View Full Version : Graphics Arts Laptop <$2000
surfsk8snow.jah
11-21-2007, 08:45 PM
My sister is looking to buy a laptop for school (Art Institute of San Diego - Computer Graphics Major) which she'll be using for photoshop/illustrator, 3dstudioMax, Vegas, video rendering, etc.
Anyone have any recommendations on what would be the best components for her to look for in a laptop?
Better yet, anyone know of a good laptop that fits this category for less than $2000US?
Thanks!
kwchang007
11-21-2007, 10:44 PM
You prefer any brands? And btw...desktops are best and this is in the wrong section...I'll pm a mod and ask them to move it.
zekrahminator
11-21-2007, 10:54 PM
Thread moved to general hardware so you'll get more hits and responses to your question :).
freaksavior
11-21-2007, 11:22 PM
buy a mac book pro...
Macs are better for that sort of stuff. Pc can do it but macs are more designed for editing stuff now-a-days so mac would best suited for that.
cdawall
11-21-2007, 11:30 PM
those are all PC apps freaksavior i recommend a BYO asus laptop
http://www.asuslaptop.co.uk/categories.php?cat=5
that with 2gb of ram, an e6600, any vid card NV 8500 or higher
freaksavior
11-21-2007, 11:32 PM
those are all PC apps freaksavior i recommend a BYO asus laptop
http://www.asuslaptop.co.uk/categories.php?cat=5
that with 2gb of ram, an e6600, any vid card NV 8500 or higher
photoshop/illustrator,
hmm afaik adobe orignaly made the software for mac then pc users liked the software so much that it got ported to pc.
as far as the other software i bet $100 there is a program for mac that will do what the pc software will and do it better.
cdawall
11-21-2007, 11:37 PM
they are pretty even now IMHO i love vegas plat ed. and sound forge and those are just as good as the offerings on the mac...
if you want proof my hist techer made us all do vid projects and yes you could tell which was done on a mac and which was done on a PC cause the mac one had a menu that had an apple at the bottom but the kids with real PC editing software (not Windows movie maker) looked as good (read better) than the mac version but that could have to do with cams adn etc ie my vegas made one had a $600 canon WS camera that was on a tripod VS the grainy handheld cam the other person used
i just got this one for cad, image editing, and of course GAMES! :D
F3KA - 15. 4'' TFT (WXGA) Color Shine, AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-60, 2048 MB DDR2 667, 160 GB, ATI HD2600 256 MB DDR3/1 GB HM, Gigabit LAN 802. 11b/g BT, Vista Premium
http://www.asus.com/products.aspx?l1=5&l2=26&l3=316&l4=0&model=1826&modelmenu=1
all for 850€ (big discount thanks to a friend)
freaksavior
11-22-2007, 12:47 AM
you suck.
it's not rocket science dude! macs are just better for editing whatever it is. don't be a pc fanboy.
zekrahminator
11-22-2007, 12:49 AM
I've worked with Macs and PCs, for what Macs do, they are EXTREMELY effective and efficient. If all you're doing is photo/video editing, publishing, developing, or whatever-ing, you'll find a Mac will do all you want. However, for PC enthusiasts like us...Macs leave something to be desired.
freaksavior
11-22-2007, 12:51 AM
http://www.barefeats.com/macvpc.html
read and weep :)
zekrahminator
11-22-2007, 12:53 AM
Those benches are old, if you saw some Core 2 Duos on Mac OS X 10.5, you'd see some serious ass-hauling :D.
you suck.
it's not rocket science dude! macs are just better for editing whatever it is. don't be a pc fanboy.
how are they better?
edit faster? :p
freaksavior
11-22-2007, 04:12 AM
Those benches are old, if you saw some Core 2 Duos on Mac OS X 10.5, you'd see some serious ass-hauling :D.
how are they better?
edit faster? :p
fine. buy a pc.
Atnevon
11-22-2007, 06:06 AM
Hey surf.
Being student myself, I am in the same boat as your sister. ATM moment I'm on a desktop (see my specs) but laptops can be fine for many, but limited uses as long as you pick the good ones.
