|
QuarkJets posted:You've got the gist of it. The Y410p is constantly going on sale and is pretty great for a "gaming" laptop, it should last you at least a couple of years. Be sure to use the B&N link in the OP if you decide to get one. Just checked out the price, and holy wow. I bought my Asus for $1,500 three years ago, and I feel like a chump now. $750 for the y410p, and that's on Ebay. A 510p on Amazon goes for about 1,100, still far and away better pricing than what I've been used to for laptops in this range. Going to register for that lenovo site after work today, and see about getting a new laptop. At that price I could probably spring for a new one for the missus, as well. Hers is going on six years, but she uses it more for her art projects and such, so it doesn't need as much juice as mine trying to run Farcry 3, so it should be quite a bit cheaper. Seriously, thank you goons for helping me out. This is a vast improvement over my usual buying habits. J.A.B.C. fucked around with this message at 06:28 on Nov 17, 2013 |
#
?
Nov 17, 2013 06:18
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 11, 2024 10:39 |
|
|
I've been thinking of grabbing a Sager with a 4700MQ, 16GB of RAM, 1TB HDD with a 250GB SSD (Probably ssd, maybe not). Can't decide on the 770 or 780M. Most prices with a 780 are between $2400 and $2700. I travel extremely frequently for work, but it'll be plugged in at all times. Is a sager the right way to go, or could I get this spec list with another brand? Stormcrown fucked around with this message at 16:34 on Nov 17, 2013 |
|
#
?
Nov 17, 2013 16:18
|
|
|
GrizzlyCow posted:What's the difference between the T440p and the T440? The T440 has fewer options for customization, but also qualifies as an Ultrabook under current definitions with touchscreen models. The T440p is more like the classic Thinkpad line. Huge choice of CPUs and an easily accessible chassis for future expansion, but bulkier.
|
|
#
?
Nov 17, 2013 18:07
|
|
|
Goofing around in Best Buy and came across this: http://m.bestbuy.com/m/e/product/detail.jsp?skuId=1836027&pid=1219065630762&pcatId=abcat0502000 Is this a pretty good price for what it is, or could I do better for my money? Edit: annnnnnd I just came across the yoga 2 pro. Goddamn that thing is nice!! http://www.bestbuy.com/site/ideapad...20pro&cp=1&lp=1 They're both apparently Best Buy only models. 10 Beers fucked around with this message at 19:28 on Nov 17, 2013 |
|
#
?
Nov 17, 2013 18:25
|
|
|
Any recommendations for a light-gaming laptop? By "light-gaming" I don't mean the bulk/mass of the laptop, I mean not a OMG GAMING RIGG, just something that'll play Minecraft and Source games. I'm assuming that means not integrated Intel graphics, correct? And it's for a friend's kid so of course that also means "as budget as possible". I've read through this thread but haven't seen anything that fits this bill.
|
|
#
?
Nov 17, 2013 18:34
|
|
|
Source games are darn well covered by HD4000 (Ivy) and solid with HD4x00(Haswell). I can't attest for Minecraft, but you should look up a benchmark chart for that game and see what Integrated will get you. What is your budget? Edit for being wrong on IGFX models. P.N.T.M. fucked around with this message at 19:47 on Nov 17, 2013 |
|
#
?
Nov 17, 2013 19:10
|
|
|
Dota 2 and TF2 will run on a toaster these days. You can probably get away with integrated graphics these days depending on what you play and don't expect to get better than 15 fps in BF3/BF4
|
|
#
?
Nov 17, 2013 19:18
|
|
|
P.N.T.M. posted:Source games are darn well covered by HD3000 (Ivy) and solid with HD4000(Haswell). Just a quick correction HD3000 = Sandybridge (2xxx models) HD4000 = Ivybridge (3xxx) HD4X00/5X00 = Haswell (4xxx)
|
|
#
?
Nov 17, 2013 19:24
|
|
|
Intel finally accomplished the impossible and made a decent integrated GPU with their 4th gen processors.
|
|
#
?
Nov 17, 2013 21:02
|
|
|
Sasquatch! posted:Any recommendations for a light-gaming laptop? By "light-gaming" I don't mean the bulk/mass of the laptop, I mean not a OMG GAMING RIGG, just something that'll play Minecraft and Source games. I'm assuming that means not integrated Intel graphics, correct? And it's for a friend's kid so of course that also means "as budget as possible". I've read through this thread but haven't seen anything that fits this bill. Yeah, integrated graphics are fine for most games. If you feel like extra graphical power is necessary, then the Lenovo Y410p is pretty good and also cheap.
|
|
#
?
