CNET Review: Razer Blade (Core i7 2640M Processor 2.8GHz, 8GB RAM)
Upside: At just 3kg, it is by far the lightest 17-inch gaming laptop we have seen. In contrast, the 14-inch Alienware M14x has a starting weight of 2.92kg. Not only is the Razer Blade handy for a gaming laptop, it is extremely slim.
Downside: For a gaming laptop, the actual hardware on the Razer Blade feels rather underpowered. For instance, it comes with a dual-core Core i7 processor instead of a quad-core version.
Outlook: From what we can tell, the price of the Razer Blade is high even for a gaming notebook. Speaking from a gaming hardware perspective, competitors such as Alienware and Asus, not to mention smaller boutique firms like Sager, offer consumers better bang for their buck and greater customization.
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CNET Review: HP Folio 13 (Core i5 2467M Processor 1.6GHz, 4GB RAM)
The good: Long battery life; Ethernet port; backlit keyboard; good build quality.
The bad: Heavier and chunkier than other Ultrabooks; plain appearance.
The bottom line: The HP Folio 13 is a solid compact Ultrabook that may appeal more to business users given its sedate appearance.
Review: We thought we were done with Ultrabooks for the year after Toshiba launched its Portege Z830, but we were wrong. Despite the internal turmoil at HP, the company managed to join the Ultrabook race with the Folio 13. In fact, if you were hoping to get one as a holiday gift, you could have pre-ordered and received it by now, at least here in Singapore.
CNET Review: Acer Aspire S3
The bottom line: With its hybrid drive, you pay less and get more storage capacity on the Aspire S3 than the typical Ultrabook. Performance and battery life, however, are not as good.
Review: For its first Ultrabook, Acer has a ready template to follow in the form of the Apple MacBook Air. Although the resulting Acer Aspire S3 isn't as slavish a follower of the Apple design aesthetics as the Asus Zenbook, there are definitely similarities.
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CNET Review: Sony Vaio YB Series VPC-YB35KX/B - Fusion E-450 1.65GHz - 11.6-inch TFT
The more affordable and better-performing Sony Vaio YB35KX/B is a modest improvement on the last YB model we reviewed, adding up to a full-featured but cramped 11-inch laptop that'll cost a lot less than an ultrabook.
The good: The Sony Vaio YB35KX/B has a lot of hard-drive space, solid performance from an AMD E-450 processor, and long battery life; this 11-incher has the portability of a Netbook, and it's reasonably affordable.
The bad: The cramped keyboard and touch pad make this Vaio feel more like a Netbook from 2010 than an ultrabook from 2011, and it lacks USB 3.0.
The bottom line: The more affordable and better-performing Sony Vaio YB35KX/B is a modest improvement on the last YB model we reviewed, adding up to a full-featured but cramed 11-inch laptop that'll cost a lot less than an ultrabook.
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CNET Review: Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, Summer 2011)
The latest version of the 13-inch MacBook Air vastly outperforms its predecessor, and can finally be called suitable for mainstream use, instead of relegated as a niche product.
The good: The 13-inch MacBook Air has been updated with the latest Intel CPUs for better performance and battery life. Backlit keyboards make a welcome return.
The bad: The 128GB SSD drive is a lot smaller than a standard hard drive.
The bottom line: The latest version of the 13-inch MacBook Air vastly outperforms its predecessor, and can finally be called suitable for mainstream use, instead of relegated as a niche product.
CNET Review: Apple MacBook Pro Fall 2011 (2.2GHz Core i7, 15-inch)
MacBook Pro is a significant investment, especially when adding in optional upgrades. Cost aside, there's not a better choice (there are, however, some close ties) for an all-around powerhouse that will work in the home, the office, and in between.
The good: Incremental updates to the CPU help keep the MacBook Pro line a step above the now-mainstream MacBook Air. The trackpad and gesture controls are still the best of any current laptop.
The bad: Unless you need an optical drive, the MacBook Air may be a better fit for most, and the Pro still lacks things we'd like to see, such as HDMI, Blu-ray, and USB 3.0.
The bottom line: A MacBook Pro is a significant investment, especially when adding in optional upgrades. Cost aside, there's not a better choice (there are, however, some close ties) for an all-around powerhouse that will work in the home, the office, and in between.
CNET Review: Toshiba Portege R835-P70
The good: With a new Intel Core i5 CPU, sharp design, and nearly all-day battery life, the Toshiba Portege R835 is a smartly priced alternative to the 13-inch MacBook Pro.
The bad: Intel's integrated graphics are better than they used to be, but still not gamer-friendly, and features such as Bluetooth and mobile broadband are missing from some configs. There's no Blu-ray option (only DVD), and the speakers are somewhat anemic.
The bottom line: Excellent battery life, a light weight, and great pricing make the Toshiba Portege R835 hard to beat, even in the highly competitive 13-inch laptop category.
