Buying a Laptop: The current Generation

cherryghost · 19-04-2010 1:51pm #1

cherryghost wrote: »

This thread needs a serious update a year on. AMD has released its budget 2 core, tri core and 4 core processors, and Intel has released its 2nd generation of Core i series processors.

AMD's Dual Cores

AMD has aimed 3 different groups of Dual Core processors:

P320, P340, N330, N350
These set of processors have decent speed, and about the same speed as some older Core 2 Duo processors of the same or slightly slower speed, with the added advantage of a lower power consumption. If you can find laptops with these processors, they've got very good battery life, topped with an integrated AMD graphics card on the majority of the models, enabling HD video playback and lower graphics gameplay on the cheap. Perfect for office work. Not recommended for photo/video editing.

P520, N540, N530, N550
These processors are slightly faster than the set above, with most laptops offering a slightly faster integrated graphics card. Not a whole lot of difference for multimedia playback from the entry CPUs, but is slightly more able for games, eg slightly old games on lowest settings. Can handle photo/video editing poorly.

P650, N620, N660
These processors are AMD's fastest mobile Dual Cores, and they only match up to Intel's i3 series entry processors. Purchase only if prices are below the i3 prices, as the integrated graphics on these AMD models are on par/slightly slower than the Intel HD. Can handle small resolution photo editing only.

AMD's Tri Cores

P820, P860, N840, N850, N870
AMD tripped up a bit on the Tri Cores, although it packs an extra core, the processor optimization is quite poor, and in some benchmarks are only slightly faster than Intels old Core 2's and AMDs Dual core processors. If you're using a program that optimizes more than 2 cores you'd notice a difference, but for some not justified in the extra price. Bearable for photo editing, only higher clocked tri core's recommended for slow video editing. Good battery life

AMD's Quad Cores

P920, P960, N940, N930, N950, N970, X620, X920, X940
AMD is still stuck behind Intel's architecture and it shows in AMDs Quad core processors. Performance wise, they're good for photo editing and bearable for video encoding, most of the Quad's should be on par with Intel's i5 series, with the X models (black editions) able to reach entry level first gen i7 laptops, very respectable and much cheaper if you can find models with the processor in it. The X models are very capable of photo editing and video editing, and most models with those processors come packed with a fast graphics card, for all round good performance.

Intels 2nd Generation

For many people, the 2nd generation of i series processors is an evolutionary leap, and come much closer to desktop performance than ever before. It firmly puts Intel ahead in the processor performance league.

i3

2310M
The entry level 2nd Generation i3 series are on par with the entry level i5 first generation at a much cheaper price. If you're on the market for a fast laptop at decent prices, I heartily recommend this range of processors. They're faster, very power friendly and come with the Intel HD 3000, which can handle modern games at low/medium settings with ease. Can handle photo editing well, and video editing bearable. Smooth HD playback.

i5

2620M, 2649M, 2629M, 2657M, 2617M, 2537M, 2540M, 2520M, 2515E, 2510E, 2410M
The i5 series yet again pushes it further and are faster than any of the AMD processors available on the mobile market. The integrated graphics on these processors are faster than the i3, therefore giving better gaming and editing performance.

i7

2920XM, 2820QM, 2720QM, 2715QE, 2710QE, 2635QM, 2630QM
The i7 mobile series are on par with the entry desktop i7 processors, which is amazing in its own. Definitely recommended for photo and video editing. The i7 comes with fast integrated graphics, though most laptops will offer a faster dedicated graphics solution on their i7 laptops. Recommended for gaming and serious video editing use.

Memory

Of course with the latest processors, the old DDR2 memory has officially been dumped, and optimize the faster DDR3, allowing for more snappy response times for loading programs/editing, as well as allowing for integrated graphics card to give way for faster speeds.

Graphics

The graphics segment has stagnated a bit lately. Nvidia's new graphics cards have managed to reach a point where they haven't pushed out desktop high performance, but have reduced power consumption, allowing for better battery life. The same applies to AMD, with only its dual graphics solution allowing for desktop performance. Intel's integrated graphics has increased performance, closing the gap slightly between dedicated and integrated, and is a cheap and cheerful alternative for entry level gaming/small scale editing.

