F50SF-A1 vs N51VN-A1

So I can't decide between the two. Budget is more or less an issue. I'll mostly be using it for work.

Specs as follow:

F50SF-A1
P8700 2.53GHz, 3MB, 1066FSB
16" HD 1366x768 16:9 Color-Shine (Glare-type)
4GB
GT 220M 1GB
320GB, 7200rpm
Price: 1,225$

N51VN-A1
T9600 2.8GHz, 6MB, 1066FSB
15.6"
4GB
GT 240M 1GB
320GB, 7,200rpm
Price: 1,550$

So, is 300$ more worth it in my case? Is the N51 worth getting just to be more future proof?

Thanks for all your replies!

 

The N51Vn-A1 is better than the F50Sf-A1 in almost every possible way from specs to build quality. If you can afford the extra $300, go with the N51.
You may be able to squeeze a little more battery life with the F50 due to the P8700's lower TDP, so you may want to take that into consideration. On a side note, for most office applications, the specs for the F50Sf-A1 is more than sufficient.

 

Battery life isn't that much important for me because I will rarely moving it from my house. Even then I would be able to plug it.

You say that the F50 is enough for office applications, so would you say that the N51 advantage is mostly in games?

Also, what do you mean by build quality?

 

Unless you'll be running CPU and/or GPU intensive programs such as photoshop or CAD software at work, there probably won't be any significant difference in speed among the two notebooks that you'll notice. The N51 will perform better in games, so if that is something you're interested in, then the N51 would better suit you.

What I mean by build quality is how the chassis in the F50 is less sturdy than the N51. If I recall correctly, the F50 has a much larger screen wobble than the N51 as well.

 

Chassis is not bad on the f50, i'm more than happy with it for daily business stuff and office programs and surfing and the occasional gaming.
not sure on the SF model but on mine (previous model f50SV-a1) my only complaints is that though it shipped with 800mhz ram the chipset only supports up to 667 and the placement of the battery sucks, its in the front where HDD are usually placed not from the back as most lappies.

 

Well, the F50sf is on sale now for around $900 - I actually found one new for much less, but was a one off thing. Still $800-900 is a good price (there's a $100 rebate offer at NewEgg and other resellers) for these specs. Mine's on order and should be here in a couple weeks or sooner. Hard to find reviews or user feedback, but what I found was mostly very positive.

Most said build quality was good. Biggest complaint was the "bar" on the touchpad - a common complaint on many models. I can live with that. Could not find anything on the Asus site to speak of -- man, they have the worst designed site I have ever seen. This model does not exist anymore apparently, only the former SV model is listed. Some support notes and files, but no product info anywhere.

Comes with 32-bit Vista Home Premium, should be 64-bit, but even if I have to buy Win 7 64 it will still be a deal. I think the 32 bit Win 7 upgrade will be free. I may be able to live with that.

Some people nit-picked the display, others said it was awesome, so I have my fingers crossed on that score. Really wanted a 240M or an ATI 4650, but for the price I paid, I think I can be happy.