Inetl I5 520M vs I7 720QM

[spike101x]

I really love everything about a custom toshiba laptop I put together for $1059 on their site.

Processor
Intel® Core™ i5-520M Processor 2.40 GHz (2.93 GHz with Turbo Boost Technology), 3MB L3 Cache, 1066MHz DDR3
Microsoft® Operating System
Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Design Options
Fusion™ Finish with Sonic Pattern in Red Onyx
KeyBoard Options
Glossy Black US LED Backlight Keyboard
Microsoft® Office Software
Microsoft® Office Ready with Microsoft Office Professional 2007 60-day Trial Edition
Memory
4GB DDR3 1066MHz SDRAM (2048MBx2)
Graphics Controller
NVIDIA® GeForce® 310M with 512MB GDDR3 discrete graphics memory
Hard Disk Drive
250GB HDD (5400rpm, Serial-ATA)
Optical Drive
DVD SuperMulti (+/-R double layer) drive
Battery
Lithium Ion battery (6-Cell, 3700mAh)
Standard Limited Warranty
1 Year Standard Limited Warranty

OR I can get another HP ( I hate HP, every single laptop/printer I've ever had from them has been serviced multiple times before getting mad enough to buy another brand) for $1075.

Brand: HP Processor Type: Intel Core i7-720QM
Type: Laptop/Notebook Processor Speed: 1.6 GHz
Screen Size: 15.6 inch Processor Configuration: Quad Core
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium Memory (RAM): 4 GB DDR3 1066
Primary Drive: LightScribe DVD+/-RW Hard Drive Capacity: 320 GB
Graphics Card: 1GB Nvidia 230M

Also I'd prefer a 14in over 15.6... Am I getting ripped by buying the Toshiba? If so how much slower is the i5 520M vs the i7 720QM? I can't find any brand 13.3-14" that has an i7.

 

[Maziar]

Although the HP model is better but if you hate HP so much then don't buy it 😛
i7 720QM is faster than i5 520M in multi-threaded apps like 3D rendering,PhotoShop etc and also in some games which benefit from multi-core CPUs like most RTS games and some other games like GTA IV,Prototype etc.
What is your usage with your laptop ?

 

[singingigo]

I'm pretty sure the graphics card is substantially better in the HP as well.

 

[spike101x]

Why just because it has 1GB v 512? Man it makes me mad when people thing memory is EVERYTHING. I'm not sure the clocks on either of them. But graphics cards don't matter, click->open speed is what's important.

 

[JackNaylorPE]

You may find it interesting that neither Toshiba or HP actually make laptops and that Quanta and Comapl make laptops for HP and Toshiba

* Quanta sells to (among others) HP/Compaq, Dell, Toshiba, Sony, Fujitsu, Acer, NEC, Gateway and Lenovo/IBM - note that Quanta is currently (as of August, 2007) the largest manufacturer of notebook computers in the world.
* Compal sells to Toshiba, HP/Compaq, Acer, and Dell.

 

[Maziar]

I'm pretty sure the graphics card is substantially better in the HP as well.

Yes GT 230M is better than a GT 310M