Laptop For College(Computer Science)

[Ashwin Kumar]

Guys i'm now going to enter college(writing board exams now). And i want to ask you two questions,

1.Should i buy a laptop now or buy one after finishing the first year. I have this doubt because few of my friends recommended me to wait saying i wouldn't need a laptop for most of the first year and by the time i finish the first year i'll know which one to buy(And its gets a bit cheaper) and have a newer one. Others say its better to buy one now use it for four years then get a good one later and move on. So should i buy a lappy now or after a year?

2.Should i go for a 30-40k laptop now and again upgrade after 2nd or mid 3rd year to another 30-40k one then or buy something in the 50-60k region now and use it for the entire college life(4 years). Which would be better? I'm asking this because the 30-40k laptop which i get in maybe mid 3rd year or at the end of 2nd year would equally perform with the 60k one i get now.
(Which ones would you recommend Flipkart or Amazon(Indian Version plz no Amazon.com Links plz) or retail is also ok or if abroad need international warranty)
Note: I have a Windows 8.1 x64 license so even if it comes with DOS its ok for me.
Specs: Would prefer SSD(even if its 64 or 128 gigs over HHD)
13 inch screen and 1080p atleast(Higher better!)
Weight no problem(I mean it)
Battery atleast 4-5 hours otherwise its practically useless for me.
Ram bare minimum 4 gigs but would prefer a 8 gig one.
Softwares to run (Maya, Maybe one or two VM's, Unreal Engine 4,Photoshop,Visual Studio few other code related stuff)

Did i miss anything?

 

[boosted1g]

For a laptop to run Maya, Unreal Engine and multiple VMs you will need an i7 with a dedicated GPU. Anything else will struggle greatly. You wont find one with this power in the 13 inch category. You will have a few options in the 15.6" category but more in the 17" range.

For those programs 8gb should be your minimum, 16gb preferred.

You will need to do an SSD for OS drive (250gb would be sweet spot) and then a hard drive for files.
If laptop does not have 2nd slot for disk then you can replace the dvd drive with a caddy for a second drive

 

[Ashwin Kumar]

For a laptop to run Maya, Unreal Engine and multiple VMs you will need an i7 with a dedicated GPU. Anything else will struggle greatly. You wont find one with this power in the 13 inch category. You will have a few options in the 15.6" category but more in the 17" range.

For those programs 8gb should be your minimum, 16gb preferred.

You will need to do an SSD for OS drive (250gb would be sweet spot) and then a hard drive for files.
If laptop does not have 2nd slot for disk then you can replace the dvd drive with a caddy for a second drive

I understand you're trying to help me with the specs but you haven't answered any of the 2 questions! Thanks for replying though!

 

[boosted1g]

It sounds like you have a pretty good beat on what you need already so there is no reason to buy something low end now to then buy something high end in a year or two.

It looks like you are going to just have to get a high end laptop.
Only other option is a i3 level laptop for general school work and a desktop for Maya and all the other higher power stuff. Now I have no idea what your situation is if this would logistically work or if you need the portability to do Maya in the classroom.

 

[Ashwin Kumar]

Hey thanks for replying! Any particular suggestions? Lappy models, versions those kind of things(India)? No portability is the problem(I don't care a shit if it's heavy but should be movable). I need to share email room with five other guys so a pc is out of question. Who knows what they'll do to my pc when I'm not there and there are lots of other problems... Any particular laptop recommendations. I just looked at the new Mac lineup. Now don't get mad at me. You can get cheaper and better ones from others. But that's a problem. I don't k of why but here in India the competition is not doing good. The other Lappy miss something. And are overpriced compared to the US prices. So maybe a macbook pro with student discount? I know I can't game but man osx doesn't have so many and I really don't care. Plus the battery life 10+ hrs? No one else is nearby.. What's your take?

 

[abhisheksscorpion]

*Regarding you getting a lap in the first year or later into the college depends on the usage, though in the first year you"ll learn every basic subject from each of the stream and as far as coding is concerned, most probably you'd be limited to C/C++(maybe basic of JAVA). For these basic languages, computers in the Labs are enough. If you have some other stuff(the programs mentioned in the OP) and if your really into learning and get on with the coding from the first day itself, then only you"ll need a laptop Asap. Though i'd suggest you to get in the college, adjust with the new environment, take some time then decide.

*As mentioned by boosted1g, you'll need a i7 with a dedicated GPU/16 giggs esp. for Photoshop, After effects and all that stuff. Laptop with that config will cost you around ~65-80K. Get on a with a budget initially and i"ll throw some options.

 

[Ashwin Kumar]

Thanks for your reply! Maybe I should get one in the first year itself. Budget ok 2 ranges recommend some in the 40-50k region and some in the 50-65k region(max 70k ).Ill choose something out of these ranges. And if you ask me why two ranges.. I'd say the more I search what to buy the more I get confused. Currently I have Micromax Canvas HD(phone) with one sim slot broken this is not some Flagship phone but still does the job for me. I don't have a tab or a lappy and my pc in the house is just too old. I was just browsing and after the Mac confusion I saw the Surface Pro 3! And was blown away. A tablet(fully featured) plus lappy.. Should I buy this? The more I search the more confusing things get and the more angry I become seeing how cheap things are in USA compared to here.

 

[Ashwin Kumar]

Hi guys thanks for the input! Well now the situation has changed! My fathers friend is coming to India from USA in the August so i can get a lappy from USA. Ok so from what i see many guys seem to recommend to get the laptop in second year because you'll not need it in the first year and second skylake is expected to revolutionise the world.

I dont think i'll want to wait till second year for the first reason. I want to get into competitive coding and get into stuff from first year.My 11tha nd 12th wasn't their best so i want to make the best use of my college life and the time in hand.So if i wait for a year am i not losing almost a full year of practice? Second skylake thats arguable..Am i going to max out the PCI E 3 bandwidth no..Am i going to break the laptops processor width memory intensive stuff always mostly no.

And yes i dont want to compensate on warranty.Just incase it breaks what do i do isn't my 1000$ getting wasted? And at last is the risk really worth? I dont think so.

So guys should i really wait?

Well atlast i have a good news.If i am given a go to buy the laptop (I would still like to get some opinion from you guys on this) i can get it from USA in August 2015.My budget would be 1000$(Incase i wait for a year my budget would still be the same and i'm not planning to increase it) I've selected a few models which are around the 1000$ range which one do you think is the best?

1)ASUS ROG GL551JW-DS71($1072)
2)Lenovo Y50-70 Laptop - 59440646($990)

Or
1) Dell XPS 13(Second model)

Any other lappy recommendations with a service center in India would work for me!
As you see i again have a doubt should i go for a premium business laptop or stick with the medium to low end gaming rigs?I know the xps 13 doesnt have enough power compared to the other 2 but beats the **** out of them in battery, keyboard,weight.