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Come Inside... => The Computer Room => Topic started by: Nick on June 02, 2014, 07:16:52 PM

Title: Laptop purchase advice
Post by: Nick on June 02, 2014, 07:16:52 PM
I plan to buy the Boy a laptop for his 16th birthday. He wants it for "gaming" but he needs it for A levels.

Light for a back pack. Good battery life.

ROBUST  Banghead Banghead Banghead  (=cheap as it will be lost/stolen/destroyed within three months)  Banghead

CHEAP (see above)

Well?  rubschin:  (may buy via Amazon  whistle:)
Title: Re: Laptop purchase advice
Post by: Baldy on June 02, 2014, 07:26:35 PM
If you are only expecting it to last for three months, buy one from Apey.  whistle:
Title: Re: Laptop purchase advice
Post by: Nick on June 02, 2014, 07:31:00 PM
If you are only expecting it to last for three months, buy one from Apey.  whistle:

But I have a cunning plan  eveilgrin: eveilgrin:
Title: Re: Laptop purchase advice
Post by: Baldy on June 02, 2014, 07:32:19 PM
If you are only expecting it to last for three months, buy one from Apey.  whistle:

But I have a cunning plan  eveilgrin: eveilgrin:

....take out puncture insurance?  rubschin:
Title: Re: Laptop purchase advice
Post by: Nick on June 02, 2014, 07:33:40 PM
Victoria Coren is on the telly box. SHe has brought her knockers  scorchio: scorchio: scorchio:

I have to rush...........
Title: Re: Laptop purchase advice
Post by: Barman on June 02, 2014, 07:38:41 PM
A levels...  eeek:
Title: Re: Laptop purchase advice
Post by: Steve on June 02, 2014, 07:39:20 PM
Victoria Coren is on the telly box. SHe has brought her knockers  scorchio: scorchio: scorchio:

I have to rush...........
and get the  kleenex:  ?
Title: Re: Laptop purchase advice
Post by: Nick on June 02, 2014, 07:40:48 PM
A levels...  eeek:

We are getting old. PooPoo  noooo:
Title: Re: Laptop purchase advice
Post by: Baldy on June 02, 2014, 07:41:08 PM
Victoria Coren is on the telly box. SHe has brought that thing that won Eurovision.  scorchio: scorchio: scorchio:

I have to rush...........
and get the  kleenex:  ?

 noooo:
Title: Re: Laptop purchase advice
Post by: Steve on June 02, 2014, 08:11:11 PM
I plan to buy the Boy a laptop for his 16th birthday. He wants it for "gaming" but he needs it for A levels.

Light for a back pack. Good battery life.

ROBUST  Banghead Banghead Banghead  (=cheap as it will be lost/stolen/destroyed within three months)  Banghead

CHEAP (see above)

Well?  rubschin:  (may buy via Amazon  whistle:)
[serious]  rubschin:   What sort of work does he want to do on it? What's your ballpark budget?  You can always get better for more £££.

I'd have said get a Win 7 notebook/netbook but you might want to check they're not getting a bit out of fashion. 

Not as functionally good as a laptop but loads cheaper and easier to carry around, longer battery life and have a lower area = lower probability of having liquids spilled on them.  Will probably need to upgrade the RAM as many come with only 1G.  Can struggle if like me you have zillions of windows/tabs open.  Is awesome at crunching overcomplex spreadsheets

About £200 new but I got a proper reconditioned one (Asus Eee-PC) for £140 a while back.  An Office licence will cost half as much again.  I've got far more powerful laptops - in cupboards, they're just too big for comfort - imho.

Tablets etc are good if you don't have to type much in or you trust bluetooth keyboards and you don't need the best Office file interchangeability.

Best I can do.  Get others views    [/serious]
Title: Re: Laptop purchase advice
Post by: Nick on June 02, 2014, 08:13:26 PM
Thanks. I have been looking at those, and I note the "fashion" point  ::)

Will have a rummage in some PC places at the weekend.......
Title: Re: Laptop purchase advice
Post by: Miss Demeanour on June 02, 2014, 09:45:14 PM
Thing is if he wants it for gaming he'll probably be looking for something quite high spec  and he won't give two hoots about functionality.

