Want second opinion on laptop vs chromebook/desktop combo

[Ib2gr84u2c]

So i am going to get a computer for my sister, she needs one that will run basic windows programs like office, web browsing, basic computer stuff essentially. Her significant other games occasionally so i was thinking of maybe fitting a small dedicated gpu in there but thats partly why i'm writing this question. She started out wanting a Macbook Air, which me being a pc person hated at first. I've read some reviews and so far it seems the only pro the macbook has over a windows laptop is longevity, and even then i'm a bit skeptical. My ideal laptop would have an i7, decent hdd size, and most importantly price point under $800. Now i have put together two pcpartpicker lists of potential desktop candidates (i used htpc cases since she's plugging into her tv but mini itx would work too) and i would like some feedback on either improvements or completely new lists all together. A chromebook suggestion would be nice as well. So just to cut down on wording i'm looking for both a reason why i should go with either laptop or desktop/chrombook combo and then i would also like a bit of input on whichever one you sided with. Much thanks in advance!

PCPARTPICKERLISTS: http/pcpartpicker.com/p/zZ6FWZ - amd fx8350 build with gpu
http/pcpartpicker.com/p/qF7qLk -skylake i5 build

 

[ComputerSecurityGuy]

I would go Chromebook/PC combo. Laptops offer lousy price/performance. I'd recommend something like this personally:PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD Athlon X4 845 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($63.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock FM2A78M-ITX+ Mini ITX FM2+ Motherboard ($56.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: A-Data XPG V2 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($41.98 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($46.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 950 2GB Video Card ($127.99 @ Micro Center)
Case: Thermaltake Core V1 Mini ITX Tower Case ($32.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: Antec 450W ATX Power Supply ($31.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $432.89
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-04-30 11:56 EDT-0400
Along with a Tegra K1 based Chromebook or maybe even an HP 13. Look for 4GB of RAM, mostly.

 

[geofelt]

How much is portability necessary.
For portability, you want a laptop.
The Lenovo Y700 are often on sale and are customizable.

For a desktop, A build based on a I3-6100 would be cheaper and stronger than the i5-6500 or any FX in most any usage scenarios.
The only place where 4/6/8 cores helps is with multithreaded batch applications like editing/rendering.

The most important part for either is a SSD for windows it makes everything quicker.

 

[gondo]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor ($111.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Asus Z170M-PLUS Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($118.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($34.88 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($84.88 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($45.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 960 2GB SuperSC ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($159.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($48.99 @ NCIX US)
Wireless Network Adapter: Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I 802.11a/b/g/n/ac PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($29.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $635.60
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-04-30 12:53 EDT-0400


I used an I3 to keep the price down. I picked a Z-170 based Micro ATX board to match the case and give the Z170 features and DDR4 RAM. I uped the power supply to the much better B2 compared to the B1 series. I then upped the video card to the much better GeForce 960.

I didn't pick a case since it wasn't available. But I would go with the Fractal Design Node 804. it's a nice little Micro ATX Cube case around $70. It includes 3 120mm case fans so I didn't add any extras.

I removed the keyboard and mouse since you speced a wireless kit. For a living room I'd only go bluetooth for wireless since it'll have reach to hit the couch. Otherwise I'd go wired.

Another build would be to go AMD 6300 with 6 cores. Get a 990FX based board and overclock. It'll overclock better than your 970FX board and 8300 series CPU. But you need am aftermarket cooler with that, plus your sister won't really be into overclocking. And the board is only DDR3. I'd go with the more modern Skylake that is cool and efficient and reliable.

Another reason I choose that motherboard is that it has 2 PCI-E connectors. Many boards only have a single one right below the video card so when you install the wireless card it's jamed right against the video card fans. This board allows you to keep a space between them. I just took an Asus and didn't look at other brands.

Once you add the case your hovering around the $700 budget. You could also up the I3 to a faster model if the budget allows, or even an I5. But if the husband wants to game the Geforce 960 is a better choice and is very efficient. It will work for 1080P while the Radeon 960 is better at only 720p. I went with a cube case, but if a HTPC case is desired then go ahead.