yet another *What laptop to buy* thread

vectra

Well guys the day has come when I sold my desktop and am awaiting to sell my netbook.
I want to buy a laptop, preferably a 13" screen
Would love a macbook pro but funds do not permit presently.
Budget will be circa 500 euro

Main use
browsing web
emailing.
Will need to be capable of running photoshop for photo editing.

Therefore i was thinking maybe a gaming laptop as it would have the extra oomph. in graphics department?

or am I thinking completely wrong.

Thanks for any help

Alanstrainor

What kind of photo editing are we talking here? If it's relatively light stuff then most laptops should be pretty alright with it tbh. Gaming laptops and 500 budgets aren't really terms you see together! That being said, i think you should be able to find something to suit your needs. Can't thing of any at the mo, but i'll be back...maybe...

vectra

Alanstrainor wrote: »

What kind of photo editing are we talking here? If it's relatively light stuff then most laptops should be pretty alright with it tbh. Gaming laptops and 500 budgets aren't really terms you see together! That being said, i think you should be able to find something to suit your needs. Can't thing of any at the mo, but i'll be back...maybe...

Nothing major in editing to be honest.
Am I right in thinking a laptop with dedicated graphics would be of benefit?

Hal Emmerich

If you know someone living...

resident of the mainland UK including Northern Ireland, Channel Islands and Isle of Man

....You could get this one for about €355ish delivered with the offer. €470 without.

Or this Lenovo.

HP has a better chip and dedicated GPU, both have HDMI, eSATA, Webcam and all that jazz.

Lenovo has the newer type i3 with integrated GPU which isin't all that worse than the HPs 5470 really, newer i3s have better power management (longer battery).

With your budget, one of them unless someone knows of a better one.

Look up reviews before you buy whatever you buy.

vectra

Confused
For what i want
is it more important to have
1) better CPU
2) independant Graphics
3) Buckets of Ram

marco_polo

If it helps this is a list of GPU specific features in CS4/5

http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/405/kb405745.html

Bear in mind that an integrated GPU will perform a certain level of acceleration so it may well offer acceptable performance, if usage is reasonable light. And if that is the case then 4GB RAM should also be sufficent.

For the more intensive features such as the 3D stuff I could imagine that and integrated GPU would struggle a bit.

Unfortunately in any case a 13.3" and a dedicated GPU is probably not achievable on a 500 budget as both add a price premium to the cost of a laptop.

Hal Emmerich

This would be the order for photoshop I'd say.....toss up between 1 and 2.

1: CPU--->to render the image.
2: RAM--->virtual memory to store the image as you go.
3: GPU--->Depends what your doing--->detailed big images will make use of it
4: Fast Hard Drive--->If you save after every change, this can make a difference, most drives are 5400rpm, some are the newer (ish) 7200rpm.

You mentioned "nothing major" if you are going to use it alot, you'd need to lose the 13" requirement as it's limiting your options.

LostCorkGuy

www.harveynorman.ie/np-rc520-s02uk.html

This one looks fairly promising i5 sandybridge and dedicated graphics card !
Buying it myself on thursday with the 50quid cash back

Hal Emmerich

marco_polo wrote: »

Unfortunately in any case a 13.3" and a dedicated GPU is probably not achievable on a 500 budget as both add a price premium to the cost of a laptop.

You beat me to it.:mad::P

LostCorkGuy wrote: »

www.harveynorman.ie/np-rc520-s02uk.html

This one looks fairly promising i5 sandybridge and dedicated graphics card !
Buying it myself on thursday with the 50quid cash back

Ahhh payday:), good price, good spec, snap it up.

vectra

Hal Emmerich wrote: »

This would be the order for photoshop I'd say.....toss up between 1 and 2.

1: CPU--->to render the image.
2: RAM--->virtual memory to store the image as you go.
3: GPU--->Depends what your doing--->detailed big images will make use of it
4: Fast Hard Drive--->If you save after every change, this can make a difference, most drives are 5400rpm, some are the newer (ish) 7200rpm.

You mentioned "nothing major" if you are going to use it alot, you'd need to lose the 13" requirement as it's limiting your options.

That Samsung below looks promising.
Was going 13" as it was a handy size.
I have no problem going 15" if that is the best option advised.

Would this benefit from an upgrade to an SSD llater on?

LostCorkGuy wrote: »

www.harveynorman.ie/np-rc520-s02uk.html

This one looks fairly promising i5 sandybridge and dedicated graphics card !
Buying it myself on thursday with the 50quid cash back

Looks good.

Alanstrainor

An SSD will give you the greatest performance boost tbh.

More RAM could make things a little snappier, but an SSD will mean your machine turns on from a completely off state in seconds. And apps open immediately. As in click on chrome and 1 second later you're searching google.

