New computer advice

Hi all,

My 3 year old laptop just crashed and burnt and is apparently unrepairable, so I need to go out any buy a new computer - I've decided to go for a desktop this time. My primary purpose is going to be for playing Football Manager 2012 and I love playing huge games with as many leagues loaded as possible.

So, what am I best to go for?

In particular does anybody have any views on whether 8Mb RAM is going to be significantly better than 4Mb, or is it only go to be a small improvement?

Also is an Intel i7 processor going to offer any improved performance over an i5?

I'd really appreciate your views based on your experiences of playing FM?

Finally, any recommendations of good online stores to go with - I've previously had www.pcspecialist.co.uk recommended to me - are they any good?

ok first things first, learn PC terms. it's 4 or 8 GB not MB. 4 MegaBytes of ram is nothing, 4 Gigabytes now we're talking. with the ram 8gb is becoming the standard now for a windows 7 based pc to game on. with FM being a ram and cpu intensive program I would even consider 16gb but that may be a bit overkill. For i7 vs i5, I'm assuming you mean the 2500k/2600k the 2500k will be enough for gaming. the 2600k is more for benching and folding or high end over clocking.

whats your budget and where are you located? given both I will try to give you a decent load out for gaming. will this pc be used for high end graphics games like batlle field 3 and skrym, or mostly for FM? also will you be doing anything besides gaming and browsingon it>

RAM is NOT going to improve the game speed. Processor power will.

What's your budget?

An i7 Processor will more than likely be better than an i5 - technically. But it depends on the model.

Check out the clock speed and amount of Cores in the processor.

You'll also want a good Graphics Card - again, clock speed and a minimum of 512mb of RAM here (most come with 1gb nowadays anyway).

In terms of MEMORY (RAM) in general, I recommend 6gb RAM as plenty. 4GB is fine, but if you can get more then why not? 8gb is a bit overkill for FM purposes.

So tell us your budget.

Thanks for the advice and for correcting my schoolboy error on the Mb/Gb point. I'm only interested in gaming and browsing and will spend 90% of my time on FM with only small excursions onto games like CoD:MW3 and Battlefield 3 etc.

I'm based in the UK - trying to spend under £750 if I can........

Thanks for the advice and for correcting my schoolboy error on the Mb/Gb point. I'm only interested in gaming and browsing and will spend 90% of my time on FM with only small excursions onto games like CoD:MW3 and Battlefield 3 etc.

I'm based in the UK - trying to spend under £750 if I can........

Thanks for the info, I'm not the best with UK pc sites but hopefully someone can chime in on which to go with (i'm in Canada so uk sites are unknown to me) Since you want to run battlefield 3 you will need a decent graphics card to handle it. will you need a copy of windows 7 in that price? also what about monitor?

This is the current spec I've got a quote for - £796.00

Processor (CPU)

Intel® Core™i7-2600 Quad Core (3.40GHz, 8MB Cache) + HD Graphics

Motherboard

ASUS® P8Z68-V/GEN3: PCI-E 3.0 READY, SLI, CROSSFIREX

Memory (RAM)

8GB SAMSUNG DUAL-DDR3 1333MHz (2 X 4GB)

Graphics Card

1GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GT 520 - DVI,HDMI,VGA - 3D Vision Ready

Memory - 1st Hard Disk

1TB SATA-II 3-Gb/s HARD DRIVE WITH 32MB CACHE (7,200rpm)

1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive

24x DUAL LAYER DVD WRITER ±R/±RW/RAM

Memory Card Reader

INTERNAL 52 IN 1 CARD READER (XD, MS, CF, SD, etc) + 1 x USB 2.0 PORT

Power Supply

350W Dual Rail PSU + 120mm Case Fan

Processor Cooling

SUPER QUIET 22dBA TRIPLE COPPER HEATPIPE INTEL CPU COOLER (£19)

Sound Card

ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)

Network Facilities

ONBOARD 10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT - AS STANDARD ON ALL PCs

USB Options

6 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL (MIN 2 FRONT PORTS) AS STANDARD

Operating System

Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit - inc DVD & Licence (£79)

Office Software

I think you may be underestimating laptops. Far more comfortable on the coach than at a desk

Anyway

Head over to DELL.co.uk and look for either a desktop or laptop. Start by filtering your price range.

Dabs.com is another good site, but their Desktop selection is poor, imo.

Other uk users might have better sites than I have, I'm based in Ireland.