Both Nvidia and AMD however have said they are committed to high performance and we could see an overhaul in performance by the end of this year.

In short: If you're on a tight budget, AMD's dual core solutions are very good and can be found at very reasonable prices. Intel's new entry i series offer better performance than the first generation i series processors at an almost similar price, so check to make sure you're looking at second generation processors

Mod note: Post updated.

Alanstrainor · 19-04-2010 1:54pm

Nice. I've stickied it. Could prove useful!

Voodu Child · 19-04-2010 2:13pm

Thanks, im sure it will prove useful.

Just FYI, your description of Intels Turbo Boost isn't quite correct. It only kicks in when all cores are not being fully or equally utilised - ie when the app(s) running are not effectively multi-threaded.

And instead of an across-the-board overclock, it has to shut down one or more cores in order to overclock the remaining ones while staying within its thermal limit.

So for example, the dual-core i5-430M (2.26GHz) turns into a single-core processor running at 2.53GHz.

The quadcore i7-720QM (1.6GHz) can run as a 3-core (1.73GHz each), 2-core (2.4GHz each) or single-core (2.8GHz).

Unlike the other Core i series CPUs, Core i7 boasts 4 cores

Also, just to note that not all the i7s are quadcores. The i7-620M (used in the new Macbook Pro for example) is dual core.

cherryghost · 19-04-2010 2:18pm

ah, yeah sorry, i should have mentioned that regarding the turbo boost. my heads not with it today! just trying to help peeps

xsiborg · 19-04-2010 5:26pm

nothing to add here, suffice to say a surprising and informative post, concise summary, and in wording that helps me explain to people when they ask me about the newer processors, i've recommended AMD the last couple of years myself in HP laptops as the best value for the average home user that isnt so much into gaming but still enjoys multimedia apps such as MCE and so on.

i always try and encourage people to use their new laptops as more than just an internet browser, and more and more people are intergrating them into their entertainment devices, such as connecting them to HDTV's and satellite boxes to use as portable PVR's, music systems, etc. so its nice to see computer and parts manufacturers realise that some people want more than just blistering speed and bucketloads of RAM.

it would be nice to see though 500GB to 1TB hard drives as standard make their way into the OEM market to move on from 250/320GB hard drives, but im sure thats only a matter of a few months away.

i myself have 2x500GB hard drives in my main laptop which is about four years old. recently upgraded the RAM to 4GB, processor is an AMD Turionx64x2 1.66, nvidia 8400m graphics card, i have no problem editing AVCHD video on it, ok granted takes a bit of time rendering but not an inordinate amount of time either, i used do a lot more photo editing but not so much now.

i guess what im trying to say here is i'll wait for the next wave after this one before i consider purchasing a new laptop. i usually purchase every five years and when i do, i buy high end so depreciation doesnt hit me as hard. i think i may wait this one out though.

dr.bollocko · 26-04-2010 2:33pm

Just got forwarded on this:
http://gizmodo.com/5406415/laptop-reliability-study-asus-and-toshiba-come-out-on-top

Over 31 percent of laptops will fail in the first three years of ownership.
• Of these failures, two-thirds came from hardware malfunctions (20.4 percent) and one-third (10.6 percent) was reported as accidental damage.
• Asus and Toshiba were the most reliable manufacturers, with fewer than 16 percent having a hardware malfunction over three years.
• Netbooks are projected to have a 20 percent higher failure rate from hardware malfunctions than more expensive laptop computers.
• Manufacturers proved to be a more reliable determinant of reliability than the type of laptop and should be a greater factor in making a purchase decision.

Overheal · 30-04-2010 8:11pm

Yep.

Somewhere on giz there was also a handy chart that showed when you should repair/scrap a laptop based on Cost of the laptop, cost of the repair, and age.

A good ballpark though is if the Laptop is less than 2 years old, its almost always best to repair. After 3 years its the oppossite.

01-05-2010 10:57pm

Overheal wrote: »

A good ballpark though is if the Laptop is less than 2 years old, its almost always best to repair. After 3 years its the oppossite.

