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Got my new Y50 with the crazy high resolution. It definitely has its impact. Text is razor sharp, some images are blurryish, and games sometimes don't support it anyway, which has an effect. I cannot understate how impressed I am with the speakers on it though. Anyone have a recommendation for a USB 2.5" sata hard drive dock?
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Apr 18, 2015 15:37
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My buddy is currently on vacation in the UK, and is looking at buying a laptop for the first time. He's wanting something with 8GB or more RAM for music (recording, editing, etc.) and a half-decent GPU for a bit of gaming. He's not really a big gamer, so the latest and greatest GPU isn't necessary, but something more than Intel HD graphics would be desirable. I'm not really too clued-in about laptops but I figured something along the lines of the Lenovo Y50 (but lower-spec) might be worth looking into. He's hoping to spend around £500-£600 and willing to go up to £700 if something is really worth the extra cash, any recommendations? FWIW, he was mulling over this one: http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/laptops-netbooks/laptops/laptops/acer-aspire-v3-572pg-15-6-touchscreen-laptop-silver-10105305-pdt.html#cat-0 Doctor Albatross fucked around with this message at 16:32 on Apr 19, 2015 |
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Apr 19, 2015 16:30
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Doctor Albatross posted:My buddy is currently on vacation in the UK, and is looking at buying a laptop for the first time. He's wanting something with 8GB or more RAM for music (recording, editing, etc.) and a half-decent GPU for a bit of gaming. He's not really a big gamer, so the latest and greatest GPU isn't necessary, but something more than Intel HD graphics would be desirable. I'm not really too clued-in about laptops but I figured something along the lines of the Lenovo Y50 (but lower-spec) might be worth looking into. He's hoping to spend around £500-£600 and willing to go up to £700 if something is really worth the extra cash, any recommendations? God no, that's terrible. 15 inches, 1366x768 resolution, and a GPU that's not worth crap. Look for something with an 850m/860m minimum if he wants to play games at all. About the cheapest one that I can think of is the y50, but it's gonna be hard to find anything cheaper that doesn't compromise on resolution or something similar, and you can forget about an SSD.
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Apr 19, 2015 17:51
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So this is really interesting. The cable is a little short but I'm sure you could find something longer. 28w, 18v folding solar laptop power supply. "Can that power my laptop?" you ask, well according to my IvyBridge-class Thinkpad's power consumption meter, it pulls between 10w in power sipping mode and 18w in max performance mode while playing a game. So in full sunlight you might actually have enough power to charge the battery and run the laptop in full performance mode with the screen in full bright. And charge your high end phone for good measure. It runs about $100, search for "18v folding solar laptop" on ebay. They also make a 14w model which probably could give you some serious battery streeeeech for $60. I've seen a lot of these for sale with just the 5v USB (usually dual 5v USB) output for $45, but now with 18v (laptop) and USB (phone) it's potentially actually really, really useful. Of course, you have to have it in direct sunlight. It's going to be pretty useless at night or indoors, where your screen is easiest to read. And yeah, folded up it's probably almost as large as your laptop, and as heavy as a spare battery. From China, 14 and 28w models (2-8 weeks shipping) http://www.ebay.com/itm/18V-Portable-Foldable-Solar-Panel-Battery-Charger-Backup-For-Laptop-Computer-PC/201149834567 This one ships straight from the US (4-5 days shipping) http://www.ebay.com/itm/18V-28W-Portable-Folding-Solar-Panel-Battery-Charger-Backup-For-Laptops-Computer/190932960841  in this picture it looks like he's powering two phones off of a hub.  edit: amazon prime has them with 4.5 stars rating with 300+ reviews, but for $20 more, same brand it looks like Hadlock fucked around with this message at 20:14 on Apr 19, 2015 |
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Apr 19, 2015 19:52
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The Iron Rose posted:God no, that's terrible. 15 inches, 1366x768 resolution, and a GPU that's not worth crap. quote:Look for something with an 850m/860m minimum if he wants to play games at all. (I say this based on my previous dedicated GPU that was the Alienware M11x GPU ~3 years ago being bearable for GTA4, and modern integrated GPUs scoring higher than that GPU on literally all the metrics.)
