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Laptop for an architect

post #1 of 12
9/5/08 at 1:03am
Thread Starter 
Hello. I just got into a 3 years masters program for architecture and wanted to get some insight into what kind of features I'd need for a laptop. I'm guessing I'd need a relatively powerful laptop with a great graphics, a powerful processor and a very good display. Can I get some advice on specific features I should be looking for and which brands would be recommended? I havent' shopped for a computer for a long time so I'm a little out of the loop. Thank you very much.
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post #2 of 12
9/5/08 at 1:58am
Ideally, you'd want a more business oriented notebook with a "professional" video card such as an Nvidia Quadro or ATI FireGL, as those video cards are somewhat better at professional design programs than their "gaming" video card analogs. I'd advise you to look around on the small business areas of some of the major computer sites like HP, Dell, Lenovo, etc. I'd also suggest that you buy a notebook with an Intel Core 2 Duo processor because Intel's CPUs are substantially better than AMD's CPUs at the moment. I'd also get as much RAM as you can fit in it (up to 4GB), even if you buy it separately from the notebook. RAM is fairly cheap now and it's the easiest thing in a notebook to upgrade, so make sure you're not overpaying for more RAM when you buy a system.
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post #3 of 12
9/5/08 at 7:09am
architects, graphic designers ... hmmm, i would give apple/mac a look.

cheers ...
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post #4 of 12
9/5/08 at 6:52pm
Thread Starter 
With these kinda features the laptop is going to be in the $2000+ range isn't it? I'm having a hard time finding one that isn't.
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post #5 of 12
9/5/08 at 7:01pm
I'd say you're looking at $1800-2300, depending on the brand and model.
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post #6 of 12
9/11/08 at 2:02am
Thread Starter 
How important is it to get a "professional" oriented video card? I really like what I see in the Lenovo W500, but there don't appear to be as many options with a professional video card in a 15.4" screen. I only see them on the 17" models, except for the W500. I really like the looks of the W500, but was wondering if you guys knew of any other viable 15.4" notebook options with this type of video card. Thanks! Also, as long as I have the Intel core 2 duo processor, how important is the speed? I figured I could save some money by not going for the fastest processor available and opting for more ram as well. Of course, I don't know much about this stuff.
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post #7 of 12
9/11/08 at 2:49am
it's not a huge deal. the "professional" video cards just are more optimized to handle AutoCAD and such. You can still run professional graphics programs with gaming graphics cards. They're just not optimized quite as well.
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post #8 of 12
9/11/08 at 12:58pm
Thread Starter 
So you think the W500 is a good choice for my needs? What do you think about processor speeds? Thanks again!
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post #9 of 12
9/11/08 at 2:58pm
I just looked at the W500 on Lenovo's site. Either of the CPU options they offer (2.53 Ghz or 2.8 Ghz) would work very well for you. If you're on a budget, I'd get the 2.53 Ghz CPU. It's more of the "sweet spot" in price/performance ratio. It also looks like Lenovo is having a sale today and tomorrow, so you can get it for closer to $1600-1700 as opposed to $2000. I'd go for it.
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post #10 of 12
9/12/08 at 4:24am
Well lenovo is a solid brand, you can have a look at them, and they are not expensive you can get something qutie nice there with acceptable from them.
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post #11 of 12
9/13/08 at 12:35am
Thread Starter 
Thanks for your help guys! While searching for more information I found a coupon that saved me an additional $254 off the Lenovo so I think I got a pretty good deal.

Core 2 Duo 2.53 GHz
15.4" WUVXGA
ATI FireGL V5700
3gb ddr3 sdram
160gb hard drive, 7200rpm
3 year warranty

about $1539 before tax.

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post #12 of 12
9/18/08 at 3:26pm
The Precision M4400 from Dell would foot the bill nicely as well. It has a Quadro FX card in it and does quite well. Runs about $1700.
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