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I'm planning on buying a new computer and I want it to run quickly and work well. Is it better to get a faster processor or more RAM? To be specific, which Laptop would run faster:

  • One with an Intel Core i3-2310M 2.1GHz dual-core processor and 3GB RAM
  • One with an Intel Pentium B940 2GHz "Sandy Bridge" dual-core processor and 4GB RAM.

(The biggest programs I use are Eclipse and Expression Web.)

P.S. These are the laptops I'm comparing:

http://dealnews.com/Toshiba-Satellite-Core-i3-Dual-2.1-GHz-16-Laptop-for-400-15-s-h/479490.html

http://dealnews.com/Toshiba-Satellite-Pentium-Dual-2-GHz-16-Laptop-for-400-free-shipping/481293.html

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Shopping questions are off topic as per the FAQ. – Wuffers Jul 19 '11 at 2:02
Honestly, I think you should do both. The "Pentium" processors just aren't good anymore, and you'll want the extra ram for development work. If you only want to spend $400 on a laptop, you'll be buying one again next year, and not just for the speed; the build quality will kill you as well. For another $200 you open up a whole new range of options. – Joel Coehoorn Jul 19 '11 at 2:15
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closed as not constructive by Wuffers, Breakthrough, studiohack♦ Jul 19 '11 at 2:29

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Go with the 3 GB of RAM. RAM is often oversold these days. I have a machine with 12 GB of RAM, but monitoring its usage for a month showed that rarely was more than about 2 GB's ever put into use. Get the faster processor. If you use a 32-bit operating system, only 3.5 out of the 4 could be used, anyway. I have that exact machine and I'm sorry I upgraded it from 3 to 4 since it was really a waste of money.

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