Register a SA Forums Account here!
JOINING THE SA FORUMS WILL REMOVE THIS BIG AD, THE ANNOYING UNDERLINED ADS, AND STUPID INTERSTITIAL ADS!!!

You can: log in, read the tech support FAQ, or request your lost password. This dumb message (and those ads) will appear on every screen until you register! Get rid of this crap by registering your own SA Forums Account and joining roughly 150,000 Goons, for the one-time price of $9.95! We charge money because it costs us money per month for bills, and since we don't believe in showing ads to our users, we try to make the money back through forum registrations.
 
  • Post
  • Reply
Thermopyle
Jul 1, 2003

...the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt. —Bertrand Russell

CFox posted:

Depends entirely on which games.

Yeah, so I'd default towards something with an nvidia something or the other...

Adbot
ADBOT LOVES YOU

ilkhan
Oct 7, 2004

I LOVE Musk and his pro-first-amendment ways. X is the future.
Totally OT, but how does she like the cricut? Does she actually use it for much?

Toast
Dec 7, 2002

GoonsWithSpoons.com :chef:Generalissimo:chef:
Anyone got a recommendation for a good cheap laptop (refurb ok) for browsing/netflix/photo holding, much as I'd love a gaming capable laptop I think that has to wait for a new laptop 18mos or so from now. Doesn't have to be crazy powerful but light and reasonable battery life would be nice as I mainly want it for travelling over the next couple months (another reason for cheapness as it could easily get stolen.) My old one has a cracked shell and is now taking 10m to boot up at the very best, 20 at the worst, pretty sure the HDD is going.

I'm in Canada but if there's a decent deal I could ship to the border and get my parents to snag it as they come back from the states in a week or so.

Mu Zeta
Oct 17, 2002

Me crush ass to dust

Check out the Chromebook thread? As for photo holding, put it in the cloud.

Toast
Dec 7, 2002

GoonsWithSpoons.com :chef:Generalissimo:chef:

Mu Zeta posted:

Check out the Chromebook thread? As for photo holding, put it in the cloud.

By photo holding I mean backup camera cards when shooting a lot while travelling (i.e. basically not a big deal at all)

Cloud really isn't an option when you're in a hostel somewhere remote though.

Thermopyle
Jul 1, 2003

...the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt. —Bertrand Russell

ilkhan posted:

Totally OT, but how does she like the cricut? Does she actually use it for much?

She likes it a lot. She's had the Explore Air 2 for a month or so. Her big problem right now is that she uses the Android app and it's harder to design things than if you were using the Chrome app (which requires a Windows-only plugin).

I think she'll keep using it because she's a crafty sorta person who sews stuff and diy's poo poo all the time.

Toast
Dec 7, 2002

GoonsWithSpoons.com :chef:Generalissimo:chef:
Considering this as an option:

x230

Anything I should be watching for on the X series specifically?

Hadlock
Nov 9, 2004

^^ it's a good laptop, get the IPS screen, don't get the normal TN glass

anothergod posted:

I'm guessing u still are working with that x230 huh?

Yep, It's living under my TV with a XBone controller plugged in to it, played through about 30 hours of skyrim on it on low settings, it's a glorious machine. Realllly looking forward to the X280

apropos man
Sep 5, 2016

You get a hundred and forty one thousand years and you're out in eight!
Just following up from my earlier query about the screen brightness on the T570.

It's nice. Probably not as bright as some of the higher-end laptops out there, but I'm very chuffed with it.

anothergod
Apr 11, 2016

Hadlock posted:

^^ it's a good laptop, get the IPS screen, don't get the normal TN glass


Yep, It's living under my TV with a XBone controller plugged in to it, played through about 30 hours of skyrim on it on low settings, it's a glorious machine. Realllly looking forward to the X280

God I loved that X230 766p screen and all. I'd still have it if I hadn't spilled a 30 yr old bottle of booze on it...

Atomizer
Jun 24, 2007



Chortles posted:

Not sure whether I should be looking here or the SFF/mITX thread but I'm looking to replace my mITX system that I assembled almost five years ago (i5-3570K, 8 GB DDR3, 660 Ti 2 GB) with either a SFF/UCFF system or a desktop replacement laptop, in either case with an eye towards VR support and around a $1000 price, so as far as laptops I'm mainly looking at either the Acer Predator Helios 300 15.6 inch version for US$999.99 at Amazon or, because it's also US$999.99 through December 31st at Microcenter, the Dell Inspiron 15 7577.

