Quick Spec Check for my Sis

[ps3ud0]

Hi Guys,

My sisters after a new laptop and Ive done some research and recommended the following Sony @ £670.

i3-370M 2.4Ghz CPU
4Gb RAM
ATI HD5650 (£40 option added)
15ish" screen @ 1920x1080 (£30 option added)
320Gb 5400RPM HDD
BD Player

Just wondering if thats overkill for the normal web browsing/office productivity and movie/youtube watching...

Few questions:

1) Is 1920x1080 too high for a 15" laptop? I presume its personal preference and its an option Ive added since the standard res (1366x768) is too small nowadays IMO.
2) Ive added the HD5650 over the HD5470 as I thought the laptop needs more grunt due to BD player and higher res screen option. She wont be gaming on it so guess BD viewing is the most stressful thing. Im noe thinking the HD5470 might be enough and it would help battery life too...
3) Perhaps even the Intel HD GFX would suffice? Would it be better if it was the i5 integrated GFX over the i3 - not sure if there even is a difference in performance...
4) I cant see why she would need more than an i3 - am I right in thinking this?

TIA

ps3ud0

 

[Nymins]

Res should be okay. But I personally prefer 1366x768 on 15" as 1080p is very small. But again, personal preference.

Tbh, the HD5470 should be fine for BD. My Dell 1555 has a Radeon 4570 and it has no problems with 1080p content (of course my screen res is 1366x768, so I use 720p most of the time anyway, but 1080p is fine).

Not sure on the integrated GPU front.

i3 will be fine, more than fine, for what she is using it for.

 

[ps3ud0]

Cheers,

Im stuck about the res - if there was an option for 1680x1050 I would have chosen that as thats perfect for a 15" display. Obviously 1080p gives more screen real estate but for day to day use if its too small its becomes quite an annoyance...

TBH Id rather have a discrete GPU, but just wanted to check if there was any differences between the integrated ones on the i series more to see if thats an option to help her enchance battery power. I presume all laptops can switch between integrated GFX and discrete GFX like the MBPs can? Considering its only a £40 option I might tell her to get the HD5650 and GFX switch to that only for media or switch off it to conserve battery...

ps3ud0

 

[DefiantAsh]

Cheers,

Im stuck about the res - if there was an option for 1680x1050 I would have chosen that as thats perfect for a 15" display. Obviously 1080p gives more screen real estate but for day to day use if its too small its becomes quite an annoyance...

TBH Id rather have a discrete GPU, but just wanted to check if there was any differences between the integrated ones on the i series more to see if thats an option to help her enchance battery power. I presume all laptops can switch between integrated GFX and discrete GFX like the MBPs can? Considering its only a £40 option I might tell her to get the HD5650 and GFX switch to that only for media or switch off it to conserve battery...

ps3ud0

With Discrete gpu's the price will drop considerably, and even with the i3, thats more than ample for day to day working like Microsoft office etc.

For £600+ for streaming videos, and doing some work to me is overkill, i just dont see why that amount of money has to be spent on a up spec laptop, which the specs are hardly even needed, all in my own opinion of course.

Consider the Acer TravelMate 8371, should offer more than enough for its price @ £350, there is a popular thread if you go back to the Laptops section.

However with that spec it will provide constant smooth browsing and working condition, where the travelmate may be slower in comparison to that i3 and with the 1366x768 display on either laptop, its exceptional for the screen size as im currently using a 18.5" monitor for my pc, and i feel that 1366x768 is good but small but on a 13.3 or 15" display its probably really good

 

[olivier renault]

The i3 is a no brainer. You don't need anything beter for standard laptop productivity.

If not gaming, the HD5470 will be sufficient for everything else. Hell, even a bit of gaming wont hurt it.

For the 1080p option it's tricky. It's personnal preference, but personally I prefer higher resolutions, especially coupled with a bluray drive. But she'd better have good eyesight. I found 768 just about right on my 13'' laptop, which makes it 900p for 15'' and 1080p for 17''.

1080p @ 15.5'' would be equivalent to 768p @ 11.6'', like the Macbook Air 11. That's a pretty dense resolution if you've ever seen a Macbook Air 11 (and the pixel density is actually slightly lower on the Air). Maybe you can have a look in person.

Note that while the Sony's build quality is one of the best, especially their screens, their battery life suck big time, and they don't support Optimus (switchable graphics).

EDIT : Thinking about it, 1920 is similar to my 24'' monitor (1920 x 1200). That on a 15.5'' ... sounds crazy, but I'd need to see it in person. Sony has a thing for high res screens on small for factor. They even have 1080p for their 13'' Vaio line. Which is completely overkill.

 

[ps3ud0]

With Discrete gpu's the price will drop considerably, and even with the i3, thats more than ample for day to day working like Microsoft office etc.

For £600+ for streaming videos, and doing some work to me is overkill, i just dont see why that amount of money has to be spent on a up spec laptop, which the specs are hardly even needed, all in my own opinion of course.

Consider the Acer TravelMate 8371, should offer more than enough for its price @ £350, there is a popular thread if you go back to the Laptops section.

