(new laptop) Intel Core i3 (Arrandale) vs Intel Pentium (Sandy Bridge)

[illegaloperation]

I saw an Intel Core i3 laptop on sale and was trigger happy (never seen a Core i3 laptop as low of a price before). Now I just realized that in fact the laptop has a first generation (Arrandale) Intel Core i3. I have 30 days to return the laptop without restocking fee or shipping so I am wondering which laptop I would be better of.

Both of these Asus laptops cost exactly the same.

Laptop I bought
Intel Core i3 370M 2.4GHz (Arrandale)
4GB DDR3 memory
500GB Serial ATA hard drive (5400 rpm)
15.6" screen

the alternative:
Intel Pentium B960 2.2GHz (Sandy Bridge)
4GB DDR3 memory
320GB Serial ATA hard drive (5400 rpm)
15.6" screen

 

[Maxx_Power]

What is your main purpose with the laptop ? If you are just doing a bit of light work, either one will suffice. The Sandy Bridge will be quicker per clock, but the Arrandale has higher clocks and more cache.

 

[Maxx_Power]

See these two pages for a comparison of performance of the CPU only:

http/www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=Intel+Core+i3+370M+%40+2.40GHz

http/www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=Intel+Pentium+B960+%40+2.20GHz

Seems your arrandale is a bit faster.

 

[illegaloperation]

What is your main purpose with the laptop ? If you are just doing a bit of light work, either one will suffice. The Sandy Bridge will be quicker per clock, but the Arrandale has higher clocks and more cache.

For the most part, this laptop will just be doing homework for my (English ) professor.

I do play games sometime (aka on breaks)

 

[Maxx_Power]

For the most part, this laptop will just be doing homework for my (English ) professor.

I do play games sometime (aka on breaks)

Well, serious gaming is out of the question unless the laptops you quoted have some form of discrete GPU.

 

[illegaloperation]

Well, serious gaming is out of the question unless the laptops you quoted have some form of discrete GPU.

Nope, no serious gaming. Intel HD Graphics is not all that great.

Not sure if this is a good benchmark, but I've also look at the GPU.

For the Pentium B950 (can't find Pentium B960):
http/www.videocardbenchmark.net/gpu.php?gpu=Intel+HD+Pentium+B950

For the Core i3 370M:
http/www.videocardbenchmark.net/gpu.php?gpu=Intel+HD+i3+M+370

 

[Maxx_Power]

Nope, no serious gaming. Intel HD Graphics is not all that great.

Not sure if this is a good benchmark, but I've also look at the GPU.

For the Pentium B950 (can't find Pentium B960):
http/www.videocardbenchmark.net/gpu.php?gpu=Intel+HD+Pentium+B950

For the Core i3 370M:
http/www.videocardbenchmark.net/gpu.php?gpu=Intel+HD+i3+M+370

So it will have it that the two are close, with the Arrandale being less handicapped.

If you are not doing serious gaming, the arrandale is better (since the Pentium is so handicapped by intel).

 

[illegaloperation]

I am really surprise since the Intel HD Graphics in Sandy Bridge is suppose to be much faster than the one in Arrandale.

I guess that the Pentium is so handicapped that the improvement there doesn't show.

 

[illegaloperation]

Best answer selected by illegaloperation.

 

[GrantMech]

I'd return the first one and then go for one of these screamin' laptops. Man they're fast and worth every penny.