Thoughts: your current desktop is similar to mine (3770k, 16 GB, and a 1070 that was upgraded from the 660 Ti) and I use it in its current form for VR (among other gaming.) You could certainly just upgrade the GPU (a 1060 would be reasonable in terms of price/performance) and get usable VR performance. If you really need an SFF system, note that you really have to make sure the case can both accommodate whatever GPU you want to use in terms of size, cooling, and power supply. Beyond that, I recommend the Helios 300 as the best 1060 gaming laptop (and it's VR capable of course) as nothing else comes close (new, at least) for that price/performance ratio.

Thermopyle posted:

Wife needs a laptop (because of space issues not for portability) recommendation. She uses a chromebook extensively, but her Cricut craft cutter requires Windows. Since she has to buy something anyway she'd like something that can play some games, but she doesn't know which games. She doesn't really like the looks of thinkpads :(. Anything for less than $750? Something used is perfectly fine.

If she doesn't need a laptop, then how about a SFF desktop? Exactly what kind of system she needs totally depends on what kind of games it's supposed to run, but I usually start the recommendations with an Acer E 15 that has a 940MX and a 2C4T ULV CPU. Versions of it (Acer has a shitton of variants for every laptop it makes) run in the $500-600 range, but there's an upgraded version with a MX150 and 4C8T CPU for $600. That combo (the GPU's a GT 1030 2 GB) will be good for FHD gaming at modest details. Any other recommendations will require some knowledge of the games you need it to run, again.

For the SFF recommendation, you can get one of those off-lease Sandy Bridge/Ivy Bridge desktops (like $200 from eBay) and throw in a 1030 or 1050 to get a cheap ($300-400) entry-level Windows gaming machine (that can also operate that cutting thing that looks like a feminine version of a 3D printer.)

Toast posted:

Anyone got a recommendation for a good cheap laptop (refurb ok) for browsing/netflix/photo holding, much as I'd love a gaming capable laptop I think that has to wait for a new laptop 18mos or so from now. Doesn't have to be crazy powerful but light and reasonable battery life would be nice as I mainly want it for travelling over the next couple months (another reason for cheapness as it could easily get stolen.) My old one has a cracked shell and is now taking 10m to boot up at the very best, 20 at the worst, pretty sure the HDD is going.

I'm in Canada but if there's a decent deal I could ship to the border and get my parents to snag it as they come back from the states in a week or so.

You can use a Chromebook for this. You could take it with you along with an external HDD and transfer photos from your flash media to the HDD using the CB.

apropos man posted:

Just following up from my earlier query about the screen brightness on the T570.

It's nice. Probably not as bright as some of the higher-end laptops out there, but I'm very chuffed with it.



That's not the first time I've had to Google that word. :3:

Worf
Sep 12, 2017

If only Seth would love me like I love him!

Re: sff gpus

I've purchased a couple zotac cards and they make a 1060/6gb thats real small, decently priced, and kicks rear end at 1080p on max settings

Thermopyle
Jul 1, 2003

...the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt. —Bertrand Russell

Atomizer posted:

If she doesn't need a laptop, then how about a SFF desktop? Exactly what kind of system she needs totally depends on what kind of games it's supposed to run, but I usually start the recommendations with an Acer E 15 that has a 940MX and a 2C4T ULV CPU. Versions of it (Acer has a shitton of variants for every laptop it makes) run in the $500-600 range, but there's an upgraded version with a MX150 and 4C8T CPU for $600. That combo (the GPU's a GT 1030 2 GB) will be good for FHD gaming at modest details. Any other recommendations will require some knowledge of the games you need it to run, again.

For the SFF recommendation, you can get one of those off-lease Sandy Bridge/Ivy Bridge desktops (like $200 from eBay) and throw in a 1030 or 1050 to get a cheap ($300-400) entry-level Windows gaming machine (that can also operate that cutting thing that looks like a feminine version of a 3D printer.)

She's not likely to be playing anything requiring the highest horsepower....she won't be playing FPS games for example.

I realize this goes in the SFF thread probably, but can you link me an example of the off-lease type of system you're talking about? A SFF + monitor + keyboard isn't ideal, but it's also a lot cheaper...

