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Started By
Message
Recommend a laptop - TIA
Posted on 1/30/15 at 8:44 am
Posted on 1/30/15 at 8:44 am
Will be used primarily for business (internet, Excel, Word, PDF editing with Adobe and PDFsam) but also want it for entertainment.
Would like a 15" screen, at least 8GB RAM, enough video capabilities to Netflix/Amazon/NFL Game Rewind streaming.
Budget is $1000.
Any recommendations would be appreciated.
ETA: Other laptop is a 2008 MacBook but apparently everyone is leaving my model out in the cold - Firefox, Chrome, Dropbox. It has enough power to handle the business requirements but not enough power to stream Game Rewind.
Would like a 15" screen, at least 8GB RAM, enough video capabilities to Netflix/Amazon/NFL Game Rewind streaming.
Budget is $1000.
Any recommendations would be appreciated.
ETA: Other laptop is a 2008 MacBook but apparently everyone is leaving my model out in the cold - Firefox, Chrome, Dropbox. It has enough power to handle the business requirements but not enough power to stream Game Rewind.
This post was edited on 1/30/15 at 8:48 am
2
Posted on 1/30/15 at 9:12 am to boom roasted
How do these specifications look?
Lenovo ThinkPad W540
Processor
Intel Core i7-4700MQ Processor (6MB Cache, up to 3.40GHz)
Display
15.6" FHD (1920 x 1080) LED Backlit Anti-Glare Display, Mobile Broadband Ready
Graphics
W540 NVIDIA Quadro K1100M 2G
Memory
8GB PC3-12800 DDR3L (2 DIMM)
Hard Drive
500GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm, 2.5"
Wireless
Intel Single Band Wireless 7260BN with Bluetooth 4.0
Battery
9 Cell Li-Ion Cylindrical Battery 99.9Wh
Lenovo ThinkPad W540
Processor
Intel Core i7-4700MQ Processor (6MB Cache, up to 3.40GHz)
Display
15.6" FHD (1920 x 1080) LED Backlit Anti-Glare Display, Mobile Broadband Ready
Graphics
W540 NVIDIA Quadro K1100M 2G
Memory
8GB PC3-12800 DDR3L (2 DIMM)
Hard Drive
500GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm, 2.5"
Wireless
Intel Single Band Wireless 7260BN with Bluetooth 4.0
Battery
9 Cell Li-Ion Cylindrical Battery 99.9Wh
Posted on 1/30/15 at 9:18 am to boom roasted
I'm no Steve Jobs, but this seems limited/inadequate compared to the other specs listed.
I would think you would want 1TB minimum, possibly an SSD for OS? With a $1k budget, you should be able to get what you're looking for.
Just offering my opinion (limited), this isn't my world.
quote:
Hard Drive 500GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm, 2.5"
I would think you would want 1TB minimum, possibly an SSD for OS? With a $1k budget, you should be able to get what you're looking for.
Just offering my opinion (limited), this isn't my world.
This post was edited on 1/30/15 at 9:24 am
Posted on 1/30/15 at 9:24 am to Oenophile Brah
I'm not worried about that much space. 500gb is enough. I keep my music and photos on an external hard drive.
I'm more worried about whether the video / graphics card is enough to stream Game Rewind.
Here are the requirements for Game Rewind.
What are the minimum system requirements for Windows computers?
A: The minimum requirements for Windows computers are:
Intel Pentium 4 2.33GHz or higher or equivalent AMD processor with a minimum of 512MB of memory and 64MB of video RAM.
One of the following operating systems: Windows 7, Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows Media Center Edition.
Microsoft Internet Explorer, or Mozilla Firefox:
- IE: LINK
- Firefox: LINK
Macromedia Flash Player 10.1: LINK /
Video adapter and monitor: Super VGA (1024x768) or higher.
What are the minimum requirements for Mac computers?
A: The minimum requirements for Mac computers are:
PowerPC G5 1.6GHz
Intel Core Duo 1.5GHz with a minimum of 512MB of memory and 64MB of video RAM
Mac OS X 10.4+
Mozilla Firefox LINK
Macromedia Flash Player 10.1: LINK /
Video adapter and monitor: Super VGA (1024x768) or higher.
I have no problem with Game Rewind on the iPad, FWIW.
I'm more worried about whether the video / graphics card is enough to stream Game Rewind.
Here are the requirements for Game Rewind.
What are the minimum system requirements for Windows computers?
A: The minimum requirements for Windows computers are:
Intel Pentium 4 2.33GHz or higher or equivalent AMD processor with a minimum of 512MB of memory and 64MB of video RAM.
One of the following operating systems: Windows 7, Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows Media Center Edition.
Microsoft Internet Explorer, or Mozilla Firefox:
- IE: LINK
- Firefox: LINK
Macromedia Flash Player 10.1: LINK /
Video adapter and monitor: Super VGA (1024x768) or higher.
What are the minimum requirements for Mac computers?
A: The minimum requirements for Mac computers are:
PowerPC G5 1.6GHz
Intel Core Duo 1.5GHz with a minimum of 512MB of memory and 64MB of video RAM
Mac OS X 10.4+
Mozilla Firefox LINK
Macromedia Flash Player 10.1: LINK /
Video adapter and monitor: Super VGA (1024x768) or higher.
I have no problem with Game Rewind on the iPad, FWIW.
This post was edited on 1/30/15 at 9:27 am
Posted on 1/30/15 at 11:11 am to boom roasted
Those requirements are extremely low and reflect 10-12 year old computers. You could do that on a $300 laptop.
