Hi everyone, I'm getting a new laptop, nothing fancy for gaming or other high tech stuff.

Some are AMD and others are Intel. I did a little reading about it but I don't quite get it.

Which one is better in your opinion? Or if someone can just explain what the difference between the two are, I'd appreciate that.

Thanks in advance.

basically for your use no different is the answer.
the biggest factor in a laptop tho is heat and the intels tend to run cooler.

with the newest stuff out now amd's price value is going away
and intel's speed for better gaming is getting weaker.

i would say the whole package as far as features is more of the deciding factor.
and always always push for more ram
i have seen in real life much slower processors run much faster with more ram available than a faster processor with minimum ram

Okay Eric, thanks.

The two I'm looking at both have 8 GB of ram.

One is a HP with Intel Core 5 and the other is an Asus with AMD series 9 something.

There's a Dell also with 8GB and an Intel Core 3 for about $100 less.

i'd prolly pass on the dell for the older lesser processor.
i always ran compq but was not wild about the merge with hp.
but if you are down to those 2 i would say the hp. BUT let the rest of the package make the choice. graphics, include software, battery etc.
and if you can utube fan cleaning replacement for each.
biggest death of laptops is over heating. most hps require extreme disassembly to remove fan assembly for good cleaning.
i have one acer in the stable that it's 4 screws and one plug to remove cooling unit and clean all the dust out

Usually an Intel processor can be upgraded and a AMD not. For your use it does not matter. I would guess you will buy another computer in a few years rather than upgrading what you have. I would stay away from the HP software.
Looks like the Dell is the best deal to me if it has the same amount of ram. You might notice the difference between core 3 and 5 if you are in the space program. Only milliseconds difference in processing time.

Hmmm, those are good points. I hadn't thought about the cleaning part. Aside from the laptop I have now, that was given to me, I've always had a desktop.

I looked at some of the ratings for different brands and it said Lenovo, Asus, Dell, HP were the top four. Acer was around 7 on the list.

So I need to also look into how easy it is to clean, thanks again.

I don't know anything about the graphics or other stuff you mentioned, so any suggestions on what I should look for?

yep i only mentioned the acer cuz it was so easy to clean. it was afreebie from a friend right after the shop fire. and bouytoy maybe right as far as the dell i really only knee jerked that one cuz of the older generation processor w/o looking at the spec differences

Well I had considered a training position at the space camp in Alabama, lol, but I don't think it's the same as what you're saying.

Thanks BuoyToy, I've mostly had HP's in the past and haven't been crazy about the software that comes with it.

I'm mostly interested in speed and being able to have more than one window open without it crashing on me.

The specs are pretty much the same with the ones I have considered. The less expensive Dell just isn't an Energy Star where the other two are. And the difference in Core.

I agree with eric22t, heat kills computers.
Figure out if the 8GB of RAM is standard or an upgraded amount, RAM is important so if buying new, consider buying an extra stick of RAM but you will need a RAM slot open.

You will want at least 1 TB of hard drive space. If you need more, you can buy external drives or use usb sticks.

I think laptops are standard with wifi anymore but you might want to look for an Ethernet port in case you want to use it.

USB 2.0/USB 3.0 slots are important too.

If you plan on hooking it up to your TV, look for an HDMI port too. Being a laptop, the surround sound ports might not be so important.

I have an HP laptop (centron processor) that was bought new in 2009 and it still works well (Batteries are shot,main & CMOS, so its no longer truly portable) but its slow as molasses.

I have an HP desktop with an AMD 6 core I bought new in 2012 and it still runs great. I take apart the processor fan for cleaning about 1x a year but I don't have any pets.

I have had a computer fail from heat due to pet hair.

You might consider looking into a laptop cooling pad as well (some models have car plugs).

Whatever you get, make sure you create a recovery disk asap. Label it and put it away.

I hate software packages. I've found that most of the programs are not used and some that are, have time limitations or version restrictions. (ransomware) I usually uninstall most of them.
Nearly anything you might want is available for free.
Fileforum
http://fileforum.betanews.com/browse/popular
Gizmo's Freeware
http://www.techsupportalert.com/windows

Rule of thumb for buying computers....
Estimate your usage high.
Its better to over-buy than to under-buy.

