HP G42t w/ i3

[Nosotros]

Hi,

I am looking for a laptop for college. I already have a desktop that I built, but now I am looking for a laptop for the mobility. Going to college with desktop + portable laptop combo was my plan all along.

I've considered netbooks, but I don't want to sacrifice performance that much just to get ultimate portability. I think a 13~14 inch is a perfect balance.

I've been looking at the HP G42t laptop base configuration with the processor upgraded from the pentium to the i3 350.
That setup costs $550.

Anyone have any suggestions for other laptops that meet my needs?

Thanks


-----------------------------------
My G42t customization: (only the processor is changed from the base configuration. the cpu upgrade costs +$50)
Color-----------------------biscotti
Operating system----------Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Processor------------------Intel(R) Core(TM) i3-350M Dual Core processor (2.26GHz, 3MB L3 Cache)
Graphics card--------------Intel(R) HD Graphics [HDMI, VGA]
Memory--------------------FREE Upgrade to 3GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
Hard drive------------------FREE Upgrade to 320GB 7200RPM Hard Drive
Office software------------Microsoft(R) Office Starter 2010
Security software----------No additional security software
Primary battery------------6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (standard) - Up to 5 hours of battery life +++
Display--------------------14.0" diagonal High-Definition HP BrightView LED Display (1366 x 768)
Primary optical drive-------SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
Personalization------------Webcam and 5-in-1 integrated Digital Media Reader
Networking----------------Wireless-N Card
Keyboard------------------Standard Keyboard
Modem Port----------------No Modem

--------------------------------


1. What is your budget?
-about $600

2. What is the size of the notebook that you are considering?
-13"~15"

3. What screen resolution do you want?
-no preference.

4. Do you need a portable or desktop replacement laptop?
-portability; I have a desktop for when I need the power

5. How much battery life do you need?
-I don't know... 4+ hours sounds good enough

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)?
-It is not for games. I would be cool if was able to play cs1.6, css, sc2, other lan party games at low settings.

7. What other tasks do you want to do with your laptop? (Photo / Video editing,watching movies, Etc.)
-N/A

8. How much storage (Hard Drive capacity) do you need?
-160gb will suffice. I'm just gonna save documents and powerpoints

9. If you are considering specific sites to buy from, please post their links.
-N/A

10. How long do you want to keep your laptop?
-four years

11. What kind of Optical drive do you need? DVD ROM/Writer,Bluray ROM/Writer,Etc ?
-DVD burner

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 will avoid gateway. I don't have a reason.

13. What country do you live in?
-USA

 

[IsabellaWinTeam]

Hi,

I am looking for a laptop for college. I already have a desktop that I built, but now I am looking for a laptop for the mobility. Going to college with desktop + portable laptop combo was my plan all along.

I've considered netbooks, but I don't want to sacrifice performance that much just to get ultimate portability. I think a 13~14 inch is a perfect balance.

I've been looking at the HP G42t laptop base configuration with the processor upgraded from the pentium to the i3 350.
That setup costs $550.

Anyone have any suggestions for other laptops that meet my needs?

Thanks


-----------------------------------
My G42t customization: (only the processor is changed from the base configuration. the cpu upgrade costs +$50)
Color-----------------------biscotti
Operating system----------Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Processor------------------Intel(R) Core(TM) i3-350M Dual Core processor (2.26GHz, 3MB L3 Cache)
Graphics card--------------Intel(R) HD Graphics [HDMI, VGA]
Memory--------------------FREE Upgrade to 3GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
Hard drive------------------FREE Upgrade to 320GB 7200RPM Hard Drive
Office software------------Microsoft(R) Office Starter 2010
Security software----------No additional security software
Primary battery------------6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (standard) - Up to 5 hours of battery life +++
Display--------------------14.0" diagonal High-Definition HP BrightView LED Display (1366 x 768)
Primary optical drive-------SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
Personalization------------Webcam and 5-in-1 integrated Digital Media Reader
Networking----------------Wireless-N Card
Keyboard------------------Standard Keyboard
Modem Port----------------No Modem

--------------------------------


1. What is your budget?
-about $600

2. What is the size of the notebook that you are considering?
-13"~15"

3. What screen resolution do you want?
-no preference.

4. Do you need a portable or desktop replacement laptop?
-portability; I have a desktop for when I need the power

5. How much battery life do you need?
-I don't know... 4+ hours sounds good enough

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)?
-It is not for games. I would be cool if was able to play cs1.6, css, sc2, other lan party games at low settings.

7. What other tasks do you want to do with your laptop? (Photo / Video editing,watching movies, Etc.)
-N/A

8. How much storage (Hard Drive capacity) do you need?
-160gb will suffice. I'm just gonna save documents and powerpoints

9. If you are considering specific sites to buy from, please post their links.
-N/A

10. How long do you want to keep your laptop?
-four years

11. What kind of Optical drive do you need? DVD ROM/Writer,Bluray ROM/Writer,Etc ?
-DVD burner

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 will avoid gateway. I don't have a reason.

13. What country do you live in?
-USA

Hi there,

This is a great option that seems to suit your needs well. The specs are definitely adequate for the uses that you described. Another laptop worth checking out is the Dell Studio 15 because it has very similar specs (fast i3 processor, 4 GB of RAM, and 500 GB of hard drive space) and is also affordable at $649.

I hope this helps.

Cheers,
Isabella
MSFT Windows Outreach Team

 

[neonmonkey]

Hello, I would strongly recommend against getting an HP, they're hardware on average lasts a couple years less than other brands. Here are some other good options:
http/www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220790

http/www.bestbuy.com/site/Gateway+-+Laptop+/+Intel%26%23174%3B+Core%26%23153%3B+i3+Processor+/+14%22+Display+/+4GB+Memory+/+500GB+Hard+Drive+-+Silver/9972848.p?id=1218202944334&skuId=9972848

 

[Nosotros]

Thanks IsabellaWinTeam
The hp I was looking at has 3gb. for the tasks I mentioned, is 3gb enough?

neomonkey, Interesting, I've never heard of a study saying that. I thought all laptops break down at about the same rate across different brands. And that makes sense because all laptops are basically the same hardware inside with different shells. Of course, there are always personal experiences that leave a bad taste. I am personally going to avoid gateway.

 

[IsabellaWinTeam]

Thanks IsabellaWinTeam
The hp I was looking at has 3gb. for the tasks I mentioned, is 3gb enough?

neomonkey, Interesting, I've never heard of a study saying that. I thought all laptops break down at about the same rate across different brands. And that makes sense because all laptops are basically the same hardware inside with different shells. Of course, there are always personal experiences that leave a bad taste. I am personally going to avoid gateway.

Hi there,

Yes, 3 GB of RAM should be sufficient for the tasks you described. Unless you are planning on power gaming, 2 GB is usually enough (although most laptops usually have more than 2 GB of RAM). Check out this guide on PC Scout for a more in-depth explanation of how RAM affects the speed of your laptop: http/www.microsoft.com/Windows/pc-scout/laptop-speed-facts.aspx.

Cheers,
Isabella
MSFT Windows Outreach Team

 

[Nosotros]

I have decided to get this laptop from newegg. I will order it tomorrow.

http/www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220790

Thanks for your feedback Isabella!

 

[IsabellaWinTeam]

I have decided to get this laptop from newegg. I will order it tomorrow.

http/www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220790

Thanks for your feedback Isabella!

Hi there,

That looks like a great choice! I enjoyed helping you out.

Cheers,
Isabella
MSFT Windows Outreach Team

 

[Nosotros]

Best answer selected by Nosotros.