Any advice on a new laptop??

Hi guys.

I've come to a point with my HP Pavilion laptop where I'm ready to stick it in a box and never see it again.

I'm interested in getting a new laptop and I've started doing my research, but the amount of options out there is entirely overwhelming and I just don't know enough to know what to look for :eek:. So I'm looking for informed suggestions from anyone who knows what they're talking about.

I'm a college student and a beginning web designer. I use things like Dreamweaver and Photoshop on a regular basis. Additionally, I use Microsoft Office for school stuff and surf the net (your typical uploading/downloading), but that's as intense as it usually gets. I don't game or use my machine for any serious programming (yet?) and I don't have a ton of files (I have an external hard drive for that stuff anyway).


I'm looking for something that does not overheat and has a good ventilation system. My HP is a freakin space heater and has only one vent that clearly can't keep up because the machine is constantly roaring like an animal and forget about increasing the screen brightness, it's practically on minimum now.

Also, I need something that would support work with graphics (aka Photoshop/Fireworks/In-Design). I know pretty much nothing about graphics cards except that it's good when the laptop has a dedicated card.

I have a 15" screen right now and I think I'd like to stick with that, no smaller for sure.

It'd be nice if it didn't weigh a ton but my laptop now weighs around 7lbs and I can deal with that.

My budget is like $800 or less. I might increase that depending on how much I'm able to save up.

Please don't suggest Macs, don't like Apple. :P


I'm currently considering Dell XPS 15 and have heard good things about Sony Vaio. What do you guys think about these two? Good, bad?

What is a good hard drive/ram size for the above described purposes? And which Intel Core i3/5/7 should the laptop have?

Appreciate anyone who takes the time to help a girl out! Thanks.

If that is all you are doing then an i3 would be sufficient, just make sure it is the second generation (Sandy Bridge). Also, 4GB of DDR3 (1066MHz or more) RAM should be enough, but it wouldn't hurt of you can get more than 4GB. Most laptops these days come with a 500GB HDD which is also good enough for your needs.

Hard drive space most laptops come with plenty the thing to establish is a the brand you dont want some thing cheap and cheerful and you defonatly dont want or need a netbook,

Most laptops overheat because people take the term "laptop" too seriously if your going to use a laptop on bed or on your lap chances are you will cover the vents and cause over heating

however some laptops are known for this,

I personally like Lenovo laptops,

The best thing to do is find a laptop with good specifications

I would recommend 4gb ram
and the processor would be at least dual core pref quad :)

hard drive size anything over 500GB should be plenty

Once you find a laptop you like find reviews on them you will soon see if has call backs or common issues"


hope this helps

SteveO :thumbsup:

Thanks for your input guys, really appreciate it!

I've done some research with your guys' suggestions and I think I have a clearer picture of what I want ... Intel Core i3-i5, no more, prob 250GB HD will do just fine (mine right now is 137GB and 88 GB is being used), 4-6GB RAM and I'm still teetering on whether I want to spend extra on a 1080p screen.

The topic is still open for anyone who wants to cast their answer! I'm still searching and probably will be for the next two months.

For a laptop, a 1080p screen would not be worth the money, you wouldn't notice the difference from 720p, the screen just isn't big enough

Most computer to overheat, because a title "notebook" to answer too careful when you go to are computers in sleep mode as clapboard in your chances, you have to address the ventilation holes and cause heat to go through.
They obey this type of sugession
The activities will find the right notebook, together with successful dimensions
I would certainly refer 4GB RAM
and the processor has at least two key pref quad
Hard disk height all sorts of things should be more than 500GB was a lot

Buying a Laptop depends totally on your Requirement.If you are a developer, then you must choose a high Configuration Laptop Like (Apple).but if you are student who is learning computing at the Initial Stages.Then you must but a Dell Inspiron

The market is flooded with lots of products.So do a survey first and choose the one that fits your taste.

If you are looking for a laptop with a good ventilation system and your budget is limited i would recommend: Asus. They seem to last longer than other brands. There are also IBM's Thinkpad series(might be Lenovo Thinkpad series now). They are simply the best laptop computers you can get.

Sorry to say, that all laptops overheat. I have to prop mine up, to improve circulation. The fans are tiny and underneath. There's only an 1/8th of inch of clearance for air to circulate and about a couple inches out the side.

As far as a new laptop, I would go with ASUS. In my opinion it is one of the best out there. Most of the laptops out there use ASUS components. So, it only makes sense to buy ASUS.

Just my 2 cents.

I prefer Samsung laptops. They have some problems with ventilation sometimes but it's not hard to bring them back to life.

I have got an ASUS laptop and I think it is great. I would highly recommend them and they are reasonably priced. They have smart colours and great features. I love the face-recognition login as well.

I'd choose a laptop with at least an i5 processor, or an i7 if you can afford it.

I'd also make sure it has at least 8 gigs of ram.

Lenovo is a good brand. My clients have always been happy with them. ASUS is an up and coming brand. Dell and HP, it's like this, people love them or hate them.

Get a minimum of a i5 processor, minimum 4gb ram(more the better) and as far as hard drive most of those types come with atleast 320 or 500gb and some even more. I dont know what your budget it, but that plays a big role, I have bought over 5 laptops in past few years and it doesnt make sense to buy a 800-1200 laptop, prices have come waaay down on these, so do your research on price as far as brands, the absolute best that i have owned is TOSHIBA, i hate HP to the bone!!!!! Sony are overpriced, Lenovo's are good too. just look around on deal sites like dealspl.us is a good one check on there im sure you can get a good deal on one.