Advice on buying a laptop (Please help)

allan2103

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Jan 19, 2012
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18,510
Hello. I'm 15 and I live in Brazil, but i'll be traveling to the US this february (more specifically to Ft. Lauderdale and Miami), and I pretend to buy a laptop. Could you guys please help me?
First, I need to state that it it almost mandatory that it is under USD 500,00 , because otherwise I'd have to pay some taxes to bring it here.
Alright, so now my needs:

I'll be using it as a home computer, which will be almost always plugged in. I need it to have an HDMI output, as i'll plug it into my TV. I don't care a lot for the size of the screen, but I think under 14" is very small.
I'll use it mostly for web browsing, downloading stuff (a lot!), video playing (mostly YouTube) and some light gaming, like a GBA emulator, some internet games and maybe World of Warcraft, or something like this.
I was thinking on buying one with an i5, which is what I think is necessary, but I would like to know if an i3 is alright for it. The reason is that the only computers I found like this with an i5 were some ASUS, Gateways and Acers. For the same price but with an i3 I could get an HP, maybe a Vaio and so on.
I don't have the option of buying a desktop, as it wouldn't fit in my luggage :( The prices here in Brazil are tremendously expensive, so this is why I need to buy there.
I'd like to state that my computer right now is an HP Pavillion dv2000, with an AMD turion 64 x2. I really hate this laptop, because it gets REALLY hot, it's very slow and the battery lasts like 30 min. Also, the CD drive and the SD card slot don't work anymore. This means I'd like a computer which runs cool, and that ANY computer I buy will be better that my own.
Sorry for the long post, and I'd really appreciate if someone read this and could give me some advice. Thanks!!!


Note: I've been to the US more than 10 times, so I'm not unfamiliar to the prices/stores, and me and my family don't have any problems communicating in english.

edit: I'm sorry I didn't explain it well. I thought about the i5 because there's one thing is mandatory for me: The laptop needs to be FAST. For turning on and off, for opening applications and for internet pages. Mine is really slow, and I'm traumatized with this. Do you think the i3 is good enough for me?
 

allan2103

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Jan 19, 2012
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18,510
If it is better, I can fill out the form:

1. What is your budget?
Preferably 500 dollars, but it can be a little more than that.

2. What is the size of the notebook that you are considering?
More than 14" of screen size.

3. What screen resolution do you want?
No preference.

4. Do you need a portable or desktop replacement laptop?
Desktop replacement. (I don't mind a portable, though)

5. How much battery life do you need?
Actually 1 hour is good, but preferably about 3.

6. Do you want to play games with your laptop? If so then please list the games that you want to with the settings that you want for these games. (Low,Medium or High)?
A GBA emulator, maybe WoW and internet/Facebook games.

7. What other tasks do you want to do with your laptop? (Photo/Video editing, Etc.)
Pretty much web browsing, video viewing and lots of downloads.

8. How much storage (Hard Drive capacity) do you need?
At least 320 GB, but 500 would be great.

9. If you are considering specific sites to buy from, please post their links.
bestbuy.com , walmart.com , samsclub.com and their stores.

10. How long do you want to keep your laptop?
At least 2 and a half to 3 years.

11. What kind of Optical drive do you need? DVD ROM/Writer,Bluray ROM/Writer,Etc ?
I don't need Blu-ray...

12. Please tell us about the brands that you prefer to buy from them and the brands that you don't like and explain the reasons.
I'd like advice on this...

13. What country do you live in?
Brazil

14. Please tell us any additional information if needed.
Waiting for a reply to give additional info if needed :)
 
Yes.
And it's the only option that lets you stay under your $500 goal.

@ Sam's Club: ASUS X53E-RH31 15" Notebook $498
Core i3-2330M 2.2Ghz CPU, 4GB RAM, 320GB HDD, 15.6" 1366x768 LCD w/ HD 3000 Graphics
@ Walmart: Dell Inspiron N5050 15" Notebook $478
Core i3-2350M 2.3Ghz CPU, 4GB RAM, 500GB HDD, 15.6" 1366x768 LCD w/ HD 3000 Graphics
@ BestBuy: Asus K53E-BBR11 $450
Core i3-2350M 2.3Ghz CPU, 4GB RAM, 500GB HDD, 15.6" 1366x768 LCD w/ HD 3000 Graphics

Intel HD Graphics 3000 review
 

allan2103

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Jan 19, 2012
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18,510
Thanks for the answer! I saw an i5 on Bestbuy, but I think it went out of stock, as it isn't advertised anymore or their website. Also, what do you think of AMD? Mine is terrible, but maybe the newer ones... I don't know. And do you think this ones are capable of this light gaming? Again, thanks!