Page 1 of 1

Quick notebook configuration question

Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2018 12:51 am
by Tomas
I did not have to buy a notebook for a very long time (my employer did/does it for me), but we need an extra notebook for home now.

We just need a 17 inch machine (most likely Dell) that can run Windows 10, MS Office, and SAS&Stata statistical packages (think at most 50 GB data to analyze through SAS/Stata) without hiccuping for the next 3-4 years. We will not use it for gaming.

What should be the safe configuration in terms of:
- processor
- memory
- hard disk
?

Thanks!

Quick notebook configuration question

Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2018 10:00 am
by dodint
I'll defer to @NTP66 on the technical specs as I have 100% assurance that he'll contradict whatever I recommend.

In the Dell universe the 17" is your limiting factor (I'm in the same boat right now). Personally I'm looking at the this one but my primary high end use is video editing.

My biggest issue is I DO NOT WANT an integrated battery and you have to spend $1,400 at Dell to get a 17" with a standard battery. Integrated batteries are smaller, usually 3-4 cell, harder to service, and often double as a CMOS battery so if it goes flat dead you can't even run the laptop with it plugged into the wall; this happened to my Mom recently with an off-brand laptop she bought last year.

Quick notebook configuration question

Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2018 10:09 am
by NTP66
Get ****, dodint. :)

I agree 100% with dodint on the battery issue - integrated batteries are the devil. They're rarely decent, difficult to change without knowledge on the process, and sometimes voids the warranty. If you're going to be doing processor-intensive querying or anything like that, don't settle for anything less than an Intel Core-i5 (the latest gen you can get), 16GB of RAM, and an SSD as your primary drive. Don't opt for a hybrid.

Quick notebook configuration question

Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2018 10:12 am
by dodint
:D

Quick notebook configuration question

Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2018 12:12 pm
by Tomas
Thank you both1 Just a quick question:

16 GB of "real" RAM ("16GB 16GBx1 DDR4 2400MHz Single Channel")
is better than

"24GB Memory: 8GB 2400MHz DDR4 DRAM + 16GB IntelĀ® Optaneā„¢ Memory "

right?

(In other words, "Optane" memory is not "real"?)

Quick notebook configuration question

Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2018 1:00 pm
by NTP66
Yes, 16GB of actual RAM. Optane is not really memory, but more of a bridge. It's not bad, but the more actual RAM the better.

Quick notebook configuration question

Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2019 12:57 am
by Tomas
OK, I need a very quick advice (I'll be buying the machine Monday morning):

My mother's notebook (Dell Inspiron 17-inch) apparently died for good this weekend, and I need to buy her a new one. This time, I will have to use a Czech authorized dealer - and boy, Czech prices are HUGE!!

The cheapest 17-inch I can get costs $800 (CZK 17,790):
https://www.alza.cz/dell-inspiron-17-5767?dq=5138071

The one reservation I have is " Intel Core i3 6006U Skylake" processor, which I believe is the "6th generation i3" - i.e. one that US Dell would not even sell at this point (on US Dell website, the cheapest machine uses 7th generation i3 - and even that computer is more than $200 cheaper compared to the one I am about to buy!)

Now, my mother strictly needs the computer for web browsing, Skype, and Word/Excel. No games, no movies. However, I would like for the computer to last about 5 years, and to be able to handle all the future software updates, etc.

Is the processor going to be an issue in 2020, 2021 - or is it simply not a big deal?

One more question:
This one: https://www.alza.cz/dell-inspiron-17-5767?dq=5449359
costs $781, HAS the 7th generation i3, BUT has only 4GB memory (while the $800 version has 8GB). Which one?

Thanks!!

Quick notebook configuration question

Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2019 1:43 am
by Shyster
I would say it's no big deal. Unless one is gaming or doing stuff like video encoding, it's pretty hard to stress a CPU. My linux box at home, which I use for browsing, email, watching videos, etc. has a 10-year-old AMD Athlon II X4 cpu, and I have to work hard to stress it. Get the one with the 8 GB of memory. I think that would matter more for future use, since software always gets more bloated over time.

Quick notebook configuration question

Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2019 6:18 am
by NTP66
There's virtually no difference between those processors, so I would just go with the less expensive one with more RAM. That'll go longer for her workflow than slightly more processing power.

Quick notebook configuration question

Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2019 2:24 pm
by Tomas
Thanks for the quick advice! Buying a computer in a foreign country is an adventure. Not only the prices are so high, but also some stores would not accept American-issued credit cards, and some stores would add stuff into your shopping basket without your knowledge (like an annual subscription to MS Office 365 - which you have to manually kick out in order not to be charged!!) :evil:

Quick notebook configuration question

Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2019 2:25 pm
by NTP66
Nice! Now answer my question in the investing thread. :)

Quick notebook configuration question

Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2019 3:04 pm
by LITT
my wife is looking to start a side hustle that involves photo editing.

our current laptop is not good so we need to replace.

is it possible to successfully accomplish photo editing on a laptop? or will we need to get a desk top?

Quick notebook configuration question

Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2019 3:11 pm
by NTP66
I don't think I would ever want to do photo processing/editing on anything smaller than a 24" screen, personally. A smaller screen just means longer time spent working on it.