Laptop for college

[TheBlackWidower]

1. What is your budget? Around $1200, it would be great if money can be saved.

2. What is the size of the notebook that you are considering? 13-15 inches

3. What screen resolution do you want? Above 1080p.

4. Do you need a portable or desktop replacement laptop? I can carry a load buy not much over 2k. I have a lot in my bag.

5. How much battery life do you need? 5-6 hours+

6. Do you want to play games with your laptop? If so then please list the games that you want to with the settings that you want for these games.
The quality is not a main priority so around medium settings(960m preferably); I will be playing CS:GO, Civ 5 and EU 4 mainly though I want 60 FPS in those titles.

7. What other tasks do you want to do with your laptop? (Photo/Video editing, Etc.) I am a college student and I am in a engineering class. Mainly running coding programs, youtube, netflix and games when I have time.

8. How much storage (Hard Drive capacity) do you need? Preferably at the price a combo of a HDD and SSD

9. If you are considering specific sites to buy from, please post their links. Preferably reputable sites.

10. How long do you want to keep your laptop? 3.5 years.

11. What kind of Optical drive do you need? None

12. Please tell us about the brands that you prefer to buy from them and the brands that you don't like and explain the reasons. I My Preferred companies are anyone but Asus and Apple. Apple is out of my price point the mac book air is (honestly) not a very powerful laptop and I have had bad experience with Asus products

13. What country do you live in? United States

14. Please tell us any additional information if needed.
I would like a SSD if possible.

 

[Gingerbread]

Pretty good discount on the lenovo:
http/www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834321438&cm_re=gtx_960m-_-34-321-438-_-Product
i7-6700HQ
16GB DDR4
gtx 960m
SSD

 

[TheBlackWidower]

Pretty good discount on the lenovo:
http/www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834321438&cm_re=gtx_960m-_-34-321-438-_-Product
i7-6700HQ
16GB DDR4
gtx 960m
SSD

It is fine but it is quite big, and heavy(2.6 kg) something around 2 kilos. The SSD is not needed but a small pcie one is fine for a boot SSD. Im trying to build a list, this is on it for sure, but I dont like the 'gaming' look on it. Also for anyone else reading this, a 960m is preferred. A 940m is a nogo really. I currently have a 840m and its bad

 

[Gingerbread]

Well if you want at least a 960m, then you will have to go for 2.6kg, or spend LARGE, very LARGE on a laptop.

 

[TheBlackWidower]

Well if you want at least a 960m, then you will have to go for 2.6kg, or spend LARGE, very LARGE on a laptop.

I saw the XPS 15, and it seems to fit. 960m a HDD and SSD(though small) 2kg and dat display doe. What do you think? Is it good?

 

[Gingerbread]

Yeah I was going to mention the XPS 15-9550 but the cheapest options cost more than the 2.6KG laptops and have the weaker i5-6300HQ. The equivalents are around 2x more expensive, which is not really worth it in my eyes, better go to the gym for 1 month and get used to 0.6kg more (that was a joke).

 

[TheBlackWidower]

Yeah I was going to mention the XPS 15-9550 but the cheapest options cost more than the 2.6KG laptops and have the weaker i5-6300HQ. The equivalents are around 2x more expensive, which is not really worth it in my eyes, better go to the gym for 1 month and get used to 0.6kg more (that was a joke).

On the website it says 1.78 KG and im playing light games so do I need a i7?? I am not sure. And the xps 15 is a LOT thinner. Slightly thicker than the MCP 15. The 960m is great and the display is.......look at the damn thing! Xps 13 was there but the iris pro gold edition is around the 15-1600$ mark. The lenovo is good but looking at some reviews the keyboard is....questionable, not to say its much better on the xps 15 with the weird 1.2mm key travel. The inspiron line is there but its kinda not premium enough. My younger bro in highschool has the inspiron 13 7000 SE and its OK but the trackpad is meh. Kinda stuck. I also am looking into 2 in ones as sometimes it is easier to comsume media or write things down in class. Any options there with a decent GPU?