Get him a new fridge instead  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Laptop purchase advice
Post by: Baldy on June 02, 2014, 10:24:26 PM
Thing is if he wants it for gaming he'll probably be looking for something quite high spec  and he won't give two hoots about functionality.

Get him a new fridge instead  :thumbsup:

 lol: lol: lol:

Wiv them special edges that you get for babbies just learning to walk, so they do not bump themselves?  rubschin:
Title: Re: Laptop purchase advice
Post by: apc2010 on June 03, 2014, 11:18:22 AM
If you are only expecting it to last for three months, buy one from Apey.  whistle:


 cussing:
Title: Re: Laptop purchase advice
Post by: Darwins Selection on June 03, 2014, 12:32:10 PM
If you are only expecting it to last for three months, buy one from Apey.  whistle:


 cussing:

Quite right to be upset, he obviously meant three days.  whistle:
Title: Re: Laptop purchase advice
Post by: Grumpmeister on June 03, 2014, 12:56:26 PM
Thanks. I have been looking at those, and I note the "fashion" point  ::)

Will have a rummage in some PC places at the weekend.......

If it is primarily a gaming laptop then it's not going to be cheap and given the hardware good battery life is probably going to be a non starter. If the estimated battery life is only going to be something like 2 hours then you could always grab an external battery pack as well.

This is the lowest price rig I could find and that's only because it's ex dislplay. Hardcore gaming laptops can set you back a few grand.

http://www.ebuyer.com/644627-exdisplay-msi-ge60-gaming-laptop-intel-core-i5-4200m-2-5ghz-8gb-ram-1tb-ebr1-ge60-2od-286uk (http://www.ebuyer.com/644627-exdisplay-msi-ge60-gaming-laptop-intel-core-i5-4200m-2-5ghz-8gb-ram-1tb-ebr1-ge60-2od-286uk)

Although I suspect the boy is hoping for something along these lines....

http://www.dell.com/uk/p/deals# (http://www.dell.com/uk/p/deals#)!dlpgid=gaming-system-deals
Title: Re: Laptop purchase advice
Post by: Nick on June 03, 2014, 04:53:30 PM
He is NOT getting a gaming laptop  cussing: cussing: cussing:  He will get one which will allow him to do skoolwerk  eveilgrin: eveilgrin:
Title: Re: Laptop purchase advice
Post by: Barman on June 03, 2014, 06:34:50 PM
He is NOT getting a gaming laptop  cussing: cussing: cussing:  He will get one which will allow him to do skoolwerk  eveilgrin: eveilgrin:


(https://www.virtual-pub.com/SMF/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs28.postimg.org%2Fa6hfeiisp%2Fil_fullxfull_180710168.jpg&hash=d1dfc9eafa24c24e0e94af5bf7e0decba411e8c4) (http://postimg.org/image/a6hfeiisp/)

 Thumbs:
Title: Re: Laptop purchase advice
Post by: Nick on June 03, 2014, 06:35:25 PM
 :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Laptop purchase advice
Post by: Tipsy Gipsy on June 03, 2014, 06:56:08 PM
OK any suggestions for a new graphics card for Little Un, he has around £200 to spend.  Is this too little, too much?  shrugs:
Title: Re: Laptop purchase advice
Post by: Nick on June 03, 2014, 06:58:40 PM
Crayons and colouring book??
Title: Re: Laptop purchase advice
Post by: Tipsy Gipsy on June 03, 2014, 07:03:58 PM
They cost that much?   rubschin:
Title: Re: Laptop purchase advice
Post by: Grumpmeister on June 03, 2014, 07:16:14 PM
OK any suggestions for a new graphics card for Little Un, he has around £200 to spend.  Is this too little, too much?  shrugs:

