Which laptop to get given my requirements?

prwler

Honorable
Jan 25, 2013
3
0
10,510
After looking online, I have decided to get a lenovo laptop, but I'm not quite sure which two to get (one for me and one for a sibling). I mainly need a laptop just for school. Since I'm studying computer science I will be programming using C, C++, Java, SQL, as well as using MATLAB, and I was thinking of getting a G510 here: http://shop.lenovo.com/ca/en/laptops/essential/g-series/g510/ but I'm not sure which model. It would be nice if I could also game on the laptop, seeing as how I won't be doing school work on it the entire time.

My sister is also a teacher and wants to replace her old laptop. She wants to be able to run multiple programs simultaneously, and have a large hard drive, so I was thinking she should get the Z510: http://shop.lenovo.com/ca/en/laptops/ideapad/z-series/z510/

I was even thinking that maybe we should both just get the $629 model of the Z510. Any help or ideas? Thanks.

 

prwler

Honorable
Jan 25, 2013
3
0
10,510


I think that a 1TB hard drive would be more than adequate though. When I say that I plan on gaming on the laptop, I didn't mean heavily because I have a gaming desktop at home. This laptop is also heavily discounted and cheaper than some of the others that I have seen. Thanks!
 

prwler

Honorable
Jan 25, 2013
3
0
10,510


Thank you! I also feel like I should consider the G510, seeing as how it has more input ports, is $20 cheaper and has the exact same specs.
 
Laptop + Gaming = HUGE EXPENSE (over $1200 to normally around $2000) because your having to take Desktop parts reshape them to fit the small package, not eat up battery power in 15 minutes, not literally melt or catch fire from the heat generated and most of all not weigh 12-15lbs.

That said for your school purposes any off the shelf should be fine, your not doing anything TOO taxing yet (SQL though is a bit more and I would recommend a Haswell i3 minimum to run SQL). As for your sister, it all depends what multiple programs and how 'many' is multiple. For example having Word open, Excel, 5-10 webtabs and listening to music is perfectly 'normal' computer expectations. If she plans to run 4 computers remotely while recording what she does for Video Lessons later, that is much beefier system.