Post specs here based on your findings.

The Graphics Card is a bit below par.

The Graphics Card is a bit below par.

Is it! Thanks, I'd thought it was above average!! I'll look how much the next options up are

I think you may be underestimating laptops. Far more comfortable on the coach than at a desk

Anyway

Head over to DELL.co.uk and look for either a desktop or laptop. Start by filtering your price range.

Dabs.com is another good site, but their Desktop selection is poor, imo.

Other uk users might have better sites than I have, I'm based in Ireland.

Post specs here based on your findings.

I spent a fortune on a laptop 3 years ago and was to put it lightly fuming to find that when my video card burnt out a week ago that it isn's possible to upgrade or replace it (it's well beyond my skill level anyway!) It's put me off them for now (at least when your spending a fortune for gaming purposes)

ok first things first, learn PC terms. it's 4 or 8 GB not MB. 4 MegaBytes of ram is nothing, 4 Gigabytes now we're talking. with the ram 8gb is becoming the standard now for a windows 7 based pc to game on. with FM being a ram and cpu intensive program I would even consider 16gb but that may be a bit overkill.

How about learning about the limitations of 32bit software in respect to RAM usage before offering advice.

On a £750 budget I'd go with this http://www.chillblast.com/Chillblast-Fusion-Hurricane.html

All info taken from http://www.dabs.com/ again sorry if the site sucks I do not know uk pc sites.

CPU: i5 2500k http://www.dabs.com/products/intel-core-i5-2500k-3-30ghz-lga1155-6mb-79Q8.html?src=2 169.99

motherboard : asus p8z68-v http://www.dabs.com/products/asus-p8z68-v-s1155-intel-z68-ddr3-atx-7HXD.html?src=3 119.98

Ram: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2x4GB) 44.98

Hard drive: samsung spinpoint 1tb http://www.dabs.com/products/samsung-1tb-spinpoint-m8-2-5--sata-3gb-s-5400rpm-8mb-9-5mm-7KWF.html?refs=56330000-52780000&src=3 109.99

Graphics card: XFX 6950 2gb http://www.dabs.com/products/xfx-ati-radeon-6950-hd-800mhz-2gb-pci-express-2-1-x16-displayport-7N8B.html?refs=55570000-54150000&src=3 194.98

power supply: corsair tx550 http://www.dabs.com/products/corsair-550w-enthusiast-series-tx550-modular-power-supply-7LGJ.html?refs=50113&src=3 69.99

case cantec 300 http://www.dabs.com/products/antec-300-three-hundred-case-black-6252.html?q=antec&src=3 44.98

Total 754.89

That will beat the living crap outta FM and the 6950 will be more then enough for you to max out battlefield 3 no problem at all. I did not inclue OS or monitor in this build to try and squeeze out the most performance possible.

How about learning about the limitations of 32bit software in respect to RAM usage before offering advice.

valid point, but we must also consider a 64 bit os can utilize the extra ram for backround applications. which would be sucking that extra ram.

valid point, but we must also consider a 64 bit os can utilize the extra ram for backround applications. which would be sucking that extra ram.

How much extra can one man do while playing FM?

How much extra can one man do while playing FM?

depends on the person I suppose I find myself with loads of browser windows open and music. which does not tax my ram enough but yah never know he might need some folding or something lol

just had to edit, I would really have thought that SI would have made it 64bit by now

depends on the person I suppose I find myself with loads of browser windows open and music. which does not tax my ram enough but yah never know he might need some folding or something lol

B;**dy hell - they've invented a computer that can fold my clothes and do the housework whilst I play FM LOL

B;**dy hell - they've invented a computer that can fold my clothes and do the housework whilst I play FM LOL

LMAO good one, got a giggle out of it. I wish they made pc's that would fold my laundry. But a computer folding is using its power in tandem with other pc's around the world for scientific & medical research.

I have gone from laptop to desktop. My laptop decide to stop working, i got decent desktop for the fraction of the price of a lower spec laptop and plus far easier to upgrade. I got a i3 3.2ghz 6gb ram 1tb hard drive and a nvidia graphics card which runs between 1 to 4gb, also got it connected to 42" tv which is fantastic so can still lounge around on sofa

How about learning about the limitations of 32bit software in respect to RAM usage before offering advice.

On a £750 budget I'd go with this http://www.chillblast.com/Chillblast-Fusion-Hurricane.html

RAMs a bit slow there, no?