FoneBone
Oct 24, 2004
stupid, stupid rat creatures
I bought a Lenovo gaming laptop 5 years ago, and have been very happy with it, but its hard drive is on its way out and it's probably about time for me to replace it.

Looking for something:

    sub-$1000
    Has an SSD drive
    Has 500GB+ of storage in total
    Can run newer high-end games playably (not necessarily at max settings or a full 1080p)

The most promising option I've found so far is this MSI system at Newegg, for $949 (before an additional $50 rebate, eventually). Would anyone have alternative recommendations?

Worf
Sep 12, 2017

If only Seth would love me like I love him!

FoneBone posted:

I bought a Lenovo gaming laptop 5 years ago, and have been very happy with it, but its hard drive is on its way out and it's probably about time for me to replace it.

Looking for something:

    sub-$1000
    Has an SSD drive
    Has 500GB+ of storage in total
    Can run newer high-end games playably (not necessarily at max settings or a full 1080p)

The most promising option I've found so far is this MSI system at Newegg, for $949 (before an additional $50 rebate, eventually). Would anyone have alternative recommendations?

https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Predato...ords=helios+300 + whatever hard drive you currently have (it has a m2 and regular sata slot and comes with an m2 drive)

was just playing battlefront 2 on mine, runs & looks great

Prescription Combs
Apr 20, 2005
   6
Shame that Acer doesn't have TB3. Great looking machine otherwise.

Atomizer
Jun 24, 2007



Statutory Ape posted:

Re: sff gpus

I've purchased a couple zotac cards and they make a 1060/6gb thats real small, decently priced, and kicks rear end at 1080p on max settings

I was specifically thinking not of those "mini" (or actually mini-ITX) cards, but of the low-profile/half-height ones. But yeah there are some gaming-specific SFF cases that can fit a full-height card because they use a riser to rotate it.

Thermopyle posted:

She's not likely to be playing anything requiring the highest horsepower....she won't be playing FPS games for example.

I realize this goes in the SFF thread probably, but can you link me an example of the off-lease type of system you're talking about? A SFF + monitor + keyboard isn't ideal, but it's also a lot cheaper...

So while this is not the cheapest of the cheap, this just popped up today and is nicely equipped. Otherwise, you can peruse the off-lease options on Newegg, eBay, etc. for the cheapest of the cheap, something like this and just upgrade as necessary. You could buy the latter example and add RAM, an SSD, and a GPU (see the first reply above) and have a complete system for $400. Obviously there are tons of variants available, from every desktop manufacturer, so if you spend a little more time looking you can probably spend just a little more money to start with one of those PCs with more RAM, a better CPU, and possibly an SSD. Just make sure the PSU is 200-300 W and you'll be fine. The 1030, 1050, and 1050 Ti are all slot-powered, the former using up to 30 W and the latter up to 75 W. You'd just need one of the LP ones and you're all set.
This guy has some YT videos of him doing exactly that.

FoneBone posted:

I bought a Lenovo gaming laptop 5 years ago, and have been very happy with it, but its hard drive is on its way out and it's probably about time for me to replace it.

Looking for something:

    sub-$1000
    Has an SSD drive
    Has 500GB+ of storage in total
    Can run newer high-end games playably (not necessarily at max settings or a full 1080p)

The most promising option I've found so far is this MSI system at Newegg, for $949 (before an additional $50 rebate, eventually). Would anyone have alternative recommendations?

I'd first suggest replacing the SSD on the original laptop and then either resell or repurpose it, as it otherwise sounds like it works fine. Beyond that, the aforementioned Helios 300 is the best $1k gaming option. You can find 1050 Ti laptops refurb'd on eBay for around $800, and MX150 ones for $600 (see my last post in this thread.) For some of them you'll need to add storage but they all should accommodate both an SSD and HDD.

Chortles
Dec 29, 2008

Atomizer posted:

Thoughts: your current desktop is similar to mine (3770k, 16 GB, and a 1070 that was upgraded from the 660 Ti) and I use it in its current form for VR (among other gaming.) You could certainly just upgrade the GPU (a 1060 would be reasonable in terms of price/performance) and get usable VR performance. If you really need an SFF system, note that you really have to make sure the case can both accommodate whatever GPU you want to use in terms of size, cooling, and power supply. Beyond that, I recommend the Helios 300 as the best 1060 gaming laptop (and it's VR capable of course) as nothing else comes close (new, at least) for that price/performance ratio.
Time-sensitive question: how about the i7-7700HQ/1060 Max-Q version of the Dell Inspiron 7577 if it's the same price as the Helios 300? I didn't notice any disparities where the Dell fell behind the Acer in specs, plus anecdotally I've read positive things about both Dell's customer service and build quality.

