Intel/AMD confusion

AlecEiffel

Hi all.

In the market for a new cheapish laptop, £400 ish. Looking at Samsungs for their rep and build, I did look at an Acer and a HP but they felt v cheap. I do realize MacBook type build quality isn't in this price range.

Getting confused now over AMD and Intel processors. Last time I was in the market it was easier!

I'm looking at an I5 laptop or AMD's equivalent. I want a 3rd gen I5 (or maybe I3) as I want the HD4000 graphics rather than the HD3000 (4000 is a huge improvement and I hate spending money on yesterdays tech even in the entry level).

I plan to use it for web surfing, iTunes, watching films etc. Only gaming I plan is Civ IV so integrated graphics will be fine.

I'm looking at-

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-355V5C-15-6-inch-Laptop-Silver/dp/B009SJCW3C/ref=sr_1_6?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1357344087&sr=1-6

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-350V5C-15-6-inch-Laptop-Silver/dp/B009SJCX5Y/ref=sr_1_2?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1357345317&sr=1-2

There is an I3 bang in the middle price wise too.

Is this AMD comparable? Amazon doesn't specify the graphics processor of the AMD but Google suggests it will be the Radeon HD 7520G.

Any advice please? Is the I5 £55 better than the AMD? Is the AMD good enough for Civ IV at max?

Thanks!

Mirno

Given what you plan on using it for, it doesn't really matter which processor you get. They both have dedicated hardware to accelerate movies, they both have way more processing grunt than you need for surfing the web.

The i5 will probably be a better bet if you're definitely not going to play games. The AMD will probably be a better bet if you are.

I can play Civ4 on an AMD E-450 (their low-ish power (sub 18watt) ultra portable). It only gets noticable towards the end of the game that it's under powered CPU wise (end of turn lasts a couple of seconds).

I wouldn't bother with an i3, unless you plan on upgrading the machine more regularly - the added cost of an i5 means it'll last that much longer while still being fast enough to live with.

Mirno

AlecEiffel

Thanks for the reply. Will prob go for the amd then.

Cheers.

closed

http://search.dell.co.uk/1/1/148812-switch-by-design-studio-moon-silver-dell-inspiron-15r-laptop.html

3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i5-3210M Processor (3M Cache, up to 3.1GHz)
6GB (1x2048 + 1x4096) 1600MHz DDR3
1TB (5,400rpm) Serial ATA Hard Drive
Windows 8 64bit, English
Switch by Design Studio Moon Silver

add coupon code LS3GP609WB7NL8 takes it down to £386.10

or use topcashback/quidco with their coupon codes to get it lower.

http://www.topcashback.co.uk/dell/

AlecEiffel

Awesome, thanks, will def look at that.

What are Dell like for build quality? Never owned one and I have no opportunity to check before I buy.

I picked up a HP last week but the keyboard flex was horrible and I returned it. I know in this price range its plastic or nothing but I demand durability!

closed

you can find a lot of similar dells in shops/supermarkets if you want a look.

provided they aren't dropped/picked up by the screen, they should last a while.