Better processor or more memory on a laptop?

[subnet_rx]

$1000 is my cap on a laptop. It's came down to either 1GB of memory and an Intel Core 2 Duo 5300 or 2GB of memory and an Intel Core Duo 2350. Which would you choose?

 

[peterhuang913]

its more of the question what are you using it for?

 

[subnet_rx]

This will be used by a college student for class work.

 

[b1gapl]

That won't require alot of memory, so go with the faster processor.

 

[darksideleader]

You want atleast 1gb+ for vista. If you like to use a lot of programs at the same time and do some video editing, get the most memory possible

 

[fastrandstrongr]

ram is pretty cheap these days... i'd say get the better proc. and spend ~30-40 bucks on a gig of ram from newegg.

 

[subnet_rx]

Well, it's 2 DIMM 1 GB, so I doubt I'll be able to stick in another gig. I don't have much experience with vista, is it a RAM hog? This student is going into architecture. I can spend a gig on XP with just photoshop and dreamweaver, that's why I was beginning to consider 2 GB.

 

[Trotter]

Go with the CPU. The CPU can't be upgraded later, but the RAM can be switched out.

 

[fastrandstrongr]

i think you misunderstood. like trotter said, go with the core 2 duo 5300 with 1gb of ram and buy an extra 1gb stick on newegg.

 

[gurusan]

i think you misunderstood. like trotter said, go with the core 2 duo 5300 with 1gb of ram and buy an extra 1gb stick on newegg.

nope I think you misunderstood. Laptops usually only have 2 slots of memory so he's saying that all the slots will have been already filled.

That said, trotter still has a point...its much easier to change out memory than a laptop cpu. Get the faster CPU and later on just get 2gb (2x1gb) and swap them in place of the 1gb (2x512mb) and sell the old crap on ebay or something.