Sub-£350 powerful laptops discussion

Jed_Maxwell

Jed_Maxwell wrote: »

Not sure if anyone can help but i'm looking to buy a laptop.. budget is around 600..Needed for playing games.. surfing web etc.. I have come up with this one but am unsure if its a good deal?
Acer Aspire 5745pg Core I3 Laptop £620 (sorry can't post a link as i'm a new user).
I'm also unsure how good the graphics card is NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M ..although I suspect its a lot better than the intel HD graphics??

Any help appreciated..

Opps.. Just realised this is a sub £350 thread.. Sorry.

twinkle162

I've been perusing laptops, decided that would be better than a netbook for the money, budget appox less than 350.

The best two seem to be the ACER ASpire 5532 and 4732Z from Argos, specifications as below. The important things to me are screen size, would like a webcam if possible, the only thing putting me off the ACER is the low battery life. Any suggestions?

Acer Aspire 5532 320GB 15.6in Laptop.

CPU and Memory:

• AMD Athlon X2 dual core L310.
• 1.2GHz processor speed.
• 1MB cache.
• 3GB DDR2 RAM memory.
• 320GB hard drive.

Display features:

• 15.6in display.
• High definition display.
• Resolution 1366 x 768 pixels.

DVD optical drives:

• Dual layer.

Graphics:

• ATI Radeon HD with 512MB memory.

Interfaces and connectivity:

• 5-in-1 media card reader.
• Secure Digital (SD), Memory Stick (MS), Memory Stick Pro (MS-Pro), xD, Multi-Media Card (MMC) compatible.
• 2 USB ports.
• 1 Ethernet port.
• B/g/n wireless/WiFi enabled.

Multi-media features:

• Built-in webcam.

Operating system and software:

• Microsoft Windows 7 Premium.

Software included:

• Microsoft Home Office and Student (trial Version).
• Anti-virus and security (trial version).
• Microsoft Works.
• Adobe Reader.

Preloaded manufacturers suite of applications include:

• Music.
• Photo.
• Movie.
• Business.
• Tuition.
• Gaming.

General features:

• Up to 2.5 hours battery life.
• Size H2.6, W37.2, D24.6cm.
• Weight 2.7kg.

Additional Information

* Please note item 5083280 has previously been on sale at £379.99.
Current selling price valid until 23/11/2010



Acer Aspire 5732Z 250GB 15.6in Laptop.

CPU and Memory:

• Intel Pentium dual core T4400.
• 2.2GHz processor speed.
• 1MB cache.
• 3GB DDR2 RAM memory.
• 250GB hard drive.

Display features:

• 15.6in display.
• High definition display.
• Resolution 1366 x 768 pixels.

DVD optical drives:

• Dual layer.

Graphics:

• Intel GMA with 64MB memory.

Interfaces and connectivity:

• 5-in-1 media card reader.
• Secure Digital (SD), Memory Stick (MS), Memory Stick Pro (MS-Pro), xD, Multi-Media Card (MMC) compatible.
• 2 USB ports.
• 1 Ethernet port.
• B/g/n wireless/WiFi enabled.

Operating system and software:

• Microsoft Windows 7 Premium.

Software included:

• Microsoft Home Office and Student (trial Version).
• Anti-virus and security (trial version).
• Microsoft Works.
• Adobe Reader.

Preloaded manufacturers suite of applications include:

• Music.
• Photo.
• Movie.
• Business.
• Tuition.
• Gaming.

General features:

• Up to 2.5 hours battery life.
• Size H2.6, W37.2, D24.6cm.
• Weight 2.7kg.

Additional Information

Current selling price valid until 23/11/2010

Chuffster

Hi, I want to buy a laptop which I will use for web browsing, spreadsheet work, downloading music and watching films. I would like a built in webcam and at least 250GB hard drive. Ideally I would like to spend around £300 but could spend a little more for the right laptop. I don't know anything about processors, RAM etc so don't know what would be ample for me. I would consider a refurb but would prefer to buy new. Please could somebody recommend a reliable machine that would be suitable for me? Any help would be greatfully received. Thanks

Knarf44

twinkle162 wrote: »

I've been perusing laptops, decided that would be better than a netbook for the money, budget appox less than 350.

