P6100 vs. i5-460m or i3-2310m - worth an extra $65-$150?

[snsd]

I started another post a couple of days ago asking some questions about some specific processors – none of which are part of this post! (I apologize in advance if I should not have started a new post…) Based on excellent feedback from this forum, I did some more homework and have honed in on exactly what I want.

I have an opportunity to get a 13.3” Acer TimelineX (AS3830T series) with 500/750GB hard drive, 4GB RAM, Windows 7 64 bit... The TimelineX is exactly what I’m looking for in terms of size, battery life, quality, price… I only need to decide which processor I should get. (There are some other minor differences between the 3 units – but nothing material to me.) Here are my options. Prices include taxes and shipping.

1) P6100 $385 (www.canadacomputers.ca refurbished with a 1 year Acer warranty – and my credit card gives me an extra year)
2) i5-460m $450 (second hand – 6 month Acer warranty)
3) i3-2310m $532 (www.staples.ca brand new with a 1 year Acer warranty – and my credit card gives me an extra year)

I am NOT a gamer. I do NOT watch videos. I basically surf the net, run some Microsoft Office programs, Quickbooks…. I know that all of the above processors would more than suffice for my needs – as I’ve been chugging along with a Centrino single core 1.83GHz processor, 1GB RAM and 160GB hard drive for the last 5 years just fine. (I’m only upgrading as the screen is toast on my current unit.) So, my only question is whether it is worth the investment to buy the i3 or i5 versus the P6100 if I'm planning on using the machine for the next 1/2 decade - or maybe if I decide to resell down the road.

Thanks in advance for your input.

Dave

 

[richierich1212]

I thought credit cards don't cover an extra year for refurbed products?

If you figure your next laptop will last you 5 years more, an extra $2.5 dollars a month should be worth it, right? 😀

But yes the newest processor will help immensely with resale if you decide to get another laptop sooner.

 

[Zap]

The i5-460M and P6100 are really similar, only differing in clock speeds and HyperThreading. Between those two I'd save the money and get the P6100.

The i3-2310M is the latest Sandy Bridge CPU, with around the performance of the higher clocked but older Core i5-460M, but with better battery life and better graphics.

 

[ThatsABigOne]

The i5-460M and P6100 are really similar, only differing in clock speeds and HyperThreading. Between those two I'd save the money and get the P6100.

The i3-2310M is the latest Sandy Bridge CPU, with around the performance of the higher clocked but older Core i5-460M, but with better battery life and better graphics.

Pretty much this.

 

[Magic Carpet]

Either would be okay for your needs but the i3/i5 will have better resale value. Here is a detailed chart, you can have a look at. The i5-460m should be a bit faster in general use. Yet, the i3-2310m has Intel QuickSync which can be useful if you going to encode videos. The P6100 @ $385 is a steal. I'd get the i5 though.