maybe you can consider these :

Apple
MacBookAir 13", i5-4250U + Intel HD5000 + 256GB SSD + (1440x900)@RM3899[1.35kg], 4GB, backlit keyboard, Mac OSX

ASUS
UX31A-R4003H, i7-3517U + Intel HD4000 + 256GB SSD + (1920 x 1080)@RM4599[1.3kg], 4GB, W8

Dell
XPS13, i7-3517U + Intel HD4000 + 256GB SSD+ (1920x1080)@RM4399[1.36kg], 8GB, W8, backlit
Inspiron 14 7000, i7-4500U + Intel HD4400 + 32GB mSATA + 500GB(5400rpm) + (1366x768, Touch) @RM3399[2.02kg], 8GB (soldered), W8SL, backlit keyboard, 58Whr, No ODD
Vostro 5470, i5-4200U + Nvidia GT740M@RM2249, 4GB, 500GB(5400rpm), W8, 3-cell

HP
Envy SpectreXT 13-2216TU, i7-3537U + Intel HD4000 + 128GB SSD@RM3699[1.39kg], 4GB, W8,backlit keyboard

Lenovo
S410p, i5-4200U + Nvidia GT720M@RM1999[1.8kg], 4GB, 1TB, W8, 2 yrs

Samsung
Series 7 Ultra, i5-3337U + Intel HD4000 + 128GB SSD + (1920x1080; anti-glare)@RM2999[JBL][1.46kg], 4GB, W8
ATIV Book 7 NP740U3E-X01MY, i5-3337U + AMD HD8570M + 128GB SSD + (1920x1080; touch)@RM3499[1.65kg][JBL], 4GB, W8

Sony
Vaio SVP13213SGS, i5-4200U + Intel HD4400 + 128GB SSD + (1920x1080)@RM3799[1.06kg], 4GB, W8SL

most of them are 13" ultrabooks. for 14", only the Lenovo S410P, Dell Vostro 5470 and Inspiron 14 7000 are 14". however, keep in mind that they are more suitable towards casual games, work and videos. prices are RRP and negotiable.

Dear sifu,

just by looking at the above spec, which option is considered best bang-for-buck?

my options are limited by budget of RM2500. Usage may include playing diablo 3, gta 4 and gta 5.

Are the choices above good enough?..or are there any other brands/options that I should check out?

kindly advise sifussss...

basically my objective is to get the best bang-for-buck spec..

for best bang for buck, you can consider Y400.
for the OS, you can just opt for those 'genuine' ones, if you know what i mean.

1. Preferred Brand
Any

2. Budget
Under 1.5k

3. Usage
Web surfing, Documents editing, Photos presentation.

4. Preferred laptop/screen size
11" and above? (For the presentation of photos)

Slim and Light is a must. I know with the budget I have is hard to get those less than 2kg =(

This post has been edited by lynch: Oct 4 2013, 02:06 AM

Y400 seems pretty attractive to me too..thanks for the advise. at least there's an assurance fr sifu on the best bang-for-buck model here.

Dell
Inspiron 14-3437, i3-4010U + Intel HD4400@RM1399[1.99kg], Ubuntu, 4GB, 750GB(5400rpm), 4-cell; W8SL@RM1549

Lenovo
G400s, i3-3110M + Intel HD4000@RM1299, 4GB, 500GB, FreeDOS; W8@RM1499

Acer
E1-432G-29552G50k, Intel 2955U + Nvidia GT720M@RM1399, 2GB, 500GB, W8

all models are around 2kg. prices are RRP and negotiable.

go to those shop with good reputation... not those 'chap ba lang' shop...

anyway what i think may more concern is not original or not... is that the price you get is the true value or not...

if you are price sensitive like most of the forumer here... survey the based price at here before you go buy...

some of the shop they mark up the laptop quite high.... seen a lot of cases where laptop worth RM1000 but they selling it for RM1499 (50% mark up??)... then good luck for them...

How about this one???
Asus Vivobook Touch Ultrabook S550CB-CJ102H --> RM2300 (Free Shipping+COD)

Intel Core i5-3317U, 1.7GHz, Dual-Core
Windows 8 64-bit
15.6" 16:9 HD (1366 x 768), Touch Screen
Nvidia GeForce GT 740M with 2GB DDR3 VRAM
500GB HDD + 24GB SSD
4GB DDR3 1600MHz SDRAM
Optical Drive
Aluminium Black color
2 year warranty by Asus

Ok....I get it.....thanks for your advice. ...

Thank you for the recommendations.

May I ask, I previously own the HP ProBook 4430s, i3, the laptop runs very cool, the exhaust fan blows room temperature air while my Asus A42, i5 with a GeForce 310M blows hot air from the exhaust fan.

So, is a laptop with a graphic card hotter?


