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Chockeh wrote on 2011-08-27 20:22
So someone wants to buy me a laptop for college and I know they're kind of stingy with money xD... That person suggested this
laptop. Is this laptop good? If not, can I upgrade it? I'm looking for something that'll be good for school (and gaming ;D since I'm always on the go). Hopefully it'll be able to run games like Dragon Nest. I'll probably have to change the graphics card one day though...
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Claudia wrote on 2011-08-27 20:28
Ooh, I think that's a good deal for the price. ~.~
4GB RAM is good, but from what I can tell you have no room to add more, which should be okay.
Pretty good graphics card, nice i5 processor.
I would say this is a good one to get, but i'll let some of the techno wizards give you an opinion as well.
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Chockeh wrote on 2011-08-27 22:05
Yeah, the thing that interested me most was the i5 processor xD.
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abc33kr wrote on 2011-08-27 22:50
Quote from Chockeh;568174:
Yeah, the thing that interested me most was the i5 processor xD.
i thought the i7 processor was already out.
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Chockeh wrote on 2011-08-28 00:09
Quote from abc33kr;568200:
i thought the i7 processor was already out.
Sounds expensive D:!
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Yoorah wrote on 2011-08-28 01:53
lol, i5 and i7 are from the same line. One is just a more beefed up version of the other.
Anyway, as for the laptop... it's not bad, but it's not great, either. ;( It uses Intel's first gen (old) Core CPU. 2nd gen is out now, which is a considerable improvement. Intel's new HD 3000 GPU beats the GeForce 310M by around 25%.
All told, Intel’s HD Graphics 3000 checks in an average of 6% faster than HD 5470, 8% faster than GeForce 320M, 25% faster than G 310M, and a whopping 130% faster than both the previous generation HD Graphics and AMD’s HD 4250 (which are essentially tied in overall performance across the selected titles).
http://www.anandtech.com/show/4084/intels-sandy-bridge-upheaval-in-the-mobile-landscape/5
So unless you're talking about more expensive GPU chips, don't discard Intel's latest model for NVIDIA, as it's quite good for the price.
I suggest you look for a laptop based on Intel's Second Generation Core CPUs, as it'll include HD 3000 graphics. Also keep in mind that at these price points, you can't really get a "gaming" laptop.
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Chockeh wrote on 2011-08-28 01:56
Thanks for the info.
I guess I should try browsing newegg a bit... I'll probably get this laptop though since I don't have much of a choice.
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BobYoMeowMeow wrote on 2011-08-28 01:56
it can run dragon nest but on low.
you need like a $1.2k laptop to run games on mediumish-low
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Yoorah wrote on 2011-08-28 02:23
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BobYoMeowMeow wrote on 2011-08-28 02:50
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Chockeh wrote on 2011-08-28 03:31
Quote from Yoorah;568463:
Browsed bestbuy a bit and this seems like a better choice: http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product/lenovo-lenovo-ideapad-15-6-laptop-featuring-intel-i5-2410m-10244du-grey-10244du/10176224.aspx?path=e185847cede277bc4938a46a5eb36806en02
But I hate consumer-grade laptops. Many of them are built as throw-away junk. Dx
Thanks! Looking at the specs, the samsung looks better to me, I'm to tech wiz though. Mind explaining what are the advantages of the ideapad over the samsung? Also, I don't think I'm limited to BestBuy. I may be able to order from Newegg, but BestBuy might be the only store I can buy from (or Future Shop).
@Cat: Eff it, 1.4k :[.
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Yoorah wrote on 2011-08-28 05:59
The main advantage of the IdeaPad is that it's based on a 2nd gen Intel Core i CPU, so the laptop uses the CPU's built in graphics processor, the HD 3000, which provides superior gaming performance compared to the old GeForce 310M. That's right--Intel's latest integrated graphics solution is in fact superior, by about 25% (look at my previous post). As an added bonus, graphics processor chips are actually an extremely failure-prone part, and having it made by Intel and not NVIDIA or even ATI means that you're most likely going to end up with a system that will live longer.
The only notable advantage the Samsung has is its battery life, because it comes with a bigger battery.
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Okami wrote on 2011-08-28 06:01
Quote from BobYoMeowMeow;568418:
it can run dragon nest but on low.
you need like a $1.2k laptop to run games on mediumish-low
what? I have a 750$ laptop that runs Tf2 and everything on max..
You just need to look around and be a smart shopper...
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Mystickskye wrote on 2011-08-28 06:14
Sandybridge is also slightly better than the older iCore series clock for clock. Runs cooler and uses less power too iirc.
I'd go with Yoorah's recommendation. I do second her opinion that consumer grade laptops are ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
EDIT: If you feel like waiting and spending less rather than more, try looking around for the new AMD laptops. Lano looks pretty neat for more budget-oriented folks with respectable performance to go with the price.
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BobYoMeowMeow wrote on 2011-08-28 06:38
Quote from Okami;568797:
what? I have a 750$ laptop that runs Tf2 and everything on max..
You just need to look around and be a smart shopper...
team fortress 2 is on source engine and also a game in 2007
source engine was created to be as light as possible on hardware and also produce good graphics
the cat meant 2011 games like Witcher 2