What are the specs for his computer, how beefy is his PSU and what does he use it for? £200 gives a decent amount of leeway for some higher end of the budget cards.
Title: Re: Laptop purchase advice
Post by: Tipsy Gipsy on June 03, 2014, 07:18:28 PM
 I dont know the spec but he uses it for games on line stuff. 
Title: Re: Laptop purchase advice
Post by: Nick on June 03, 2014, 07:19:41 PM
He should be doing university werk  Banghead Banghead Banghead And then out drinking and shagging  angel1
Title: Re: Laptop purchase advice
Post by: Tipsy Gipsy on June 03, 2014, 07:28:11 PM
Sorry to disappoint you but he escaped Uni after a year and is now an apprentice with excellent prospects.  He doesnt drink neither.   noooo:
Title: Re: Laptop purchase advice
Post by: Nick on June 03, 2014, 07:30:23 PM
Prolly seen too much of the mayhem it causes at home  noooo: noooo:
Title: Re: Laptop purchase advice
Post by: Baldy on June 03, 2014, 07:34:15 PM
Prolly seen too much of the mayhem it causes at home  noooo: noooo:

 lol:
Title: Re: Laptop purchase advice
Post by: Grumpmeister on June 03, 2014, 07:36:31 PM
I dont know the spec but he uses it for games on line stuff.

Okay, had a quick look at Amazon and got a few suggestions for around the £200 mark. Depending on what he already has in place he may need his PSU as well.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gigabyte-270X-Graphics-Card-PCI-E/dp/B00HCLLOUK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1401823878&sr=8-3&keywords=graphics+card (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gigabyte-270X-Graphics-Card-PCI-E/dp/B00HCLLOUK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1401823878&sr=8-3&keywords=graphics+card)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gigabyte-GeForce-Graphics-DisplayPort-Windforce/dp/B00FQ8CNNI/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1401823902&sr=8-7&keywords=graphics+card (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gigabyte-GeForce-Graphics-DisplayPort-Windforce/dp/B00FQ8CNNI/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1401823902&sr=8-7&keywords=graphics+card)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gigabyte-Battlefield-Edition-Graphics-PCI-E/dp/B00HCLLPF4/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1401823902&sr=8-16&keywords=graphics+card (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gigabyte-Battlefield-Edition-Graphics-PCI-E/dp/B00HCLLPF4/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1401823902&sr=8-16&keywords=graphics+card)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gigabyte-Nvidia-PCI-E-Graphics-Card/dp/B00D3ES1Q0/ref=sr_1_18?ie=UTF8&qid=1401823929&sr=8-18&keywords=graphics+card (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gigabyte-Nvidia-PCI-E-Graphics-Card/dp/B00D3ES1Q0/ref=sr_1_18?ie=UTF8&qid=1401823929&sr=8-18&keywords=graphics+card)

Prolly seen too much of the mayhem it causes at home  noooo: noooo:

Nick of course being the undisputed master of mayhem  whistle:

Title: Re: Laptop purchase advice
Post by: Tipsy Gipsy on June 03, 2014, 07:44:38 PM
Oh thank you.   cloud9:  ... and Intel core i5 2300, 2.8ghz 6gb ram 64 bit    ...  Shrugs:  apparently.
Title: Re: Laptop purchase advice
Post by: Nick on June 03, 2014, 07:45:36 PM
Makes sense to me  angel1
Title: Re: Laptop purchase advice
Post by: Grumpmeister on June 03, 2014, 07:49:58 PM
Oh thank you.   cloud9:  ... and Intel core i5 2300, 2.8ghz 6gb ram 64 bit    ...  Shrugs:  apparently.

The processor isn't top end but pretty close so one of those cards should do nicely.  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Laptop purchase advice
Post by: Tipsy Gipsy on June 03, 2014, 09:32:13 PM
Makes sense to me  angel1

 evil:
Title: Re: Laptop purchase advice
Post by: Tipsy Gipsy on June 03, 2014, 09:32:56 PM
Oh thank you.   cloud9:  ... and Intel core i5 2300, 2.8ghz 6gb ram 64 bit    ...  Shrugs:  apparently.

The processor isn't top end but pretty close so one of those cards should do nicely.  :thumbsup:

 cloud9:  Thank you.
Title: Re: Laptop purchase advice
Post by: Grumpmeister on June 03, 2014, 09:56:18 PM
Makes sense to me  angel1

Computer says no you say...  rubschin: