|
The Iron Rose posted:try the aorus x3 instead perhaps? It's a fair sight nicer than the Alienware 13, though the Razer Blade is pretty decent at that form factor. Why do you think it's nicer?
|
#
?
Dec 10, 2016 03:08
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 26, 2024 20:12 |
|
|
Quadrapellegiance posted:Got it. I'll just plan on finding a better used machine to give this child later - I suspect having "their own computer" even if it sucks will make them very happy. It's more that none of us really had even 200-300 dollars to spend on something like a chromebook or even a used T420 which I would have strongly preferred to this. Yeah, it'll be nice. I got a P2 desktop when I was about that age and although it was way slower than our family's main P4 system, I still had lots of fun pushing it to its limits with Quake III and tinkering with it all day instead of having to share. Your T60 will still have no problem running Windows 10 or some Linux variant with an SSD especially, and you could bump it up to 4GB of RAM if you want a cheap upgrade later.
|
|
#
?
Dec 10, 2016 03:22
|
|
|
Looking for a laptop for school and travel.
* Battery life: The more, the merrier. * 11"-14" * $300 or below would be ideal. * There will be a LOT of writing done on this machine, so a sturdy keyboard is a must. (I've really enjoyed my Lenovo machines' keyboards.) Any suggestions?
|
|
#
?
Dec 10, 2016 08:47
|
|
|
Chromebook or read the OP
|
|
#
?
Dec 10, 2016 08:51
|
|
|
Mu Zeta posted:read the OP I did, but it seemed likely that new items might have hit the market since February 2015.
|
|
#
?
Dec 10, 2016 09:32
|
|
|
budgieinspector posted:I did, but it seemed likely that new items might have hit the market since February 2015. literally the first line is "updated August 16, 2016"
|
|
#
?
Dec 10, 2016 11:22
|
|
Cat Army 
|
What's the best way to sell a new barely used laptop (Yoga 710 15 inch) and get as much of my money back as possible? I can't return it. Nothing is wrong with it, it just can't do what I needed it to.
|
|
#
?
Dec 10, 2016 12:43
|
|
|
The Iron Rose posted:literally the first line is "updated August 16, 2016" Yeah, and it's an update directed at PC gamers, whereas the general list of recommendations begins after the end of that update, beneath the words "edit 2/27/15". I really did read the OP.
|
|
#
?
Dec 10, 2016 15:17
|
|
|
The Laptop Megathread: Which laptop is best for bad-posting?
|
|
#
?
Dec 10, 2016 15:56
|
|
|
budgieinspector posted:Looking for a laptop for school and travel. Well at that price you're looking at an old Thinkpad (t420 or something) and throwing a SSD in there and even then you'll be over $300. That or a chromebook but that's not really a laptop then. You really need to get up to like $600 to $900 if you want a sturdy keyboard and current gen depending on if sturdy keyboard means Business laptop or not. $300 is chromebook/cheapest cheap rear end laptop with lovely keyboard and a 1366x768 resolution screen that'll fall apart in 6 months land. edit: basically the OP is still right, just increment the model numbers up by 1 in most cases. So replace t450s/t550 with t460s/t460p/t560? Replace the W series with the P series. Keep used t420s as is since you don't want a used t440 due to the really bad clickpad in the haswell lenovos. MagusDraco fucked around with this message at 16:42 on Dec 10, 2016 |
|
#
?
Dec 10, 2016 16:38
|
|
|
havenwaters posted:That or a chromebook but that's not really a laptop then. Why does a Chromebook not count as a laptop? Sounds perfect for this budget and use case.
|
|
#
?
Dec 10, 2016 18:30
|
|
|
NewFatMike posted:Why does a Chromebook not count as a laptop? Sounds perfect for this budget and use case. Well I guess it just depends on what he needs. Doesn't help that I'm a little ignorant on what all chromebooks can do without an internet connection.
|
|
#
?
