliant idea

LOL! I like the condition of my balls the way it is thankyouverymuch

Digging around in other forums seems to reveal the same two choices. It's either the MSI or Clevo. A lot recommend the P34G too...such a shame we won't be seeing it on our shores though.

Myself, I just need input from real users such as the three active people sharing their thoughts here. Helps a whole lot in making an informed decision. From being all undecided I've managed to narrow down my "key requirement".

Maybe I'll wait for PrinceJ to announce a Diwali or Christmas sale to decide. That seems to be the pivoting element in my purchase for non-critical items nowadays

If I wanted a "big boy" gaming rig, I'd just get a desktop...Having something that big and bulky kinda defeats the purpose of having a laptop. Especially in terms of portability and battery life, imho. I'm not a self-professed pro-gamer that needs to have an SLI/Crossfire config.

I'll be happy enough with a fit-for purpose notebook that is a jack of all trades. Don't really need a "big boy" gaming notebook In fact, it'd be the equivalent of getting a MBP just so I could blend in at starbucks

Going back on track, is a full HD on a 13/14 incher overkill though? Thoughts?

So in other words, get a FullHD for other utilities but when gaming, scale it down to a lower resolution? That'd work right?

They really give you the best of what they can offer huh these Illegear people?

A MBP is a brilliant machine. It's just that I find myself usually associating it to hipsters and the like. I've used several of my friend's one and I can truly understand why once one has started using it, one does not turn back to a PC. As you said, the build, screen and battery life is made just right. If not for the pricing, I'm sure most people would make it their default on-the-go rig.

IMHO, the idea of a gaming laptop has been oversold and not to mention, overused. For someone such as yourself, then perhaps it has it's merits...however my years in uni lugging around a 15" old skool Dell was really not pleasant. In retrospect, I didn't even need all that power - I spent more time with word and excel than anything else! The only saving grace was the dreadful cold of Aberdeen so you don't sweat much

So I've promised myself never again, to get something heavy and bulky. When I say notebook, I mean something not likely heavier than a book. Portable means I can lug it around half the day and not worry about stunted shoulders

Way to go man. Seriously, my fortitude saving throw isn't good against poison of this type

Since you've used it for a while now, how do you rate the battery life of the RE-13? I'm talking in terms of non-gaming use - Excel, Office, Web Browsing etc.

Many thanks for that! Helps out quite a bit then if I actually need to do work on the machine. 5 hours+ is plenty if I don't do a lot of browsing then. That seems quite acceptable for someone used to running for a wall plug after only an hour

Will take note on the screen advice...though based on what Amal has posted...don't seem too bad tbh. Helps when I need the extra real estate on the screen (seeing as to how tiny it actually is).

That's...a lot of difference. Half the battery lifespan. Yikes. I didn't know it would be such a big difference between the 4700 and 4702MQ Much to learn I still have, hmm?

IIANM, someone posted somewhere that using the 4700, you could emulate the 4702MQ by fiddling with the power settings and what not. Is this doable on your RE-13 by any chance?

That's partially why I want a higher resolution. Especially if I'm travelling and am gonna output via a TV or a bigger monitor. As someone pointed out earlier, the slightly better GPU of the RE-13 would be better at handling FullHD as opposed to the the GE40.

Did I get that right?

Seems like amal can confirm the 4 hour mark

I was initially looking at that particular model - was well impressed by how thin it was considering it's a 17 incher. In it's class, it's relatively light, but on it's own, 2.7kg is really quite hefty methinks. Still, everything about it seems nice though (bar the multicoloured keyboard light ). On a side note, I don't consider 700g to just be a tad heavier Will keep it in mind though. Maybe if I need something more powerful...though I don't see it happening soon, especially considering my gaming needs - which aren't much.

Ah, so it was you! Lol. Sorry just remember reading it and nothing else

I guess I'll wait for someone who ordered the RE13 with the 4702MQ to give an update then. I'm in no particular rush to buy it...so time is on my side

So. it seems that you can reach the 4 hour mark by tweaking around. What was the brightness setting for you to consider as a viewable level?

I thought of compiling all the relevant posts and putting it on the first post. Will probably take some time though.

Has this already been done, and if not, will it be beneficial? Otherwise I won't bother

Really good info here btw. You guys are superb!