LapTop Specs - any suggestions?

[steved110]

I'm thinking about getting a laptop - I've always had a desk top PC but my current one is 3 years old, getting a bit tired and slow, and makes funny noises sometimes ( everything is backed up )

I'm tempted to go for a laptop as an addition - I won't dump the desk top till it croaks - but was wondering what I really need in a laptop, spec-wise.

I'm not a gamer, but do like the odd one. I mainly run word processing, elements, iTunes, IE7. and the thought of browsing POTN from my bed appeals too....

The things I'm not sure what is worth spending money on are:

1. chip - what kind, how fast, AMD, single or dual?
2. How much RAM ( all laptops in the UK are now vista and I'd probably end up with home premium
3. Hard drive - how many Gb ? I think 120 would be OK as I can always get more USB hard drives - they are getting cheaper and cheaper.
4. Graphics card and RAM? Bearing in mind i like games, like modern apps but am not a gamer - what would be a sensible level to aim for?

The machines i have thought looked reasonable have been 17 inch widescreens, 2 Gb RAM, 120 Gb hard drives, 1.66 to 1.8 chips - but i'm not sure about the dual core thingy. Graphics cards just numb my brain - usually I ask the sales guy what isa good one, and get that...

And of course anything else i have left off - I am a user of computers, not an understander of computers. But i do know I don't want a mac.

Thanks for advice!

[AirBrontosaurus]

Chips - Go Intel. They are absolutely wiping the floor with AMD right now, and anything AMD offers, Intel offers cheaper, faster, and better. I'd recommend about something like the E2160 processor or better.

DEFINITELY GET DUAL CORE! You will be very happy with it.

RAM - 2GB is most likely OK, but I run 4gb and love it. However, you'll need a 64-bit OS to properly utilize 4GB of RAM. If you know you're going to use Vista home, then 2GB is your best bet.

Hard drive - Depends a lot on what you want to do. Photos, videos, and games eat up space quickly. If you know you'll be getting some USB hard drives, then get the fastest hard drive you can and use it for your OS and apps, and then the USB drives for storage.

Graphics card - Laptop GFX cards are tricky. They're usually very expensive and relatively terrible. I'd recommend getting an nVidia mobile 6000 series if you like to game moderately, and a 7000 series if you game heavily. What games do you like to play? That will really help me discern which card to recommend to you.

Other thoughts: A 17" laptop screen is pretty darn big. How portable do you want this to be? Larger laptops are a pain to move around, heavier, and generally have less battery power.

[BigBlueDodge]

There a thread already discussing this here. The advice in that thread should pretty much answer your questions.

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=447978

[steved110]

There a thread already discussing this here. The advice in that thread should pretty much answer your questions.

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=447978

Thanks for the link - I miised that thread - pretty comprehensive advice in there!