Dec 10, 2016 18:57
|
|
|
havenwaters posted:edit: basically the OP is still right, just increment the model numbers up by 1 in most cases. So replace t450s/t550 with t460s/t460p/t560? Replace the W series with the P series. Keep used t420s as is since you don't want a used t440 due to the really bad clickpad in the haswell lenovos. Gracias!
|
|
#
?
Dec 10, 2016 19:16
|
|
|
One more question on Chromebooks since I'm still on the fence between Chromebook + Quickbooks Online or a laptop - what is typical input/output lag like when using clients like that? I assume most of it depends on a good connection but given good internet are they usually pretty smooth or am I waiting 3-4 seconds in between clicks?
|
|
#
?
Dec 10, 2016 21:09
|
|
|
budgieinspector posted:Gracias! Also keep in mind we're on the cusp of Kaby Lake so all the product lines are being refreshed now/sometime between last month and March-April for business laptops. So there's a decent chance you'll find firesale Skylake laptops. Don't think they'll be $300 cheap but there should be a discounts on the outlet stores as they clear stock. MagusDraco fucked around with this message at 21:18 on Dec 10, 2016 |
|
#
?
Dec 10, 2016 21:15
|
|
|
Anybody have an idea on how easy/difficult it is to replace the screen on a Toshiba Chromebook 2? My dog had a part in cracking mine and I'm wondering if I should attempt a swap or just buy new. I think the panel runs about $50 Krime fucked around with this message at 21:36 on Dec 10, 2016 |
|
#
?
Dec 10, 2016 21:27
|
|
|
havenwaters posted:Well I guess it just depends on what he needs. Doesn't help that I'm a little ignorant on what all chromebooks can do without an internet connection. Offline document editing with Google Drive products is definitely a thing they can do. Local media playback if you have movies and the like, too. Once your Internet connection is back up, it'll sync your offline changes with the GDrive hosted ones.
|
|
#
?
Dec 10, 2016 21:55
|
|
|
Looking to get a new laptop for Christmas that can run Blizzard games (mainly WoW) and Rocket League, ideally under $1000. Current one is a giant heavy Alienware, so something not quite as heavy with a decent screen size. Any help would be appreciated!
|
|
#
?
Dec 10, 2016 23:05
|
|
|
budgieinspector posted:Looking for a laptop for school and travel. Chromebook, period. This is where I think I'd like to recommend one of the now-discontinued Toshiba CB 2 (2015)'s, but they're becoming more difficult to find and are marked up significantly even used. I often recommend the Acer R11 but I think I'd feel more comfortable recommending something a little bigger and faster; could you stomach a Dell CB 13 or Lenovo Thinkpad CB 13? The former is about $430 for the base model (the 3215U is fine and you don't absolutely need the touch panel) minus any discounts you may be able to find (or perhaps a used one) although the one thing to note is that they could theoretically refresh the line at any time. It's durable and is great all-around (display, backlit keyboard, touchpad, long battery life) albeit a little heavy (~3.6 lbs.) The Lenovo is similar in that it's a higher-end business-oriented device, and you can also get a base model (again, the 3855U is fine) with a FHD display (don't get the crappy base HD panel) for $430, or add $20 for a touchscreen, minus whatever the B&N discount takes off. I know those two devices are a little higher than you're looking for, but they check all your boxes and you'll be more satisfied with what you're getting. You're not going to find a good Windows laptop for <$300. I've never seen the Lenovo TP CB 13 in person, but everyone loves the Dell. idiotsavant posted:One more question on Chromebooks since I'm still on the fence between Chromebook + Quickbooks Online or a laptop - what is typical input/output lag like when using clients like that? I assume most of it depends on a good connection but given good internet are they usually pretty smooth or am I waiting 3-4 seconds in between clicks? Using Web versions of applications (e.g. Google Docs or Office.com) is not like running remote desktop software in a high-latency environment. It's almost like running applications locally. I mean, you can run all of those in your browser right now to test them out, so why don't you do that in the first place?  Krime posted:Anybody have an idea on how easy/difficult it is to replace the screen on a Toshiba Chromebook 2? My dog had a part in cracking mine and I'm wondering if I should attempt a swap or just buy new. I've never had to do that, but the Toshiba doesn't seem super-easy to operate on. That CB's display is really nice, though, so [particularly if it's the 2015 version] I'd actually pursue it's replacement, even if you have to pay a service to do it for you (otherwise the device could be worth a decent amount as parts.) If you do want to try it yourself, Google is your friend; it's probably going to go something like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXqREWolVtc Psikotik posted:Looking to get a new laptop for Christmas that can run Blizzard games (mainly WoW) and Rocket League, ideally under $1000. Current one is a giant heavy Alienware, so something not quite as heavy with a decent screen size. Any help would be appreciated! Neither game you mentioned is particularly demanding, and you could probably run them on Intel integrated graphics from a recent system; you certainly don't need to spend up to $1k to run them. Just look for some systems you like and then you can Google that particular CPU's performance. For example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VT2MPpKg8n0
|
|
#
?
