HP Pavilion dv6t-7000 Select Ed. Entertainment Notebook with 2nd generation IntelCore i5-2450M compare (2.5 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 3.1 GHz, 8GB DDR3 System RAM - 2 Dimm, FREE Upgrade to 750GB 5400RPM Hard Drive 64-bit,)

For those looking for something more than a feature-light ultrabook, the gamer-friendly Lenovo IdeaPad Y500 is close to brilliant, and several configurations are currently available at a deep discount -- but I can't believe it doesn't have a touch screen.

If you need maximum screen size at a minimum price, the basic 17-inch Dell Inspiron 17R is powerful enough for everyday tasks, but the lower screen resolution is a constant reminder of its budget origins.

While it's not going to dazzle anyone, the Toshiba Satellite U845T is a great example of exactly how much laptop $799 should buy in 2013.

The HP Pavilion dv6t is a solid improvement on HP's previous 15-inch mainstream consumer laptop with numerous tweaks, bells, and whistles, but the wide variety of options means you'll get wildly different systems based on what you can afford.