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Looks like Tiger Lake-H does shore up a bit of the performance difference, but I remain a bit skeptical due to the power draw.
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May 18, 2021 15:04
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64bit_Dophins posted:I noticed that there are a lot of 3rd and 4th gen Lenovo X1 carbons on Ebay for around $300. Well in general PC laptop prices drop like a rock on the used market 2 -3 years later while Apple laptops tend to hold their value much better. Even more for the used PC grey market areas like Ebay/Amazon in which you aren't buying refurb/tested laptops direct from the OEM or a authorized refurb company.
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May 18, 2021 15:58
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Those Carbons were probably mostly dumped from work environments. They're perfectly fine. We had them and beat on them and they were perfectly good and all got replaced by sixth and seventh gens. Depending on your use case on the road I would consider a tablet+keyboard for size and weight although I recognize that may not be possible or preferable depending on what you want to do on your personal machine. I'm also a plane travel guy so if you are a car travel guy, weight and size matter a lot less.
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May 18, 2021 16:27
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etalian posted:Well in general PC laptop prices drop like a rock on the used market 2 -3 years later while Apple laptops tend to hold their value much better. Yeah that makes sense. I guess it's just a bit odd to see them drop THAT much in just 3 years. Then again it has been a long time since I looked for recently decommissioned business laptops. KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:Those Carbons were probably mostly dumped from work environments. They're perfectly fine. We had them and beat on them and they were perfectly good and all got replaced by sixth and seventh gens. I love the 6th gen I have for work. The only negative about the 3rd and 4th gens from what I can see is that they use that weird post-barrell plug charger and not usb-c. For me it honestly may be worth it to just buy a 5th gen so I don't have to deal with that. I'm a plane travel guy and I've heard that the tablet/keyboard combo is pretty much the same as having a laptop these days, but I just can not do it. I like having a laptop too much and the iPad pro costs more than I'm really willing to spend on something like this.
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May 18, 2021 16:32
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For anything on the grey market (Ebay/Amazon used laptops) remember it's a classic case of buyer beware. The other advantage is OEMs will often sell less than pristine laptops but will disclose the category of refurb such as the level of damage. OEM refurbs with things like chassis scuffing / scratches are offer additional savings if you you need to save $$$.
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May 18, 2021 18:26
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PoopShipDestroyer posted:Why is it that the Inspiron 5000 series doesn't seem to have AMD processors on the Dell website but I can buy them on amazon? Is there any reason not to buy them off Amazon? The specs look good for both that and the ThinkPad E15 Gen 2. I especially like that they both come with a PCIe hard drive and have traditional 2.5" slots in there that I can use. I am of the opinion Inspiron's still kinda suck.
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May 18, 2021 18:45
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My main complaint with my old one was that the entire top part of the laptop including the keyboard flexed when you pressed on them. I also had to replace the fan and heatsink assembly because the fan crapped out and it was all one unit. Oh and every time you unplug headphones from it you lose audio completely on the entire system until you restart the entire machine. Yeah, maybe I should stay clear of those.
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May 18, 2021 19:17
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So to follow up with my earlier questions (and to kind of throw this out there to make sure I'm not missing anything) I think I've decided on the P14s. It's got one of the stronger processors out there for laptops (Ryzen 7 Pro 4750U), the one I'm looking at only comes with 8GB of soldered ram but I'm going to upgrade that myself because Lenovo charges an insane amount for the higher RAM configurations, and its got a 256GB SSD which I'll have to upgrade myself with a 1TB single sided m2 drive (970 EVO Plus) because apparently double sided drives don't fit into this thing. Total cost before tax through that Coca-Cola employees link floating around is somewhere around $872 or $1122 after buying the RAM and SSD. The only other laptops that I seriously considered were one of the HP Envy x360's which was written off because apparently their motherboards don't support more than 16GB of memory? HP seems to have mixed messaging on this but their spec sheets seem to indicate that's the case and I'm not willing to risk a non-returntable / restock fee returnable amount of money on something like that. The other option were one of the Inspirons but aside from build quality issues I have, they're massively back ordered right now. The configuration I liked wouldn't arrive until July at the earliest. I think my only other option was to buy from a reseller on Amazon but I'm not sure I'm willing to risk that with how specific I am about upgradability and stuff. And because its not my money there would be hell to pay if I got sent / ordered the wrong thing . I find it odd there seem to be so few laptops out there with Ryzen Pro processors in them, but maybe I'm missing something.
