[50k] Hardcore programming laptop - SSD, high-res-screen, no gaming, linux usage

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Santa Maria!

Journeyman
I'm planning to recommend some laptops for purchase at the office so I need quick expert advice. Don't let me down, guys!


1) What is your budget? (INR or USD)
  • Let's try and keep it under 50k. But if you feel there it's worth it, you may suggest a pricier laptop.


2) What size & weight consideration (if any) would you prefer?
  • Standard 15.6 inch will do.
  • I would prefer if we can go with a higher resolution than the regular 1366x768. Full HD would be nice, but an intermediate resolution would also work, eg. 1600x900.


3) What are the primary tasks will you be performing with this notebook?
  • Programming. Full time. No gaming.
  • Will run linux. Fedora 14 and CentOS. No Windows!
  • Gonna work intensely with databases, web development etc. Which is why a SSD would be nice.
  • Browser(s) with 20+ tabs open always
  • Basically LOTS of running processes and multitasking.
  • Will be used for 15+ hours everyday.

4) Anything else you would like to say?
  • Since this is not meant to be a gaming laptop, it would be nice not to have to spend a lot of cash on a model just because it has an awesome graphics card.
  • How much of a difference will a SSD make? I'm assuming a lot, since development involves a lot of disk intensive processes. So I would really prefer a model with a SSD.
  • 8GB RAM would be nice
  • Reiterating the need for a higher resolution screen.
  • If a suggested model comes with Windows, is it possible to opt for the same model without Windows?


Looking forward to some helpful suggestions!
 
$hadow

$hadow

Geek in making
Acer Aspire M3-581TG-53314G52Makk Ultrabook (3rd Gen Ci5/ 4GB/ 500GB 20GB SSD/ Win7 HP/ 1GB Graph) (NX.RYKSI.006) - Acer: Flipkart.com
This is one option
.Lenovo Ideapad U410 (59-347981) Ultrabook (3rd Gen Ci5/ 4GB/ 500GB 24GB SSD/ Win8/ 1GB Graph) - Lenovo: Flipkart.com
This is second option.
 
OP
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Santa Maria!

Journeyman
Man, looking at online sites on my own is leading me to believe that a ready-made laptop with all my stated requirements is difficult to obtain.

Acer Aspire M3-581TG-53314G52Makk Ultrabook (3rd Gen Ci5/ 4GB/ 500GB 20GB SSD/ Win7 HP/ 1GB Graph) (NX.RYKSI.006) - Acer: Flipkart.com
This is one option
.Lenovo Ideapad U410 (59-347981) Ultrabook (3rd Gen Ci5/ 4GB/ 500GB 24GB SSD/ Win8/ 1GB Graph) - Lenovo: Flipkart.com
This is second option.
Click to expand...

How do your suggestions compare to this Samsung S04IN model?:
Samsung NP550P5C-S04IN Laptop (3rd Gen Ci5/ 6GB/ 1 TB/ Win8/ 2GB Graph) - Samsung: Flipkart.com

Is it possible to add a SSD to a laptop later?
Is it possible to ask for a laptop model without the Windows bundle if buying in bulk?

Any other suggestions?
 
$hadow

$hadow

Geek in making
The one you mentioned is good but battery can be a problem for you. Yes you can add ssd later. Well regarding the bulk AFAIK you should contact the distributor for a direct company based order.
 
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Akash Nandi

Journeyman
Asus K55VM-SX086D Laptop (3rd Gen Ci7/ 8GB/ 1TB/ DOS/ 2GB Graph) - Asus: Flipkart.com

how about this one?
it has a i7 3610, 8gb ram, No windows included and a cheap gpu all for less than 47K. It cuts out all the unnecessary costs and gives you what you really want.. which is a fast processor coupled with enough ram to make multitasking a breeze.

SSD is not an option in this cause it uses HM76 chipset.

this is definitely one of the best laptop i could find for your requirements!
 
OP
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Santa Maria!

Journeyman
$hadow said:
The one you mentioned is good but battery can be a problem for you. Yes you can add ssd later. Well regarding the bulk AFAIK you should contact the distributor for a direct company based order.
Click to expand...

Can a SSD be added to the Samsung model I mentioned? And what kind of battery problems do you mean? For our office usage, our laptops will be plugged in to a power supply 90% of the time.

