Laptop for Bschool

Bentech · Jul 14, 2011

The thinkpad vs. business class Dell debate is a very valid one. Personally, I like thinkpads more, but I am also probably a little bias. They are both excellent computers, however, Dell doesn't really have anything that can compete effectively with the Thinkpad X220, my thinkpad of choice.

As for the SSD debate. Yes, they are fast, if you are using a laptop with a "sandy bridge" level processor in it, it should support full SATA 6gb/s.

I still recommend Intel SSDs. Yes, they are a little slower then the competition, but they have much lower failure rated too. I wouldn't touch another OCZ drive even if it was free :\

javyn · Jul 14, 2011

Interesting. Well, I have a core-i5, pre-sandy. So I'll wait I guess. Also, don't let that sour you to OCZ in general. I don't know how all their products perform, but I extremely happy with my OCZ modular power supply.

Saturdays · Jul 15, 2011

javyn said:
Are SSDs actually worth it now? Are we getting full SATA 6 speeds yet?

Its worth it even if it doesn't reach sata-3 speeds, 6Mb. Some do reach these speeds, not sure if those are even in market Current market controllers do hit the 500mb/s and i believe these can be found in market.

Honestly the difference is substantial from traditional hdds to ssds. Why waste money on upgrading your processor from i3-i7 (unless you are doing heavy video editing etc..) or upgrade an existing line of i3 to .3Ghz more for 50-70 bucks, when instead you can put that money into the ssd and get some real performance upgrade for more of everything..

I put one in my desktop PC and my mac. Everything is much quicker in terms of usage. I don't wait for the computer to shut down, I don't have to wait for programs to open on my computers. It just makes sense, in the past 10 years the biggest substantial improvement in HDDs has been storage space and ability to maintain moderate speeds as the drives were given more space. SSDs are the next step in storage in the evolution of the computer, traditional HDDs are pretty much nearing their limits in terms of speed, Sata-3 wont save it either, but rather once fully implemented and in the market will only retain the gap we see right now between hdds and ssds.

johnaus · Jul 15, 2011

Saturdays said:
Its worth it even if it doesn't reach sata-3 speeds, 6Mb. Some do reach these speeds, not sure if those are even in market Current market controllers do hit the 500mb/s and i believe these can be found in market.

Honestly the difference is substantial from traditional hdds to ssds. Why waste money on upgrading your processor from i3-i7 (unless you are doing heavy video editing etc..) or upgrade an existing line of i3 to .3Ghz more for 50-70 bucks, when instead you can put that money into the ssd and get some real performance upgrade for more of everything..

I put one in my desktop PC and my mac. Everything is much quicker in terms of usage. I don't wait for the computer to shut down, I don't have to wait for programs to open on my computers. It just makes sense, in the past 10 years the biggest substantial improvement in HDDs has been storage space and ability to maintain moderate speeds as the drives were given more space. SSDs are the next step in storage in the evolution of the computer, traditional HDDs are pretty much nearing their limits in terms of speed, Sata-3 wont save it either, but rather once fully implemented and in the market will only retain the gap we see right now between hdds and ssds.

Mate what are you talking about? He doesn't need an i7 or an SSD. Have you been to Bschool? he needs something basic and reliable, an i3/i5 with a 5400rpm or 7600rpm HDD will run word, excel & an internet browser just fine.

javyn · Jul 15, 2011

Not to mention, if you yank out your HDD and replace with SSD, your storage capacity is going to be MUCH smaller. Not a problem if you have a desktop, but if the laptop is meant as a desktop replacement, you may be kicking yourself.

Bentech · Jul 15, 2011

Saturdays is right however in pointing out that adding an SSD is by far the move noticeable upgrade you can do. A good 120gig SSD should cost you roughly $220 right now. In my opinion, that's worth it.

I don't know about you guys, but I don't actually need that much local storage. I have all my data either in the cloud, or on a home NAS box.

Should you be worried about using an SSD on Sata 2 3gb/s? No, go for it! They will still blow away a traditional mechanical hard drive.

Johnaus has a point, they are probably overkill, but I try and convince most people I know buying computers to set aside ~$200 of their budget for an SSD. I guarantee you won't regret it.

Saturdays · Jul 15, 2011

johnaus said:
Mate what are you talking about? He doesn't need an i7 or an SSD. Have you been to Bschool? he needs something basic and reliable, an i3/i5 with a 5400rpm or 7600rpm HDD will run word, excel & an internet browser just fine.

i dunno if you read but that was my point, i disclaimed the need for an i7, unless someone was doing heavy video editing or something that required processing. I never said the OP needed it. I was simply mentioning that a lot of people opt for the i5/i7 processor for no reason, and make no use of it. But EVERYONE will see the benefits of an SSD and that is why the OP should consider that as an option on his laptop.

Again my advice don't upgrade past i3, no need. If its in the budget get an ssd, its the most noticeable performance upgrade.

javyn · Jul 15, 2011

True that, I have an i5 and honestly, had I to do it over again, I would have saved some money and gotten the i3. Also, I would have opted for a 14" standard screen lappy over a 15.6 widescreen.

If this is a laptop to be used for business, I can't recommend a standard screen over a widescreen enough.

indesertum · Jul 18, 2011

If you get an x220 you can put a ssd and a hdd in. The ssd will be previous gen speeds but still blazing fast

Also new gen ssds do better with sata3 computers than SATA2. not by leaps and bounds but still noticeably

javyn · Jul 18, 2011

Would that kill battery life? Replacing the HDD with an SSD, then yanking the optical DVD drive and putting the HDD there seems an interesting option...

