r830 or Tecra r840

Ok, I am considering getting a fully decked laptop from Toshiba and am torn between the r830 or the Tecra r840. I will be using this primarily for law school and will be carrying with me just about everyday, so battery life is really important to me. I will watching shows and movies on the computer and probably sending it straight to my HDTV (via WiDi), a good screen is also important to me. I might do some light gaming, but I will admit that I have never been a "gamer" and probably will not become one. So that being said, the only difference I see between the 2 computers is the Tecra has the dedicated GPU instead of the intel 3000. It also seems that the tecra has a fiberglass/ carbon fiber reinforcement that the r830 doesn't have. I have played with the r835 at best buy and LOVE the design and feel. For an i7 model on both laptops, I will be paying $1518 for the r830 and $1583 for the tecra. I will be upgrading the RAM on my own.

Is this the best I can expect to get at this price? Should I be looking at other brands? Any help will be amazing. Thanks!

 

Which GPU in the R840? The one I found here has the AMD 6450 which notebookcheck doesn't put very far above the Intel HD 3000 which offers a major jump in improvement compated to the previous integrated graphics.

The larger chassis of the R840 should provide space for a bigger fan and improved cooling system with less likelihood of performance being throttled by cooling constraints. However, it remains to be seen whether that can handle the extra heat from a dedicated GPU.

The main reason that I look for a 14" rather than a 13" machine is for the extra display space if you get a HD+ (1600 x 900) panel. Only a few manufacturers offer this option. I'm now using the Lenovo T420s which provides the best match to my needs. It may be worth a look. The matte screen is more usuable under all lightling conditions than a glossy one but results in less vivid colours.

John