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May 20, 2021 20:43
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Moving expenses added up into "not the best time to buy an expensive new laptop". My T420S started going on the fritz again but it's still usable so I'm just going to hold on to this thing for awhile. I tried picking up a cheap T420 without ram or hard drive on ebay but I've already been outbid twice. Pretty wild - I guess inflation is hitting 10 year old thinkpads too! lol
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May 20, 2021 22:46
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PoopShipDestroyer posted:So to follow up with my earlier questions (and to kind of throw this out there to make sure I'm not missing anything) I think I've decided on the P14s. It's got one of the stronger processors out there for laptops (Ryzen 7 Pro 4750U), the one I'm looking at only comes with 8GB of soldered ram but I'm going to upgrade that myself because Lenovo charges an insane amount for the higher RAM configurations, and its got a 256GB SSD which I'll have to upgrade myself with a 1TB single sided m2 drive (970 EVO Plus) because apparently double sided drives don't fit into this thing. Total cost before tax through that Coca-Cola employees link floating around is somewhere around $872 or $1122 after buying the RAM and SSD. I think that's a plan. Getting it for under $1000 and then upgrading it yourself is probably the best value bet.
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May 21, 2021 01:37
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64bit_Dophins posted:Moving expenses added up into "not the best time to buy an expensive new laptop". That seems wild but I guess everything's weird in the land of used stuff these days. In 2013 or 2014 got I a T420 for $200 from arrow on ebay (they stopped reselling stuff a couple of years ago). Then I got a x220 from them in 2017 or 2018 for $150. Last year I got a T430 on ebay for $60. It was a super minimal configuration with the low res screen, and while it came with no power supply and has no webcam, they listed it with a 250GB HD and it turned out to have a Samsung SSD instead. Let me know if you're desperate, I'm not even using this T430 for anything.
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May 21, 2021 01:52
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HP just announced a new Omen with a 16.1 inch screen. Not on their store page yet but it will have both Intel and AMD options with up to the rtx 3070 for graphics. They claim it'll start shipping in June.
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May 21, 2021 02:13
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Taerkar posted:HP just announced a new Omen with a 16.1 inch screen. Not on their store page yet but it will have both Intel and AMD options with up to the rtx 3070 for graphics. They claim it'll start shipping in June. God dammit I just bought a new laptop.
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May 21, 2021 02:14
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I might be cancelling my order and going with one of the 16.1s depending on their options. Won't be getting my current order anyways until June 30th, supposedly.
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May 21, 2021 03:17
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So if I wanted to drop like a grand on a laptop that will last a while and be decent (obviously not top end) at games what would you recommend? Say $750 low end of the budget with $1100 being the hard cap. Gringostar fucked around with this message at 04:51 on May 21, 2021 |
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May 21, 2021 04:48
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Lenovo Legion series looks like it has a some options for you.
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May 21, 2021 05:56
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I'm just realizing that the AMD P14s doesn't have Thunderbolt 3. Does that mean I won't be able to use any docking station? How does that work? I've never used docking stations before. Their service manual calls out a "side docking connector" but then in a footnote it says that 2 USB-C Gen 2 adapters and whatever the hell 7 is make up this side docking container:  I see some chatter from people online saying their docking stations don't work but then some people maybe do have it working but its unclear if those people are using Intel P14s machines. I assume even if it doesn't support docking I can still use 1 monitor using the HDMI output and another monitor using the USB-C in conjunction with an adapter?
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May 21, 2021 15:08
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USB-C docks will work just fine, just not thunderbolt only. I wouldn't sweat it too much since the way Lenovo wires up the outputs from the graphics card means that a thunderbolt output doesn't really have much more display output capability on their machines than standard USB-C.
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May 21, 2021 15:25
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Yeas AFAIK only one AMD device on the planet has Thunderbolt 3, and it's a third party AMD desktop workstation ($$) motherboard USB-C 3.X docks exist, they're just not as good as Thunderbolt 3 docks USB4 is basically Thunderbolt 3, so, that's good for future people who are not you, I guess, as USB4 docks ought to kick rear end If you're gonna get a dock, get one by Dell or Lenovo, they actually follow the specs and occasionally even get firmware updates
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May 21, 2021 15:26
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What makes Thunderbolt 3 docks better, they let you use like multiple 4k monitors or something? I'm only expecting to use mine with 2 normal 1080 monitors, ethernet, and maybe a handful of USB 3.0 devices (mouse, keyboard, usb drive maybe).
