Laptop for University

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@@GJC@@

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Hi Guys, I'm looking for a laptop to use while studying at university next year and need some advice as to what I need and which laptops are good. I am going to study Electronic Engineering so the course will probably include a bit of programming (probably just C or something similar) and possibly some simulation (MATLAB).

I would also still like to be able to play a game here and there, so I'm looking for something with a discrete graphics card. I also want a good amount of RAM to be able to run virtual machines etc.

I have the following specs in mind:

Intel Core i5/i7
16GB RAM
15.6" Screen
Any Non-Intel HD graphics
Resolution above 720p (preferably full HD but something like 1600x900 would suffice)
SSD (if possible for the price)
750+GB HDD
Decent battery life

My budget is between R11 000 and R14 000 (but it can stretch a bit if necessary).

I would love to go for an i7, but they are a bit pricey so I am not sure if one would be worth it (I am mostly thinking about the virualization and simulation - the i7 is not necessary for the games I want to play).

I would also like to know how much of a difference an SSD would make, is it worth the price tag?

Lastly how long do most laptops' batteries last these days?

I am currently looking at the MSI GE60-2PL but would appreciate any other suggestions.

Thanks in advance
 
For the first 2 years you're not going to do any serious computing, so get something cheap. You can get a more powerful laptop for your 3rd year on.
 
Wait until you've had a couple of classes...you'll have a better idea of what you need & what will be useful.
 
Get 8" Nextbook for a start (R1500) for basic needs (Email, light browsing and fun).
Two years later when you really need it, required hardware will cheaper, faster and more portable.
 
sajunky said:
Get 8" Nextbook for a start (R1500) for basic needs (Email, light browsing and fun).
Two years later when you really need it, required hardware will cheaper, faster and more portable.
Click to expand...
For what he wants to do, that won't be suitable.
 
sajunky said:
Read other posts, he really don't need what he thinks.
However he might need something for other (lighter) purpose.
Click to expand...
He wants to play games, he doesn't need a 10k+ laptop but neither does he need a tablet/netbook hybrid.
 
@@GJC@@ said:
Hi Guys, I'm looking for a laptop to use while studying at university next year and need some advice as to what I need and which laptops are good. I am going to study Electronic Engineering so the course will probably include a bit of programming (probably just C or something similar) and possibly some simulation (MATLAB).

I would also still like to be able to play a game here and there, so I'm looking for something with a discrete graphics card. I also want a good amount of RAM to be able to run virtual machines etc.

I have the following specs in mind:

Intel Core i5/i7
16GB RAM
15.6" Screen
Any Non-Intel HD graphics
Resolution above 720p (preferably full HD but something like 1600x900 would suffice)
SSD (if possible for the price)
750+GB HDD
Decent battery life

My budget is between R11 000 and R14 000 (but it can stretch a bit if necessary).

I would love to go for an i7, but they are a bit pricey so I am not sure if one would be worth it (I am mostly thinking about the virualization and simulation - the i7 is not necessary for the games I want to play).

I would also like to know how much of a difference an SSD would make, is it worth the price tag?

Lastly how long do most laptops' batteries last these days?

I am currently looking at the MSI GE60-2PL but would appreciate any other suggestions.

Thanks in advance
Click to expand...

I did my entire EE degree on netbooks and university computers. 90% of the stuff you do can run on a netbook perfectly. The only time when my little EEE PC started becoming inadequate was when I had to make a speech recognition system. That and electromagnetic simulations :P. In which case I just used the university computers.

Also remember that MATLAB is f*sking expensive (even the student versions).

Rather save the money and get something cheap now (like the nextbook 8 or 10) to do reports on.
 
Look for a good i5 laptop. In your first year you will do a basic course in matlab (no simulations) and no other programming languages. You'll also do a bit of autocad in your first semester, again very basic. No need for high end graphics or processors, I did all of my first year work on my i3 with intel hd graphics

If you want to do a bit of gaming make sure the graphics card has ddr5 memory not ddr3 like the laptop you posted
 
Last edited:
Hi All

So it seems that the general consensus is that I shouldn't buy such an expensive laptop at the moment. Now I agree that my course does not specifically need such a powerful laptop (however I doubt that a cheap netbook will suffice for my needs), but the fact that I still want to be able to play some games etc does push my required specs up a little bit (IMO).

The thing that I am wondering about is if it is really worth it to buy a cheaper laptop now and then buy a more expensive laptop later (say in my 3rd year). The reason that I am hesitant to do this is, say for instance I buy a laptop now that costs R4 000 - R6 000 then I will only have about R8 000 to spend when I want to buy a better laptop (and R8 000 isn't that much more). Wouldn't it be better to just buy a powerful laptop now?

Also another thing that I want to know is, if I decide to get an SSD (regardless of the rest of the specs of the laptop), what are my options if I still want to have a normal HDD. I have seen that some laptops support mSATA drives, so I suppose that would be an option, but I have also heard that mSATA SSD's can perform worse than their SATA counterparts, is this true? Another things that I have seen is mounting brackets to install a 2.5" SSD/HDD in die DVD drive of a laptop, but I have not seen any of those around here in SA (are they available here).

Lastly, are there any stores that will have nice Christmas specials or maybe clearance sales after Christmas?
 
kingrob said:
The display should be.
Click to expand...

Nope.

I upgraded from a Macbook Air to the Pro with Retina and honestly it's not such a massive upgrade for me. It's obviously a lot better but once you start working you hardly notice it.

What I would notice is a lack of an SSD, I had to work on someones Win8 laptop the other day, it's a beast of machine with an i7 processor but no SSD and it's awful to use.

I would go SSD > screen any day.
 
@@GJC@@ said:
Hi All

So it seems that the general consensus is that I shouldn't buy such an expensive laptop at the moment. Now I agree that my course does not specifically need such a powerful laptop (however I doubt that a cheap netbook will suffice for my needs), but the fact that I still want to be able to play some games etc does push my required specs up a little bit (IMO).

The thing that I am wondering about is if it is really worth it to buy a cheaper laptop now and then buy a more expensive laptop later (say in my 3rd year). The reason that I am hesitant to do this is, say for instance I buy a laptop now that costs R4 000 - R6 000 then I will only have about R8 000 to spend when I want to buy a better laptop (and R8 000 isn't that much more). Wouldn't it be better to just buy a powerful laptop now?

Also another thing that I want to know is, if I decide to get an SSD (regardless of the rest of the specs of the laptop), what are my options if I still want to have a normal HDD. I have seen that some laptops support mSATA drives, so I suppose that would be an option, but I have also heard that mSATA SSD's can perform worse than their SATA counterparts, is this true? Another things that I have seen is mounting brackets to install a 2.5" SSD/HDD in die DVD drive of a laptop, but I have not seen any of those around here in SA (are they available here).

Lastly, are there any stores that will have nice Christmas specials or maybe clearance sales after Christmas?
Click to expand...

I'm guessing that beast you would buy would be mainstream in two years. So rather get it when it gets mainstream. This is all up to you though.
 
DrJohnZoidberg said:
Nope.

I upgraded from a Macbook Air to the Pro with Retina and honestly it's not such a massive upgrade for me. It's obviously a lot better but once you start working you hardly notice it.
Click to expand...

Yes. :p

MacBook Air and Pro uses high end displays....not so on the other computer manufacturers' cheaper notebooks.

You really need to do your homework before pulling the trigger, especially if you'll be staring at the display for a few hours a day.
 
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