Is the battery life of the UX31A good?

normally laptops with graphics cards run hotter than those with integrated graphics, due to the heatsinks attached to each other (dual fan solution is different).

the battery life of the UX31A is pretty good. processors with 'U' alphabet at the back of the model number runs on lower voltage, hence they are more power efficient but weaker performance.

another factor is the usage of SSD in the UX31A, rather than spinning mechanical hard drives.

EDIT - among the laptops out there i suggested, i would rather take Dell XPS 13, cheaper and better warranty service.

This post has been edited by raymondtong94: Oct 4 2013, 01:24 PM

i think only haswell ultrabook worth buying at this moment... since more and more haswell coming soon...

Hi all, I'm looking for a laptop as detailed below:

1. Preferred Brand: Dell, Asus, HP or Toshiba
2. Budget: Around RM2.5k. Max is 3k
3. Usage: Mostly work, emails, documents, excel, Internet surfing and occasionally to watch movies. Something with a decent graphic card.
4. Preferred laptop/screen size: Since I'm using it for work, I need something not too bulky. Around 15" screen would do.

A must for me is that windows 7 be installed on the laptop. I don't intend to use windows 8 yet.

Any recommendations?

But the Asus looks so much nicer and the backlit keyboard is attractive. I might wait for Haswell to come to the UX31A

Are Mac OS X more power efficient as compared to Windows 8?

how bout this?

HP ENVY Touchsmart 15-j051nr

15.6 in diagonal Full HD BrightView LED-backlit touchscreen (1920 x 1080), 10-finger multi-touch support
Intel Core i7-4700MQ 2.40 GHz with Turbo Boost technology up to 3.40 GHz
12 GB DDR3 1600 MHZ
1 TB SATA 5400 RPM
Windows 8
SD card reader
Beats Audio quad speakers and two subwoofers
Intel HD Graphics 4600 and NVIDIA GeForce GT 740M with 2 GB graphics memory
4 USB 3.0 (1 charge) • HDMI • Headphone output/Microphone input combo • RJ-45 (10/100/1000)
6-cell lithium-ion (up to 9 hours)
HP TrueVision HD webcam
802.11b/g/n • Intel Wireless Display (WiDi) capable (separate adapter required)
Bluetooth
14.94 x 9.87 x 0.74-1.18 in (379.47 x 250.69 x 18.79-29.97 mm)
5.62 lbs (2.54 kg)

rm2899 only..

slim but not light weight..

u can consider apple macbook pro 13 also..

how bout this?

HP ENVY Touchsmart 15-j051nr

15.6 in diagonal Full HD BrightView LED-backlit touchscreen (1920 x 1080), 10-finger multi-touch support
Intel Core i7-4700MQ 2.40 GHz with Turbo Boost technology up to 3.40 GHz
12 GB DDR3 1600 MHZ
1 TB SATA 5400 RPM
Windows 8
SD card reader
Beats Audio quad speakers and two subwoofers
Intel HD Graphics 4600 and NVIDIA GeForce GT 740M with 2 GB graphics memory
4 USB 3.0 (1 charge) • HDMI • Headphone output/Microphone input combo • RJ-45 (10/100/1000)
6-cell lithium-ion (up to 9 hours)
HP TrueVision HD webcam
802.11b/g/n • Intel Wireless Display (WiDi) capable (separate adapter required)
Bluetooth
14.94 x 9.87 x 0.74-1.18 in (379.47 x 250.69 x 18.79-29.97 mm)
5.62 lbs (2.54 kg)

rm2899 only..

slim but not light weight..

this also can consider?

Brand NEW HP ENVY 17-J029nr

Windows 8
Intel® Core™ i7-4702MQ with Intel HD Graphics 4600 (2.2 GHz, 6 MB cache, 4 cores)
NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M switchable (2 GB DDR3, up to 3.99 GB)
8 GB DDR3 Upgradeable to 16 GB
1 TB 5400 rpm SATA
Blu-ray player/SuperMulti DVD burner
10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN
802.11b/g/n; Bluetooth; WiDi; Intel Smart Connect Technology support
120W AC power adapter
6-cell (62WHr) Li-Ion Up to 4 hours and 30 minutes
4 SuperSpeed USB 3.0; 1 USB 2.0 (with HP USB Boost); 1 HDMI; 1 RJ45; 1 headphone-out/microphone-in combo
Multi-format digital media card reader
ENERGY STAR® qualified; EPEAT® Silver
17.3" diagonal full HD anti-glare LED-backlit (1920 x 1080)
Full-size, island-style, backlit with numeric keypad
16.38 x 10.8 x 1.21 in
6.28 lb
HP TrueVision HD Webcam with integrated dual array digital microphone
Beats Audio; 4 speakers; 2 subwoofer

rm2999 only..

very nice design, slim..with beats Audio..good graphic card...full hd screen, high RAM..SSD cache make it more faster boot up..

its depends on ur budget actually..but Masc OSX run more stable than any windows...even low end core 2 duo macbook still can run smooth with latest Mac OSX...

how bout this?