What should I do when its in between them though

On a serious note does anyone have any sites they'd recommend to purchase a top of the range laptop for around 1000e?

chughes · 07-05-2010 5:24pm

Some very interesting points in this thread which is relevent to me at the moment. I have a HP Pavilion laptop which is coming up to 5 years old and hasn't much longer to live. I'm thinking of getting a new laptop and I've been to Harvey's, PC World, etc. looking at what's currently available. A bigger harddrive is one of my requirements and I see a Packard Bell laptop in PC World with a 1TB hard drive.
My inclination is to go for another HP but this Packard Bell has grabbed my attention. Does anyone have any opinions/experience of Packard Bell laptops ?
I did notice that many laptop harddrive sizes seem to range from 240GB through 320GB to 500GB. An earlier poster mentioned that the lower end ones might be replaced with 500GB to 1TB in the not too distant future. Am I better waiting for this to happen ?
Any advice greatly appreciated.

kippy · 07-05-2010 5:31pm

USB 3.0 Might be worth a mention, although I havent seen it on any laptops over here as of yet.
As might Wireless N networking which seems to be on all machines at this stage.

Great thread by the way, I am on the lookout for a new laptop in the next few months.

Jaafa · 08-08-2010 12:37pm

Might I just add that Intels GMA HD cant really run many recent games even at low settings. Saying 'current generation' might lead people to believe you mean the last 1-2 years when I'm sure you meant last 5+ years of games.

cherryghost · 08-08-2010 1:38pm

Jaafa wrote: »

Might I just add that Intels GMA HD cant really run many recent games even at low settings. Saying 'current generation' might lead people to believe you mean the last 1-2 years when I'm sure you meant last 5+ years of games.

I'm able to play Modern Warfare 2 at a medium resolution at low-medium settings on an i3

Here's a quick rundown on the Intel HD and it's variable settings

http://www.notebookcheck.net/Intel-Graphics-Media-Accelerator-HD.23065.0.html

Jaafa · 08-08-2010 4:43pm

My mistake. I was thinking of the older version. Sorry.

20goto10 · 05-01-2011 10:03am

Are there any advances other than sheer power? A laptop is not much use if you have to plug it in every 1-2 hours. I'm on the lookout for a development laptop, must also have N wifi and handle HD playback. I'm looking for decent speed but coupled with long battery life and a good monitor.

cherryghost · 05-01-2011 11:39am

20goto10 wrote: »

Are there any advances other than sheer power? A laptop is not much use if you have to plug it in every 1-2 hours. I'm on the lookout for a development laptop, must also have N wifi and handle HD playback. I'm looking for decent speed but coupled with long battery life and a good monitor.

Power consumption is the main trend in the i3 and i5 series, as well as AMDs new flagship processors. While power consumption on processors have improved, graphics cards currently have not (until next february, when AMDs new 6xxx series cards will have about 30% less consumption than their previous models).

Battery life has improved, however not so much as the other hardware. It's only a matter of time though. In the meantime, the netbook remains king for battery life, at the expense of sheer grunt

mickeyfitzray · 06-01-2011 4:06pm

Really helpful post... thanks for that. Just one question. When you say "THE UM AND LM VERSIONS OF THE CORE I SERIES ARE REDUCED PERFORMANCE CPUS" will they specifically say UM or LM in the spec? The reason I ask is because I have never come across it. If not how do you spot it?

Voodu Child · 06-01-2011 4:42pm

mickeyfitzray wrote: »

If not how do you spot it?

It should be in the processor model name, but if its not you can spot it a mile away by the low speeds.

The Black Pearl · 17-01-2011 1:22pm

cherryghost wrote: »

Any questions? :pac:

Have you any details on the lastest generation of sandy bridge processors that were launched a couple of weeks ago? Read a few articles on them...
http://hothardware.com/Reviews/Intel-Core-i72820QM-Mobile-Sandy-Bridge-Processor-Review/

Im wondering firstly when will these processors be available for purchase in Ireland and will they offer much improvement from the first version of the i7 ?

I aim to spend about €1200 on a laptop shortly and am undecided whether to wait on these new ones to land.....

