Friday OT - AMD processors in laptops

DonDaddyD
DonDaddyD Posts: 12,689
edited August 2010 in Commuting chat
I come here for most of buying advice, because from experience when getting advice about bikes and associated parts its always been top notch. I also come here for legal advice because many are lawyers and if I turned up in your offices you'd probably charge an ungodly rate to fuel your bike desires but that's a seperate issue.....

Now I know some of you are IT guys so,

AMD Athlon II Neo processors in a laptop, any good or should I stay away?

Also I would like a dual core laptop with no bigger than 13inches, can anyone recommend me a laptop please? Happy to pay upto £600.
Food Chain number = 4

A true scalp is not only overtaking someone but leaving them stopped at a set of lights. As you, who have clearly beaten the lights, pummels nothing but the open air ahead. ~ 'DondaddyD'. Player of the Unspoken Game
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Comments

  • MonkeyMonster
    MonkeyMonster Posts: 4,629
    if memory serves AMD are currently pushing out the best processing for cost and energy consumption - they might not be producing the highest end stuff but overall more efficient.
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  • DonDaddyD
    DonDaddyD Posts: 12,689
    Do the AMD processors run hot?
    Food Chain number = 4

    A true scalp is not only overtaking someone but leaving them stopped at a set of lights. As you, who have clearly beaten the lights, pummels nothing but the open air ahead. ~ 'DondaddyD'. Player of the Unspoken Game
  • wizzlebanger
    wizzlebanger Posts: 177
    Like anything Don Daddy it depends on your budget and what you want to do with the machine.

    So far I've only seen the Neo processor in smaller sub-notebook type devices just coming onto the market.

    If you're only interested in the internet / a bit of word, excel etc and storing your music then pretty much anything around £350+ will do the job.

    If you want to watch video and perhaps play some basic games etc then £450-500 should see you in good stead.

    I've been impressed with HP's latest Probook 4510s of in various forms. Nice spec and good screen for about £500. (I don't work for HP)

    If your going windows 7 then I'd try and get no less than 3gb Ram. Certainly I'd prefer more RAM over a an extra few processor ghz. (say if one was 2.4 and one was 2.7)

    Also depends on how portable you want it and your screen size. I think 15.4 is a nice happy medium. Not to big to be annoying to carry to big enough to be useful.

    Hope that helps.
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  • wizzlebanger
    wizzlebanger Posts: 177
    Sorry didn't see the 13" bit!!

    I think this would be perfect............

    http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac ... 162/review
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  • prawny
    prawny Posts: 5,439
    My laptop has an amd processor, no idea what spec sorry.

    I've had it a couple of years and I caqn honestly say it's been the fastest most reliable computer of any kind I've owned. Only cost about £400 too. From (gasp) PC world.
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  • Chisholm
    Chisholm Posts: 20
    I have AMD in both my main PC and laptop. Basically because they are much cheaper than intel.

    Check out an HP laptop called a DM3 its 13.1 lovely alu finish for a bit of class and should be being refreshed with the newer AMD chips now(ish) Basically you wont get a huge battery life but for word excel the processing speed is fine and if your after 3d AMD/ATI chips whip any intel setup
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  • cee
    cee Posts: 4,553
    DDD...

    most people would not be able to tell the difference between an AMD processor and an Intel one...

    tech geeks (like me) are easily persuaded with the various bang for buck arguments, that one runs 1degree cooler than the next, overclocking capabilities, whether the cores are really dual core, or just 2 singlecore wafers stuck together with a bit of cpu management logic in between.

    To the normal standard laptop/pc user...

    it doesn't matter.

    Pick a laptop you like in your price braket and dont worry about whether its AMD or Intel, Nvidia or ATI graphics....it could go on forever...

    The reality is...it doesn't matter to us geeks either....other than to be able to say.."yerns, but my processor does a bazillion gigaflops a second, runs .000001 of a degree cooler, and has a nice sticker on the top..."

