Buying a more basic model then customizing it?

I'm going to college next year for engineering and need a pretty solid machine. I was waiting for the HP Envy 14, but I'm skeptical about the build quality and heat issues.

Here's what I configured on Sony's Education site:

I would upgrade the RAM to 8gb and the graphics card to a 1 gb card. I am not very experienced with modifying computers, but it is my impression that these parts are just grab and go. I have built some robots, so I know to be careful. I will be taking some computer classes, but I'm chemical eng.

The machine comes to $1039.98, and I would expect to add another $200 to that with my upgrades.

I am asking your opinion if it would be better to get the HP preconfigured with my specs or to get the VPCEA290X CTO and then upgrade it myself.

 

You can't upgrade the GPU, notebook GPUs aren't just "grab and go", bar the select few. The vast majority are an integrated part of the mobo and/or not upgradable. If you want a good GPU you'll have to go for a machine that comes with one pre-fitted.

 

That's strange. I was looking at these: Graphics Cards Buy Now . It wouldn't work?

 

I believe Sony solders their GPU on the motherboard, so you can not upgrade the GPU later on. You can upgrade the RAM though.

and that link shows desktop graphic cards

 

Those are desktop graphics cards. Notebook cards are very different and, as the above guy said, soldered onto the mobo by the vast majority of manufacturers.

 

hehe ^_^ noob here.

I can get by with 512. Anyone know offhand what the cheapest sony with 1gb available is? I was hoping to keep it in the 14" range, but I didn't see it as an option in any of them..

 

512 or 1gb doesn't mean an awful lot. A 1gb card can be at either end of the scale - ie "not really powerful at all" or "really quite powerful indeed" (those are technical terms). You need to decide what you want to do with it - will you be playing games? If so, what games?

 

I'm not a big gamer. I will be using it for engineering and modeling software, as well as photoshop. You think 512 will handle it?

 

Like I said, the amout of memory a GPU has is no indicator of how powerful it is. That said, generally if you're not going to play games the GPU isn't that important. I have no idea about the requirements for engineering and modelling software, though, sorry.

 

Practically, even the most advanced laptops don't fare well with the software. It's sort of a school joke about the engineers...we all stay in the lab all the time (which has super nice desktops). I think the CPU power is more important than the GPU...we use the software remotely since it costs several times the amount of the computer.

So, I think I will just get a laptop to surface my general needs. That said, the 512 mb will probably suit me fine.

 

For photoshop 512mb will be plenty. The only reason you'd really need 1gb+ is if you do 3d design and rendering.

 

For engineering and modelling, you want a laptop with a graphics card that's labeled Quadro, not Geforce. The difference is that the Quadro-labeled cards can run drivers that have been tweaked for and certified for the most popular CAD/CAM software.
Does it matter? Heck, yes. In some cases, you can get up to ten times the speed with otherwise similar graphics hardware.

 

What laptops then come with this option? I'm having a difficult time seeing why the industry closed the door on video cards...it seems like it could be a good marketing opportunity.