Is Core i5 laptop price Core i3 worth buying?

On the market today has appeared some models of laptops equipped with Intel Core i5 processor with integrated graphics cards that are only equivalent or slightly better than the model of laptops using Intel Core i3 processor. Discrete graphics card. This will make users wonder before making a decision to choose their products.

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We will compare Gateway NV49C model with Core i5 M430 processor (13,399,000) and Lenovo G460 (code 59033404) equipped with Core i3 M350 processor (VND 14,295,000).

Configuration

Gateway NV49C is equipped with Intel Core i5 M430 processor clocked at 2.26GHz (3MB L3 cache) and can run at the highest clock rate of 2.53GHz with Intel's Turbo Boost technology. Has 2GB of 1066MHz DDR3 bus memory, 320GB hard drive and 14: 9 standard Ultrabright screen with HD 1366x768 resolution.

Using the Intel HD integrated graphics processor, the Gateway NV49C is only suitable for light entertainment such as watching HD movies, surfing the web, and basic 3D graphics. If you want to watch more advanced entertainment such as playing 3D games, or working with professional graphics software, think about a device equipped with a discrete graphics card. The Gateway NV49C is also equipped with a multi-format DVD burner, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth . It is quite thin and light, only 25.5mm thick and weighs 2.2 kg.

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Lenovo G460.

The Lenovo G460 has the same configuration as the Gateway NV49C, which has 2GB of DDR3 memory, 320GB hard drive, 14-inch screen LED backlight 1366x768 resolution, multi-format DVD burner, Wi-Fi b / g / n, Bluetooth , webcam . G460 also only comes with the FreeDOS operating system included.

The biggest difference is that the Lenovo G460 has a Core i3 M350 (2.26 GHz, 3MB L2 cache) processor, which is weaker than the Gateway NV49C's Core i5 M430 processor, but in return it is equipped with NVIDIA GeForce G310M discrete graphics card 512MB DDR3. It also weighs only 2.2kg.

Brand and design

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The name Gateway may be quite strange to Vietnamese people, but it is a famous American computer brand in the world and now belongs to Acer. Meanwhile, Lenovo has become familiar with users after it acquired IBM's personal computer manufacturing division since 2005.

The touchpad of the device is a kind of sensitive multi-touch, left and right mouse buttons are designed seamlessly, lying slightly to the left, making it easier for users to enter data without the hassle of accidentally touching the touchpad . The width of the touchpad is moderate, but the height seems a bit short. Full-size keyboard with extra number keys on the right; however, the keyboard's bounce is not good, especially when you type quickly. The device's 6-cell battery pack provides about 3.5 hours of usage.

The Lenovo G460 has a shiny, textured design with a shiny black metallic finish and a tight design, rounded edges that give it a slim feel, with a chrome interior. The G460's control system is visually arranged and easy to use, the quality of the speaker is at medium level, the full-size keyboard with a comfortable position, when typing is smooth.

The multi-touch touchpad is designed to allow for easy zooming and zooming. The device is equipped with a 6-cell battery, the battery life is announced as 4.5 hours, actual testing with normal applications for about 4 hours of use, the machine runs cool.

Who is better?

According to Cpubenchmark page, use PassMark software to check the overall power of CPU in math processing, compression, coding, SSE, 3D now ., the results show that Intel Core i5 M430 is about 15% more compared to Core i3 M350.

Thus, in terms of CPU, Gateway NV49C seems to outperform Lenovo G460. However, the ability to handle powerful graphics has ' removed points ' for Lenovo G460. Testing graphics processing capabilities with 3Dmark06 software, Lenovo G460's NVIDIA GeForce G310M card gives impressive results when reaching more than 3,000 points. Therefore, the G460 is suitable for users with high demand for graphics processing or offline demanding games that exceed the capabilities of integrated graphics cards.

In terms of price, the Gateway is a bit lower than the Lenovo G460, both of which are being sold at many promotional places, so you can buy for a better price. However, the battery capacity and a little " freak " about the keyboard may not make you ' like ' Gateway very much.