Getting a new laptop, need adivice

Hey, guys, so a friend of mine is going to be coming from Canada, and I'm getting a new laptop through him since pc hardware is ridiculously overpriced in Africa.

I'm basically going to be using this laptop for general browsing and office work and maybe playing SC2 and LoL. (on Low)

My budget is roughly 500- 550. Could stretch it a little if I felt it was worth it.
Having done a lot of research, these are what I finally came up with;

http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/controller/e/webca/LenovoPortal/en_CA/builder.workflow:Enter?mtm-item=%3A000001CA%3A0000124E%3A

This is by far what seems to be the best buy.

http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/samsung-samsung-15-6-2nd-gen-intel-core-i3-2350m-laptop-300v5a-s07ca-black-300v5a-s07ca/10199306.aspx?path=6c69c727636298a866ec7ede2dd7e66den02

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834246195

Basically the first one is the only ivy bridge processor while the other two are sandy bridges. The GPU for the first is the intel hd 4000, for the second its the GeForce GT 520MX, and for the third its the intel hd 3000.

Im already using another laptop which is sandy bridge and uses the intel hd 3000 and that seems to be fine while playing league and SC2 on low, so I feel graphics wise, any of these will serve me. Also from my research, the GT 520 and hd 4000 are more or less in the same bracket and the hd 3000 is a tier below (correct me if I'm wrong)

One thing I was curious about, my friend has a latop with a dedicated GPU, and while it certainly supports better graphic quality than the one I have with hd 3000, I find it heats really fast, whereas mine remains quite cool. Considering I'm not buying a super expensive GPU, which is preferable in this case?

My main problem with the lenovo is it's a 14" and till now I've mostly been using 15.6". Im not too sure how I will like the 14", I don't see it affecting my work, but I'm not sure I will enjoy gaming on it. Do any of you have experience with gaming on a 14"? Would appreciate some feedback regarding that.

Lastly, if any of you know where I could find a configuration similar to the first one, in that price range (keep in mind im ordering from canada), but with a 15.6" configuration, it would be really great!!!

Hope you can help me decide :D

Every misfortune is a blessing in disguise.

MisterFred United States. July 03 2012 07:20. Posts 1825

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Not much to say. Looks like you found a good deal with the ivy bridge i3. Can't tell you much on screen size, but you can probably walk into a local store and see how big one looks like in person, try and get a feel for a 14" screen that way. If you live in Accra, anyway.

"The victor? Not the highest scoring, nor the best strategist, nor the best tactitian. The victor was he that was closest to the Tao of FFA." -.Praetor

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