Look before I leap

[davret]

This forum may well decide me to go ahead & order especially after reading some v positive reviews
I have been looking to replace my laptop with one of the new Ultrabooks even perhaps going over to be a Mac user
But have decided to say with a PC - too old to learn how to use a Mac
I do not carry it about apart from inside the house - I do not play any games on it

So, after chatting with the man at the end of the phone, I am looking at the foll spec

17.3" Optimist 11 with Glossy full HD screen - should I go for a matte finish??
Processor i5 2520M 2.5 GHz 3MB
Memory 8GB Samsung 1333 MHZ (2x4)
Hard Disc 160GB SSD
DVD Drive - Sony BC 5550H 4x Blue Ray Combi drive
Std memory card reader
Gigabit Lan & Wireless Intel Advanced N-6230 (300mbps)
2 x USB 3.0 ports and 2 x USB 2.0 Ports
2 x 6 cell lithium battery - for the extra hour!!
Artic Extreme thermal paste - after reading a review!

That's about it

I got bemused over reading so many reviews of the big brand names and found PC Specialist
My main requirements are to have as fast a pc as possible - just hate delays - plus the need to "future-proof" as far as is possible

I am not a tech geek but would welcome your comments / observations / recommendations

Many thanks

 

[mantadog]

Are you into a bit of photo editing or anything similar, or is it just web surfing, moves and a bit of word/excel?

If you don't plan on doing anything other than general stuff like above, you could drop to an i3 processor no problems. Having the slightly slower CPU wont maie your computer feel slower to use unless your doing something like photo editing.

Everything else looks spot on, you will be very pleased with a SSD however i would ask you to think about how much space you will need? For this reason, you could get a much faster SSD for less money, if you don't need much space the 120GB intel 520 series is an absolute bargain right now (if it's not a mistake) It is double the speed, and i have never seen it that low in price before. Well worth a look in my opinion, those 2 cuts would reduce the price by a fair chunk of cash.

I couldn't recommend PCS highly enough, you get exactly what you want with proper customer service!

 

[davret]

Brilliant!! Thanks Manta for yr reply - I do a lot of Excel/Word work and may get into video editing
PCS actually recommended an i3 processor so I will change back
I have amended the SSD as well & reduced the price

 

[mantadog]

An i3 will have no trouble with a little bit of video editing, the upgraded SSD will probably blow you away if you have always used mechanical HDD's before. It will probably boot your OS in about 30 seconds, and opening apps will be done in the blink of an eye.

You probably wont get too many replies here BTW, if you wanted to get a broader range of views then you could post a spec in the "check this spec" section, but really i can't see any problems with the spec you have selected now you have made those 2 slight changes.

If you do decide to order this PC you will not be disappointed!

 

[Music Guy123]

Hmm, if you are going for future proofing, I would upgrade the cpu. What is your budget?

 

[Rakk]

Hmm, if you are going for future proofing, I would upgrade the cpu. What is your budget?

Not really necessary for the usage though.
Future proofing is all well and good, but it's not always required In this case, the i3 will probably be perfectly fine for a number of years.

 

[davret]

Thank you all - budget is not really an issue - I would like to get the best available to suit my needs
Yr advice on the CPU is taken
I said on another post that I would like to see & touch B4 deciding
Is the overall look & feel in line with tose of the 'majors'mor does it look like a Skoda as opposed to an Aston?
Maybe I am being too fussy but if I am to spend £900+ it is important
Anyone disappointed?