Which Laptop Should I Choose?

I've been looking for a new laptop and have usually opted for Toshiba models I've had several in the past and their reliability have been excellent, my last one has lasted six years. I've come across two systems that peak my interest and I'm having difficulty choosing.

One of the laptops is a Lenovo and since I have had no experience with Lenovo's consumer line I would first like to ask what are they like in terms of reliability? Will it be expected to last several years of usage?

The other laptop is of course a Toshiba however I'm unsure about it because people are complaining that the audio quality is awful. I will post specs and links to the two laptops I have considered below.
What I'm generally looking for is a system with long term reliability, good battery life (around 4-5 hours), good audio qulaity, and decent speed (system speed).

Lenovo Z50-70
http://shop.lenovo.com/...-customize

O/S - Windows 8.1
CPU - i3 4th gen 4010U 1.70Ghz
RAM - 6GB DDR3
15.6 1920x1080 display
Nvidia GeForce 820m 2Gb dedicated
1TB 5400rpm HDD
Dolby v2 audio

Toshiba C55-A-1UC
http://www.amazon.co.uk/...00HRUSSG4/

O/S - Windows 8.1
CPU - i3-4000m 2.4 GHz
RAM - 8GB DDR3
1TB 5400rpm HDD
Integrated Intel HD 4600 graphics
Stereo speakers with DTS audio

Guest 1 answer

Should I get a Macbook Pro or Lenovo Y510p?

Since I've started researching on laptops for about a week now, my price range has gone from $550-$1100 now. Initially I was going for an i7 for on an ultra-book or Macbook Air for video and photo editing (Photoshop, Premiere, After Effects) but after reading many reviews, I realized that even on an i7 processor and higher memory, the performance won't be enough to compute with the photo and video editing on an ultrabook/air.

So I ended up on these two laptops Macbook Pro i5 and Lenovo Y510p i7. I understand Macbook Pro i7 is better for video editing but it's just too expensive, even the Apple refurbished ones. As for the Lenovo Y510p, although it is said to be a gaming laptop (if that matters), and granted it heats, the battery life isn't that long, and even the laptop it self is pretty heavy, but for about $1000 (cheaper than MCP i5), it has i7 4th generation, 16 GB ram, and 1 TB Hard-drive. And if I'm correct, it has a newer model Y50, but I've read that the display is worse and performance lacks as well.

So which one should I choose, the MacBook Pro i5 or the Lenovo Y510p i7 for heavy video/photo editing? Or should I rethink about ultrabooks and Macbook Air? Any information will be very helpful.

Guest 1 answer

Laptop Recommendation for College?

I'm in desperate need of a new laptop for college. I definitely wouldn't consider myself a gamer, but when i'm bored I do play some PC games (i.e. Lol, dota 2, skyrim, saints row iv, gta, assassin's creed, etc.) So I need a laptop that can handle editing photos and HD videos, along with the occasional game. I've come to the conclusion that my best bet would be to get a laptop with a dedicated graphics card, but do I actually need a "gaming laptop"?

My budget is ~1500$ and I'm only considering laptops weighing 5.5lbs or less. I'm not too picky when it comes to battery life, but I'm a bit picky when it comes to appearance. Please don't recommend anything that even resembles alienware. I don't need/necessarily want some clone of a macbook, but just… Something subtle, please.

I've been looking at the lenovo u530, the lenovo y50, the lenovo y40, and the dell inspiron 15-7000. Though all of these are ok, each of them tends to be lacking in some essential quality. (ex. Questionable build quality, very bad color accuracy, weight over 5.5lbs, etc.) Since I'm asking for recommendations, though, I'm definitely open to new suggestions!

Guest 2 answers

A good laptop for school work and gaming?

I tried doing my research on laptop but i just keep getting confuse on which one is what. I've read a few articles online but most of them were from a few years ago. I'm about to start college soon and i"m looking for a laptop that has a lot of memory for my school work and also i like to play games whenever i get bored. I'm not really worried on budget right now, i prefer to invest my money on something good and would last for a while than get something cheap and have it break down on me after a few months of use.

Guest 3 answers

Lenovo Thinkpad Edge 6 Gb Ram Only 1.75 Usable?

I just got a used laptop yesterday with Windows 7 Home Premium and it says it has a total of 6gb ram but right next to it, it say only 1.75 usable. I really need all the ram for some applications. I have updated the BIOS, updated Windows, unchecked the max usable ram in the Resource Monitor section. Someone help me.

Guest 2 answers

What is the best, cheap gaming laptop as of now?

I'm looking for a laptop for college and I also want a laptop for gaming, so I'm looking for a cheap laptop. I was looking at the Lenovo y510p but, I really don't trust myself with decisions like that. I don't know anything about computers so I don't trust myself. I was looking for a price $1200- and the lenovo that I was looking at had an i7 processor and 16 GB ram for $1149.99 If there are any better laptops with better specs please help me!

Guest 1 answer

Lenovo G560 laptop won't turn on?

I'll plug in the charger, and the yellow light will light up on the brick, indicating that the charger is working. But when I plug the charger into the laptop, nothing. Usually an orange light will light up on the front of the laptop, showing me that the charger is plugged in, but none of the lights are lighting up. When I hit the power button, it doesn't turn on, it just stays off.

I've looked for solutions online, and I've tried unplugging the charger and removing the battery and then holding the power button for 30 seconds, then replacing the battery and the charger. I've tried unplugging it and removing the battery, hitting the power button 30 times, leaving the battery out for 2 minutes and then replacing it and plugging it back in. I've tried turning it on with only the power cord connected, and the battery out. I've tried everything, and nothing has worked.

The power brick on the charger lights up, so it can't be the charger, right? Even if the battery is dead, the front of the laptop would still flash the orange light once, letting me know the battery is dead. But it's not even doing that.

And if it was a problem with the battery, the laptop would still turn on if I had the battery removed and the laptop plugged into the charger.

What can I do to fix it? I really don't want to take it to a repair shop and pay a ton of money if there's a simpler, less expensive solution.

Guest 3 answers

Should I buy a Mac or an HP laptop?

I'm going into a Fine Arts degree this fall and I'm trying to make the choice between a Mac laptop or an HP laptop. I will be focusing my major in sculpture and not graphic design, so I don't know if the Mac is worth it for the price. I would have to buy the cheapest and smallest option they have which is still a couple hundred dollars more than the HP Envy that I'm looking at. They both have the hardware that I need, but I asked my academic advisor and he said for sure to buy a Mac because it's best for art students. I've done research, but I just haven't found a clear-cut answer.

Guest 2 answers

How to get The Sims 3 to work on the Lenovo U530 laptop?

From my understanding, I have a normal built in Intel graphics card in my laptop. In addition to that I also have the Nvidia GeForce graphics card built in my laptop as well.
I was told by Geek Squad that the game is not updated enough to work on my laptop with my Nvidia card.
HOW CAN I GET THE SIMS 3 TO WORK DESPITE A THIS?!
What settings do I need to change, ect?

Guest 1 answer