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I'm in the market for a laptop for general use (Office apps, streaming media, browsing) at a sub-$1k price point, and finding that I no longer speak the language of hardware or fully grasp what's viable. As an example, I'm aiming for at least 16GB RAM, a 512GB SSD, Windows 11 without S mode, and if I do any gaming at all on it it will be so deeply retro as to make specs kind of irrelevant. So I look at this price drop, as a simple example, and ask: https://www.microcenter.com/product/670309/lenovo-loq-15aph8-156-gaming-laptop-storm-grey ... What's wrong with it to justify the price cut, other than that gamers only want what's new in hardware?
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May 6, 2024 22:23
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Its old, not the best specs, kinda a plastic-y body. But not a bad choice. The 3050 may in fact be too much GPU for you. I like this Yoga for slightly more, better build quality, https://www.bestbuy.com/site/lenovo...p?skuId=6533951 This 16" LG Gram is also really nice if you want a bigger, 16" screen https://www.costco.com/lg-gram-16-i...4000213360.html Costco is a nice place to get a laptop too. That one you found is a good deal if you want a GPU though.
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May 6, 2024 22:37
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Lockback posted:Its old, not the best specs, kinda a plastic-y body. But not a bad choice. The 3050 may in fact be too much GPU for you. I have enjoyed the Best Buy Experience one too many times over the years and am never going there again if I can help it, even though they're brick-and-mortar in a nearby tax-free state. Micro Center and Costco are both close; the last laptop I bought was Costco mail-order, so I certainly won't rule them out. To put it in perspective, my personal laptop is old enough that it's still running Windows 7, so anything at all gaming-wise would be a massive update. Frankly, though, I only anticipate using it for very old games, console emulators and MAME in that respect, so the only reason I stared hard at the LOQ was because of its unexpected drop into that price segment.
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May 6, 2024 23:50
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Hp has a pretty nice deal for their 14in Pavilion Plus. HP Site quote:14" FHD+ (1920 x 1200, WUXGA+) 16:10, 300-nits, 45% NTSC, Anti-glare, IPS DIsplay 530USD If you wanted to go all out you could bump up the CPU/graphics and get an OLED display and still be under $800. Mental Hospitality fucked around with this message at 00:23 on May 7, 2024 |
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May 7, 2024 00:21
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Mental Hospitality posted:Hp has a pretty nice deal for their 14in Pavilion Plus. Definitely upgrade the display because the base 1200p 300nit is one of the worst I have personally used.
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May 7, 2024 03:41
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buffbus posted:Definitely upgrade the display because the base 1200p 300nit is one of the worst I have personally used. Yikes. What are it's biggest shortcomings? I have been forever scarred by the late 2000's/early 2010's dark ages where almost every display was a 1366x768 glossy TN panel even though better display tech with higher resolutions was absolutely available. My 2004 HP had a 1920x1200 matte display, but for a while after that things were truly horrible. Almost any modern display is better than what we had back then.
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May 7, 2024 15:58
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Hadlock posted:That was the wildest thing I've read posted by a grown rear end adult in this thread, probably ever 
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May 7, 2024 20:09
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Mental Hospitality posted:Yikes. What are it's biggest shortcomings? I have been forever scarred by the late 2000's/early 2010's dark ages where almost every display was a 1366x768 glossy TN panel even though better display tech with higher resolutions was absolutely available. My 2004 HP had a 1920x1200 matte display, but for a while after that things were truly horrible. Almost any modern display is better than what we had back then. Weird color reproduction and poor contrast, especially file explorer in dark mode.
