Laptop Shopping Advice Pls

Discussion in 'General Advice' started by Anomal(eee), Jun 15, 2019.

  1. Anomal(eee)

    Anomal(eee) Grumblepunk Gremlin

    Hi hello I'm finally trying to replace my laptop after not having bought any sort of computer for like, a decade, and I'm woefully out of date with what is good and which previously reliable brands have gone to shit. If anyone has suggestions, I would very much appreciate it!

    I am looking for:
    - something in the full-size laptop category (14-19 in screen)
    - fairly durable (I don't need it to be indestructible, but I'm fairly accident prone and don't want something that will fly to pieces if I knock it off the couch or spit sparks if my Maine coon walks on the keyboard (he's a chonk, it's something to take into consideration)
    - something with the processor and graphics capabilities to handle older games like Skyrim or MMOs like LOTRO or Rift, but I'm trying to avoid the overpriced overclocked craziness that lies in the Gaming Laptops category

    I know that Lenovo used to be a really reliable brand but they've since gone to shit, I've heard Acer has become super flaky on quality, and would generally just appreciate help in avoiding an unreliable machine that seems like it has the stats I'm looking for.
     
  2. LadyNighteyes

    LadyNighteyes Wicked Witch of the Radiant Historia Fandom

    Lenovo still has really solid customer service, but yeah, it seems like the quality has dropped. My current laptop is a Lenovo, and the screen just suddenly split apart for no apparent reason about a year after I got it. But it was still under warranty, and they sent me a box and they had it back to me in about a week completely fixed at no charge. So like, -points in one major category, +points in another, would be my experience?
     
  3. Anomal(eee)

    Anomal(eee) Grumblepunk Gremlin

    Good to hear that the customer service is good! I'm on a Lenovo myself, but it's fairly ancient and dates from just after some corporate acquisition that allegedly started the quality cutbacks. As I hear it told, that's who I have to thank for the fact that the touchpad is spazzy as fuck (it was the first thing to go) and the usb ports are fried such that I can't use a wireless mouse (they were the second thing to go). It's way outside its warranty period, though, so a-shopping I go. :/
     
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  4. Artemis

    Artemis i, an asexual moron

    My previous laptop was lenovo and I mever had any issues with it, but idk if the quality has dropped since - my current is an Acer Predator and its an absolute beast. Would absolutely get an acer again.
     
  5. Anomal(eee)

    Anomal(eee) Grumblepunk Gremlin

    Haha yeah, I took a look at the Predator and the line is gorgeous, but I'm not in the market for a serious gaming laptop right now. With specs like that though, I'm not surprised that it chews through anything you throw at it, damn.

    I had an Acer in college that bricked itself literally as I was writing a midterm essay, but I suspect that the shitty wiring in the house I was living in had something to do with that, considering we got to deal with plumes of smoke pouring out the outlet I had been using later that month. Good times, lol.
     
  6. Wingyl

    Wingyl Allegedly Magic

    I have an Asus laptop-they have some good laptops.
    Metal-frame laptops are the most durable
    if you get the highish-spec metal Asus with the fan intake in the hinge area, it's prone to overheating on warm days when doing lots eg gaming, but aside from that problem that's easily fixed with even a cheap under-the-computer fan, it's really good (it's what i've got)
    also, because of that minor problem, they are way less likely to be sold out than the model with more usb ports and the case-bottom fan openings
     
    • Informative x 3
  7. Re Allyssa

    Re Allyssa Sylph of Heart

    I just got a shiny new HP spectre x360 13t and I really love it. It's a 2-in-1 touch screen dealie, which is something I really wanted and gave up some things for, so I'm not sure if it's exactly right for you. It cost $1,300 + $350 for Best Buy's 3 year accident warranty.

    When I was looking, it seems that ASUS and HP are pretty good brands (though ASUS support sucks). Once I figured out what all the specs meant, I just kind of went based on that.

    From what I understand, you want to look for -
    RAM - at least 8G, but 16G is better and available at decent price ranges
    Memory - 1TB seems to be almost the standard at this point, I wouldn't go for anything less. Unless you want to look at solid-state drives. SSDs are at 256G, or 512G as really good. SSD means basically, there are not moving parts to wear out or break or flip out if you accidentally bump it at the wrong time, so I choose it and an external hard drive, because I am not as careful as I should be with my laptop.
    Processor - intel i7 seems to be what you're aiming for as far as intel goes. I don't know anything about other processors
    Graphics card - I know nothing about this. I think you want a non-integrated one so that you can upgrade it if you'd prefer at a later date? But I could have that backwards =/

    So, I looked at the laptops that were the size I wanted, in my price range, and had those specs, and then I picked the one I thought was prettiest and had neat other features. I ended up compromising on memory because I went the solid state route, and limited my choices by insisting on touch screen and as light as possible. You might be able to get better specs for the same price if you don't need those things that I was going for. So. YMMV?

    That's what I figured out based on a very limited knowledge of computer hardware stuff + what the Best Buy person was telling me.