How about this:

Processor Intel® Core™ i7-2600 Processor (3.40GHz, 8MB)

Operating System English Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium (64 BIT)

Memory1 6GB1 Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1333MHz

Hard Drive 1000GB2 SATA hard drive (7200RPM)

Video Card NVIDIA® GeForce GT 545 1GB DDR5 Graphics Card

Warranty 1 year Collect & Return Hardware Support included with your PC

£779

http://configure.euro.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?oc=d00x8316&c=uk&l=en&s=dhs&cs=ukdhs1&model_id=xps-8300

RAMs a bit slow there, no?

They are the same speed?

How about this:

Processor Intel® Core™ i7-2600 Processor (3.40GHz, 8MB)

Operating System English Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium (64 BIT)

Memory1 6GB1 Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1333MHz

Hard Drive 1000GB2 SATA hard drive (7200RPM)

Video Card NVIDIA® GeForce GT 545 1GB DDR5 Graphics Card

Warranty 1 year Collect & Return Hardware Support included with your PC

£779

http://configure.euro.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?oc=d00x8316&c=uk&l=en&s=dhs&cs=ukdhs1&model_id=xps-8300

The video card is rubbish: http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/gpu.php?gpu=GeForce+GT+545

If you are getting a gaming PC bundle in the UK, don't go for Dell.

I've brought so many in the last years, now i've Sony, but for me Toshiba is the best, then Sony Vaio or Asus.

my advice to buy one with 2 video cards ( Nividia and Intel ) , it's the modern era as the laptop could give you more battery life ( 4 hours at least without gaming )

if you care about mobility & more battery life, go for 13.3 and Core i5, you can get dedicated 1GB Nividia these days

if you care about power only, go for corei7, with at least dedicated 1GB Nividia

should this kind of laptop would be OK for you and improved games in the future for at least 3 years, try to avoid 512MB video cards as much as you can, even it's the fact it's work OK with FM, but for long term they couldn't be any good.

* Notice : Most of Nividia video cards better than ATI for football, ATI give you clear picture but for football, Nividia is better because it's faster.

Didn't think they were the same speed? Must have misread?

8GB PC3-10666 DDR3 Memory

vs

Memory1 6GB1 Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1333MHz

?

Plus the video card is better than what already posted. PLUS it's within the budget. PLUS it will be fine for FM12 3D matches.

Of course there are better graphics card. But you can pay another £100 or more for a class one.

And what's wrong with Dell? I've been around the block with Laptops and PCs in the last 12 years. I work with them every day.

Any DELL computer I've had has been completely reliable and great for gaming?

I don't understand the reference to stay away from Dell? What would you recommend instead?

Just looking for your reasoning.

I hate HP/Compaq (rogue parts not compliant with each other). I think DELL have come a long way in the last 5 years, personally.

I'm constantly surprised about rather amateurish hardware suggestions one finds on the internet, be it here or on other forums. What many people don't grasp a lot of the time is the ability to either create a harmonized compilation of custom parts or to look for the rare offer of a complete system that doesn't splurge on one part and save money somewhere else. This isn't meant to be understood in a bad way, but the thread starter should know that some of the stuff recommended here is clearly either over the top, or on the other hand not powerful enough for his requirements.

Take the suggested graphics cards for the main example: nVidia GeForce GT 560Ti, ATi Radeon 6950 and an OEM version with the GeForce GT 545 (that's definitely too slow, because the performance should be somewhere close to the GT 450). Taking the assumption that you'll be playing on a FullHD screen (1920x1080/1200 pixel) and you want maximum details and at least some AA/AF, then the smallest card (GT 545) won't cut it, because especially Battlefield 3 and other hardware hungry games like it will cause your average framerate to drop way below 30fps, with some instances even noticeably below 20. The Radeon 6950 is certainly powerful enough, but it is most likely a bit over the top and will be wasted on you, if you truly want to play FM most of the time. There's no reason to buy a nice high-end graphics card if it will spend 99% of the time in idle. For those few flirtations with CoD:MW3 and BF3 in between the GeForce 560Ti is a good choice and if you wanted to go a bit cheaper, the ATi Radeon 6850 would be a nice alternative. The lowest I'd want to use if this were my own gaming pc and my choice of games, is the Radeon 6770. It's a card that offers the best value for performance, but it's also cutting it close and you might just want to drop a bit from the max graphics details in some games.

