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GreyQ
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Looking at new laptops - with no idea where to begin

Tue Apr 03, 2018 9:34 pm

I am not a computer guy.
In fact. The only reason I'm even here. Is because of the recent StephenPlays video that Jeff put together.
So please, if you're going to criticize, keep that in mind. And use tiny words. (Also just be nice, remember, you at one point didn't know anything either.)

I am a super casual gamer. Currently only playing Sims 2. Other games I enjoy are Subnautica, RCT (Only the first one, because it is the only good one) and Minecraft is a game I want to get back into.

Also general internet browsing, obviously. Portability is no longer high on my needs, which actually also includes battery life, since I probably will not actually travel with it far beyond an outlet. No need for 4k.
(Also, I do *have* a desktop. It's just... in the closet...) (Also doesn't really work last time I plugged it in, but that's a thread for another time)

Budget is "reasonable" - Less than 1,000 if possible. If not possible, then I just have to wait longer for a new laptop.

Current one is fine, but the headphone jack and SD reader don't work, and the webcam lens just fell off. Because I used *that* all the time. I think probably half of the screws on the back fell off, and it makes a *horrific* grinding noise if I move it improperly.
Current one is a Toshiba, and I have no brand loyalties.
I've googled stuff, and I kinda have a base idea of what things are, but I don't know how to apply it to what I want my computer to do.



(Also, yes, the RCT comment was a joke)
 
just brew it!
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Re: Looking at new laptops - with no idea where to begin

Tue Apr 03, 2018 9:41 pm

If your needs are modest (as it seems they are...), have you considered a 1-2 year old refurb or off-lease laptop? I've bought a couple of 'em from Microcenter, and have been happy with them. A new laptop is kind of like a new car -- it depreciates a lot over the first couple of years.
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derFunkenstein
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Re: Looking at new laptops - with no idea where to begin

Tue Apr 03, 2018 9:48 pm

Welcome!

Along with what JBI said, Dell's outlet machines get the same 1-year factory warranty as new. Something like this is a pretty nice deal.

For reference, should the link die, it's an Inspiron 5570 with a Core i5-8250U, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB solid state drive. 15.6" display with a 1920x1080 resolution. for $542 it might be hard to beat.
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GreyQ
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Re: Looking at new laptops - with no idea where to begin

Tue Apr 03, 2018 9:57 pm

I am deeply distrustful of refurbs or otherwise not-new laptops. I've gotten other techy things refurbished and I've never had much luck with them.

But both ya'll seem to like them? I'll definitely check it out and keep it in mind, thanks so much.
 
ludi
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Re: Looking at new laptops - with no idea where to begin

Tue Apr 03, 2018 10:24 pm

GreyQ wrote:
I am deeply distrustful of refurbs or otherwise not-new laptops. I've gotten other techy things refurbished and I've never had much luck with them.

But both ya'll seem to like them? I'll definitely check it out and keep it in mind, thanks so much.

Dell Outlet does alright, you get the manufacturer's recertification and a warranty. Just don't buy any Inspiron less than a 5xxx series. That otherwise leaves the Latitude E-series (business line, a little less on looks and absolute thinness, more on features and durability) and XPS (full bells and whistles, sometimes a bit less durable than the Latitude) as viable alternatives. Alienware is their gamer-targeted line and probably not as focused on your needs.
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mattshwink
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Re: Looking at new laptops - with no idea where to begin

Tue Apr 03, 2018 10:29 pm

How about these? Both right around $1,000, 500GB SSD, 8GB RAM. Ideally I'd bump up the ram, though for your use it probably won't matter much (except for lots of browser tabs). You can also easily add/change RAM later. Also, a NVM SSD would be better (and a more brand name one) but if it doesn't fit in the price point, any SSD is probably much better then what you have now.