Dec 10, 2016 23:48
|
|
|
Atomizer posted:Neither game you mentioned is particularly demanding, and you could probably run them on Intel integrated graphics from a recent system; you certainly don't need to spend up to $1k to run them. Just look for some systems you like and then you can Google that particular CPU's performance. For example: Thanks for the reply. I think my main concern is being able to update the hardware as time goes on, and I figured spending are little more would give me that option. Is that not a valid concern to have when it comes to a laptop?
|
|
#
?
Dec 11, 2016 00:07
|
|
|
Atomizer posted:Chromebook, period. This is where I think I'd like to recommend one of the now-discontinued Toshiba CB 2 (2015)'s, but they're becoming more difficult to find and are marked up significantly even used. I often recommend the Acer R11 but I think I'd feel more comfortable recommending something a little bigger and faster; could you stomach a Dell CB 13 or Lenovo Thinkpad CB 13? The former is about $430 for the base model (the 3215U is fine and you don't absolutely need the touch panel) minus any discounts you may be able to find (or perhaps a used one) although the one thing to note is that they could theoretically refresh the line at any time. It's durable and is great all-around (display, backlit keyboard, touchpad, long battery life) albeit a little heavy (~3.6 lbs.) The Lenovo is similar in that it's a higher-end business-oriented device, and you can also get a base model (again, the 3855U is fine) with a FHD display (don't get the crappy base HD panel) for $430, or add $20 for a touchscreen, minus whatever the B&N discount takes off. Interesting, thanks! Out of curiosity, is there a consensus on these? Lenovo N22 Lenovo Ideapad 100s
|
|
#
?
Dec 11, 2016 00:48
|
|
|
Psikotik posted:Thanks for the reply. I think my main concern is being able to update the hardware as time goes on, and I figured spending are little more would give me that option. Is that not a valid concern to have when it comes to a laptop? (With some Thinkpads you may also be able to replace the lovely trackpad or the screen.)
|
|
#
?
Dec 11, 2016 02:06
|
|
|
Psikotik posted:Looking to get a new laptop for Christmas that can run Blizzard games (mainly WoW) and Rocket League, ideally under $1000. Current one is a giant heavy Alienware, so something not quite as heavy with a decent screen size. Any help would be appreciated! Look for a used or refurbished laptop with a 970m. I'm sure you can find one that's 15 inches, smaller than that might be tricky. You could probably also try and find an XPS 15 with a 960m. Not a great video card, but it'll run Rocket League and WoW. Overwatch will probably be a bit much for it, my old Y50 with a 960m could only manage low @ 30 FPS @ 1080p.
|
|
#
?
Dec 11, 2016 02:55
|
|
|
The Iron Rose posted:Look for a used or refurbished laptop with a 970m. I'm sure you can find one that's 15 inches, smaller than that might be tricky. I play overwatch on an xps 15 with a 960m and get 60+ fps constantly with mid-high settings@1080p. So does everyone else- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5wxGzD9KA4. You had something wrong, probably throttling. greasyhands fucked around with this message at 03:15 on Dec 11, 2016 |
|
#
?
