Good laptop for computer science major?

Jordannn15

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Jun 2, 2012
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I am looking for a laptop to get me through college atleast.

Things I want:
-1920x1080 display
-i7 processor 2 ghz+
-ssd for os and storage
-number pad

Things I dont care about:
-gaming

Not sure what its going to cost for what I want so I will just say the cheaper the better!

 
Solution
Well, if you aren't going to build it yourself the SSD will increase the price on a custom laptop quite a bit.

One of the more popular ones available right now is the HP Envy 15t 15.6" laptop at:

http://www.shopping.hp.com/en_US/home-office/-/products/Laptops/HP-ENVY/G0T95AV?HP-ENVY-15t-Laptop

If you want an SSD, you can get a 256GB model, but that also requires that you get an NVIDIA GPU (as it comes with the low power Intel i7 CPU).

I customized one for $955 that has the following:

Windows 8.1 x64
Intel i7-4510U CPU with
NVIDIA GeForce 840m GPU (middle option on CPU selector)
8GB RAM
1920 x 1080 display (higher resolution than default)
256GB Flash Solid State Drive
802.11b/g/n WLAN and Bluetooth® [1x1] (HP seems to hate...

wildfire707

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Dec 29, 2011
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Well, if you aren't going to build it yourself the SSD will increase the price on a custom laptop quite a bit.

One of the more popular ones available right now is the HP Envy 15t 15.6" laptop at:

http://www.shopping.hp.com/en_US/home-office/-/products/Laptops/HP-ENVY/G0T95AV?HP-ENVY-15t-Laptop

If you want an SSD, you can get a 256GB model, but that also requires that you get an NVIDIA GPU (as it comes with the low power Intel i7 CPU).

I customized one for $955 that has the following:

Windows 8.1 x64
Intel i7-4510U CPU with
NVIDIA GeForce 840m GPU (middle option on CPU selector)
8GB RAM
1920 x 1080 display (higher resolution than default)
256GB Flash Solid State Drive
802.11b/g/n WLAN and Bluetooth® [1x1] (HP seems to hate Bluetooth, so it is optional)

Quick note - given the video card, this laptop can game using at least medium settings, and some games at high settings.

Not a bad deal, but still pretty expensive. As always with laptops, ideally you would try one out first that is in the same series (Envy 15t) before you decide to purchase one.

I think that the 15.6" size is ideal for a laptop that you want to use on the go. A 17" model may be fine if you plan to treat it more like a desktop and not tote it around very often.

Other custom laptop vendors can also deliver ones that meet your specifications, but it is unlikely that you will find one to try out unless you know someone that has one (like Sager or MSI).
 
Solution

arsenalfun

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Apr 3, 2012
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I think you will go very well with Lenovo Y50. I did some comparison (see my sig) and I find that LENOVO is your best bet if you are looking for sturdy + quality + decent gaming equipment. It comes with 8 GB RAM, but keep in mind that my brother has a PC 4 GB RAM and he plays NFS Rivals! As you need a laptop to study, science etc, I think that this will laptop will serve you well as it comes i7 processor .. i did some comparison so you can check out my sig as well... good luck.
 

Jordannn15

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Jun 2, 2012
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Your sig isn't there or it's not showing up not sure why? Yeah I would like 8gb ram, good ssd with a decent amount of storage, i7 cpu, 1080p display, but I don't care about a gpu so that can just be like the integrated graphics that intel has like the hd 4600 graphics or something. Is there another laptop that has the stuff I want without an expensive gpu? There should be a laptop that is a decent price without the graphics card because I figure that's what makes the others over $1000 right?
 

Jordannn15

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Jun 2, 2012
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That one has very good options here is what I changed it too:

Components:
• Windows 8.1 64
• 4th generation Intel® Core™ i7-4710HQ Quad Core Processor + Intel® HD Graphics 4600
• 15.6-inch diagonal Full HD WLED-backlit Display (1920x1080)
• 8GB DDR3L System Memory (1 Dimm)
• 1TB 5400 rpm Hard Drive WOULD UPGRADE WITH A GOOD SSD(Should I get a 256gb or 512gb?)
• 4-cell 48WHr Lithium-ion Battery
• SuperMulti DVD burner
• Backlit Keyboard with Fingerprint Reader
• HP TrueVision HD Webcam with Dual Digital Microphone
• 802.11b/g/n WLAN [1x1]

Total for this is: $719.99 + cost of ssd obviously

Is this a good setup?
 

wildfire707

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Dec 29, 2011
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Yes, that would be my normal choice if you add bluetooth for another $10. If you install the SSD yourself and do a drive copy or clean install of Windows 8, a Crucial MX100 would be my normal SSD of choice. It is the most cost effective and has excellent power usage. The 512GB model is $220, and the 256GB model is $115.

Either SSD size would be fine, it is just a question of future proofing and how much stuff you want to keep on the drive.
 

Jordannn15

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Jun 2, 2012
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Yeah the mx100 was my choice too and $220 for 512gb is pretty good. I dont really like windows 8 and I already have a copy of windows 7 pro 64-bit so I'll use that. Any other suggestions?
 

wildfire707

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The Creative T3150 Bluetooth speakers are pretty good. If the laptop has Bluetooth and your cellphone does as well, you can play music from either one for $50.