#1 ·
As the title says, I need some help picking out a laptop. I don't really understand all these technical specs and I don't want anyone to rip me off. Let's look at the numbers:
0. I'm based in San Diego but I travel frequently to Los Angeles, so stores in those areas are most convenient for me. I usually pay cash. I prefer to feel things up and see them in person before buying—but if it's cheaper online, I'll just go into the store, check it out, and then order it online instead 😉.
1. Bigger is better—if there's a 17.3" option, great, otherwise a 15.6" screen will do fine.
2. No special requirements—just something standard.
3. Since I work in open spaces, a screen with less glare would be better.
4. Standard office tasks and the occasional light gaming.
5. It should come with Windows pre-installed since I'm not a student and I need everything to just work properly.
6. They all look the same to me.
7. Around $1667, though less is also fine 😄.
8. The longer it lasts, the better.
9. WiFi and Bluetooth are mandatory, along with a standard Ethernet port. As many USB ports as possible—at least one 3.0. A 3.5mm audio jack is preferred.
A DVD drive could be nice, but it's not required.
HDMI is fine.
For storage, 1TB would be ideal, but a minimum of 500GB plus an SSD.
Regarding RAM, the more the better, though I assume 8GB is probably sufficient. I don't know the difference between DDR3, DDR3L, and DDR4? I'm guessing a higher number means newer memory—if that's the case, should I avoid something like DDR3?
Processor—I don't get this part. I see all these different numbers, like an Intel Core i5-6198U. What do the digits after the i5 actually mean? Because I see several different i5 models with varying numbers following them.
Graphics card—same deal as the processor, but obviously, I'd prefer the best performance for my money.
Backlit keyboard would be good.
That's basically the summary. If anyone has any solid advice or suggestions, I'd appreciate it. From what I can see, there are plenty of sales running through January 15th, 2017, so I’d like to pull the trigger by then to snag a better deal while the discounts last. Thanks.
Here is one example I found:
http://www.bestbuy.com/informatika/lap...X541UV_XO311T/
0. I'm based in San Diego but I travel frequently to Los Angeles, so stores in those areas are most convenient for me. I usually pay cash. I prefer to feel things up and see them in person before buying—but if it's cheaper online, I'll just go into the store, check it out, and then order it online instead 😉.
1. Bigger is better—if there's a 17.3" option, great, otherwise a 15.6" screen will do fine.
2. No special requirements—just something standard.
3. Since I work in open spaces, a screen with less glare would be better.
4. Standard office tasks and the occasional light gaming.
5. It should come with Windows pre-installed since I'm not a student and I need everything to just work properly.
6. They all look the same to me.
7. Around $1667, though less is also fine 😄.
8. The longer it lasts, the better.
9. WiFi and Bluetooth are mandatory, along with a standard Ethernet port. As many USB ports as possible—at least one 3.0. A 3.5mm audio jack is preferred.
A DVD drive could be nice, but it's not required.
HDMI is fine.
For storage, 1TB would be ideal, but a minimum of 500GB plus an SSD.
Regarding RAM, the more the better, though I assume 8GB is probably sufficient. I don't know the difference between DDR3, DDR3L, and DDR4? I'm guessing a higher number means newer memory—if that's the case, should I avoid something like DDR3?
Processor—I don't get this part. I see all these different numbers, like an Intel Core i5-6198U. What do the digits after the i5 actually mean? Because I see several different i5 models with varying numbers following them.
Graphics card—same deal as the processor, but obviously, I'd prefer the best performance for my money.
Backlit keyboard would be good.
That's basically the summary. If anyone has any solid advice or suggestions, I'd appreciate it. From what I can see, there are plenty of sales running through January 15th, 2017, so I’d like to pull the trigger by then to snag a better deal while the discounts last. Thanks.
Here is one example I found:
http://www.bestbuy.com/informatika/lap...X541UV_XO311T/