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I am in the market for a new laptop and recently stumbled on the HP Envy 14.5" with model number 14-2166se. Since this was on the Best Buy website I assumed that it was purchasable, though I saw it was not available online. After a phone call I was assured I can buy it in store and that it would come in. I now know this is completely false. This laptop is about 7 months old, in terms of release. It originally came out in either June or July of last year. I cannot find it anywhere.

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Enough backstory. I am looking for a comparable laptop to the one mentioned. I have already visited the HP website to no avail. I built a similar computer using the dv6 model, but the end cost was about $100 steeper, with a small difference in CPU.

The stats for the 14-2166se are as follows:

Price: $687.98

CPU: i5-2430M (3.0GHz/2.4GHz) a 2nd Gen with a 3MB L3 Cache, Turbo Boost, Dual-Core

GPU: AMD Radeon HD 6630S switchable graphics w/ 1GB dedicated and up to 5093MB total

Battery: 8-Cell Lithium Ion

Display: HD LED-backlit with BrightView Infinity technology (1366 x 768)

RAM: 8GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM (2 DIMM), Expandable to 16GB

HDD: 750GB SATA (7200RPM) hard drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection

Optical Drive: DVD±RW/CD-RW (No disc labeling)

Network: 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN (RJ-45 connector)

Wireless: 802.11a/g/n WLAN w/ Bluetooth

Sound: Beats Audio

Ports: 1 USB 3.0; 2 USB 2.0; 1 mini-Display; 1 HDMI

Trackpad: HP ImagePad with On/Off

OS: Windows 7 Home Premium x64-bit

Other Features: Backlit Keyboard, HD Webcam, CoolSense Technology

Most of the key futures are the usual. What I liked from it was the processor, graphics card, RAM, HDD, OS, size, backlit keyboard, and the CoolSense, all for just under $700. It will be a general school use laptop with some light to medium gaming. While they may not be top of the line, both the processor and graphics cards are pretty good, along with the amount of RAM and the HDD. The backlit keyboard is a savior and a must, due to late night papers and twilight gaming. The screen size is just right, as I've had a 15.6" and found it too cumbersome (weight is not an issue). As for the OS, I would really, really prefer Windows 7, rather than Windows 8. I do not want a touch screen and completely disagree with the interface, along with other problems. The reviews for the system were great and everything, including price and heat issues, was just right.

I have looked at two similar laptops.

Toshiba 14" Satellite Model: P845t-S4310

Asus 14" Model: Q400A-BHI7N03

However, the Toshiba is a touch-screen, with lower clock speeds, 6GB RAM, slower HDD, Windows 8, and integrated graphics card. All at $750.

The Asus compares well with a 3rd Gen i7-3632QM, a quad-core with 6MB L3 Cache, at 2.2GHz, 8GB RAM, cooling, and a backlit keyboard. But it also carries a slower HDD (5400 RPM), an integrated graphics card, and Windows 8. All at $699.99.

I did not mean for this to be so long, nor do I simply want others to research for me. I am looking for options that I might have missed (from smaller brands or something), that compare to the HP Envy. While it would be great to find a place that sells it, I know this is unlikely. Just looking for computers that are honestly comparable for school and light to medium gaming. Price cap is pretty solid, but there is a little give. Any suggestions?

ha14
2013-01-23 10:10:30
Acer Aspire 4755-2434G64MN screen 14.0Samsung 300E5A Acer Aspire 7750G-2434G1TMN screen 17.3"Asus N55SF-S302 screen 15.6"Asus U40SD screen 14.1Asus U46SV-DH51 screen 14.0HP Pavilion dm4-2100sl screen 14.0"HP Envy 14-2160se screen 14.5Sony Vaio VPC-SE16FX/S screen 15.5"
Silhoutte james
2013-01-23 07:33:20
Dell Inspiron http://supportfordell.iyogi.com/vostro
Junil Maharjan
2013-01-23 04:03:36
Dell Yoga