Notebook Price Watch
OUR
RECOMMENDATIONS:
BUSINESS NOTEBOOK
| Model
|
Specs
| Price |
Vendor |
| Core 2 Duo processor
(2.0GHz); 1GB RAM; 160GB HDD;
12.1-inch screen; integrated graphics card; DVD writer drive; Windows Vista Home Premium Edition | S$1,898 (US$1,397.41) |
AAAs; Active Foto and Electronics; ALIF; MC2/PA Mart |
| Why: |
Acer's foray into the business notebook scene is a full-featured, magnesium alloy-clad number with a low price tag. Though its lack of a TPM security chip and far from svelte figure may drive some off, the TravelMate 6292 is certainly a value-for-money preposition for the junior executive or student. |
| Wow factor: |
Integrated Webcam; inexpensive; hardy magnesium-alloy chassis; fingerprint sensor; shock-protected harddisk.
|
| Peer pressure: |
It may not be the prettiest model on the market, but the HP nx6320 knows what it does best and goes for it. It has fingerprint sensor, TPM security chip and harddisk protection to ensure that private data stays confidential. The unassuming chassis is laminated with a scratch-resistant coating to prevent disfiguring scars from everyday use. Coupled with its reasonable price and options to use either Intel Core Duo or AMD Turion X2 processors, the nx6330 definitely gives the competition a run for their money.
Business portables need not cost the earth. If you want solid performance in a secure package, Dell's Vostro line is a value-for-money proposition for small businesses. The 15.4-inch Vostro 1500 may not have the strong security features like its more expensive competition, but options like integrated Webcam and powerful Nvidia GeForce 8400M/8600M are available. There is even a choice between the Windows XP and Vista operating system.
You can check out more options in our Top 5 business portables chart. |
GAMING NOTEBOOK
| Model
|
Specs
|
Price |
Vendor |
| Core 2 Duo processor (2.2GHz); 3GB RAM; 160GB HDD; 17-inch screen; Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT graphics card; DVD writer drive; Windows Vista Home Premium Edition |
S$2,984.23 (US$2,197.15) |
Dell online store |
| Why: |
Dell's latest 17-inch Inspiron is not only an above-average gaming system (thanks to its Nvidia GeForce graphics card), but also available in eight colors. If your budget doesn't allow for the top-of-the-line configuration, you'll be glad that the Inspiron 1720 can be configured down to fit your wallet.
|
| Wow factor: |
High-end specifications; highly configurable based on budget; inexpensive for a gaming machine; available in eight colors. |
| Peer pressure: |
We normally do not expect stellar gaming performance from any notebook under 15.4 inches. However, the 14.1-inch BenQ JoyBook S41 broke these assumptions by posting one of the highest 3DMark gaming benchmark scores we've seen, thanks to its Core 2 Duo Santa Rosa platform and high-end Nvidia GeForce 8600M GS graphics card. The best bit? It takes only S$2,099 (US$1,545.39) out of your wallet to own this portable gaming monster.
Designed in collaboration with luxury car maker BMW, the Acer Aspire 5920G has a look you will either love or hate. However, it is possibly the most powerful gaming laptop to pass through our Labs. Based on the Santa Rosa platform coupled with the high-end Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT, it managed to squeeze out an impressive 3,288 on our 3DMark 06 gaming benchmark. Oh, and did we mention it's also DirectX 10-compatible?
You can check out more options in our Top 5 gaming portables chart and the latest DirectX 10 gaming notebooks. |
BUDGET NOTEBOOK
| Model |
Specs |
Price |
Vendor |
|
AMD Turion 64 processor (2.2GHz);
512MB RAM; 80GB HDD; 14.1-inch screen; Nvidia GeForce Go 7000 graphics
card; DVD writer drive; Windows Vista Home Basic Edition | S$999 (US$735.52) |
Active Foto and Electronics; ALIF; MC2/PA Mart |
| Why: |
The Acer Aspire 4520 is based on the AMD chipset with decent features like a DVD Super Multi drive. But what is amazing is that, for just over S$1,000 (US$736.25), this machine possesses a discrete Nvidia GeForce Go graphics card. This almost makes up for the fact that this budget system has only a single-core processor under the hood.
|
| Wow factor: |
Inexpensive; discrete graphics; integrated Webcam. |
| Peer pressure: |
Do not look down on its integrated graphics solution (GPU). Though the Asus A8HE may not have the video performance of the A8SC or A8JR with their discrete GPUs, the tradeoff is that this entry-level 14.1-inch machine should be able to give you significantly more uptime from a single charge. Not to mention it's also much cheaper.
An entry-level mobile from Dell, the Turion-based Dell Inspiron 1501 doesn't deliver the bells and whistles present in more expensive models. However, this machine is perfectly adequate if surfing and basic productivity tools are what you normally use.
You can check out more options in our Top 5 budget portables chart.
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