Nov 17, 2013 21:07
|
|
|
10 Beers posted:Goofing around in Best Buy and came across this: Hmmm, this looks pretty interesting. I was looking at a Dell Inspiron 17 for my mom, but it still had a dedicated GPU, which she doesn't need. This looks like it should fit the bill perfectly, doesn't seem to be any glaring problems, other than it's not a Thinkpad.
|
|
#
?
Nov 17, 2013 21:10
|
|
|
FISHMANPET posted:Hmmm, this looks pretty interesting. I was looking at a Dell Inspiron 17 for my mom, but it still had a dedicated GPU, which she doesn't need. This looks like it should fit the bill perfectly, doesn't seem to be any glaring problems, other than it's not a Thinkpad. My boss returned that Yoga 2 Pro (  ) and I instructed him to get this instead and I'm currently setting it up as we speak. It's a beautiful machine so far! Only drawback is that it's not super light.
|
|
#
?
Nov 17, 2013 22:42
|
|
|
QuarkJets posted:Yeah, integrated graphics are fine for most games. If you feel like extra graphical power is necessary, then the Lenovo Y410p is pretty good and also cheap. What should we be looking for on the integrated graphics part of the specs? I have a three-year old Acer (i3 330UM) and it chokes on everything.
|
|
#
?
Nov 17, 2013 22:44
|
|
|
monster on a stick posted:What should we be looking for on the integrated graphics part of the specs? I have a three-year old Acer (i3 330UM) and it chokes on everything. It has been said that HD4000 is where and when Intel's IGFX became good; your chip is from 2 generations before HD4000. If you want a suggestion for a new mobile CPU, aim for an i5-4200U. If you can find an i5-3xxxM for cheaper, that is also a viable option. They come with HD4400 and HD4000 IGFX, respectively. Both will play most Source and indie fair at decent settings. Edit: Intel's listing of mobile i5s should give you an idea of what each i5 has. Look up benchmarks for the various IGFX for what games you play. P.N.T.M. fucked around with this message at 00:30 on Nov 18, 2013 |
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2013 00:25
|
|
|
Quick reference charts from the third or fourth post Nvidia/AMD chart for BF3 @ med. 1366x768 medium 4xAF *meant for general use only. Different games will have wildly different results based on the card, manufacturer, resolution, ram etc use at your own risk. Generally these are just to prove wether or not you can play indie games or year old AAA titles on your laptop And then 
|
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2013 02:45
|
|
|
P.N.T.M. posted:It has been said that HD4000 is where and when Intel's IGFX became good; your chip is from 2 generations before HD4000. If you want a suggestion for a new mobile CPU, aim for an i5-4200U. If you can find an i5-3xxxM for cheaper, that is also a viable option. They come with HD4400 and HD4000 IGFX, respectively. Both will play most Source and indie fair at decent settings. Thanks, that link is exactly what I was looking for. Most of the time I've just seen generic "Intel integrated video" without the version.
|
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2013 02:51
|
|
|
I had no idea that the HD4000 was actually fairly respectable. Awesome info, thanks!
|
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2013 05:46
|
|
|
The last laptop I owned was a 2010 MBP with matte 1680x1050 display. Budget: 1300 or less, also not opposed to used/refurbished. I already own a 240GB sandisk SSD I plan to use. I'm not opposed to OSX, but I need to run windows either way. I don't want anything ridiculously bulky but anything similar to the mbp I had is fine w/ me. Things that are important: ****Trackpad - I have loved the macbook pro trackpad since the unibody was released. If there is anything on par that is a PC, please let me know. build quality - doesn't have to be the absolute best, but I want to be able to throw it in a backpack and not worry, would prefer close to no flex if possible battery life - I'd like more than 4.5 hours on battery minimum screen - IPS no less than 1080 unless there is a 1600x900 that is just really nice Graphics - I want to play blizzard games, LoL, Source games, indie games If I could have 2 hdd that would be sweet. addtl thoughts: This is kind of weird but I like really boxy, straight lines. I like the laptop to be the same thickness all over. I actually really like how the clevo w740su looks. I would have purchased this already but I just don't know about them. And they say the speakers are basically completely awful? CPU - Are these ULV processors very capable? I feel like I want a full i5 or i7 haswell proc, but I'm not opposed to these ULV processors in the ultrabooks if they can do everything I need. If I could upgrade the RAM/HDD myself that would be a +. Tasks: Visual Studio 2010 or 2012, chrome with many tabs, lots of video streaming, light gaming mentioned above, Magic the gathering online. snoozeallday fucked around with this message at 05:59 on Nov 18, 2013 |
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2013 05:56
|
|
|
Month long report for the Lenovo U410 Touch The computer is still doing great. Battery life seems to be doing well for when I need it. I got this model which notably lacked an msata ssd while most similar models came with it, but it's been plenty fast. The sizing is perfect and makes it extremely portable. I can't understate just how great the proportions are. Video plays fast, and I find I'm still using the touch screen regularly, especially to do two Windows 8 apps side by side (Usually 1/4th chat, 3/4s chrome). In terms of changes I had to make to better the machine, I had to do color calibration (Reds were a little off), delete an audio driver (an nVidia one it came with is doing the job now), and I set the battery controller to look out for battery health instead of length (I rarely use the battery and if I do it's only for a few hours). It's played every game I toss on it with relative ease including Alpha Protocol, Bioshock Infinite, Metro 2033, and DOTA2. It switches between using the dedicated 710m card and the intel hd 4000 pretty flawlessly. I've yet needed to tell it what programs to use one or the other for. I picked mine up for around 400 on lenovo's outlet site. Whenever they drop several hundred, a few seems to be there. The easiest way to find them is to sort by the U series, then ctr+f '710m' and make sure it says multitouch on the screen. Make sure you also check the keyboard to see that it is not french-english. If you're fine with a non IPS screen and 5 - 7 hours battery life depending on wifi/brightness/video and you want a good keyboard it seems pretty solid.
