i3 laptop? where to get one from?

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I am looking for a second hand laptop with an i3 processor. Can somebody recommend me anywhere decent to buy one from?

In terms different brands like AMD, which is equivelent to the I3 or I5? i am looking for the cheapest alternative.

I will probably upgrade the laptop to 10GB RAM manually so I can build some decent workstations.

 

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As far as seconds go, SCHTrade have a good reputation (from what I've read, not had first-hand experience) and also bigpockets.co.uk

HTH

 

Why Second hand? Surely its worth spending about £290 and geting something like:

Zoostorm Laptop, Intel Pentium Dual Core B960 2.2GHz, 8GB RAM, 500GB HDD, 15.6&q | eBay

 

thanks guys,

I thought the i3 was better than a Intel Pentium Dual Core?

 

The i3, the first one, replaced the Core 2 Duo.

You can see which ones are the 1st gen compared to the 2nd gen (Sandy Bridge), as the processor models for the 1st gen have 3 numbers, like the i3-520 (so i3-xxx) and the 2nd gen are 4 numbers, like i3-2450 (so i3-xxxx) Mobile processors probably have the M added to it, like i3-520M.

 

thanks for the insight mate. So are you saying the ones with the 4 digits after it are better? and also 1 with the M is better too?

 

The M would only be for mobile processors, i.e. in laptops.

The second gen processors are newer, and supposed to be about 20% more efficient ... but that's 1) on their own benchmarks and 2) (I think) efficiency related to output over power consumption.

You wouldn't get a new laptop now with the older style processor anyway

 

There are websites out there such as laptops direct and even some of the other 'high street' stores with sites that sell decent refurbished i3 laptops, you just need to search online. Look for things such as 'grade A1' or similar sounding titles to the laptop or just 'refurbished'. Otherwise I would use that well known auction site im 100% sure you will find a decent 2nd hand i3 on there. As for the comparison in chips, i'd wholly recommend intel over AMD unless you want gaming but then you would go for a quad core equivalent to an I5. I have an I5 and coupled with 8gb RAM my lappie is lightening! )

Good luck

 

thanks guys.

So as to intel pentium vs i3+ range. which are better. How am I suppose to determine which is better from the 2

 

i7 > i5 > i3 > Core 2 Duo > Pentium

 

Pentium is a very old architecture now, it will also have a larger manufacturing process and lower clock speeds.

If you are into IT you are expected to understand things like cache, ALU, FPU, pipelining, branch prediction, pre-fetch, hyper threading, multiple cores, core parking etc. Read up on processor design and architecture.


Go to the Intel or AMD website, look at their roadmaps for processors. See how die sizes grown until an increase in gate density due to a smaller manufacturing process. Look to see what new features each new architecture adds. Look at the manufacturer and third party benchmarks.

Pentium is legacy now, anyone serious about their machine won't buy one, my first PC was a Pentium 66 Mhz (with infamous FDIV bug) and that was ~18 years ago. What you probably mean is Pentium 6 or Pentium M.

Core2 is a half decent recent processor that replaced Core1, both are dual core processors but Core2 is much more recent, then they have part numbers that define cache size and clock frequency etc.

The current range of Intel processors are the 'i' range, the main variants being i3, i5 and i7.

The main difference is the memory controller is now on the processor die and not on the north bridge.

i3 is a modern update of the Core2 and has two cores.
i5 is quad core.
i7 has four or six cores depending on version and more cache than i5.

Other things to consider are socket types, on die GPU and mobile editions. If you are interested in graphics you will probably need a GPU co-processor in your laptop, as even though there are on chip graphics in modern CPU's they don't work so well yet.

The A+ cert covers a lot of computer architecture fundamentals as do many undergraduate computer architecture / assembly language classes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_Core

1. In general refurbished laptops are a bad idea as they break most often because of poor design or build quality, buying such an item with a reduced warranty or no warranty for often 80% of the new price simply isn't a good deal.

2. Components drop in price and are improved significantly over time, for example processors have their design or microcode tweaked otherwise known as Stepping.

You are therefore often better off with a modern budget or bare bones system rather than kit that is several years old.

 

to compare "raw" power of cpu's have a look at PassMark Software - CPU Benchmark Charts but with laptops you need to look at all the other components as you won't be able to change them as you wish

 

I have seen for another thread that you are studying for an exam, I think it was a Microsoft exam.

Given what your knowledge level appears to be from the threads of yours I have seen I would say you need to step back a little, start with the Comptia A+ and N+. There are entry level certs and will cover a lot of what you are asking, such as Computer Hardware, high level Network design and principals and then you could even move to Server+ if you wanted to know more about that side of things.

I don't mean the above to be rude or anything, it's just that I think your learning curve will be much smoother if you start with the Comptia exams etc, and then I would move on after that to Microsoft Certs.

Just my opinion of course, but if you do decide to go down the Comptia route, then I would suggest the videos on professer messor's website (You will find it on Google) as they are free, and also pick up relevant study materials online, decent book and possibly cbt videos as well etc.

 

I saw that request about getting ready for the 70-680 over lunch, and I just came on here to say the same thing. Heed the advice of CoupeTT above, if I was you. When you are way more comfortable, then worry about 70-680.

Again, no disrespect intended.

 

thank you all for your responses and demarsh thanks for that wonderful insight. It deffinately has made sense to me now (better). Thanks really apreciate it.

And coupe2 and Ade, don't worry I have not been offended or anything about your comments. You are absoluetly right. I had no idea in how to break into I.T , the initial advice I was given people I know was to do the 70-680. However since being on here I have been adviced to do the Comp A+ , ( you will find new posts by me there). So I am grateful that you are directing me the right way. I prefer that.

Thanks again for all your help. p.s I managed to pick an i3 laptop for £170 from ebay which i'm content with

 

Thanks again for all your help. p.s I managed to pick an i3 laptop for £170 from ebay which i'm content with [/QUOTE]

See told you that auction site would have something!

I bought mine brand new but for £499 im happy thus:
Core I5 (quad core), 8gb RAM, 1TB HDD, USB 3.0 ports x2, WIN 7 Prof, Wireless N, 1.3mb camera, HD3000 graphics onboard and a 4 in 1 card reader.

Gorgeous!

 

hehe you certainly did. Now I just want to upgrade the 4GB ram to preferably 8gb, seen as there is a spare slot. I take it I should look in ebay again for the best price? lol

 

Probably, although I always find crucial to be good for ram. Except they may not have free postage. I always go for free postage where possible so if that means using that auction site or the one with a rainforest for its name then its the same type of ram then u may aswell use them.

Id like to upgrade mine to 10gb ram but my slots wont allow it! hehe!