Look for upgradability.
10 USB ports look impressive but are useless if your motherboard can't run them.

Remember to set your battery/plugged in power schedules.

Thanks Tom, that's a lot of good info. I didn't know they had cooling pads, I'll check into that.

So with the help of you three men, I've pretty much narrowed it down to the Dell that's on sale.

How does this look?

Dell Insirion 15.6" Touch-Screen

Windows 10 operating system

Windows 10 brings back the Start Menu from Windows 7 and introduces new features, like the Edge Web browser that lets you markup Web pages on your screen. Learn more ›

15.6" touch screen for hands-on control]/b]
Typical 1366 x 768 HD resolution. Natural finger-touch navigation makes the most of Windows 10.

7th Gen Intel® Core™ i3-7100U mobile processor
Smart dual-core processing performance for HD-quality computing.

8GB system memory for advanced multitasking
Substantial high-bandwidth RAM to smoothly run your games and photo- and video-editing applications, as well as multiple programs and browser tabs all at once.

1TB hard drive for ample file storage space
Holds a sizeable collection of digital photos, music, HD videos and DVD-quality movies. 5400 rpm spindle speed for standard read/write times.

Intel® HD Graphics 620
On-processor graphics with shared video memory provide everyday image quality for Internet use, basic photo editing and casual gaming.

MaxxAudio
To give you great sound across music, movies, voice and games.
Weighs 5.07 lbs. and measures 0.9" thin

Balances portability and screen size, so you get a respectable amount of viewing space without the laptop being too cumbersome for practical portability. 4-cell lithium-ion battery.

Bluetooth 4.0 interface syncs with compatible devices
Wirelessly transfer photos, music and other media between the desktop and your Bluetooth-enabled cell phone or MP3 player, or connect Bluetooth wireless accessories.

2 USB 3.0 ports maximize the latest high-speed devices
Also includes 1 USB 2.0 port to connect more accessories and peripherals. USB 3.0 ports are backward-compatible with USB 2.0 devices (at 2.0 speeds).

HDMI output expands your viewing options
Connect to an HDTV or high-def monitor to set up two screens side by side or just see more of the big picture.

Built-in media reader for simple photo transfer
Supports SD, SDHC and SDXC memory card formats.

Wireless network connectivity
High-speed wireless LAN built into the screen, so it connects to your network or hotspots on the most common Wi-Fi standards in both laptop and tablet modes.

Built-in HD webcam with microphone
Makes it easy to video chat with family and friends or teleconference with colleagues over Skype or other popular applications

Basic software package included
Trial of Microsoft Office.

Additional port
Headphone/microphone combo jack.

Intel, Pentium, Celeron, Core, Atom, Ultrabook, Intel Inside and the Intel Inside logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries.

looks good and i would say spend some of the 100 you save for ram. the ram chips are plug and play under one cover on the bottom of the machine. just extract original ram and snap in the bigger ones.
the more you have the better you will like it.and no more parking the laptop on the bed to suck up lint

Good idea Eric, thanks.

And I have it on a desk, not my bed

I just don't think to clean it



Cool.... Thanks guys for all your help!

I hated win 8, win 10 looks like it is okay.
I have win7 on my desktop and win xp3 on my lappy.

So, 3 usb ports - nominal

on board graphics with shared memory is standard
basically, you will be using some of that 8 gb RAM to run graphics.
Not a problem unless you are trying to render large or complex.

In win7 I have a dedicated USB stick for readyboost (1 gb).
It helps with ram loads.

Is that processor the 2.40 Ghz?
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Intel-Core-i3-7100U-Notebook-Processor.172251.0.html

Nearly anything that is wireless technology has bluetooth.
Listing it as a selling feature is fluffing.

Built-in media reader
again selling fluff, nearly every computer has a built-in media reader. Its the multiport for flash sd and micro cards (camera, phone, etc...) When floppy drive bays went obsolete these units were installed in their place.

You can buy into microsoft office or you can download open office (free and full).
Probably also comes with a trial version of antivirus.
You can find great antivirus at Gizmo's for free, even has a review and user comment section.

