I need a laptop for around $800

[jryanjr]

What laptop should I get for around $800?
I will use it for school, web browsing/other everyday task, and possible to play some league of legends every once and a while.
It needs to be portable (probably 13 inches) but doesn't need to be super powerful since I have a powerful gaming desktop at home.

Let me know what you think I should get!

 

[Eldy]

One of the best laptops for $800 is probably the ASUS N56JN-EB71 (this laptop is based on mainstream usage

Pros:
- Powerful processor: Intel Core i7-4710HQ Quad-Core + Hyper-Threading 2.5-3.5GHz CPU
- Dedicated video card: Nvidia Geforce 840M 2GB
- Four USB 3.0 ports
- DVD Burner
- Runs relatively cool
- 8GB of RAM that can be upgraded to 16GB (2x8GB)
- 750GB hard drive
- Easy to upgrade and service: Easy access to the hard drive and RAM
- Great speakers and included dedicated subwoofer
- HDMI and VGA Output

Cons:
- Average battery life: 4-5 hours
- Screen with TN panel, not IPS: Viewing angles, color reproduction and contrast aren’t the best.
- A little thick at 1.3″ and not exactly light at 6 pounds

 

[jryanjr]

The specs on that sound great but I would really want something more portable even if it sacrifices power. Its not really going to be a desktop replacement. I will probably only use it on the go.

 

[Eldy]

The specs on that sound great but I would really want something more portable even if it sacrifices power. Its not really going to be a desktop replacement. I will probably only use it on the go.

I dont get what you mean... This is a mainstream laptop, it is portable, and thinner than most gaming laptops?

 

[jryanjr]

My needs don,t really need a gaming laptop. You can play league on a lot of laptops. To give you an idea I am interested in the dell xps 13 because of its compact size even though it doesn't have the best specs.

 

[Eldy]

This laptop does have a compact size compared to most other laptops. It is rated the best laptop for under $800. Go look at a picture of it

 

[jaguarskx]

Basically any modern laptop can play League of Legends, it is not a very demanding game. Even an Intel HD 4400 or HD 5500 will be able to run that game at 1080p with very high graphic settings and still be able to get pretty decent frame rate. Below is a video of LoL being played on the Surface Pro 2.

https/www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPOBeiNhVnA


A quad core i7 CPU is great, but since it produces a lot more heat and consumes 3x more power than a dual core i3/i5/i7 CPU battery life will be somewhat short. LoL can easily be played on a dual core CPU as demonstrated by the above video.

As for a 13" laptop, very few of them will have a dedicated GPU; one is the 13" Alienware (~$950) and another is an Asus Zenbook (can't remember the model #, but costs at least $1,100). But both costs more than what you want to spend.

The least expensive 13" laptop is the Asus Zenbook ux305 for $700, but it has a Core M CPU which is a bit less power compared to the Core i3. Its integrated Intel HD 5300 is between the performance of the Intel HD 4000 and HD 4200; still enough to play LoL, but you will need to lower the settings. It has a 1080p IPS screen and weigh in at 2.6lbs.

Review:
https/www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yve9TB-fXV8

The next least expensive 13" laptop is the Core i3 version of the Dell XPS 13 for $800. Due to the thin bezel around the 13" screen, the laptop is more like the size of a 11" - 12" laptop. It has an intel HD 5500 graphics core so playing LoL should not be a problem. It has a 1080p IPS screen and weigh in at 2.6lbs.

Review:
https/www.youtube.com/watch?v=sP6oTd_OhoA


You can actually purchase the Core i5 version of the Dell XPS 13 for $799. Normal price is $899, but use the promo code PCGRAD15 to bring down the price. The Microsoft store does not carry the Core i3 version. They also sell the Asus Zenbook ux305 use the same code to bring the price down to $599.

http/www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/pdp/Dell-XPS-13-9343-Signature-Edition-Laptop/productID.312471000

http/www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/pdp/ASUS-Zenbook-UX305FA-USM1-Signature-Edition-Laptop/productID.313303100


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If you want a dedicate GPU in your laptop, then consider the 15" ASUS Laptop X555LB series laptops. As far as I can tell those are the cheapest laptops with a dedicated GPU (940m). Below is a link to Newegg.com with the Core i5-5200u and i7-5500u versions.They are 5.1lbs.

http/www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH&Description=asus+940m&N=-1&isNodeId=1

 

[jaguarskx]

Since you are going to school you might want to consider an alternative to a laptop....

You can use a 10" Microsoft Surface 3 ($499 - Atom CPU, 2GB RAM, 32GB eMMC) or a 12" Microsoft Surface Pro 3 ($799 Core i3, 4GB RAM, 64GB eMMC) to record class lectures and the notes you are writing during the lecture. The $499 price for the Surface 3 only includes the tablet so buying the pen + keyboard will be about another $180. The Surface Pro 3 comes with a pen so you will need to buy the keyboard for around $130. Below is a demonstration of some of the things the Surface can do, the video is for the Surface 3, but it applies to the Surface Pro 3 as well.

Ultimate Student Guide To Using Microsoft Surface 3:
https/www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEb573aGQpA

The above mentioned promo code does not apply to the Surfaces in the Microsoft Store, but they do offer a 10% discount for students.

http/www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/pdp/productID.300190600?VID=304047100&srccode=cii_17588969&cpncode=41-54176658-2&WT.mc_id=US_datafeed_Google

http/www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/pdp/Surface-3/productID.314885500