Laptop/PC help.

[Distorted Stu]

Okay completly change my thread OP.
There are now two PC's i have my eye on. But i dont know which?!

The Isys EX (Pro):
http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/pc/range/isysex.html

The iRush (Standard)
http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/pc/range/irush.html

Also, Laptop:
http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/laptop/range/x65.html

Also thank you to Eekaida, EMFCRACKSHOT, Abedeus & Darktau.

 

[El Poncho]

I don't know crap about computers either, I ask my friends for help, I have sacrificed computing in school for all 3 sciences

 

[Abedeus]

For that price, it's pretty okay. It's probably as good as you'll get without spending a fortune on laptops with high-end graphic cards. 4 RAM means it's going to be pretty fast when doing stuff like Photoshop or modeling.

A PC would be half the price, though...

 

[TimeLord]

The one suggested is probably the best your gonna get for £399. Personally I'd say the graphics card isn't up to scratch. Everything else seems acceptable for price though

 

[Skuffyshootster]

El snip

I've heard that Macs are good for animation and the like, but if you're on a tight budget then you might as well stick to the one you have in the op.

 

[Mekado]

As soon as i think technical help i think of the escapist.
Now gentlemen, i havnt a clue about PC requirments (well i do, but not as much as most people do). I hate technical stuff which is ironic because i love it too. I love technology. Right, anyway.

im thinking of getting this:

Spoiler

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Produ...64797/c_3/4|cat_16164797|Laptops|16164800.htm

I dont play games on pc/laptop, i use consoles for that. BUT, i do like my 3D modeling and animation (and im going to need a laptop to run say, 3D Studio max for univeristy).

Is that laptop okay for running 3D applications? Can you suggest a better laptop for similair price?

Spoiler: Thread bonus

*Dad looking at the laptop above's system stats*
Dad: Look! Its got 4Geybuh ram! Big screen too, 15inch! It can write DVDs thats good isnt it.. and has THREE USB ports! That will do you for university wont it son?
Me: >_<

Poor bloke knows less about computers than i do

Funny anecdote

The specs are decent enough, the Graphics card is a little lackluster though (as it is with most laptops) it will work for what you want but i sure hope you're patient if you're doing rendering or anything remotely heavy duty...

At that price though, it's very hard to beat, to get a (noticeably) better graphics card you'd need to spend at least twice that.

 

[SnootyEnglishman]

If you want animation programs i suggest macromedia flash and for 3d Modeling Cinema 4D is the best program i've used for that.

 

[Distorted Stu]

As soon as i think technical help i think of the escapist.
Now gentlemen, i havnt a clue about PC requirments (well i do, but not as much as most people do). I hate technical stuff which is ironic because i love it too. I love technology. Right, anyway.

im thinking of getting this:

Spoiler

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Produ...64797/c_3/4|cat_16164797|Laptops|16164800.htm

I dont play games on pc/laptop, i use consoles for that. BUT, i do like my 3D modeling and animation (and im going to need a laptop to run say, 3D Studio max for univeristy).

Is that laptop okay for running 3D applications? Can you suggest a better laptop for similair price?

Spoiler: Thread bonus

*Dad looking at the laptop above's system stats*
Dad: Look! Its got 4Geybuh ram! Big screen too, 15inch! It can write DVDs thats good isnt it.. and has THREE USB ports! That will do you for university wont it son?
Me: >_<

Poor bloke knows less about computers than i do

Funny anecdote

The specs are decent enough, the Graphics card is a little lackluster though (as it is with most laptops) it will work for what you want but i sure hope you're patient if you're doing rendering or anything remotely heavy duty...

At that price though, it's very hard to beat, to get a (noticeably) better graphics card you'd need to spend at least twice that.

Hmmm, im willing to wait for renderings, i can always render in chunks or at Uni. Would be nice to have fast renders mind. Can you suggest a good graphic card?

 

[JWAN]

For that price, it's pretty okay. It's probably as good as you'll get without spending a fortune on laptops with high-end graphic cards. 4 RAM means it's going to be pretty fast when doing stuff like Photoshop or modeling.

A PC would be half the price, though...

most laptops dont even have a graphics card

 

[Distorted Stu]

If you want animation programs i suggest macromedia flash and for 3d Modeling Cinema 4D is the best program i've used for that.

Ive used both of those, they are great programs but im going to be expected to use 3D Studio max and other top branch stuff of the sort.

 

[Eekaida]

The simple answer is no.

As an animation student (both 3-d and 2-d), I can say that a run-of-the-mill laptop ain't gonna cut it. The sheer amount of memory picture files take up is staggering, let alone complex animation and modelling files. By the end of your first year of animation your computer will be as fast as a glacier.

As much as I hate to say it, a Mac is probably your best option for animation if you can't get your hands on a linux - I can admit that despite hating them myself. However, they can be expensive. A good way of storing files while preserving processor speed is go get an external hard-drive to store your files on - doesn't soubd like much, but mine holds ALL the files I had on my computer and can still take more.

More than hardware, its the software you need to look out for. Programmes like Maya, After Effetcs and Toonboom are the staple of animators (at least us students). Having Flash never hurts either.

 

[Mekado]

As soon as i think technical help i think of the escapist.
Now gentlemen, i havnt a clue about PC requirments (well i do, but not as much as most people do). I hate technical stuff which is ironic because i love it too. I love technology. Right, anyway.

im thinking of getting this:

Spoiler

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Produ...64797/c_3/4|cat_16164797|Laptops|16164800.htm

I dont play games on pc/laptop, i use consoles for that. BUT, i do like my 3D modeling and animation (and im going to need a laptop to run say, 3D Studio max for univeristy).