The best two seem to be the ACER ASpire 5532 and 4732Z from Argos, specifications as below. The important things to me are screen size, would like a webcam if possible, the only thing putting me off the ACER is the low battery life. Any suggestions?

Acer Aspire 5532 320GB 15.6in Laptop.

CPU and Memory:

• AMD Athlon X2 dual core L310.
• 1.2GHz processor speed.
• 1MB cache.
• 3GB DDR2 RAM memory.
• 320GB hard drive.

Display features:

• 15.6in display.
• High definition display.
• Resolution 1366 x 768 pixels.

DVD optical drives:

• Dual layer.

Graphics:

• ATI Radeon HD with 512MB memory.

Interfaces and connectivity:

• 5-in-1 media card reader.
• Secure Digital (SD), Memory Stick (MS), Memory Stick Pro (MS-Pro), xD, Multi-Media Card (MMC) compatible.
• 2 USB ports.
• 1 Ethernet port.
• B/g/n wireless/WiFi enabled.

Multi-media features:

• Built-in webcam.

Operating system and software:

• Microsoft Windows 7 Premium.

Software included:

• Microsoft Home Office and Student (trial Version).
• Anti-virus and security (trial version).
• Microsoft Works.
• Adobe Reader.

Preloaded manufacturers suite of applications include:

• Music.
• Photo.
• Movie.
• Business.
• Tuition.
• Gaming.

General features:

• Up to 2.5 hours battery life.
• Size H2.6, W37.2, D24.6cm.
• Weight 2.7kg.

Additional Information

* Please note item 5083280 has previously been on sale at £379.99.
Current selling price valid until 23/11/2010



Acer Aspire 5732Z 250GB 15.6in Laptop.

CPU and Memory:

• Intel Pentium dual core T4400.
• 2.2GHz processor speed.
• 1MB cache.
• 3GB DDR2 RAM memory.
• 250GB hard drive.

Display features:

• 15.6in display.
• High definition display.
• Resolution 1366 x 768 pixels.

DVD optical drives:

• Dual layer.

Graphics:

• Intel GMA with 64MB memory.

Interfaces and connectivity:

• 5-in-1 media card reader.
• Secure Digital (SD), Memory Stick (MS), Memory Stick Pro (MS-Pro), xD, Multi-Media Card (MMC) compatible.
• 2 USB ports.
• 1 Ethernet port.
• B/g/n wireless/WiFi enabled.

Operating system and software:

• Microsoft Windows 7 Premium.

Software included:

• Microsoft Home Office and Student (trial Version).
• Anti-virus and security (trial version).
• Microsoft Works.
• Adobe Reader.

Preloaded manufacturers suite of applications include:

• Music.
• Photo.
• Movie.
• Business.
• Tuition.
• Gaming.

General features:

• Up to 2.5 hours battery life.
• Size H2.6, W37.2, D24.6cm.
• Weight 2.7kg.

Additional Information

Current selling price valid until 23/11/2010

The first one listed has a lower rated cpu compared to the second. It does however have discrete graphics as opposed to the shared graphics of the second. Despite that, my opinion is the second would be the better choice.

barnishroader

xyz123 wrote: »

first of all decide which screen size she needs. one is 13 inch and other are 15inch.

out of two 15inch laptops the argos one is better in my opinion..personally i will take an intel processor over AMD processor any day....