Regarding the other components, here are some thoughts:

Computer memory shouldn't be an issue in today's world of gaming. If you buy 4GB then you will definitely have enough for each and every game currently out there, no doubt about it! More memory will not benefit you directly with higher speeds or shorter load times (mostly because many games are compiled to run as a 32bit application) at all, rather it will allow you some additional comfort. Myself, I'm always too lazy to close my browser windows, my email client and such stuff when I start gaming, so I needed more than 4GB to accomodate those desires. You don't do that, then you can save a few pounds here. Still, memory is rather cheap so it's not a big issue. In regards to the clocking speeds: it can make a huge difference in price, but the performance gain is way too small to care (I'm talking about only 1 or 2% here). You'd be much better served to get a cheap 4 or 8GB DDR3-1333 or DDR3-1600 kit for half the price of a top gaming performance RAM kit and spend the money on a custom CPU cooler for example.

With some notable exceptions, the majority of currently available games profit more from higher clock speeds on a CPU than from a higher number of cores (or threads for that matter). The same is pretty much true for FM as well, because it runs quite a bit faster on my smaller over-clocked dual core machine than on my quad core running at stock speeds. In the end, when you're playing FM, the game will not use all available threads most of the time. Now what does that mean for you? I don't believe that you should buy a Dual-Core processor, but there are definitely performance gaps between different technologies: PLEASE don't buy an AMD Bulldozer FX-6xxx/8xxx (they're totally unsuited for FM) and don't buy an old Phenom II, if you don't have to buy/build a small budget computer. The best CPU to buy in today's market is one with the best per core performance and that's clearly Intel's Sandy Bridge. It doesn't matter what particular CPU you end up choosing, as long as it's an Intel i5-2xxx, then it's a very good choice.

Personally, I see this Chillblast Fusion Hurricane and think it's a rather neat compilation. The graphics card is good value and fast enough for your desires, but not obscenely powerful and expensive. It got a nice CPU tower-cooler which is apparently powerful enough to cool the 36% above stock speeds. Nice to see is also the fact that it hasn't got a cheap no-name power supply but a decent Corsair model. The only thing I'd check is the warranty it offers, since overclocking isn't covered by the CPU manufacturer and leave only the defects liability of the shop. But that's nitpicking really, because if overclocked properly it should never be an issue. This is certainly a fast one for FM with many league calculations

Eugene Tyson, the correct description is actually PC3-10667, the 666 at the end is a bit misleading and in truth comes from the G-Skill product id code/number. PC3-10667 equals DDR3-1333.

Oh dang. I knew that. Thanks for the refresher course. Completely misread it.

Apologies x42bn6 - long day.

ElDani - I think the confusion comes from the parts they spec. Ever look around PcWorld or Currys? The Specs don't even tell the story of the PC! I find the most expensive computers are the lowest spec'd computers, some of the time?

The specs should be clear, perhaps standard ratings of 1-10 for each of the parts (perhaps with .5 segments?).

A graph kinda like the Energy Ratings should be standard on all computers for sale. With severe punishements for overpricing and/or misrepresenting.

It's far too vague for the average consumer to either make an informed decision and/or understand what bests suits their need!

Something like this could work wonders in computer selling

ElDani - I think the confusion comes from the parts they spec. Ever look around PcWorld or Currys? The Specs don't even tell the story of the PC! I find the most expensive computers are the lowest spec'd computers, some of the time?

The specs should be clear, perhaps standard ratings of 1-10 for each of the parts (perhaps with .5 segments?).

A graph kinda like the Energy Ratings should be standard on all computers for sale. With severe punishements for overpricing and/or misrepresenting.

It's far too vague for the average consumer to either make an informed decision and/or understand what bests suits their need!

Something like this could work wonders in computer selling

Yeah, but then PC World wouldn't get to flog 3-generation-old computers as budget gaming computers...

That should be against the law. I often recommend to people to not buy from these people. Unscrupulous is too good a word for them!

One of the biggest challenges in recommending a computer for someone is working within their budget. So when I'm looking at a computer for someone to play FM I'm working within that budget, and on the sites I know. I don't buy computers regularly, only personally.

The last 2 computers I've had are Dells. I have both laptops beside me know. One 5 years old. One brand new. The 5 year old one plays FM12 just fine. The new one kicks it ass of course.

I try my best to keep up with the latest computers and technologies, along with graphics cards, ram, and processors.

For FM it's my opinion that Processor power is the most important thing. If you've got good processor, then for FM you can, in my opinion, skimp a little on the graphics card.

