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Does anybody know if SmartGuard by Warrantech (offered on some laptops by Amazon) is any good? The only worrying info I've been able to find is that they can replace your item with one of a lesser value at their discretion which seems to be your typical fine print but still kinda sucks. But I've not really found many service quality anecdotes on tech forums or reddit. Specifically this would be for a non-US customer buying from the US store, although the warranty is supposed to be international. Also, if anybody has any experience buying either a laptop or graphics card from the Amazon US store, but is NOT a US resident and had it shipped internationally, can you please share your experiences? Ta!
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Dec 26, 2016 14:32
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What's the verdict on the Thinkpad 13? Obvs it doesn't have a sweet metal frame but it looks ok as a cheaper laptop.
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Dec 26, 2016 16:01
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Hace posted:What's the verdict on the Thinkpad 13? Obvs it doesn't have a sweet metal frame but it looks ok as a cheaper laptop. It has a feeble backlight, around 200 nits.
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Dec 26, 2016 19:29
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Hey guys, I don't know much about laptops and I'm asking for a friend: how does this deal look to you? See any obvious problems? I'm reading that the i7-6700HQ can overclock to 3.5ghz, but I assume not without some sort of aftermarket cooling?
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Dec 26, 2016 19:59
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Heavy neutrino posted:Hey guys, I don't know much about laptops and I'm asking for a friend: how does this deal look to you? See any obvious problems? Looks like a fantastic deal to me. Don't worry about overclocking. It's a terrible idea in laptops.
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Dec 26, 2016 20:11
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Cat Army 
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Amazon has currently matched the price on that Gigabyte laptop, but you have to select it via the "other sellers" menu, and they're also out of stock. I'm trying to get my friend to bite on it, but she's still waiting to see the prices on the 1050Ti laptops because they might be cheaper/cooler-running. Also, I just saw this in the daily Newegg flier. No SSD, 8GB instead of 16GB, and a 3GB 1060, but: https://m.newegg.com/Product/index?...S0K&ignorebbr=1 BIG HEADLINE fucked around with this message at 00:00 on Dec 27, 2016 |
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Dec 26, 2016 21:57
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Hace posted:What's the verdict on the Thinkpad 13? Obvs it doesn't have a sweet metal frame but it looks ok as a cheaper laptop. The only good Thinkpads are the T X W and P series Edit: and sometimes the Thinkpad Yoga series
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Dec 26, 2016 22:24
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In the end I've decided to go with: Aspire V 15 Nitro Notebook | VN7-592G 15" screen, i5-6300HQ processor, SSD and 16GB of RAM for a price of £769 (after 15% discount) seems ok. Similar Lenovo (ideapad Y700) build goes for +£80 more (after ecoupon -10% discount - THINK10), although you can remove the 1TB drive (I was considering it, given that I've got an external HDD that's enough for store purposes, for -£80)
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Dec 26, 2016 23:40
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I'm tired of my surface book disconnecting the keyboard (and mouse, and battery, and anything attached via USB) anytime I look at it wrong. Adding a little screen space/performance and giving up a little battery life (its an inch wider, about the same height overall) by replacing it with an XPS15 (the upcoming Kaby Lake version). Thoughts?Heavy neutrino posted:Hey guys, I don't know much about laptops and I'm asking for a friend: how does this deal look to you? See any obvious problems?
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Dec 27, 2016 06:01
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Hace posted:What's the verdict on the Thinkpad 13? Obvs it doesn't have a sweet metal frame but it looks ok as a cheaper laptop. The keyboard is great and it has pretty solid battery life, but the screen is pretty dim. It's perfectly fine for simple stuff, though, especially if you get it cheap.
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Dec 27, 2016 09:06
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http://computers.woot.com/offers/lenovo-14-intel-i5-256gb-ssd-laptop?ref=el_gh_cp_3_d_ph That may draw some interest here; a T440S with an SSD for $400 refurbished. Only up for the next ~21 hours though.