Chortles fucked around with this message at 04:09 on Dec 31, 2017

Prescription Combs
Apr 20, 2005
   6

Chortles posted:

Time-sensitive question: how about the i7-7700HQ/1060 Max-Q version of the Dell Inspiron 7577 if it's the same price as the Helios 300? I didn't notice any disparities where the Dell fell behind the Acer in specs, plus anecdotally I've read positive things about both Dell's customer service and build quality.

The Dell has Thunderbolt 3 and will perform ever so slightly slower in games.

Butt Savage
Aug 23, 2007
Hi guys.

I want to sell my T430 because it’s too big, bulky, and the screen hurts my eyes. I just want something much more portable, ideally 12 inches but 13 would be fine too. This wouldn’t be my main machine, but something I’d carry around when I feel like it. I thought about a Chromebook, but i prefer to have a Windows machine. My T430 is a refurb so I’m okay with buying another refurb. Budget is $400.

Atomizer
Jun 24, 2007



Chortles posted:

Time-sensitive question: how about the i7-7700HQ/1060 Max-Q version of the Dell Inspiron 7577 if it's the same price as the Helios 300? I didn't notice any disparities where the Dell fell behind the Acer in specs, plus anecdotally I've read positive things about both Dell's customer service and build quality.

Is that Dell the specific one you're thinking about buying or is it a similar model? I ask because I don't see that it's MaxQ anywhere in that listing, unless I'm blind. If it's indeed not MaxQ, then that looks to be basically identical to the Helios specs-wise, aside from the fact that the Dell adds a 1 TB HDD, which is worth like $50. If it is the MaxQ version for the same price and everything else is the same, then note that MaxQ GPUs are basically like a half-step down in performance; a 1080 MQ is like a "1075", a 1070 MQ is a "1065", and the 1060 MQ would be a "1055"; it'd definitely be faster than the 1050 Ti, and perhaps close to the 1060 3 GB. Other than all that, I can't comment on the Dell's display, cooling, etc., so for the same price and nearly the same specs it's a tossup, but in general I emphasizing getting the most powerful components possible that are not user-replaceable (this includes the GPU, sometimes the CPU, and often the RAM nowadays.)

Butt Savage posted:

Hi guys.

I want to sell my T430 because it’s too big, bulky, and the screen hurts my eyes. I just want something much more portable, ideally 12 inches but 13 would be fine too. This wouldn’t be my main machine, but something I’d carry around when I feel like it. I thought about a Chromebook, but i prefer to have a Windows machine. My T430 is a refurb so I’m okay with buying another refurb. Budget is $400.

Yeah, you want a Chromebook, especially for that budget. If you insist on Windows, I don't know, look for an Asus Zenbook maybe? Something like this? You're otherwise going to have a hard time finding good+cheap+windows+ultraportable (pick three.)

vandalism
Aug 4, 2003
I picked up an Acer Predator Helios 300 laptop and it's pretty sweet. One thing that I noticed, and sometimes it gets on my nerves, is that there are little spots along the top and bottom that have visibly bright light on black or very dark screens. This is only noticeable during game loading screens, power on, or if I set my desktop to black. They are asymmetrical, with the brightest one being about 3" from the bottom left corner of the screen and then another at the top left. It doesn't bother me when playing even a dark game, like Dark Souls. I don't do much other than browse, play games, watch videos and poo poo like that. I did turn down the brightness and it improved. I've heard about backlight bleed vs. ips glow, and this is (I think) backlight bleed, since changing the angle I look at it doesn't diminish it unless I look at it practically sideways. I've read that RMA'ing it for this reason is like roulette and will most likely net me another laptop with a screen with glowy bits around the edge. Is this something I should be concerned about? RMA and continue until I get one with no bright spots along the edges? Write a letter to my congressman? What experience do you guys have with this, and is it something that most people just don't notice/ care that much about? Thanks for any insights. This thread has been a source of some great advice.