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May 7, 2024 20:45
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Hi folks - my ancient HP Omen is finally starting to give up the ghost, and between hard drive issues, the fan making increasingly concerning noises, and my W key breaking, I really ought to get a new computer. My budget is about 2000-2500 Australian dollars, though I could be convinced to go higher for a sufficiently good machine. My main consideration is being able to play World of Warcraft without overheating issues, since that's the most intense game I expect to play. Here are the recommended specs for the next expansion:  From my understanding, WoW is unusual in that it's very processor-dependent, and there's some feature of modern graphics cards that let them share the processing burden, that makes them much better for it specifically? If anyone knows more about that, it'd help me look for laptops with appropriate graphics capabilities. Thanks in advance for any advice or help you can give! At the moment I'm looking at the HP website and the newer Omens seem solid, but I'd definitely be keen to hear from you before I spring for an EOFY deal. ungulateman fucked around with this message at 01:35 on May 8, 2024 |
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May 8, 2024 01:31
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Does WoW really want an 8GB GPU now? Dang. For AUS you should find something on the higher end of your budget. So I'd suggest a 4060 or 4070, a 4080 if you can afford it but its probably not worth it. The CPU here will actually be fine, I'd suggest AMD if you can find it, the 7000 or 8000 would give you the most headroom, ideally something where the 3rd number is 4 but the 3 is ok too, something like the 7735 is great. You care about portability or will this live on a desk? Screen size? For portability something like this https://www.amazon.com.au/Asus-ROG-Zephyrus-G14-Gaming/dp/B0CLW954DV?th=1 Would be great, especially with the 32GB of RAM This is a really good deal with 64GB of ram https://www.amazon.com.au/Lenovo-4-75GHz-GeForce-Backlit-Keyboard/dp/B0CLD3F6KM/?th=1 The 32GB Ram version is like $200 cheaper too These are solid laptops. Look for Lenovo Legion, Asus Rog for the better laptops, HP is decent as is MSI. Avoid Acer.
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May 8, 2024 01:44
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I was considering the Legion Slim since it's a bit cheaper, but a 2TB SSD and 64GB of RAM sounds phenomenal if I want to play newer releases, so I think I'll spring for the Legion you mentioned. Appreciate the feedback!
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May 8, 2024 01:55
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It's too bad the x3d processors didn't make it to laptops because those are really nice for games like modern wow and guild wars 2
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May 8, 2024 02:02
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ungulateman posted:I was considering the Legion Slim since it's a bit cheaper, but a 2TB SSD and 64GB of RAM sounds phenomenal if I want to play newer releases, so I think I'll spring for the Legion you mentioned. Appreciate the feedback! Slim has soldered RAM. So don't get a slim with 16gb.
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May 8, 2024 02:42
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slidebite posted:Bold statement from a guy that when you were probated complained that not being able to post on the SA forums of all things was literally interfering with your career and life. Yeah but I didn't post it from my work laptop
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May 8, 2024 03:09
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Hey there, I was wondering if there any recommendations for cheap laptops that run Windows, and are colorful. It can be a cheap piece of poo poo, that's fine so long as its body is not generic black, and I could upgrade the RAM aftermarket. I'm just looking for something I can type notes with since I'm going back to university, but I'm afraid to get a chromebook (where I'd probably break it accidentally by trying to install windows on it). I do like the colorful gateway laptops but I'm not sure if the RAM is soldered in on those. I'm okay with an older out of date model of laptop if it's colorful enough like HP's flyer red model. My color preferences are red, purple, blue, and nickelodeon slime green (please no army green). Orange and yellow are cool too, but I don't think anyone makes a laptop in that color. I might be okay with pink if the keyboard is also pink. Should I be looking at a chromebook instead? I was afraid of how dependent those are for the internet.
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May 8, 2024 05:16
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buffbus posted:It's too bad the x3d processors didn't make it to laptops because those are really nice for games like modern wow and guild wars 2 There is/was a mobile X3D Ryzen; only machine I've seen it in though was this gargantuan Asus.
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May 8, 2024 06:21
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What an absolute unit of a laptop. I need to add that to my already absurd collection.
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May 8, 2024 21:11
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buffbus posted:What an absolute unit of a laptop. I need to add that to my already absurd collection. It would make for a great space heater in the winter too.
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May 8, 2024 21:15
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I'm the 2.4 pound power supply
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May 9, 2024 01:19
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My 2020 G14 suddenly has an extremely dim screen, but otherwise works completely fine on an external monitor. Tried opening it up to see if there was any loose hardware to no avail. Fully updated drivers and windows 11. Any ideas?
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May 9, 2024 01:29
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Like, the backlight is off, or really dim? Is it uniformly dim? Does it flicker?
