Best asus laptop for under 915$?

Hi! I'm looking for a laptop to be my main computer and I want it to have a good processor but I don't care much about graphics, because I don't play. I will use photoshop and Premiere with HD video, though.
My budget is 915$

I'm looking Asus because I'll buy it in the US (I'm staying there for six months) but I live in Spain, and the international warranty seems convenient. Also, how do I know if the warranty is one or two years?

What do you think of this one? ASUS N56VJ-DH71
I like it but some comments on Amazon say that the BIOS is locked and you can't put Windows 7 on it!!

 

That's actually an excellent choice for your needs and budget! I'm not certain as to whether the n56 has the BIOS lock/SLIC lock, although I wouldn't doubt it; I encounter this mostly with the ultrabooks (ux series). If you're concerned about it, you can purchase the laptop with Windows 7, although it runs more $.

The graphics card should serve you well in editing, and the processor is plenty powerful. You may want to consider adding more memory, as I think Photoshop and Premiere require a hefty amount of RAM. 8GB is still fairly good.

 

Thanks for your answer! I considered the Windows 7 version but it's more expensive and also has only 6 GB of RAM! And even if it comes with Windows 7 I prefer a clean install
I will ask in the Lounge of the N56 if anybody has tried to put Windows 7 on it.

I've been reading and there seems to be problems to update this laptop to 16 Gb of RAM, and it seems is also a BIOS issue

 

I have gotten the Zenbook Prime UX31A for $990, from JR.com , surely if you can spend $915 you can go up a couple bucks more, I've seen it at $980 at JR, and though I have purchased on black friday, the sale price is regular, and also you don't have to pay tax if you don't live in NY from JR.com, possibly an option if you prefer lighter weight laptop.

 

The RAM cap is usually the fault of the OS. I believe you need Windows Pro or better for the OS to see anything past 16GB - although if there is a problem with the BIOS not recognizing anything over a specified amount, that may also require a BIOS flash.

Definitely ask around in the owners lounge! And don't hesitate to contact Asus sales support for inquiry too. Just be sure to address things technically, just in case you get a rep that's not trained well, new, etc.; that way they're less likely to answer haphazardly to make a sale.

 

Look at this one too - Micro Center - Computers, Electronics, Computer Parts, Networking, Gaming, Software, and more!

This one has 7200 rpm hard drive, though only 750gb, and also has a blu ray drive. If you don't live close to a micro-center, you can get one from Amazon too from a reseller I have seen there.

Good choice either way!

 

I just picked up the R500VD here- FRYS.com | ASUS

It was on sale for 699.00, for one day only. I was told it will go back on sale. They had plenty in stock. It doesn't have the HD screen, which wasn't important to me, so if that's a must for you it won't work.

But for 699.00 that leaves extra money for a solid state drive. That 1TB drive was slow!!

 

Wow! that's a good price but I'm not able to find it. The cheaper UX31A I can see at JR.com is 1,039$

 

Yes it recently went back up a few weeks ago, but on Newegg it is for $999, but depending what state you live in you will have to pay tax, maybe it will go down again in a few weeks? Also it is only $40 difference from $990, keep in mind they got a coupon where they take off $10 and free ground shipping I believe. Personally my UX31A has no problems at all, little screen bleed barely noticeable in dark conditions, if you are scared about the conditions from hearing the reviews.

 

Thank you, It's a good option for a better hard drive. I don't care much about the blu ray, though, will probably won't using it.

Wow! now it's 879$, but it's still a good price , even though this one has not the HD screen, which isn't very important from me neither.

I guess I'll go either for the R500VD or the N56VJ. People keep telling me that I should buy a Mac, but they are so expensive! I could only afford the 11" MacBookAir with an i5 and 4GB of RAM, which is kind of crappy :S

 

I actually just sold my macbook and bought this. I like Mac a lot, but I'm required to use too much Internet Explorer web pages. You get so much more for your money on the PC side of the world. And Mac, as much as I like them, are like your stuck up snobby neighbor. They think their sh*t don't stink, but it does.

