Archived CalgaryPuck Computer Help Thread

[alltherage]

Also, I know HP is a solid make from selling them. They have great support and excellent warranty service times. Stay away from SONY too. You pay to much of a four letter tax.

[wooohooo]

Oh wow that is very helpful, i was just looking at the dfsdirect.ca website and I was clicking randomly on laptops and I noticed for the processors a 'Dual-core' 'Core duo' and 'Core 2 duo' Is there a big difference between any of these?
You guys are wonderful!!

[photon]

Dual core just means there's 2 processors in the laptop. Core Duo and Core 2 Duo are both intel, Core 2 is just newer, faster and cooler, so look for Core 2. AMD laptops aren't bad, but Core 2 Duos are better value IMO.

[Azure]

Toshiba makes the best laptop IMO, but they are also very expensive.

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by Azure

Toshiba makes the best laptop IMO, but they are also very expensive.

IMHO the Lenovo ThinkPad line are the best.

All makers have some really good models and some real crappy ones. Find a model in the price range you are looking for and check to see if there are any big issues with it.

According to Consumer Reports (June 2007), they list their recommended models as:

• For features and long battery life: Apple Macbook Pro 15-inch
• Smart pick for on-the-go computing: Lenovo ThinkPad T60
• Best values: Toshiba Satellite A135-S4427
• Best desktop replacements: Apple Macbook Pro 17-inch,Toshiba Satellite P205-S6287

[wooohooo]

thanks again, I looked at some laptops my friends had and I think 15.4 would be too big for me, a 14.1 would be amazing, I've looked at Dell but with all the upgrades I want it comes up to over 1000 haha or maybe i should just spend the extra and get a decent laptop

[wooohooo]

I have looked around at the clearance section of the Dells and Lenovo's and I came up with this:
Product: ThinkPad R60 9457-74U [change]Operating system: All [change]Original description: T2400(1.83GHz), 512MB RAM, 80GB 5400rpm HD, 14.1in 1400x1050 LCD, Intel 950, CDRW/DVDRW, Intel 802.11abg wireless, Modem, 1Gb Ethernet, UltraNav, Secure chip, IEEE 1394, 6c Li-Ion batt, WinXP Pro


$949.00

and for the Dell
LAT D520,T5500(1.66GHZ)2M,CORE 2 DUO
1.0GB DDR2-667MHZ,2 DIMM,LAT,FACT
14.1 INCH XGA LCD,LAT D520
65W AC ADAPTER LAT D-FAMILY, TIED
80GB SATA HD,9.5MM,5400RPM,LAT DX20
8X DVD+/-RW,W/ROXIO AND CYBERLINK,DX20
INTEL 3945 802.11A/G MC,US,LAT
INTERNAL ENGLISH KEYBOARD,LAT D520
LARGE NYLON CARRY CASE,LAT DX20
NO FLOPPY DRIVE LATITUDE D-FAMILY
WINDOWS XP HOME,SP2,W/ MEDIA,LAT,ENG,FAC
6-CELL PRIMARY BATTERY,LATD520,FACT
DELL FACTORY WARRANTY ENDS 5/1/2008

$878

What do you guys think? Or should I keep looking?

Thanks alot

[Bobblehead]

The Dell has a bit better CPU, the R60 has a better screen.
Dell has more memory. R60 comes with XP Pro.

There are tradeoffs, both look pretty good. I'm biased for the R60 since I don't like the touchpad mouse and prefer the 'nipple'.

[arsenal]

Core 2 Duo means the following:
2 core on proc, each core is "hyper-threaded", to bring the total number of proc's the OS thinks you are running to 4.

Correct?

[wooohooo]

Will both of these be sufficent to play some games like.... warcraft 3 (DOTA), or the upcoming starcraft 2? I was looking at the IBM website and they make these laptops look so darn sexy!!! The dell ones look pretty generic but I wouldn't mind them. But man... those roll cage protection things... haha going at a wall at 35 km/hr? haha that was awesome!!