Jaafa · 17-01-2011 8:13pm

The Black Pearl wrote: »

Have you any details on the lastest generation of sandy bridge processors that were launched a couple of weeks ago? Read a few articles on them...
http://hothardware.com/Reviews/Intel-Core-i72820QM-Mobile-Sandy-Bridge-Processor-Review/

Im wondering firstly when will these processors be available for purchase in Ireland and will they offer much improvement from the first version of the i7 ?

I aim to spend about €1200 on a laptop shortly and am undecided whether to wait on these new ones to land.....

Yes they should be available anywhere. The main areas of improvements are in graphics and power consumption. As a result they should be able to run more games and graphic intensive programs. Also due to lower power usage they should run much cooler.

cherryghost · 17-01-2011 9:02pm

At the moment then new i series may be fairly expensive, but at least there's compensation in the fact that you could theoretically play games and render HD flawlessly without the need of a dedicated graphics card if your budget was tight.

At the end of the day, I'm very sceptical of price ranges for this new generation of Intel CPUs, in terms of the price rebranding of the current CPUs and if they will drop those prices.

At the moment AMD are in the driving pants for the mobile market. Their new Danube and Nile processor sets are fantastic value for money. You can get a Tri Core Danube processor for less than 400 euro which includes an integrated 4200 minimum integrated GPU core, more than enough for low detail gaming and HD playback and rendering.

AMDs new Nile processors will definitely change how we perceive Netbooks. AMDs processors have shown far faster capability at loading, compressing, rendering, and these Netbook processors have integrated 4200 GPU chipsets too, which is more than 3 times more powerful than the current Intel Atom and GMA breeds. To summarize, I think Netbooks may make a comeback this year, maybe in slightly larger format, at budget prices! AMD are looking to sell the chipset/CPU combo for 110 euro which is unbelieveable prices, so you'll be looking at about 200 for a brand new Netbook that can very well render HD, play games, and even has a built in HDMI connector on the board, all topped with a better power consumption than the Atom processors.

I put that as Intel 0-2 AMD, subject to Intels new i series pricing

Jaafa · 17-01-2011 9:22pm

cherryghost wrote: »

At the moment then new i series may be fairly expensive, but at least there's compensation in the fact that you could theoretically play games and render HD flawlessly without the need of a dedicated graphics card if your budget was tight.

At the end of the day, I'm very sceptical of price ranges for this new generation of Intel CPUs, in terms of the price rebranding of the current CPUs and if they will drop those prices.

At the moment AMD are in the driving pants for the mobile market. Their new Danube and Nile processor sets are fantastic value for money. You can get a Tri Core Danube processor for less than 400 euro which includes an integrated 4200 minimum integrated GPU core, more than enough for low detail gaming and HD playback and rendering.

AMDs new Nile processors will definitely change how we perceive Netbooks. AMDs processors have shown far faster capability at loading, compressing, rendering, and these Netbook processors have integrated 4200 GPU chipsets too, which is more than 3 times more powerful than the current Intel Atom and GMA breeds. To summarize, I think Netbooks may make a comeback this year, maybe in slightly larger format, at budget prices! AMD are looking to sell the chipset/CPU combo for 110 euro which is unbelieveable prices, so you'll be looking at about 200 for a brand new Netbook that can very well render HD, play games, and even has a built in HDMI connector on the board, all topped with a better power consumption than the Atom processors.

I put that as Intel 0-2 AMD, subject to Intels new i series pricing

While your prediction are optimistic...I don't we're going to see 200 euro netbooks of the quality your describing this year.

I mean honestly this is Ireland. Even if they made the cpu/chipset for 110 (and forgetting build cost,transport etc) you know retailer will always bump it up to at least 350-500 euro.

cherryghost · 17-01-2011 9:32pm

Jaafa wrote: »

While your prediction are optimistic...I don't we're going to see 200 euro netbooks of the quality your describing this year.

I mean honestly this is Ireland. Even if they made the cpu/chipset for 110 (and forgetting build cost,transport etc) you know retailer will always bump it up to at least 350-500 euro.

