Best Asus for me?

Thanks for your time

I have waited and now that Sandy Bridge is out I'm ready to buy.
-15.4-15.6
-i5 SB (not committed to i5 but don't really need i7)
-good keyboard
-would like to play SC2 on medium
-USB 3.0
-Good resolution
-needs to last about 3 yrs

Would like to spend no more than $800

Heres what ive been checking out
Amazon.com: ASUS K53E-B1 15.6-Inch Versatile Entertainment Laptop (Dark Brown): Computer & Accessories
-doesn't have USB3.0 but overall seems pretty good, just what i need, any comments or similar laptops?

Amazon.com: ASUS N53SV-XE1 15.6-Inch Versatile Entertainment Laptop (Silver Aluminum): Computer & Accessories
-Max I can spend, has everything i want, but their are a lot of complaints about the keyboard and size,which is a big problem- would like something like this with good keyboard and smaller overall size

All help is very appreciated, please inform me about these and other laptops i should consider

 

Honestly I'd have to go with the N53SV in this case, it is definitely a good buy. However I do tend to agree with you on the keyboard, sometimes it can be a little difficult to learn how to type on, but I think you'll probably get used to it over time.

Also, looks like the GT 540 should be able to do SC2 on medium, whereas the K53E only has an integrated graphics chip.

 

more suggestions? anyone know of a laptop that is in-between these two? Would like the K53 beside for the lack of usb3.0 and lack of graphics

 

The N series is the next jump from the K series. I'd stick with the N53 due to the overall better build quality

 

I was considering the same laptops as you and ended up getting the k53e-b1. It is perfect for my needs as I don't do any hardcore gaming or editing. If you have similar needs to mine then I would recommend the k53e as it is much cheaper and offers more RAM, is lighter, has a better keyboard and an extra year on the warranty. I posted a review on amazon under the name joe if you're interested. However, if you need a graphics card and more processing power then get the N53SV-XE1.

 

Ive been leaning toward the K53 for all the reason you stated, except for the fact that I do some gaming, and would really like to play SC3. Unfortunately the N53 is just out of my price range.

I recently noticed this

Amazon.com: ASUS K53SV-A1 15.6-Inch Versatile Entertainment Laptop (Mocha): Electronics

I think the only difference is the fact that it has a graphics card.
Problem is that their is only one review, and it is horrible. Can anyone verify that this problem was a one time thing? I do not want to have to go through the trouble of installing drivers, and blue screens. No one else has left a review so my assumption is that they forgot to install drivers on all the laptops.

 

if your going to buy asus amazon is a little over priced, and you can't customize on amazon.

 

With the k53e-b1 I had to install a single driver because the volume keys didn't work. It was annoying but it wasn't much of a problem. I would have to disagree about amazon being overpriced. If you find a configuration that you're ok with, amazon is on par with other places in terms of price but not having to pay tax saves you money and really sets amazon apart from from other online stores such as buy.com or newegg

 

Exactly why i usually buy Amazon, also I've never had a problem with them, returning is usually very easy.

How do you like your K53e-b1? pros/cons
and would it be easy for me to know if all the drivers are properly installed

 

I've only had it for a 2 weeks and it has been perfect so far. It's very fast, has great battery life (at least 5hrs without power saver mode), solid build quality, comfortable to type on and never gets warm. My only complaint is that the screen is a little bit too glossy which can be a problem if you are in a bright area but isn't a problem if you are indoors but it's still very bright. I wish it had a higher resolution screen but that's hard to find in a sandybridge laptop around $700 but the screen is still good. You also can't go wrong with Asus in terms of reliability and free 1 year accidental damage warranty. Overall, I would highly recommend it because I doubt you can find a better laptop for $700.

As for the drivers, I only installed the one for the volume keys and I don't know if I am missing any others but I found these instructions in the link below to identify any missing drivers. If this doesn't work, you can run a google search on how to find missing drivers and there are other solutions. Hope this helps

How to know what drivers to install? - Yahoo! Answers

 

Yeah i really wish i could something with a better resolution. Then again the N53 is the same anyway. Think ill probably end up buying the K53. Thanks

 

Hey, because I can't make my own thread, could anyone tell me what would be good for a gaming / schooling laptop by Asus, or any other OEM? Preferably Asus, and a backlit keyboard. Limit: $500-$750 would like something that has a 900p or better display if possible.

 

This is what i was originally looking for, but your not going to find something in that price range that can game. The k53 is everything without the graphics, and to get the graphics you want, you have to break about $850.

 

finally found somebody with this laptop, I too looking for a sanybridge notebook and narrow it down to the K53e-b1, can anyone confirm if this is Sata 6gb/s? I got kingston v100 128gb SSD on the old laptop and wondering if I see benefic switching to vertex 3 for the K53e-b1. Please advise, thanks!

 

K53 is sandy bridge and therefore 6gbps on at least the hard disk ports.

 

Thanks! will I see noticeable difference using to Vertex 3 vs my Kignston V100 128gb? mainly for 720p/1080p media converting.

 

The Vertex 3 is the king of SSDs right now for raw speed, so... if you are constrained by I/O it will help. But your media converting is mostly CPU heavy instead. You'd be better off getting a model that has a CPU with intel AVX for that.