Decided on Ideapad Y550, now what?

So I finnnnally decided to go with the Ideapad Y550 and Lenovo decided to go a remove the ability to "build your own". They now either come preconfigured or you CAN customize only the one with the discrete graphics. The main reason I want to configure my own is to upgrade the processor. So heres my three questions:

1. Should I wait for Lenovo to put the "build your own" feature back on? (Do you think they will)

2. Is the GeForce G 110M graphic card that comes with the discrete graphics model going to affect the batery life or produce more heat?

3. Is the Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor T6400 (2.00GHz 800MHz 2MBL2) good enough for fast internet browsing with no lag (multiple tabs open at once); or should I upgrade to the Intel Core 2 Duo Processor P8600 (2.40GHz 1066MHz 3MBL2) for an extra $175? What benefits is this upgrade going to give me and is it worth the extra money?

Thanks

Just as background info: Im using this for school for internet browsing, microsoft office programs, listening to and downloading music, and thats pretty much it. No gaming or anything fancy.

 

Also, what is the difference between all of these? I just want 4 gb of memory. What do all the 1x2s and 1+2s mean? Im sorry for sounding stupid, I obviously dont know too much about laptops

1x1 GB PC3-8500 DDR3 SDRAM 1066MHz SODIMM Memory
2x1 GB PC3-8500 DDR3 SDRAM 1066MHz SODIMM Memory
1x2 GB PC3-8500 DDR3 SDRAM 1066MHz SODIMM Memory
1+2 GB PC3-8500 DDR3 SDRAM 1066MHz SODIMM Memory
2x2 GB PC3-8500 DDR3 SDRAM 1066MHz SODIMM Memory

 

1.- No. I doubt Lenovo will put the option back.
2.- Yes, it will consume more power and put out more heat. And for your purposes, discrete graphics is unnecessary, and you will only notice those two downsides.
3.- For your uses, it's definitely not worth $175. The T6400 will provide plenty of power for your purposes. The advantages of a P8600 are slightly better battery life, slightly cooler operating temperatures, faster speed (obviously), and it has the capability of virtualization (which, unless you are going to run virtual machines, really doesn't matter).

The Y550, as well as most laptops, have 2 slots for RAM.
1x1GB means a single 1GB stick of RAM.
2x1 means 2 1GB sticks of RAM, for a total of 2GB.
1x2GB means a single 2GB stick of RAM, which would allow you to easily add another 2GB stick for a total of 4GB.
1+2GB means the laptop has one 1GB stick and one 2GB stick, for a total of 3GB of RAM.
2x2GB means it has a 2GB stick of RAM in each slot, for a total of 4GB.

Frankly, for your purposes, 2GB of RAM is plenty. I have been running on 2GB of RAM in Vista Business and have had no problems whatsoever. It has been plenty for gaming and multitasking with many applications open. I suggest that you get 1x2GB, so in the future when you decide you need more RAM, you can easily unscrew the bottom panel and insert a second 2GB stick of RAM, for a total of 4GB, without having to remove any RAM.

 

+1 Thank you so much! So I guess the $175 upgrade to the P8600 is not worth it. So here is the Ideapad Y550 I was thinking about getting... Does this seem like a good computer for basic, everyday student use? Also, I can get it for $589.00. Is that a good deal?

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Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processor T6400 ( 2GHz 800MHz 2MB )
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Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium 64
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Intel Integrated Graphics X4500
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4 GB PC3-8500 DDR3 SDRAM 1066MHz
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15.6 " HD Wide LED 1366x768
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Industry Standard Touchpad
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320GB 5400
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DVD Recordable (Dual Layer)
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6 Cell Lithium-Ion
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Intel Wireless Wi-Fi Link 5100