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    Is the i5 ideal for college?

    Discussion in 'Alienware M11x' started by derventa, Jul 14, 2010.

  1. derventa

    derventa Notebook Enthusiast

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    I can get the i5 for for about $950 with a student discount. (I can also get the i7 for about 1050 but its a waste of money I think)

    The CPU isn't really that powerful compared to 13"+ laptops...this is the only thing I'm worried about.

    I will be using the i5 for taking notes, editing essays, and occasional gaming.

    Honestly, could I do better for the price, or is the 1.066GHz processor w/ 4Gigs of RAM suitable?

    Also, I know you can OC to 1.866Ghz...can you OC and keep it always on, or should you only use it when playing a game, or using a graphic intense program?

    Thanks :D

    p.s im not too worried about the screensize, im bringing my TV to school
     
    derventa, Jul 14, 2010
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  2. LoTo

    LoTo Notebook Enthusiast

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    Got an i5 myself mainly for University use. Kept going back and forth between that the older Core2Duo. Finally decided to go with the i5 because I wanted something more future proof. Plus I got a killer dealer for it. $925 shipped with the soft case.

    If battery life is a major concern for you then get the C2D, if not go for the i series processor.

    As to your worry about the processor, it's misplaced. I came from a unibody MBP with 2.4GHz C2D and I love the way the M11x handles everything. And there's a huge gap between it and my old Eee Netbook.
     
    LoTo, Jul 15, 2010
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  3. Neil McRae

    Neil McRae Notebook Evangelist

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    yup its perfect esp if you have external screen
     
    Neil McRae, Jul 15, 2010
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  4. derventa

    derventa Notebook Enthusiast

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    Does the i5 outperform the mbp 2.4 c2d?
     
    derventa, Jul 15, 2010
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  5. obzkure

    obzkure Notebook Enthusiast

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    I think it really matters what you're going to school for, I'm going to be a freshman engineering student next year and somewhere down the line I'll need to run some 3D Design/CAD programs (which is why I went with the i7). Think about the possible future uses you'll have for your laptop and go from there. If you don't think you're going to be running many resource demanding programs, then go with the i5.
     
    obzkure, Jul 15, 2010
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  6. kent1146

    kent1146 Notebook Prophet

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    Does it matter? Are you really going to buy a Macbook Pro, or an Alienware M11x Core i5, just because one has a faster CPU than the other?

    When it comes to desktop applications like internet browsers, email, word processing, you only need a processor that is "good enough" to do what you need. Both the Core i5 ULV and the Core 2 Duos are "good enough" to do what you need. You should be comparing the two laptops in other areas to decide what you want to buy.
     
    kent1146, Jul 16, 2010
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