As for which ones, it can be a toss up. For PC, I would go with the HP here:
http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/shopping/load_configuration.do?destination=review&config_id=206157
Now due note. Graphic work on the 2D base is fine with this. Gaming is great too. However, 3D and Video rendering (AfterEffects for example) are going to struggle a little bit more.
As for Mac:
The MacPros are very pricey. For 2K, this would be your only go:
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/9934002/wo/qT5pTKGAs0d52glUsBw1hn7SPd2/10.?p=0
Now, please take this to heart. As this has happened to me. Laptops are great for portability. This is why I'm camping out for Black Friday deals. I miss it way to much. (RIP HP DV8000). However, I have done things in and out with my new Quad that blows any MacBook out of the water (for now).
My best advice for her, get a 500 laptop for small little work, and something to bring home on weekends, and get a desktop as well. I cannot tell you the stress of working in 3D applications or hoss work and not being able to work from something beter than a laptop. I hope this helps you.
Let me know if you need any help. Being a design student, I can give you way more insights of things to come.
-Andrew
fine. buy a pc.
i just did, should be here tomorrow, and stick linux on it after a couple seconds
What does the school use? All my friends who are art majors use Macs, but some schools still use PCs.
If they use Macs, get a Macbook Pro. Obvious choice, and they're $1800 with the educational discount.
panchoman
11-22-2007, 11:43 PM
i would say get a macbook [pro], macs are better for media purposes.. or so everyone says.
Polaris573
11-22-2007, 11:47 PM
Art students should have a tablet PC. With a $2000 budget you might as well go for a durable one since she'll probably be using it a lot.
Thinkpad X Series (http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/controller/e/web/LenovoPortal/en_US/catalog.workflow:category.details?current-catalog-id=12F0696583E04D86B9B79B0FEC01C087¤t-category-id=329576204C9E42289967E79E0E7C9A2D)
What does the school use? All my friends who are art majors use Macs, but some schools still use PCs.
If they use Macs, get a Macbook Pro. Obvious choice, and they're $1800 with the educational discount.
mine uses boths, not everyone has enough money for a apple
and a pc does everything you need prob a couple miliseconds slower
ex:
my friend bought a macbook for 1k€ (2gb, intel c2d, 13' lcd, intel shitty gfx)
i spent 900 in a asus (2gb, amd x2, 15' lcd, hd2600)
now, who has the faster pc in overall?
aqnd the person using the pc is very important aswell, i almost never crash, (only if i do something that may make it crash, oc for example)
@polaris - those seem handy, but most ppl preffer the good old paper and pen adn then a scanner :p
i certainly do
Polaris573
11-23-2007, 12:01 AM
Yes, but she's doing computer graphics. You can't draw a computer graphic on paper and then scan it. Using a mouse limits what you can do in photoshop as well.
mine uses boths, not everyone has enough money for a apple
and a pc does everything you need prob a couple miliseconds slower
ex:
my friend bought a macbook for 1k€ (2gb, intel c2d, 13' lcd, intel shitty gfx)
i spent 900 in a asus (2gb, amd x2, 15' lcd, hd2600)
now, who has the faster pc in overall?
aqnd the person using the pc is very important aswell, i almost never crash, (only if i do something that may make it crash, oc for example)
@polaris - those seem handy, but most ppl preffer the good old paper and pen adn then a scanner :p
i certainly do
Well most of my friends I believe have Macbooks, but they're also illustration majors and the like. The dedicated GPU in the Pro would probably help loads with rendering though as 3DSMax was mentioned.
I build the PC in my sig for roughly $400, and it could kick the shit out of my Macbook and most iMacs out right now, but I still much prefer my Macbook for general use and the software that comes on it.
the dedicated gpu is a 86gs or gt mobile, wich is on pair with the hd2600 mobile on mine
@polaris - i think computers gfx is meant as in software (paintshop, 3dsmax, corel, etc) not really drawing
edit: i read your post again, but a 12' screen is no good for drawing, is too small
GSG-9
11-23-2007, 01:16 AM
What does the school use? All my friends who are art majors use Macs, but some schools still use PCs.
