new laptop computer specs-what do you think?
My laptop is going on five years come August. It still works great (knock on wood)..only trouble is, it lacks the processing speed and power I need for things like video editing, video capture and anything "heavy duty". In fact, my video editor often "hiccups" when I'm creating vids. Time to look for a more powerful machine, but one that won't
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RAM (Random Access Memory) is easy to change. You pop open a door on the bottom, unclip the sticks, put the new ones in and close the door. You already know how much memory your system can hold up to when you buy it so nothing to worry about. My iMac has 8GBs in it but can go up to 32GBs, which is quite ridiculous really. I always joke that if I throw two 16GB sticks into it that the first time I hit Safari the damn computer will blow out the back of my desk LOL.
The average user will be fine with 4GB of RAM unless they start dabbling in heavy gaming (I play World of Warcraft) or entertainment arts such as video editing and/or music. I would never attempt a video render on 4GBs of RAM, that's like a 4-6 hour conversion on 30 minutes of footage with multiple layers. But someone who is just surfing the net, typing papers/stories, doing some photoshop would be fine. A key thing to remember is that at least 1GB of RAM is used just to run the internal processes of the computer, which in the end would only leave you with 2.45-3GB for your personal stuff.
The best way to describe processors is to think of them like a freeway system. The more levels and lanes it has the faster and more organised the cars/information flows. Duo cores means two levels, quad means four. Each level can do simultaneous computing at the same time. This is why a Mac can run Windows (or Windows can run Linux) where back in the single core days that was not possible. The more GHz there is the faster the information can run together. Here's the break down:
Core i3 - 2 cores + 2 cores hyper threaded (info meshing together)
Core i5 - Same as the i3 but with Turbo Boost added
Core i7 - 4 cores + 4 cores hyperthreaded + Turbo Boost
In a media heavy internet world the average user would be best sufficient with an i5. The i3 is a bit stripped down. However if one is an individual that wants to surf the net while playing their music library they'll be fine however opening anything else can and might cause a decrease in performance.
So after my long rambling here RAM and Processors are equally important. RAM is like a toll booth it controls how much the processor can send it, when there are not enough toll collectors for all the cars on the freeway things back up and do so quickly. RAM is everything you are doing on your computer currently (until it shuts down) if you want to see this visually hit CTRL+ALT+DELETE, click on start the task manager and go to the processes tab, there you will see everything your computer is moving and open and how much RAM it's utilising. So the more RAM you have the smoother and faster your computer works at. The processor or brains IS the computer. When I built a new machine this was the FIRST piece I bought, I built everything else around it. They can however be a bit confusing as certain ones work with certain motherboards.
Based on your two versions I would go with the 3.5 turbo/6GB/500GB drive. You can always upgrade RAM (not kidding this is like a $45 change) later and invest in an external hard drive for additional space, which I would recommend anyways. Nowadays leaving everything on the main drive isn't a good thing since they fail. The only stuff on my main drive is programs. All of my files, artwork, audio work, etc is on an external (actually they're on 2) that way if there is a crash I don't lose anything important.
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ones listed here...best of both worlds.
As far as 4 gb of RAM and doing editing...I hear you. In fact, I upgraded mine from 2 gb to 4 (just bought it and installed it, myself...easy as pie)..and while it helped a little, my editor still hiccups during the creation process...and it takes a half hour to render a ten minute video..but that also has to do with your settings. It used to take me less time when I first started (usually just using the default settings), but I've since done some major tweaking to get the best quality renders I can, so that directly affected the time.
This computer, btw, would be supplemental. I still plan to use my current laptop. I just want something extra to do the "heavy lifting" that's needed for multmedia applications like Sony Vegas Pro (I have both Studio and Pro, but my computer can't handle Pro). I also have Sony Acid Pro (a DAW). I plan to eventually hook up my midi keyboard and experiment with it. I also just purchased video capture software that requires a faster processor for the best results. So basically, the new computer would mainly be used to service those applications. I would continue to use the current one for browsing, writing my fics, email and programs that don't choke on it..lol...lighter stuff. I also have Lightscribe on it, so I can continue to use that, too.
Btw, I've thought for some time about an external HD, hon'. Good idea? I've seen where they've failed, too..but, I agree--I think it's important to not have everything on your main system. I've got a lot of programs and things copied to disks..but it's probably less expensive, overall, to just put everything on an external HD..plus, no risk of losing it or breaking it the way you could a disk. Is it usually usb connected or something else? I'd like to spend no more than a hundred, if possible..but I know that is going to be determined by space given. Is 1 TB considered good?
Anyway, thank you so much, hon', for your input. I appreciate it. :)
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