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Apr 19, 2015 21:20
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GTA4 isn't what I'd call playable on an HD4600 (from a quad core so the fastest version) and I doubt the next gen makes enough of a difference to make it viable.
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Apr 19, 2015 21:51
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dissss posted:GTA4 isn't what I'd call playable on an HD4600 (from a quad core so the fastest version) and I doubt the next gen makes enough of a difference to make it viable. It won't look pretty, but technically playable, yeah. It won't drop down to an actual slideshow. It's definitely stretching it even at medium/low settings though.
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Apr 19, 2015 22:56
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Flipperwaldt posted:It is to my standards. I found out because apparently Optimus wasn't working on my laptop out of the box. Got hot as hell.  high tolerance for low quality buddy.And to "isn't what I'd call playable", yeah, I chose GTA4 because it's right on the threshold of what will work tolerably, so it's a good indicator of approximately where the "can play / can't play" line is. (And is well known enough to be meaningful.)
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Apr 20, 2015 00:29
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Okay so I'm thinking of buying a new laptop. I currently run a Toshiba Satellite with a dual core (hyperthreaded) i5 and 540m dedicated graphics. I generally just do light gaming (steam games under $25) and stuff like web browse, media consumption, and file storage (I make homebrew PSP games, root my Android devices, etc). However, on occasion, I edit video and audio using adobe stuff for work and I'm not near my desktop to do it. I was thinking of selling the Satellite to a friend and buying a used Asus ROG G75VW (goes for about $700 on eBay) which comes with Ivy Bridge i7 and a 660m (good for cuda). Link: http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=131479762224&alt=web Should I go with that or are there better options in the $600-$700 price range? I'll buy used and I already have an SSD to install with it. I've seen that onboard graphics are good in many cases but is it even possible to get higher end onboard graphics in a good price range?
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Apr 20, 2015 02:21
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It would be an (incremental) upgrade, for sure. Why not just save up another 200-300 dollars and get a new computer with a modern i7 and gtx960m (Lenovo Y50 or Asus GL551JW-DS71)? You'd be getting a noticeably superior machine, and a warranty.
Mental Hospitality fucked around with this message at 03:55 on Apr 20, 2015 |
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Apr 20, 2015 03:52
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looking to upgrade laptop after gettin' my bonus, especially since my girlfriend would be able to use my current one instead. Want mainly a less-expensive gaming laptop--nothing crazy since I already have a PS4 for current gen poo poo but would really like something that can handle XCOM Enemy Unknown, Divinity Original Sin, MK9, poo poo like that which I cannot currently play at all. Would either of these Acers be suitable for playing older games like that? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...29e800ag8y00053 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...qfk800ag8y00053
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Apr 20, 2015 04:49
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MinibarMatchman posted:looking to upgrade laptop after gettin' my bonus, especially since my girlfriend would be able to use my current one instead. Want mainly a less-expensive gaming laptop--nothing crazy since I already have a PS4 for current gen poo poo but would really like something that can handle XCOM Enemy Unknown, Divinity Original Sin, MK9, poo poo like that which I cannot currently play at all. Would either of these Acers be suitable for playing older games like that? The second one would, the first one... ehhhhhhh not really. I often find I have a lot of lag with XCOM and had to turn Divinity: Original Sin down to medium on an 860. For XCOM it doesn't really matter so long as you don't have an integrated card so the 840 would probably be fine there, but a 860m gives you a lot more flexibility.