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May 21, 2021 15:33
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They have more bandwidth. That's the only assumption you can make without going into how everything else in the device is configured.
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May 21, 2021 15:35
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Thunderbolt 3 can do 40gbps, but also, can deliver 100w continuously via PD (power delivery) per the official spec Lenovo sells at least one Thinkpad branded Thunderbolt 3 dock (I own one) and it does 100w, I've had it now for... nearly 4 years? I loving love it. One single cable to the laptop. USB4 (which, again, is mostly Thunderbolt 3)supports 100w and 40gbps in it's super sayian form, but I don't think any variant of USB 3.x officially does.... although manufacturers sometimes provide their own power supplies that do 120-135w, but it's not part of the official spec The other thing about TB3 docks is that they have a female TB3 port, which means you get to pick your own cable. Which means it doesn't have a dongle. Which means you can stick it, and the giant rat's nest of cables it creates in a drawer, or a cabinet somewhere. The end result is a very clean and uncluttered desk.
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May 21, 2021 15:52
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Can someone drop a couple links to the best value laptops if we've got a budget of about $1,450 and wanna get at least 4-5 photoshop and video editing-capable workstations for students?
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May 21, 2021 16:04
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I have a Cali Digital USB-C Pro Dock that's both USB-C and Thunderbolt https://www.caldigit.com/usb-c-pro-dock/ If I had two 1080p60 monitors as external, it would be functionally identical in my use case for either mode. The fact that I have one 1440p monitor and one 4k monitor means it's functionally useless for my work T480 even though it has Thunderbolt 3 because Lenovo doesn't wire enough displayport streams to their thunderbolt port. I actually get BETTER display functionality and stability plugging it into the USB-C port on my AMD G15 than I do on the thunderbolt port on the Lenovo. It's not just the dock either, it happens on the official Lenovo dock too. As a result, my work setup is a USB-C to HDMI for the 1440p display (with a 60w USB-C power brick plugged into the adapter cable) and using the onboard HDMI port on the T480 to the 4k monitor. Its the only way I get stable display output. 100w is nice but honestly its functionally useless for most home and business type notebooks. Lenovo ships most business class devices with 45w supplies now. When you get into the larger workstation class devices with 6 and 8 core chips, then you might need something 60w or above. About the only stuff out there that can draw 100w over USB-PD are gaming notebooks with discrete GPUs and they have power requirements in excess of 100w when they are going full tilt. A dock that can deliver 60w-85w over USB-PD is going to cover 99.9% of the use cases out there.
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May 21, 2021 16:35
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exquisite tea posted:Can someone drop a couple links to the best value laptops if we've got a budget of about $1,450 and wanna get at least 4-5 photoshop and video editing-capable workstations for students? Is that $1,450 per laptop?
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May 21, 2021 17:13
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No, total (this is a nonprofit lmao)
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May 21, 2021 18:29
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Best Buy has the first 16.1" Omens listed as coming soon: Ryzen 7 5800H, 3050ti, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD for $1,329 Intel i7-11800H, 3060, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD for $1,499 Of note that is $50 more for the 3060 than what they're selling the 15.6" one with the 5800H and the 3060
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May 21, 2021 22:16
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Gringostar posted:So if I wanted to drop like a grand on a laptop that will last a while and be decent (obviously not top end) at games what would you recommend? So you're just below a 3060 level (which if you can stretch to, you should), but you can probably scrape some 2060s at that price range. You can also look at whats available with a 1660ti, or what will be coming out with the 3050ti. If you can wait until August you might find more in that price range with a 3060.
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May 22, 2021 00:06
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PoopShipDestroyer posted:I'm just realizing that the AMD P14s doesn't have Thunderbolt 3. Does that mean I won't be able to use any docking station? How does that work? I've never used docking stations before. Does your P14s have DP (and preferably PD too) over USB-C? My work is basically replacing TB3 docks with a USB-C monitor that you plug your laptop into, then daisy chain the second monitor off the first using DP MST. Only downside with this method is that the monitor has fewer USB ports than a dock probably would, and one of those is now consumed by having an ethernet dongle.
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May 22, 2021 01:47
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Don't worry about Thunderbolt 3 for now, USB4 is gaining traction, and that's basically TB4 with the serial numbers filed off.
