DL Awards 2015 Nominees: Best Laptops
PUBLISHED ONDecember 19, 2014 11:15 PM
Best Gaming Laptop
Aftershock S-17
You will not know from its relatively slim and lightweight body, but this gaming laptop is equipped with Nvidia's top GTX 980M mobile graphics chip - made possible with the presence of three internal cooling fans that keep this powerful chip cool.
But the best thing about the S-17 is that buyers have the freedom to create their own dream laptop. Besides giving buyers the ability to choose the hardware that goes into the laptop, Aftershock also offers custom paint jobs for the chassis.
Asus ROG G751
Asus' flagship gaming laptop gets updated with the latest high-end mobile graphics chips from Nvidia. Like the previous version, it has an angular design with cooling vents at the rear. It has plenty of ports, including an uncommon Thunderbolt port.
New features include a redesigned hinge that looks more sturdy and short-cut keys on the backlit keyboard that launch Asus ROG and Steam apps.
HP Omen
HP's first gaming laptop is a visually stunning effort. Tapered edges make this already slender laptop look even thinner, though this means that except for the SD card slot, the ports are shunted to the rear of the laptop. The laptop's black aluminium lid is filled with tiny triangular indentations. This design is repeated at the base of the machine.
In terms of specifications, the Omen is not as powerful as some of its rivals. It has a mid-range Nvidia graphics chip, though it should be good enough to run most games at full high-definition resolution.
MSI GT72 Dominator Pro
Sporting a new design that seems to be inspired by automobiles, the MSI Dominator Pro is your typical heavyweight gaming laptop. It weighs close to 4kg, but it includes a high-end Nvidia GeForce GTX 980M chip.
With the ample body, MSI is able to fit four solid-state drives configured in Raid 0. There is even a secondary hard drive for additional storage. A SteelSeries-branded keyboard provides good key travel and dazzling keyboard light options.
Razer Blade (2014)
The latest Razer Blade banishes the main downer of the previous model, which is the latter's mediocre 1,600 x 900-pixel screen resolution. The screen on the 2014 edition now has an ultra-sharp 3,200 x 1,800-pixel resolution. It is also a touchscreen.
Best Hybrid Laptop
Acer Switch 10
The Acer Switch 10 appears to take design cues from Lenovo's Yoga series. One big difference, though, is that it achieves multiple usage modes - including laptop, tablet, display and tent modes - with magnets instead of a hinge. Powerful magnets keep the tablet portion securely attached to the keyboard dock.
As a tablet, the Switch 10 is fairly lightweight at 540g.
Asus Transformer Book Flip
This laptop can transform into a tablet and is available in models with screen sizes from 13 to 15.6 inches. But it is probably too heavy as a handy tablet because even its lightest model weighs 1.8kg.
An aluminium chassis gives it sturdiness and a premium feel.
Dell Inspiron 11 3000 Series 2-in-1
This machine looks like it would cost over $1,000. It looks good and can switch between laptop and tablet forms. It comes with an 11-inch screen that has excellent viewing angles.
Yet, it costs only $699. This is possible because it uses entry-level components such as an Intel Pentium processor, as well as a normal hard drive instead of flash-based storage.
HP Pavilion x360
This 11-inch hybrid looks like it has been encased in a protective plastic cover, similar to those tough covers for mobile phones.
But it is not built specifically for rugged use, as its rubber-like plastic finish is actually part of the design.
Like many other hybrid laptops, the x360 switches between laptop and tablet modes via a flexible hinge that can rotate 360 degrees. Its hardware specs and price tag ($799) are entry level, but its attractive design warrants a closer look.
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
For its latest Yoga hybrid computer, Lenovo has added a touch of luxury befitting its premium positioning. This device has a unique metallic hinge that seems to take a leaf out of watch strap designs. This hinge also helps to reduce the thickness of the Yoga to just 13mm, which is thinner than a typical ultrabook.
