Help me choose a laptop. $800 budget.

[wahhaj]

Hello everyone. I am looking to buy a laptop. It's just going to be used for everyday use: watching movies, browsing internet etc but no games. Such laptops are readily available but they are all 15 inch laptops. I am looking for a smaller laptop, 12-14", that I can take to college and I can't seem to find one that is not only good enough but also fits the budget. So far I've been trying to avoid Acer and HP. These are what I found so far and I would appreciate it if you guys shared you opinion on these.

Lenovo flex 2: http/shop.lenovo.com/ca/en/laptops/lenovo/flex-series/flex-2-14/

Lenovo Yoga 2 Laptop (13 inch): http/shop.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/lenovo/yoga-laptop-series/yoga-laptop-2-13/

ASUS Transformer: http/www.ncix.com/detail/asus-transformer-book-flip-intel-8f-99627.htm

ThinkPad L440 Laptop: http/shop.lenovo.com/ca/en/laptops/thinkpad/l-series/l440/#techspecs

and my top contender
http/www.dell.com/ca/p/inspiron-14-5447-laptop/pd?oc=ni14m5mp_bt_b2508e&model_id=inspiron-14-5447-laptop

which one do you guys think is the best out of these. If there is another that you think is better, please direct me towards it. Thank you

 

[turkey3_scratch]

I can tell you about the individual components!

Both laptops have 8GB of RAM which will be more than enough for what you need, so that's great! The Dell has Intel HD 4400 integrated graphics card which is a bit less powerful than the Intel HD 4600 in the Lenovo. The I7 processor in the Dell has a 4MB cache, 2 cores and hyperthreads to make 4 virtual cores, and is clocked at 2Ghz and goes up to 3.1 under load.

The Lenovo's I7 processor has the same exact specs except it can be clocked to 3.6Ghz in which you see the performance increase. Again, no notable difference in web browsing and stuff, but the screen is also nicer on the Lenovo. The Lenovo can have up to a 9-cell battery the Dell has a 3-cell.

You will want something for college that lasts and stays powerful all 4 years! You also do not want your Dell dying during class due to the battery.

 

[turkey3_scratch]

The best is the Lenovo ThinkPad L440. All those laptops are very similar in that they have basically same screen resolution, RAM, and video card. However, the Lenovo has a much better processor and even Intel HD 4600 graphics instead of Intel HD 4400 graphics. Notice the other laptops' processors have U in the name. This is because they are low-powered which means they are kind of weak. It probably would not make much differences for your mild purposes, but going with the Lenovo ThinkPad L440 has more benefits, even if you don't have a screen that flips 360 degrees, because that asthetic stuff just increases the price or secretly shields weaker internal hardware.

Thinkpads from experience also last long, we have one that runs from around 2003 still.

 

[wahhaj]

A Thinkpad from 2003? That's rather impressive. I've also had experience with Lenovo though mine was an ideapad. Great laptop still going strong but it heated up way to much to be comfortable. I looked around the internet and apparently I wasn't the only one. I managed to somewhat fix the problem by replacing the thermal paste but that voided my warranty. How is the Thinkpad in terms of cooling?

While the Thinkpad comes with better battery life which can be made even better with the optional 9 cell battery, the highest I can go with my budget is an i5 compared to the dell which comes with an i7 even though it is low powered. Do you think it is worth it to trade the low powered i7 with the i5? Take the brand quality into account.

 

[turkey3_scratch]

The Lenovo is starting at $616. The Dell starts at $750. Both those laptops are customizable with the parts you choose, but Lenovo's are much better both prosessor-wise and graphically. The Dell has a really poor battery (3-cell) which will not be good.

And did I mention the Lenovo has a higher resolution? Dell, though a reliable brand, has become more expensive for its parts in recent years, and competitors like Lenovo and Asus have passed it up.

 

[wahhaj]

Thanks for your reply. I will wait a few more hours to see if any one else want to put their two cents in otherwise I will close the thread. Meanwhile I will look more into the individual components of the two laptops.

 

[turkey3_scratch]

I can tell you about the individual components!

Both laptops have 8GB of RAM which will be more than enough for what you need, so that's great! The Dell has Intel HD 4400 integrated graphics card which is a bit less powerful than the Intel HD 4600 in the Lenovo. The I7 processor in the Dell has a 4MB cache, 2 cores and hyperthreads to make 4 virtual cores, and is clocked at 2Ghz and goes up to 3.1 under load.

The Lenovo's I7 processor has the same exact specs except it can be clocked to 3.6Ghz in which you see the performance increase. Again, no notable difference in web browsing and stuff, but the screen is also nicer on the Lenovo. The Lenovo can have up to a 9-cell battery the Dell has a 3-cell.

You will want something for college that lasts and stays powerful all 4 years! You also do not want your Dell dying during class due to the battery.

 

[wahhaj]

I agree the Thinkpad is the better product here though a bit pricey. Thank you for your help.

 

[turkey3_scratch]

The Lenovo should not be any more expensive than your budget, it depends on how you customize it.

 

[Asesh Basu]

What about amd based laptops? Aren't they cheaper?