    To be honest...I wouldn't choose a laptop based on the brand of processor any more. They are so close.
    Whenever I see an adult on a bicycle, I believe in the future of the human race.

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  • DonDaddyD
    DonDaddyD Posts: 12,689
    cee wrote:
    DDD...
    Pick a laptop you like in your price braket and dont worry about whether its AMD or Intel, Nvidia or ATI graphics....it could go on forever...

    Dude! Part of my soul wept when reading this. Imagine telling a keen-to-cycle-commute person that it doesn't matter if they bought a hybrid or road bike. That it doesn't matter if you use Campag or Shimano!? People have given themselves nosebleeds during endless e-battles arguing these fundamental choices in adult existence.

    If we all just accepted that the choice doesn't actually matter as it makes no difference then the human race would loose its purpose to evolve! FACT!

    I mean sure Campag gruppo's often look like something I'll happily make love to, but using them on bike! Heavens no! I secretly frown on people who do and they frown on me.

    Buying a BMW or Audi, Vauxhall or Ford, Samsung or Sony, Castelli or Northwave These shallow comsumer-led things define us, it places us in groups and gives us the security of belonging. Who really buys a Skoda because its a VW priced with none of the branding, who really admits to being or wanting to be that person? Where is the expression of life!?

    That's the significance and we all bought iPhones because we wanted to be in the club. People who buy HTC bought those because, whether conciously or subconciously, they wanted to be in the I hate iPhones club. FACT!! Just ask LiT, she went all anarchist and joined the I like Windows Mobile club. Such an angry bunch.

    Now come on, make me a AMD or Pentium man.
    To be honest...I wouldn't choose a laptop based on the brand of processor any more. They are so close.

    So what would you base your choice on.
    Food Chain number = 4

    A true scalp is not only overtaking someone but leaving them stopped at a set of lights. As you, who have clearly beaten the lights, pummels nothing but the open air ahead. ~ 'DondaddyD'. Player of the Unspoken Game
  • lost_in_thought
    lost_in_thought Posts: 10,563
    Just ask LiT, she went all anarchist and joined the I like Windows Mobile club.

    No, I didn't like windows mobile. It was a bit rubbish.

    I do like Android, though, 'cause I'm not a fashionista fanboy. Unlike SOME people.
    FCN 7/1
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  • stuaff
    stuaff Posts: 1,736
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    cee wrote:
    DDD...
    Pick a laptop you like in your price braket and dont worry about whether its AMD or Intel, Nvidia or ATI graphics....it could go on forever...

    Dude! Part of my soul wept when reading this. Imagine telling a keen-to-cycle-commute person that it doesn't matter if they bought a hybrid or road bike. That it doesn't matter if you use Campag or Shimano!? People have given themselves nosebleeds during endless e-battles arguing these fundamental choices in adult existence.

    If we all just accepted that the choice doesn't actually matter as it makes no difference then the human race would loose its purpose to evolve! FACT!

    I mean sure Campag gruppo's often look like something I'll happily make love to, but using them on bike! Heavens no! I secretly frown on people who do and they frown on me.

    Well, you bought a perfectly good Italian frame (well, Italian make, anyway, Taiwanese made frame) and you stuck Ultegra on it. You have to say things like that :)
    FWIW: I got Athena for the Viner because I liked Veloce, Athena struck me as the best value of the various groups. Never used Shimano road shifters (my Cadenza has Tiagra, flat bar shifters), nor any SRAM road groups, but I have nothing against either of them.
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  • DonDaddyD
    DonDaddyD Posts: 12,689
    OK, so seriously, there is nowt wrong with the AMD laptop processor?
    Food Chain number = 4

    A true scalp is not only overtaking someone but leaving them stopped at a set of lights. As you, who have clearly beaten the lights, pummels nothing but the open air ahead. ~ 'DondaddyD'. Player of the Unspoken Game
  • dhope
    dhope Posts: 6,699
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    Dude! Part of my soul wept when reading this. Imagine telling a keen-to-cycle-commute person that it doesn't matter if they bought a hybrid or road bike. That it doesn't matter if you use Campag or Shimano!? People have given themselves nosebleeds during endless e-battles arguing these fundamental choices in adult existence.