Is that laptop okay for running 3D applications? Can you suggest a better laptop for similair price?

Spoiler: Thread bonus

*Dad looking at the laptop above's system stats*
Dad: Look! Its got 4Geybuh ram! Big screen too, 15inch! It can write DVDs thats good isnt it.. and has THREE USB ports! That will do you for university wont it son?
Me: >_<

Poor bloke knows less about computers than i do

Funny anecdote

The specs are decent enough, the Graphics card is a little lackluster though (as it is with most laptops) it will work for what you want but i sure hope you're patient if you're doing rendering or anything remotely heavy duty...

At that price though, it's very hard to beat, to get a (noticeably) better graphics card you'd need to spend at least twice that.

Hmmm, im willing to wait for renderings, i can always render in chunks or at Uni. Would be nice to have fast renders mind. Can you suggest a good graphic card?

Well the thing is that with most laptops, the graphics card isn't replaceable, so you're stuck with what you bought (as opposed to a desktop) Nvidia and ATI mobile chipsets are definitely a step up from Intel Graphics (and so's the price...obviously)

Something like that (http://uk.asus.com/product.aspx?P_ID=0r4ZBZZGVWgBcotW) is ideal, it has a switchable graph card (although the base one is pretty good already) but it's probably out of your price range

 

[Mekado]

For that price, it's pretty okay. It's probably as good as you'll get without spending a fortune on laptops with high-end graphic cards. 4 RAM means it's going to be pretty fast when doing stuff like Photoshop or modeling.

A PC would be half the price, though...

most laptops dont even have a graphics card

every computer has a graphic card (integrated chipset) or else you wouldn't see squat on your screen

 

[EMFCRACKSHOT]

snip

Short answer NO. My mate got a much better laptop from a local computer store for about the same price. He lives in billi. I think the shop was in stockton or boro. I'll ask him the name of the shop tomorrow and where it is, they are supposed t have great deals on computer stuff.

 

[Distorted Stu]

snip

Short answer NO. My mate got a much better laptop from a local computer store for about the same price. He lives in billi. I think the shop was in stockton or boro. I'll ask him the name of the shop tomorrow and where it is, they are supposed t have great deals on computer stuff.

Ah that would be great. Send us a PM when you find the info.

 

[Distorted Stu]

The simple answer is no.

As an animation student (both 3-d and 2-d), I can say that a run-of-the-mill laptop ain't gonna cut it. The sheer amount of memory picture files take up is staggering, let alone complex animation and modelling files. By the end of your first year of animation your computer will be as fast as a glacier.

As much as I hate to say it, a Mac is probably your best option for animation if you can't get your hands on a linux - I can admit that despite hating them myself. However, they can be expensive. A good way of storing files while preserving processor speed is go get an external hard-drive to store your files on - doesn't soubd like much, but mine holds ALL the files I had on my computer and can still take more.

More than hardware, its the software you need to look out for. Programmes like Maya, After Effetcs and Toonboom are the staple of animators (at least us students). Having Flash never hurts either.

You seem like the man i need. Can you look at the system specs for this please and tell me if its worth it.

Spoiler

http://www.pcworld.co.uk/martprd/st...m=null&tm=null&sku=237598&category_oid=-37542

 

[JWAN]

For that price, it's pretty okay. It's probably as good as you'll get without spending a fortune on laptops with high-end graphic cards. 4 RAM means it's going to be pretty fast when doing stuff like Photoshop or modeling.

A PC would be half the price, though...

most laptops dont even have a graphics card

every computer has a graphic card (integrated chipset) or else you wouldn't see squat on your screen

notice the difference between an integrated chip-set and a separate "card"
most dont have a card

 

[Darktau]

Either http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/laptop/business/ <---- I have a X16HD (customized with the 2.2ghz processor) and it runs 3dsmax fine, along with photoshop, trackmania etc.

Remember, Laptops stay faster if you keep them CLEAN!, defragging and not lobbing crap on it will help.

 

[Abedeus]

For that price, it's pretty okay. It's probably as good as you'll get without spending a fortune on laptops with high-end graphic cards. 4 RAM means it's going to be pretty fast when doing stuff like Photoshop or modeling.

A PC would be half the price, though...

most laptops dont even have a graphics card

Integrated graphic chips. Sometimes dedicated graphic cards exist in laptops, but they really rarely can be changed or upgraded.

For that price, it's pretty okay. It's probably as good as you'll get without spending a fortune on laptops with high-end graphic cards. 4 RAM means it's going to be pretty fast when doing stuff like Photoshop or modeling.

A PC would be half the price, though...

most laptops dont even have a graphics card

every computer has a graphic card (integrated chipset) or else you wouldn't see squat on your screen

notice the difference between an integrated chip-set and a separate "card"
most dont have a card

That's why I said about a card. This one has integrated graphics, but for Photoshop/animation, dedicated graphic card (mobile one) would be a lot better, obviously.


edit: About that desktop PC - horrible. Overpriced, and integrated graphics is a crime.

 

[Darktau]

As much as I hate ATI:

http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/pc/range/irush.html

Or (cheaper)

http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/pc/range/isysex.html (You will want the PRO)