CNET Review: Asus N45SF
The good: Excellent audio performance; good graphics for its price; quick resume from sleep.
The bottom line: If you don't mind its bulky appearance, the Asus N45SF provides one of the best audio experiences on a laptop to date.
Review: Audio is an oft-neglected feature on laptops. Many mainstream laptops come with tinny speakers that get distorted at higher volumes, and you can forget about finding a subwoofer. To be fair, it's not always possible to integrate a decent-sized subwoofer given the trend toward slimmer laptops. This explains why Asus decided that its latest N Series laptop, the N45SF, needed an external subwoofer to do the audio justice.
CNET Review: Asus G74SX-A2
The bottom line: Asus has built a very nice sideline over the years with its gaming laptops, including the G74SX, which is a strong, if expensive, quad-core rig that works fine, but looks like it should cost less.
Review: After a season of wafer-thin ultrabooks and pocket-sized ultraportables, there's nothing quite like a giant desktop-replacement gaming rig. Despite making a name for itself with the original Eee PC Netbook and the new Zenbook, Asus has always had a solid line of gaming laptops (sometimes marketed under the "Republic of Gamers" subbrand), the latest of which is the G74SX-A2.
CNET Review: Dell XPS 14z
The Dell XPS 14z is a nicely designed, well-built 14-inch laptop, but the XPS "z" design works better on the 15-inch version, leaving this model feeling chunky.
The good: The high-end Dell XPS 14z is an attractive, powerful 14-inch laptop built into a 13-inch body, with plenty of configuration options, including decent graphics.
The bad: Even with the approximate footprint of a 13-inch laptop, this still feels thick and heavy, especially compared with the new generation of Ultrabooks.
The bottom line: The Dell XPS 14z is a nicely designed, well-built 14-inch laptop, but the XPS "z" design works better on the 15-inch version, leaving this model feeling chunky.
CNET Review: Dell Inspiron 14z
The good: A clean, slim design, a backlit keyboard, very good battery life, strong performance, and an affordable price make the Dell Inspiron 14z more useful than most thinned-down laptops.
The bad: Limited upgrade options and no dedicated graphics might turn off some who need more flexibility, and flip-down port doors are a minor annoyance.
The bottom line: The Dell Inspiron 14z thins down the bulky look of the average Inspiron laptop while sacrificing none of the performance or battery life, adding up to an affordable mainstream notebook that's an excellent late consideration for back-to-school shopping.
CNET Review: HP Pavilion dv7-6B55DX
If you're looking for a lot of screen real estate and enough power for work and play, the HP Pavilion dv7-6b55dx is a good place to start.
The good: The HP Pavilion dv7-6b55dx is a nice-looking big-screen laptop with long battery life and very good performance for the money.
The bad: The dv7's screen is low-resolution for its size and its integrated graphics drag down the performance some.
The bottom line: If you're looking for a lot of screen real estate and enough power for work and play, the HP Pavilion dv7-6b55dx is a good place to start.
The good: A solid upgrade to one of our favorite laptops, the new HP Pavilion dm1z adds Beats Audio, a better touch pad, and an updated AMD processor.
The bad: Benchmark scores and battery life are about the same as those of the previous dm1z, and a promised Intel Core i3 version is still MIA.
The bottom line: There have been plenty of 11-inch AMD-powered ultraportables this year, but HP's Pavilion dm1z was the first, and this updated version puts it back in the lead in this crowded category.
CNET Review: Samsung Series 7 Gamer
The bottom line: Samsung's first attempt at a high-end gaming laptop strikes all the right notes, though the best part is its attractive price.
Review: Samsung has a wide range of products, from consumer electronics such as HDTVs and mobile phones to IT gadgets like printers and notebooks. So it's quite surprising to learn that the company hasn't actually produced a laptop that's targeted specifically at gamers. Until now, that is.
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CNET Preview: Samsung RF411
The discrete graphics isn't too shabby either. The default configuration features Nvidia's GeForce GT 525M chip, with an option to upgrade it to a GT 540M. It also comes with a hefty 2GB of video memory. Nvidia's Optimus graphics-switching technology is supported. Depending on the application, the laptop will automatically switch between the integrated and Nvidia graphics. For instance, integrated graphics is more than sufficient for video playback. This feature helps to conserve power, leading to a longer uptime.
The Samsung RF411 has a display resolution of 1,366 x 768 pixels, which is typical for its segment. We would have preferred a screen with a higher resolution, but the notebook makes up for it with a brighter-than-average display rated at up to 300 nits.
Samsung is quite generous with the USB ports. There are four on this laptop, including two USB 3.0 ports. With the right peripheral, you'll be able to take advantage of the higher transfer rates using the newer interface. There are also HDMI and VGA outputs, along with an SD card slot.