Solved! Please Help me decide between these two options

[grit2112]

I need to replace a very large and very old desktop machine that my 9 year old been limping along on with something portable and cheap (can't be another desktop).

My budget for this caps at $350.

The uses will be web browsing, office apps, some multimedia, and very light gaming. I know that at this price point, I am not getting any kind of powerhouse, but I would still like to squeeze the most out of my limited budget -

These are the 2 I am looking at -

Toshiba C655 Laptop
http/www.bestbuy.com/site/Toshiba+-+Satellite+Laptop+/+Intel%26%23174%3B+Celeron%26%23174%3B+Processor+/+15.6%22+Display+/+2GB+Memory+/+250GB+Hard+Drive+-+Black/9988402.p?id=1218205766215&skuId=9988402

PROs - "laptop" - 2GB Ram (4GB max), full Win 7 home, optical drive, screen size
CONs - Larger, heavier, no integrated web cam, battery life

- OR -

ASUS 1015PEM Netbook
http/www.amazon.com/ASUS-Eee-1015PEM-PU17-RD-10-1-Inch-Netbook/dp/B0042TW0US/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1292042289&sr=8-4

PROs - Small, light, integrated web cam, good battery life, "Dual Core" processor
CONs - Win 7 starter, screen size, 1GB Ram (2GB max), no optical drive(not a big con)

I'm struggling with the compromises on both ends, so I want to know about straight up performance. How does the 2.2 ghz Celeron with Intel 4500M stack up against the Atom Dual Core N550 GMA 3150???


And -if there is a better portable option at $350 or less, I'd love the heads up! Thanks.

 

[WR2]

Hello grit2112;

What do you mean when you say 'very light gaming'? It's unclear what you actually mean.
You can pretty much rule out any ATOM netbook when it comes to anything but 2D gaming.
Also the 1024x600 screen size of the netbook isn't what you'd want for any type of gaming.
When you say 'office apps' do you mean multi-tasking? MS Office?

CPU/GPU advantage goes to the Celeron 900 single core CPU and GMA 4500 by a fairly wide margin.
Passmark CPU scores:
Intel Atom N550 @ 1.50GHz 567
Intel Celeron 900 @ 2.20GHz 766

Passmark GPU scores:
Intel GMA 3150 Express 69
Intel GMA 4500 Express 129

Do you want to talk about refurbished laptops? Used, but factory re-conditioned.
For $380 you could get a new HP Compaq Presario CQ62Z http/www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/shopping/computer_series.do?storeName=computer_store&category=notebooks&series_name=CQ62Z_series&a1=Category&v1=Everyday%20computing

 

[jaguarskx]

1st link doesn't work for me. It only brings me to BestBuy's homepage.

2nd link is to a netbook not a laptop. The difference is basically size, weight and overall performance. It should be enough to play some web browser games, but if you are looking to play something like Sims 3 or World of Warcraft, then I wouldn't bother.

I recall reading a thread where someone attempted to install Sims 3 on his/her netbook. Let's just say it never worked. In the end the netbook was ebay'ed at a loss and he/she bought an actual laptop to play "light" games.

 

[grit2112]

What I meant by light gaming, I just meant some 2D stuff, mostly some older games that I already know are running on the older desktop, which I believe is an old P3 (yikes!) and as for office, I meant MS office - word/excel/publisher/powerpoint - but the passmark scores basically settles it for me. I didn't realize the Celeron 900 would run so far ahead of that newest atom processor. I knew netbooks were underpowered, and really for a specific niche, but I had no idea HOW underpowered. Thanks for the info. Looks like the laptop will win this one.

Thanks!