This one is the one I would get. Better SSD. If you downgrade to the WD Blue M.2 500 GB SSD you could save $100.
http://www.xoticpc.com/asus-fx504gd-rs51.html?startcustomization=1
M.2 SATA / PCIe / NVMe SSD Drive Slot 1 : 1 x 500GB Samsung 960 EVO M.2 NVMe Solid State Drive (Read 3200MB/s - Write 1900MB/s) (SKU: 11425)
2.5" Bay 1: 1 x Remove Hard Drive (SKU: 10856)

Slightly worse SSD.
http://www.xoticpc.com/sager-np5855-clevo-n855hj.html?startcustomization=1#group-2
Options: Operating System: 1 x Windows® 10 Home 64-Bit Edition Preinstalled (Clean Install | Drivers Only | No Bloatware) (SKU: SGR6823)
Slot 1 M.2 SATA/PCIe: 1 x 500GB WD Blue M.2 SSD (SKU: 9968SGR)
2.5" Bay 1: 1 x Remove Hard Drive When You Select Any SSD (SKU: 9950SGR)
 
DPete27
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Re: Looking at new laptops - with no idea where to begin

Tue Apr 03, 2018 11:01 pm

This Acer Aspire 5 for $600 is the kind of machine I'd recommend.
i5-8250U = 4 cores, 8 threads, up to 3.4GHz, current generation CPU
256GB SSD installed. Should be plenty of room for the games you play and your other data.
NVidia MX150 is a good GPU for your needs. Here's some TR review benchmarks
8GB RAM is a good amount
1920 x 1080 screen should be crisp, although I caution that (of the ones I've seen) Acer's laptop screens that are not "IPS" screens (Swift 3 family is IPS) are not great. To be fair, I'd classify most TN laptop screens as mediocre to awful.
You don't get a backlit keyboard
I like the RAM/hdd upgrade hatches on the bottom so you don't have to disassemble the entire laptop just to upgrade these common items.

$600 for that hardware list is really the sweet spot for price/performance. Spending more than that is getting you: 1) an IPS screen for better off-angle viewing/colors and/or 2) thinner/lighter/metal chassis build quality type stuff.

[Add] Best Buy carries a similar model (albeit without the MX150) if you'd like to go look at it first hand before buying.
Last edited by DPete27 on Wed Apr 04, 2018 8:20 am, edited 1 time in total.
Main: i5-3570K, ASRock Z77 Pro4-M, MSI RX480 8G, 500GB Crucial BX100, 2 TB Samsung EcoGreen F4, 16GB 1600MHz G.Skill @1.25V, EVGA 550-G2, Silverstone PS07B
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cjcerny
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Re: Looking at new laptops - with no idea where to begin

Wed Apr 04, 2018 6:50 am

This laptop is likely a good fit for your needs:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075K ... agazine-20

Currently on sale, so move fast.
 
Chrispy_
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Re: Looking at new laptops - with no idea where to begin

Wed Apr 04, 2018 6:53 am

It doesn't sound like you need to spend your whole budget.

From the sounds of things you want the following:

A 15.6" 1080p IPS screen. It may not say "IPS" but just look for Wide-view or similar that claims 178-degree viewing angles.
Any intel i3, i5, or i7 - decent, newer AMD processors are still rare in laptops, and the older generation are junk to be avoided.
An SSD + mechanical drive combination. 128GB SSD and 1TB mechanical drive is a pretty common option these days.
Optional graphics - Geforce MX150 or GTX 1050 sound like they'll be more than adequate, Subnautica runs okay on Intel integrated graphics, but only on low settings, low resolution.

I'm not in the US so I'll let other gerbils suggest specific deals and models.
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derFunkenstein
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Re: Looking at new laptops - with no idea where to begin

Wed Apr 04, 2018 7:05 am

GreyQ wrote:
But both ya'll seem to like them? I'll definitely check it out and keep it in mind, thanks so much.

I don't trust anything Newegg refurbed any farther than I could throw it. I had a bad experience with Xbox 360 refurbs a long while back and I always had to pay for return shipping. I swapped them out until I got one that was still new enough to be covered by RROD replacement. :lol:

On the other hand, I've had several great transactions on the Dell outlet. Most recently, right after Christmas I picked out a machine for my dad. Core i3-7100-based Inspiron desktop. It's been perfect so far, and the Dell warranty helps.

But I totally understand distrusting refurb stuff. Lots of folks get burned.


cjcerny wrote:
This laptop is likely a good fit for your needs:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075K ... agazine-20

Currently on sale, so move fast.


I agree, this looks great. Better than what I linked, even.
I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.
Twittering away the day at @TVsBen
 
DPete27
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Re: Looking at new laptops - with no idea where to begin

Wed Apr 04, 2018 8:24 am

derFunkenstein wrote:
cjcerny wrote:
This laptop is likely a good fit for your needs:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075K ... agazine-20
Currently on sale, so move fast.

I agree, this looks great. Better than what I linked, even.