If they use Macs, get a Macbook Pro. Obvious choice, and they're $1800 with the educational discount.
What Rob is saying here is key, this is not even about which is better for editing, its about what the school considers a standard. The Milwaukee institute of Art and design as well as Minneapolis's college of art and design both use Macbooks.
As for myself I am lookking at this (http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/shopping/computer_can_series.do?storeName=computer_store&category=notebooks&a1=Display&v1=12.1&series_name=tx1000z_series&a1=Display&v1=12.1) for photoshop and illustrator work, it does not have a high end card to speak of, but its 12' with a high resolution screen and has a tablet built in for Ps work. It is what I would recommend. (With the TL-66, I would buy 4 gigs of ram from Neweg for half the price hp sells it for.)
edit: i read your post again, but a 12' screen is no good for drawing, is too small
12' is not to small for drawing, thats from experance, the laptop I have above has a resolution of 1200x800, the same as most 15' laptops (some are slightly higher) I have never had a problem with 12' touch screens.
12' is too small for me, even 15' (non wide) is small for me :p
and having a mac as standart in any school is retarded, what you can do on a mac you can do in a pc, faster or slower
ex_reven
11-23-2007, 12:23 PM
you suck.
it's not rocket science dude! macs are just better for editing whatever it is. don't be a pc fanboy.
What you said is 100% true.
Unfortunantly you seem to be living in the past. The gap distinguishing between PC's and MACs is now negligible. PCs and Macs have been on a level plane for quite some time now.
If you need a laptop for design, I reccommend a built laptop (customised on the Laptop manufacturers website before delivery). Core2duo, a decently sized screen, at least 2gigs of ram and alot of hard drive space. Dont worry too much about battery life either.
What you said is 100% true.
Unfortunantly you seem to be living in the past. The gap distinguishing between PC's and MACs is now negligible. PCs and Macs have been on a level plane for quite some time now.
If you need a laptop for design, I reccommend a built laptop (customised on the Laptop manufacturers website before delivery). Core2duo, a decently sized screen, at least 2gigs of ram and alot of hard drive space. Dont worry too much about battery life either.
and a decent gfx cards
if you're a pro, a quadro or firegl would be nice too
ex_reven
11-23-2007, 01:25 PM
and a decent gfx cards
if you're a pro, a quadro or firegl would be nice too
Yeah for 3D.
A laptop isnt the end of it though. You need to invest in a good camera, backup measures, portable storage, scanners, etc.
cdawall
11-23-2007, 04:47 PM
its is a waste of money to spend several thousand more on a white dell...look around all a macbook is is a dell in a VERY expensive white case
i still vote BYO asus laptop you can get a E4400, 2gb of ram and a HD2600M or 8600M ginving you a much better laptop than you could get from mac for the same price
i dont care how much better a mac is compared to a PC in you opinion a slow mac will get beat by a fast PC EVERY DAY
surfsk8snow.jah
11-23-2007, 07:20 PM
wow thanks so much for all the input and information guys. I especially value the comments of people who have legit experience. Some "Thank You"s are in order.
I like the idea of the tablet PC, I'll have to run that by her and see what she thinks. However, i'm slightly doubting the performance of a tablet PC under 3DSMax or Vegas. It may be more advantageous to buy a better spec'd notebook, and then a USB Tablet for $150 or so.
Additionally, that's a very good point about the School's standard. If AI-SD is standard with Macs, well then she better get a mac. Otherwise, I think for her comfortability, as well as desire to play games (she's going for 3D Game Design as a focus, and she's a serious female gamer), she'll probably want a PC.
