What computer to buy

[trey4christ]

I am looking to buy a new computer and need some help on what specs I need. I will be going into computer science, so I will use it for school, but I also want to use it for some video editing. I will not be running any high end software like after effects or anything, but will be using Corel Studio pro x5. I have a budget of 600. What specs are most important for me? And what computer would anyone recommend? I also have discounts with dell and hp through my employer.

[usually_quiet]

The CPU is the most important consideration, but if a desktop is an option, you will get the most for your money there. Laptops cost much more for comparable CPU power, hard drive capacity, and graphics, plus you have to use an external hard drive to add a secondary drive for storage and more efficient video encoding.

[trey4christ]

I would rather a desktop, but have to have a laptop for school. Would an I5 intel core processor and an Intel HD 4000 graphics card be sufficient for studio pro x5?

[usually_quiet]

I would rather a desktop, but have to have a laptop for school. Would an I5 intel core processor and an Intel HD 4000 graphics card be sufficient for studio pro x5?

The tech specs say "Intel® Core™ Duo 1.83 GHz, AMD Dual-Core 2.0 GHz (multi-core processor recommended)". Those are the minimum requirements, and if you exceed them by a fair margin you will be better off. The dual-core mobile Intel core I5 processors with Intel HD 4000 graphics (graphics are integrated into the CPU) that I saw would exceed those specs, but it would be helpful to know which laptops and CPUs you have been considering.

[trey4christ]

I have looked at dell and hp computers. Probably one of the ones within my budget would be the hp envy dv4t 5300 series customized to have 6GB RAM, I5 processor, and intel hd 4000 graphics

[trey4christ]

...also, would this even be a consideration?

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/HP+-+ENVY+15.6%22+Laptop+-+6GB+Memory+-+750GB+Hard+Drive+-...6#tab=overview

[usually_quiet]

I have looked at dell and hp computers. Probably one of the ones within my budget would be the hp envy dv4t 5300 series customized to have 6GB RAM, I5 processor, and intel hd 4000 graphics

...also, would this even be a consideration?

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/HP+-+ENVY+15.6%22+Laptop+-+6GB+Memory+-+750GB+Hard+Drive+-...6#tab=overview

The model with the i5 the better choice. The AMD A10 APU has better graphics processing, but the Intel i5 is the better of the two CPUs, even though it is a dual core (with hyper threading) and the A10 APU is a quad core.

[Hoser Rob]

What kind of editing? Doing that with 1080p HD video takes a lot more cpu than 480p SD.

[usually_quiet]

I took another look at the hp envy dv4t 5300 series laptop and didn't like what I saw. These are the connection/ports on the laptop: 3 USB 2.0, 1 HDMI, 1 headphone-out, 1 microphone-in, 1 VGA, Multi-format digital media card reader, and 1 RJ45 LAN port.

USB 3.0 or e-SATA are required for the connection to an external hard drive to be fast enough for editing. The USB ports on the hp envy dv4t 5300 series laptops are only USB 2.0.

[ranchhand]

For the price ceiling you have, you this is about as good as you are going to get. Note free shipping, no tax, and check out the promo code discounts. Note there is no monitor, I don't know if you need one or have one already. I also linked you to a review of the CPU, and it can be overclocked (they say) rather easily. Unfortunately there are no users reviews on this unit yet, but for the money it seems to be a good bargain. It has USB3 ports and a 1-TB hard drive for storage. The 300W power supply is a bit under where it should be, but probably will be adequate. Check out the other offers around Newegg, you will get far more for your money than at a box store.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883220257
http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/pc-components/processors/amd-fx-4300-1117775/review

[usually_quiet]

For the price ceiling you have, you this is about as good as you are going to get. Note free shipping, no tax, and check out the promo code discounts. Note there is no monitor, I don't know if you need one or have one already. I also linked you to a review of the CPU, and it can be overclocked (they say) rather easily. Unfortunately there are no users reviews on this unit yet, but for the money it seems to be a good bargain. It has USB3 ports and a 1-TB hard drive for storage. The 300W power supply is a bit under where it should be, but probably will be adequate. Check out the other offers around Newegg, you will get far more for your money than at a box store.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883220257
http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/pc-components/processors/amd-fx-4300-1117775/review

A desktop isn't an option. He's a college student and must get a laptop.

