i5 3230M + 8 gb RAM or i7 3630QM + 4gb RAM

houlihj

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Sep 19, 2013
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10,510
Hi,

I am having a customised laptop built and I have achoice (due to my budget) of either an i5 3230M + 8 gb RAM or i7 3630QM + 4gb RAM.

I will use the laptop for the internet, HD sports streaming, database design, some gaming (WOW mainly), music streaming. I also like to have multiple windows open.

The RAM in the laptop is upgradeable so I am leaning towards the i7 option as it should last longer.

Would 4 gb of RAM be sufficient for my current needs or would I need to upgrade the RAM almost immediatley?

Is an i5 sufficient for my needs or would it be wiser to get a better processor?

thanks in advance for any answers and for taking the time to read this thread,

houlihj
 
Solution
I have an i7 3610QM and i recommend you getting the i7 3630QM if you want to future proof your laptop.
Multitasking will be much smoother with the i7.
I have an i5 2410M laptop before and jumping to an i7 really made a difference.
4GB RAM is enough for now.
RAM can be easily upgraded by adding another 4GB stick of RAM for a total 8GB of RAM.

UltimateDeep

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Oct 29, 2011
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Hey there,

Actually, 4GB RAM and a Core i5 is just right for your basic needs there.

The real use for Core i7s is for applications that need the processing power for processing media like Adobe Effects, Photoshop.

Well the option is totally up to you though.
 

unreal9400

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Aug 4, 2012
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I have an i7 3610QM and i recommend you getting the i7 3630QM if you want to future proof your laptop.
Multitasking will be much smoother with the i7.
I have an i5 2410M laptop before and jumping to an i7 really made a difference.
4GB RAM is enough for now.
RAM can be easily upgraded by adding another 4GB stick of RAM for a total 8GB of RAM.
 
Solution

benjii

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Oct 29, 2010
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18,570
Definitely go for the i7 and 4GB RAM as it's cheap and easy to upgrade RAM if you need to. I was in a similar situation to you when I bought my laptop, all I did was keep task manager open for a few days, watching the RAM usage, while I did a variety of things. I personally found 4GB wasn't enough for what I needed, however, it might be ok for you, just keep an eye on task manager.
 

houlihj

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Sep 19, 2013
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10,510
Thanks UltimateDeep, unreal9400 and benjii for your answers. I went for the i7 with 4 gb option as UltimateDeep quite rightly states that his option of an i5 with 4gb was sufficent for my needs but I knew I would kick myself if I did not attempt to future proof it.

Thanks all again for your help.