Choosing between laptops for light gaming (Sims 3/4, The Walking Dead) and school?

CraveThatMineral

Estimable
Feb 11, 2015
1
0
4,510
Hey! So my computer recently went bust and I've been looking for a replacement. I'm a student who needs a laptop for word-processing/internet browsing/etc., but I would also like it to be able to play a few games, such as The Sims 3 (possibly 4) and The Walking Dead - I'm not a hardcore gamer, so I don't really want to spend a crazy amount of money just for a few games. My budget is somewhere between £500 - £800, but I'm aware that I'm quite unlikely to find anything decent under £600.

My search has brought me down to 3 options that I'm struggling to choose between, and this is where I would appreciate some help.

LAPTOP 1: HP Envy TouchSmart 15-j184sa (http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/laptops-netbooks/laptops/laptops/hp-envy-touchsmart-15-j184sa-15-6-touchscreen-laptop-silver-10011535-pdt.html#cat-0)
The only thing that I immediately notice is that I might need to bump up the RAM to 6GB/8GB, but I'm not sure how easily this can be done.

LAPTOP 2: PC SPECIALIST Cosmos II RS-840 (http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/laptops-netbooks/laptops/laptops/pc-specialist-cosmos-ii-rs-840-15-6-gaming-laptop-10004798-pdt.html#cat-0)

LAPTOP 3: ASUS n550jk (http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/laptops-netbooks/laptops/laptops/asus-n550jk-15-6-touchscreen-laptop-silver-10010938-pdt.html#cat-0)

Since the laptops vary so much in price, I was wondering if paying more would make much difference to performance or if I could get away with a slightly cheaper laptop.

I know very little about computer specifications and what they mean so I would be really thankful for any advice or guidance. Thanks :)
 
Solution
The third would be the best pick, as it has the better dedicated card. Then 2, RAM is probably the easiest upgrade for a laptop, but you shouldnt need to as it uses the GPU VRAM (it has 2GB itself) for gaming. The first you have listed may be the least expensive, but you wont really be able to game much with it.

Xibyth

Estimable
Mar 22, 2014
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4,610
The third would be the best pick, as it has the better dedicated card. Then 2, RAM is probably the easiest upgrade for a laptop, but you shouldnt need to as it uses the GPU VRAM (it has 2GB itself) for gaming. The first you have listed may be the least expensive, but you wont really be able to game much with it.
 
Solution