kgrip17

Im looking for a a new laptop for college but im not sure about which size i should go with. Im trying to balance out portability and battery life with performance for movies, some gaming and screen size. Not sure how much im going to use it in classes yet since im not in college yet. Which size do you think is best?

synny201

A 14" (assuming the specs on both system are the same) will tax the graphics card a lot less than a 15.6" while providing the same quality of blu-ray/gaming (the only difference, is, well, screensize). I think a 15" may be a tad heavier and larger, but probably more durable as well. The 15" would also eat battery quicker.

I'd have to say:

14":
Easier to run on same specs
Light
Longer battery
not very durable

15":
Bigger screen
More durable
Shorter battery
Runs hotter/system runs harder

Of course, this varies from company to company. A ThinkPad, regardless of screen size, is going to be very Durable, while, say, an HP may not be as much.

excelblue

Technically, how much a graphics card is taxed depends on the screen resolution instead of actual physical dimensions. The 15.6" screens tend to come in a slightly "higher" resolution than the 14" screens, but they can just as well be the same (aka, they have the same number of pixels, just in different sizes).

However, the size of the screen will make a noticable difference in battery life and portability. Either way, you'll get used to the screen size.

So, it depends on how much you want to use it -- is egronomics or portability more important? If you only plan to use it a few hours a day, go with a 14". Otherwise, go with a 15.6".

applicannot

HP has a new 14.5 I want to check out, and I'm fairly certain Toshiba has a few that are 15" flat... or maybe they are 16" flat? Nevermind, I'm not certain at all.