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May 9, 2024 01:40
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Hadlock posted:Like, the backlight is off, or really dim? Is it uniformly dim? Does it flicker? No flickering. If I squint I can barely make out the clock on the lock screen. I'll need to try in a pitch black room later to see if the backlight is completely off or just dim. I'm not sure if I'd be able to see anything if the backlight was off completely?
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May 9, 2024 02:02
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Some light goes through and can bounce off the back. Not a lot, but enough to read a high contrast thing like black letters on white background my guess is that your backlight died for some reason
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May 9, 2024 02:34
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Hadlock posted:Some light goes through and can bounce off the back. Not a lot, but enough to read a high contrast thing like black letters on white background my guess is that your backlight died for some reason Yeah the backlight is definitely off. Man I was hoping it would be a software thing.
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May 9, 2024 04:16
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Screen replacement for the G14 doesn't seem too terrible, I've definitely seen worse. Some sticky tape involved, but this guy makes it look almost easy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0UuZi49kTw
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May 9, 2024 12:33
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Just because someone posted a similar question a few years ago and it was this easy answer, you tried turning up the backlight, right? F8? Is the startup screen totally black? If so, yeah the backlight is probably shot. Probably worth replacing the screen though, I'm still using my 2020 G14.
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May 9, 2024 14:14
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https://www.theverge.com/2024/5/7/24151369/lpcamm2-laptop-memory-ram-lenovo-ifixit First laptops with LPCAMM2 ram are starting to hit the market. This allows you to have ram that's as low powered as LPDDR while not having to be soldered. This is one of the big reasons why some devices went with soldered RAM rather than SODIMMs. Single modules are also dual channel, so it should also do the space savings. Yeah, that means if you want to upgrade the ram you have to replace the module completely rather than just add, but even with SODIMMs that was often the case already if the original config was dual channel.
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May 9, 2024 14:42
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Mental Hospitality posted:Screen replacement for the G14 doesn't seem too terrible, I've definitely seen worse. Some sticky tape involved, but this guy makes it look almost easy. Thanks! Looks terrifying but doable in a pinch. Lockback posted:Just because someone posted a similar question a few years ago and it was this easy answer, you tried turning up the backlight, right? F8? Yep first thing I tried. No bios or startup screen. Thankfully I mostly use the computer as an HTPC so it's useful even while it has a busted screen.
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May 9, 2024 17:06
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delfin posted:I'm in the market for a laptop for general use (Office apps, streaming media, browsing) at a sub-$1k price point, and finding that I no longer speak the language of hardware or fully grasp what's viable. I have roughly the same requirements as this goon, except that over the past two days I've gotten myself worked up over the idea of buying a refurbished Thinkpad. Additional needs: - Screen 14-16 inches - HDMI out and USB-C charging would be very nice - Can run Linux - Good build quality/durability as I'm somewhat careless and generally don't want to buy another one in three years - Solid battery life - Reasonably lightweight - Under, say, $600? It'll be a beater laptop essentially, but I also don't want to look at it in disgust a year from now - Don't care about touchscreen or 2-in-1 - Upgradeability nice but not a huge priority I'm not expecting people to comb through Ebay listings for me, but any advice for a Thinkpad newbie would be helpful. I've used Macbooks for my whole adult life except for gaming and am sick of paying 1k+ to watch videos and browse the forums. Also, happy to consider non-Thinkpad alternatives. big boi fucked around with this message at 18:20 on May 9, 2024 |
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May 9, 2024 18:05
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You can get a Thinkpad E14 with a Ryzen 5825U and 1TB SSD right now (although it may sell out soon) for a bit over $400: https://www.lenovo.com/us/outletus/en/p/laptops/thinkpad/thinkpade/thinkpad-e14-gen-4-(14-inch-amd)/21ebx005us The 8GB memory is soldered, but there's a SODIMM slot which can go up to 32. Here's the spec sheet: https://psref.lenovo.com/syspool/Sys/PDF/ThinkPad/ThinkPad_E14_Gen_4_AMD/ThinkPad_E14_Gen_4_AMD_Spec.pdf
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May 9, 2024 18:57
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big boi posted:I have roughly the same requirements as this goon, except that over the past two days I've gotten myself worked up over the idea of buying a refurbished Thinkpad. Additional needs: Something like this maybe? https://www.ebay.com/itm/145761089239 You can find a Gen 1 with like a 4750 for like $300-$400 too, Eletriarnation posted:You can get a Thinkpad E14 with a Ryzen 5825U and 1TB SSD right now (although it may sell out soon) for a bit over $400: https://www.lenovo.com/us/outletus/en/p/laptops/thinkpad/thinkpade/thinkpad-e14-gen-4-(14-inch-amd)/21ebx005us Yeah thats a great deal straight from Lenovo, I don't think you're beating that.
