Thinking about ordering new Toshiba laptop- opinions welcome

[DieAGator]

Have a couple, one seems like it's getting old on me, fan doesn't work, buttons wearing out, you know the deal.

I have had great luck with Toshiba's over the years so decided to look at their website. Right now they have a sale that is supposed to end Sunday the 15th. Since I haven't been looking at laptops I'm not sure if this is a ploy or if prices really will revert to retail after the 15th.

4gb ram and a powerful enough processor is all I care about. The one I'm thinking about comes with a "dual" core AMD w/1mb L3 cache, 4gb ram, and AMD Radeon™ HD 7520G integrated graphics. Should be enough. $430 and free shipping. On this model I can also upgrade to a quad core AMD w/4mb L3 cache for $40 making price $480(worth it?).

http://www.toshibadirect.com/td/b2c/cdetland.to?poid=2000037648


Or, for $50($480) more I can get same model but with a true intel dual core processor w/3mb L3 cache, 6gb ram, and what is perhaps more powerful graphics components- Intel HD 3000 integrated graphics(?). $480 and free shipping

http://www.toshibadirect.com/td/b2c/cdetland.to?poid=2000037647

I'm not a gamer and suspect the $430 unit with AMD Radeon HD integrated graphics would perform as well for me as the intel based system's HD 3000 integrated graphics.

I don't really need another laptop, haven't kept tabs on the market for quite some time, but I'm seeing $430 and seems like a great price.

[dtray]

while the specs on a sub-$500 are always attractive it is the small things that make a more expensive computer better...personally if i was getting a toshiba i would get a portege...but of the two you mentioned i would definitely go for the one that is 479

[dtray]

of the two you mentioned i would definitely go with the one that is $479

[DieAGator]

Any particular reasons for upgrading, paying the extra $50? Do you happen to believe AMD based is "inferior" or know that the specific Intel pieces in the $480 model are just better? The extra ram is nice but I'm getting satisfactory performance now on 2gb ram so 4 gig should be plenty. After that, the only differences between the units are AMD components vs Intel.

I have looked but cannot find any direct benchmark comparisons between those Intel and AMD components.

[michaelc]

Toshiba knows how to make a laptop:
Intel is always better, no comparrison

heat, funtionality, fan noise

similar prices are astonishing/my only consideration
i 'heard" intel is dropping prices to take over the market
there is way too much amd in the field

excuse the word format

*you can always send it in to be repaired, most of the updated internet software stuff blows over and the bloatware that slows old computers is not made to run on your computer (removing it solves the problem)

these new computers don't seem any faster to me

edited

[Swampmaster]

I've had Toshiba and HP--same sub-$500 price point. Both good, but I like the HPs better.