|
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2013 07:26
|
|
|
My T440s is arriving soon. Are there any guides on how to easily swap the spinny HDD with an SSD? I don't mean how to unscrew the thing, but rather how to transfer all the data from the spinny drive to the SSD without needing external enclosures etc.
|
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2013 12:24
|
|
|
snoozeallday posted:The last laptop I owned was a 2010 MBP with matte 1680x1050 display.
|
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2013 14:06
|
|
|
I'm looking for a cheap laptop for doing web work on my couch (don't need photoshop, just a browser). I was looking at the Acer C7200-2800 Chromebook but I can't find it in stock anywhere, and they're about to ship a new version of the C720 that isn't Haswell. Ideas? Wait until Black Friday?
|
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2013 15:40
|
|
|
Anti-Derivative posted:My T440s is arriving soon. If you have the recovery discs, then you should go check out the Win8.1 thread for instructions on how to install using those discs. Otherwise, you need an enclosure or USB->SATA adapter to have both the HDD and SSD connected at the same time. External enclosure with USB3 connectivity for 13.99 I'm not sure if you can find it any cheaper than this, but this is, by far, cheaper than most. First load the SSD into the enclosure. Use Macrium Reflect Free to copy all useful (by your definition) partitions. Once finished, swap the two drives. Personally, I used the info from the fourth post in this link on how to erase ALL partitions on my platter. It is quick, simple, and easy. From the sound of it, it should would with drives connected through USB as well. It leaves your platter ready to be formatted as a full storage drive. With a USB3 enclosure and HDD, you have a reliable back-up drive so you can save space on your SSD. Edit: Just checked, and my newegg link was bunk. Looked at their listing again, and found one for even cheaper. P.N.T.M. fucked around with this message at 16:46 on Nov 19, 2013 |
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2013 16:26
|
|
|
Bob Morales posted:Lightly used 2012 MacBook Pro (non-Retina?) If I can get a windows machine I'd rather do that instead of having to bootcamp the macbook. This is an option though, for sure.
|
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2013 16:34
|
|
|
mcsuede posted:I'm looking for a cheap laptop for doing web work on my couch (don't need photoshop, just a browser). I was looking at the Acer C7200-2800 Chromebook but I can't find it in stock anywhere, and they're about to ship a new version of the C720 that isn't Haswell. Ideas? Wait until Black Friday? How about the Surface RT? Seriously, I have one (perk of working at MS) and it's perfect for web browsing, watching movies, stuff like that. The keyboard is nice since you can just flip it out of the way when you aren't using it.
|
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2013 16:35
|
|
|
snoozeallday posted:The last laptop I owned was a 2010 MBP with matte 1680x1050 display. Dell Inspirion 7000 15 inch top of the line model. Heavy-ish, meh keyboard and rather tame CPU but good screen and pretty solid graphics for something that isn't a gaming laptop. Also satisfies your boxy straight lines fetish.
|
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2013 17:09
|
|
|
Seamonster posted:Dell Inspirion 7000 15 inch top of the line model. Heavy-ish, meh keyboard and rather tame CPU but good screen and pretty solid graphics for something that isn't a gaming laptop. Also satisfies your boxy straight lines fetish. lmao. Don't make this dirty for me..
|
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2013 17:27
|
|
|
Hey everybody, my mom is complaining about her computer and is itching for a new one. I'm thinking about it as a christmas present, need some suggestions. Basically, I want a fairly well designed laptop with a haswell chip, doesnt need to be i7, will definitely settle for i5. 8gb of ram should be good enough. 15" screen, graphics dont need to be anything special at all. I'll gladly take one with any old mechanical HD cause i plan on swapping it out for a samsung 840 evo anyways. No macs please. I was considering the Thinkpads everyone likes so much but a.)they seem to be all i7 b.)they're quite expensive. Any ideas?
