Which laptop is better for Lightroom and Photoshop?

[shadyeversince]

Hi. I'm looking for a laptop that helps me edit photography on the go, but my budget is really tight.
I've found two options for about 200€ each:

Intel i3-3217-U @ 1.8GHz
NVIDIA GT 740M (2GB VRAM)
8GB RAM
120GB SSD.

Or:

Intel i5-2520M @ 2.50GHz
NVIDIA 410M (1GB VRAM)
8GB RAM
500GB HDD.

Which one would perform better with said software and which one is more "bang for your buck"?

Thank you,
Sergio

 

[azaran]

Off the cuff, I'd say the i-5 model. While the SSD is nice, the i-5 CPU is going to be better for photoshop/lightroom.

 

[velocityg4]

Both would be fine. The i5 is certainly faster. I'd be more concerned about which has the better LCD. Color accuracy and gamut are important factors in image editing. Higher resolution is nice too.

 

[azaran]

Both would be fine. The i5 is certainly faster. I'd be more concerned about which has the better LCD. Color accuracy and gamut are important factors in image editing. Higher resolution is nice too.

A very relevant concern, but at the price point where you see these CPUs, screen selection is rarely something the user can control.

But if the OP wants to link to the actual models it's worth a shot.

 

[shadyeversince]

The laptops I'm looking at are used, so I'll be able to check if the screen fits my needs. I'm more concerned as to whether or not they'll run the software with relative ease.

 

[rune2h]

I too would focus on the screen. Not only in terms of color accuracy, but also in terms of resolution. Assuming a 15.6'' display, 1366x768 may be found as cumbersome for that type of work if that is the resolution you are looking at.

I'm not sure you will be able to find a reliable FHD notebook at that price, but perhaps an HD+. Although, if you are comfortable with just HD (again, making an assumption as that is the default on older notebooks) I would go with the i5, and maybe look into getting a cheap SSD later on if you can spare the money for it.