Does it make sense to future-proof when buying a new laptop?

Student Lounge College Life
1

<p>Hey guys,</p>

<p>I'm looking at buying a new laptop as I'll be an undergraduate freshman in the fall. </p>

<p>Considering this, I really want a new laptop, and I have ~1000$ to get it.</p>

<p>My favorite so far has been the Alienware/Dell M11x. I dropped my consideration for the Envy 14 because I didn't think there were enough ports.</p>

<p>But my parents really don't want me to spend so much for a laptop, especially when I can buy a new netbook for 1/3 the price of the M11x.</p>

<p>They also are very afraid that my M11x will receive many bumps along the way, possibly scratching the hard disk, or breaking other internal components. </p>

<p>I really want a fast computer. I use my computer way too much to be twiddling my thumbs waiting for an atom/core2 based computer. </p>

<p>My solution, although it is going to cost me considerably more now, is to future-proof my system. This means buying more towards state of the art today anticipating a slowdown in the future. It also means buying reliable, so I may have to go with a SSD. </p>

<p>Does this make sense for a college student to buy a fast computer now in anticipation and trying to increase longevity? I would love to not have to shell out money in the future for a new system. </p>

<p>If it does make sense to future-proof, what are some ways that I can strive for that, and possibly save money in the process?</p>

<p>Thanks!!</p>

2

<p>It depends on what you will use it for.</p>

<p>If all you do is the basic web browsing/videos/movies/homework, then no need to futureproof. A Core 2 Duo can do all that just as well as an i7 can. Honestly, a Pentium 4 can do all of that stuff as well as an i7. Judging on your language/knowledge, it sounds like you’re very well-versed with computer hardware. Unfortunately, the problem with being that way (don’t worry, I was like this too) is that you end up thinking you need an i7 with a GTX 480 for your computer to simply function. Not so. All these basic applications can still run fine on basic and old hardware.</p>

<p>If you also do casual gaming (Sims 3, for example), or do light media editing, you may want to consider going for at least an i5 CPU.</p>

<p>If you also do hardcore gaming (Battlefield: Bad Company 2, for example), you may want to futureproof your graphics chip.</p>

<p>If you also do heavy media editing (Lots of movie rendering/photoshop), you may also want to futureproof your CPU.</p>

<p>And if storage space isn’t important to you, go for an SSD. HDDs are very prone to shocks, and even bumping it around a few times can result in bad sectors. The first thing I did when I got my laptop was stick a SSD in there.</p>

<p>So, in summary, only futureproof if your applications demand so.</p>