i3 or i5>

[laserblazer]

We have to replace a load of laptops when we upgrade to Server 2012 and Windows 7. We can get Toshiba i3 laptops at a really keen price with three years warranty but County are pushing us to go for i5s. Whilst I appreciate what they are saying, the extra we would have to pay would mean that other things like projector replacement wouldn't happen. These laptops will be used in classrooms running Smart software and Office documents. So their options are a fast laptop with a display that can just be seen if you turn off the lights and close the blinds or an adequate computer and a nice bright display.

We've always used Toshiba laptops and had very good reliability.

I'm interested to know what others would do in my place.

[FN-GM]

How long are you planning on keeping them?

[difinity]

Considering the work load i3, to keep the costs down, in 3 years time you can always upgrade them with SSDs

[elsiegee40]

Personally, I'd go for i5 ... i3 is likely to become too slow for comfort within the lifetime of the machines.

Go for the highest spec you can afford.

[Netman]

i3 and get the other kit you need too - it's not much of a compromise and barely noticeable to end users at all...

[SYNACK]

If you are only keeping them for a couple of years go i3, if you plan on them being not horrible three years in go i5. Look at SSDs as they come down in price.

[jamesfed]

When it comes to Office/IWB software you would feel the speed of a hard drive swap out with SSD more than you would with a CPU change.

[CHR1S]

i3 and SSD's

I'm still running a Core 2 Duo that's pushing 6 years old with an SSD. You would be hard pushed in a school environment to tell it apart from an i7!

[uffy2000]

i would go with i3 if your refreshing in 3 years, re-image them if they get slow.

[LazyD]

We've had a number of i3 models come in, I've been really unimpressed with the i3's, lots of i3 laptops I've used seem more sluggish than a decent core 2 duo. If you want the laptops themselves to last, maybe an os upgrade or 2 in future, go for i5. Personally I wouldn't ever recommend using i3 for work or home.

[SYNACK]

We've had a number of i3 models come in, I've been really unimpressed with the i3's, lots of i3 laptops I've used seem more sluggish than a decent core 2 duo. If you want the laptops themselves to last, maybe an os upgrade or 2 in future, go for i5. Personally I wouldn't ever recommend using i3 for work or home.

I have had simmilar experiences, Intel motherboards are rubbish.

[Jamo]

I would say I3, we are completely I3 here and don't notice any slow performance.

In terms of OS upgrades? What OS is that? Windows 8? Don't think so!

[witch]

So.....that doesn't really help you much, does it

[Norphy]

When it comes to laptops, the only noticable difference between the i3 and the i5 is that the i5 supports turbo boost while the i3 doesn't. Both have the same amount of cache (3MB). Both are dual core CPUs. Both have Intel HD4000 graphics. The i5 supports more in the way of virtualisation options, supports vPro and it has a hardware encryption engine but personally I wouldn't say that any of those options are important for classroom machines apart from possibly vPro if you use it.

Frankly, I'd go for the i3.

http://ark.intel.com/products/65700/...Cache-2_40-GHz
http://ark.intel.com/products/65708/...o-3_10-GHz-BGA

[jonnykewell1]

I3 with a nice chunk of ram, and as the others say go down the SSD route.