F5 VS F3 - whats the difference?!

Hi -

well after what seems like TEN YEARS of research, i've settled on a brand if nothing else - i'm going ASAS, for build quality, service and the 2 year warranty. They also seem to pip sony to the post in terms of price.

But tell me,

what is the difference between the F5 and F3 range? they seem to be really similar.

For example:

http://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/AdvSearch/Compare.aspx?s=21&prod=F5VL-AP032C&prod=F3U-AP234C


thanks for your help

matt

 

Just had a quick look and the F5 seems to have better graphics, and something called a "swivel" camera, WETF that is!


72oo

(Of the two go for the F5 - higher is always better. Like 5400 -v- 7200 :-D)

 

Between the two notebooks that you link, the differences are quite substantial. I would go for the first one if just for the Intel CPU (the second has AMD, which are not so good in the notebook market: suck more power and therefore heat up more).

Also, as far as I can tell the first one has a dedicated GPU while the second is integrated.

Finally: in your research, take into account that the F-s are budget notebooks. So it makes little sense comparing them for instance to a high-end Sony SZ. You should compare budget against budget.

But I agree that Sony's are usually overpriced in the EU at least.

Maybe you would like to fill in the FAQ and get more informative suggestions?

 

I've filled out a FAQ in the 'what notebook' forum but here it is again:

General Questions

1) What is your budget?

£400-650

2) What size notebook would you prefer?

Don't mind.
I'm not going to be carrying it far ever so size/weight doesnt really matter.

3) Please select your country's flag as a post icon and tell us what country are you buying this in.

UK

4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?

I'm keen on good customer service/support - so i'm leaning towards ruling Dell out - just in case, but you might convince me otherwise?

5) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?

Normal regular functions, email, web browsing, DVD viewing, using Vista as an OS (which I guess is the most demanding function of all of them?!)

6) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?

Desk mostly, around the house, out to work (but I wont be working on a train or anything)

7) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?

I'm a gamer, but i'm not looking for a gaming laptop. I've got a desktop which needs upgrading for games, this is just the workhorse laptop to fill the gap between upgrades.

I'll play strategy games (C&C, settles etc) but nothing to demanding (BF3 etc)

8) How many hours of battery life do you need?

No idea. To be honest, I'll normally carry the plug around with me in the bag.

9) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?

Not if it gets good reccomendations here.

10) What OS do you prefer? Windows (XP or Vista), Mac OS, Linux, etc.

Never used vista but am keen to try. If I go vista, I'll want the works (Aero etc) not just the basic version, I might as well stick with XP in that case.

Screen Specifics

11) Would you prefer standard or widescreen?

Which ever is more future proof. Widescreen?

12) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer?


d. WXGA or WXGA+ - 1280x768/800 or 1440x900; Wider viewing version of XGA, good for movie viewing or spreadsheets.
e. WSXGA+ - 1680x1050; Wider viewing version of SXGA, good for movie viewing or spreadsheets.

This is a guess though.


13) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?

No idea. So I probably don't mind.

Build Quality and Design

14) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?

Yes

15) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last?

2-3 years

Notebook Components

16) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 500GB?

Lets be honest, 80 GB would do the job, any more is a bonus.

17) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a CDRW/DVD-ROM, DVD Burner or Blu-Ray drive?

Yes, bluray is not neccessary but burnign CDRW and DVD would be usefull in future.