Thanks i never noticed one was 13".
Definitely want bigger.
So I guess it's the argos one, unless anyone has a better offer??

zaffi

i've narrowed my search to two, I can't decide which one to go for. The two are Compaq CQ56-113SA @ 299.99 + bulldog a/v and laptop bag

Processor

• Intel Celeron Dual Core T3500 2.1GHz
• 800MHz FSB
• 1MB L2 Cache
• Chipset: Intel GL40

Memory

• 3GB DDR2 800MHz
• Configuration: 1GB + 2GB
• Expandable to 8GB
• 2 x soDIMM slot

Hard Drive

• 250GB SATA 5400rpm

Optical Drive

• LightScribe SuperMulti DVD±R/RW with Double Layer Support

Software

• Operating System: Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium
• Microsoft® Office 2010 trial preloaded (This PC is preloaded with reduced-functionality versions of Word® and Excel® that include advertising. Purchase an Office 2010 Product Key to activate full-featured Office software on this PC)
• Microsoft® Internet Explorer,
• Windows® Live Messenger,
• Adobe® Reader,
• Adobe® Flash Player
• HP Setup,
• HP Advisor,
• HP Support Assistant,
• Omnifone MusicStation,
• Cyberlink DVD Suite,
• Cyberlink Power DVD,
• Cyberlink YouCam,
• Windows Live™ Applications,
• HP Games Console with hours of free game play
• Norton Online Backup (30-day trial)

Display

• 15.6” HD BrightView – LED Backlit
• Resolution: 1366 x 768

Graphics

• Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 4500M,
• Up to 1309 MB total available graphics memory

Audio

• Integrated Speakers
• Generic, stereo

Input Devices

• Full size keyboard with One touch launch keys and Action keys
• Touch Pad with On/Off button and 2-way Scroll pad support

Networking

• Integrated 10/100BASE-T Ethernet LAN
• WLAN: 802.11 b/g/n

Power Supply

• 6 Cell Li-Ion Battery - 3.5Hrs
• 65W AC Power Adapter

Dimensions

• Depth24.6 cm
• Width 37.4 cm
• Height 3.28 cm (min) / 3.78 cm (max)
• Weight 2.55kg

Interfaces

• 1 x VGA port
• 1 x stereo headphone-out
• 1 x microphone-in
• 3 x USB 2.0 ports
• 1 x RJ45 ethernet port

Warranty / Miscellaneous

• 1 Year Manufacturer Warranty
• Webcam with Integrated Microphone (VGA)

Or, Acer aspire 5742 @ 399.99 - can get it down to £359 with code and quidco and £5 clarity cash back


Processor Intel® Core™ i3-370M Processor
- 2.40 GHz
- 2.5 GT/s DMI
- 3MB Smart Cache Operating System Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium 64-bit

RAM
-4 GB DDR3

Graphics card Intel® HD Graphics
- 128 MB of dedicated system memory
- supporting Microsoft® DirectX® 10

Screen type
Widescreen LCD
-WXGA
-1366 x 768

Screen size 15.6"

Hard drive 320 GB, 5400 rpm

Optical disk drive DVD-RW

Memory card reader 2-in-1 card reader (SD™, MMC)

USB x 3

FireWire No

Modem/Ethernet Gigabit Ethernet

Wi-Fi Acer InviLink™ Nplify™ 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™

Bluetooth No

Video interface
1 x HDMI
1 x VGA Audio interface Mini-Jack TV output 1 x HDMI (Digital output)
1 x VGA (Analogue output) Extension card slot No Sound Mono Webcam 1.3mp resolution webcam

Battery - 48.8 W 4400 mAh 6-cell Li-ion standard battery pack
- up to 3 hours of battery life
Accessories included Adapter, power cord, documentation
Size Height: 34 mm
Width: 381 mm
Depth: 253 mm Weight 2.6 kg

I can't decide, my sensible head says compaq but i'm also thinking the acer may be more "futureproof"

This is for my parents who will be using internet, storing photos and videos and basic word processing

Any suggestions?
cheers
zaf

twinkle162

Knarf44 wrote: »

The first one listed has a lower rated cpu compared to the second. It does however have discrete graphics as opposed to the shared graphics of the second. Despite that, my opinion is the second would be the better choice.

Thanks for that. I popped into PC World just to browse their deals and came up with these... the battery life appeals more so than the Acer... I think (?) HP has a better name than ACER? Advice needed, wasn't particularly keen on buying from PC World due to previous poor customer service, but they seem to have the best deal, I'm not keen to buy refurbished!
HP G62-a13SA £370

<LI sizcache="1" nodeIndex="1">Product details

Powerhouse computing is at a touch with the HP G62-a13SA laptop, which is powered by a dual-core Intel® Pentium® Processor P6000 that runs Microsoft's 64-bit Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium operating system.

