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    which i5 for x220?

    Discussion in 'Lenovo' started by wackedwithbamboo, Jul 16, 2011.

  1. wackedwithbamboo

    wackedwithbamboo Notebook Guru

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    after reading through the forums I've decided on a i3 despite all my rambling about an i5. Was just wondering, are there any issues with the i3? Seems like i3 is ideal for this 12 inch notebook since i7 models and some i5 models face the cpu throttling issue.
     
    wackedwithbamboo, Jul 16, 2011
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  2. nate911

    nate911 Notebook Guru

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    I'd say get the i5-2410M (2.3Ghz). Other than the 200Mhz boost in speed, the 2520M only really benefits you if you encrypt lots of files/a hard drive or use virtual machines often. The difference between the second and third option is simply speed. Definitely save the money and put it towards an SSD.
     
    nate911, Jul 16, 2011
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  3. wackedwithbamboo

    wackedwithbamboo Notebook Guru

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    gah! i was convinced with an i3 but now im at an impasse betwen i5 and i3. oh well i just know that ill save for an ssd either way.
     
    wackedwithbamboo, Jul 16, 2011
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  4. wackedwithbamboo

    wackedwithbamboo Notebook Guru

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    wackedwithbamboo, Jul 16, 2011
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  5. syoung

    syoung Notebook Enthusiast

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    Wow, that RunCore looks sexy. Can't wait to see benchmarks.

    Regarding CPU selection, I was in your shoes just a few days ago and opted for the i3 since it'll handle all but the most intensive tasks just fine. IMO, it's only worth upgrading if you have specific usage scenarios in mind which would benefit from the additional horsepower (or if money is simply not an issue).
     
    syoung, Jul 16, 2011
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  6. kevroc

    kevroc Notebook Evangelist

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    I went with the i3 as well, don't need the extra features and wanted something that was faster than what I had (Core 2 Duo) but not too much of a power guzzler. The i3 seemed like a perfect fit.
     
    kevroc, Jul 16, 2011
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  7. wackedwithbamboo

    wackedwithbamboo Notebook Guru

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    thanks guys for letting me know before i became a victim of marketing schemes.
     
    wackedwithbamboo, Jul 16, 2011
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  8. syoung

    syoung Notebook Enthusiast

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    Is battery life with the i3 significantly longer than with a higher-end processor?
     
    syoung, Jul 16, 2011
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  9. Sally4

    Sally4 Notebook Geek

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    No. .
     
    Sally4, Jul 16, 2011
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  10. wackedwithbamboo

    wackedwithbamboo Notebook Guru

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    @ anyone, does the i3 possess any known issues with the x220 like the i7 and some i5 models do? And does having an mSATA ssd and hd drive reduce battery life? significant reductions or miniscule?
     
    wackedwithbamboo, Jul 16, 2011
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  11. dbrowdy

    dbrowdy Notebook Consultant

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    It's not all marketing schemes. The i5-2420M clocks the graphics adapter faster than the i3 or the i5-2410M. If you want to play games, you'll benefit from the 2420 over the other two. Beyond that, I didn't find further upgrades worthwhile personally.
     
    dbrowdy, Jul 16, 2011
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  12. DStaal

    DStaal Notebook Geek

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    I haven't heard of any issues directly with the i3. The display issues that some are seeing are across the board, but the mSATA seem to be specific to the i5 and i7. (My mSATA works fine.)
     
    DStaal, Jul 18, 2011
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  13. bogatyr

    bogatyr Notebook Evangelist

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    i5-2520M is the lowest I would go. AES encryption and vPro features are included with that processor, the processors above it only add MHZ and cache. But I use both the AES (BitLocker) and vPro features.
     
    bogatyr, Jul 18, 2011
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  14. DStaal

    DStaal Notebook Geek

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    Anyone who uses a web browser to a 'HTTPS' site is going to use the AES encryption. If not now, then the next time the browsers get updated. (Most likely.)
     
    DStaal, Jul 18, 2011
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  15. david1274

    david1274 Notebook Evangelist

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    It may even be less, speaking as an i3 owner, who used to own an i5-2410
     
    david1274, Jul 18, 2011
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