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Dec 27, 2016 09:38
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I come from Land of Mac where I never really had to think about different makers and the sheer variety of models is kinda intimidating. I already have an iMac that I use for my primary workload and display purposes, and thought it'd be nice to dip my toe in to PC gaming while also using it for access to tools and software that are unavailable to me otherwise. Having two desktops seemed excessive so a laptop compromise seemed doable in this scenario, with the full understanding that they will be more expensive with lower specs due to their relatively higher portability. The gaming-centric laptops made by Alienware and MSI, etc. really seem a bit flashy and excessive when I mostly want something that's solid enough to do visual arts on as well as run some games (finally with mods!) without having to worry about it overheating or getting janky. Getting the absolutely best settings on everything is not a priority per se, but the threat of obsolescence looms large in the back of my mind. Of the gaming ones, the GE72 Apache Pro (GTX 970M) seemed good in terms of specs without getting into the price range beyond what I'm used to as an Apple buyer, but I'd love to see if it's possible to shave off some of the cost by not indulging in rainbow-glowing keyboards and other weird prestige features that don't really make too much difference to me as a user. Does the thread have any good suggestions on how to thread the needle on this compromise of power/portability/cost?
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Dec 27, 2016 12:10
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Neeksy posted:I come from Land of Mac where I never really had to think about different makers and the sheer variety of models is kinda intimidating. I already have an iMac that I use for my primary workload and display purposes, and thought it'd be nice to dip my toe in to PC gaming while also using it for access to tools and software that are unavailable to me otherwise. Having two desktops seemed excessive so a laptop compromise seemed doable in this scenario, with the full understanding that they will be more expensive with lower specs due to their relatively higher portability. Depends entirely on your budget. You also do not want to buy a laptop with a 970m. Look for a laptop with a 1060 instead. They go for around $1200-1500 or so usd.
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Dec 27, 2016 12:35
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Atomizer posted:http://computers.woot.com/offers/lenovo-14-intel-i5-256gb-ssd-laptop?ref=el_gh_cp_3_d_ph Criminal to pay $399 for something with that screen.
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Dec 27, 2016 14:29
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Bob Morales posted:Criminal to pay $399 for something with that screen. Edit: nevermind I'm retarded and can't read.
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Dec 27, 2016 20:11
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So any advice on a good laptop to get for about $1200 - 1500? It doesn't have to be the most mobile as I still have my chromebook. In terms of general specs I would like for one that could handle games at a decent specs.
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Dec 27, 2016 20:50
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Neeksy posted:I come from Land of Mac where I never really had to think about different makers and the sheer variety of models is kinda intimidating. I already have an iMac that I use for my primary workload and display purposes, and thought it'd be nice to dip my toe in to PC gaming while also using it for access to tools and software that are unavailable to me otherwise. Having two desktops seemed excessive so a laptop compromise seemed doable in this scenario, with the full understanding that they will be more expensive with lower specs due to their relatively higher portability. It'd make a lot more sense to ditch the iMac and grab a Mac laptop and a Windows desktop. Apple's strength is mobile devices after all.
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Dec 27, 2016 22:44
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canis minor posted:I'm thinking about getting a refurbished Dell Latitude E7270, i7, 13", 16GB RAM, with 512GB SSD for £650. I got a "Certified Refurbished" E7270 this past summer with 1080p screen, 4GB RAM, and 128GB SSD for $650 and it showed up in mint condition except for the refurb sticker, everything working perfectly. I immediately upgraded it to 16GB RAM and a 512GB Intel 600p, since buying it that way from Dell was about as expensive as just buying the parts at the time. It might just be confirmation bias because this is the first [nearly] new laptop I've ever bought with my own money, but I don't think I have a single negative thing to say about it. (e: No, scratch that - one tiny thing. The screen bezels are pretty fat, it has a similar footprint to a 13.3" system.) It feels really well integrated and solid despite the weight, the keyboard and touchpad both work well, screen contrast and brightness is good, and Skylake integrated graphics are even fast enough for light gaming. I've used a 13" Haswell MBP and Skylake Thinkpad X1 Carbon as work machines during the same time period that I have had it and would honestly probably place the E7270 as my favorite, even with 1440p screens on both of the others. I'm not sure how nice "Scratch and Dent" models would be although I assume they're supposed to be fully functional, but if that's a 1080p model it sounds like a great deal. The 720p screen might be acceptable if it's equivalent in factors other than resolution but the 720p screen I had on my previous Latitude E6230 definitely wasn't. Eletriarnation fucked around with this message at 07:39 on Dec 28, 2016 |
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Dec 27, 2016 23:30
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Dell latitudes are great laptops. Period.
