Team-BHP - The Laptop Thread: Configs, deals & questions

Quote:

Originally Posted by tsk1979 (Post 1946183)

Firstly I am confused about processors
There is i3 i5 and i7. I understand the i7 is for hardcore performance freaks.
So for me its i3 or i5.
Whats the difference.

Both i3 and i5 are dual cores, with the major difference being that i5s have have hyper-threading and Turbo Boost.

Hyper threading means each physical core performs like two virtual cores. Of course, it's not as good as having double the number of physical cores, but gives performance gains nevertheless.

Turbo boost is useful when dealing with apps that aren't optimized for multi-cores. When only one core of the processor is being used, Turbo Boost automatically overclocks that core temporarily, giving performance boosts.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tsk1979 (Post 1946183)

Secondly what matters for video's graphics card or processor. should I save money get an i3 based laptop and look for a 1GB ATi Graphics card(instead of inbuilt intel graphics).

Dedicated graphics are important. Period. I can't stress enough on their importance. When websites like TomsHardware build gaming PCs with balanced configurations such that neither the CPU or GPU limit each other, they spend upto $250 on graphics cards with only $100 on CPU if they've got limited budget.

Of course, you don't have to go to that extreme levels, but yeah, go for a graphics card if possible. And secondly, Graphics memory isn't as important as the model number of the graphics card. Models are numbered such that an average Joe can tell which one is better without going into the technical specifications. But I don't think you get much choice with laptops.

I know I haven't provided an answer to 'Core i3 + Dedicated Graphics' or 'Core i5 + Onboard Graphics' but that's for you to decide, after evaluating your priorities.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tsk1979 (Post 1946183)

Last but not the least, is it true that with an Acer laptop I will get the same config for 40K what I get in Dell for 60K.

I too would love the answer to that question. Until recently, my perception of Acer has been of a cheap/inferior brand.

i tried out the acer 5740G before settling for an inspiron 15R.

If what you're looking is hardcore performance at reasonable cost, then the acer is your best bet. If I'd wanted a desktop replacement to use while i was still in tvm ( where I fairly know my way around the dealers and service centers) , I'd have picked it up in a snap

I went with the inspiron because it was lighter, and the peace of mind you get with the dell complete cover, and the fact that I'll be stuck in a city i dont know, where people speak a language i dont know, where having better service, especially onsite service is a boon!

Quote:

Originally Posted by tsk1979 (Post 1946183)

Last but not the least, is it true that with an Acer laptop I will get the same config for 40K what I get in Dell for 60K.

Models of similar configuration from Dell Inspiron range and Acer cost similar (hardly 3-4k diff). Dell Studio laptops cost 15-20K higher from Acer laptops of similar configuration.

All the laptop brands have budget models and premium models. If you go for budget range models, all of them cost similar prices for similar configuration. From my experience, I can say that even the build quality is similar for these laptops.

Dell/Lenovo/Toshiba/Sony won't provide you high performance laptops in budget model range. Acer does this. They provide a wide range of configurations. Other manufacturers are also slow in introducing latest hardware in India, and when then introduce it, they price it very high.

Quote:

Originally Posted by HellwratH (Post 1946278)

Don't know about the rest of the stuff, but the above statement is true as per my research. I have heard a lot of people complaining about Acer's build quality, but the funny part was that most of them never owned one. You might also be interested in Dell Inspiron 14R/15R or Sony EB14 etc. They'll fit in your budget with about +-5k.

True. I too heard lot of such statements. My experience is completely different. My first acer laptop is completing 5 years this September. It was dropped, kicked, thrown and tortured thoroughly by me and my daughter. Only twice, I had to contact their service center, first time is to replace the power adapter (in fourth year), second time is to replace the broken hinges (in its fifth year). The hinges are not available as the model is out of production for long. The battery now lasts only about half an hour (after 5 years) compared to 3 hours in initial days. I am still using it as a desktop replacement for my family use, and brought Acer 5740G three months back for my personal use. I never felt that acer laptops are cheap, even though they are pretty economical. Their build quality is acceptable to me.

Other brand laptops too gave no issues to me. The Toshiba laptop I used in office for three years gave no issues, so as the Dell studio that I have been using for the past two years. They provide better snob value and I still recommend them for business use and for image conscious.

Hello,

This is a very basic query, but i am unable to find an answer to this. I have a OEM netbook which i got from Shenzen during one of my busines trips. The netbook aka chottu, is working absolutely fine. The battrery lasts for a minimum of 4.5 hours.

There is a small glitch. Everytime i switch on the netbook, i have to hit Fn + F1 to switch on the wireless. Does anybody here know if there is a way to have it switched on as soon as the system is switched on everytime; like it is in most netbooks or laptops?

1. IS there a way to do it?
2. If yes, HOW?

Thanks a lot in advance.

Awaiting response.

HD

Quote:

Originally Posted by h@r$h@l (Post 1946837)

Check your BIOS settings. You need to watch out during initial boot screen to get into BIOS settings. It used to be F1 or F11, check it out.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tsk1979 (Post 1946183)

So whats the bottlenect for HD video playback and editing.
If I buy a new laptop what should I consider.

I have an intel U4100 1.3Ghz dual core, an energy sipper in my toshiba. and I play HD videos pretty well. Ram is 3GB.

interestingly VLC stutters while WMP plays them pretty well. I think because of some codecs it installed at one time.

I have not tried a lot of editing. As long as it's limited to splicing and joining, I will probably do it in camera itself. I am trying to explore linux based tools too, now that I have dual boot. I personally think MS movie maker in unnecessarily slow.

Finally got the Generation 4 HP Pavilion DV7!

Its a looker for sure and the performance has been surprising-

Standing next to my 6+ year Acer 14" work horse

The trackpad is a revelation

Tactile design in metal is a new experience

The 9 cell battery lifts the laptop up to enable cooling &

has its own indicator lights

Subwoofer makes its presence known-but cant find any software setting to adjust the same!

Chiclet keyboard and edge to edge HD display is great

Core i7 720 QM processor does get warm
17.3 inch screen is an absolute treat to use.
6GB DDR3 RAM at 1333 gave a WEI at 6.2

waiting to put a SSD in the second drive bay!

I have ordered a Pavilion DV6tin the below configuration.

• Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
•Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-450M Dual Core processor (2.40GHz, 3MB L3 Cache)with Turbo Boost up to 2.66 GHz
•8GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
•640GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
•1GB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 5650 switchable graphics
•15.6" diagonal High Definition LED HP Brightview Widescreen Display (1366x768)
•Blu-ray ROM with SuperMulti DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
•HP TrueVision Webcam + Digital Microphone
•Intel Wireless-N Card
•Full-size island-style keyboard
•High Capacity 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (standard)
•Microsoft(R) Office Starter 2010
• $1! SAVE NOW!! Norton Internet Security(TM) 2010 - 15 Month Subscription (activation required)

Total cost = $1030 (July 4th Sale). Shipping date is July 13th, i will get this laptop in the month of August. Any comments or suggestions on this config?