May 25, 2013
4
0
10,510
http://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-EliteBook-8440p-LAPTOP-250GB-INTEL-CORE-i5-2-4GHz-3GB-Windows-7-Pro-NOTEBOOK-/310675205312?pt=Laptops_Nov05&hash=item4855af6cc0

This is a laptop listing that I was considering because I had only found laptops with i3's that were above 300$, so this i5 laptop piqued my interest. Now knowing that it has i5 520m, I'm wondering if this does outperform other laptops with newer SB/IB i3's. I know that there are other factors, but I'm primarily focusing on cpu since this laptop would only be used for web browsing and Microsoft office.

Also, would the GMA graphics that this listed comes with would hold it back when it comes to loading images on webpages? Is that what the GPU primarily does there?
 
May 25, 2013
4
0
10,510
Nehalem is 6 year old architecture, if you're paying any kind of money for any laptop, always get the most current hardware you can.

I can understand that for any tasks that require any sort of moderate power like games, video editing, graphic desgin, etc., bu why would that matter that much for something that's generally required little power for a long time like web browsing? Also, I know that the technology is old, but I've been reading that it still holds up to SB/IB at least in the case of the i7's. People there don't seem to need or want the upgrade, and I'd just like to get the cheapest laptop that'll fit my needs well enough
 

g-unit1111

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As the newer generation of CPUs come out, the power requirements get lower, which means more battery life, which means that you'll be able to get far more use out of your laptop. My new Ivy Bridge laptop (Lenovo Y500) is a HUGE improvement over my old Core 2 Duo laptop. And not only in terms of batter life but also CPU power, GPU power, etc.
 
May 25, 2013
4
0
10,510
Alright, I made the switch to an ivy bridge i5 already since there were similarly priced laptops with that processor. The IGP definately ticked me off when I realized the laptop would run on some sort of GMA instead of intel HD. Still, I'd like to know the answer to my original questions in terms of performance rather than for my purchase since I've found IB cpu's at similar prices to nehalem.