Bentech · Jul 18, 2011

indesertum said:
If you get an x220 you can put a ssd and a hdd in. The ssd will be previous gen speeds but still blazing fast

Also new gen ssds do better with sata3 computers than SATA2. not by leaps and bounds but still noticeably

javyn said:
Would that kill battery life? Replacing the HDD with an SSD, then yanking the optical DVD drive and putting the HDD there seems an interesting option...

What Indesertum is talking about is using an mSATA SSD. The X220 is too small for an optical drive in the first place, let alone a second hard drive.

You can, however, use an mSATA drive. They are super compact, and fit in the same slot used by a wireless card.

They are a good option, but not widely used. Not too many computers on the market currently support mSATA, and therefore, the available drive options are very slim.

KJT · Jul 18, 2011

Thanks to everyone for posting! I've decided on the x220 after the posts here and conversations with several students who own them currently. I am working on the specs to build it. You guys have surpassed my knowledge talking about the solid state drives vs regular HDD etc, so I thought I'd post my build here first and see what you guys think. They're having a pretty good sale on the top end x220 through the 20th, with an additional 25% off. I will absolutely call them and see if I can haggle a better price before purchasing.

List: $1,940
Sale price: $1,105.50
Savings: $834.50 Pretty nice.

Some of these might be too powerful for what I need, but the 25% off isn't available for the other builds of the x220, so they actually end up being more expensive. Thank you guys!

System components
Intel Core i7-2620M Processor (2.7GHz, 4MB L3, 1333MHz FSB)
Genuine Windows 7 Professional 64
Microsoft Windows 7 XP Mode - English
12.5" Premium HD (1366x768) LED Backlit Display, Mobile Broadband Ready, 2x2 Antenna
4 GB DDR3 - 1333MHz (1 DIMM) (6GB is +$80, 8GB is +$160)
No Fingerprint Reader
720p HD Camera (included)
320 GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm (128 GB Solid State Drive, Serial ATA is +$280; Intel 160 GB Solid State Drive, Serial ATA is +$360)
ThinkPad Battery 29++ (9 cell)
Country Pack North America with Line cord & 65W AC adapter
ThinkPad b/g/n
Integrated Mobile Broadband - Upgradable

Do I need:
System expansion slots [add $20.00] Lenovo USB Modem
[add $20.00] Bluetooth 3.0

Saturdays · Jul 18, 2011

KJT said:
Thanks to everyone for posting! I've decided on the x220 after the posts here and conversations with several students who own them currently. I am working on the specs to build it. You guys have surpassed my knowledge talking about the solid state drives vs regular HDD etc, so I thought I'd post my build here first and see what you guys think. They're having a pretty good sale on the top end x220 through the 20th, with an additional 25% off. I will absolutely call them and see if I can haggle a better price before purchasing.

List: $1,940
Sale price: $1,105.50
Savings: $834.50 Pretty nice.

Some of these might be too powerful for what I need, but the 25% off isn't available for the other builds of the x220, so they actually end up being more expensive. Thank you guys!

System components
Intel Core i7-2620M Processor (2.7GHz, 4MB L3, 1333MHz FSB)
Genuine Windows 7 Professional 64
Microsoft Windows 7 XP Mode - English
12.5" Premium HD (1366x768) LED Backlit Display, Mobile Broadband Ready, 2x2 Antenna
4 GB DDR3 - 1333MHz (1 DIMM) (6GB is +$80, 8GB is +$160)
No Fingerprint Reader
720p HD Camera (included)
320 GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm (128 GB Solid State Drive, Serial ATA is +$280; Intel 160 GB Solid State Drive, Serial ATA is +$360)
ThinkPad Battery 29++ (9 cell)
Country Pack North America with Line cord & 65W AC adapter
ThinkPad b/g/n
Integrated Mobile Broadband - Upgradable

Do I need:
System expansion slots [add $20.00] Lenovo USB Modem
[add $20.00] Bluetooth 3.0

Seems like you avoided our advice (or at least mine) and went straight for the i7. I'm sure you could have saved a thorough amount of money that could have been put into the SSD. For instance getting an i3 or i5 processor instead of the i7.

But congrats nonetheless, I hope it works out for you.

KJT · Jul 18, 2011

Saturdays said:
Seems like you avoided our advice (or at least mine) and went straight for the i7. I'm sure you could have saved a thorough amount of money that could have been put into the SSD. For instance getting an i3 or i5 processor instead of the i7.

But congrats nonetheless, I hope it works out for you.

Nope, I didn't avoid the advice, this is basically the build that the additional 25% coupon applies to. If I were to downgrade it to the i5 or i3, it would actually end up being more expensive than the i7.

Also, I haven't bought yet, I was just posting what the computer would look like and the price.

Saturdays · Jul 18, 2011

KJT said:
Nope, I didn't avoid the advice, this is basically the build that the additional 25% coupon applies to. If I were to downgrade it to the i5 or i3, it would actually end up being more expensive than the i7.

Also, I haven't bought yet, I was just posting what the computer would look like and the price.

Aaah I see. Have you been checking SlickDeals and DealNews. Both are good resources to find good deals on electronics, amongst many other things.

Laptop for Bschool

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