Texsox Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 My Dell has finally crapped out and I'm shopping for a new laptop. My old one had a 17" display, I know I want to go smaller. So far the specs I've kind of settled on are . . . 15" class display, i3 or AMD equal, 4G ram, 500G hard drive, HDMI out, the usual wireless options, card reader, etc. Anything else? Recommendations? Basically it will be a summr laptop to use while I am living at South Padre and while on vacation. I could do almost everything I need from my phone, but saving videos from my FlipCam and storing pics. If possible I want to stay under $600 but could stretch the budget if there was a real compelling reason or feature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigSqwert Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 I typically start here and see what's being offered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balta1701 Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 My suggestion is to just pick up your sunday newspaper and look for what's on sale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve9347 Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Apr 9, 2011 -> 09:12 AM) My suggestion is to just pick up your sunday newspaper and look for what's on sale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balta1701 Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 Seriously, at that price level, there's not much difference between brands or models. Every company will have a brand that's about $700-ish, and every week each electronics store in your area will cut back the price on one of them by about $100, and that'll be the one where you'll get your biggest bang for your buck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scenario Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 (edited) I've bought 3 laptops in the last 6 months... one for me, one for daughter, one for assistant. Learned a few hard lessons in the process. 1. With Windows 7 (and the Windows Aero interface), how video ram is handled has become a big deal. Most computers sold in stores, especially lower cost ones, offer 'integrated video ram' only. Recommendation: look for a machine that has some dedicated VRam... like the HP DV6 and DV7 series and/or upgrade your normal ram to the max... and also consider moving up processor-wise. The combination of these things will make a big difference in performance. 2. Check the Windows Experience Index (go to Control Panel/System and Security/System/Window Experience Index) and check the values of the machines you are considering before you buy them. Will tell you alot about the performance of the computer that you may not be able to tell from the specs. Seems like every machine 'on sale' I looked at had at least one inferior part that degraded performance... and may have been the reason the product was on sale. 3. Ask about RAM upgrade-ability (what is the maximum). Seems like most stores don't list this anymore. Look for a machine that can handle 8G ram. I'd recommend upgrading to 8G. Most stores will not have them in stock, but you can find them easily enough online. If the cost of buying one with 8G installed seems unreasonable (>$100 more than machines with 4G), upgrade it yourself. It's simple and makes a significant difference. Some people will tell you it doesn't matter if you have more than 4G because your system won't utilize the extra. Wrong. The way software is being written today sucks up ram, and if you don't have enough it can slow your system to a crawl despite the greater horsepower of your new processor. And this is a HUGE issue is you buy a computer with integrated video ram (no dedicated vram)... and use programs like skype. 4. My suggestion: Look for an Intel I5 or AMD Quad-core; 7200rpm hard drive; 4G ram (upgradeable to 8 and then leave enough money in your budget to buy that upgrade). I think someone could find a machine with those specs in the $600 range. 5. The best combo of price and performance I found were HP, Toshiba, MSI, and Dell. You should be able to find the HP quad-cores with $200 instant rebates. They've been pushing that promo. And the Toshiba website runs very good sales. Probably will be where I buy my next computer. I loved the ability to custom build what I wanted on that site. Better than any other computer website I found. Other Notes Bought an HP DV7 with AMD quad-core for me. $850 but received $200 instant rebate. (Got it at Office Depot.) Didn't like it at first. HATE the mousepad. But after I upgraded the ram, it's been growing on me. Couldn't understand for the life of me why the Internet seemed soooo slow. Was driving me crazy. No reason a quad-core should perform like this. Thought it was my specific computer and almost returned it. Turned out it was a combo of ram issues and Firefox issues. I love Firefox but ditched it and went to Chrome... night and freaking day difference... plowhorse vs. thoroughbred. Made a believer out of me. I am now a Chrome fan. Bought an MSI for my assistant. (MSI is a great off-brand computer.) Got an I5, 7200 rpm, and 4G ram for $570. Only problem is the ram is not upgradeable. Was a good buy but if I had to do it again, I wouldn't get a computer that is not upgradeable to 8G. Bought an Dell Inspiron with an I7 chip for my daughter (architecture student). Loaded with features including 8G RAM; 2G VRAM. $1600. Very fast. Not cheap but if you're willing to go over $1000 you may find some very good deals on Dell. (Example: the computer I bought was normally $2000, but I got it for $400 off and 12 months no interest financing). They run alot of deals like that. If you don't see one on the website, call Dell. The salespeople often have access to deals that are not shown online. If no deals this week... wait a week or two. They're going on all the time. Final Note: I'm surprised how slow many new low cost computers run. Have come to the conclusion that its a function of ram, vram, and Windows Aero issues. If you want to save money and still have a very good computer, you can pull it off with less horsepower computer-wise... if you're running Windows XP. I have an Intel Dual-core running XP that still works great and performs as well as most of the lower cost machines sold in stores that run Windows 7. Hope this helps. Will provide more info if you're interested. Edited April 9, 2011 by scenario Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChiliIrishHammock24 Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 I've had my Dell Studio 15 for about 21 months now, and I love it. Then again, I had a lot of upgrade put in to it, and it's worth $1300. