Got your attention didn't I? Sorry, need some opinions here.
I've been browsing this forum for some time now reading through post after post about laptops.
A bit about me:
I'm looking to replace my desktop with a laptop.
I'm going to be using the laptop for general use, returning to college to learn how to program, and need it to be well built. I do not do intensive gaming, but enjoy strategy games like starcraft 2 (when it gets released) and of the like so I'm thinking the descrete graphics card option but feel free to educate me if this is necessary?
I'm looking to spend $800 - $1000 but could go just a bit more if I need to, or spend less if some of the stuff below isn't a decent performance gain.
I think I've narrowed it down to the T500 by Lenovo or the T500 . I was considering the E6500 and or one of the HP elite books but it appears that the T500 seems to offer the best bang for the buck in this class. I want to stay away from the consumer models as they just seem really cheaply built and they don't offer digital ouput docking solutions. (I'm going to be hooking this up to my new HP2475w IPS monitor. )
LCD Options: I've read that the WSXGA + is the best option for screen.
CPU: I'm not sure if I should focus on the P8600, the P8700, P8800, or T9400 etc?
The T9 series offers the L2 6MB cache vs. the L2 2MB cache - is this noticable?
RAM: The RAM comes in 2 -4 gb on most machines I'm seeing on the Lenovo outlet(new) site and ebay. Depending on the CPU, what is essential and at what point will I not notice a difference?
Harddrive: I'm thinking 160gb +, however, will I notice much of a difference between the 5400 vs the 7200 rpm version?
Docking station: Suggestions for ouputting to the HP2475w?
Graphics Card: Is the AMD M86M Switchable Graphics 256MB option a major upgrade? Will using the integrated intel 4500 suit my needs as a student programmer who games lightly?
This is the best spec'd-to-price analysis I've found: http/outlet.lenovo.com/laptops/thi...ca20564qu.html
I'd like to get input on each part if possible to help me determine if I need to spend this much or if the performance is minimal from this model over say a lighter spec'd version using the vs. categories above. Also, if you can post just a quick blurp about who you are (programmer, sales guy, tech geek) this will help me understand where the opinion is coming from.
Thanks for your time and input, it's greatly appreciated!
~Josh
Here's a format you can use for response, it would help me make an educated decision.
Who I am:
Opinion On
LCD:
Why:
Graphics Card:
Why:
Processor:
Why:
Memory:
Why:
Hard-drive:
Why:
Notes:
Here's a "safe" candy photo just to not completely mislead
I've been browsing this forum for some time now reading through post after post about laptops.
A bit about me:
I'm looking to replace my desktop with a laptop.
I'm going to be using the laptop for general use, returning to college to learn how to program, and need it to be well built. I do not do intensive gaming, but enjoy strategy games like starcraft 2 (when it gets released) and of the like so I'm thinking the descrete graphics card option but feel free to educate me if this is necessary?
I'm looking to spend $800 - $1000 but could go just a bit more if I need to, or spend less if some of the stuff below isn't a decent performance gain.
I think I've narrowed it down to the T500 by Lenovo or the T500 . I was considering the E6500 and or one of the HP elite books but it appears that the T500 seems to offer the best bang for the buck in this class. I want to stay away from the consumer models as they just seem really cheaply built and they don't offer digital ouput docking solutions. (I'm going to be hooking this up to my new HP2475w IPS monitor. )
LCD Options: I've read that the WSXGA + is the best option for screen.
CPU: I'm not sure if I should focus on the P8600, the P8700, P8800, or T9400 etc?
The T9 series offers the L2 6MB cache vs. the L2 2MB cache - is this noticable?
RAM: The RAM comes in 2 -4 gb on most machines I'm seeing on the Lenovo outlet(new) site and ebay. Depending on the CPU, what is essential and at what point will I not notice a difference?
Harddrive: I'm thinking 160gb +, however, will I notice much of a difference between the 5400 vs the 7200 rpm version?
Docking station: Suggestions for ouputting to the HP2475w?
Graphics Card: Is the AMD M86M Switchable Graphics 256MB option a major upgrade? Will using the integrated intel 4500 suit my needs as a student programmer who games lightly?
This is the best spec'd-to-price analysis I've found: http/outlet.lenovo.com/laptops/thi...ca20564qu.html
I'd like to get input on each part if possible to help me determine if I need to spend this much or if the performance is minimal from this model over say a lighter spec'd version using the vs. categories above. Also, if you can post just a quick blurp about who you are (programmer, sales guy, tech geek) this will help me understand where the opinion is coming from.
Thanks for your time and input, it's greatly appreciated!
~Josh
Here's a format you can use for response, it would help me make an educated decision.
Who I am:
Opinion On
LCD:
Why:
Graphics Card:
Why:
Processor:
Why:
Memory:
Why:
Hard-drive:
Why:
Notes:
Here's a "safe" candy photo just to not completely mislead