Bets set up for Uni

ojrules

ojrules

ojrules

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Joined
18 Nov 2007
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I'll be off to uni next year, and i'm wandering what the best set up of computing stuff would be.

- At the moment i have a
e2180@ 2.88ghz
4gb ram
asus p5q pro
2x ide hard drives
1x 4850 512mb
nzxt hush case
I like gaming, however it's not really going to be high up on my list when i go to uni, and it seems silly to leave the pc at home for a couple of years slowly depreciating in value.

I need some type of portable computer ( laptop or mini laptop).
I have a £600 budget for a laptop- obviously i dont have to spend all of this.


So i either spend all the budget on a fairly beefy laptop, or spend most on a portable laptop, and some on more portable pc (using some of the existing components i already have).... aka half decent streamlined laptop + fairly decent shuttle

- To clear things up i won't be able to take my existing computer with me- it's too big
 
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well I find it better to have one big rid, to be honest you really going to going
into a lecture with your laptop and then start wrting notes, or will you start
watching bbc iplayer or something, write notes by hand and keep your rig.

If you can blag Dyslexia get the goverment to give you your portable needs ;)

Oh just read the too big bit, really? they arnt that big get a smaller case.
 
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I've got through GCSE's and As levels by making paper notes, losing them, then making them all again just before the exams, and it works, but really for a degree i'm going to have to have some way to make electronic notes there and then and keeping them.... As i said, i'm cautious about taking the pc back and forth to uni like 3 or 4 times a year... but it does seem silly spending so much more on a laptop, when as you say i could get a netbook, and take my existing pc....- my only worry is that taking the pc back and forth is going to be a bitch... as the case itself isnt very portable.... then on top of that you've gotta take the monitor aswell... ( 19")



Also if i do take my pc with me theres this issue> Depending on what size this netbook is going to be im probably going to need to take it in a bag, so do i opt for a "portable" netbook, or a more powerful laptop for the same price.. DO you see the dilema?> what would be easiest would be something i could slip in my pocket, that did basic word processing , but then we're basically talking about a PDA... and anyway i dont mind taking a bag with me places...
 
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Input- you do make a good point though... makign paper notes is far quicker and better- especialy for diagrams and equations ( - im hopefully doing engineering, so lots of equations)...

- then we could go into the likes of tablets and just use that to write on..


- I've had a look at this thing called the z-pen. It looks a very good idea, but the ink refils are very hard to get hold of, which kinda renders it a bit useless..
 
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A good combo for uni is beast RIG + netbook. Im defo taking my i7 beast.

I have an ipodtouch for mobile browsing on wifi and im not too bothered about word processing on the move so dont know if im going to get a netbook.
 
Or get something like an Asus N10, which you can use for gaming. Although yeah, a cheap netbook and some upgrades to your current system would be the best i think.

Product Name Qty Price Line Total
Samsung NC10 Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz 10.2" Netbook - XP Home - Black (NP-NC10-KA02UK) £299.99
(£260.86) £299.99
(£260.86)
AMD Phenom II X3 Tri Core 720 Black Edition 2.8GHz (Socket AM3) - Retail £97.99
(£85.21) £97.99
(£85.21)
Asus M4A785TD-V Evo AMD 785G (Socket AM3) PCI-Express DDR3 Motherboard £70.99
(£61.73) £70.99
(£61.73)
Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB SATA-II 32MB Cache - OEM (WD1001FALS) £70.99
(£61.73) £70.99
(£61.73)
OCZ ModXStream Pro 600w Silent SLI Ready Modular Power Supply £64.99
(£56.51) £64.99
(£56.51)
Sub Total : £526.04
Shipping cost assumes delivery to UK Mainland with:
DPD Next Day Parcel
(This can be changed during checkout) Shipping : £10.00
VAT is being charged at 15% VAT : £80.41
Total : £616.45

And reuse the stuff you already have for the rest, it should be okay.
 