Quixzlizx
Jan 7, 2007

Atomizer posted:

Is that Dell the specific one you're thinking about buying or is it a similar model? I ask because I don't see that it's MaxQ anywhere in that listing, unless I'm blind. If it's indeed not MaxQ, then that looks to be basically identical to the Helios specs-wise, aside from the fact that the Dell adds a 1 TB HDD, which is worth like $50. If it is the MaxQ version for the same price and everything else is the same, then note that MaxQ GPUs are basically like a half-step down in performance; a 1080 MQ is like a "1075", a 1070 MQ is a "1065", and the 1060 MQ would be a "1055"; it'd definitely be faster than the 1050 Ti, and perhaps close to the 1060 3 GB. Other than all that, I can't comment on the Dell's display, cooling, etc., so for the same price and nearly the same specs it's a tossup, but in general I emphasizing getting the most powerful components possible that are not user-replaceable (this includes the GPU, sometimes the CPU, and often the RAM nowadays.)


Yeah, you want a Chromebook, especially for that budget. If you insist on Windows, I don't know, look for an Asus Zenbook maybe? Something like this? You're otherwise going to have a hard time finding good+cheap+windows+ultraportable (pick three.)

According to reviews, the Dell 7577 has such a good enough heating/cooling profile that they didn't have to downclock the 1060 much, and it's only 5-10% slower than a regular laptop 1060.

Dr. Fishopolis
Aug 31, 2004

ROBOT

Butt Savage posted:

Hi guys.

I want to sell my T430 because it’s too big, bulky, and the screen hurts my eyes. I just want something much more portable, ideally 12 inches but 13 would be fine too. This wouldn’t be my main machine, but something I’d carry around when I feel like it. I thought about a Chromebook, but i prefer to have a Windows machine. My T430 is a refurb so I’m okay with buying another refurb. Budget is $400.

There's a really nice selection of machines opening up at that price range if you're willing to hunt for a good used model. Especially if you're willing to live with 4gb of ram. I bet you could find an XPS 13, specifically the 9343 model, or a Samsung Ativ Book 9 Plus for around that price if you hunt around, and both are great machines even at their 4gb/128gb base config. Or, you could look into some Chinese machines, the Jumper EZBook 3s or 3 Pro, or the Chuwi Lapbook Air.

You don't have to go chromebook at that price point, and I would argue that any of the machines I mentioned are a better value anyway since they include real SSDs and not the typical dog-slow 64gb emmc module you find in an average chromebook.

Chortles
Dec 29, 2008

Atomizer posted:

Is that Dell the specific one you're thinking about buying or is it a similar model?
That's the specific model/price point (or less for open box).

Atomizer
Jun 24, 2007



vandalism posted:

I picked up an Acer Predator Helios 300 laptop and it's pretty sweet. One thing that I noticed, and sometimes it gets on my nerves, is that there are little spots along the top and bottom that have visibly bright light on black or very dark screens. This is only noticeable during game loading screens, power on, or if I set my desktop to black. They are asymmetrical, with the brightest one being about 3" from the bottom left corner of the screen and then another at the top left. It doesn't bother me when playing even a dark game, like Dark Souls. I don't do much other than browse, play games, watch videos and poo poo like that. I did turn down the brightness and it improved. I've heard about backlight bleed vs. ips glow, and this is (I think) backlight bleed, since changing the angle I look at it doesn't diminish it unless I look at it practically sideways. I've read that RMA'ing it for this reason is like roulette and will most likely net me another laptop with a screen with glowy bits around the edge. Is this something I should be concerned about? RMA and continue until I get one with no bright spots along the edges? Write a letter to my congressman? What experience do you guys have with this, and is it something that most people just don't notice/ care that much about? Thanks for any insights. This thread has been a source of some great advice.

It does indeed sound like backlight bleed. It's something you'll probably just have to deal with, because it's essentially the tradeoff you make for getting the rest of that hardware for that price. In other words you could have spent like 50% more for the same specs but a better display, maybe 120 Hz with G-Sync; then you'd be in the price range for a budget 1070 system, and would have to choose between the "nice" 1060 system or the cheap 1070. And then you'd have to rationalize the "cheap" 1070 over spending more for a "premium" one, etc.

What I'm getting at is that you've ended up with the best 1060 laptop deal that just happens to have an imperfect display, which was one of the corners they had to cut. Since even you admit that it's not noticeable while you're using the system normally, why worry about it?