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May 9, 2024 19:17
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Eletriarnation posted:You can get a Thinkpad E14 with a Ryzen 5825U and 1TB SSD right now (although it may sell out soon) for a bit over $400: https://www.lenovo.com/us/outletus/en/p/laptops/thinkpad/thinkpade/thinkpad-e14-gen-4-(14-inch-amd)/21ebx005us Lockback posted:Yeah thats a great deal straight from Lenovo, I don't think you're beating that. Well, I'm 400 dollars, plus tax, poorer. Thank you!
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May 9, 2024 19:44
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Lol, it's sold out now so I guess you got the last/only one. Good job moving fast!
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May 9, 2024 20:02
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theratking posted:My 2020 G14 suddenly has an extremely dim screen, but otherwise works completely fine on an external monitor. Tried opening it up to see if there was any loose hardware to no avail. Fully updated drivers and windows 11. We had 4-5 HP Elitebook 640 G8 and G9 laptops suddenly do that at work a week or two ago, all of them at remote offices in a couple of different cities. Trying to change the brightness slider in Windows did nothing, even though it looked from a remote session like everything was working in software. Some of them seemingly came back to normal again after some Windows or driver update plus a few restarts a couple of days later so I suspect there may have been a really buggy driver or Windows update that caused the brightness to get stuck at some really low value, but as I never got any of them on site I can't be sure.
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May 9, 2024 20:11
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Eletriarnation posted:Lol, it's sold out now so I guess you got the last/only one. Good job moving fast! Luckily I had been using https://ackerleytng.github.io/logaze/ and had a pretty good idea of what was out there. My filters excluded the one you linked for some reason.
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May 9, 2024 20:56
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Got the GPD Win Max 2 through IGG. If you've never heard of GPD, they're a Chinese boutique gaming handheld outfit. The Win Max 2 is essentially a 10.1 inch "subnotebook" with a 8840U and integrated joysticks (below official images). The joysticks are the main selling point along with a oculink port that lets you hook up eGPUs with more bandwidth than TB4. Typing experience has been great on it - probably better than any other gaming handheld and arguably laptop level. Controllers are fine but it weighs 2lbs so you rest it on a desk to play games. Screen is great - 2560x1600 IPS on a 10" is extremely high DPI. Battery life is good for an AMD handheld especially since it has a 68Wh battery. 8-9 hours for browser/day-to-day stuff. 2-4h for gaming. Ultimately, I'm going to try to use it as a substitute for MBP/Steamdeck when I travel. 
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May 11, 2024 23:25
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Do you use the controls while it’s sitting on the desk?
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May 12, 2024 16:32
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On the desk, I have my thumbs on the sticks with the rest of my fingers under the device if that makes any sense. They also sell a 7" clamshell that's much lighter/more ergonomic but with significantly worse battery life and a mini keyboard that's closer to the old dumb phone ones. I wanted a laptop first, gaming second device. For folks that want it the other way, the 7" variant makes more sense.
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May 12, 2024 21:23
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is there an up to date post with general recommendations and things to look for/avoid? e: ill just post what im looking for too i haven't bought or shopped for a computer in a decade or so and the numbers are too long now. my tower with my trusted GTX970 is on it's last legs Ive spent a few days shopping around but i don't really know what im looking at. appreciate any help. thanks this will be a desktop replacement and my only computer, so gaming, browsing, sporadic a/v stuff etc around $1000 USD, could spend a little more if theres a meaningful reason 1920*1080 or 1920*1200? more?? strong bird fucked around with this message at 15:48 on May 13, 2024 |
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May 13, 2024 14:35
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What’s the cheapest laptop that could do music production and not be a headache? Or rather, what’s the budget range that I should look at for this/some suggestions on laptops that could handle it?
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May 14, 2024 03:12
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