i3 with 2gb graphics or i5 with 1 gb graphics

[abhishek91]

Hey guys,
I'm basically interested in buying a new laptop for gaming and i've narrowed it down to 2 of them in my price range.


1. i5 3230M with 1 GB (AMD Mobility Radeon HD 8670M)

2. i3 3110M with 2 GB (AMD Mobility Radeon HD 8670M)

 

[DireMe]

Oh, tough one, I would get 2gb graphics I think, no i5 with 2gb GPU alternative?
2gb graphics will allow you to have better fps on games as well as adding screens via VGA alot smoother, i5 is better than i3 for gaming though... hmmm, tough, your call! My suggestion

 

[InvalidError]

i5 is better than i3 for gaming though...

One thing to keep in mind: many lower-end/lower-power i5 are dual-cores with HT and TurboBoost - as is the case with the i5-3230M.

Another funny thing is the tray prices for the i3-3110M and i5-3230M are both $225 and they are both 35W parts so in principle, both laptops should cost the same as far as CPU choice is concerned.

I really hate how confusing i5 and i7 become once you add mobile and low-power parts to the mix...
- i3: dual core with HT
- i5: dual core with HT OR quad core without HT, both with TurboBoost
- i7: dual OR quad core with HT and TurboBoost

You cannot rely on i5/i7 and their model number meaning anything, you have to check the specs to make sure you get what you expect.