Pentium M Processor or P4 for laptop?

[Euro838]

Can anyone list the advantages/disadvantages of going with a Centrino processor over a P4 processor in a laptop? I.e. If you had a choice of a 1.6 ghz Centrino M Processor or a 3-3.2 ghz P4 processor? Which would you choose and why? Thanks.

[soupey]

centrino = more battery life, much more efficient, less heat...

p4 = more power for less money, but much less battery life.

[lint]

Originally posted by Euro838
Can anyone list the advantages/disadvantages of going with a Centrino processor over a P4 processor in a laptop? I.e. If you had a choice of a 1.6 ghz Centrino M Processor or a 3-3.2 ghz P4 processor? Which would you choose and why? Thanks.

If it's a desktop replacement, you might want to go with the P4, but for moblity and battery life, the Centrino is the way to go.

[soupey]

oh sorry as for what i'd choose, probably the centrino just cuz it offers almost double the battery life over the p4...when it comes to portability, i'd rather buy a centrino to use it on the go and not have to use it like a desktop...always plugged in...

[Foreign1]

i just bought a laptop.. and i went centrino dude... battery life is wayyyyyy longer. Just imagine being on an airplane.. and not even being able to finish 1 whole dvd!battery on my laptop is 5.5 hours, p4 would be like 2.

[Khyron]

And they typically weigh almost double. But if you want it to be a gaming rig, the p4 (and better vid card usually) is worth it.

Khyron

[Euro838]

What about for mainly business use/application? i.e. office processing, some graphics, video editing, etc.

[RickDaTuner]

i have a 3.4 P4 HT laptop and well as much i as I enjoy the performance, i cant say i enjoy the 1 hour battery life.... like everyone her has said it all depends on your usage, if you are looking for a notebook for school then get the centrino proc or if you are looking for a portable gaming rig, or a desktop replacement go for the P4

[soupey]

the performance between the two wont be too noticeable if your using it for office....video editing ur gona want more ram, but centrino vs p4 wont relli make a huge deal on that one...gaming...yea i guess p4 will b stronger on that end...but only go p4 if ur willing to sacrifice the battery life...

[Shoebox//Racer]

well i do alot of graphic heavy stuff for school... and ill tell you. it aint fun luggin a 9 lbs laptop around.

If you are gonna be carrying it with you everywhere but still want decent video editing and graphic power you should look at a 2.0 ghz centrino with an ATI Mobility 9700 Graphics card... be sure to look for the 128 mb version of the graphics card instead of the 64 mb one =p


heres an example of a pretty solid rig... only thing its lacking is another 512 mb of ram.

http://www.acer.ca/acerpanam/page4.do?dau22.oid=6714&UserCtxParam=0&GroupCtxParam=0&dctx1=27&ctx1=CA&crc=3500003994

[GucciBoy]

Originally posted by Euro838
What about for mainly business use/application? i.e. office processing, some graphics, video editing, etc.

i have a 1.5 centrino and it runs better than my P4 3.2 at home. Just as good for games, believe or not. And it only has 64MB video, but it is dedicated, no onboard crap.

Also way thinner, looks better, smarter and boots photoshop in 3secs tops, its fast!!!

a 1.5 centrino would run same speed easily as a P4 2.8-3.0. i have 1gig ram in mine with 2mb L2 cache, it makes all the difference.

[rage2]

I have a Tecra S1 centrino, and it's beefy enough for most games. That and it's battery life!

I played MAME on a 6 hour flight.

[GucciBoy]

Originally posted by rage2
I have a Tecra S1 centrino, and it's beefy enough for most games. That and it's battery life!

I played MAME on a 6 hour flight.

how do you get ure batteries to lastr that long? with LCD brightness way down? i get 3hours on mine with lcd at brightest - which i prefer, cant stand a dim screen.

[rage2]

I have a custom mode that shuts everything off. Dim screen, make sure no CD in the CD drive, all network devices off, hardware wireless switch off. Oh, that and I have the upgraded (heavier) battery.

It also powered my 2 USB gamepads ;).

[Chiggles]

Originally posted by Euro838
What about for mainly business use/application? i.e. office processing, some graphics, video editing, etc.

Based on your demand for the machine, I'd say either system would work out for you just fine. It's a question then, to consider whether you want to have the smaller, thinner profile that a Centrino unit tends to yield combined with the added luxury of longer battery life vs. cost. Centrino units tend to be pricier than most P4 machines since it's considered a relatively "newer" type of processing tech than the P4, but for all practical reasons, the P4 will do everything you seem to want to do with a laptop for a cheaper price.

I would say that if you're sure you won't be using the laptop for any heavy gaming purposes and that your demand will pretty much be limited to the applications you already listed, and it's within your budget, then the Centrino will probably be the right choice for you. The only thing you sacrifice in going with a P4 is that you would be going to a bulkier unit with a shorter battery life on a full charge, but of course, it would be more economical on the other hand.