Quote Originally Posted by TheGeek View Post
DO not go mac for a windows based machine, I assume as an academic windows is a necessity, and a mac may well run superbly, but with windows there is no guarantee this will continue to be the case, if you're going for a laptop an i3 would be a good bet with as high a ram limit as you could get, if you're going for a premade I would say sony or HP but don't discount acer or asus, I could help so much more if i knew what you were using it for.

Geek
I won't go mac. Windows is necessary. Why an i3 rather than i5 or i7? I will be using the standard education tools, but add in a little autocad and some mechanical testing platforms including reactionary and theoretical testing. I am not against a custom, but unsure of cost or where to go. As of right now i have been avoiding sony for a lack of consistency in their quality control and longevity. I currently have one less than a year old that was given to me and it is unable to unplug during use even across the room to another receptacle.