However with that spec it will provide constant smooth browsing and working condition, where the travelmate may be slower in comparison to that i3 and with the 1366x768 display on either laptop, its exceptional for the screen size as im currently using a 18.5" monitor for my pc, and i feel that 1366x768 is good but small but on a 13.3 or 15" display its probably really good

I think its more the percieved build quality, design and support. Just not really interested in integrated GPUs and rather have the small headroom for anything taxing...

Its replacing a Dell laptop thats survived 5/6years and is based on a Core Duo, so in reality the replacement really needs to be fairly competent. My other sisters just got a 13" MBP, so spending £600 on an i3 for probably 3+ years usage is a bargain really!

ps3ud0

 

[ps3ud0]

The i3 is a no brainer. You don't need anything beter for standard laptop productivity.

If not gaming, the HD5470 will be sufficient for everything else. Hell, even a bit of gaming wont hurt it.

For the 1080p option it's tricky. It's personnal preference, but personally I prefer higher resolutions, especially coupled with a bluray drive. But she'd better have good eyesight. I found 768 just about right on my 13'' laptop, which makes it 900p for 15'' and 1080p for 17''.

1080p @ 15.5'' would be equivalent to 768p @ 11.6'', like the Macbook Air 11. That's a pretty dense resolution if you've ever seen a Macbook Air 11 (and the pixel density is actually slightly lower on the Air). Maybe you can have a look in person.

Note that while the Sony's build quality is one of the best, especially their screens, their battery life suck big time, and they don't support Optimus (switchable graphics).

EDIT : Thinking about it, 1920 is similar to my 24'' monitor (1920 x 1200). That on a 15.5'' ... sounds crazy, but I'd need to see it in person.

See I thought it was worth asking about graphics switching - thats really made me think that the HD5650 is not an option especially considering her usage and battery drain. The battery life isnt on her highest priority as she will always be near a plug (she just doesnt want a desktop) and aware that the laptop going to be still relatively heavy (originally was after a 13" but seems discrete GPUs inside 13" laptops carry a premium).

Ive told her to go to the retail stores to have a look at the resolution on a 15" display - I dont think she understands how much of a difference it is. Im annoyed that there isnt a 1680x1050p option - its perfect on my MBP. It makes sense to have the 1080p display because of the BD but in reality how many people reguarly watch movies on their laptops? Its usually just youtube and the like - she only has the BD specced because its free option currently - it was never a real requirement...

Out of curiousity - considering the vague brief in my posts have what Ive chosen her a good deal? She is after a nice quality laptop...

ps3ud0

 

[DefiantAsh]

I think its more the percieved build quality, design and support. Just not really interested in integrated GPUs and rather have the small headroom for anything taxing...

Its replacing a Dell laptop thats survived 5/6years and is based on a Core Duo, so in reality the replacement really needs to be fairly competent. My other sisters just got a 13" MBP, so spending £600 on an i3 for probably 3+ years usage is a bargain really!

ps3ud0

Fair point

Goodluck and I've always wanted a Macbook, will probably buy one and enter Apple territory when i start university

Merry Christmas!

 

[timmy85]

as I've mentioned in another post i've just got for £450 (now £430) a

Part Number: PSK3FE-00V00REN

Intel® Core™ i3-330M Dual Core Processor, 17.3" HD+ Screen, Windows 7 Home Premium Edition 64-bit, 2GB DDR3 RAM, 320GB HDD, DVD Rewriter, Dedicated ATI 5650 Graphics, Bluetooth, HDMI, PSK3FE-00V00REN, Was £599.97

don't know if its too big/no good for your sis's needs?

 

[ps3ud0]

as I've mentioned in another post i've just got for £450 (now £430) a

Part Number: PSK3FE-00V00REN

Intel® Core™ i3-330M Dual Core Processor, 17.3" HD+ Screen, Windows 7 Home Premium Edition 64-bit, 2GB DDR3 RAM, 320GB HDD, DVD Rewriter, Dedicated ATI 5650 Graphics, Bluetooth, HDMI, PSK3FE-00V00REN, Was £599.97

don't know if its too big/no good for your sis's needs?

Unfortunately not - thanks for the tip though - its a great price. 15" is the max shes considering and 15" is a push as she was originally after a 13" laptop...

I think she will be getting the 1080p option - shes aware of the size issue but anything too small she can zoom...

Ta guys and Merry Christmas...

ps3ud0

 

[ps3ud0]

Forgot to say - ended up getting the laptop - £660 I think it was in the end. Went with the HD5470/FullHD combo as recommended but upped the HDD to 500GB 5400rpm for a measly £20.

Did hunt around the normal shops but the goons just werent helpful - not one assistant knew the screen resolutions of the display models and not one shop had a 1920x1080 example. Thought I would have a chance with laptop BD drives out there now...

Would have borrowed it for BD watching when away but shes specced it in glossy pink

ps3ud0

 

[DefiantAsh]

Forgot to say - ended up getting the laptop - £660 I think it was in the end. Went with the HD5470/FullHD combo as recommended but upped the HDD to 500GB 5400rpm for a measly £20.

Did hunt around the normal shops but the goons just werent helpful - not one assistant knew the screen resolutions of the display models and not one shop had a 1920x1080 example. Thought I would have a chance with laptop BD drives out there now...

Would have borrowed it for BD watching when away but shes specced it in glossy pink

ps3ud0

"glossy pink" lol

Sounds great and £20 for the 500GB Upgrade very nice!