Oh nice! That's the same as my newegg link but $50 cheaper.
Main: i5-3570K, ASRock Z77 Pro4-M, MSI RX480 8G, 500GB Crucial BX100, 2 TB Samsung EcoGreen F4, 16GB 1600MHz G.Skill @1.25V, EVGA 550-G2, Silverstone PS07B
HTPC: A8-5600K, MSI FM2-A75IA-E53, 4TB Seagate SSHD, 8GB 1866MHz G.Skill, Crosley D-25 Case Mod
 
Waco
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Re: Looking at new laptops - with no idea where to begin

Wed Apr 04, 2018 8:28 am

DPete27 wrote:
derFunkenstein wrote:
cjcerny wrote:
This laptop is likely a good fit for your needs:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075K ... agazine-20
Currently on sale, so move fast.

I agree, this looks great. Better than what I linked, even.

Oh nice! That's the same as my newegg link but $50 cheaper.

Agreed, that's a great deal and looks perfect for the OP.
Victory requires no explanation. Defeat allows none.
 
ludi
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Re: Looking at new laptops - with no idea where to begin

Wed Apr 04, 2018 10:42 am

Any word on long-term hinge durability for that Aspire 5? One reason why I buy and recommend Dell Latitudes is that they have enough metal in the hing and lid structure to not pop apart in a year.
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ordskiweicz
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Re: Looking at new laptops - with no idea where to begin

Wed Apr 04, 2018 1:28 pm

I am a big fan of Asus UX360CA-IH51T or similar ASUS ZenBook UX330UA, add and larger SD or buy a micro sd chip, and/or an ssd.
 
Arvald
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Re: Looking at new laptops - with no idea where to begin

Wed Apr 04, 2018 1:43 pm

My advice is look at the model year... big box stores like Costco and Best Buy tend to get deals based on stock at the supplier.
Meaning that the gem of a deal can be a 2 year old model.

It also means that you will be paying more.
But it also means you could pick up a high end machine at a cheaper price.
 
DPete27
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Re: Looking at new laptops - with no idea where to begin

Wed Apr 04, 2018 1:51 pm

Interesting. According to Acer's website, the Aspire 5 lineup have IPS screens. A little digging at notebookcheck.net confirms, and looking up the panel on panelook.com says its AHVA.

Looking like a damn good machine.

Notebookcheck's review has some disassembly views. Looks like there's an M.2 port for an SSD in addition to the 2.5" bay. A single RAM slot. Having just opened an i5-8250U Dell Inspiron 15 last week (link here), I will say that the Aspire 5 hinges (inside the base) aren't as long as the Dell, which would translate into [comparatively] greater stress on the screws holding the hinges down to the base. Obviously failure potential relies on the strength of the hinge anchors inside the base, which I can't comment on with such limited information. You could easily have one laptop with a hinge twice as long, but with shoddy anchorage material in the base. Hinge stiffness also is a factor in how much stress is being put on the anchorage pegs.
I've worked on my fair share of laptops where a hing screw anchor peg broke in half. Drill the peg hole through the bottom of the chassis and put a through bolt in it (2mm diameter IIRC). It's not as pretty (if you routinely look at the bottom of your laptop) but I haven't yet had one fail before the computer itself dies or is obsolete.
Main: i5-3570K, ASRock Z77 Pro4-M, MSI RX480 8G, 500GB Crucial BX100, 2 TB Samsung EcoGreen F4, 16GB 1600MHz G.Skill @1.25V, EVGA 550-G2, Silverstone PS07B
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End User
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Re: Looking at new laptops - with no idea where to begin

Wed Apr 04, 2018 2:34 pm

DPete27 wrote:
This Acer Aspire 5 for $600 is the kind of machine I'd recommend.

That does look nice. It makes my 8650U/MX150 equipped T480 look dreadfully overpriced.
 
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Re: Looking at new laptops - with no idea where to begin

Wed Apr 04, 2018 2:38 pm

ordskiweicz wrote:
I am a big fan of Asus UX360CA-IH51T or similar ASUS ZenBook UX330UA, add and larger SD or buy a micro sd chip, and/or an ssd.

You have to be careful with the UX3330UA models. Some are 7th gen, some are 8th.
 
Voldenuit
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Re: Looking at new laptops - with no idea where to begin

Wed Apr 04, 2018 2:45 pm

This is probably slightly more PC than you need, but gives you a little headroom in GPU without inflating the budget.

Dell Inspiron 15 7567 with 256 GB SSD and GTX 1050Ti for $749.

