Hi, I was hoping for some purchasing advice. After much research, I have decided to get my son a HP dv9500t for college. He will be an engineering student. I would like to know which upgrades are actually worth the extra money. I know the upgrades are good ones, but by the time I add them all the computer gets rather pricey for me. I am a single mother on a budget, but would like to get the computer set up correctly. Thank you,:)

Intel core 2 duo processor T7300 (2GHz, 4 MB L2 cache, 800MHz FSB)

OR
Intel core 2 duo processor T7500 (2.20GHz, 4 MB L2 cache, 800MHz FSB)


17" WXGA+ High Def HP Brightview Widescreen Display (1440x900)

OR
17" WSXGA+ High Def HP Brightview Widescreen Display (1680x1050


160GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive

OR
240GB 5400RPM SATA Dual Hard Drive (120x2)

OR
200GB 7200RPM SATA Dual Hard Drive (100x2)

For the Processor, I would go with the T7300. Yes, it's a slight bit slower, but the processor is already a dual core, with a good size cache and a speedy FBS. The only real difference I see is the clock speed, and the extra .2GHz isn't going to give much of a performance boost.

For the display, since you say he is an engineering student, I'd go with the ESXGA+ (1680x1050). Engineers need their workspace...

For the hard drive, it really depends on what else he is going to be doing with it. If he like to keep a lot of music or videos or games on his laptop, I'd say go with the dual hard drives. Note, though, that if you DO have dual hard drives, the battery won't last as long before it has to be recharged. 160GB is plenty of space for regular usage, a bunch of music, a few games, and a few videos. If you want it to run faster, go with the 200GB 7200RPM. I'd only recommend the 240GB if he is really going to need that extra space, because it's really not that much extra space compared to the 200, and the 200 has better performance. For myself, I'd probably just go with the 160. Also, if he needs more space later, you can add a second hard drive.

If he will be doing CAD work (likely for an engineering student) then I would go with the higher options across the board. CAD files take up a lot of space. CAD programs require more power. CAD programs work better with higher res screens.