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Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#1 Old 28th Jul 2014 at 7:09 PM
Default Lenovo Z40 vs. Y410p laptop: Which is bigger bang for the buck?
Hello!
Been saving up for a new laptop for a while, nearly have enough money to buy what I want (with the help of ecoupons :P). But I'm not always very good with my money, so I'm seeking a professional opinion on which of these two would be the best deal. I would mainly be using it for gaming--hopefully TS4, but as things are standing, HA!--(TS2 UC, P101, W101, South Park, etc.), browsing the web, writing, that kinda stuff. So which is the better deal?

Lenovo Z40 (more info found here)
CPU: 4th Generation Intel® Core™ i5-4200U Processor (2.60GHz 1600MHz 3MB)
OS: WIndows 8.1 64 bit
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GT 820M 2GB
RAM: 6.0GB PC3-12800 DDR3L SDRAM 1600 MHz
Hard Drive: 500GB SSHD + 8 GB SSD
Price: From $589 to $709
*More of an everyday entertainment laptop. Looking also at more expensive models with better CPU and more hard drive space.*

Lenovo Y410p (more info found here)
CPU: 4th Generation Intel Core i7-4700MQ Processor (2.40GHz 1600MHz 6MB)
OS: Windows 8.1 64 bit
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GT755M GDDR5 2GB
RAM: 8.0GB PC3-12800 DDR3L SDRAM 1600 MHz
Hard Drive: 1TB 5400 RPM+8GB SSD
Price: $829-$859
*More of a gaming laptop...the one I originally wanted and still want but am probably too poor to afford until Christmastime

Is any of this helpful? Suggestions are very much appreciated!

--Sapphire

Someday, I want to work for EA so I can give The Sims franchise the jump-start kick in the ass it deserves.
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In the Arena
retired moderator
#2 Old 29th Jul 2014 at 6:08 PM
Are you making the purchase now or at Christmas time?
The only gaming is for Sims 4 and Sims 2? Not Sims 3?
Sims 3 has the highest requirements of all the Sims games, and so my answer is geared towards meeting Sims 3's requirements; since at this point of time, anything that can run Sims 3, can run Sims 2 (and potentially Sims 4).

http://ark.intel.com/products/75459...-up-to-2_60-GHz
http://ark.intel.com/products/75117...-up-to-3_40-GHz

Then the Y410p. It has better specs of the 2 (both CPU & GPU). If you buy the i5, you might regret it as the CPU is clocked at 1.6GHz, while Sims 3 has minimum requirements of 2.4GHz. The Sims 3 game engine does not take the processor's turbo speed or more than 2 cores into account, I believe. As for how it would run Sims 4, it is all speculation at this time, and I'd rather wait out the first week of its release to make a determination of the recommended requirements for The Sims 4. Because past history and experience have taught us that the Minimum Requirements EA releases are not really a good indication for "smooth, problem-free gameplay". It is only good as an indicator if the retail, unpatched base game can be loaded.

Having said that, that i7 laptop for that price with that specs would run Sims 3, as it meets minimum requirements. That is to say you can be assured that the game can load past the loading screen. But is not a guaranteed "meet-the-specs" laptop for prolong gameplay, especially when patched to the latest patch and with the last 4 or 5 Expansion Packs installed. It is nice of them to label a GT 755m a "premium graphics" for games, but as it would be rendering on a 14" 1366x768 screen, it can cope with low-med settings.

My advise? Don't rush. Keep saving up.
Unless you need to have a laptop for school/work and have the budget for one at this time, then get one that suits your usage for school/work since you have the immediate need. And save the gaming for a desktop, while waiting for reports on how Sims 4 runs on low-end machines.
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#3 Old 31st Jul 2014 at 7:48 PM
Thanks ellacharmed.
I did buy The Sims 3 a while ago, was intending to buy the Y410p so I could run TS3, but I've pretty much given up at this point. Desktop is a no-go because portability is one of my number one must-haves for computers. The information is helpful regardless!

--Sapphire

Someday, I want to work for EA so I can give The Sims franchise the jump-start kick in the ass it deserves.
Née whiterider
retired moderator
#4 Old 31st Jul 2014 at 9:16 PM
Is there a version of the Z40 with a slightly better graphics card? If so, that'd be good for TS2. I don't know what W101 or P101 are, and we can't really make any guesses about TS4 until it's out (so you might want to revisit after September, especially if you won't be able to afford anything until Christmas).

What I lack in decorum, I make up for with an absence of tact.
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#5 Old 1st Aug 2014 at 4:48 PM
Pirate101 and Wizard101. Dunno why I like them so much, but I do. The graphics card in either should be more than capable of handling that game, at least according to the website.
Unfortunately, all the Z40 models are equipped with the same graphics card. However, it's likely that I won't get TS4 until waaaay waaaaay later, after messing around with the CAS demo for awhile.

EDIT: I just checked the Lenovo website and nearly died when I saw the price of the Y410p (which they jacked back up to $1,149)...so I think my decision has been made or I have to go looking around for a nice HP or a Dell. Goodbye dreams of a decent gaming laptop! You will be dearly missed!

--Sapphire

Someday, I want to work for EA so I can give The Sims franchise the jump-start kick in the ass it deserves.
Née whiterider
retired moderator
#6 Old 1st Aug 2014 at 5:52 PM
It'd be worth having a look at Acers and Toshibas too. Also, you may find a local shop has end-of-line stock of a higher range laptop that they'd sell you for cheap.

What I lack in decorum, I make up for with an absence of tact.
Theorist
#7 Old 1st Aug 2014 at 6:31 PM
For reference, this Toshiba looks like it might be comparable to what you're looking at:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...N82E16834216800
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#8 Old 2nd Aug 2014 at 1:20 AM
The most local I could get is probably the Walmart...info appreciated nonetheless. This will help me with my impending purchase!

--Sapphire

Someday, I want to work for EA so I can give The Sims franchise the jump-start kick in the ass it deserves.
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#9 Old 6th Aug 2014 at 2:33 PM
Dilemma!
I'd like to think I know what I'm doing when I look for computers...sometimes, but my confidence was just shattered yesterday when I was looking for laptops on Walmart.com. Both are HPs, intended for casual gaming instead of hardcore, because now that I think about it, I won't be doing that any time soon. Also, sorry for rebooting this thread, I just didn't feel like making a new one for the same topic.

HP 15-G07#NR 15.6" Laptop (Red)
CPU: AMD Quad-Core A6-6310 processor
OS: Windows 8.1
GPU: AMD Radeon R4 graphics
RAM: 4GB
Hard Drive: 500GB
Price: $429.99

HP 15-G039WM 15.6" Laptop (Sparkling Black)
CPU: AMD Quad-Core A8-6410
OS: Windows 8.1
GPU: AMD Radeon R5 graphics
RAM: 4GB
Hard Drive: 750GB
Price: $378

I just want to be extra cautious right now, buying with a combination of need and want in the hopes that I won't break it a year after buying it--I guess that's my biggest concern.

Someday, I want to work for EA so I can give The Sims franchise the jump-start kick in the ass it deserves.
 
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