Dec 11, 2016 03:12
|
|
|
greasyhands posted:I play overwatch on an xps 15 with a 960m and get 60+ fps constantly with mid-high settings@1080p. So does everyone else- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5wxGzD9KA4. You had something wrong, probably throttling. Huh. Well, clearly something was wrong. No matter, I've a 1070 laptop right now and I'm living it up haha. But yeah in that case if all you care about is Blizzard games, look for 960m laptops instead. You can probably find one in a 14in or 13in form factor as well, and definitely for under $1000.
|
|
#
?
Dec 11, 2016 03:57
|
|
|
Atomizer posted:I mean, you can run all of those in your browser right now to test them out, so why don't you do that in the first place?
|
|
#
?
Dec 11, 2016 05:20
|
|
|
I've had an 11" MBA since 2013 (got that year's refresh) but the poor thing is losing it's battery. As it stands, it only lasts 2-3 hours now (which is still good compared to some things, I know, but that's due to the lovely screen and low power stuff) and I think it's finally time to move on. I'm not too married to the apple ecosystem; I've only invested like $10 into osx only programs, but I do like the unix underpinnings. I could get a replacement battery (as my only other issues are the general slowness (which really doesn't seem to be much worse than today) and the lovely screen (720p tn wtf)) but I might as well look into selling this for ~3-400 or however much I can get and get something with a newer battery and warranty support. In all honesty I might install some flavor of linux on a new laptop if the new ubuntu thing isn't good enough, and I have a desktop so I do not need power. I love the weight and size of the 11" air as it's perfect for my hands, and I'd need something similar in stature-- 13" would be too big, to be frank. A 1080p screen would be great (I don't know why the gently caress everyone seems to have a love affair with pseudo-4k tiny screens when all it does is suck battery life), as would an ssd that could be upgraded (if its even possible these days) and I could live with 4gb of ram, though obviously more is better. If Apple had been nice enough to continue working on the Air line, I'd probably just get a new 11" one, but they seem determined to retire it, so I might as well move back to windows. All I do on the laptop in order of frequency is browse the internet, watch video, stream from my computer or ps4, process words either in word or latex , and play the odd video game once in a while (though honestly everything can really be streamed so it's pretty much not a requirement) Unfortunately, due to the game streaming and latex requirement a chromebook is out, as all the latex options for it are poo poo or cost money, and game streaming is a deal breaker. So, to sum it up: either a new Air battery, or <=12" screen, (necessity) >= 900p & <= 1440p (absolute >, strong preference <) > i5 4250U (preferably) at least 4gb RAM (> preferably) > 128gb (if possible) > 6hr battery web browsing/video(necessity) Windows (necessity) Is there anything like this for less than a grand, or is it just a pipe dream? I've taken a look at the surface pros but I'm not too enamoured with the crappy battery life and the flimsy keyboard formfactor. The book, on the other hand, is very nice, but way too expensive for me at this time. My bonuses need to go towards student debt, not electronics  The Helix 2 looks interesting, though I'm not sure if the battery life would hold up, or if the construction is up to snuff. I enjoy the sturdiness of the macbooks. Watermelon Daiquiri fucked around with this message at 05:42 on Dec 12, 2016 |
|
|
#
?
Dec 12, 2016 05:32
|
|
|
Ynglaur posted:Why do you think it's nicer? Whoops, missed this. Anyways, thinner bezel, default 2 year warranty, it's significantly smaller and lighter and had that bitching per key RGB keyboard.
|
|
#
?
Dec 12, 2016 05:38
|
|
|
Watermelon Daiquiri posted:
XPS 13? Not a <=12" screen, but because of the razor-thin bezel it's about the same size as a 11" MBA. You can get them for under a grand, I know I saw a sale on a Kaby Lake 1080p model for $850 not long ago. (e: yeah, this) Meets every other requirement no problem. Eletriarnation fucked around with this message at 07:08 on Dec 12, 2016 |
|
#
?
