Down to 2 laptop selections - Help in selecting

Hello,
Newbie. Checked reviews and owner's lounge but couldn't find what I need.
Considering 2 models: N61JQ-XV1 and N61JV-X4. Major differences I can see are the JQ has the i7-740QM and ATI Radeon HD5730. The JV has i5-430M and Nvidia GT325M. Both in $900 to $1K range at Amazon.
Both systems are somewhat overkill for my current uses but I want a robust machine for possible future needs.
Any suggestions or experience with the two or another model selection would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance for the help!

 

If you want to be more portable, the JV will likely have better battery life and run cooler. The JQ has better gaming capabilities and is more "future-proof" if you will. If performace is your game, you want the JQ. If portability is what you want, I would suggest going for a laptop meant for it. I can suggest a few for outright battery life and lightness if you wish. But the JQ seems like a strong all rounder for performance useage.

 

Thanks for the reply!
Definitely want performance and future proof over portability. So was leaning heavily towards JQ. Picked Asus since my local computer guy highly recommended them. It's overwhelming on the huge amount of choices available. Been stewing for weeks now on making a decision. Any alternate suggestions on a performance machine ($1K max) Asus or other would be greatly appreciated.

 

I don't know the specifics of either of those models, but just by looking at the stats I think the Dell XPS 15 L501x might be something to look at. I wouldn't worry about future proofness, all of these machines are already more than 99% of people need for normal use.

Dell XPS L501x: An Excellent Mainstream Notebook - AnandTech :: Your Source for Hardware Analysis and News

 

I don't see a huge difference between the two. Pick the one that has the video card company you trust most.

 

The Jq is going to be a lot more powerful with the quad-core i7 and ATI 5730. I'm guessing that you'd be able to find the Jv for a lot cheaper though b/c the hardware is definitely a step down.

If you're looking for other options, I would take a serious look at the Dell XPS 15 and 17. If you don't care about portability, the 17 is the better choice b/c of the faster graphics card and bigger screen. The 15 isn't very portable either but right now it's the only one offered with the super-duper B+GR LED screen which is one of the best notebook LCD's on the market right now. Anandtech, which probably does the best reviews on the net, just gave the XPS 15 their gold award, something which comes by once in a blue moon.

 

The JV will have higher clock speeds. And ATI vs. Nvidia is the real choice here, not processor. Unless you're crunching numbers, you won't see a real difference in CPU speed. Now, get an SSD and you'll see a difference.