Buying a laptop soon - help!

[hoiboy]

Hey guys! I'm going off to college soon, and I don't have a laptop. I've been looking around pretty recently, but I'm not sure about some of the specs. I am willing to pay around a thousand dollars.

I'm going to be a nursing student, so I won't be running anything that intense. I think the most it's going to be is watching 720p Youtube videos or streaming Netflix or playing LoL. Nothing that intensive.

It must be light (less than 4 lbs), small (screen size under 14", preferably 12-13"), and have a good battery life (more than 4 hours). Also, Windows 7 please.

Right now, I'm thinking about getting a Lenovo Thinkpad X220.

• Processor: Intel Core i3-2350M Processor (3M Cache, 2.30GHz)
• OS: Windows 7 Home Premium
• Display: 12.5" Premium HD (1366x768) LED Backlit Display, IPS, Mobile Broadband Ready, 3x3 Antenna, No Camera
• Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 3000 processor graphics with dynamic frequency
• Memory: 4 GB PC3-10600 DDR3 SDRAM 1333MHz SODIMM Memory (1 DIMM)
• Hard Drive: 320GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm
• Wireless Adapter: ThinkPad 1x1 b/g/n

Price (including student discounts and everything): $869.13*
*Includes 4 year base warranty extension

I'm not quite sure about the processor and the hard drive.

For the processor, I can upgrade the i3 to the following:

• Intel Core i5-2520M Processor (3M Cache, 2.50GHz) [add $105.00]
• Intel Core i5-2540M Processor (3M Cache, 2.60GHz) [add $155.00]
• Intel Core i7-2640M Processor (2.80GHz, 4M Cache with Turbo Boost up to 3.50GHz) [add $295.00]

Will I need to upgrade it, or will i3 cover my needs?

Also, I'm not certain about the whole HDD vs. SSD debate. Here are the upgrade options:

• Intel 160GB Solid State Drive, Serial ATA [add $210.00]

Is it worth the $210 to splurge for the SSD? How much will a HDD affect my performance (battery life, speed)?

If you guys have other suggested laptops, feel free to share them with me. Thanks!

 

[darkie]

spring for the i5 but you probably won't need anything more than that

 

[Shinryu]

SSD probably isn't worth it if you aren't going to be using it for anything more than video watching, general browsing, and light gaming. An i3 would cover your needs, but like darkie said I'd spring for the i5 over an SSD, and if possible within the other $100, just upgrade the size of your HDD from 320 to 500 or so. Finally, it'd be much better having some mobile dedicated graphics card over the lame integrated intel ones (even games like LoL would appreciate it and run better), so I'd search around if you can for those options. Not sure of what your budget is, but you can probably find a better ultrabook in the $900 range over the thinkpad I'd say.

 

[Misty]

SSDs are wonderful. They make everything so much faster, it's hard to go back to platter drives. As far as battery life, the difference is pretty minimal - the drive is a pretty low power consumer unless you're using a 10K RPM drive or something.

i3 vs i5 isn't worth it. You won't notice the difference, especially with an SSD.

Good choice BTW. The X220 is quality stuff.

 

[San_Pellegrino]

I am a huge proponent of the macbook air, but if you really demand windows 7...lenovo is a good way to go

 

[Jebus McAzn]

I am a huge proponent of the macbook air, but if you really demand windows 7...lenovo is a good way to go

Sorry to go off on a tangent, but it didn't seem like this question warranted another thread:

I've also been meaning to buy a computer for college and I'm on the fence about whether to get a laptop or a Macbook. I'm a gamer, but nothing too graphics intensive - League of Legends and maybe GW2, maybe not. I was leaning toward a laptop at first but my friends are all pushing me to get a Mac and I'm starting to heavily consider it - so which one? And if I do get a Mac, should I get a Macbook Air or a Macbook Pro? (Leaning toward the latter).

 

[Misty]

Macs run Windows if you need compatibility, though you have to decide if you want to spend $100 for Windows on top of the cost of a Mac. Of course, if you're going to college, they may just hand you a copy of Windows on request or at least give you a discount.

 

[Eraddd]

I've also been meaning to buy a computer for college and I'm on the fence about whether to get a laptop or a Macbook. I'm a gamer, but nothing too graphics intensive - League of Legends and maybe GW2, maybe not. I was leaning toward a laptop at first but my friends are all pushing me to get a Mac and I'm starting to heavily consider it - so which one? And if I do get a Mac, should I get a Macbook Air or a Macbook Pro? (Leaning toward the latter).

Other than peer pressure do you have a legitimate reason for getting a mac?

 

[symphonyx64]

If you want a mac, wait a couple of months until the new models come out. I hear the next revisions are supposed to be rather significant in terms of physical design and specs (read: Intel Ivy Bridge).

Other than that, I am sure the intelligent users viewing this thread will contribute nicely to the discussion.