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Dec 28, 2016 00:41
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I have bought plenty of refurbs direct from Apple, Lenovo, and Dell and all were great.
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Dec 28, 2016 01:17
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The Iron Rose posted:Depends entirely on your budget. You also do not want to buy a laptop with a 970m. Look for a laptop with a 1060 instead. They go for around $1200-1500 or so usd. Why not the 970m and instead the 1060? Is there a make or model that puts it to better use? DNK posted:Dell latitudes are great laptops. Period. What makes them good in particular?
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Dec 28, 2016 05:06
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Neeksy posted:Why not the 970m and instead the 1060? The 970m is last generation, and is a mobile variant of the Maxwell desktop GTX 970. This means it's basically been neutered to fit within a thermal and/or power envelope. It performs roughly on par with a desktop GTX 960, which while is pretty capable at 1080p, isn't stellar. The 1060 in laptops replaces the 970m, and is part of the new generation of graphics cards (Pascal). Essentially Pascal is Maxwell on steroids. The 1060 does not get neutered for laptops, it is not a 1060"m" -- it is simply the full desktop 1060 minus about 10% performance. The 1060 vastly outperforms the 970m (is on par with a GTX 980 desktop card) and has far more longevity and "future-proofing" potential. At 1080p it murders just about every game except Witcher 3 w/ hairworks @ Ultra (just turn hairworks off). Given that 1060-equipped laptops are the replacements for 970m-equipped ones, unless you're specifically bargain-hunting for last-gen stuff, it makes little sense to opt for a 970m than a 1060. The 1060 just completely outclasses what it replaces.
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Dec 28, 2016 05:13
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Shrimp or Shrimps posted:The 970m is last generation, and is a mobile variant of the Maxwell desktop GTX 970. This means it's basically been neutered to fit within a thermal and/or power envelope. It performs roughly on par with a desktop GTX 960, which while is pretty capable at 1080p, isn't stellar. This helps me a lot with regards to trying to figure out what kinds of cards would be best for at least maintaining somewhat long-term use. Thank you for the explanation!
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Dec 28, 2016 05:38
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The 1060 actually outperforms the 980M. The 1070 and 1080 mobile parts, while perfectly functional, do seem to stress their chassis thermal limits in 'lightweight' builds. I've not yet read a review of a laptop using a 1070 or 1080 where someone's said "boy howdy is this thing sure is frosty on my lap!" I personally wouldn't get a 'thin and light' laptop with a 1070 or 1080. That being said, rather well-equipped 1060 6GB laptops are inching their way down to the $1100 mark, probably because the 1050Ti laptops are about to come along and make people wonder why they're paying $12-1500 for a 1060-chipped notebook. The 1050Ti with 4GB (which evidently outperforms the 970M by 10-15%) of frame buffer will also likely make the 1060 3GB laptops less palatable. 4GB should drive a 1080p display just fine, while the 6GB on the 1060 would probably be happier with a 2K display. Hell, Micro Center even has a $1399 1070 ASUS laptop at the moment with an NVMe boot: http://www.microcenter.com/product/468416/ROG_Strix_GL502VS-DB71_156_Gaming_Laptop_Computer_-_ROG_Metallic (evidently the chassis is made out of suuuuuper-cheap plastic, though) BIG HEADLINE fucked around with this message at 06:22 on Dec 28, 2016 |
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Dec 28, 2016 05:40
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Neeksy posted:Why not the 970m and instead the 1060? If you're planning on buying a laptop for long term use absolutely get one with the 1060 in it It's going to run cooler at full throttle, but also run cooler at idle. It's also true VR-capable If you can wait until after CES next week, there will be a lot more options with the 1060, 1070, 1080. The week before CES is a really bad time to be buying a laptop right now. 1050/1060 equipped laptops will cost about as much as a 960m or 970m equipped laptop but 50% more performance. We're finally on the edge of entering the era of true desktop replacement
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Dec 28, 2016 05:57
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Lenovo has announced their Kaby Lake line of Thinkpads, all the usuals are here, X270, T470, T470s, T470p, T570, P70 etc Also the latest Thinkpad Yoga variant is here, the ThinkPad Yoga 370; http://www.pcworld.com/article/3153590/computers/lenovos-popular-thinkpads-speed-up-with-intels-kaby-lake-chips.html All the models include USB-C and USB 3.0 (of course) and seem to generally have the same design as last year's models. Pricing seems to have not changed much from the last 4 years ($900 msrp, but generally much cheaper than that using the B&N link or one of the bajillion sales they have each month). Besides the new Kaby Lake processor the only be feature here is 32 GB ram is avalible now in the T series. Since Lenovo are sadists, you can still order their laptops with 1366x768 screens (because corporate customers)
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Dec 28, 2016 08:47
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Thanks for the info! I'll wait until after CES, then. Of course, my iMac literally just went black 10 minutes ago and won't start up (my guess is a failed logic board), so maybe this is all conveniently-timed for me to change up my overall system.
