W3J or W7J?? I still can't decide!!

Thanks for all the helps in advance...
I am really thinking hard on which one to get.. W3J or W7J...?
I hope people here can give me some insights..
I don't really care about the webcam since it can't rotate..

1. Which screen is better?
2. Which one runs less warm??
3. Which one has a more sturdy build?
4. I know all the notebook has average sound quality..but which one is better?? as in louder??

any other comment is welcome!

 

Anyone? please help!!

 

Well.. the screens are both good, I don't think either is better than the other.

The W7J will probably run slightly cooler just because of the lower class graphics card.... then again maybe it might just balance out since it's in a smaller form factor than the W3J

Both are high end Ensemble units, I presume made from the same materials and same build quality, so they should be equals in terms of being sturdy and well built.

Just depends what you're going to be using it for etc ... if you want higher end graphics card and the extra modular bay for battery,HD or travel tray then go W3J ... or you want the lighter W7J with less powerful graphics... but more portability and same screen area in smaller form factor...

Don't think you can go wrong either way...

 

why would someone solder 512MB on to the main board for W7J #)@#$

 

I'm pretty sure it's an idiosyncrasy of the manufacturing process with the smaller-screened models. It shouldn't really be a big deal unless you're absolutely MAXING out 1.5 gigs of RAM.

 

I was hoping to go to 2GB RAM on it. I am sure on Sony 13.3 you will be able to do that

 

You're right, the Sony SZ will take 2GB RAM.

May I ask what sort of work you're looking to do on your notebook? There's not a whole lot of tasks on a semi-ultraportable machine that would really truly take advantage of the extra 512MB.

Not that I disagree with you, I think it would have been great if ASUS didn't solder in that chip. But they did, and the W7J is still a fantastic machine, so...

 

It may have to do with the small formfactor you get with the W7; the space that a second memory slot (and the MB hardware that goes with it) would have taken up inside that thin little chassis probably couldn't be spared, and it's easier (and more space-effective) to simply add the mem chips to the mainboard. The W5 is also supposed to have this idiosyncrasy.

 

Clearskies- Yes, the W5 has this, as well as the upcoming z35f, which is the rough Built-On equivalent of the W7.

Somehow, in the SZ and the Macbook (both of which Asus also manufactures), they managed to have two accessible, non-soldered memory slots. So it can't be for ALL 13.3" form factors, but for consideration of some aspect in the design/manufacturing process of the Asus models.

Again, this REALLY shouldn't be a big deal for most users. If you're making maxed-out full usage of 1.5GB RAM on a small-screened notebook, then sure, you have a right to be mildly disappointed. Otherwise, maybe consider a 14" option like the W3J.

 

I thought that they made a perfect laptop (for my requirements) and then that 1.5GB limit drove me nuts. I run a few Java apps which are very memory intensive and I like the built in webcam during my travel. I have seen the A8JM but I think the W series are something else.

 

Well, you could always put a 2GB stick of RAM in there later, once they become more affordable.

 

For the higher end graphics, is it just useful for gaming?? How about photo-editing or music editing stuff, does it matter??
Thank you!

 

More powerful gpu does zilch for music editing . For photo-edits, there's a limit to how much you can realistically do on a 13.3" screen; I wouldn't use that as my primary platform, and gpu also plays little role in strict photo use. Video rendering and some higher end applications, that's another story, but both the gpus in the W7 and W3 would be adequate for the majority of users (i.e. non-graphics professionals or pro-am's).

 

I agree with ClearSkies. If you are doing 3D modeling maybe the W3 would be better. If not the W7 would be just fine. lol, I know its been said, but either machine are both good. It depends on you, and solely on you. If you want portability with mild/ good performance compared to the W3, then W7 is the way to go. If you don't mind the extra weight and prefer slighly better performance and extra features (with may or may not be useful depending on you), W3 is the way to go. Weight vs Performance. Seems simple, but may be harder than it is.