Chortles posted:

That's the specific model/price point (or less for open box).

Well as I said, it doesn't appear to be the MaxQ version (which is really something they should put in a product description,) but even if it is it's basically a tossup between that and the Helios. Specs and performance are nearly identical.

baka kaba
Jul 19, 2003

PLEASE ASK ME, THE SELF-PROFESSED NO #1 PAUL CATTERMOLE FAN IN THE SOMETHING AWFUL S-CLUB 7 MEGATHREAD, TO NAME A SINGLE SONG BY HIS EXCELLENT NU-METAL SIDE PROJECT, SKUA, AND IF I CAN'T PLEASE TELL ME TO
EAT SHIT

I picked up an XPS 15 with the 4K screen, but I haven't had a laptop before - can I get some goon knowledge so I can calibrate my expectations?

The colours are vivid without blowing out, which is real nice. But the screen has a subtle but noticeable variation from one side to the other - the left half is warmer and brighter, the right looks more blue and feels slightly darker. It almost feels like you're looking at it off-axis. On a grey screen there's sort of vertical banding - it's realllly subtle, it makes the screen look dirty or something rather than actually being visible

There's also glow around the edges, brightest at the edge but extends in about 5mm on the grey screen. On white it looks darker (a maximised window in Windows 10 looks like it has a drop shadow on the title bar). On a black screen there's a little backlight bleed (mostly in the corners, and mostly in the right ones) but it doesn't look much and doesn't seem to reach anywhere near the full area that looks dark and cool

Is this basically normal for this screen, or high-end laptops in general with similar displays? Honestly I expected better from something that's always recommended for its colour accuracy and content creation, but I got them to replace the display and the second one looks exactly the same, right down to the left-warm right-cool issue.

Also is it normal to get ghosting on things like HD YouTube videos, where everything moving (even slowly) kinda blurs so it looks like you're seeing double and you can't exactly focus on detail? I know the panel doesn't have great response times but this feels worse than I'd expect, but again I don't have laptop experience so I can only compare to my cheap (but more consistent) IPS monitor

Thanks!

Worf
Sep 12, 2017

If only Seth would love me like I love him!

baka kaba posted:

I picked up an XPS 15 with the 4K screen, but I haven't had a laptop before - can I get some goon knowledge so I can calibrate my expectations?

The colours are vivid without blowing out, which is real nice. But the screen has a subtle but noticeable variation from one side to the other - the left half is warmer and brighter, the right looks more blue and feels slightly darker. It almost feels like you're looking at it off-axis. On a grey screen there's sort of vertical banding - it's realllly subtle, it makes the screen look dirty or something rather than actually being visible

There's also glow around the edges, brightest at the edge but extends in about 5mm on the grey screen. On white it looks darker (a maximised window in Windows 10 looks like it has a drop shadow on the title bar). On a black screen there's a little backlight bleed (mostly in the corners, and mostly in the right ones) but it doesn't look much and doesn't seem to reach anywhere near the full area that looks dark and cool

Is this basically normal for this screen, or high-end laptops in general with similar displays? Honestly I expected better from something that's always recommended for its colour accuracy and content creation, but I got them to replace the display and the second one looks exactly the same, right down to the left-warm right-cool issue.

Also is it normal to get ghosting on things like HD YouTube videos, where everything moving (even slowly) kinda blurs so it looks like you're seeing double and you can't exactly focus on detail? I know the panel doesn't have great response times but this feels worse than I'd expect, but again I don't have laptop experience so I can only compare to my cheap (but more consistent) IPS monitor

Thanks!

you got a bad screen on your xps 15. unfortunately it is a known problem

exchange it

E: that being said xps15 is still a great machine. i bought one for my parents for xmas. congrats on getting it, hopefully you get get it squared away painlessly

Elysiume
Aug 13, 2009

Alone, she fights.
Ape, did you get your XPS 13 issues sorted?

Worf
Sep 12, 2017

If only Seth would love me like I love him!

Elysiume posted:

Ape, did you get your XPS 13 issues sorted?