HP ENVY Touchsmart 15-j051nr

15.6 in diagonal Full HD BrightView LED-backlit touchscreen (1920 x 1080), 10-finger multi-touch support
Intel Core i7-4700MQ 2.40 GHz with Turbo Boost technology up to 3.40 GHz
12 GB DDR3 1600 MHZ
1 TB SATA 5400 RPM
Windows 8
SD card reader
Beats Audio quad speakers and two subwoofers
Intel HD Graphics 4600 and NVIDIA GeForce GT 740M with 2 GB graphics memory
4 USB 3.0 (1 charge) • HDMI • Headphone output/Microphone input combo • RJ-45 (10/100/1000)
6-cell lithium-ion (up to 9 hours)
HP TrueVision HD webcam
802.11b/g/n • Intel Wireless Display (WiDi) capable (separate adapter required)
Bluetooth
14.94 x 9.87 x 0.74-1.18 in (379.47 x 250.69 x 18.79-29.97 mm)
5.62 lbs (2.54 kg)

rm2899 only..

slim but not light weight..

this also can consider?

Brand NEW HP ENVY 17-J029nr

Windows 8
Intel® Core™ i7-4702MQ with Intel HD Graphics 4600 (2.2 GHz, 6 MB cache, 4 cores)
NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M switchable (2 GB DDR3, up to 3.99 GB)
8 GB DDR3 Upgradeable to 16 GB
1 TB 5400 rpm SATA
Blu-ray player/SuperMulti DVD burner
10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN
802.11b/g/n; Bluetooth; WiDi; Intel Smart Connect Technology support
120W AC power adapter
6-cell (62WHr) Li-Ion Up to 4 hours and 30 minutes
4 SuperSpeed USB 3.0; 1 USB 2.0 (with HP USB Boost); 1 HDMI; 1 RJ45; 1 headphone-out/microphone-in combo
Multi-format digital media card reader
ENERGY STAR® qualified; EPEAT® Silver
17.3" diagonal full HD anti-glare LED-backlit (1920 x 1080)
Full-size, island-style, backlit with numeric keypad
16.38 x 10.8 x 1.21 in
6.28 lb
HP TrueVision HD Webcam with integrated dual array digital microphone
Beats Audio; 4 speakers; 2 subwoofer

rm2999 only..

very nice design, slim..with beats Audio..good graphic card...full hd screen, high RAM..SSD cache make it more faster boot up..

how bout this?

HP ENVY Touchsmart 15-j051nr

15.6 in diagonal Full HD BrightView LED-backlit touchscreen (1920 x 1080), 10-finger multi-touch support
Intel Core i7-4700MQ 2.40 GHz with Turbo Boost technology up to 3.40 GHz
12 GB DDR3 1600 MHZ
1 TB SATA 5400 RPM
Windows 8
SD card reader
Beats Audio quad speakers and two subwoofers
Intel HD Graphics 4600 and NVIDIA GeForce GT 740M with 2 GB graphics memory
4 USB 3.0 (1 charge) • HDMI • Headphone output/Microphone input combo • RJ-45 (10/100/1000)
6-cell lithium-ion (up to 9 hours)
HP TrueVision HD webcam
802.11b/g/n • Intel Wireless Display (WiDi) capable (separate adapter required)
Bluetooth
14.94 x 9.87 x 0.74-1.18 in (379.47 x 250.69 x 18.79-29.97 mm)
5.62 lbs (2.54 kg)

rm2899 only..

slim but not light weight..

this also can consider?

Brand NEW HP ENVY 17-J029nr

Windows 8
Intel® Core™ i7-4702MQ with Intel HD Graphics 4600 (2.2 GHz, 6 MB cache, 4 cores)
NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M switchable (2 GB DDR3, up to 3.99 GB)
8 GB DDR3 Upgradeable to 16 GB
1 TB 5400 rpm SATA
Blu-ray player/SuperMulti DVD burner
10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN
802.11b/g/n; Bluetooth; WiDi; Intel Smart Connect Technology support
120W AC power adapter
6-cell (62WHr) Li-Ion Up to 4 hours and 30 minutes
4 SuperSpeed USB 3.0; 1 USB 2.0 (with HP USB Boost); 1 HDMI; 1 RJ45; 1 headphone-out/microphone-in combo
Multi-format digital media card reader
ENERGY STAR® qualified; EPEAT® Silver
17.3" diagonal full HD anti-glare LED-backlit (1920 x 1080)
Full-size, island-style, backlit with numeric keypad
16.38 x 10.8 x 1.21 in
6.28 lb
HP TrueVision HD Webcam with integrated dual array digital microphone
Beats Audio; 4 speakers; 2 subwoofer

rm2999 only..

very nice design, slim..with beats Audio..good graphic card...full hd screen, high RAM..SSD cache make it more faster boot up..