You should be able to play most anything out today at Medium to High settings at 1080p60.
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TheRazorsEdge
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Re: Looking at new laptops - with no idea where to begin

Wed Apr 04, 2018 6:26 pm

Your requirements are fairly modest, so you have a choice:

1. You can realistically meet your requirements in the $700-$800 range and keep the rest. Possibly less if you find a very good deal.

2. You can "go premium" on one or more features.

You've already nixed one premium (4K display), but you can still choose others: more baseline performance, better gaming performance, portability, touchscreen/convertible, or better quality display (IPS or VA rather than TN).

Baseline performance: Any machine with an i5 processor and 8+ GB RAM will be adequate for browsing, even as you describe. If you have a truly monumental number of tabs at once, then maybe 16 GB starts to make sense---but I am using under 8 GB for nearly 100 tabs right now. Higher model processors generally offer better performance, but any i5 model should be good enough. The distinction between 7th and 8th gen is likely meaningless for you, aside from the fact that 7th are going to clearance prices in anticipation of the 8th-gen product cycle.

Gaming: Your gaming requirements are met by any GeForce graphics currently on the market---lowest is MX150, which should be adequate, but the GTX 1000-series offer better performance as the model# goes up in case you're thinking about expanding your game library. Honestly, a GeForce GTX 1050 should play any modern game reasonably well at 1920x1080 so there is little reason to go higher.

Portability: Squeezing high-performance parts and cooling systems into a small package is difficult. There are some very powerful machines out there that weigh 2-4 lbs. More typical weights are 4-6 lbs. Will you move it around enough for this to matter?

Touchscreen/convertible: These are cool and useful to some people. Other people couldn't care less. Not much else to say.

Display quality: Vibrant colors, anti-glare, and off-axis viewing are best for IPS, pretty good for VA, and mediocre-to-terrible for TN. (Off-axis viewing refers to how quickly the colors become distorted when you look at the screen from an angle instead of straight on.) If a type isn't listed, assume it's TN.

Misc: Some laptops come with mechanical keyboards, fingerprint readers, etc. You could probably add another feature or two and stay within your budget if nothing else catches your eye.

You should decide how you will use your laptop. Will you carry it around all day, or will you use it mostly in one place like a portable desktop? This can guide you toward in choosing a size---screen sizes range from 11-17 inches, and a lot of incidental things are determined by this size. E.g., most laptops under 13 inches have cramped/smaller keyboards because a full-sized US-layout keyboard simply doesn't fit.
 
GreyQ
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Re: Looking at new laptops - with no idea where to begin

Thu Apr 05, 2018 1:13 am

You are all my favorite people and I really appreciate all of your advice. I will be reviewing everything here (like four times because oh gosh this is a lot of information) and will.... eventually make a decision.

Thank you so much again.
 
whm1974
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Re: Looking at new laptops - with no idea where to begin

Thu Apr 05, 2018 4:14 am

GreyQ wrote:
You are all my favorite people and I really appreciate all of your advice. I will be reviewing everything here (like four times because oh gosh this is a lot of information) and will.... eventually make a decision.

Thank you so much again.

Have you thought about just getting another desktop instead? Bigger screens, better keyboards, easier to replace/upgrade, and etc. If you don't need portability at all then why get a laptop?
 
Aranarth
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Re: Looking at new laptops - with no idea where to begin

Thu Apr 05, 2018 7:21 am

A couple of basics to get out of the way...

My recommended screen resolutions:
14" screen 1600x900
15" screen 1920x1080
Both of these will allow windows to use the native dpi of 96dpi meaning that you don't need to worry about any of the high dpi features in windows which can break older apps and things like text will still be nice and legible.

I recommend 8gb ram though 12 or 16 would be better if you are a "gamer".

Since you want to play games look for machines with dedicated video chip like the nvidia 150. The latest intel igp is probably ok but why not splurge a littel if you are buying new.

and last get an ssd. 256gb is around the sweet spot. 120gb is probably too small. 512gb would be even better if you start to play really large games. 1tb is probably going to be poor value for money unless you do the upgrade yourself.
Main machine: Core I7 -2600K @ 4.0Ghz / 16 gig ram / Radeon RX 580 8gb / 500gb toshiba ssd / 5tb hd
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Shane Haumpton
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Re: Looking at new laptops - with no idea where to begin

Tue Jul 23, 2019 9:12 pm

Read articles and watch videos about budget pc :) for a price less than $500 dollars you can get a decent one.

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