    Oh and the accident warranty is pricey but it does cover stuff like "oops I dropped it and now it doesn't work," which I really need xD

    You could also look at the gaming laptops and see what their specs are and get as close as you can in your price range. I think the ones I put up there aren't too far off. https://www.bestbuy.com/site/pc-gaming/gaming-laptops/pcmcat287600050003.c?id=pcmcat287600050003
     
    • Informative x 1
  8. Ouija

    Ouija Nani the fuck?

    this is late and youve already mentioned woes with quality but...admittedly i really like (and only use) acer. Asus I suppose was a close second for me, but for what I have right now, my laptop handles all my nonsense (skyrim+modding the fuck out of it, current HQ games with heavy graphics like tomb raider, mmos like gw2 etc). Is it *meant* for that? not that I'm aware of, or at least not to the degree I'm playing at. It's on the low-end of things. But I do get good mileage with it regardless.

    upload_2019-6-16_15-58-39.png

    and then it also has an nvidia GeForce 940mx graphics card. I haven't modded my laptop, and it's never "chugged" except like. Once, when I was playing tomb raider on a stream (and therefore had OBS studio running simultaneously; changing graphics setting in the game fixed this).

    i've...actually dropped the laptop a pretty far height onto hard tile. The thing didnt break at all, or suffer any damage from what I could tell? The case's little vent area snapped a plastic shutter but that's a pretty cosmetic issue that I don't care about.

    It cost me roughly 750-800 if i remember right, and I bought it from newegg.

    If you wanted a **good** laptop, avoid anything below an i7 intel core processor (i9 is best in this case) or maybe even a higher-ended amd ryzen (i never dedicated a computer, laptop or otherwise, to gaming, so i've never gone past the tried and true intel), and keep in mind the ram suggestions you've gotten above (nothing less than 8gb), and memory dependent on what you want to keep on the laptop (1TB is common now, yes, so that should be a good starting point)
     
    • Useful x 2
  9. Ouija

    Ouija Nani the fuck?

    i'm coming back with a new post instead of editing my old one: as for graphics cards, Nvidia GeForce all the way. I, again, have a low-end one but it blew my old laptop's graphics card way out of the water. AGAIN, I own a non-tinkered laptop so this is just what it came with. If you want to modify your stuff, you can buy a GeForce GTX 1660 for like. 200-225 USD depending on where you get it from? Which is a good price for the quality you get. A high-end graphics card would be, like. GeForce RTX 2080 maybe? I think they have two versions, one's slightly better than the other for more money, or you could shop outside Nvidia and get something from AMD.
     
  10. Acey

    Acey hand extended, waiting for a shake

    I don't know much about specs, but seconding the iffiness on Acer--I've only ever had one Acer device, but it kinda sucked and didn't last terribly long.

    My current laptop is a Toshiba, and while it's an old laptop it runs quite well (the hard drive is new, but that was the only thing that needed any replacing after nearly a decade of my dad using it). I will note, however, that it's an older model--like I said, it's nearly ten years old--and idk if their current laptops are as reliable, so I can't really speak to that.

    I've had mixed experiences with ASUS. I had a p high-end laptop from them at one point, and it began to deteriorate depressingly fast, until finally frying itself entirely...I think early this year, after only about two years of use, ever. However, I had a mini-laptop from them that actually served me very well for a fair while, and that I only stopped using because the battery's a bit fucky and I managed to crack the screen somehow. (Then again, I didn't have that one for a super long period of time either, so...)

    I haven't had an HP in ages, but my mom had one that lasted her quite a while, and only had to replace it last year (I think with another HP, but I'm not sure); I seem to recall the one I had being pretty decent too.

    I don't have experience with any other manufacturers, nor do I have any real advice on what you should get (especially since it looks like other people here have had different experiences!), but I hope that's semi-helpful!
     
    • Informative x 1
  11. thegrimsqueaker

    thegrimsqueaker 28 Moribunding Mouse Aggravates the Angry Assholes

    if you want a warranty that will be used, try dell. I just got a 14'' inspiron, and it has a dedicated graphics card and has survived me and me during travelling. I've had (and broken, bc breaking computers is a talent of mine) several inspirons over the last ~15 years, and the warranty has held up to everything I've managed to do to a dell computer. (I've broken two hps even more spectacularly, but those were not under warranty and it was cheaper to get a new computer than to try fixing them)

    the only thing I would caution about inspirons is that they overheat easily, and keeping the fan clear is extremely important. but honestly, a lot of that can be mitigated by a) not living in the south or b) keeping your home at a reasonable temperature. also, taking breaks from gaming helps both the machine and you
     
    • Informative x 1
  12. mrozna

    mrozna bloodthirsty hussar fuck

    Oh hey, recently I've managed to destroy my Dell Inspiron 15 (rip sweet angel) and I'm desperately looking for something new. I'm 100% sure I want a convertible with a good drawing experience as it's going to be a machine primarily for work (I don't play the newest blockbuster AAA games anyway, I'm more of a decade-old/indie titles person). So far I've had my eye on ASUS Zenbok or Vivobook Flip, Lenovo Yoga, and Microsoft Surface Pro. I think I'm starting to favor the Surface, even though I'd have to buy the keyboard AND the pen separately :')))))) It does look solid and reliable.
    Can vouch for Inpirons though, if not for my stupidity (closing the lid with an object laying on keyboard) it would probably serve me another five years.
     
    • Witnessed x 2
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