It is powered by Intel's new Core M chip, which is built for such thin and light devices. Other high-end features include a high-resolution 3,200 x 1,800-pixel screen and a fast solid-state drive.
Best Business Laptop
Acer TravelMate P645
Acer's TravelMate P645 should strike the right chords with business users. It has a lightweight chassis made from carbon fibre and magnesium alloy. Battery life is solid at over seven hours.
AsusPro Essential PU301LA
Stay connected all the time with this Asus business notebook, which has a built-in LTE modem. All you need is a 3G or 4G SIM card with a data plan. With a battery life tested at around seven hours, this laptop will likely see through an entire work day.
Dell Latitude 14 5000 Series
This mid-range business laptop packs a number of security features. They include a fingerprint reader and a Trusted Platform Module chip to store user credentials securely.
HP EliteBook Folio 1040 G1
This high-end business notebook marries power and slimness. It has an aluminium chassis as svelte as the ones on ultrabooks. It is also light for a 14-inch model, at just 1.55kg. Compared to the 1,366 x 768-pixel screen resolution typically found on business laptops, the HP has a 1,920 x 1,080-pixel matte screen.
Lenovo X1 Carbon (2014)
Said to be the lightest 14-inch ultrabook in the market, this laptop has a carbon-fibre chassis that is tested to meet military specifications. Other high-end features include a 2,560 x 1,440-pixel touchscreen, 512GB solid-state drive and the latest Intel Core i7 processor
Best Mainstream Laptop
Acer Aspire R14
The hybrid design of the Aspire R14 is not novel. Like its rivals, it uses a similar flexible hinge that lets the device switch between usage modes such as tent, stand and tablet.
What this Acer laptop has in its favour is its affordable $1,298 price tag. This gets you a 14-inch machine with a dedicated Nvidia graphics chip and an Intel Core i7 chip. While the 1,366 x 768-pixel display is standard fare, it is less reflective and clearer than some of its competitors, as there is no air gap between the touchscreen and the LCD.
Asus VivoBook K451LN
Being decked out in aluminium and having a svelte design give this mainstream laptop an ultrabook vibe. Despite the slim chassis, Asus still manages to squeeze in an optical drive, a feature that is increasingly omitted even on workhorse laptops such as this.
Apps, such as games, run fine on this laptop's modest 1,366 x 768-pixel screen, thanks to its Intel Core i7 processor and Nvidia graphics chip.
Dell Inspiron 14 5000 Series
At $899, this Dell is the most affordable laptop here, so it can be forgiven for using an Intel Core i5 chip instead of the faster i7 model found in others. It has a competent display, which has a resolution that is on a par with others in this group.
Plus points are its clean and handsome design, and in particular, its seven-hour battery life which is pretty good for a 14-inch laptop.
HP Envy 15 (2014)
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While the latest Envy 15 is largely similar to previous models, it has a few new tricks that make a difference.
Chief among them is its unusually wide touchpad, which has two vertical strips to help users execute Windows 8 edge-swipe gestures more easily.
The optical drive is back, after being omitted in previous versions. As expected of a 15-inch laptop, the Envy has a 1,920 x 1,080-pixel screen.
Lenovo Flex 2 (14-inch)
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The other hybrid mainstream laptop in contention, the Lenovo Flex 2 is a more affordable version of the company's Yoga hybrids. It has only two modes - laptop and stand - instead of four.
But the resolution of its 14-inch screen has been bumped up to 1,920 x 1,080 pixels, from the previous 1,366 x 768 pixels.
It is now also an IPS display with wide viewing angles. Other improvements include a doubling of the RAM from 4GB to 8GB and a Wi-Fi adaptor that uses the latest 802.11ac technology.
All reports by Oo Gin Lee, Sherwin Loh, Trevor Tan, Vincent Chang, Ebel Tang and Joshua Chen. For a chance to win and to vote, go to www.straitstimes.com/2015DigitalLifeAwards
This article was first published on Dec 17, 2014.
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