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Apr 20, 2015 05:03
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The Iron Rose posted:The second one would, the first one... ehhhhhhh not really. I often find I have a lot of lag with XCOM and had to turn Divinity: Original Sin down to medium on an 860. For XCOM it doesn't really matter so long as you don't have an integrated card so the 840 would probably be fine there, but a 860m gives you a lot more flexibility. my budget is a little flexible so if there is a better alternative for like $200-300 more, I'd be willing to take the plunge
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Apr 20, 2015 05:13
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MinibarMatchman posted:my budget is a little flexible so if there is a better alternative for like $200-300 more, I'd be willing to take the plunge You're not going to find much better than that acer or a Y50 for ~800-900 bucks. A 965m/970m, which are significantly better than an 860m for reference, are generally only found in ~$1400 laptops or thereabouts. Buy the second acer and a 500 gb samsung 850 EVO SSD. It doesn't come with one and it's way cheaper to install your own aftermarket, and if you're not really playing new AAA games an 860m is more than sufficient.
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Apr 20, 2015 05:21
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SouthLAnd posted:It would be an (incremental) upgrade, for sure. Why not just save up another 200-300 dollars and get a new computer with a modern i7 and gtx960m (Lenovo Y50 or Asus GL551JW-DS71)? You'd be getting a noticeably superior machine, and a warranty. The Asus looks really good and it seems reasonably priced. A little apprehensive about the single exhaust fan. My current Toshiba gets pretty hot (90C under heavy load according to Speccy) so I was looking for something with better cooling than the potentially inefficient single fan cooling.
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Apr 20, 2015 05:33
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The Iron Rose posted:You're not going to find much better than that acer or a Y50 for ~800-900 bucks. A 965m/970m, which are significantly better than an 860m for reference, are generally only found in ~$1400 laptops or thereabouts. the lenovo Y50 seems like it has comparable stats but with a better build. Worth it to just go for that instead of the Acer? Also heard the Alienware 13 was comparable GPU but had better cooling/laptop build. edit: could also stretch my budget to get an Alienware 15, as long as it's the Core i5 version. DLC Inc fucked around with this message at 14:26 on Apr 20, 2015 |
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Apr 20, 2015 14:09
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Does anyone have experience with the Microsoft Surface Pro 3? Are there better options for portable lightweight laptop that could be used as a tablet? Would be used for word/excel/access, light gaming, media consumption, internet.
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Apr 20, 2015 15:36
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Massasoit posted:Does anyone have experience with the Microsoft Surface Pro 3? Are there better options for portable lightweight laptop that could be used as a tablet?
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Apr 20, 2015 15:53
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Massasoit posted:Does anyone have experience with the Microsoft Surface Pro 3? Are there better options for portable lightweight laptop that could be used as a tablet? No. It's fantastic. That said, I'd try out the keyboard in store to make sure you're okay with it.
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Apr 20, 2015 17:17
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You can actually get a 965M in a Clevo for like 900 bucks, super deal if you want to play more than indie games but don't want to splurge on a 970M+. Really the 965M looks amazing for what it is.
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Apr 20, 2015 18:21
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Straker posted:You can actually get a 965M in a Clevo for like 900 bucks, super deal if you want to play more than indie games but don't want to splurge on a 970M+. Really the 965M looks amazing for what it is. what about the P505? looks like the screen is 15'' instead of 17 but it has a 980m and looks almost the same as the P705.
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Apr 20, 2015 22:32
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I don't really know much about Clevo bodies other than that they're pretty cheap, sorry... I was thinking of this when I posted that: http://slickdeals.net/f/7782723-clevo-p157sm-a-15-6-gaming-laptop-i5-i7-gtx-965m-1080p-display-8gb-ddr3-500gb-7200rpm-hdd-for-850-950-no-os I think you can get pretty much any GPU in any body so I don't think a 980M is a hallmark of that particular model? I don't think it's still possible to replicate that deal, but means it's definitely possible/realistic to get something better than an 860M for less than/right around $1000.
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Apr 20, 2015 22:47
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The Surface Pro 3 is a fantastic piece of hardware, A+ You're buying a tablet with a removable magnetically attached keyboard, if that's your bag. It's a PC, but you really have to be committed to that form factor.