I couldn't believe when I stumbled on this R500. I spent 2 hours in the store on the computer looking up reviews, double checking specs, etc.... to make sure I wasn't missing anything. It's that good of a deal for the guy not looking for HD screen and a couple other things. Bluetooth (I have 3 or 4 dongles), blu ray.... never owned one never will. And if I do, which is never, I wouldn't watch on my laptop. That's just me though.

So far so good. I slapped the SSD in it and the thing is faster and more consistent than any computer I've ever owned. Can't stress enough how important the SSD is.

Good luck and let us know what you end up with! OH!!!

For another great deal on an Asus with a 14 inch screen and a sexier body check out the U47A-RHI7N15. Almost identical specs as the R500 but sleeker. I would have gone for it if I'd have seen it before the R500 purchase. It was only 30.00 more!

 

I also just bought an Asus UX32VD-RH71 and my Macbook Pro is on sale now. It is a personal preference since each may has its own advantage but Mac's are more expensive in general. The Asus I bought has a fantastic display probably the best one can find up to $1500 price range and even better than many more expensive ones. A MBP with Retina costs nearly %50 more and it still comes with a glossy screen which I dislike.

 

Both display types have their advantages and disadvantages. What about the glossy/glare-type screen did you dislike on the Macbook Pro with Retina display?

 

I finally bought the N56VJ-DH71 on amazon. I have the Windows 8 version and I still have no idea if I can install seven on it, but Windows 8 looks better than it did on trial, and works great. Battery life is very good, it doesn't heat at all and the light keyboard is a plus. Very happy with my purchase
Only on bad thing, the charger or plugger (I don't know how to call it in English) it's REALLY heavy. Not the laptop, luckily.

 

Congrats..... slap a SSD in that thing and you'll be twice as happy!

 

I only had a very brief encounter with a Macbook Pro Retina in my friend's place. He had just bought it when I visited him. From what I can recall, it did seem quite sharp though if I trust my memory, its sharpness didn't capture my attention right away. Maybe I was just not focused on it. I also recall some reflections but again, I wasn't particularly attentive. Besides, the environment was dark enough not generating too much reflection. Right now, my friend is on a trip. Once he is back, I would like to take my Asus laptop and do a side by side comparison regarding color, sharpness and reflections.

In any case, a Retina MBP was out of question for me, being out of my budget and the fact that nothing can be upgraded in it. On the contrary, I just upgraded the ram in my Asus to 10GB and the hard drive to an 256GB Samsung 840 Pro (which has gained some of the highest scores among all SSD's). I can even upgrade to a 512GB SSD later when prices further drop. However, Apple is asking for an extra $500 for a 500GB SSD which I have to pay right now. The bitter part is that the retail price of a very decent 500GB SSD is about $400. Apple wants to remove the default 256GB SSD (subtract a value of $200) for a $400 and asking for an extra $500. Even worse, since Apple is not paying retail prices for the components they buy in large volumes so there is no way they have even spent $400 on the larger SSD (it must be much less). I found this outrageous and I just can't stop despising greed.

Anyway, not that other companies are angels; better to move on.


On another note, when I compare the Asus to my older generation Macbook Pro (2009 unibody 1280x800), the Asus panel feels clearly superior in all three departments I mentioned. I much prefer its matte surface over the MBP's glossy one.

 

Although glossy reportedly provides better image quality, it is rendered less substantial in environments with a lot of light per the more reflective surface; a lot of users prefer matte for this reason. In any case, if you happen to do that side by side comparison, by all means: post your thoughts!

 

I don't know a lot about these things. You remove the HDD and put an SSD? or you have the two of them working together? And the OS? you have to install it all new in SSD I guess?

Maybe I'll do it when the one year warranty is over, to give the computer a second youth

 

It's ideal to have both drives; SSD for the operating system + programs (yes, do a fresh install) and the HDD for data. SSD gives you the performance, and the HDD gives you capacity for cheap(er). :thumbsup:

 

I will do once I get the chance.