brian.ra

Hi. I'm new to this forum, but I've been learning a lot reading these posts so I thought I'd get some of your opinions on purchasing a new laptop.

I'm mostly going to be using the system for basic stuff like Microsoft Office, Internet, iTunes, watching dvds, I might add a tv tuner, etc. I don't do much gaming but I do like to play Warcraft from time to time and I may decide to try Warhammer when it comes out, but other than that I'm not going to use the laptop for gaming.

I've found a Gateway that I like for $899 with the following specs:

Processor: Pentium Core 2 Duo T5550 (1.83 Ghz)
Ram: 4GB DDR2
HD: 250GB (at 5400 rpm)
Video Card: ATI HD 2600 with 512MB GDDR3 Dedicated Memory & ATI Avivo HD

My question is: Is this a good deal or should I go through Gateways website and get the following computer for $100 more?

Processor: Pentium Core 2 Duo T8300 (2.4 Ghz)
Ram: 3GB DDR2
HD: 160GB (at 7200 rpm)
Video Card: Same as other computer (HD 2600 with 512MB GDDR3)

So is it worth spending an extra $100 to get a better processor and faster Hard drive, but also giving up 1GB RAM and 90GB of hard drive space?

The other thing I like about the first laptop is that it comes from Costco who offers free support, extends the manufacturers warranty to 2 years, and is really good about taking items back if it's in a reasonable amount of time (my cousin's laptop had the screen go out after 5 months and they gave him his money back no questions asked)

Thanks in advance for any info.