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Apr 20, 2015 23:11
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My netbook I have is finally dying on me after several years and is blue screen crashing 2-3 times a day, more as the day goes on. Things that are important to me are that it has a high resolution screen, responsive touchpad that can scroll, and can handle streaming hd video like youtube and netflix with several chrome tabs open at once. Other than this, that is pretty much it. I have a gaming PC already so this is just for traveling/browsing internet in bed and on the couch and stuff. I was thinking about getting a Chromebook for this. I think I might miss being able to store actual files and maybe a game here or there on it, but I really never use it for anything other than websurfing/videos. Is there a good chromebook out there for me that isn't too pricey?
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Apr 21, 2015 00:27
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GeauxSteve posted:My netbook I have is finally dying on me after several years and is blue screen crashing 2-3 times a day, more as the day goes on. Things that are important to me are that it has a high resolution screen, responsive touchpad that can scroll, and can handle streaming hd video like youtube and netflix with several chrome tabs open at once. Other than this, that is pretty much it. I have a gaming PC already so this is just for traveling/browsing internet in bed and on the couch and stuff. I was thinking about getting a Chromebook for this. I think I might miss being able to store actual files and maybe a game here or there on it, but I really never use it for anything other than websurfing/videos. Is there a good chromebook out there for me that isn't too pricey? Why not the HP Stream 11? Basically the same thing as a chromebook, but you can store files and poo poo on it too. Downside is the resolution isn't as good (1336x768), but being cheap and durable while running windows at that price point is a huge plus
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Apr 21, 2015 00:32
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Yeah, let's talk Chromebooks, because I've had mine for 1 day and it's about to go out the window. All I want the drat thing to do is allow me to write, but this is impossible as Google Docs has a 2-3 sec auto-save lag after EVERY character and Office Online refuses to open the file I need to work on. I'm praying that there's an easy fix that someone here knows or I'm shipping it back and buying a cheap laptop.
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Apr 21, 2015 00:35
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I'm looking for a laptop of some sort with an SSD & IPS screen to play a Minecraft client & watch YouTube. 14" or less, hopefully less than $700. I found a few x240 on the Lenovo outlet that might work, but I'm wary about the cooling. I'm going to be holding it on my lap when I play and I don't want to get scorched. And also the fps in Minecraft should be at between 30-60. Suggestions? Portability and battery life aren't important.
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Apr 21, 2015 00:41
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The Iron Rose posted:Why not the HP Stream 11? Basically the same thing as a chromebook, but you can store files and poo poo on it too. Downside is the resolution isn't as good (1336x768), but being cheap and durable while running windows at that price point is a huge plus Can it handle HD video and stuff? I was looking on Amazon and it only has 2 gigs of RAM. I'd probably feel okay spending around 300-350 on something. http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2375736,00.asp is the netbook I currently have. I'd want something that would hopefully be as good or better performance wise (if thats possible)
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Apr 21, 2015 00:41
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GeauxSteve posted:Can it handle HD video and stuff? I was looking on Amazon and it only has 2 gigs of RAM. I'd probably feel okay spending around 300-350 on something. http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2375736,00.asp is the netbook I currently have. I'd want something that would hopefully be as good or better performance wise (if thats possible) Most chromebooks only have 2 gigs of RAM too. It won't reallllly be a problem for most of the work that you'd be doing. Sure you can't have 10+ youtube videos playing at the same time, but it can definitely handle HD video and the like, almost certainly better than your old netbook with an AMD(!) CPU.