I've got a ipod touch too, but unless apple release a external keyboard its no better to me than a stupidly espensive music player..... I'm tempted by a matx desktop... I presume my asus p5q pro couldnt fit in there, aswell as the 4850..

- The problem with this is that if i have to get a Matx motherboard then chances are it doesnt overclock well, and im left with a 2.0ghz processor....




- I think it'd be wise to salvage as much as i can from my existing set up- otherwise it will just sit in a box, or sell for half its sale value...
- I do deffinately like the idea of a netbook.
- The monitor is also an issue, it's 19", so its not massive, but isnt tiny either..
 
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Do you really need mATX though? I mean, if you use the netbook for portability and keep your current case then that's not to much hassle if you don't need to move it around that much. What do you think of my suggestion?

Hang on, that wouldn't work. You would need different RAM. Just chuck in some DDR3 Dual Channel.
 
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I'm all up for a netbook, but it seems silly buying a complete new computer.. Any money i save i'l be spending on food and booze.. I'm not trying to actively find stuff to spend the budget on :P... I don't really plan on upgrading my existing pc too much> i won't have any spare money at uni, so i'd rather eat than game..



- Can anyone tell me whats the smallest case that will fit the following:

Asus P5q Pro
Enermax 620W power supply
4850 512mb
1x ide drive
1x dvd drive
 
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I was just suggesting upgrades to your current one... what exactly will you be needing it for and when will you be using it? Netbooks are great for carrying around and making notes, but they really shouldn't be used as a primary system.
 
I dont really plan on doing too much gaming too be honest, now and then, but i hope that i'l be doing other stuff. It begs the question what i'm really taking the pc for. I'd much more prefer to get an xbox 360 and play with other people on it.

EDIT- just remember why i was looking at a pc and a netbook :P .. saving some money...
 
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I find the best thing, is to have my big gaming rig in my flat, and take paper notes in uni. You will learn pretty fast to keep them. I promise Also, not all lecturers make you take paper notes. Some do give out printed notes. Also, with a laptop, you will probably get distracted. I though I would use my laptop a lot in my first year, but I didn't. That's when I bought my gaming rig.
 
No, like a thing you clip on to your notebook and a special pen. The thing you clip on tracks and records the movements of your pen, and you put them on your PC later.
 
I suppose it all depends how much your bothered about havng a laptop/netbook. Personally, I tihnk taking a gaming rig and just leaving it at that is fine.

Although, I'll admit, I'll be embarrased lugging my 22" monitor and antec 900 in halls corridors :p
 
Im going to uni in sept and decided that hand written notes will be fine. Brand new £600 rig and 24" Dell Monitor instead :) Big HD games of fifa for the win
 
I suggest that for note taking a pen and pencil will be far better, it's just s much easier, however for coursework you will probably find yourself in a library more than you think (especially on a decent course in your second year, and you'll wonder what your room looks like in the third year!) and although uni computers are lightyears ahead of school computers a laptop will really help.

So with that I suggest you buy a 13" laptop of reasonable spec and rejig your existing system to fit into a Matx case.

A 13" laptop is small and light enough to carry round with you when you want to go to the library, but with a big enough screen and powerful enough to actually use as a proper machine. A Matx case as it's small and light enough to move, athough with a decent laptop you may find yourself only taking your desktop home during the summer.

So with that in mind I suggest swapping your motherboard for a decent matx board, and upgrading your CPU to something a bit more powerful, then stick it in a matx case (such as the Sugo or one of the square Antec NSK boxes). That's your pretty powerful Desktop sorted for probably only £100 or so (after selling your replaced kit. Then you have around £500 (although a little more may be beneficial) for a 13" laptop, which although pushing the budget a bit could get something like an XPS or Studio XPS from the factory outlet (machines built but not shipped).

IME that is probably your best bet as a laptop should never replace a decent desktop, and a netbook would frustrate you when you are in the library. :)
 
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