Pentium CPU on laptop

[rds1220]

Im in the process of looking for a cheap laptop and one that I was looking at is this one from Asus- http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Asus+-+15.6%22+Laptop+-+4GB+Memory+-+320GB+Hard+Drive+-+Black/4694132.p;jsessionid=A3A789ABB07213258926351893E1DDEA.bbolsp-app02-13?id=1218509239186&skuId=4694132#BVRRWidgetID. I just want a cheap laptop for fooling around on the internet and when Im doing IT work. I like this laptop what I am unsure of is the Pentium processor. The Pentium is pretty old now and isn't all Pentium's single core? If so i dont like that either I imagine the Pentium would be pretty slow compared to a laptop with an I3 or I5.

 

[Raidur]

After a little research it looks like the X54C-BBK7 (that laptop) uses the Pentium B960. Bestbuy specs suck lol.

This is still a decent little CPU, it is a dual core and it is using Intel's newest arch (Sandy Bridge).

Here is some better info on it.

http://ark.intel.com/products/59836/Intel-Pentium-Processor-B960--%282M-Cache-2_20-GHz%29

http://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/Pentium_Dual-Core/Intel-Pentium%20Mobile%20B960.html

I agree it is weird, but Intel has kept the Pentium name around for their lower end new CPUs.

 

[rds1220]

Yea no kidding. The specs give virtually no real info. There are a number of mobile Pentium chips and they give no model number or anything.

Do you (and anyone else who reads this) think the Pentium is good enough for what I want to do or do you think I would be beter off spending a little extra and getting an I3 or I5?

 

[Raidur]

What exactly are your uses? Are you doing anything CPU intensive?

Just for internet surfing it's plenty.

 

[rds1220]

I wouldn't really say I would be doing anything really CPU intensive. It would be mostly surfing the internet and IT work. I would be using it as mobile work platform, transfering data, downloading drivers to transfer to another computer and stuff like that.

 

[Raidur]

You'll be fine then, file transfers are going to be bottlenecked by the network adapters/routers and it's (the CPU) plenty for anything you'd be doing on the net (including HD playback, etc)

 

[amuffin]

Do you live near a frys?

 

[Raidur]

^+1

I (if not most of us) hate BestBuy. Frys usually has better deals anyways.

BestBuy loves to take advantage of consumers (we all remember the $100 HDMI Monster cables with $80 alternatives while newegg sold $6 ones w/ free shipping?).

And don't even get me started on GeekSquad.

However that laptop is still priced well, just saying.

 

[rds1220]

Not that I know. It seems they're all out west and south western US I'm in PA.

 

[amuffin]

Any electronic stores around? Can you give us their website links?

 

[rds1220]

Yea Best Buy and Staples are probably the two biggest. I've looked there but they really didn't have anything in my price range. They did but the the specs weren't that great.

 

[amuffin]

How about this one? http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Acer+-+Aspire+AS5250-E302G25Mikk+15.6%22+Notebook+-+AMD+Fusion+E-300+1.30+GHz/4705193.p?id=1218509229096&skuId=4705193 I've used it myself or one that is like it, though it could use more ram. But go to best buy just to see what you personally like.

 

[rds1220]

That doesn't seem to bad. How is the AMD Fusion E-300's performance. I really don't know anything about AMD's mobile processors I don't keep up with them as much as Intel.

 

[amuffin]

Well I am not very sure either, all i know is that it is good enough to surf the internet and play some games decently with low detail. But I would also pick up some ram sticks if the laptop allows you to upgrade.

 

[13thmonkey]

i've got a pair of SB pentiums in lenovo G650's they work fine, can play minecraft, do officey stuff, browsing etc. they are the GF's and the Step sons, in this case the keyboard is so-so, but they were dirt cheap.

 

[rds1220]

I think I'm just going to go with the Pentium. Its cheap and doesn't seem to bad. On more thing does the Sandy Bridge Pentiums have hyper threading like the I3?

 

[13thmonkey]

no they do not, so its just a dual core.

 

[rds1220]

Best answer selected by Rds1220.

 

[captaincharisma]

^+1

I (if not most of us) hate BestBuy. Frys usually has better deals anyways.

BestBuy loves to take advantage of consumers (we all remember the $100 HDMI Monster cables with $80 alternatives while newegg sold $6 ones w/ free shipping?).

And don't even get me started on GeekSquad.

However that laptop is still priced well, just saying.

yea i remember that but i just went down to wally world and pick up a HDMI cable for 15 bucks

 

[nocteratus]

This laptop should be able to handle office applications and surfing the net no problem.
The CPU is B960 : http://ark.intel.com/products/59836/Intel-Pentium-Processor-B960--%282M-Cache-2_20-GHz%29
Dual core CPU with support for 64bit.
I'm using a core solo 1.86GHz with 3GB of RAM, I can browse the internet and use office application without any problem.