HP Pavilion DV6 3077 vs HP Pavilion DV6 3058

So I decided to look at two other stores for HP and found this:

HP Pavilion DV6 3077 $1,052.74
STAPLES | BUREAU EN GROS

HP Pavilion DV6 3058 $899.99
HP Pavilion 15.6" Laptop featuring Intel Core i5-430M Processor (DV6-3058CA) - Silver - Best Buy Canada

The DV6 3058 is much cheaper but what is the real difference?

I have no intentions to play any games on my laptop AT ALL. It will be used
for school and entertainment ONLY.

I see the DV6 3077 has ATI graphics card whereas the DV6 3058 has an Intel HD card. Which would be a better buy for me? As well, if I did choose the DV6 3058, would I be able to do switchable graphics?

 

Can't view the 3077 specs from the link you gave without entering a zip code so I'm basing my advice on the only 3077 specs I could find. Anyway, since you won't be gaming, you're better off with the 3058. The Intel graphics is adequate for movies and you'll get lower power consumption with the i5. Also, the 3058 doesn't have switchable graphics because it doesn't have a discrete graphics card. The only reason for you to choose the 3077 is if you want the cheaper price at the cost of higher power consumption.

 

The biggest differences are as follows:

DV6-3077CA - 500 GB hard drive, 1GB Switchable ATI graphics card
DV6-3058CA - 640 GB Hard drive, integrated graphics card

Most of all the DV6-3xxxCA's out there really only differ in the chipset, hard drive, and graphics cards. Bottom line for your examples: Both use the same processor. You're just paying for a larger hard drive and a dedicated graphics card.

If it's just normal Excel worksheets and Word documents to the occasional DVD movie playing on your machine, then the cheapest one should do. But really, it depends on what you'll be doing for homework and projects to dictate whether you will need dedicated graphics.

Since you're Canadian, consider the DV6-3073ca sold by Costco.ca. It's like the 3077 Staples is offering BUT it has a 640 GB hard drive AND 1 GB switchable ATI graphics card, and a 2 year warranty for only $1,019.99 (may be cheaper in store). If you know anyone with a Costco membership, they may be able to pick it up at local Costco store. Otherwise, you're charged a slight premium if you order from costco.ca without being a member.