Akash Nandi said:
Asus K55VM-SX086D Laptop (3rd Gen Ci7/ 8GB/ 1TB/ DOS/ 2GB Graph) - Asus: Flipkart.com

how about this one?
it has a i7 3610, 8gb ram, No windows included and a cheap gpu all for less than 47K. It cuts out all the unnecessary costs and gives you what you really want.. which is a fast processor coupled with enough ram to make multitasking a breeze.

SSD is not an option in this cause it uses HM76 chipset.

this is definitely one of the best laptop i could find for your requirements!
Click to expand...

That Asus model was also on my shortlist.
The no SSD support is a downer but I might be able to live with that, but a bigger downer is the regular 1366x768 resolution. Do dealers let you swap a screen for a higher res display?
 
$hadow

$hadow

Geek in making
So4in is a good model and since it is plugged in all the time than battery is a no problem. If you can increase your budget say by 6k you can get a dell 15r turbo with fhd screen and a back-lit keyboard. But under this price so4in is good and yes you can add ssd anytime.
 
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anaklusmos

Youngling
S04IN is good, but why waste that money on a Laptop with such a good graphics card. U can get the same config(except the screen) on many cheaper laptops, without the GPU
 
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Santa Maria!

Journeyman
anaklusmos said:
S04IN is good, but why waste that money on a Laptop with such a good graphics card. U can get the same config(except the screen) on many cheaper laptops, without the GPU
Click to expand...

I would be REALLY interested in a laptop with similar specs that will prevent burning cash on a high-end GPU.
What you said is exactly one of the points in my OP.
Do you have any suggestions for specific laptop models? I would still like a high-res screen, but I'm still willing to take a look at any models you mention with the same specs but low-res screens.
 
OP
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Santa Maria!

Journeyman
Guys, how would you rate this laptop? It's a Samsung S06In... the S04In mentioned before is apparently out of production.
Samsung NP550P5C-S06IN Laptop (3rd Gen Ci5/ 6GB/ 1TB/ Win8/ 2GB Graph) - Samsung: Flipkart.com
 
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anaklusmos

Youngling
Santa Maria! said:
Guys, how would you rate this laptop? It's a Samsung S06In... the S04In mentioned before is apparently out of production.
Samsung NP550P5C-S06IN Laptop (3rd Gen Ci5/ 6GB/ 1TB/ Win8/ 2GB Graph) - Samsung: Flipkart.com
Click to expand...

I just bought the S06IN a week ago, and I wouldnt suggest getting it for you, especially because I feel for some reason the HDD is slow, even for a 5400 RPM drive. Sure the read/write speeds are there, but the its just not snappy enough when you need it.
The only thing going for it is the screen reso, which I saw is important to you, because not many laptops have resolution above 768p in that price range.
 
OP
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Santa Maria!

Journeyman
anaklusmos said:
I just bought the S06IN a week ago, and I wouldnt suggest getting it for you, especially because I feel for some reason the HDD is slow, even for a 5400 RPM drive. Sure the read/write speeds are there, but the its just not snappy enough when you need it.
The only thing going for it is the screen reso, which I saw is important to you, because not many laptops have resolution above 768p in that price range.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your input. Can you elaborate on your comment about the HDD speed?
Does the system lag noticeably frequently? What kind of stuff do you run on it?
Any other issues you're facing with this model?
 
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anaklusmos

Youngling
It seems to me that the HDD spins down very fast, even when on AC power and High Performance. I checked the power settings, but the timers were the default values. So when I'm done watching a couple of TV series episodes and then I suddenly want to start gaming, it'll take a few secs (about 6-10 i guess) to start the HDD up and load my game library, with high initial load times (and im comparing this to my nearly 5 year old lenovo thinkpad)
This all is just my perception though, maybe im just nitpicking :D.
 
OP
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Santa Maria!

Journeyman
I've finalized it to two final options:
Dell Inspiron 15R SE N7520SE
and
Samsung NP550P5C-S05IN

Which one is better specs wise? (Besides the fact that the former has a full HD screen)
 
OP
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Santa Maria!

Journeyman
Bah! Had to buy the S06IN. I was led to believe the above two models were available, but the store guy now says they're not.
 
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Santa Maria!

Journeyman
We got it at 53.5k. 500 more than Flipkart. But we got a bag free and some other goodies - which FK is not giving. I'll go see on Monday.
Plus it's from a dealer that our office usually deals with, so they sort of handle all our support as well.
 
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