    So, what will you be doing with the laptop?
    Do you game, do you take the thing with you where there wont be a plug socket. Do you have a computer at home or will this become your main machine?

    AMD vs Intel wont be the only thing. A decent amount of memory is important, fortunately 3GB seems to be standard now. Fast hard disk, ideally 7200RPM as you'll notice the difference from the normal 5400RPM - a 250GB 7200RPM would be preferable to 320GB 5400RPM.

    That Samsung linked earlier looks decent.
    Dells I've never had problems with. Vostro 3300 would be the line you're after
    http://www1.euro.dell.com/uk/en/busines ... cs=ukbsdt1

    My IT geekiness has slipped in recent years so I couldn't tell you whether AMD Neo X2 beats Centrino/Core i3.
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  • DonDaddyD
    DonDaddyD Posts: 12,689
    Why do Dell do different Business and Home Laptops. It looks like Business Laptops are better value for money.
    Food Chain number = 4

    A true scalp is not only overtaking someone but leaving them stopped at a set of lights. As you, who have clearly beaten the lights, pummels nothing but the open air ahead. ~ 'DondaddyD'. Player of the Unspoken Game
  • craker
    craker Posts: 1,739
    edited July 2010
    Comparison with other CPUs in its class -

    http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu_lookup.php?cpu=AMD+Athlon+II+Neo+K125

    Is that any clearer?
  • Oddjob62
    Oddjob62 Posts: 1,056
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    Why do Dell do different Business and Home Laptops. It looks like Business Laptops are better value for money.

    Business prices are ex VAT wheras home is inc VAT.
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  • kelsen
    kelsen Posts: 2,003
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    Why do Dell do different Business and Home Laptops. It looks like Business Laptops are better value for money.

    Did you take into account VAT which is normally excluded on B2B pricing?
  • DonDaddyD
    DonDaddyD Posts: 12,689
    I am now. So unless I was going to get the laptop "through work" I would pay VAT on top of the price advertised. Ah, I see. I shall take a look at the public sector models as well then.
    Food Chain number = 4

    A true scalp is not only overtaking someone but leaving them stopped at a set of lights. As you, who have clearly beaten the lights, pummels nothing but the open air ahead. ~ 'DondaddyD'. Player of the Unspoken Game
  • dhope
    dhope Posts: 6,699
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    Why do Dell do different Business and Home Laptops. It looks like Business Laptops are better value for money.

    Aside from the VAT, business laptops tend to come with less of the free crap that comes on home laptops. All the free anti virus trials, Yahoo toolbar, google toolbar, any bundled games. MrsD recently got a consumer-aimed Samsung and I had to spend the first half a day uninstalling rubbish and trials.
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  • dhope
    dhope Posts: 6,699
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    I am now. So unless I was going to get the laptop "through work" I would pay VAT on top of the price advertised. Ah, I see. I shall take a look at the public sector models as well then.

    Yep, you can buy a business one just as you'd buy a home one, they'll add delivery and VAT when it comes to the checkout.
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  • Norky
    Norky Posts: 276
    wizzlebanger wrote:
    I've been impressed with HP's latest Probook 4510s of in various forms. Nice spec and good screen for about £500. (I don't work for HP)

    I am not impressed with them. Overly shiny (seriously, 5 minutes' use they're covered in finger marks), the build quality is a bit poor and the keyboard looks and feels (granted, keyboard feel is a matter of taste) like a bad Mac clone. I *do* work for an HP reseller. We use some probooks internally and have sold a few to customers (though laptops aint our core business).
    The above is a post in a forum on the Intertubes, and should be taken with the appropriate amount of seriousness.
  • cee
    cee Posts: 4,553
    edited July 2010
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    cee wrote:
    DDD...
    Pick a laptop you like in your price braket and dont worry about whether its AMD or Intel, Nvidia or ATI graphics....it could go on forever...

