New Laptop £300 - £500

sooty&sweep

Hi
We're planning to buy a new laptop for my 13 year old son for xmas.

I'm trawling through all the websites, magazines etc but so confusing with the different processors that are available. I see that you can now get touch screen, is it worth going for that ?
Totally confused so any advice or recommendations ?
Thanks
Jen

WTFH

What is he going to use it for?

sooty&sweep

Hi
He'll be using it for homework, playing games etc.
Although he does use our laptop & PCs at school he's not using them for a specialist use.
We need a decent alround laptop that can cope with some development in software etc rather than something that is already way out of date.
Jen

bod1467

What games?

sooty&sweep

Minecraft.
He's not currently into the big PC games so not particularly bothered about it being a specialist gaming machine.
Jen

Cisco001

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lenovo-IdeaPad-Z500-15-6-inch-Laptop/dp/B00F93MBXC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386684916&sr=8-1&keywords=z500

54druids

or if you are willing to pay £50 extra you could go for the i7 version which is on amazon for £538 but if you go on ebuyer or saveonlaptops it is a pound more but you can get 1.51% cashback. I am not a computer expert just a mum who has been trawling the internet for the last week looking for exactly the same as you for my 11 yr old. Apparently though the Lenovo has a battery pack which you cannot remove unless you take the laptop apart. Don't know if anyone else can comment on this. I looked at the ASUS i7 (sorry but cant remember the make think it had 550 in the title) as I believe they have better CS but at last minute realised it doesn't have an optical drive. Think I will wait an hour and if no one replies then I will just buy it coz I am beginning to lose the will to live:)

sooty&sweep

Hi 54druids
I've just been looking at a toshiba c50 i3 4gb ram + 1TB Hard disc at Argos for £349 which is tempting us.

Any comments anyone ?

To be honest for us its a balancing act of we want something decent but don't want to spend a fortune because realistically they don't last for ever and the technology is still moving so fast they go out of date quickly as well.

Jen

54druids

My laypersons research has led me to believe that the i3 would be pretty useless with most of the games today. Although my son is mad about minecraft, I am thinking it wont be long before he turns his obsession to some other game so I think I have finally decided on the Lenovo which I am off to buy NOW. I cannot stand looking any longer. If anyone posts after an hour please don't say Lenovo is a no go as I think I will scream , Merry Christmas laptop hunters

purplepardalis

I think that the Lenovo is a decent machine for the money!

Cycrow

most games require more graphics power than cpu power (there are some exception)

so an i3 will be able to run most games ok, as long as there is a decent GPU as well.

i would suggest getting a laptop with a dedicated GPU in. The cheaper ones won't play the latest games all that well, but they will be a lot better at it than the standard integrated ones.

you should be able to get laptops with some dedicated gpu for less than £500. Althou a dedicated gpu and an i7 might be pushing it