Honestly I thought so and then last week when I was building my desktop computer and using the xps 13 to show me how to install my heat sync and cooler it crashed 3 times lol

This past weekend it did a bios update so idk if that'll help. I meant to ask you if yours was ok or what

baka kaba
Jul 19, 2003

PLEASE ASK ME, THE SELF-PROFESSED NO #1 PAUL CATTERMOLE FAN IN THE SOMETHING AWFUL S-CLUB 7 MEGATHREAD, TO NAME A SINGLE SONG BY HIS EXCELLENT NU-METAL SIDE PROJECT, SKUA, AND IF I CAN'T PLEASE TELL ME TO
EAT SHIT

Statutory Ape posted:

you got a bad screen on your xps 15. unfortunately it is a known problem

exchange it

E: that being said xps15 is still a great machine. i bought one for my parents for xmas. congrats on getting it, hopefully you get get it squared away painlessly

So there are better screens then? 3rd time's the charm?

I really like it otherwise, it's real nice! I think the keyboard needs sorting out (Delete key is tilted, doesn't always work unless you hit it right in the middle) but otherwise it's solid and looks swish and does everything I want :mmmhmm:

Worf
Sep 12, 2017

If only Seth would love me like I love him!

baka kaba posted:

So there are better screens then? 3rd time's the charm?

I really like it otherwise, it's real nice! I think the keyboard needs sorting out (Delete key is tilted, doesn't always work unless you hit it right in the middle) but otherwise it's solid and looks swish and does everything I want :mmmhmm:

I'm mainly going by reading other goons experiences ITT, I think there was one guy that had to return his twice until he finally got a good screen? You post here a fair amount though too, so I'm sure you know the xps 15 is worth it.

Although it is somewhat discouraging that the last half dozen posts are basically about problems with the xps13 and 15 :(

Hadlock
Nov 9, 2004

baka kaba posted:

I picked up an XPS 15 with the 4K screen, but I haven't had a laptop before - can I get some goon knowledge so I can calibrate my expectations?

The colours are vivid without blowing out, which is real nice. But the screen has a subtle but noticeable variation from one side to the other - the left half is warmer and brighter, the right looks more blue and feels slightly darker. It almost feels like you're looking at it off-axis. On a grey screen there's sort of vertical banding - it's realllly subtle, it makes the screen look dirty or something rather than actually being visible

There's also glow around the edges, brightest at the edge but extends in about 5mm on the grey screen. On white it looks darker (a maximised window in Windows 10 looks like it has a drop shadow on the title bar). On a black screen there's a little backlight bleed (mostly in the corners, and mostly in the right ones) but it doesn't look much and doesn't seem to reach anywhere near the full area that looks dark and cool

Is this basically normal for this screen, or high-end laptops in general with similar displays? Honestly I expected better from something that's always recommended for its colour accuracy and content creation, but I got them to replace the display and the second one looks exactly the same, right down to the left-warm right-cool issue.

Also is it normal to get ghosting on things like HD YouTube videos, where everything moving (even slowly) kinda blurs so it looks like you're seeing double and you can't exactly focus on detail? I know the panel doesn't have great response times but this feels worse than I'd expect, but again I don't have laptop experience so I can only compare to my cheap (but more consistent) IPS monitor

Thanks!

It happens. Warranty item. Exchange for non-janky screen. Stick with the XPS 15, it's a great laptop.

Whitest Russian
Nov 23, 2013
My girlfriend is looking for a laptop. I plan on looking through the thread at work tomorrow but if you goons could recommend something it would be appreciated.

This is what she requested:
i5
256gb ssd
$650ish

Whitest Russian fucked around with this message at 06:19 on Jan 2, 2018

Atomizer
Jun 24, 2007



Dell 7577 for $765 refurb'd.

Whitest Russian posted:

My girlfriend is looking for a laptop. I plan on looking through the thread at work tomorrow but if you goons could recommend something it would be appreciated.

This is what she requested:
i5
256gb ssd
$650ish

That's not a whole lot to go on; the price is a start, and anything we recommend is going to have an SSD, but "i5" could mean either a 2C4T ULV or a 4C4T ("HQ") or even a new Kaby Lake R 4C8T, so that doesn't really narrow it down or refer to anything specific in terms of performance. Does she need a dGPU? What size display? How much RAM?

For the hell of it, here's something that meets your critera and it comes with a decent dGPU (MX150/GT1030) too.

Elysiume
Aug 13, 2009

Alone, she fights.