AMD have been constantly forcing those prices down the manufacturers throats, so hopefully there'll be some cheap enough ones cropping up online

The Black Pearl · 18-01-2011 12:10pm

Jaafa wrote: »

Yes they should be available anywhere. The main areas of improvements are in graphics and power consumption. As a result they should be able to run more games and graphic intensive programs. Also due to lower power usage they should run much cooler.

Thanks for the reply.......The newer versions were only launched in the US 2 weeks ago and I was under the impression they havent been released over here as yet?

I emailed HP about them and they said they the new ones would be "worth the wait".

magher · 20-01-2011 1:48pm

In the market for a 12-13.3" laptop, good review of $450 HP DM1z with the new AMD fusion chipset on engadget. Also looking into MSI U270 as it has a USB3 port.

Any idea when these fusion laptops will be sold in Europe/Ireland?

Would be great to get one shipped from USA, theres no way round customs is there?

Alanstrainor · 20-01-2011 4:23pm

I wouldn't be too pushed with USB 3.0 tbh, it's just not a big selling point for a portable laptop.

AMD's fusion looks very interesting though. No idea when it's coming to Europe though.

cherryghost · 31-05-2011 6:17pm

This thread needs a serious update a year on. AMD has released its budget 2 core, tri core and 4 core processors, and Intel has released its 2nd generation of Core i series processors.

AMD's Dual Cores

AMD has aimed 3 different groups of Dual Core processors:

P320, P340, N330, N350
These set of processors have decent speed, and about the same speed as some older Core 2 Duo processors of the same or slightly slower speed, with the added advantage of a lower power consumption. If you can find laptops with these processors, they've got very good battery life, topped with an integrated AMD graphics card on the majority of the models, enabling HD video playback and lower graphics gameplay on the cheap. Perfect for office work. Not recommended for photo/video editing.

P520, N540, N530, N550
These processors are slightly faster than the set above, with most laptops offering a slightly faster integrated graphics card. Not a whole lot of difference for multimedia playback from the entry CPUs, but is slightly more able for games, eg slightly old games on lowest settings. Can handle photo/video editing poorly.

P650, N620, N660
These processors are AMD's fastest mobile Dual Cores, and they only match up to Intel's i3 series entry processors. Purchase only if prices are below the i3 prices, as the integrated graphics on these AMD models are on par/slightly slower than the Intel HD. Can handle small resolution photo editing only.

AMD's Tri Cores

P820, P860, N840, N850, N870
AMD tripped up a bit on the Tri Cores, although it packs an extra core, the processor optimization is quite poor, and in some benchmarks are only slightly faster than Intels old Core 2's and AMDs Dual core processors. If you're using a program that optimizes more than 2 cores you'd notice a difference, but for some not justified in the extra price. Bearable for photo editing, only higher clocked tri core's recommended for slow video editing. Good battery life

AMD's Quad Cores

P920, P960, N940, N930, N950, N970, X620, X920, X940
AMD is still stuck behind Intel's architecture and it shows in AMDs Quad core processors. Performance wise, they're good for photo editing and bearable for video encoding, most of the Quad's should be on par with Intel's i5 series, with the X models (black editions) able to reach entry level first gen i7 laptops, very respectable and much cheaper if you can find models with the processor in it. The X models are very capable of photo editing and video editing, and most models with those processors come packed with a fast graphics card, for all round good performance.

Intels 2nd Generation

For many people, the 2nd generation of i series processors is an evolutionary leap, and come much closer to desktop performance than ever before. It firmly puts Intel ahead in the processor performance league.

i3

2310M
The entry level 2nd Generation i3 series are on par with the entry level i5 first generation at a much cheaper price. If you're on the market for a fast laptop at decent prices, I heartily recommend this range of processors. They're faster, very power friendly and come with the Intel HD 3000, which can handle modern games at low/medium settings with ease. Can handle photo editing well, and video editing bearable. Smooth HD playback.

i5

2620M, 2649M, 2629M, 2657M, 2617M, 2537M, 2540M, 2520M, 2515E, 2510E, 2410M
The i5 series yet again pushes it further and are faster than any of the AMD processors available on the mobile market. The integrated graphics on these processors are faster than the i3, therefore giving better gaming and editing performance.

i7

2920XM, 2820QM, 2720QM, 2715QE, 2710QE, 2635QM, 2630QM
The i7 mobile series are on par with the entry desktop i7 processors, which is amazing in its own. Definitely recommended for photo and video editing. The i7 comes with fast integrated graphics, though most laptops will offer a faster dedicated graphics solution on their i7 laptops. Recommended for gaming and serious video editing use.