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Dec 28, 2016 09:21
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Hadlock posted:Lenovo has announced their Kaby Lake line of Thinkpads, all the usuals are here, X270, T470, T470s, T470p, T570, P70 etc I wonder what the optane caches will help with, and how much
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Dec 28, 2016 09:53
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Intel's iGPU ambitions really must have hit a wall considering the 940MX in the new Thinkpads, a 0.8 TFLOP 25W Maxwell part in 2017. 
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Dec 28, 2016 10:30
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Yeah, that is the disappointing bit of that announcement. Though I guess it is down to what Pascal parts NVidia has gotten around to (even the 1050 would not drop in for a 940mx TDP-wise I believe). Thunderbolt and Kaby Lake, and some spiffy new chassi redesigns though, so fair enough refresh.
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Dec 28, 2016 10:50
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Hadlock posted:Since Lenovo are sadists, you can still order their laptops with 1366x768 screens (because corporate customers) Then again I have a T540 on the desk next to mine with a 1366x768 screen because I HATE LOOKING AT SMALL ICONS AND LETTERS (salesperson who we ordered it for)
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Dec 28, 2016 14:35
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Not everybody gets a computer with the purpose of having stats to jerk off to. Some people use them as tools for getting work done.
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Dec 28, 2016 14:48
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sarehu posted:Not everybody gets a computer with the purpose of having stats to jerk off to. Some people use them as tools for getting work done. But you can only see 1.7 forum posts with 768 vertical pixels.
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Dec 28, 2016 15:04
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I'm so glad I snagged this 2560x1700 when I could. Holy poo poo it's a nice catch. Not just the pixels, the extra height over 16:9, too.
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Dec 28, 2016 15:10
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sarehu posted:Not everybody gets a computer with the purpose of having stats to jerk off to. Some people use them as tools for getting work done.
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Dec 28, 2016 15:36
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It's also the only stat that doesn't depreciate to basically zero in 5 years.
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Dec 28, 2016 15:43
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Flipperwaldt posted:Agreed. A decent screen resolution is one of the very few stats with an actual, tangible, real life benefit in modern computers. In particular for people that just want to get work done. Not if it makes all the icons and letters real small.
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Dec 28, 2016 16:19
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That hasnt generally been an issue for a while. Windows 10 is pretty good at guessing the correct scaling for a screen, though I find it errs on the side of caution and makes things a tad bigger than id like. But then again, I prefer hidpi turned off in osx so I get more usable screen space when I need it
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Dec 28, 2016 16:25
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sarehu posted:Not if it makes all the icons and letters real small.
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Dec 28, 2016 17:04
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sarehu posted:Not if it makes all the icons and letters real small. That's the whole drat point. Go see an eye doctor, get some glasses, buy a decent screen. Welcome to desktop real estate. You can now do more better faster, because typing more than 3 characters into your pc doesn't remove all the previous content from the screen. Realtalk though, higher resolution makes smaller characters much more readable. If you have issues reading small fonts on a monitor you *want* to get a higher resolution and enable scaling.
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Dec 28, 2016 17:08
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