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChiliIrishHammock24 Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 Also, if you are in college, or have any family members in college, then try to shop through Dell University. That's how I got my $1300 for $900. They have really great discounts for college kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gatnom Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 QUOTE (scenario @ Apr 9, 2011 -> 10:16 AM) 3. Ask about RAM upgrade-ability (what is the maximum). Seems like most stores don't list this anymore. Look for a machine that can handle 8G ram. I'd recommend upgrading to 8G. Most stores will not have them in stock, but you can find them easily enough online. If the cost of buying one with 8G installed seems unreasonable (>$100 more than machines with 4G), upgrade it yourself. It's simple and makes a significant difference. Some people will tell you it doesn't matter if you have more than 4G because your system won't utilize the extra. Wrong. The way software is being written today sucks up ram, and if you don't have enough it can slow your system to a crawl despite the greater horsepower of your new processor. And this is a HUGE issue is you buy a computer with integrated video ram (no dedicated vram)... and use programs like skype. Actually, they are not wrong. A 32-bit processor can only see 4GB of RAM, whereas a 64-bit processor can see 8GB, so all you need to do to check how much RAM you can use is to check how many bits your processor can handle. I'd also like to reiterate that the most important thing for a typical user is to have lots of RAM, you'll get the best bang for your buck in terms of performance. QUOTE (scenario @ Apr 9, 2011 -> 10:16 AM) Final Note: I'm surprised how slow many new low cost computers run. Have come to the conclusion that its a function of ram, vram, and Windows Aero issues. If you want to save money and still have a very good computer, you can pull it off with less horsepower computer-wise... if you're running Windows XP. I have an Intel Dual-core running XP that still works great and performs as well as most of the lower cost machines sold in stores that run Windows 7. Hope this helps. Will provide more info if you're interested. A lot of the blame for this can be put on Microsoft for the way they made windows lately (and there are free alternatives to windows), but, honestly, if you're looking to get performance, you really shouldn't be buying a laptop. Desktop computers offer greater performance for a lower price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chw42 Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 QUOTE (gatnom @ Apr 9, 2011 -> 05:36 PM) Actually, they are not wrong. A 32-bit processor can only see 4GB of RAM, whereas a 64-bit processor can see 8GB, so all you need to do to check how much RAM you can use is to check how many bits your processor can handle. I'd also like to reiterate that the most important thing for a typical user is to have lots of RAM, you'll get the best bang for your buck in terms of performance. A lot of the blame for this can be put on Microsoft for the way they made windows lately (and there are free alternatives to windows), but, honestly, if you're looking to get performance, you really shouldn't be buying a laptop. Desktop computers offer greater performance for a lower price. A 64 bit processor can technically see 2^64 bits of memory, that's 10^18 bytes. I think at this point, the most Windows will allow for RAM is something like 64-128 GB. But I doubt anybody will be putting in that much memory when they're not building a super computer. 32-bit is pretty much extinct at this point outside of netbooks and really low-end laptops. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted April 9, 2011 Author Share Posted April 9, 2011 As I mentiond I am replacing a Dell e1705 which was a $1,200 laptop a few years back when I bought it. My quandry is I'm only going to really use it for a couple months out of the year, but I will be using it for video applications. The rest of the year I have a school laptop for most of my work and a desktop at home. So I'm not thinking desktop replacement. From some of my research, and the comments here, I am planning on upgrading to 8M and an i5. Which is my usual progression with electronics. Thanks for all the comments, I will be buying next week. I've been to the manufacturers websites, but need to see some in person. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IamtheHBOMB Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 (edited) QUOTE (scenario @ Apr 9, 2011 -> 10:16 AM) 4. My suggestion: Look for an Intel I5 or AMD Quad-core; 7200rpm hard drive; 4G ram (upgradeable to 8 and then leave enough money in your budget to buy that upgrade). I think someone could find a machine with those specs in the $600 range. What do you think about this HP laptop? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...#scrollHelpful1 Edited April 10, 2011 by IamtheHBOMB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scenario Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 (edited) I'd consider one of these two instead... both have 7200rpm hard drives. 1. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16834157674 (Has Windows 7 Pro. Big advantage if prices are close.) 2. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16834157425 This is pretty nice too, although it only has a 5400rpm hard drive... http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16834115984, but otherwise good features and you save some money toward upgrading ram. I've bought Acers before. Been happy with them. Edited April 10, 2011 by scenario Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gatnom Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 QUOTE (chw42 @ Apr 9, 2011 -> 05:45 PM) A 64 bit processor can technically see 2^64 bits of memory, that's 10^18 bytes. I think at this point, the most Windows will allow for RAM is something like 64-128 GB. But I doubt anybody will be putting in that much memory when they're not building a super computer. 