Dec 12, 2016 07:04
|
|
|
Ooo, yeah, that does look good. I had previously discounted them due to the whole 13" screen and >1k things, but if something similar comes around again it's definitely something to look at. e: Although I'm seeing a ton of reports that the skylake XPS' have poo poo battery life and wifi issues, which is a huge knock against them... BTW, would a base model mid-'13 MBA 11 (i5, 4gb, 128gb sandisk, I'm assuming) with a 654 battery cycle count and a 'service battery' status fetch? $300? I'm thinking I should've seen if I could've replaced it under applecare a few months ago before it ran out... ah well Also, I will say I'll miss the apple trackpad enormously, as well as the magnetic power cable. Has anyone else ever come even close? I have some contenders here: Asus UX305CA which apparently has an amazing battery life basic m3 processor but rather comparable to what I have now 8gb RAM 256gb ssd 1080p IPS Little bit larger in all dimensions than mba <$500 open box at microcenter, $600 new Trackpad not that great the XPS 12 9250 Mediocre Battery Life (seems to be endemic to Dell) 2in1 design basic m5 a bit faster than mine 8gb RAM 128gb SSD 1080p IPS Similar size to mba, 0.5lb heavier would be weird in lap $640 Trackpad supposedly rather good or a 13" XPS Awesome dell bezel aesthetics normal laptop i5 a fair bit faster 8gb 128gb (upgradable) 1080p ips apparently bad battery life? touchpad seems good $700 used from amazon fulfillment, but no tax or shipping $730 refurb dell outlet, but will have tax at least... Are there any other good recommendations? To be honest, a super long battery isn't that important at the moment, as I don't really need to take my laptop anywhere anymore, however it would be nice. Also, if someone could comment on the dell battery life issues I've seen I'd appreciate it a bunch. I'm actually leaning towards the xps 13, all told. Watermelon Daiquiri fucked around with this message at 09:19 on Dec 12, 2016 |
|
|
#
?
Dec 12, 2016 07:40
|
|
|
The Iron Rose posted:try the aorus x3 instead perhaps? It's a fair sight nicer than the Alienware 13, though the Razer Blade is pretty decent at that form factor. It looks like it has a 970m and is >$2000 tho? Would a blade be better given that it has the 1060? Also, Im generally confused why it seems like the aero is giving so much more for decently less $.
|
|
#
?
Dec 12, 2016 14:31
|
|
|
Fusion Restaurant posted:It looks like it has a 970m and is >$2000 tho? Would a blade be better given that it has the 1060? Also, Im generally confused why it seems like the aero is giving so much more for decently less $. You're looking for the x3 v6, which is a refresh with the 1060. Still over 2k though.
|
|
#
?
Dec 12, 2016 17:10
|
|
|
budgieinspector posted:Yeah, and it's an update directed at PC gamers, whereas the general list of recommendations begins after the end of that update, beneath the words "edit 2/27/15". Yeah and nothing has substantially changed in a year, refurb Thinkpads are still the best non chromebook budget option, Dell XPS 13 is still the best PC laptop, and the prices haven't changed. The only change in a year is marginally better battery life and moderately larger SSD base option
|
|
#
?
Dec 12, 2016 17:26
|
|
|
A Surface Pro 2 with 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, and an Intel Core i5-4200U dual core... that's gotta be worth $400? I'm looking at medium wacom tablets by themselves and they're $300?
|
|
#
?