 

[Shinryu]

SSDs are wonderful. They make everything so much faster, it's hard to go back to platter drives. As far as battery life, the difference is pretty minimal - the drive is a pretty low power consumer unless you're using a 10K RPM drive or something.

i3 vs i5 isn't worth it. You won't notice the difference, especially with an SSD.

Good choice BTW. The X220 is quality stuff.

While SSDs are good, consider what he's using it for though, it's not going to impact his youtube watching or internet surfing or LoL playing in that big of a manner over having a faster CPU I think. Also consider we're talking about laptops, an i5 mobile processor is an appreciable difference over an i3 mobile processor since they're all a step down in performance compared to your normal desktop ones, an i5 in a laptop is what, like a normal i3.

 

[Misty]

Honestly I doubt the new models will be that big a deal on average - Ivy Bridge isn't that much more powerful than Sandy Bridge (I can go into detail about this but basically Ivy Bridge is the same architecture as Sandy Bridge, just using a different process technology). On the other hand, the new Ivy Bridge models releasing means that you'll be able to get great prices on the older SB models, which are still very powerful and capable.

While SSDs are good, consider what he's using it for though, it's not going to impact his youtube watching or internet surfing or LoL playing in that big of a manner over having a faster CPU I think. Also consider we're talking about laptops, an i5 mobile processor is an appreciable difference over an i3 mobile processor since they're all a step down in performance compared to your normal desktop ones, an i5 in a laptop is what, like a normal i3.

At the very least, SSDs mean near-instant turn on and turn off. For a mobile platform, that is an excellent feature. That's on top of the general responsiveness gains that make for a better computing experience. I can actually speak from experience - my laptop has an SSD, and it significantly more responsive than my desktop PC, even though it has a high-end 7200RPM hard drive.

As for the i3/i5 argument, keep in mind that on laptops, the only difference between the i3 and the i5 are 1) clock rates and 2) turbo boost. These two differences are meaningful if you're going to stress your PC, and need all the extra power you can get. However, it doesn't sound like that's the case (and if it was I'd recommend a computer with an i7-2670QM).

 

[Shinryu]

Honestly I doubt the new models will be that big a deal on average - Ivy Bridge isn't that much more powerful than Sandy Bridge (I can go into detail about this but basically Ivy Bridge is the same architecture as Sandy Bridge, just using a different process technology). On the other hand, the new Ivy Bridge models releasing means that you'll be able to get great prices on the older SB models, which are still very powerful and capable.



At the very least, SSDs mean near-instant turn on and turn off. For a mobile platform, that is an excellent feature. That's on top of the general responsiveness gains that make for a better computing experience. I can actually speak from experience - my laptop has an SSD, and it significantly more responsive than my desktop PC, even though it has a high-end 7200RPM hard drive.

As for the i3/i5 argument, keep in mind that on laptops, the only difference between the i3 and the i5 are 1) clock rates and 2) turbo boost. These two differences are meaningful if you're going to stress your PC, and need all the extra power you can get. However, it doesn't sound like that's the case (and if it was I'd recommend a computer with an i7-2670QM).

Eh, I guess it depends on how taxing streaming Netflix will be, though I can't see LoL playing as nicely still on an i3 over an i5. Still say he should consider a decent dedicated moblie GPU over the integrated one in any event, probably could get by with an i3 then...

My laptop is old as hell personally (though I'm going to be upgrading into a desktop hopefully in a payday or 2), so I don't have an SSD for comparison (hell I think this has a 5000rpm HDD, which was fast like 3 years ago lol), but SSDs would be nice for responsiveness like you said. And I definitely wouldn't bother waiting on the newer model intel chips, if anything I'd consider waiting though for the inevitable price drop on older models so OP can scoop up one cheaper than the price they're quoting right now.

 

[hoiboy]

When the X230 comes out, will Lenovo still keep the X220 up for sale?

 

[Eraddd]

I wouldn't get an Ivy Bridge just yet.

Again, it all depends on what you want to do with your laptop. From what you've described, the specs should be fine but keep these points in mind. If, at any point, you decide you want to game with your laptop, the integrated GPU will not suffice to play any relatively new games and won't play older games at as high of a performance as people would like. Also, are you willing to spend about 200 extra dollars for an increase in your hard drive performance? That's completely up to you, since I'm not deciding your budget. If you do have some space in your budget, I would recommend picking up an SSD; they're very fast and will make your computing life very efficient. I'm considering picking one up myself and sticking it in where my CD drive is.

Also, keep in mind that we're almost at the point where the higher end older generation will match the newer gen mid range products, meaning that if there are any defects in the technology in the newer technologies (such as the potential Ivy Bridge problem,) the Sandy Bridge (at least the higher end ones) will make up for it with the decrease in price when the newer gen is released. So, as symphonyx64 already pointed out, you may want to wait for the newer gen macbooks to be released (although I'm against Macbook Pros and Airs in general, except for several cases etc etc etc).
http://www.cpu-world.com/news_2012/2012042801_Why_Is_Ivy_Bridge_So_Hot_.html

 

[Jebus McAzn]

Other than peer pressure do you have a legitimate reason for getting a mac?

