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Ok guys, so here is the deal.
I have a 6 year old computer which is starting to falter and is simply not able to cope (2GM od RAM dude, its terrible)
Plain and short, I need a new computer, a laptop for work / leisure / SC2:
1. MS Office, Photoshop and some basic / medium video and audio editing software
2. Multimedia consumption, internet, youtube, music, movies etc
3. SC2
I don't play any other games apart from SC2, and i am not a dedicated gamer, i just play a few games on ladder and desert strike every other day.
As I have zero experience with this i could really use some help.
One important thing to note is that i intend to attach a separate keyboard, mouse, speakers and monitor to the laptop when in "gaming" and "work" mode as I will do both at home or at work sitting on a chair behind a desk.
Can you please recommend some "best buy" notebooks, laptops, etc.
I would imagine RAM memory is quite important as I multitask heavily especially while working (Chrome with 5-10 tabs, music, photoshop, and video/audio editing software at the same time) and i guess i would need a good graphics card to power the software and games.
My budget is cca: 1200$
I don't need an alienware monster, nor the newest graphics card, just something smooth and reliable to run SC2 and the usual programs.
Tnx for the help, SC2 fighting :D
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Canada13372 Posts
I moved this to tech support since this is the proper place for this I've pmed you to let you know.
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$1200 is a big budget, nice!
If you're like me and only want to play SC2 (and thus don't need to worry about having super high power to handle future games), then it will be very easy.
I recommend Lenovo, people criticize them for build quality but they are very powerful for the price. Honestly, I would rather be more careful with something than pay a few hundred (or a thousand...) more for better build quality. I'd rather carry 5 lbs than 3 lbs and just be sure i don't drop it on concrete...
Anyway, the deals here are good. Look at ideapad Y series, those are the "gaming" ones. I don't know what size or weight or etc. you're looking for and whether you want to stream or not (quad core vs dual core, etc.), so take a look.
You'll be able to run 1v1 SC2 on high graphics and maintain 30 fps in big battles (ok, maybe it will drop a little below if you have 800 zerglings) with about $800, perhaps even lower than that. Or stream 720p at medium graphics.
http://shop.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/lenovo/y-series/
Right now there's a $700 deal for the Y40 series that's strong enough to play high and maintain 30 fps. 14 inch and HD. Unfortunately if you want a 15.6 inch, the Y50 series' lowest deal atm is only $1100 (they change deals about every 1-2 weeks, if that's too much for you for example and you want a 15.6 inch just wait a bit for the specs/deals to cycle).
Edit: I took at look at the Y40 deals, it seems the 4th gen i7-4510U Processor is a dual core not a quad core. But it might still be really good for multitasking, not sure. They always come up with new technologies and stuff so this "dual core" might be stronger than my quad core (mine is 2 years old now) at multitasking. Maybe someone else understands processors better.
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Yeah I know I could get what I want probably for less than 1200$ but I am buying it for the future so I would really like to get a proper machine.
A friend recommended this one, what do you think:
Asus K750LN Processor: Dual-Core i7-4510U Processor ( 5M Cache, 2.0 GHZ, up to 3.1 GHz) RAM: 2 X 8GB = 16GB Hard drive: HDD 2x SATA 1TB 5400RPM 2.5" HDD Graphics card: GT840m Display: 1080p, 17.3"
Can this run SC2?
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Those specs look good for the price. How much is that? I'm assuming ~$1200?
Lenovo has one for $1180 (under Y50 series) and has slightly better processor and graphics and has 8 GB SSHD, but 15.6 inch.
About the screen size, idk how often you'll be bringing your laptop around, but 15.6 is actually a nice size. I thought it was really small at first but got used to it. 17 inch, though barely bigger, is still noticeably clunkier than a 15.6 inch when you're outside and want to "blend in".
About the performance, it will be able to run ultra/extreme 1v1 with reliable 30+ fps. For comparison, I can play on mix of medium-high graphics on a 720p display in a 1v1 with 30-50 fps. My graphics card is a GTX 660M. The 840M is much more powerful so it will surely be able to run ultra/extreme, and my processor is old as well so a new one will be able to support 1080p display.
Just a reminder to maybe find out more about that processor and what technology it has, and if it will handle multitasking and software for art/music well or not. There's always new architectures/technologies and it's really complex to someone like me to try to understand how to know if one processor is better than another at multitasking other than to look at benchmarks, references, and what other people say from first hand experience.
(Though if you're only planning to do such things occasionally I really don't think the difference will matter)
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That i7 is a low voltage piece. On paper they're decent, but they usually come with a pretty agressive thermal policy, which makes throttling really common on these cpu's, limiting their performance. If you want to really multitask i'd reccomend either a true quad-core i7, even if it's low voltage(something like the 4702QM) or a high performance i5(4200m, 4200H). Starcraft 2 will run fine on almost 4th gen intel cpu, as longs as it is i5/i7, i'm more worried about your multitasking needs.
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@Jukulmolder
could you reccomend any machines with the characteristics you mentioned? As my knowledge is limited i'm afraid
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United Kingdom20145 Posts
Dual-Core i7-4510U Processor
Just double-confirming to avoid the low TDP parts (usually marked with U, S, etc) like the plague~
For 4 core 8 thread, i think it's the 4700MQ that is entry level but there are some good dual cores at lower price points starting from the 4200M
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