    Dude! Part of my soul wept when reading this. Imagine telling a keen-to-cycle-commute person that it doesn't matter if they bought a hybrid or road bike. That it doesn't matter if you use Campag or Shimano!? People have given themselves nosebleeds during endless e-battles arguing these fundamental choices in adult existence.

    If we all just accepted that the choice doesn't actually matter as it makes no difference then the human race would loose its purpose to evolve! FACT!

    I mean sure Campag gruppo's often look like something I'll happily make love to, but using them on bike! Heavens no! I secretly frown on people who do and they frown on me.

    Buying a BMW or Audi, Vauxhall or Ford, Samsung or Sony, Castelli or Northwave These shallow comsumer-led things define us, it places us in groups and gives us the security of belonging. Who really buys a Skoda because its a VW priced with none of the branding, who really admits to being or wanting to be that person? Where is the expression of life!?

    That's the significance and we all bought iPhones because we wanted to be in the club. People who buy HTC bought those because, whether conciously or subconciously, they wanted to be in the I hate iPhones club. FACT!! Just ask LiT, she went all anarchist and joined the I like Windows Mobile club. Such an angry bunch.

    Now come on, make me a AMD or Pentium man.
    To be honest...I wouldn't choose a laptop based on the brand of processor any more. They are so close.

    So what would you base your choice on.

    DDD...I apologise for making your soul weep. That was not my intention :D

    I choose laptops based on spec for price......so say i am looking for a machine for a max of £500.

    I look at what specs are available for that price and pick the best spec...in a format that I like. So thats...processor cores/speed, memory, screen, graphics co-pro, harddrive, ports...in that order. simple.

    Sure..some people will have a personal preference (i.e. in your shimano/campag fairytale), but the reality is...

    say two people...one like top end shimano, the other top end campag. each will argue that their choice is better. are they both wrong? no. Now imagine both gong to a bike shop for a new bike. they know what frame they want..and have a preference on the groupset...off the shelf it comes with the version they don't want...but to upgrade it at point of sale would be out of their price range. if they could only have the campag in a middle of range set, over the shimano in a top of range set...would they still go for the campag? if so..they have been blinded by marketing!

    now say someone who doesn't have a preference either way...they just want it to work. (in this fairy tale...this is you with the laptop)...you dont care whether its amd or intel...as long as it works the way it should. Point is....do you want someone to tell you whether you should be an AMD or an Intel man.....or just some reassurance that both are cool...as long as they are of equivalent specs...you will not know the difference.

    Nothing wrong with AMD...nothing wrong with Intel...

    I personally dont care whether its shimano or sram (mountain biker me see...) I would always go for a cheaper XTR than a more expensive X7, or a cheaper X9 over a more expesive LX set up.

    Maybe the big difference here is that you will never notice how they are different...even if using one side by side with the other...there is no user feedback in the same way as groupsets. as long as it works...thats all it needs to do.

    on business versus retail versions...check the specs...they are pretty different. Retail might have a Graphics Card (chip) with more 3d rendering capability and or more home friendly outputs (HDMI etc), better quality dvd drive/burner....things that a business laptop does need
    Whenever I see an adult on a bicycle, I believe in the future of the human race.

    H.G. Wells.
  • cee
    cee Posts: 4,553
    oh...my work supplies my phone...

    last one was an htc...new one is a iphone...

    Its a freaking phone....not a lifestyle choice!
    Whenever I see an adult on a bicycle, I believe in the future of the human race.

    H.G. Wells.
  • il_principe
    il_principe Posts: 9,155
    lost_in_thought wrote:
    Just ask LiT, she went all anarchist and joined the I like Windows Mobile club.