A 250GB Hard Drive provides ample storage space for a good-sized multimedia collection, whilst the 2GB of Memory, which is upgradeable to 4GB, provides a smooth multitasking performance in conjunction with your everyday applications.

Stylishly designed with a bronze-coloured Biscotti shell, the HP G62-a13SA is equipped with a 15.6" LCD screen with LED backlighting for energy-efficiency and instantaneous full brightness. An integrated DVD Rewriter provides a convenient hub for entertainment, as well as allowing you to backup data to blank discs.

Any promise of entertainment in the Hewlett-Packard G62-a13SA is met with some assurance by the CPU-integrated Intel® HD Graphics chip, which is more than up to the task of smooth HD video playback as well as allowing some light gaming in your spare time. The video capability of this great-value notebook is complemented perfectly with sound from the integrated Altec Lansing speakers.

The G62-a13SA also offers a good level of connectivity at this price point, with both WiFi and Bluetooth wireless technologies on offer, as well as a 5-in-1 media card reader, three USB 2.0 ports, an RJ-45 Ethernet port, plus HDMI and VGA outputs for hooking up to external displays. An integrated webcam and microphone make it easy to video chat with friends and family!

With its well-balanced specification, the HP G62-a13SA is everything you need for fun and reliable everyday computing and multimedia entertainment.
General InformationProcessorIntel® Pentium® Processor P6000
- 1.86 GHz
- 4.8 GT/s
- 3 MB L3 CacheOperating SystemGenuine Windows® 7 Home Premium 64-bitRAM- 2GB installed DDR3 RAM
- Supports up to 4GB maximum RAMGraphics cardIntel® HD GraphicsScreen typeWidescreen LCDScreen resolution- WXGA
- 1366 x 768 pixelsScreen size15.6"Screen featuresLED backlighting
BrightView technologyHard drive250 GB SATA Hard Disk Drive 7200 rpmOptical disk driveLightScribe SuperMulti DVD±R/RW with Double Layer SupportMemory card reader5-in-1 integrated Digital Media Reader for Secure Digital cards, MultiMedia cards, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro or xD Picture cardsUSB3 x USB 2.0 portsFireWireNoModem/Ethernet1 x RJ-45 Ethernet portWi-Fi802.11 b/g/n WLANBluetoothYesVideo interface1 x HDMI
1 x VGAAudio interface1 x stereo headphone-out
1 x microphone-inTV output1 x HDMI (digital video/audio)
1 x VGA (analogue video)SoundAltec Lansing speakersWebcamWebcam with Integrated Microphone (VGA)Keyboard & MouseFull size keyboard with One touch launch keys and Action keys
Touch Pad with On/Off button and 2-way Scroll pad supportBattery6-cell Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) batteryAccessories includedPower cord, AC adapter, battery, documentationSoftware includedSymantec Norton Internet Security 2010 (60 days live update)
Notebook Help & Support
HP Setup
HP Advisor
HP Support Assistant
Omnifone MusicStation
Cyberlink DVD Suite
Cyberlink Power DVD
Cyberlink YouCam
Windows Live Applications
HP Games Console with hours of free game play
Norton Online Backup (30-day trial)
Microsoft Works and Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 60-Day Trial Version
Microsoft Internet Explorer
Windows Live Messenger
Adobe Reader
Adobe Flash PlayerSize228 mm (L) x 342 mm (W) x 31.5 mm (min H) / 36.5 mm (max H)Weight

