HP Envy 15 3040NR vs Envy 15 3200 (need opinions)

Okay so quickly I just wanna lay out my dilemma and the opinions I need. I am going to return the macbook pro with retina, because not only does the UI lag because the hardware cannot keep up, but I know I can get a similarly specced machine for a much lower price.

I bought a Samsung Series 7, but I am thinking that I will not be able to tolerate the display.... it is pretty bad. So here is the deal

Frys Electronics has the Envy 15 with the 2nd gen processor in stock at a local store. This is the model with the i7 2670QM, Full HD Radiance 1920 x 1080 diplay, 8GB RAM, 750GB 7200RPM hard drive, and the AMD Radeon 7690M with 1GB DDR5 RAM. This model is at Frys for 1299.99

Now to get similar specs with the never model, I am looking at $1404 but this is including the i7 3610QM.

Hers the thing though. I am going to be using this laptop for gaming (LoL, Diablo 3, etc) and basically school work. Im feeling like the i7 is not really needed. .

Should I even consider the i7? Should I go with the i5 and bring the price down to 1299 from the website? Or should I sacrifice the graphics card a little bit, and take the 2nd gen i7 processor and buy it in store.

Im feeling like the right way to go is to do the i5 on the newer processor and model. But im not sure, and I hate the idea of having to wait for the laptop to come :/ haha. help is appreciated!


Also, are there any other laptops that are decently nice like this one that has similar specs for cheaper? it seems like this is the best one considering it has the full HD display

A couple other things..... How is HPs accidental warranty? Should I do that? Or just go with a third party warranty? And should I upgrade the RAM myself later when I get the laptop? Thanks guys

 

I'd go for the $100 i7 upgrade it's roughly 40-50% faster than the i5 chip and with the coupons you can get it for less that $1204 when you use the coupon code; NBHT9534

can't help with the accidental warranty question, on the memory upgrade as long as it can be done without voiding the warranty it will be much cheaper to do it yourself.

 

Any one have any experience with the HP extended warranty?

Also, how easy is it to change the RAM on this thing?

 

Hey, I am probably gonna buy the old version since I can't buy the new one online since I am not from the US, however in your case I would definitely suggest getting the new 3200 instead online, since the old model does have a problem displaying reds properly. Even if you can't afford the new 3610QM, the ivy bridge processor is faster than the the sandy bridge- plus, have an i5 would mean that battery life would be a bit longer! The shipping time from ordering online is now a lot faster after the initial surge of orders has stabilised, so you won't have to wait that long now.
And like Aaron said already, there are coupons on (current one is $450 off) so the price is definitely reduced and you can even get the ivy i7 if you want.

Feel free to rep

 

How much more battery life would the ivy i7 get me?

 

Honestly, I don't think the battery life would be too much of a difference.. The main difference that I think I would see between the i5 and i7 versions is simply the heat... But, if you're going to buy a high end laptop. Get the i7. While the i5 would work fine, it's a $100 upgrade that will save you in the long run. The Ram on the laptop (or at least my 17 inch) was really easy to replace.. If you can hold off from buying the upgraded ram through hp and just get it from newegg instead that'll save you a lot of money. But, I would hold your money and wait for another 33% off coupon to show up (or something comparable), unless you need the laptop basically right now. A little bit of patience will go a long ways when buying a laptop. And like previous commenters said, get the 3200 model because of the color problems with the screen on the 3000 series..

 

If gaming is a priority and you're trying to lower the price, get an 3200 with an i5. The i7 won't help gaming much, if at all. The only reason to get the i7 is if you run multi-threaded applications often.

 

Plus, the 33% off coupon has popped up now, so if you've decided, now is the best time to buy