Laptop buying query: i3 6100U vs i5 6200U

[Dhanoop C]

I am looking forward to buying a 2 in 1 laptop HP Pavilion x360

According to my budget I have two option available one with Core™ i3-6100U and other with Core™ i5-6200U, all other specs being same as listed below:

13.3 inch full HD
4GB RAM
1TB 5400 rpm HDD
Intel® HD Graphics 520

Basically I will be using the machine for browsing (20-30 high load websites opened simultaneously), watching full hd videos (both online and from HDD)
Rarely I might be working with Photoshop, Illustrator, Axure, Indesign etc when my primary machine is not around. NO GAMES.

I could see that the only difference in the processors is turbo boost up to 2.8 GHZ with base frequency of both being 2.3 GHz. But when it comes to the price of 2 laptops there is 10K difference.
I would like to know if Core™ i5-6200U is worth according to my usage?

I am also looking forwards to up grade RAM from 4GB to 8GB if I have the option. Please let me know if i would be helpful.

Lastly a common question, does GPU make any difference for any of the above usages if he machine will never be used for playing games.

 

[Solandri]

As you've surmised, the only difference between mobile i3 and i5 U processors is the i5 has turbo boost. That's it. So whereas the i3-6100U has a max frequency of 2.3 GHz, the i5-6200U will boost up to 2.7 GHz (2 cores) or 2.8 GHz (1 core) if temperature limits permit. That's about 20% faster, which is just barely on the threshold of what I'd consider a noticeable difference. (The i5 also has an obscure additional instruction TSX-NI, which helps multi-threaded transaction code like databases.) If the i5 is not much more expensive, I'd go for it. (You don't specify a currency so I don't know what a 10K difference is. If it's less than about US$50, then I'd say get the i5. If it's more than $100, get the i3. In between it'll depend on your personal finances.)

4GB of RAM is suitable for simple web browsing and office apps, though 20-30 opened websites is kinda pushing it. But for apps like Photoshop, Illustrator, etc. I highly recommend 8GB. If you plan to work on larger projects or have the money, 16GB is better.

The GPU won't really affect what you're doing. Photoshop will use it to speed up a few filters. I don't know what Axure is but the wiki description says it creates wireframes. So the integrated Intel video should be more than enough for that purpose. Aside from gaming, a dedicated GPU is most useful for video encoding and CAD/CAM work.

 

[Dhanoop C]

Thanks for that quick reply Solandri. The currency is Indian Rupees and the difference for the laptop is is more than $160. That is why I feel its not worth the money (in actual there is only $35 difference for the processor in the market).
And I am planning to get the 8/16 GB RAM. Thanks again.

 

[JacquesFR]

I totally agree with Solandri. The 10k rupee difference is vast if the only difference between the systems is the processor. I'd definitely recommend more RAM. One thing that I've been told about installing memory is that it's best practice not to mix brands. So if the PC that you buy has Kingston (for instance), you should stick with Kingston chips. Also, I've found it MUCH cheaper to buy a laptop and install RAM myself (assuming that your laptop has a free SO-DIMM port)

 

[zihentyp]

The 10k rupee difference is vast if the only difference between the systems is the processor