Sorry to dig up this now-ancient thread, but with my birthday fast approaching I've decided it's finally time to do away with my frustratingly slow desktop and treat myself to a shiny new laptop.
Problem is, there's so much choice out there, and I need to be sure I'm making the right decision before parting with so much cash, so I'm wondering if anyone can offer some advice.
So far I'm looking for a machine that costs less than £500 (preferably), has a fairly capable processor and dedicated graphics (because we all know how good Intel's integrated graphics are...).
Obviously, it needs to be able to run PotC quite well, along with Maya 2012 and GIMP as the 'modding essentials' I use. I'd also like it to be capable of running fairly modern games smoothly, thinking of when Hearts of Oak finally materialises over the coming months/years.
I reckon the main things I need to think carefully about are the following (along with anything else people can think of):
Processor: Many machines I've looked at in this price range come with the latest Intel Core i3 or i5 dual-core processors; which of these would be more worth getting? As for AMD alternatives, I've only really found the A8 quad-core processor as a good contender, but some are saying it's inferior to the Core i3/5 in some ways. So is it worth considering?
Screen size: The majority of laptops I've looked at have 15.6" screens at a 1366x768 resolution, and some more expensive variants have 17.3" screens at 1600x900.
Considering my current screen has a resolution of 1400x900, would it be too much of a 'downgrade' going with a 15.6" screen? Or would the difference not have any adverse effects?
Windows 8? As a Vista user for the last five years (five... long... years...), I'm going with the idea that
anything is an improvement, whether it be Windows 7 or Windows 8.
Now, I've read some reviews for Windows 8 that don't seem to highlight any major faults, and even praise many of the new features, so I'm highly tempted to go with it (especially with support for touchpad gestures on laptops that have them). So I have to ask: are there any reasons why I definitely SHOULDN'T get Windows 8? And has anyone tested PotC or CoAS on it yet?
The rest of the specs, I'm less concerned about. It looks like at least 4GB or RAM and 500GB of storage are fairly standard (compared to my PC's 2GB RAM and 72GB internal + 50GB external storage).
Wireless options, battery life and such look good too. Dedicated graphics should be fine in any case.
For reference,
HERE is a laptop I'm tempted to buy, at the cheapest price I've found it, from a reliable retailer. I've seen some excellent reviews for it, and heard it's great value for money (and it improves on every aspect of my current PC, which is most important).
If anyone has any comments or alternative suggestions, I'd greatly appreciate it.