If this was for something more demanding the in graphics department, I'd be saying MORE RAM, MORE GRAPHICS CARD, MORE PROCESSOR.

But for FM, processor is key, in my opinion. You need a graphics card. But the specs for FM12 in regards to graphics is low. So why push another €100 or more on the person asking?

Best processor, low- mid-range graphics card. Sometimes you get lucky with a good mid-range card. But it's not the most important thing. And won't be for the next few FM games (I think).

It's all about processing all that data.

Personally, I see this Chillblast Fusion Hurricane and think it's a rather neat compilation. The graphics card is good value and fast enough for your desires, but not obscenely powerful and expensive. It got a nice CPU tower-cooler which is apparently powerful enough to cool the 36% above stock speeds. Nice to see is also the fact that it hasn't got a cheap no-name power supply but a decent Corsair model. The only thing I'd check is the warranty it offers, since overclocking isn't covered by the CPU manufacturer and leave only the defects liability of the shop. But that's nitpicking really, because if overclocked properly it should never be an issue. This is certainly a fast one for FM with many league calculations

I bought an overclocked i7 from them over 2 years ago, the thing has not skipped a beat. As for the system I linked to it was a quick price driven search so I'm sure that with some playing around the price could be reduced without too much of a drop off in performance.

As you've rightly pointed out most of these threads are useless as they are obviously started by someone with little or no knowledge which is why I'd always go with suggesting a solid pre-sepc'd rig (not a dell though, laptops are fine but their towers are woeful & over-priced)

It's given me an idea for a "computer reverse search engine" where you input what you want (i.e. 1920x1200; Battlefield 3 at high; The Sims 3 at high) and it spits out a recommended configuration. Or you could input a configuration and see what it will be able to run it at. It would gather information through a benchmarking application that users install, or grab someone else's benchmark details (licensed, of course) and try to interpolate from there...

/ramble

Or you could start off with budget?

What's your Budget?

£300

What would you like to play?

FM12!

Computer says no.

Or you could start off with budget?

What's your Budget?

£300

What would you like to play?

FM12!

Computer says no.

Possibly, but it would go one more and give you a set of recommended machines that represent good value for money that cost around £300.

If FM specs had "7.5* processor (2012)" and "4.5* graphics card (2012)" and "5* 4gb Ram (2012)"

If computers were spec'd as

Processor "8.5 2009"

G/Card"6.5 2007"

Memory "4.5* RAM 2010"

You could easily compare spec

Each aisle would have a comparison chart, i.e., if the Processor of 2009 is 8.5 it's now a 4.5 in todays terms?

I haven't thought this through. But some comparison chart and ranking system.

9/10 people are working from a budget though.

Cater towards what they are budgeting towards rather than what their specific needs are right now!

Always spec a computer that will last years, not a couple of years. That's my opinion.

Sadly, this is just the latest of many ideas I have that end up getting put on the "procrastination" drawer.

Procrastination is very hard work, don't knock it.

Sorry for joining in so late can any1 pick which of these are best Hp pavilion g6-1155sa. samsung rv511. Hp pavilion dv6-6102sa. hp pavilion dv6-6077sa. Dont know how to link the pages properly,getting it at harvey norman ireland. thanks.

Select the text in the URL bar at the top of the screen, and then copy and paste it here.

You're better off just posting what your budget is - and where you're looking to buy from (for currency)

You need it for?

You can just post the links as they are (I can't seem to find a couple of their models in the online store)

I can write off the Samsung immediately - bad specs, due to the integrated graphics on the older gen processor, the graphics are useless. Please post links to the HPs as I only see one of them.

Fm and just general surfing. all priced between 600 and 650 euros. think of the first hp one cause of the next gen processor. cant find links using my phone as laptop broke. sorry

http://www.pcworld.ie/Product/SAMSUNG-Series-3-NP300E5AA03DX-156andquot-Laptop-Silver/308024/301 - This Samsung is great value for money, very good processor and the Video is standard integrated one, which is enough for FM and surfing. Plenty of Hard Drive, too. Cheaper than the HPs and certainly not worse quality. - it is 580

Don't even think about RV511 - it has an older processor (which is not worse) but comes with much worse graphic card so with an integrated video it is not a good idea. HP 1155SA is a good option, too, but I prefer the Samsung above(better processor, cheaper, and for me personally better quality).

dv6-6102sa - not good option, can't find the price, too.

dv6-6077sa - has just an i3 as far as I can see so no point there.