Statutory Ape posted:

Honestly I thought so and then last week when I was building my desktop computer and using the xps 13 to show me how to install my heat sync and cooler it crashed 3 times lol

This past weekend it did a bios update so idk if that'll help. I meant to ask you if yours was ok or what
Yeah, mine ran fine after all the various BIOS/driver updates. Bummer if they don't fix your issue.

baka kaba
Jul 19, 2003

PLEASE ASK ME, THE SELF-PROFESSED NO #1 PAUL CATTERMOLE FAN IN THE SOMETHING AWFUL S-CLUB 7 MEGATHREAD, TO NAME A SINGLE SONG BY HIS EXCELLENT NU-METAL SIDE PROJECT, SKUA, AND IF I CAN'T PLEASE TELL ME TO
EAT SHIT

Statutory Ape posted:

I'm mainly going by reading other goons experiences ITT, I think there was one guy that had to return his twice until he finally got a good screen? You post here a fair amount though too, so I'm sure you know the xps 15 is worth it.

Although it is somewhat discouraging that the last half dozen posts are basically about problems with the xps13 and 15 :(

Well I only started following this thread when I was looking into laptops! I was pretty aware that there were issues with a lot of them, or at least you heard that a lot, so I got it with that in mind

Really I just want to have realistic expectations - if this is the normal screen (and that's what Dell is telling me after the first replacement, after their engineer sent in a phone pic :stonklol: of the new screen) then ok, it's worse than I'd expect but I don't know laptops. But if it should be better than this I don't want to be stuck with it! I just don't want to waste my time and get a reputation with the warranty people by chasing something that doesn't exist, y'know?

Hadlock posted:

It happens. Warranty item. Exchange for non-janky screen. Stick with the XPS 15, it's a great laptop.

So this definitely sounds like a bad screen, and there are better ones? I'm not expecting absolute perfection but I feel like it should be better than this

TITTIEKISSER69
Mar 19, 2005

SAVE THE BEES
PLANT MORE TREES
CLEAN THE SEAS
KISS TITTIESS




"Bad" as in defective, not inferior quality. Yes, there are 'better' as in non-defective screens out there, so return this and hope you get one.

Whitest Russian
Nov 23, 2013

Atomizer posted:

Dell 7577 for $765 refurb'd.


That's not a whole lot to go on; the price is a start, and anything we recommend is going to have an SSD, but "i5" could mean either a 2C4T ULV or a 4C4T ("HQ") or even a new Kaby Lake R 4C8T, so that doesn't really narrow it down or refer to anything specific in terms of performance. Does she need a dGPU? What size display? How much RAM?

For the hell of it, here's something that meets your critera and it comes with a decent dGPU (MX150/GT1030) too.

My bad I posted that last night before going to bed. I don't know anything about CPUs, So I'm at a complete loss there. I doubt she'll need the newest one.
For your other questions:
Probably not
13.3"
8gb RAM

She was eyeing My Laptop that i got a year and a half ago for around $700. The price appears to have gone up since then which is kinda funny.

Whitest Russian fucked around with this message at 14:00 on Jan 2, 2018

Adbot
ADBOT LOVES YOU

baka kaba
Jul 19, 2003

PLEASE ASK ME, THE SELF-PROFESSED NO #1 PAUL CATTERMOLE FAN IN THE SOMETHING AWFUL S-CLUB 7 MEGATHREAD, TO NAME A SINGLE SONG BY HIS EXCELLENT NU-METAL SIDE PROJECT, SKUA, AND IF I CAN'T PLEASE TELL ME TO
EAT SHIT

Wilford Cutlery posted:

"Bad" as in defective, not inferior quality. Yes, there are 'better' as in non-defective screens out there, so return this and hope you get one.

Welp here's screen 3, looks just like the others



Still shadowy along the top, but the biggest issue is the colour cast and dimness on the right. In person the whole left side looks fine and bright, but that shift as you move right is basically how it looks (original page is here - it's just a white background)

The weird thing is these screens have all been inconsistent in a really consistent way. All bright on the left, all noticeably darker and tinted as you move right. Glow around the edges I can understand, but isn't it a bit weird for panels to all be lovely in exactly the same pattern? Is there a possibility there's something wrong with the base unit, so the right side is never being driven or lit properly or something? That's the only consistent part here across all three replacements (assuming this isn't screen 1 again)

I know you're all gonna say get it replaced, I just want to be informed since they've been pushing back and saying there's nothing wrong with it

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • Post
  • Reply