Best Laptop for Under £500

[unrealhacker12]

I'll be going to University soon to do Computer Science and I love my desktop so but it's just too big for my room.

So what's the best laptop I can get for under £500 for general student work and gaming?

[unrealhacker12]

Also if possible I'd like to save cash on not having an OS or additional software. Because I have my own means of acquiring them...

[redddraggon]

I love my desktop so but it's just too big for my room.

I can't believe that. I have one of the smallest rooms in the University of Manchester Halls of residence (but I won't moan because I get it totally free), and I have no issues fitting a dual monitor desktop setup. Granted it's a bit cramped, but things fit if you want them to.

[chrestomanci]

Also if possible I'd like to save cash on not having an OS or additional software. Because I have my own means of acquiring them...

Your own means? Sounds like software piracy to me. Not a good thing to be talking about arround here.

In any case, if you are going to do computer science, then you would be better off with Linux over windows in any case, It will be much easer to learn about compilers or operating systems if you can download the source and start tweaking, so you need to find a laptop that is linux compatible, which means you need to take a look at the chipset, GPU, and NIC, and find out which are linux compatible.

The short answer, is that if you have an intel chipset, GPU and network card it will all work fine with linux. If it comes from other makes then you will have more work to do.

[redddraggon]

Your own means? Sounds like software piracy to me. Not a good thing to be talking about arround here.

If he's doing computer science he'd be a fool pirating software, as he'll likely get an MSDN subscription from his course anyway.

[unrealhacker12]

I can't believe that. I have one of the smallest rooms in the University of Manchester Halls of residence (but I won't moan because I get it totally free), and I have no issues fitting a dual monitor desktop setup. Granted it's a bit cramped, but things fit if you want them to.

I won't be able to take my second monitor. =[

[redddraggon]

That's way smaller than a prison cell! I thought I had a small room. Which uni you go to?

[unrealhacker12]

That's way smaller than a prison cell! I thought I had a small room. Which uni you go to?

YAY I WIN THE SMALL ROOM COMPETITION! Erm.... UEA but I'm a clearing student so I had to find my own house that I'm sharing with 4 post-grads and I'm an undergrad and this will be my first year.

But back to the laptop anyone got some recommendations?

[scaryjim]

How about this: Extra Value Laptop NO OS! plus one of these: Crucial 2GB SO-DIMM to top it up to 4GB. That should be absolutely fine for your day to day uni work including programming for your entire course, at a modest £330 outlay.

As to Windows vs Linux, it depends entirely on the focus of your course. Chances are you'll be learning Java and you'll have both Linux and Windows labs available at uni, and certainly in your first year I reckon either would be perfectly acceptable. AFAIK there's very little hardware nowadays that really has an issue with Linux...

[unrealhacker12]

Eww integrated graphics...

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

I would look at this notebook:

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/199196

Edit!!

This notebook is slightly over your budget but is very well specified for the price:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showpr...source=froogle

The notebook has a Q9000 quad core and a Mobility Radeon HD4670 1GB DDR3 graphics card.

This notebook is also slightly over budget too:

http://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/Toshi...urce=LDfroogle

It has a Mobility HD5650 graphics card.

[scaryjim]

Eww integrated graphics...

I thought you were more concerned about something to do your uni work on

Is the problem space for the base unit or space for the monitor? If it's the latter I don't really see how a laptop will help (rather than just taking one monitor), if it's the former have you considered putting together an mATX, or even mITX, build?

And is it just me, or does your sketchup really show a computer desk + desktop system *plus* a whacking great LCD TV stuck on the wall?!?

[unrealhacker12]

That is where I plan to put everything in my room and everything is to scale.

[peterb]

Depends hat is more important to you. I have just bought a laptop from Novaech which I think is good value for money for perforance but the keyboard is not particularly good (and I suspect in three or four years I'll be looking to replace the whole thing). But as I say, it is good value for money, at around £500 it has a 14" screen, bluetooth, Wi-Fi and 3G. Cut ot the 3G and it wold have been cheaper still.

So if you are looking for a laptop where you will be doing lots of typing (reports, coding or whatever) you need a good keyboard.

If ou are using t for gaming where keyboard input is less important, it is less of an issue - but of crse you could alsways buy an external keyboard for use when you are burning the midnight oil to get that assignment in for a deadline!

(Just looked at teh Novatech website - they have changed the options range a bit and they are now slightly more expensive - but still pretty good value for money IMO)

[unrealhacker12]

All I want is a decent laptop for under £500

By decent I mean:

Dedicated GFX Chipset
320-500GB 7200RPM HDD
Respectable Sized Screen
Linux support (If I do decide to at a later date install it.)
Intel Dual-Core at least...

[chrestomanci]

Eww integrated graphics...

Not necessarily a bad thing.

Descrete graphics will increase the cost and the power consumption, so cutting the battery life. If you are using the laptop for studying, and taking lecture notes, you want it to last as long as possible.

The cost difference between integrated and descrete graphics will probably buy you a gaming console. I think that would be a better solution if you want gaming as well. (Though when I was a student, I did not even have a TV.)

Also, integrated graphics, especaly the Intel variety are much better supported under linux.