Memory

Of course with the latest processors, the old DDR2 memory has officially been dumped, and optimize the faster DDR3, allowing for more snappy response times for loading programs/editing, as well as allowing for integrated graphics card to give way for faster speeds.

Graphics

The graphics segment has stagnated a bit lately. Nvidia's new graphics cards have managed to reach a point where they haven't pushed out desktop high performance, but have reduced power consumption, allowing for better battery life. The same applies to AMD, with only its dual graphics solution allowing for desktop performance. Intel's integrated graphics has increased performance, closing the gap slightly between dedicated and integrated, and is a cheap and cheerful alternative for entry level gaming/small scale editing.

Both Nvidia and AMD however have said they are committed to high performance and we could see an overhaul in performance by the end of this year.

In short: If you're on a tight budget, AMD's dual core solutions are very good and can be found at very reasonable prices. Intel's new entry i series offer better performance than the first generation i series processors at an almost similar price, so check to make sure you're looking at second generation processors

08-07-2011 2:45pm

Hi Cherryghost & other thread-viewers!

You say that the 2nd generation Intel i3/5/7 processors are a big leap forward.

I'm in the process of buying a laptop at the minute. The choice I'm faced with is either to get the latest models with the sandy-bridge processors, or for the same money, get last year's models at a discount with much higher clock-speed 1st generation core processor, such as this:http://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/Samsung_RF510-S05UK_Core_i5_Laptop_NP-RF510-S05UK/version.asp#specs

Most Core i5 2nd gen laptops (within my budget) have the 2410M processor (the lowest clocked i5). All other things being equal (RAM, GPU...) would the entry-level sandy bridge i5 be more powerful than a mid-range 1st gen i5?

Jerichoholic · 28-07-2011 1:59pm

Just wondering what games the ATI Radeon HD 4250 graphics chip would run. It's in a laptop I just ordered.

Hal Emmerich · 29-07-2011 2:06am

Delilah Small Penniless wrote: »

Hi Cherryghost & other thread-viewers!

You say that the 2nd generation Intel i3/5/7 processors are a big leap forward.

I'm in the process of buying a laptop at the minute. The choice I'm faced with is either to get the latest models with the sandy-bridge processors, or for the same money, get last year's models at a discount with much higher clock-speed 1st generation core processor, such as this:http://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/Samsung_RF510-S05UK_Core_i5_Laptop_NP-RF510-S05UK/version.asp#specs

Most Core i5 2nd gen laptops (within my budget) have the 2410M processor (the lowest clocked i5). All other things being equal (RAM, GPU...) would the entry-level sandy bridge i5 be more powerful than a mid-range 1st gen i5?

The i5 580 is the only one ranked higher than the 2410M of the older i5s.

here

i124Q · 10-08-2011 3:47pm

Hey, I hope this is the correct place to post this.

I want to buy a netbook for College work(Word, powerpoint...etc), coding(java, c++) with visual studio, browsing the net for notes and then maybe a bit of music on it too. Also GOOD battery life.

Where is the best place to buy a netbook in Dublin/on the net?
Budget is 200 euro. Can stretch a little more?

This seems like a nice little netbook
Should I grab it at just €200? If I put win 7 Pro on it, will it be ok do you wreckon?
Any other netbooks out there that are a better deal?

Thanks

Serephucus · 10-08-2011 3:50pm

ASUS have a new one coming out, though I'm not sure if it's out at present. It's the Eee PC X101.

http://www.asus.com/Eee/Eee_PC/Eee_PC_X101/

It's running MeeGo, but it should still handle what you want it to do. The advantage of this over the one you posted is that this is supposed to get about four hours battery life.

Buying a Laptop: The current Generation

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