Best Cheap Laptop for programming?

[IlMarkuz]

Hello guys,

I'm looking for a cheap laptop i'm going to use for work as a web developer, the programs i will be running all the time are:

-Ubuntu 14.x

-PhpStorm 8 (a code editor, pretty heavy)

-A small virtual machine running homestead (a linux distribution for developement)

-A web browser

 

I saw 2 laptops from Acer which have the following specs:

 

One:

-Celeron N2830

-4 GB RAM

-500gb 5400rpm Hitachi Hard disk

-15" screen

-HD resolution

-275€ price

 

Two:

-I3 4030U

-4 GB RAM

-500gb 5400rpm Hitachi Hard disk

-15" screen

-HD resolution

-390€ price

 

So the main difference is basically the CPU and the price, i'm not sure if the Celeron can run PHPStorm, has anyone ever tried it and can confirm it works?

My brother has a CPU similar to the Celeron and PHPStorm was really laggy on his PC, but he has windows and just 2GB ram, so that may be the cause.

 

Also i've already got a 120GB SSD laying around that i'll use instead of the 5400rpm HDD

If anyone has other suggestions, possibly under 400€ feel free to tell me!

I'm from Italy so prices are higher than normal for many things.

 

Thanks!

[Toddwjp]

i3 much better

[IlMarkuz]

i3 much better

 

Yes in fact it has 40% better score on all benchmarks but i was looking for the cheapest thing that would work smoothly, since 390€ in Italy are a lot of money, especially for a broke student that works after classes

[Johannes_Lazor]

The i3 is far superior in any program over the Caleron, Higher performance, Better Graphics etc.

I dont know how it will run, But i doubt a caleron will run it smoothly.

[Toddwjp]

Yes in fact it has 40% better score on all benchmarks but i was looking for the cheapest thing that would work smoothly, since 390€ in Italy are a lot of money, especially for a broke student that works after classes

 

well if your budget is really tight then get the celeron itll work just about. but the i3 is a much better proccessor

[DigitalHermit]

Read up on that i3 laptop and see if you can get the RAM upgraded...

 

Get it and bump up the RAM to 8GB as soon as you can...

[Student]

why not buy used? there are lots of cheap laptops out there, only bad thing is that the batterys of a used laptop are almost at every case dead.

[Guest]

For the difference in money go for the i3, i know future proof isnt really real but it will be fast for longer if that makes sence

[IlMarkuz]

why not buy used? there are lots of cheap laptops out there, only bad thing is that the batterys of a used laptop are almost at every case dead.

I'm looking for used too, but here people sell used laptops at the price of new, plus in Italy it's not always safe to buy used stuff

 

Anyway thank you guys for all your advice, i think i'll go for the i3 unless someone pops up saying that his Celeron runs PhpStorm smoothly.

 

For the ram upgrade it is not a problem, i've got some spare parts lying around, so i was concerned mainly on the CPU