I have to look a little bit more into the Build it Yourself PCs, for instance on ASUS website, but I've done a little searching on the web for Pre-Builts. There are 2 that seem to stand out to me pretty well, let me know your opinions:
$1999.99US ASUS G Series G2S-B1 NoteBook Intel Core 2 Duo T7700(2.40GHz) 17.0" Wide UXGA 2GB 200GB 7200rpm DVD Super Multi NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT 256MB: http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16834220215
or:
$1449.99US TOSHIBA Satellite X205-S9349 NoteBook Intel Core 2 Duo T7100(1.80GHz) 17.0" Wide XGA+ 2GB DDR2 667 240GB 5400rpm HD DVD-ROM / Super Multi NVIDIA GeForce 8700M GT 256MB:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834114384 <-- Rec'd 3DMark06 Score of 6158! pyscho for a $1500 laptop
its is a waste of money to spend several thousand more on a white dell...look around all a macbook is is a dell in a VERY expensive white case
....
i dont care how much better a mac is compared to a PC in you opinion a slow mac will get beat by a fast PC EVERY DAY
Uh...wow. First off, a Macbook comes with OSX, which as far as I know does NOT come with Dell. No way, no how. Good luck running Mac software on that Dell.
Second, a slow PC will get beat by a fast PC EVERY DAY AS WELL. Fast>Slow. It's common sense. Put a Mac next to a comparably spec'd PC and it'll run about the same. Or on second though, go read about the Mac Pro a bit, as see how it compares against other (often more expensive) workstations by Dell, HP, etc.
And third, stop being so ignorant and pushing your opinions against Macs as 100% fact.
Additionally, that's a very good point about the School's standard. If AI-SD is standard with Macs, well then she better get a mac. Otherwise, I think for her comfortability, as well as desire to play games (she's going for 3D Game Design as a focus, and she's a serious female gamer), she'll probably want a PC.
Well if that's the case then she'll probably be best off with a PC, as I don't think many schools would focus on Mac gaming since it's such a small market.
Try e-mailing the school and see what they recommend. Lots of schools often make deals with big manufacturers (mine has a huge deal with Dell, for instance) to cut students a big discount.
Does it have to be a laptop? You could probably build a matx desktop.
surfsk8snow.jah
11-25-2007, 11:08 PM
Does it have to be a laptop? You could probably build a matx desktop.
Hm, what're the average dimensions for those? Would it be easily portable for her to&from school everyday? That's her main usage for it.
P.S. - I was corrected as to her actual major: She's "Media Arts and Animation," not Graphic Design lol.
Hm, what're the average dimensions for those? Would it be easily portable for her to&from school everyday? That's her main usage for it.
P.S. - I was corrected as to her actual major: She's "Media Arts and Animation," not Graphic Design lol.
Even small desktops would not be portable. Perfect for a dorm computer, but not if she needs it for class everyday.
surfsk8snow.jah
11-25-2007, 11:15 PM
ya I didn't think so, but then again I'm not going to say no to any potential options until I thoroughly explore them =)
GSG-9
11-26-2007, 01:24 AM
Hm, what're the average dimensions for those? Would it be easily portable for her to&from school everyday? That's her main usage for it.
P.S. - I was corrected as to her actual major: She's "Media Arts and Animation," not Graphic Design lol.
I am looking at Game design at Ringling (Winter Park, Florida) right now. For "Media Arts and Animation," I would not doubt macs as the standard although I would prefer a PC myself. That Asus looks sold if it turns out she will be working with a PC. I hope she can find something to suit her academic needs as well as her gaming. :toast:
Atnevon
11-26-2007, 06:46 AM
Hm, what're the average dimensions for those? Would it be easily portable for her to&from school everyday? That's her main usage for it.
P.S. - I was corrected as to her actual major: She's "Media Arts and Animation," not Graphic Design lol.
Oh. This changes things. For video rendering, I personally believe laptops will struggle alot more. I had to do an After Effects project. Just a minute long movie, over 6 hours to encode. After a while, the 10 second quick play took 3 minutes to render. Laptops can pull it off, but it really is taxing. I had P4 3.0, ATi x600, and 1gb of ram. This was 6 months ago when I did this work, and glad I will not have to do it agian. Yes the technology is better now, but the activity still demands o much for what your budget and/or patience can ask of you.
If I were in her shoes right now, I would go with a lower price MacBook, and a Desktop for high rendering. $1000 on a desktop will easily get you a Intel Quad Q6600 and a 8800 GT easily. Luckly, gamers and designers share alot of hardware. The mac will be there for Mac related activity, with the high render and game machine ready for when she returns to her room.
Sorry for riding the multi-comp horse. I really believe for design students it is the thing to do.
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