[deadrats]

do you live near a microcenter? if so, they have just about the best deals around:

http://microcenter.com/search/search_results.aspx?N=4294967288&sortby=pricelow&page=5&...-:-MicroCenter

http://microcenter.com/product/388076/Pavilion_dv7-6b78us_173_Laptop_Computer_Refurbis...d_-_Steel_Gray

yes it's refurbished but it does have a true quad core, 2 usb 3 ports, 750gb hdd, 6 gigs ram and it does come with a 90 day parts and labor warranty and microcenter will sell you an extended warranty (i don't know if they offer a 1 year or 2 year warranty) at a pretty reasonable price (i would guess maybe another C note).

if you're going to do any sort of serious video editing, you have to get at least a true quad core (not dual core with HT) and go with an intel cpu.

something to think about.

[DarrellS]

do you live near a microcenter? if so, they have just about the best deals around:

http://microcenter.com/search/search_results.aspx?N=4294967288&sortby=pricelow&page=5&...-:-MicroCenter

http://microcenter.com/product/388076/Pavilion_dv7-6b78us_173_Laptop_Computer_Refurbis...d_-_Steel_Gray

yes it's refurbished but it does have a true quad core, 2 usb 3 ports, 750gb hdd, 6 gigs ram and it does come with a 90 day parts and labor warranty and microcenter will sell you an extended warranty (i don't know if they offer a 1 year or 2 year warranty) at a pretty reasonable price (i would guess maybe another C note).

if you're going to do any sort of serious video editing, you have to get at least a true quad core (not dual core with HT) and go with an intel cpu.

something to think about.

Too bad he can't afford this Toshiba. That's a great buy. My friend paid $1,100 for this laptop a couple years ago. That's a good buy at $899.99. He had to have the backlit keyboard which is nice. Convinced me to buy a backlit keyboard for my PC.

http://microcenter.com/product/408494/Satellite_S875-S7376_173_Laptop_Computer_-_Ice_B...ushed_Aluminum

If you're gonna buy a laptop that is going to serve as your main computer then you might as well get a good one. It's cheaper than buying two computers.

Looks like Bestbuy has it on sale for $879.99 ($120 off regular price)

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Toshiba+-+Satellite+17.3%22+Laptop+-+8GB+Memory+-+1TB+Hard...7376&cp=1&lp=7

[ranchhand]

Unusually quiet:

I would rather a desktop, but have to have a laptop for school.

For $600 there is no laptop that is going to be adequate for video editing, they all are under 2.0GHz processor, and 2GHs processor is going to be slo-o-o-o-o-w.

[usually_quiet]

Unusually quiet:

I would rather a desktop, but have to have a laptop for school.

For $600 there is no laptop that is going to be adequate for video editing, they all are under 2.0GHz processor, and 2GHs processor is going to be slo-o-o-o-o-w.

He means that he needs a laptop, whether he prefers using one or not. Notice the computers he asked about. They weren't desktops. It doesn't seem like he wants two computers.

Laptops are now required by most colleges and universities. One of my nephews received a letter to that effect before he arrived at school, with a list of technical specs. The other attended a school where the laptop is supplied by the university for those pursuing undergraduate degrees and covered in their tuition.

He wants a Dell or an HP because he gets a discounted price through work. Maybe he's counting on the discount to lower the cost of a somewhat more capable laptop to fit into his price range.

[usually_quiet]

I looked at HP's offerings and an HP Pavilion g6t-2300 was the least expensive model I found that still had a USB 3.0 connection. There is an option for a Intel Core i7-3632QM CPU, although that pushes the price up to $719.99. It isn't ideal but it is the best laptop I could come up with at HP that was close to your price range and fairly capable. I haven't looked at Dell yet.

[trey4christ]

what about Lenova brand? It looks like this computer has all the basic specs I would need and what has been talked about on here and its a good price.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Lenovo+-+IdeaPad+15.6%26%2334%3B+Laptop+-+6GB+Memory+-+750...specifications

[usually_quiet]

what about Lenova brand? It looks like this computer has all the basic specs I would need and what has been talked about on here and its a good price.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Lenovo+-+IdeaPad+15.6%26%2334%3B+Laptop+-+6GB+Memory+-+750...specifications

It does have one USB 3.0 port and meets the minimum hardware requirements for Corel Studio Pro X5. Just remember that editing HD video won't be as quick as you might like because the i5 CPUs most laptops have are dual core CPUs. If you can spend a little more to get a better CPU, chances are you will be happier with the laptops performance for a bit longer.

[trey4christ]

Thank you all for your answers and help. I was actually able to get the Envy dv6t 7300 quad core with I7 processor, NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) GT 635M Graphics with 2048MB of dedicated video memory, 8GB RAM, and USB 3.0 ports with a sale and my discount for $575

[katrinCh]

please share us your results - did you make the right choice? did this choice meet all your requirements?