Hey guys, my girlfriend needs a new laptop, and I'm completely clueless when it comes to the world of laptops. Ideally we need something that's cheap (what a surprise ) but can play DVDs well enough, VGA output. Would be good if it could play some games too, I don't mean anything new on max settings, but some older games such as the sims, diablo 2, etc. Morrowind and Oblivion would be nice too Any advice on what sort of stuff to look for?
In terms of cost, I think the big difference is usually if the laptop has a dedicated graphics card or not, so the gaming requirement will bump the price up. A new, average laptop from the likes of Dell or Asus will cost you somewhere in the region of £350 - £500, whilst laptops for gaming use will probably sting you for closer to £500 - 850. As Rich says, the budget is key! One thing I will advise, and I hate to say anything derogatory about AMD but you're probably best avoiding their Sempron processors, they just don't have enough grunt. Ideally, you should aim for an Intel Core i3 or i5 processor - 2GHz or thereabouts, but note that these are usually found in mid to higher spec machines. For a more affordable option, Core 2 Duo processors are popular and tend to be a tad cheaper as it's older tech now. At least with a fairly decent CPU, you then have a good starting point from which to then be able to upgrade the laptop later with more RAM and perhaps a SSD hard drive if you find it's having trouble keeping up with new software. Personally I've had good experience with HP laptops with Core2Duo processors in for business use (they're pretty much indestructable), and for home users anything by Asus or Dell are usually ok. Dell business laptops aren't great from what I've seen, the Latitudes are always breaking - but the Inspiron range for Home Users are pretty decent.
http://www.sainsburys.co.uk/sol/sho...&network_id=cj&source=cj&affiliate_id=1546795 Decent spec for the price if you're not fussed about the brand name.
