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Computer geeks of NS, quick question - Processors

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CliffyByro
Posts: 5678 - Karma: 3,903
So basically im looking at getting a new laptop and i've found one i really like, and there's two options. one with an Intel i5-3210M processor and one with an i7-3630QM processor. i use my laptop for photo editing (photoshop and lightroom), general internet surfing, a bit of gaming and dj-ing (traktor scratch).

my general feeling is that the i7 won't make a huge amount of difference to me (it's also about £200 more for that one i think), am i right in saying this? sorry if this sounds stupid haha
Sep 8 2013 4:37PM
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a_pla5tic_bag
Posts: 9215 - Karma: 5,398
this exactly. your games dont hyperthread and a performance increase from i5 to i7 will be low compared to the price increase. go with the i5. also check to see if they're haswell or ivy bridge. I hear the new haswell chips really do well with laptop battery life. Even with photo editing it wont make much of a difference. Obviously it'll technically be better with an i7 but probably not noticeably or worth the price jump.
Sep 8 2013 4:46PM
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1337
Posts: 31054 - Karma: 29,232
.
Sep 8 2013 4:47PM
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CliffyByro
Posts: 5678 - Karma: 3,903
i checked but i couldn't see anything about haswell/ ivy bridge. what's the difference?
Sep 8 2013 4:56PM
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JustForYou
Posts: 275 - Karma: 2,143
Mhmm. All you need to know right there OP.
Sep 8 2013 4:58PM
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a_pla5tic_bag
Posts: 9215 - Karma: 5,398
haswell is the newest generation of chips has some better processing and stuff but apparently they're significantly better for battery life. also if you had an ivy bridge motherboard and got a new CPU you'd need to get a new motherboard too. but that doesnt matter. for laptops the difference is battery life.
Sep 8 2013 11:02PM
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WU-sconsin
Posts: 565 - Karma: 1,301
I don't get why you want a food processor for a computer. But I would go with a cuisine-art processor it chops nuts
Sep 8 2013 11:46PM
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HungryHypocrite
Posts: 765 - Karma: 939
those are both ivy bridge chips, the haswell's numbers start with 4. as of right now, only few ultrabooks and laptops are equipped with haswell chips though.
Sep 9 2013 2:05AM
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CliffyByro
Posts: 5678 - Karma: 3,903
okay cool, i'll go for the i5 then. it's still a significant upgrade from my current laptop which has an i3, and even then i've only really had problems with its performance recently (i've had it for 2 years now)
Sep 9 2013 8:17AM
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howlongcanausern
Posts: 4982 - Karma: 1,737
i wouldn't be so concerned about the processor...does the laptop have a video card (as opposed to 'on-board' graphics)?

this is going to make the biggest difference in video performance....also consider getting a solid state drive (SSD
Sep 9 2013 12:33PM
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corona
Posts: 12795 - Karma: 32,750
I personally wouldn't get a video card for a laptop unless you really don't care about battery life, in which case you might as well get a desktop. Video cards eat up your battery like no other and probably will leave you sterile if you keep it on your lap due to the heat.
Sep 9 2013 12:36PM
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CliffyByro
Posts: 5678 - Karma: 3,903
i have absolutely no idea haha. this is the one im looking at:

http://www.asuslaptop.co.uk/N56VJ-S4031H/Multimedia+Entertainment/Asus+laptops/d

my friend has one and i thought it was great, and it's by far the best i can find for the money. SSD is only an option on the more expensive version i think so i'd be spending like £300 extra or so. the reason i'm asking about the processors is because i've narrowed down to 2 versions of that laptop and the only difference is the processor (and £200)
Sep 9 2013 12:40PM
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howlongcanausern
Posts: 4982 - Karma: 1,737
300 pounds for an SSD is WAY too much. they're expensive, but not that expensive.

and yeah, if you look at the line:

Graphics: Dedicated (NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 635M with 2GB DDR Dedicated Memory)

this means it has a dedicated graphics (as opposed to the shittier 'integrated graphics').

overall, that looks like a decent computer
Sep 9 2013 12:45PM
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CliffyByro
Posts: 5678 - Karma: 3,903
yeah if i was to get the i7 version with a 512GB SSD it would cost nearly double what that one costs.

i figured the graphics would be good because my current one had to have certain specifications for my university work (one of which was a good graphics card for 3D design stuff), so i asked my dad to find something similar/ better and he came up with that one which i was happy with. the fact it has a blu-ray player, HD screen and extremely good speakers kinda sold the rest for me haha

only downside is windows 8, but i guess i'll just have to get used to that
Sep 9 2013 12:50PM
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JustForYou
Posts: 275 - Karma: 2,143
Well, fuck, lets fix that for yah too. Windows 8 is faster. I'm not lying. So how can we get rid of that shitty layout they developed while keeping the speed?




This will convert the layout back over to W7 while still keeping the upgraded speed of windows 8. There are many other spin-offs of this. I've personally never upgraded so I cant say from experience which ones are better.


Enjoy OP.
Sep 9 2013 1:07PM
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Olimar
Posts: 3535 - Karma: 4,076
Go with the i5. The i7 gives you slighty more speed and power but the trade off is significant battery drainage. And It really isnt worth it. Also definitely try and get a SSD. definitely worth the extra money in my oppinion.
Sep 9 2013 1:21PM
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