FocusCanada Forums

My laptop was killed in the flood Aug 19th, and I'm looking to get a new one. As I've been shopping around, I've noticed there are as always comparable AMD and Pentium models, but then there are P4's and Centrino based machines. From what I can tell, the speed on Centrinos seems slower (average 1.7 ghz) but the price is consistantly higher. I want a high performer.. dvd playback, wifi, bluetooth if possible, all the bells and whistles. What is the better machine to go with and why?

build your own

Build your own laptop?

from what ive heard, you don't want to go with centrino, i heard they are crap

they have p4s wiht hyper threading in laptops now. how much did insurance give you?

Get an a64 laptop and call it a day

Get a laptop with an AMD Athlon 64 Turion processor. They are worth it. I'll see if I can get some good reviews when I get home.

Centrino is a fully integrated processor solution. North/Southbridge , Including the Pentium M (a hopped up Pentium 3), etc. It's meant to cut down on power use, resulting in better battery life.

Pentium 4 laptops basically wedge that 100 watt lightbulb we call the P4 into a laptop form factor, and you just have to deal with the heat and poor battery life.

I personally went with an AMD 64 3000+ laptop when I bought one, but between that laptop and my Centrino based laptop, I prefer the Centrino laptop..lighter, longer batter life, and the performance is fine for everything I do (anything but gaming).

Raine,Oct 18 2005, 01:19 PM Wrote:My laptop was killed in the flood Aug 19th, and I'm looking to get a new one. As I've been shopping around, I've noticed there are as always comparable AMD and Pentium models, but then there are P4's and Centrino based machines. From what I can tell, the speed on Centrinos seems slower (average 1.7 ghz) but the price is consistantly higher. I want a high performer.. dvd playback, wifi, bluetooth if possible, all the bells and whistles. What is the better machine to go with and why?
[right][snapback]149906[/snapback][/right]

Okay here's the simplistic answer:

P4 laptops are the more powerful of the pair, but when running off battery power will have a lifespan that's significantly shorter than a Centrino processor. A Centrino processor is all about the most battery life, not speed, so it has things built into it that a P4 doesn't. That's the Intel side of the equation.

I honestly don't follow the AMD side well enough to know what (if any) chips AMD makes that are geared twoards laptop applications.

The other consideration is of course the video chipset, the higher performing chipsets are generally paired with thehigher performing CPU's (IE: Centrino likely gets the onboard Intel solution)

NefCanuck
NefCanuck

so it sounds like this

centrino = SPI
P4 = Zetec

the difference between them is the price!!! BTW, I think crazykev nailed it on the head with his example!! :) :)

I'm not going to be using it anywhere where I'd need battery life to be at more than 3 hrs. Would a P4 handle that? I'd love to get a P4 3.4 with HT...

crazikev,Oct 18 2005, 02:52 PM Wrote:so it sounds like this

centrino = SPI
P4 = Zetec
[right][snapback]149938[/snapback][/right]

A64 = SVT

Scoobs SVT = In the shop more than my ZX3

Bad comparison

Raine,Oct 18 2005, 03:31 PM Wrote:Scoobs SVT = In the shop more than my ZX3

Bad comparison
[right][snapback]149953[/snapback][/right]

:lol:

I only buy Intels (willing to consider AMD's lineup, but I have yet to have any problems with Intels) The Centrino's will get way better battery life if that is what you want.. but when it comes to a good overall performance and battery life, the Centrino comes in to play.

I run a Toshiba Satellite A70 with a P4 3.06 and 512mb ram which is shared by the Radeon 9000. She comes with wifi, stereo speakers which don't sound that bad, cd writer/dvd rom, and a nice 17" wide screen. I get around three to three and a half hours battery life depending on the programs running, backlight intensity, and processor speed... so it's not bad, especially considering it plays lots of games around medium quality without a hitch.

Raine,Oct 18 2005, 03:31 PM Wrote:Scoobs SVT = In the shop more than my ZX3

Bad comparison
[right][snapback]149953[/snapback][/right]

I probably should have said cobra!

hey and last month amd outsold intel for the first time w00t amd!

Raine,Oct 18 2005, 03:15 PM Wrote:I'm not going to be using it anywhere where I'd need battery life to be at more than 3 hrs. Would a P4 handle that? I'd love to get a P4 3.4 with HT...
[right][snapback]149944[/snapback][/right]

It should, but a P4 3.4 w/HT ain't gonna be cheap, you're looking at around $3K for a system with that processor and all other high end goodies in the laptop format.

Compromise a bit here & there thought and you can easily get a sub 2K laptop that'll meet your needs.

NefCanuck

Yeah, HT is unnecessary. My non HT'd P4 was only $1700 around a year and a half ago.

Okay well I'm in no immediate rush... and a 3.2 would do me just as well as a 3.4. Wouldn't necessarily go for this model but here's just one example of a P4 3.2 with HT (800 mhz FSB)...

Laptop with HT

That's a nice unit but the video memory is only 64 mb... I want something upwards of 128...