Posted on 1/30/15 at 11:56 am to ILikeLSUToo
My PC and old MacBook can't handle it. It's choppy as shite.
What do you think about the specs listed?
What do you think about the specs listed?
This post was edited on 1/30/15 at 11:58 am
Posted on 1/30/15 at 12:21 pm to boom roasted
It's fine, but probably not the best you can get for the money in your situation. Has a mobile workstation card adding more cost to it where it won't be needed. But either way, for the budget you're basically going to get an i7, 8-16gb of ram, some sort of dedicated gpu, and either a regular HDD or a hybrid. If you aren't planning to play any games, you don't have to think too hard about it. Your specific screen size requirement limits your options anyway.
Posted on 1/30/15 at 12:24 pm to boom roasted
I grabbed a refurbished Elitebook from here: LINK and slapped an SSD in it. I'm very happy with it.
Posted on 1/30/15 at 1:27 pm to ILikeLSUToo
Thanks for the advice. I guess I really don't need a 15" screen. I'll expand the search to 13".
Posted on 1/30/15 at 1:52 pm to boom roasted
Last question. How do these specs look?
Screen Size 13.3 inches
Screen Resolution 1920 x 1080
Max Screen Resolution 1920x1080
Processor 1.7 GHz Core i5-4210U
RAM 8 GB DDR3L SDRAM
Memory Speed 1600 MHz
Hard Drive 128 GB SSD
Graphics Coprocessor Intel HD Graphics 4400
Wireless Type 802.11 A/C
Number of USB 3.0 Ports 3
Average Battery Life (in hours) 8
Screen Size 13.3 inches
Screen Resolution 1920 x 1080
Max Screen Resolution 1920x1080
Processor 1.7 GHz Core i5-4210U
RAM 8 GB DDR3L SDRAM
Memory Speed 1600 MHz
Hard Drive 128 GB SSD
Graphics Coprocessor Intel HD Graphics 4400
Wireless Type 802.11 A/C
Number of USB 3.0 Ports 3
Average Battery Life (in hours) 8
Posted on 1/30/15 at 2:08 pm to boom roasted
Still within the realm of 15", how about this Acer: LINK
It's going to be released February 6. I'm actually thinking about purchasing it. First thing I'd do is replace the hard drive with an SSD. It has great all-around specs for an entertainment laptop.
i5-5200U (new broadwell)
8GB DDR3 (expandable up to 16GB)
Geforce GT 840M
1920x1080 15.6" screen
dual band 802.11AC adapter with MIMO (probably 2x2).
5000 mAh 6-cell battery (up to 7 hrs)
$639.99 + ~$200 for a 500GB SSD, and you're still under budget.
It's going to be released February 6. I'm actually thinking about purchasing it. First thing I'd do is replace the hard drive with an SSD. It has great all-around specs for an entertainment laptop.
i5-5200U (new broadwell)
8GB DDR3 (expandable up to 16GB)
Geforce GT 840M
1920x1080 15.6" screen
dual band 802.11AC adapter with MIMO (probably 2x2).
5000 mAh 6-cell battery (up to 7 hrs)
$639.99 + ~$200 for a 500GB SSD, and you're still under budget.
Posted on 1/30/15 at 3:13 pm to ILikeLSUToo
I trust your opinion. I will look into it.
Thanks a bunch.
Thanks a bunch.
Posted on 1/30/15 at 3:17 pm to ILikeLSUToo
That's good specs, but are the Acer's built pretty tough? I tear up laptops, this EliteBook is solid.
Posted on 1/30/15 at 3:53 pm to boom roasted
quote:
Intel Core i7-4700MQ
From what you said you need it for, i7 is overkill. Personally, i5 is my pick. I probably don't need more than an i3, but I don't find the extra cost too high.
I''m also a numbers guy, so the side number pad is a must for me. Can't get that with less than a 15" screen.
Sounds like graphics is important to you, so make sure it has a dedicated graphics card. Other than that, most things are upgradeable.
When comparing 2 models, keep in mind the cost of upgrading to make them the same. If one model has 6GB of RAM and the other has 8GB, then you need to treat the 6GB as if it has 4GB. Laptops have 2 memory slots, so a 6GB would have a 4GB and a 2 GB. You can't just put another 2GB to make it 8GB.
Posted on 1/30/15 at 3:54 pm to Casty McBoozer
I have no idea. I've never owned an Acer laptop, and since I don't trust anecdotal evidence at all, I'll just have to find out. They're always on display alongside HP, Lenovo, Dell, ASUS, Toshiba, etc. in Best Buy, Walmart, etc. and they appear to be the same as the other mid-range builds. Most of the shells are manufactured by the same 2 or 3 factories and the machines assembled there, but obviously design specs will vary across brands and models.
I've owned IBM, Compaq, HP, Dell, and ASUS laptops over the years and never found any of them to be particularly better or worse in terms of how they held up (daily use, in and out of backpacks and cases). I have dropped every laptop I've ever owned at least once, whether it slipped out of my hand when removing from the backpack, or fell off the bed, or slid off my lap to the floor. Never a fall from more than 3 feet though. For wear and tear, the first thing that usually shows weakness is the charging port.
I've owned IBM, Compaq, HP, Dell, and ASUS laptops over the years and never found any of them to be particularly better or worse in terms of how they held up (daily use, in and out of backpacks and cases). I have dropped every laptop I've ever owned at least once, whether it slipped out of my hand when removing from the backpack, or fell off the bed, or slid off my lap to the floor. Never a fall from more than 3 feet though. For wear and tear, the first thing that usually shows weakness is the charging port.
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