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Apr 21, 2015 00:44
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The Iron Rose posted:Most chromebooks only have 2 gigs of RAM too. It won't reallllly be a problem for most of the work that you'd be doing. Sure you can't have 10+ youtube videos playing at the same time, but it can definitely handle HD video and the like, almost certainly better than your old netbook with an AMD(!) CPU. Interesting. Do you think I'd get much better performance than my netbook? All I'm really doing is browsing/shitposting on forums and watching a couple streaming videos at the same time. If it performs better than this might be what I am looking for The screensize and resolution on the Stream 11 looks good for me. How does it compare to the Stream 13? GeauxSteve fucked around with this message at 00:53 on Apr 21, 2015 |
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Apr 21, 2015 00:49
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GeauxSteve posted:Interesting. Do you think I'd get much better performance than my netbook? If it performs better than this might be what I am looking for The screensize and resolution on the Stream 11 looks good for me. How does it compare to the Stream 13? Probably? Honestly you're not going to be getting great performance at this price range anyway but AMD CPUs are loving awful so just about anything would be better I imagine. E: The celeron in the stream should be significantly better, but it's still a budget processor so keep that in mind. It's no i-series. Dunno how it compares to the Stream 13 to be honest, but if the specs are the same choose the size that you'd prefer. Keep in mind that the smaller the computer the better the resolution will look comparatively. Another option is keeping your eye out for a used or refurb T420. I picked one up on sale for my brother 6 months back or so for $400. Came with 1600x900 resolution, 8 gigs of RAM, and a 128 gig SSD. That's a fantastic deal and honestly a computer like that would also serve you well. Downsides of the thinkpad would be the increased price, you'd have trouble finding one for that price in the first place, and battery life would be worse. Upsides are the better screen, the fact that it's a thinkpad product (A.K.A. literally the computers used in outer space - it's not going to fail on you and it had great warranty support), and it'll be significantly more powerful. E2: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lenovo-Thin...=item2ee00406b4 Not a great price for what you get so shop around, but buy that, spend $100 on a 250 gig Samsung 850 EVO and bam, you have a great computer that'll last you for years. e3: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lenovo-Thin...=item4194be6657 this isn't bad either, but I'm not sure what the "pressure spot" the seller is referring to, uh, refers to. Better specs and resolution though! The Iron Rose fucked around with this message at 01:05 on Apr 21, 2015 |
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Apr 21, 2015 00:54
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The Iron Rose posted:Probably? Honestly you're not going to be getting great performance at this price range anyway but AMD CPUs are loving awful so just about anything would be better I imagine. This is all super great info. I'm looking on Amazon and seeing a bunch of t420's for around 300 bucks which I could definitely swing http://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-Thinkpad-T420-Certified-Refurbished/dp/B00IUQUSGC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1429574378&sr=8-2&keywords=lenovo+t420 These specs seem much better for not much more money at all. Edit: Is there any reason not to get one of these over the Stream if its in my budget? My only complain is that its kinda bulky and I could definitely live without the CD drive. GeauxSteve fucked around with this message at 01:07 on Apr 21, 2015 |
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Apr 21, 2015 01:02
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The Iron Rose posted:Probably? Honestly you're not going to be getting great performance at this price range anyway but AMD CPUs are loving awful so just about anything would be better I imagine. You're making GBS threads all over the E-350, which was the best netbook processor of the whole 2010-2013 era. It came out and just dumped all over atom. I was able to play Starcraft II on a $400 netbook, that was incredible in 2011.
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Apr 21, 2015 01:04
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GeauxSteve posted:This is all super great info. I'm looking on Amazon and seeing a bunch of t420's for around 300 bucks which I could definitely swing http://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-Thinkpad-T420-Certified-Refurbished/dp/B00IUQUSGC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1429574378&sr=8-2&keywords=lenovo+t420 These specs seem much better for not much more money at all. You might have missed my edit! There's one on ebay with better specs yet for around a hundred bucks yet, but there might be a screen problem. I'd honestly suggest you go with ebay, as it's generally cheaper, you still get a warranty, and there's more room to upgrade the t420 with an SSD. Twerk from Home posted:You're making GBS threads all over the E-350, which was the best netbook processor of the whole 2010-2013 era. It came out and just dumped all over atom. I was able to play Starcraft II on a $400 netbook, that was incredible in 2011. Whoops! My bad, I saw AMD and didn't bother looking for further info on the CPU. I'm more used to their current gen parts having very niche usecases. It's still a very old CPU though.
