New laptop selection

[iku01142]

hello forum,

apologies as this is probably a very basic computing question.

I am buying a new laptop and have been looking at the acer aspire range (i was advised this was a good quality, high spec laptop for a reasonable price)

I have come across two laptops that i am interested in - the acer aspire 6530g and the acer aspire 6930g. The specs are similar but there are some differences. The specs are below:

6530G
-----
AMD Turion X2 RM-72 dual core processor.

2.1GHz processor speed.

1Mb cache.

4GB RAM.

250GB hard drive.

Multi format dual layer CD/DVD drive with DVD & Blu-Ray movie playback.

16in HD widescreen.

Resolution 1366 x 768 pixels.

ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3650 graphics display with 512MB VRAM graphics memory.

1 Ethernet port.

Wireless/WiFi enabled - b/g/n.

4 USB ports.

1 HDMI port.

5 in 1 card reader (SD, MMC, MS, MS PRO, xD).

Dolby sound system 2.0 (2 built-in speakers)

Fingerprint reader.

Integrated 0.3MP webcam.


6930G
-----
Intel Core 2 Duo T6400.

2 GHz processor speed.

3GB RAM.

250GB hard drive.

Multi format dual layer CD/DVD drive with DVD & Blu-Ray movie playback.

16in HD widescreen.

NVIDIA GeForce 9300M graphics display with 256MB VRAM graphics memory.

1 HDMI port.

5 in 1 card reader (SD, MMC, MS, MS PRO, xD).

Dolby sound system 2.0 (2 built-in speakers)

Fingerprint reader.

Integrated 1.0MP webcam.

The main differences are therefore the processor, RAM, graphics card and webcam. I think that the 6530G looks better (since each of the numbers on the above differences are higher in the 6530G) but i when i researched the processor, the 6930G processor scored higher.

I am not sure what is more important (processor or everything else), so would appreciate it if someone could take a couple of minutes and give me some guidance?

Many thanks

 

[Maziar]

Hello and welcome to the forums
6930G has a better CPU whereas 6530 has more RAM and a significantly faster VGA,so it depends on the task you want to do.
Fill the FAQ and we can help you more:
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/50797-35-read-buying-laptop

 

[iku01142]

Hello and welcome to the forums
6930G has a better CPU whereas 6530 has more RAM and a significantly faster VGA,so it depends on the task you want to do.
Fill the FAQ and we can help you more:
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/50797-35-read-buying-laptop

Maziar, many thanks for your response. I have answered the questions below as suggested.

Thanks again.

1_What is your budget?

around £500. both laptops are £450.

2_What is the size of the notebook that you are considering?

16 inch

3_What screen resolution do you want?

high definition (i think both have the same screen)

4_Do you need a portable or desktop replacement laptop?

desk top replacement

5_How much battery life do you need?

will be mostly used at home so the battery is not a great concern.

6_Do you want to play games with your laptop? If so then please list the games that you want to with the settings that you want for these games. (Low,Medium or High)?

yes. football manager, not sure of the setings required but would like a large database of players.

7_What other tasks do you want to do with your laptop? (Photo / Video editing,watching movies, Etc.)

watch movies, use i-tunes, store and edit photos, use internet. from time to time i might needto use microsoft office but in the main i will use the laptop for entertainment and at home rather than for work or study etc.


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

the more the better but i guess 250gb is enough.

9_If you are considering specific sites to buy from, please post the links to them.

the 6530 is from this website:
http://www.argos.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10001&catalogId=1500001801&productId=1500527815&langId=-1&engine=froogle&keyword=Acer+Aspire+6530G+Blu-Ray+16in+Laptop&_$ja=tsid:11527%7Ccc:%7Cprd:5070554%7Ccat:Laptops

the 6930 is from this website:
http://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/Acer_Aspire_6930G_Laptop_LX.AUU0X.273/version.asp



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


11_What kind of Optical drive do you need? DVD ROM/Writer,Bluray ROM/Writer,Etc ?
i'd prefer a blu ray drive but i would like it to be adaptable so acn play a write cd's dvd's etc.

12_Please tell us about the brands that you prefer to buy from them and the brands that you don't like and explain the reasons.

i dont really have any preferred brands but have been advised that acer laptops are good spec's, good components and are reasonably priced.

13_What country do you live in?

scotland

14_Please tell us any additional information if needed.

no more information

I hope this can help people to better find their ideal notebook.



FAQ Discussion Thread: http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/50782-35-laptop-faqs


Additionally... you should also consider what support options are available in your area. If say you buy something abroad, will you be able to have it fixed near where you live? Does the warranty apply? How quickly do local accredited technicians fix laptops?

 

[Maziar]

First of all,thanks for your suggestion about the FAQ
Well both are really good for your task and since you won't be playing a demanding game go for ACER 6930 which has a better CPU

 

[iku01142]

cheers Maziar, much appreciated!

 

[Maziar]

No problem,glad to help