UPDATE: Please look to my most recent post. I've decided upon a desktop computer, and have a budget of approximately £800. I also have constructed a large part of a potential build, but am in need of help. _________________________ Hi. I've just finished my A levels, and am looking to purchase either a laptop or desktop computer. I will be taking it to university with me, where I will be studying maths. I doubt I will ever need to take a laptop to lectures, so a desktop seems feasible. If however I purchase a desktop I will need to buy everything that goes with it such as a monitor, OS, keyboard etc. Also, the portability of a laptop does have it's own appeal, and I don't know how this compares with the extra performance of a desktop.Can anyone on here who is a student, or has been recently give some advice with regards to the merits or drawback of whichever option you chose? I also have the problem of not currently being sure of my budget. It will probably be between £700 and £1000 though, but this must include everything. I would like this laptop/desktop computer to be able to play games reasonably well. Currently the only game I play on my family laptop is Brood War with some friends, but I am a fan of the RTS genre in general, and SC2 is one game I definitely want to be able to play with decent settings. I also play adventure and fps games on my PS3, but would like to be able to do so on on my new desktop/laptop too. Can people please make suggestions as to either laptops, computers or components for a computer to buy? I can buy from any major online UK retailer, am happy to build the computer if that's the path I go down (although I'll probably need to be pointed to tutorials). Thankyou in advance for your advice, and please feel free to enquire about anything I forgot to mention. PS: I'd probably be best to stick to the lower end of the budget currently, as my parents will be partially funding this, but they won't currently say how much they're willing to pay.
Hi... Personally i won't buy laptop, it's not tat reliable as Desktop Order parts from ebay or newegg and Assemble them tat's good, and u will get 3 Years Warranty on most parts while u can't get on laptop and performance is better than laptop and of course it's cheap too, if u want Portability try Laptop...
I have been attending the gymnasium (high school) here in Denmark, and originally just wanted a desktop at home with the specs you see to the left. However, we have been using computers in almost every class so i got a netbook to begin with which i quickly upgraded to a HP Envy 13 notebook, due to lag on the netbook. I would be pretty sure that you would need a computer in classes when studying math so check up on that. In short i'd go for a notebook. University is for studying and for £700 you can get a notebook which will game occasionally (probably not on max settings though). I'm starting on computer engineering this fall myself and will go for a new laptop. I don't know which but i have a few in my sights
From what I understand I'll be using a computer very little for my course itself. Taking notes down that contain lots of mathematical notation is extremely quick on paper, but on a computer it takes an unbearable amount of time. I assume that writing is all I will do in lectures, but I may use a computer outside of lectures for graphs and things like that.
Maybe i explained my self wrong but you just described how i also worked with computers in school. Although we did sometimes get part of the class to do work which required a computer. I guess with a desktop you will get the most bang for your buck.
Seeing as you're in the UK, get the bits from Scan. They deliver, great prices and have decent returns if something goes wrong. Building yourself is always the best way of assuring value for moneh.
Could someone suggest some specs for me for a desktop build? A monitor must be included in this, but there's a small 720p tv lying around my house that I could probably use for a while if there was a monitor worth waiting for the release of. As I don't yet know the budget, I'd consider maybe what I could get for £700, and what I could get for £900. Also, does anyone have any experience with a laptop around the value of £700? How well would a laptop for about that price perform in modern games?
UPDATE: I've decided that I'd definitely like to go for a computer. I think my budget is approximately £800. This budget must include the operating system, monitor, and everything else, as I don't have an old computer to reuse parts from. Could someone please help me to decide on parts? I'm currently thinking of: CPU - Core I5 3570K - £167.94 - Scan CPU cooler - Hyper 212 evo - £26.65 - Scan Motherboard - Gigabyte GA-Z77-D3H - £77.72 - Scan RAM - 8GB 1333Mhz Corsair value RAM - £36.99 - Dabs outlet GPU - Not a clue either. I don't know if I should wait for the gtx 660 for this? I will probably use onboard graphics for a while, and decide after some news is heard. Hard Drive - Seagate Barracuda 500GB - £52.98 - Novatech PSU - Corsair builder series - 600W - £49.99 - Dabs Case - Fractal design core 3000 - £49.49 - Scan DVD drive - Sony 24X drive - £11.94 - Dabs Outlet Keyboard and mouse - Logitech Mk120 - £12.71 - Novatech Monitor - Dell ultrasharp U2312HM IPS panel 23" - Aria - £157.99 - I like the sound of an IPS panel, but I don't know whether it's worth the extra money for me, even with the great price on this one. I'm very open to recommendations on this still. Operating system - Windows 7 professional upgrade - £43.50 - Software4students - I need clarification on this, but apparently you can do a clean install of an upgrade version of an OS, and it's legal as long as you've ever owned a legal copy of XP or Vista, which I have on a very old computer that I don't have any more. Clarification on this is definitely required though. The total cost of this so far is £687.90. I think I will probably have to find alternatives to some of the above components, but I'm not certain. Can anyone make any suggestions? If absolutely necessary, I can spend a little more. I may do some overclocking, but I'm not certain. I'd like this computer to last me all the way through university though and so options such as overclocking down the line would be nice. Thankyou in advance for your help.
You haven't specify your needs for university. To be honest, I've found having either a laptop or a tablet with a keyboard attached is invaluable. Sure, the performance/$ isn't the greatest, but the portability is great and great for taking notes and being able to access content online. Not sure about universities in the UK, but there's a huge push for universities in Canada to go fully digital eventually (I rarely get print outs anymore, all readings and activities are done with resources online). Having a tablet or laptop will eventually be mandatory within classes. So far all your needs can be addressed with a laptop about US$800. Starcraft II isn't that intensive unless you demand the best visuals. I would recommend either this: http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/asus-n56vm-s3113v-15-6-laptop-silver-12448404-pdt.html or if that's too much in price, get this: http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/asus-n55sl-s2167v-15-6-laptop-12448412-pdt.html I'm probably the only person to recommend a laptop, but as a university student in both computer security and teacher's college, I find it to be invaluable in both degree programs. EDIT: There are software (I don't remember exactly which ones) that allow you to insert math equations with ease which can help you take notes or write assignments with. deltatux