There's also Asus K53 as an option, but I personally prefer Samsung than Asus due to reliability.

This one is a bit pricier than you hoped... it only has an entry level graphics card - good enough for FM12 - but maybe not so for Call of Duty or Battlefield or something.

But the processor here is pretty good

http://www.dabs.ie/products/samsung-rc520-core-i5-2410m-6gb-ram-750gb-hdd-15-6--windows-7-home-premium-64bit-laptop-7KZ5.html?refs=22-466560000&src=3

€690

=======================================

This one is pretty decent. Good processor. Good amount of RAM. PLUS a better Graphics Card. This graphics card is more than capable of playing games like Call of Duty and Battlefield - so definitely good enough for FM.

http://configure.euro.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?oc=n00q1544&c=ie&l=en&s=dhs&cs=iedhs1&model_id=inspiron-15r-n5110

€650

=======================================

This is similar to the first one - in terms of graphics card - more RAM though - which is better.

http://www.komplett.ie/Komplett/product/ZKB_02PC/02_NOTEBOO/22_17/productdetails/80003360/Asus_17_3_X73SJ_TY034V_i5_2430_6GB_500GB/90N2LI219H1425VL133Y/default.aspx

€650

=======================================

I'm not familiar with the AMD parts

http://www.komplett.ie/Komplett/product/ZKB_02PC/02_NOTEBOO/22_17/productdetails/20089262/HP_17_3_Pavilion_DV7_6105SD_A6_3410MX_6GB_750GB/LZ663EA_ABH/default.aspx

€639

======================================

Same as first one really - bigger screen

http://www.komplett.ie/Komplett/product/ZKB_02PC/02_NOTEBOO/22_17/productdetails/20098656/Toshiba_17_3_C670_17D_i5_2430_6GB_750G/PSC3YE_01R006DU/default.aspx

€685

==========

I'd be recommending the one I marked in Red text

Just to support Eugene - the RC has brilliant quality if you can afford it. It is much more high end than the other suggestions, you have to pay a bit more for it but if you can afford it, it is worth it.

Edit: missed the graphics card of the Inspiron ... 520M is crap, iI don't think it is worth the premium over the Samsung I suggested - you will get about 1/3 better gaming performance in shooters than the HD3000 but for anything else it would not make any difference.

Looks good but dont know if its in store in limerick. seei have to get it in store because they are giving me 550 euros towards it because of my warranty on last laptop which they cant fix alright since i was going to upgrade anyway this way saves me money as last one is 2 years old now.

Some sites have them more expensive. I bought this laptop from Dell. On other sites the same specs (exact same) came in at twice the price.

It's worth shopping around.

Just to be Clear this is the one I am recommending - it's €650 http://configure.euro.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?oc=n00q1544&c=ie&l=en&s=dhs&cs=iedhs1&model_id=inspiron-15r-n5110

Nice amount of RAM - nice graphics card. It will be good for FM12 and other games, like CAll of Duty and

So does it have to be from the specific store you pointed? Or is the warranty from the manufacturer? - surely there would be some sort of restriction.

Looks good but dont know if its in store in limerick. seei have to get it in store because they are giving me 550 euros towards it because of my warranty on last laptop which they cant fix alright since i was going to upgrade anyway this way saves me money as last one is 2 years old now.

Ok fair enough.

3 components to look for

Processor

I5-2430M - BEST

I5-2410M - GOOD

I5-2520M - Still good but not as good

RAM

4GB Minimum! 6GB if you can (or more)

Graphics Card

NVIDIA GE FORCE 525M - mid range

NVIDIA GE FORCE 520M - entry level

Those are all you really need to know, for the Price Range you're looking at.

Others may have other suggestions for Graphics cards.

So I recommend you make a LIST of the suggested Parts. And make sure the computer that you get has at least 1 part from the 3 categories.

If I have understood correctly, you have to buy it from the same shop - from what I see in Harvey Norman, I can only suggest 2 choices (not much choice there tbh...)

http://www.harveynorman.ie/np-rc520-s02uk.html - costs a bit more but I think it is worth it (the pictures are of an RV511 for some reason, which is much lower quality - you can check it out on google)

http://www.harveynorman.ie/g6-1155sa.html - Reasonable cheaper option with good enough specs

Good luck

Thanks for list of specs will look for that tomorroow. think i have to stick to limerick store as bought original. will prob go as high as 700 but would prefer to pay less if can