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Apr 21, 2015 01:08
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What's the smallest, thinnest, lightest thing I can get away with that runs Windows without being disappointing/frustrating? I now have a monolithic $2K laptop so I don't really feel like dishing out for a Surface Pro 3 but that is also the reason I need something smaller  Basically I have a really good phone now too so my 2013 Nexus 7 is pretty much redundant, it's too slow and the screen's only an inch and a half bigger than any current flagship phone. I'd like something to functionally replace the N7, in between phone and superlaptop, ideally something running Windows as I'd like Flash/responsive html5 and full Chrome extensions (so I can work on it too, not just browse/check email), but given my other gadgets I don't mind limitations, I'd only need a few open tabs at a time... email, some static pages, maybe soundcloud or youtube or whatever. I guess if I'm working on it I'd have to do stuff like load 6-8 tabs worth of pages at once but then they'd just sit there, and I don't really need to run much else in the background. Are any of the Asus Transformers good enough, or is there anything like a fast netbook that doesn't quite meet ultrabook standards? edit: or I'd settle for Android/not being able to work on it if loving Nokia would release the N1 here already 
Straker fucked around with this message at 01:16 on Apr 21, 2015 |
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Apr 21, 2015 01:13
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Ah yeah I missed it. But yeah, the extra hundred bucks and the battery life aren't a huge deal to me at all. I think this might be what I'm looking for. I'll browse around on eBay and see what I can find.
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Apr 21, 2015 01:14
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GeauxSteve posted:Ah yeah I missed it. But yeah, the extra hundred bucks and the battery life aren't a huge deal to me at all. I think this might be what I'm looking for. I'll browse around on eBay and see what I can find. Most of the sellers on ebay don't report their resolution annoyingly so you'll probably have to message them about it. For memory, 4 gb should be fine for you as well. I'd look for 1600x900/4gb and then the size of the HDD is irrelevant since you should really replace it with an SSD anyway. Anything else you get is just gravy on the top. All that should run you maaaaaybe $250 or so? Add in the SSD for a hundred extra and it'll blow you away.
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Apr 21, 2015 01:18
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Brennanite posted:Yeah, let's talk Chromebooks, because I've had mine for 1 day and it's about to go out the window. All I want the drat thing to do is allow me to write, but this is impossible as Google Docs has a 2-3 sec auto-save lag after EVERY character and Office Online refuses to open the file I need to work on. I'm praying that there's an easy fix that someone here knows or I'm shipping it back and buying a cheap laptop.
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Apr 21, 2015 01:58
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GeauxSteve posted:This is all super great info. I'm looking on Amazon and seeing a bunch of t420's for around 300 bucks which I could definitely swing http://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-Thinkpad-T420-Certified-Refurbished/dp/B00IUQUSGC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1429574378&sr=8-2&keywords=lenovo+t420 These specs seem much better for not much more money at all. I just got outbid on a T440S for $435 if you can stretch your budget
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Apr 21, 2015 04:34
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Brennanite posted:Yeah, let's talk Chromebooks, because I've had mine for 1 day and it's about to go out the window. All I want the drat thing to do is allow me to write, but this is impossible as Google Docs has a 2-3 sec auto-save lag after EVERY character and Office Online refuses to open the file I need to work on. I'm praying that there's an easy fix that someone here knows or I'm shipping it back and buying a cheap laptop. What Chromebook do you have? My general rule when recommending Chromebooks is to get one with an Intel chip. The Tegra/ARM Chromebooks aren't all that great imo, but I'm hoping those RockChip ones change my mind. I had a Dell Chromebook 11 that was a solid secondary machine. teagone fucked around with this message at 04:57 on Apr 21, 2015 |
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Apr 21, 2015 04:54
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