32-bit is pretty much extinct at this point outside of netbooks and really low-end laptops. Yeah, I was trying to keep it practical, and I should have probably worded it better. I doubt you could get more than 8GB without building the system yourself. But hey, I'm just a CS major; I don't need to know those things! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IamtheHBOMB Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 QUOTE (scenario @ Apr 10, 2011 -> 11:49 AM) (Has Windows 7 Pro. Big advantage if prices are close.) What are the advantages of Windows 7 Pro for the typical user? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chw42 Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 QUOTE (gatnom @ Apr 10, 2011 -> 03:53 PM) Yeah, I was trying to keep it practical, and I should have probably worded it better. I doubt you could get more than 8GB without building the system yourself. But hey, I'm just a CS major; I don't need to know those things! I'm in computer engineering, I couldn't help myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Y2HH Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 QUOTE (chw42 @ Apr 9, 2011 -> 05:45 PM) A 64 bit processor can technically see 2^64 bits of memory, that's 10^18 bytes. I think at this point, the most Windows will allow for RAM is something like 64-128 GB. But I doubt anybody will be putting in that much memory when they're not building a super computer. 32-bit is pretty much extinct at this point outside of netbooks and really low-end laptops. It's not just what the processor can handle, but also the OS. Even if you have a 64 bit processor (Core 2, i3/i5/i7, etc) installed, but you're running a 32bit version of Windows (it happens), you will still be constrained by a maximum of 4GB of usable memory addressing by the operating system itself. Being that the OS reserves at least a half gig of ram for video, it means the usable addressing would be more in the order of 3.5 gigs for the rest of what you do. A lot of these OEM's slap 32 bit operating systems on their prebuilt machines because they were able to get them cheaper...they also slap 8 gigs of memory in these usually not even understanding that the user will only get half of that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scenario Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 (edited) Noticing a couple of posts and want to make my 'wrong' comment more clear... Most people mistakenly believe that the laptop/processor they select limits them to 4G of ram... When the real issue is their choice of operating system (32-bit or 64-bit) Most new laptops will run either. And give you the choice when you set Windows up. Here's the problem... People will often pick 32-bit because: a. they don't know any better, or b. want to be able to run their old software, and/or c. want to be able to use older devices that don't have 64-bit drivers. If you install 32-bit version, then you're limited to 4G accessible memory. So the belief that their computer hardware limits them to 4G of ram is wrong. It's usually an operating system choice, not a hardware issue. This is a significant issue given that most laptops have integrated (rather than dedicated) video cards, therefore giving up a chunk of ram to run video... plus give up another .5G just to run Windows... plus allocations for any memory hungry programs you have running in the background (like Skype). By the time you make all the subtractions a system that starts out with 'only' 4G can slow to a virtual crawl. What's the best choice then? 32-bit or 64-bit OS? The solution, imo, is to upgrade to Windows 7 Pro. The 64-bit OS allows you to access more ram. The 32-bit emulator allows you to run old software. Win-win... as long as you're willing to pony up the additional expense for Pro... and buy additional ram. Edited April 11, 2011 by scenario Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gatnom Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 It all really comes down to what you're using your computer for. If you plan on multitasking and running a lot of programs in the background, you will probably want more than 4GB. If you just plan on using your computer to laze around on Soxtalk all day, 4GB is probably more than enough. It really just depends on the user. Having more memory than you need can actually slow your computer down (albeit slightly), though I don't think this would be an issue in laptops. QUOTE (chw42 @ Apr 11, 2011 -> 03:19 AM) I'm in computer engineering, I couldn't help myself. Cool, we may have actually seen each other around without actually knowing it, assuming your location puts you in U of I. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted April 14, 2011 Author Share Posted April 14, 2011 Thank you. I bought a HP dv6 3250 i5 processor, 4G ram, 750Gb HDD, I am planning on using this configuration for a while and then probably upgrading the ram and OS. Home Premium is on it now. $649 @ OfficeMax. I was a little surprised after going in and out of six stores they had the best deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 I bought my laptop at an office store too. Their regular prices suck, but their sales are great if you can find what you want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted April 14, 2011 Author Share Posted April 14, 2011 QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Apr 14, 2011 -> 09:44 AM) I bought my laptop at an office store too. Their regular prices suck, but their sales are great if you can find what you want. The main reason I went into OfficeMax is they were next door to Best Buy. It wasn't on display, no one could really answer any question I had, but I saw a lower model and a little sign that said upgrade to and the specs for what I was looking for. They didn't have it in stock but the other store in town did, so a quick drive and I was happy. The touch pad is a little strange, and the key board will take a little getting use to, but most of the time I will have a remote keyboard and mouse, so no big deal really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted April 17, 2011 Author Share Posted April 17, 2011 So far I am liking this laptop. I assume I will get accustomed to the keyboard type and layout, until then I keep making some entry errors. There is an extra column of keys to the right with shortcuts to mail, internet, calculator, etc. I keep hitting those when I want tab. It also does not have bluetooth, so I had to use a different mouse, using up a USB port. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.