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PC Laptop Recommendations

Gatos

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So it is finally time for me to buy a new computer. Let me give you an idea of what I'm currently working with (and other than the periodic browser crash, my current computer works pretty well).

Manufacturer: Toshiba
Model: Satellite C655D
Processor: AMD-350 Processor 1.60GHz
RAM: 3GB (2.6GB) usable
285 GB Harddrive
System Type: 64 bit OS
Windows 7

I know nothing about processors. But this is a 10 year old computer. I know the RAM is low though! So not knowing the technical stuff, I'm wondering what the minimum requirements are these days for an editing computer. (If you want to make a case for desktop vs laptop, be my guest). Also not sure I completely understand Solid State Drives except they are more expensive, but lead to much greater speed.

Any suggestions or tips would be greatly appreciated.
 

DigModiFicaTion

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Budget? Form factor (desktop vs laptop)? OS?

I prefer laptops as they're just easier to move around and I don't have a work station area. If you are willing to buy used you can get a good intel i7 quad core computer with 8-16gb of ram with a bit of patience/persistence. My machines are 4th gen i7 quad cores and they work fine for editing. if you have a work station area, you can get a good machine with a 14-15 inch screen and just hook up a monitor. If you don't have a monitor go for the big 17 inch laptops. People will make fun of you, but they're really just jealous ;)

My current editing rig:
Windows 10
Intel i7-4700MQ
16gb Ram
1TB HD
 

Gatos

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DigModiFicaTion said:
Budget? Form factor (desktop vs laptop)? OS?

I prefer laptops as they're just easier to move around and I don't have a work station area. If you are willing to buy used you can get a good intel i7 quad core computer with 8-16gb of ram with a bit of patience/persistence. My machines are 4th gen i7 quad cores and they work fine for editing. if you have a work station area, you can get a good machine with a 14-15 inch screen and just hook up a monitor. If you don't have a monitor go for the big 17 inch laptops. People will make fun of you, but they're really just jealous ;)

My current editing rig:
Windows 10
Intel i7-4700MQ
16gb Ram
1TB HD

Budget? No clue, I'm not wealthy but I don't want to buy something cheap. Form factor - I'm with you, I like the portability of a laptop. I don't have a workstation area or monitor. OS - Windows, never used a Mac before.
 

slekyr

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Yeah, budget plays a huge role into specs of a laptop since they can vary greatly depending on the specs. Most of the cost is going to come from the CPU and the GPU. 

If you are only going to be editing and not playing any games I would focus on a faster CPU, the more cores the better, but I would also make sure you have a dedicated GPU and don't rely on the integrated graphics. Intel is pretty much the standard right now but AMD is making pretty good processors and you can get more cores for your money. I also think the type of NLE you use will play a roll as well.  The mercury playback engine in Premiere is optimized for NVIDIA cards and not AMD plus AMD graphics cards don't usually benchmark as well as NVIDIA.

I also would try and get something with a SSD because that would help with speeding up the machine

I wouldn't go less than 16gb of Ram but that is pretty standard these days.

Getting a 4K display will also raise the price so I would go 1080p with no touch to save cost.

I switched to Windows when I started my masters and got a new PC because I needed to go CAD work so I got a gaming machine which works well for gaming, CAD, and editing. My setup below:

Windows 10
i7-7700 @ 3.60GHz
GTX 1070
256GB SSD NVMe
16GB Ram
1TB HDD
 

DigModiFicaTion

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You can get a great used machine for around $400 and a good machine for $300 or less.
 

Gatos

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DigModiFicaTion said:
You can get a great used machine for around $400 and a good machine for $300 or less.

Links on where to find such machines?
 

TV's Frink

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THIS THREAD DISTRESSES ME
 

DigModiFicaTion

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OfferUp, craigslist, letgo, your local classified ads, ebay.... All you need to do is look ;)
 

Gatos

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Thank you. Also distressing Frink is my side gig.
 
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