That's my experience of my SSD, the only trouble is the low capacity, but it's definitely worth it imo.

That Samsung looks good, the size of it would bother me, but that's all personal preference. A larger screen would be of benefit if you're going to be using photoshop anyway. It has tonnes of RAM, no need to upgrade that. A dedicated graphics card and a large capacity hard drive that you could use as an external drive if you do swap for an SSD.

Hal Emmerich

LostCorkGuy wrote: »

www.harveynorman.ie/np-rc520-s02uk.html

This one looks fairly promising i5 sandybridge and dedicated graphics card !
Buying it myself on thursday with the 50quid cash back

Here it is on Saveonlaptops, the Harvey one has better graphics even:eek:, no mention of HDMI on Harvey site, watch for that, it probably has it though. You'd get on without it but still.....

I wonder did Harvey make a mistake? If they did this more often think of all the extra Custom they'd have instead of it all going to online shops.

I'd throw it up on Bargain Alerts but you probably wouldn't get it yourself then.

OP, I think your aswell buy the Samsung or wait for two Weeks untill the back to School affect has worn off, I was looking for an 15"6 lappy (with an i3/Phenom) there and the prices seem inflated in that range, bad selection to.

This is the only one that jumps out but your not saving much over the Harvey one for lower spec.

LostCorkGuy

Hal Emmerich wrote: »

I wonder did Harvey make a mistake? ......


I'd throw it up on Bargain Alerts but you probably wouldn't get it yourself then.

Hmmmm ya I was wondering about the graphics card as the said the brand is Intel but the specs are nvidea

And nooooo don't put it on bargin alerts well at least not until friday then I don't mind

Hal Emmerich

LostCorkGuy wrote: »

And nooooo don't put it on bargin alerts

vectra

LostCorkGuy wrote: »

www.harveynorman.ie/np-rc520-s02uk.html

This one looks fairly promising i5 sandybridge and dedicated graphics card !
Buying it myself on thursday with the 50quid cash back

This offer ended last Sunday night but One of the staff in little Island obliged me and gave me the deal.
Happy camper now.
Thanks for the heads up.

Hal Emmerich

LostCorkGuy wrote: »

www.harveynorman.ie/np-rc520-s02uk.html

This one looks fairly promising i5 sandybridge and dedicated graphics card !
Buying it myself on thursday with the 50quid cash back

That's more like it, good old Harveys have hiked up the price, still offering the Cashback.

:rolleyes:

vectra

Hal Emmerich wrote: »

That's more like it, good old Harveys have hiked up the price, still offering the Cashback.

:rolleyes:

I got it Wednesday, offer was ended last Sunday and i still get the cashback.
try them

LostCorkGuy

The offer lasts untill 1st of november he lied to you ! Sounds like the harvey employee was trying to avoid the "encouraged" haggling I got an extra 25 quid off in the airport round about shop after saying its near impossible to get the cash back!

Ps sorry to rain on your parade

vectra

LostCorkGuy wrote: »

The offer lasts untill 1st of november he lied to you ! Sounds like the harvey employee was trying to avoid the "encouraged" haggling I got an extra 25 quid off in the airport round about shop after saying its near impossible to get the cash back!

Ps sorry to rain on your parade

Yes,
You are correct.
The €50 cashback offer runs until 1st November. But the price reduction in Harvey Norman's was only until last sSubnday

PS
Sorry to rain on your parade

clonadlad

vectra wrote: »

Yes,
You are correct.
The €50 cashback offer runs until 1st November. But the price reduction in Harvey Norman's was only until last sSubnday

PS
Sorry to rain on your parade

How much was it last Sunday? It says €699 before cashback on the website now..:(

marco_polo

clonadlad wrote: »

vectra wrote: »

Yes,
You are correct.
The €50 cashback offer runs until 1st November. But the price reduction in Harvey Norman's was only until last sSubnday

PS
Sorry to rain on your parade

How much was it last Sunday? It says €699 before cashback on the website now..:(

I seem to recall from vectras thread it was something like 629 before the cashback.

vectra

clonadlad wrote: »

How much was it last Sunday? It says €699 before cashback on the website now..:(

€627

On the box it says €799

marco_polo wrote: »

I seem to recall from vectras thread it was something like 629 before the cashback.

Close alright
€627

marco_polo

vectra wrote: »

€627

On the box it says €799




Close alright
€627

Do I still win a prize

clonadlad

Would ye think they will be bringing the price down anytime soon on that laptop?

vectra

clonadlad wrote: »

Would ye think they will be bringing the price down anytime soon on that laptop?

Ring them and ask if you could still get one at the offer price that you would buy today. I cannot see them telling you no.