Buy a laptop for Architecture

[mogo]

Hallo,
I'm looking for a notebook.
I'm studying Architecture, so I need to use 2D and 3D
Ideally my laptop shouldn't be too heavy (problems with my back)
my budget is up to 2000 euro

could someone help me?

many thanks!

 

[Maziar]

Hello and welcome to the forums
please fill the FAQ first:
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/50797-35-read-buying-laptop

 

[mogo]

1_What is your budget? max 2000 euro

2_How much screen size do you need? 15" would be enough

3_How much screen resolution do you want? don't know, I suppose an excellent one

4_Do you need a portable or desktop replacement laptop? desktop replacement

5_How much battery life do you need? not so relevant

6_Do you want to play games with it? If so then what kind of settings you want to play your games?(Low,Medium or High)? no games

7_What other tasks do you want to with your laptop? 2D and 3D modeling will be daily use

8_How much storage(H.D.D Capacity)do you need? 500 Gb...

9_If you just want to buy from some sites that you like,please post the link of them. no preference, but fast delivery would be an asset

10_How long do you want to keep your laptop? 3-4 years...

11_If you like to mention some other things,please post them too.

I've seen this model from SONY for less than 1500 euro, what would be your advice??? Thanks!!!!

Sony VAIO VGNFW51ZF/H Laptop
Platform Technology
Intel Centrino 2
System Type Notebook
Built-in Devices Stereo speakers, wireless LAN aerial, Bluetooth aerial
Width 38.4 cm
Depth 26.1 cm
Height 3.7 cm
Weight 3.2 kg
Colour Silver
Processor
Processor
Intel Core 2 Duo T9600 / 2.8 GHz
Multi-Core Technology Dual-Core
64-bit Computing Yes
Data Bus Speed 1066 MHz
Chipset Type Mobile Intel PM45 Express
Cache Memory
Type
L2 Cache
Installed Size 6 MB
RAM
Installed Size
8 GB / 8 GB (max)
Technology DDR2 SDRAM - 800 MHz
Configuration Features 2 x 4 GB
Storage Controller
Type
Serial ATA
Serial ATA Interface Serial ATA-150
Storage
Hard Drive
500 GB - Serial ATA-150 - 5400 rpm
Optical Storage
Type
BD-RE - integrated
Read Speed 24x (CD) / 8x (DVD) / 4x (BD)
Write Speed 24x (CD) / 8x (DVD±R) / 4x (DVD±R DL) / 4x (BD-R) / 2x (BD-R DL)
CD / DVD Rewrite Speed 16x (CD) / 6x (DVD±RW) / 5x (DVD-RAM) / 2x (BD-RE) / 2x (BD-RE DL)
Card Reader
Type
Card reader
Supported Flash Memory Cards SD Memory Card, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO, Memory Stick Duo, Memory Stick PRO Duo
Display
Display Type
16.4" TFT
Max Resolution 1920 x 1080
Widescreen Display Yes
Features X-black, dual lamp
Video
Graphics Processor / Vendor
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4650
Video Memory GDDR3 SDRAM - 1 GB
Total Available Graphics Memory 2790 MB
Audio
Audio Output
Sound card
Compliant Standards Microsoft WSS 1.0/2.0, High Definition Audio, Dolby Sound Room
Audio Input Microphone
Notebook Camera
Camera Type
Integrated
Sensor Resolution 1.3 Megapixel
Capture Resolutions 1280 x 1024
Input Device(s)
Type
Keyboard, touchpad
Networking
Networking
Network adapter
Wireless LAN Supported Yes
Data Link Protocol Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n (draft), Bluetooth 2.1 EDR
Compliant Standards IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n (draft), Bluetooth 2.1
Expansion / Connectivity
Expansion Slots Total (Free)
2 ( 0 ) x memory ¦ 1 ( 1 ) x ExpressCard/34
Interfaces 1 x IEEE 1394 (FireWire) - 4 PIN FireWire ¦ 1 x microphone - input - mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm ¦ 1 x network - Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base-TX/1000Base-T - RJ-45 ¦ 3 x Hi-Speed USB - 4 PIN USB Type A ¦ 1 x display / video - VGA - 15 pin HD D-Sub (HD-15) ¦ 1 x audio / video - HDMI output - 19 pin HDMI Type A ¦ 1 x headphones / speakers - output - mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm
Miscellaneous
Features
Security lock slot (cable lock sold separately)
Power
Power Device
External
Battery
Technology
Lithium Ion
Installed Qty 1
Run Time (Up To) 3.3 hour(s)

 

[Maziar]

That Sony looks good however if you go for HP DV6 Quad which has i7 and is better for your work

 

[evelette]

out of personal experience I think the Sony is not so good. I have used Sony, Dell, HP, and Apple before. I find that Sony is as overpriced as an Alienware laptop and not as good as what you can get for your money. I was in the exact same shoes since I am a 2D and 3D worker.

My friend has the HP you are looking at and it looks nice, but feels like it's made out of cheap plastic and every time he has a problem he needs to speak with a non english speaking representative explaining something over and over again.

Since I was in the same shoes I myself was considering a HP DV8T, but decided to avoid HP. I ordered a Asus G51J. This laptop has everything for 2D and 3D work. It runs a high end GPU with a rock solid core i-7 inside of it. Yes...this laptop does run hot at times. It depends what you are doing. I doubt you will use this laptop as a render farm so you will be fine. It runs hot when gaming, but so does any gaming laptop (asus is known for not having the best cooling). I recommend if you get this to add the IC paste on the CPU and GPU to help with the cooling.

Core i-7 is worth every cent. It out performs and utilizes its strengths as needed. If only 1 core is required to run then it will pump up its speed (up to 2.8gz per core). So if 2 cores are needed it will do the same to both up to 4 cores.

The Nvidia 260m inside the Asus G51J is a high end GPU and performs extremely well in many conditions. For a mobile unit that is doing 2D and 3D this will be helpful.

The Asus G51J does not have a strong battery life. However, almost any laptop you are doing high end 3D on will not. If you want battery life then you will need to sacrifice. Apple I find is best for this with their Macbook Pro line, but they are overpriced for the type of CPU and GPU and screen size you get.

I hope this information helps you in making your decision. I talk about the Asus because I ordered it myself for the same reason. I spent over 5 weeks researching on options and best decision to make. I purchased my laptop at www.xoticpc.com (ask for Justin).