Dec 12, 2016 18:16
|
|
|
Help, thread. I am considering purchasing a big, dumb gaming laptop. I believe that my use case is fringe enough to justify such an expenditure, but I am open to suggestions and/or being told I am silly and need to re-evaluate my life choices. Use case and requirements: I already have a Surface Pro 4 as my mobile laptop and primary work machine. This will be a largely deskbound machine, and will spend most of its life plugged into a keyboard, mouse and 1440p monitor. I spend a significant amount of time working overseas (the UK) and fly back and forth several times per year. I currently use a Y50 which I purchased on this thread's recommendation nearly two years ago. It has been fine, but the 860m is getting a little long in the tooth, and struggles running Path of Exile at 1440p, much less anything more demanding. I'd like something that could feasibly run witcher 3 at 1440p without having to dial everything back, so am probably wanting a 1070. I will use this machine primarily for personal use, but am increasingly running VMs for work purposes and will likely find myself running a couple of instances of Server 2008 along with a few instances of windows 7 for testing training configurations. As such, I'll probably start out with 16 GB of ram, but will upgrade to 32 if needed. On the whole, I strongly dislike the styling on gaming laptops. I may need to bring this machine into the office from time to time for demo purposes and want something that won't embarrass me with its looks. I'm not real concerned about weight, since it won't be moving around a lot, and only ever expect to need 1-2 hours of battery life. I'd prefer to keep it at 15.6" however, since when I do need to move it it must fit into a padded case and then into a pannier. I'd like something with solid build quality though, since I'll want this to last 3 or so years of getting hauled around in carry on luggage and occasionally transported by bike. I am resigned to the fact that a laptop meeting the above criteria won't be cheap, and am expecting to pay something between $1400 and $1800. So far I've found the Clevo P650RS which looks like a good and decent looking option with all the branding removed. Anyone here got a trip report on these? Its my favorite option of those listed and looks like it is probably easier to service and upgrade than the other two. The Clevo P650RP6 looks to be nearly the same as the one above, but has a 1060 instead of a 1070. Is the lower power consumption of the 1060 a big factor on this laptop? I'm willing to pay for the substantial performance increase of the 1070, but only if its not going to end up sounding like a hairdryer and/or throttling under load. The MSI GT62 appears to have decent specs and build quality for the price, but looks pretty annoying. I guess I could live with it if I had to. The ASUS ROG GL502VS also suffers from too much edgy  styling but looks decent otherwise.Speak sense to me.
|
|
#
?
Dec 12, 2016 20:08
|
|
|
Are the battery life concerns for the xps 13 valid, or is just an old bios bug? I like the roughly 10 hrs of the zenbook, but it looks a bit run of the mill. Im actually really liking the xps 12 convertible thing. Someone talk me down pls
|
|
|
#
?
Dec 12, 2016 20:23
|
|
|
Watermelon Daiquiri posted:Im actually really liking the xps 12 convertible thing. Is this a model with a Broadwell Core M? I've heard a lot of negative things about performance for those compared to the 15W chips, you may want to check around and see if others have had success with the same applications you want to run on similar systems.
|
|
#
?
Dec 12, 2016 20:28
|
|
|
anothergod posted:A Surface Pro 2 with 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, and an Intel Core i5-4200U dual core... that's gotta be worth $400? I'm looking at medium wacom tablets by themselves and they're $300? Surface Pro devices are pretty great, there's nothing inherently wrong with that purchase for that use case
|
|
#
?
Dec 12, 2016 20:50
|
|
|
Longbike posted:Help, thread. A 1060 would also satisfy your requirements and is a better value proposition. You can also usually save money by choosing a model with an HDD and upgrading it to an SSD yourself, but ymmv. But if you want the 1070 and the SSD then those choices seem fine
|
|
#
?
Dec 12, 2016 22:14
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 26, 2024 20:12 |
|
|
VorpalFish posted:You're looking for the x3 v6, which is a refresh with the 1060. Still over 2k though. Hmm, does look a bit better specs than the Blade in exchange for looking worse. I actually just realized that Gigabyte has now released their Aero 14" w/ the 1060. Based purely on specs this seems like a better deal? I can either get similar specs to the Razer for $400~ less, or get way better (1 TB SSD vs 256 GB, 32 GB RAM vs 16, 1440p v 1080p) for the same price if I go with the Aero. My only concern is (1) that the aero has insane thermal throttling or is otherwise too good to be true and (2) only xotic pc sells them right now, and I'm not sure how good they are.
|
|
#
?
Dec 12, 2016 23:17
|
|