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May 22, 2021 05:38
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For my setup my G14 with USB-C/PD seemed to work fine with a HP Dock. Only running a single QHD monitor so imagine it worked fine since the setup isn't maxing out the Bandwidth for all the connected devices.
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May 22, 2021 20:10
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Thanks for all the advice everyone has given so far, I think the P14s seems like the right choice. If the dock doesn't work quite the way I want it to i'll just have to figure it out. I'm actually in the market for a new laptop for my wife, too. She has an XPS 13 from 2015 that is a mostly great laptop but unfortunately her USB-C port she uses to charge it is breaking and the normal DC adapter port broke years ago. I was originally planning on just getting her another one because I heard the new ones are very good but unfortunately they're back ordered until July. I did some quick research and it looks like the ThinkBook 13s is a pretty similar laptop and it looks similar to my personal Yoga 720 which i'm pretty happy with (aside from the fact that the stupid 2-in-1 feature that I never use makes it have this glass screen which I can't see poo poo on outside). Are the 13s laptops any good? Any other recommendations?
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May 22, 2021 20:15
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It only has one USB-C port, if that matters. Lenovo also has the ThinkPad X13, the X1 Carbon and the X1 Nano that you could look into.
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May 23, 2021 02:51
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Is there anything coming in the near future for 2 in 1s with decent graphics options? I currently have a 2 in 1 thinkpad thats had about 5 years of almost weekly travel on it and I'm thinking its time to get serious about looking for a replacement. I like the 2 in 1 form factor because they tend to be thin and are considered a tablet most of the time when you'd normally have to stow a laptop for takeoff or landing but its difficult finding them with dedicated graphics. Who makes a sturdy enough 2 in 1 machine with dedicated graphics now?
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May 23, 2021 18:04
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I haven't seen any 2-in-1s in a while with a discrete graphics card.
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May 23, 2021 18:15
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SpeedFreek posted:Is there anything coming in the near future for 2 in 1s with decent graphics options? Asus ROG Flow X13 with the 3050 Ti card is what I'm waiting for. You don't have to get the eGPU 3080 which like doubles its price though. The Microsoft Surface Book 3, Lenovo Yoga C940, and the HP Spectre X360 all have the 1650, so there's a good chance it will get the new 3050 cards with their next model (but will be a while since they just got refreshed this year). halokiller fucked around with this message at 18:38 on May 23, 2021 |
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May 23, 2021 18:34
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SpeedFreek posted:Is there anything coming in the near future for 2 in 1s with decent graphics options?
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May 23, 2021 18:41
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halokiller posted:Asus ROG Flow X13 with the 3050 Ti card is what I'm waiting for. You don't have to get the eGPU 3080 which like doubles its price though. I did not see that Asus when I was looking a few days ago, thats almost exactly what I'm looking for if its durable enough but I didnt see anything about a metal frame in the description. I had the same reservations about the HP and the yoga 940 but the Yoga at least mentions aluminum parts. I see it spending a lot of its life in my backpack next to my work laptop and the Thinkpad Yoga I have has held up surprisingly well, the cheaper regular Yoga my dad picked up however did not but that could be the result of some other kind of damage. For most of these I'm assuming the memory is soldered in, I see a $500 jump from the 16 to 32gb surface and I consider 16gb to be the minimum acceptable amount of ram. I should also look at how hard it would be to upgrade the hard drive but I was able to swap out the two in the one I have easily enough.
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May 23, 2021 19:43
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USB-IF is proposing a 240w extension to USB-C https://www.theverge.com/platform/amp/circuitbreaker/2021/5/25/22453936/usb-c-power-delivery-extended-power-range-epr And just like that, all docks cried out, hearing their obsolescence approach.
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May 26, 2021 04:20
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My girlfriend is starting a new job in front-end web dev, and has a ridiculous $3000 hardware budget to blow on a work laptop and peripherals, to be ordered next week. None of her work tasks are GPU intensive, just CPU and RAM. She does do digital art as well, so good screen/color and possibly a good tablet mode would be nice. Will be dual booting into linux. I figure, blow 2kish on a new machine, buy a good dock solution and maybe one or two 4k screens to hook the laptop up to. Any suggestions in these price ranges of what to look out for? Eyeing the razer blade pro & zenbook pro duo, but might be spending on a GPU that sees little use.
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May 26, 2021 20:29
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