|
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2013 18:47
|
|
|
The T540p should be available soon†. No idea what it's going to cost, though. The base T530 is only $636.75 right now. † For some definitions of "soon."
|
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2013 18:56
|
|
|
Tavistock posted:I went out and bought the yoga 2 pro and the thing is really amazing. It's exactly what I needed thanks for the suggestion. If anyone wants the dl on how it plays with Linux I'll post once I've dicked around with it more I got mine a week ago and put Linux on it right away. In short it works fine/great, just a few things related to install for screen to display, as well as mousepad tweaks to make the clicky buttons not act as a track pad. First few Google hits describe fixes.
|
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2013 19:49
|
|
|
falz posted:I got mine a week ago and put Linux on it right away. In short it works fine/great, just a few things related to install for screen to display, as well as mousepad tweaks to make the clicky buttons not act as a track pad. First few Google hits describe fixes. How is the trackpad on that thing? What a beautiful machine.
|
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2013 20:04
|
|
|
Track pad is the worst part of it in my opinion. Still tweaking to be done in the Linux side. I only booted in to windows once so I don't recall if it was acceptable there or not.
|
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2013 21:03
|
|
|
So for laptops in general, can I expect big price cuts for Black Friday/Cyber Monday, or not really, or does it vary from retailer to retailer? I'm considering springing on something, but I'm on a shoestring budget right now and could use a good sale.
|
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2013 21:12
|
|
|
Philip Rivers posted:So for laptops in general, can I expect big price cuts for Black Friday/Cyber Monday, or not really, or does it vary from retailer to retailer? I'm considering springing on something, but I'm on a shoestring budget right now and could use a good sale. Most of the blowouts are going to be poo poo products. The good stuff won't magically be $300 cheaper but there may be a deal or two to be had
|
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2013 21:41
|
|
|
falz posted:Track pad is the worst part of it in my opinion. Still tweaking to be done in the Linux side. I only booted in to windows once so I don't recall if it was acceptable there or not. I think several people said to disable the accidental palm touch thing and it gets exponentially better if using win8. Although since you're using linux you'll just have to play with to get it just right.
|
|
#
?
Nov 19, 2013 07:11
|
|
|
Are the ThinkPad Edge series generally well regarded? I know they're on the budget end when compared to the other ThinkPad models, but my wife values the full size keyboard pretty much above all else and her laptop poo poo the bed tonight. She works in finance, and probably uses the numpad more than the rest of the keyboard. There's a bit of a deal going tonight on the Aussie Lenovo site and I can pick up an E540 with i5-4200, 8GB of RAM and 1080p screen at a price that I'm happy with (I'll install my own SSD when it arrives). Just want to make sure they aren't miserable pieces of poo poo before I hit the BUY IT button.
|
|
#
?
Nov 19, 2013 11:40
|
|
|
I'm pretty sure the Yoga 2 Pro wifi issues are real. I've had wifi issues since day 1, mostly through my school's wifi but not at home. I've updated all the drivers (including the one that was released last week). Oddly enough if I use an external wifi adapter everything works fine, so I've been using that temporary fix while Lenovo figures out what's wrong.
|
|
#
?
Nov 19, 2013 14:57
|
|
|
monster on a stick posted:How about the Surface RT? Seriously, I have one (perk of working at MS) and it's perfect for web browsing, watching movies, stuff like that. The keyboard is nice since you can just flip it out of the way when you aren't using it. It's almost twice as expensive as the Acer haswell chromebook and it's overkill for what I need this machine for (working). I have no issues with the Surface but it doesn't fit the bill in this case.
|
|
#
?
Nov 19, 2013 16:31
|
|
|
My old laptop died and I've been looking at ultrabooks since I travel a fair bit. Thanks to this thread, I've been looking at the Best Buy Yoga 2 Pro, but I noticed that it's only got 4GB of onboard RAM. If I'm looking to buy and keep it for 4-5 years, how realistic is 4GB? None of my uses are particularly robust - web surfing, Office, GOG.com-era gaming, maybe some Hearthstone. I feel like I could probably get away with it just fine, but something about just not being to upgrade at all has me concerned.
|
|
#
?
Nov 19, 2013 18:53
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 11, 2024 10:39 |
|
|
For that type of use case, 4 gigs of ram is not going to be a serious handicap, not now, and not for a very long time. Especially with an SSD for swap.
|
|
#
?
Nov 19, 2013 20:21
|
|