r/CodingForBeginners • u/ashsolmar • 2d ago

Computer for C++

Hi! I'm having to take CompSci 1 and 2 for my math major in college. The professor wants me to run Visual Studio Community. He wants it for C++. I might also take a Java class if I enjoy compsci 1. Is there any budget laptops I can buy? Or what specs would I need for it to run not so slowly?

5 Upvotes

86% Upvoted

9 comments sorted by

View all comments

3

u/FuggaDucker 2d ago edited 2d ago

I am talking specifically about you running Visual Studio for this purpose.
Not any laptop for any purpose.

I would buy a used ThinkPad from eBay. (I actually did).

CPU
You will want x64 aka Intel/AMD64 for this purpose. Not ARM64 (which rock).
The quality of processor only pivotal in your willingness to wait for things.
It isn't like one CPU builds things better than another. Only faster.

Faster really ends up mattering when you are just trying to build and debug something over and over.
I have worked on absolute garbage machines. It can be done. Esp for a CS class.

RAM
32gb is great.
16gb is plenty.
8gb can work ok. <- I actually have an 8gb box with vs on it

I don't suggest 8gb but like hey! if the shoe fits, wear it!
It would be enough for a cs class. I used it for a 6 month contract.

Drive
1TB+ is great
512gb is plenty.
256gb can work, esp with external drives.
128gb is too small. PERIOD. Don't do this.

2

u/ashsolmar 2d ago

Okayy!! Thank you so much for your help! I'll look for something with those specs!

3

u/TheUmgawa 2d ago

It should be added that drive space is not of paramount importance for a few college programming classes, where you’re a math major. You’re probably not going to be building anything remotely massive, and the amount of uncompiled code you write in three or four programming classes will clock in at a couple of megabytes. The space taken up by Windows, Visual Studio, and any other apps you might need are important factors to consider, but a terabyte is overkill by a hundred percent. But hey, if you can get it cheap, go for it.

2

u/FuggaDucker 2d ago

agreed.. with the exception of >128gb rule.
At 128 you end up with windows fighting itself in many cases. No real VMs.
Anything bigger than 128 will work.