    No, I didn't like windows mobile. It was a bit rubbish.

    I do like Android, though, 'cause I'm not a fashionista fanboy. Unlike SOME people.

    *slinks away from thread
  • Cafewanda
    Cafewanda Posts: 2,788
    :lol:
  • rjsterry
    rjsterry Posts: 27,841
    <pulls out pin; draws arm back; swings forward releasing lever>

    MacBook

    <ducks behind desk with fingers in ears>






    Oops, forgot, you only wanted to spend £600

    <grenade flies back over desk and lands at feet; waves to camera in a Wile E Coyote style>
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  • DonDaddyD
    DonDaddyD Posts: 12,689
    Cee,

    Owning an Apple anything is a lifestyle decision. You instantly become that person. You like form as much as functionality. You like slender lines and design concepts.

    Its exactly the same as Campag. After I heard 'ill-Prince' change gear on the Prince no one can tell me that Campag is about functionality first and form second. It looks sexy, that's its thing.

    Andriod is for geeks.

    People everywhere make decisions to sacrifice spec for a better brand.

    That's like choosing to buy a Vauxhall Insignia with all the trimmings instead of a Audi A4 with some of the trimmings.

    Or as I explained earlier my Skoda va. VW example earlier.

    But I thank you for the information; Athlon is as fine as Intel, doesn't run hot and doesn't demand more of the battery meaning less on the go time.
    Food Chain number = 4

    A true scalp is not only overtaking someone but leaving them stopped at a set of lights. As you, who have clearly beaten the lights, pummels nothing but the open air ahead. ~ 'DondaddyD'. Player of the Unspoken Game
  • il_principe
    il_principe Posts: 9,155
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    Cee,

    Owning an Apple anything is a lifestyle decision. You instantly become that person. You like form as much as functionality. You like slender lines and design concepts.

    Its exactly the same as Campag. After I heard 'ill-Prince' change gear on the Prince no one can tell me that Campag is about functionality first and form second. It looks sexy, that's its thing.

    Andriod is for geeks.

    Utter tosh.
  • lost_in_thought
    lost_in_thought Posts: 10,563
    Il Principe wrote:
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    Cee,

    Owning an Apple anything is a lifestyle decision. You instantly become that person. You like form as much as functionality. You like slender lines and design concepts.

    Its exactly the same as Campag. After I heard 'ill-Prince' change gear on the Prince no one can tell me that Campag is about functionality first and form second. It looks sexy, that's its thing.

    Andriod is for geeks.

    Utter tosh.

    Normal DDD service, innit.
    FCN 7/1
    Viner Maxima, Tifosi CK7, Giant Bowery, Old commuter.
  • DonDaddyD
    DonDaddyD Posts: 12,689
    edited July 2010
    I'm getting rusty, it took two pages for someone to bite.... A month ago I just needed a sentence, a thread title or simply be online... :D

    But I am in the market for a laptop and was told that AMD processors run hot and use more battery life than Intel.

    The two processors I'm considering are:

    Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor ULV SU7300 (1.3GHz, 800MHz, 3MB)

    And

    AMD Athlon II Neo K325 (Dual Core) Processor
    Food Chain number = 4

    A true scalp is not only overtaking someone but leaving them stopped at a set of lights. As you, who have clearly beaten the lights, pummels nothing but the open air ahead. ~ 'DondaddyD'. Player of the Unspoken Game
  • il_principe
    il_principe Posts: 9,155
    lost_in_thought wrote:
    Il Principe wrote:
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    Cee,

    Owning an Apple anything is a lifestyle decision. You instantly become that person. You like form as much as functionality. You like slender lines and design concepts.

    Its exactly the same as Campag. After I heard 'ill-Prince' change gear on the Prince no one can tell me that Campag is about functionality first and form second. It looks sexy, that's its thing.

    Andriod is for geeks.

    Utter tosh.

    Normal DDD service, innit.

    I'd expect nothing less from a man that takes PT to work...

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