The interface seems to be friendly, it's comptible with other iGadgets, it's quite a bit more convenient for organization, and most importantly, the Mac to PC ratio t my college seems to be skewed quite a bit more toward Apple - campus computers, of course, not those of other students.

also macs are pretty

 

[Eraddd]

The interface seems to be friendly, it's comptible with other iGadgets, it's quite a bit more convenient for organization, and most importantly, the Mac to PC ratio t my college seems to be skewed quite a bit more toward Apple - campus computers, of course, not those of other students.

also macs are pretty

1) The iOS is very good in my opinion (my problem is mainly with the engineering) and I agree there (although I would argue both Windows and Apple iOS allow a good degree of customization to suit anyone's needs).

2) Not quite sure about iGadgets and how useful they are. Although, again, I'm sure Windows does offer many of the same applications (going on an assumption here, due to the sheer number of Windows users).

3) Huh? Macs are no better at organization than Windows. I don't see how that's a reason for a Mac.

4) Not sure why your university having more Macs (which seems ludicrous) should influence your decision; in fact, if your campus offers Macs for use, best to save your money and use the Macs offered on campus, not the other way around.

5) I could list a few very nice looking Windows laptops (for example, the HP Envy is no slouch, and many Sony laptops and even the newer Lenovos look very nice, although I would never wish a Sony laptop on my worst enemy). But having aesthetics as a reason to spend another 500 extra dollars seems truly excessive and wasteful, unless of course, you have money to burn, which then, I can't really judge, since at that point it seems you're looking for an excuse to buy a Mac and are looking for opinions to justify it.

 

[Shinryu]

I wouldn't bother with a mac if you want to do any serious gaming, as the semi-closed nature of Apple products is a hindrance. Though if you have a lot of other mac stuff like ipods and stuff (along with doing multimedia), macs are decent for that. But if it's mainly for gaming, save yourself a bit of pain imo and just go with a regular laptop that'll have better performance for a cheaper price.

 

[cookie]

SSDs are wonderful. They make everything so much faster, it's hard to go back to platter drives. As far as battery life, the difference is pretty minimal - the drive is a pretty low power consumer unless you're using a 10K RPM drive or something.

i3 vs i5 isn't worth it. You won't notice the difference, especially with an SSD.

Good choice BTW. The X220 is quality stuff.

Am I right in believing that in terms of performance, the bottleneck is usually caused by the hard drive access speed?

 

[Eraddd]

Am I right in believing that in terms of performance, the bottleneck is usually caused by the hard drive access speed?

It would depend on the application (Misty is probably more qualified to answer this than I am) but for most applications that I deal with on a laptop (mainly games, etc), the GPU is probably the biggest bottleneck.

 

[Bluecaptain]

Take a look at this website: http://www.xoticpc.com/

There are many computers that they sell that have better specs than the lenovo you listed for much less money. I really like the sager brand as the asus ones seem to be a tad more money.

 

[faint]

It would depend on the application (Misty is probably more qualified to answer this than I am) but for most applications that I deal with on a laptop (mainly games, etc), the GPU is probably the biggest bottleneck.

A bottleneck really shouldn't occur on anything that isn't being custom built, especially not on a laptop. Generally any component that is capable of being upgraded works with every other component perfectly fine.

SSD's are excellent but based on what you need your laptop for, the speed increase in opening applications and start up is not going to be worth it for the price. You can always use the hdd that comes standard on it and upgrade to a SSD in the future when the prices go down.

Also I seen a comment on ivy bridge and I think Misty was correct when he said the performance between ivy and sandy bridge is not very noticeable (at least in desktop processors) so sandy bridge should be fine. The only major increase is the integrated 4k graphics in ivy bridge as apposed to 3k in sandy.

I also want to mention DO NOT BUY A MAC UNLESS YOU PLAN ON VIDEO EDITING Literally that is the only reason to purchase a macover a pc. It is not a matter of opinion or being a fanboy of apple or microsoft. Rendering time in final cut is much faster than sony vegas, and a mac performs much better in other aspects of video editing as well.

 

[Eraddd]

A bottleneck really shouldn't occur on anything that isn't being custom built, especially not on a laptop. Generally any component that is capable of being upgraded works with every other component perfectly fine.

Well, if you're buying an i5 with an integrated GPU, then the GPU does bottleneck the PC in terms of performance (for games and any GPU intensive applications). That's primarily what I was referring to.

 

[Philip7086]

Lenovo. SSD. That is all.

 

[aurora]

SSD is terrible because while it's a lot faster it comes at the cost of serious capacity
but yeah in terms of processor all you'd need is an i5, it does the job really well
keep everything else though

 

[Vein]

HP G-series, the i5 ones, will do good...