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by arsenal

Core 2 Duo means the following:
2 core on proc, each core is "hyper-threaded", to bring the total number of proc's the OS thinks you are running to 4.

Correct?

Hyperthreading doesn't exist in the same way it did on P4s. You will only see 2 procs, not 4.

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by wooohooo

Will both of these be sufficent to play some games like.... warcraft 3 (DOTA), or the upcoming starcraft 2? I was looking at the IBM website and they make these laptops look so darn sexy!!! The dell ones look pretty generic but I wouldn't mind them. But man... those roll cage protection things... haha going at a wall at 35 km/hr? haha that was awesome!!

That brings up an important question. What are you going to use the laptop to do? If it is gaming and so on you need the best CPU and graphics you can get.

And actually, my mistake. I thought the T2400 processor was a Core Duo but it is actually Core 2 Duo (link), so the processor on the R60 is better than the one in the Dell, but the Dell has more memory.

Edit: OK, on Intel's site I can see the T2400 described in some places as Core 2 Duo and others as Core Duo. I think with the 2400 name it is a core duo (I think the Core 2 Duos are the T7XXX models). They don't make it easy to know what they are, let alone compare them.

[LockedOut]

Originally Posted by arsenal

Core 2 Duo means the following:
2 core on proc, each core is "hyper-threaded", to bring the total number of proc's the OS thinks you are running to 4.

Correct?

The Duo part refers to the 2 core on each processors. The 2 part just means it's a successor to their previous dual core CPU's.

[alltherage]

Woohoo, This is a hell of a deal on a very powerful laptop for a student. I would definitely check this one out.

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/pro...gon=&langid=EN#

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by LockedOut

The Duo part refers to the 2 core on each processors. The 2 part just means it's a successor to their previous dual core CPU's.

?

It is the Core part that is the 2nd generation, although the Core didn't stick around long (it was the initial successor to the Pentium M). Core 2 came along, and the Core 2 Duo is 2 cores.

It is pretty much a huge naming fubar.

Now days pretty much all you should remember is that a Core 2 Duo is approximately 30% faster than a similarly spec'ed Core Duo. (stupid marketers giving very similar names !#@$!)

[LockedOut]

Originally Posted by wooohooo

Will both of these be sufficent to play some games like.... warcraft 3 (DOTA), or the upcoming starcraft 2? I was looking at the IBM website and they make these laptops look so darn sexy!!! The dell ones look pretty generic but I wouldn't mind them. But man... those roll cage protection things... haha going at a wall at 35 km/hr? haha that was awesome!!

It looks like neither have any kind of 3D acceleration and if they do it'll be onboard quality (ie. good enough to do only minimal stuff). You'll probably have to stick to 2D gaming on these laptops at best.

[LockedOut]

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

?

It is the Core part that is the 2nd generation, although the Core didn't stick around long (it was the initial successor to the Pentium M). Core 2 came along, and the Core 2 Duo is 2 cores.

You're right. I forgot there were single core versions of Core too.

[alltherage]

Originally Posted by LockedOut

It looks like neither have any kind of 3D acceleration and if they do it'll be onboard quality (ie. good enough to do only minimal stuff). You'll probably have to stick to 2D gaming on these laptops at best.

This laptop I found on Futureshop.ca has an nvidia 6150

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/pro...gon=&langid=EN#

[Bobblehead]

I think this chart from Intel lists the different models best.

And Intel kicks the crap out of AMD in the mobile processor area (and in the Desktop as well, and I'm generally an AMD fanboi). So if price is your primary concern feel free to get Notebook with an AMD proc. But if performance will be an issue you will need a Notebook with an Intel proc.

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by LockedOut

You're right. I forgot there were single core versions of Core too.

The "Core Solo".

I'm interested in this stuff, I work in IT, and I have real trouble keeping up with processors and memory types (DDR, DDR2, DDR3, speeds).