HP G56-108SA £339

ProcessorIntel® Celeron® Processor 900
- 2.2 GHz
- 800 MHz FSB
- 1MB L2 CacheOperating SystemGenuine Windows® 7 Home Premium 64-bitRAM- 3 GB RAM
- DDR2Graphics cardIntel® Graphics Media Accelerator 4500M
- Up to 1309 MB total available shared memoryScreen typeLCD widescreenScreen resolution- WXGA
- 1366 x 768Screen size15.6"Screen features- High Definition
- LED HP BrightView displayHard drive250GB SATA hard drive 5400rpmOptical disk driveSATA optical drive: LightScribe SuperMulti DVD±R/RW with Double Layer SupportMemory card readerNoUSBYes, 3FireWireNoModem/EthernetIntegrated 10/100BASE-T Ethernet LANWi-FiYes, 802.11 b/g/nBluetoothNoVideo interfaceVGAAudio interface1 x stereo headphone out
1 x microphone inTV outputVGAExtension card slotNoSoundGeneric, stereoWebcamYes, 1.2 megapixelBattery- 6-cell Lithium-Ion battery
- Up to 6 hours battery lifeSoftware includedMicrosoft® Office Starter 2010 (includes reduced-functionality versions of Word® and Excel® only, with advertising)
Microsoft® Internet Explorer
Windows® Live Messenger
Adobe® Reader
Adobe® Flash Player HP Setup
HP Advisor
HP Support Assistant
Omnifone MusicStation
Cyberlink DVD Suite
Cyberlink Power DVD
Cyberlink YouCam
Windows Live™ Applications,
HP Games Console with hours of free game play
Norton Online Backup (30-day trial)Size37.8 x 374 x 246 mm (H x W x D)Weight

Knarf44

The E-Machines brand is now owned by Acer but is very much their budget brand. In the past they didn't have the best record when it comes to reliability but that may have changed since Acer have owned them.

Of the two laptops listed in post #1175 the Acer with the i3-370M cpu would be the better buy.

Further to Twinkle's post #1176 the above mentioned Acer and this Asus X52F-EX486V at Comet should be given your serious consideration.

zaffi

Knarf44 wrote: »

The E-Machines brand is now owned by Acer but is very much their budget brand. In the past they didn't have the best record when it comes to reliability but that may have changed since Acer have owned them.

Of the two laptops listed in post #1175 the Acer with the i3-370M cpu would be the better buy.

Further to Twinkle's post #1176 the above mentioned Acer and this Asus X52F-EX486V at Comet should be given your serious consideration.

cheers, I thought so. I compiled a ss with the various make and models against what I actually wanted and the acer is a great deal. Especially as it has HDMI which is a must IMO. I'm just heading to currys now to see if they will price match the online price, might as well chance it.

barnishroader

zaffi wrote: »

Or, Acer aspire 5742 @ 399.99 - can get it down to £359 with code and quidco and £5 clarity cash back


Processor Intel® Core™ i3-370M Processor
- 2.40 GHz
- 2.5 GT/s DMI
- 3MB Smart Cache Operating System Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium 64-bit

RAM
-4 GB DDR3

Graphics card Intel® HD Graphics
- 128 MB of dedicated system memory
- supporting Microsoft® DirectX® 10

Screen type
Widescreen LCD
-WXGA
-1366 x 768

Screen size 15.6"

Hard drive 320 GB, 5400 rpm

Optical disk drive DVD-RW

Memory card reader 2-in-1 card reader (SD™, MMC)

USB x 3

FireWire No

Modem/Ethernet Gigabit Ethernet

Wi-Fi Acer InviLink™ Nplify™ 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™

Bluetooth No

Video interface
1 x HDMI
1 x VGA Audio interface Mini-Jack TV output 1 x HDMI (Digital output)
1 x VGA (Analogue output) Extension card slot No Sound Mono Webcam 1.3mp resolution webcam

Battery - 48.8 W 4400 mAh 6-cell Li-ion standard battery pack
- up to 3 hours of battery life
Accessories included Adapter, power cord, documentation
Size Height: 34 mm
Width: 381 mm
Depth: 253 mm Weight 2.6 kg

I can't decide, my sensible head says compaq but i'm also thinking the acer may be more "futureproof"

This is for my parents who will be using internet, storing photos and videos and basic word processing

Any suggestions?
cheers
zaf

Where are you getting this from?
And any chance you could pm me the code for the discount?
As i posted above, i'm looking to get a laptop on behalf of my mum for my sisters Christmas present so this one would be ideal at 359.