Is a i3-3217U good for Windows 8?

[rjo98]

I'm looking to get a Windows 8 machine this Christmas, and the one I think I want has this processor in it.
3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i3-3217U processor (3M Cache, 1.8 GHz)
What type of a machine would you say this is good for? Just a basic Word document, internet browsing, emailing machine? or should this processor be able to handle more than just the basics?

 

[ronintexas]

There are four main parts to choosing a computer/laptop:
1) RAM - The more RAM you have, the more things you can do at one time (i.e. tabs in an internet browser, applications, etc.)
2) Hard Drive - This is permanent storage - the more applications and/or data (pictures, music, videos, documents) you want to put on the computer, the more storage you need.
3) GPU (Video) - if you are a gamer (play games like Battlefield) or utilize graphics programs like Adobe Photoshop, getting a better GPU will speed things up.
4) CPU - the CPU is the brain of the computer, and will process the instructions given to it from the operating system and applications that are launched. The more complex the program, the more CPU is needed for speed.

The Core i3-3217U is a good CPU for general use computing. It will handle most of your internet browsing, standard applications (non-graphic intensive) and basic games. Make sure you get at least 4GB RAM with the laptop - and it would be good to have an upgrade path to 8GB or more.

 

[rjo98]

OK, thanks. I can't remember how much RAM came with it standard, but i'll have to doublecheck. I'm just looking for something to do the general stuff, not playing any hardcore games or anything.

 

[jaguarskx]

You can do just about anything with it like watching movies. The two exceptions I can think of are:

1. Not really good for playing games. Which you do not plan on doing anyway.
2. Very CPU intensive tasks like 3D rendering and encoding videos. The relatively weak CPU will mean it will take a long time to do those tasks.

 

[rjo98]

OK, thanks. Sounds like this will work for the light uses I want it for then. Thanks everybody.

 

[rjo98]

it is 4GB RAM too

 

[jaguarskx]

4GB is fine for your needs.

My gaming laptop only has 4GB of RAM (2x 2GB sticks) and it is fine.