Dell Insirion 15.6" Touch-Screen
First source on google is Best Buy
I have bought computers from Best Buy but never online, always in the store (salespeople hate me because I ask so many technical questions and require specifics).

Online there are better deals to be had.
Check these two places out
New Egg
http://www.newegg.com/Laptops-Notebooks/Category/ID-223

Fry's Electronics
http://www.frys.com/template/notebook

Tiger Direct (carefully)
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/category/category_tlc.asp?CatId=17

12 Best-Selling Laptop Cooling Pads, Ranked Best to Worst
http://www.laptopmag.com/articles/best-laptop-coolers

Walmart carries them and they range around $25 (you can find a $10 one at Dollar General)

Example of one

Yes Tom it's 2.40 Ghz. I've looked at the specs in more detail, I agree the stuff I copied and pasted is mostly selling fluff. Guess I could have listed the specs instead.

I'll check those other sites, I forgot about New Egg. I planned on ordering it from Best Buy, it's on sale for $329, a savings of $70.

And I'll definitely get a cooling pad, since my work place got damaged with the hurricane, I've been online quite a bit.

Thanks again. :)

Tell me you are not falling for THAT?

MSRP $160
DvD of 'Maximum Force'
Actual Cost: $3.99
Value: $0.20
"a savings of" $156.01

Savings are only pertinent if you were already planning on paying the going price in the first place.
Sales are not for your benefit, they are an effort to sell a product so the store doesn't take a complete loss on it.

If they can sell it to you at sale price now, the quality of the product has not changed, their level of greed has.

Technically, if you are not making multiple purchases of the item at regular price, there is no savings. The sale price is the price.

That computer is likely worth $300 or less.
They jacked the price up to $400 because of market value.
They lowered the price because it is not selling like they anticipated, so to limit their expected loss, you get it for an additional $29 instead of an additional $99.

This is good if you budgeted $300 for your computer purchase.
If you budgeted $500, you are hurting yourself trying to save a buck.

Set your sights on systems that are value at or above your budgeted value and look for Like/Same/Kind on sale.

Chances are, if you buy a diamond ring for $10 you end up with a diamond ring not worth a dime.

Okay Tom, that makes sense. I had my budget at $400, give or take a little. I'll check out those other sites you told me about. Thanks for all your help.

How to Choose a Budget Laptop

While the best laptops cost much more, the average consumer spends under $500 for a new notebook. When shopping for a laptop in this price range, you have to make some compromises, so it's important to prioritize the features that matter most and get as many of them as you can, without breaking your budget.

We've listed several high-quality budget laptops on this page for you to consider. When evaluating a laptop, consider these factors in this order of importance:

Full HD (1920 x 1080) Screen: Most budget laptops are saddled with low-res, 1366 x 768 displays that allow you to fit a lot of text on the screen at once. If you can find a laptop with a screen that has a 1920 x 1080 resolution, you'll be able to see more of your favorite web pages, emails, social media feeds and documents, without scrolling. You'll also get much sharper images and videos.
SSD or eMMC Memory: Most sub-$500 laptops use mechanical hard drives, but if you can get one a Solid State Drive or eMMC storage, another form of solid state memory, you'll have faster boot times and application open times.
Good build quality: If you see a laptop with a soft-touch finish or real aluminum on any of its surfaces -- especially the deck and lid -- that's a sign of good design. However, in this price range, you may have to settle for shiny plastic.
Core i5 CPU: One area where you may need to compromise is on processor speed. If you can find a system with an Intel Core i5 CPU that also has the other three features above, you're in great shape. If you have to settle for a Core i3 processor, that's still pretty good. Intel Pentium and Celeron CPUs are serviceable, but not particularly speedy.

A good laptop that costs over $800 should have all of these features, but if you can find a system that has one or more of these for under $500, you're ahead of the game.

http://www.laptopmag.com/best-laptops-under-500

At a $400 limit, look for $500 laptops on sale for the best value.

RAM is commonly 4gb (additions above the standard cause prices to go up.
Consider a laptop that comes with 4 gb standard and use the savings to buy upgraded RAM.

You could end up with a quality $500 laptop at or around your projected budget.
Hard Drive is commonly 1 tb

Potatoe.. patatoe...

I'm not following you Stu... what's that mean?