Laptop for CS

[linkgoron]

Well, I need to buy a laptop as I'm studying CS next year.

I need portability, as I'll probably walk a lot with the laptop in the university, but I also need precious (mostly vertical) space for programming.

Long story short, I'm not sure if I should go for the X220, for portability, or the T420 (1600*900) for a higher resolution, but sacrifice the weight.

I don't really have a lot of experience with laptops, as I've been programming only on desktops and I haven't really done any programming on smaller screens, so I was wondering what you guys with more experience think?

Thanks!

 

[Ultralight]

Budget?

Since you need the vertical space I would not consider anything less than the 1600x900 because I have read far too many posts of the vertical space issues with the standard 1366x768.

 

[linkgoron]

My budget is around 1500$-1600$

 

[Ultralight]

If you look at Lenovo's Thinkpad IMO either the T420 or T420s are your best choices here because they offer a screen resolution of 1600x900 where as the X220 is only offered in the 1366x768.

They have configured online a T420 for $1,080. With your budget you could upgrade your processor, wireless card (the Intel 6300 is what I would choose), and RAM though 4 gigs should do you very fine.

The Thinkpads are an excellent consideration.

 

[linkgoron]

BTW, is the i7 2620 worth an extra 190$ over the i5 2520?

From what I understand the i7 is exactly the same (as in dual core with HT), except it has a higher clock rate (200 mhz) and some more cache, which seems, to me, not worth the extra $.

 

[Puddle Jumper]

I'm a senior in CS and couldn't be happier with my x220. Personally the IPS screen goes a long way towards making up for the low resolution and I actually find the x220 more pleasant to work on than many of the laptops with higher resolution but inferior quality screens.

Plus your budget is high enough that you should have no problem getting a x220as well as a 24" external display to use for coding when you are at your desk. Dell offers several Ultrasharp models that can be rotated 90 degrees to give you 1920 pixels of vertical resolution which is ideal for viewing code.

 

[Ultralight]

@puddlejumper - I forgot about the IPS screen -- good point.

 

[linkgoron]

Sorry, I know I have a lot of err... stupid questions, but is the Intel 160GB SSD worth it for +360$?

 

[hans007]

If you aren't getting a seperate monitor hell I'd recommend you get a t520 with the 1080p screen. I have a t420 with the 1600x900 screen for personal use with a seperate monitor. But for work I'm a programmer and believe me you will want all the resolution you can get

 

[hans007]

Sorry, I know I have a lot of err... stupid questions, but is the Intel 160GB SSD worth it for +360$?

Don't get that. Not worth it. Either buy your own ssd seperately for less or get an msata one and install in the wlan slot and use an ssd and a hdd

 

[linkgoron]

If you aren't getting a seperate monitor hell I'd recommend you get a t520 with the 1080p screen. I have a t420 with the 1600x900 screen for personal use with a seperate monitor. But for work I'm a programmer and believe me you will want all the resolution you can get

The T520 is actually interesting because of the quad core i7s, however the T520 is reaching non-portable weight/size for me. I'm going to walk a lot (every day) with this laptop, and I don't want it to be a burden.

 

[Bill Brasky]

I thought you were saying you needed a laptop for counterstrike. LOL

*backs out of thread*

 

[warrax10]

BTW, is the i7 2620 worth an extra 190$ over the i5 2520?

From what I understand the i7 is exactly the same (as in dual core with HT), except it has a higher clock rate (200 mhz) and some more cache, which seems, to me, not worth the extra $.

I believe the I7 supports USB3.0 while the I5 does not. That said, people on the lenovo forums had been complaining about the I7 overheating casuing the fan to be on constantly when the units first came out (kust to be clear Im talking about the x220. This may have been fixed though.

Also, the x220 only supports 7mm ssd so keep that in mind when looking at possible SSD.

I own a x220 and it is awsome, very portable and the resolution doesn't really bother me. But I also prefer to do any really heavy computing on a desk top so you're milage may very.

 

[Puddle Jumper]

Also, the x220 only supports 7mm ssd so keep that in mind when looking at possible SSD.

To expand on this all Intel X25-M or 320 series drives will fit provided you remove the spacer and install shorter screws, a process that technically voids the warranty. There are versions of both drives that ship without the spacer however they are very hard to find. the Crucial M4 can also be modded to fit in a similar fashion.

The best bet for installing your own SSD in a x220 appears to be the new Samsung SSD 830 which according to Anand is 7mm thick by default

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4863/the-samsung-ssd-830-review

You also can use a mSATA SSD like the Intel 310 series or the OCZ Nocti and keep the standard hard drive as well. However installing a mSATA drive does require removing the palm rest and keyboard.