Help on deciding on CPU for modest gaming notebook

vb_maniac

September 24, 2012 4:41:34 PM

Hi,
I need a laptop for college and gaming on med/high settings on weekends under $600. I zeroed down on these two after 2 days of research:

1) Lenovo G780 21823LU
i5- 3210M / 4GB 1333 Mhz RAM / 2GB Geforce GT 630M / 17.3"

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

2) Acer Aspire V3-571g-6602

i5- 2450M / 4GB 1600 Mhz RAM/ 2GB GeForce 630M / 15.6"

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

So the only major difference is the i5- 3210M on the lenovo and the i5-2450 on the acer.
Which cpu would be better for gaming?

It says here :
http://processors.findthebest.com/compare/23-830/Intel-...

, under the graphics specification tab that the 3210 has a max clock speed of 1.1Ghz compared to 2450's 1.3Ghz

Also, will the GT630M be able to render the same frame rates at 1600x900 on the 17.3" display as at 1366x768 on the 15.6" display.

I also couldnt find official reviews of the lenovo notebook on a credible tech-site.
I'm also open to other notebook suggestions under $600

Please help! I'm confused!

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dscudella

September 24, 2012 4:46:41 PM

When it comes to pre built systems, you have to look at more than just specs, especially with laptops. Lenovo actually makes all PC's for IBM, it used to be the IBM Thinkpad.

I vote for the Think Pad, it's a more trustworthy name, backed by IBM and Acer's track record, especially on laptops is less than remarkable.

Just make sure to get yourself a correct size laptop cooling pad if you're going to be gaming. It might be bulky but it will save you the hassle of hot palms and a melted GPU (extreme I know) later on.

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IntelEnthusiast

CPUs Master

Gaming Expert

September 24, 2012 4:50:52 PM

The Intel® Core™ i5-3210m is a 3rd generation Intel Core processor which will have better graphics and better power management. I would go with the Lenovo.

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rebel1280

September 24, 2012 8:43:46 PM

Def the Lenovo, had the Acer, board died about 7 months later. Had this happen to a few others around me as well (bought for a company).

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vb_maniac

September 25, 2012 4:39:13 PM

But will the GT630M be able to render the same frame rates at 1600x900 on the 17.3" display as at 1366x768 on the 15.6" display??? I read that more than 1gb on a graphics card will only be utilized close to HD resolutions...so will i get the same frame rates?? Anyone with experience on this??

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