Laptop for pursing a Major in Cyber Security

[keven0044714]

I'm a freshman in college getting a major in Information Technology. I'm on my journey pursuing a career in Cyber Security. I want to buy a laptop good for programming (Java, C/C++, disassemblers, and assembly language, Python). I would assume that the most important part of a laptop for programming. would be the processor and ram. But I'm not sure what laptop I should purchase. $500-$800 is my budget. Obviously, the cheaper the better. If you guys have any suggestions let me know.

Thanks

 

[dorsai]

For programming the CPU is secondary unless you'll be spending a lot of time compiling...any i7 should be more than enough. I'd be more concerned with memory size and having a fast SSD drive for storage.

Something like this but with an SSD hard drive should be plenty to get started...

https/www.bestbuy.com/site/hp-17-3-laptop-intel-core-i7-8gb-memory-1tb-hard-drive-hp-finish-in-jet-black/5884843.p?skuId=5884843

 

[coozie7]

Where do you live? The Dollar sign covers plenty of countries and prices vary wildly according to location.
I'm no expert in laptops, but in the desktop world you'd want a decent quad cored CPU and 16Gb of RAM, the quad for multitasking and the memory to give the CPU some breathing room, but I doubt you'll need an i7, an i5 would be plenty, but I'm ready to be corrected here.

And, from the Department of Obvious Suggestions: Please get yourself a good, strong backup system, HDD, USB drive/s, tape storage or an external HDD to secure your work, even if you have to purchase a less capable main system to do so. If I loose a drive it's 'ho hum I have to reinstall my games' but you know full well your system will go down days before your Finals because Murphys Law says it must be so.