 

[Gingerbread]

Pretty sure the XPS 15 was 2.0 KG, might be mistaken. Also you won't really need the i7, the i5 will be good enough, however for me it's not worth spending more on something which is less powerful just to lose a few grams, if it is worth it for you, then definitely go for it, the XPS is a great piece of art. Also there are other brands which provide the same specs as the lenovo - Asus has its GL552 and Acer has it's entry Aspires/predators with the same specs. Other options is the Razer blade which costs a ton of money or I remember seeing one or two smaller MSIs which again were at least $1800 so I didn't even mention them.

 

[TheBlackWidower]

how is the new razer blade stealth??? the one for 999?

 

[Gingerbread]

Razer blade stealth uses the integrated GPU. It can't run games on its own.

 

[TheBlackWidower]

Hmmmmm then.....anything other than the y700 and xps 15?

 

[Gingerbread]

Well in the Y700 class (15.6", FHD, gtx 960m, i7-6700HQ, 16GB DDR4 memory, SSD option) you have plenty of options. My personal favorite is the Asus GL552 because it has usb type-c, and the Acer Aspire nitro. All three - lenovo, asus and acer, have a laptop with those specifications, for the best price. Other brands are not worth considering, apart from MSI.

 

[basroil]

1. What is your budget? Around $1200, it would be great if money can be saved.

2. What is the size of the notebook that you are considering? 13-15 inches

3. What screen resolution do you want? Above 1080p.

4. Do you need a portable or desktop replacement laptop? I can carry a load buy not much over 2k. I have a lot in my bag.

5. How much battery life do you need? 5-6 hours+

6. Do you want to play games with your laptop? If so then please list the games that you want to with the settings that you want for these games.
The quality is not a main priority so around medium settings(960m preferably); I will be playing CS:GO, Civ 5 and EU 4 mainly though I want 60 FPS in those titles.

7. What other tasks do you want to do with your laptop? (Photo/Video editing, Etc.) I am a college student and I am in a engineering class. Mainly running coding programs, youtube, netflix and games when I have time.

8. How much storage (Hard Drive capacity) do you need? Preferably at the price a combo of a HDD and SSD

9. If you are considering specific sites to buy from, please post their links. Preferably reputable sites.

10. How long do you want to keep your laptop? 3.5 years.

11. What kind of Optical drive do you need? None

12. Please tell us about the brands that you prefer to buy from them and the brands that you don't like and explain the reasons. I My Preferred companies are anyone but Asus and Apple. Apple is out of my price point the mac book air is (honestly) not a very powerful laptop and I have had bad experience with Asus products

13. What country do you live in? United States

14. Please tell us any additional information if needed.
I would like a SSD if possible.

Do you NEED to have one device? If you can give up on playing games on the road, just get a Surface 3 and then a desktop. For $1200, you can get http/pcpartpicker.com/p/9g8Q8d and http/www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Surface-Tablet-10-8-Inch-Windows/dp/B012DTDI2C/

That's <800g weight for the go, (bit more with keyboard and pen) that lets you take notes in class (I use my SP3 almost exclusively for notes) and use Office, and then a system capable of 1080p 60Hz gaming at fairly high settings (and likely >120hz for csgo)

 

[TheBlackWidower]

The surface is there but then 3 comes with a core atom....not going for that. want a I series CPU. As for gamong on the road considering what I am playing mainly RTS except for csgo then a 940m would be OK

 

[basroil]

The surface is there but then 3 comes with a core atom....not going for that. want a I series CPU.

What you want and what you NEED are often very different things. The modern ATOM cores are more than enough for Office, including OneNote, and most websites. Hell, VS2015 works fine on it (though compiling chrome might take an hour and a half).

I understand that you want the impossible (<2kg with ssd, 960m, and under $1200), but you need to understand what you actually need. In engineering you learn to first ask what you NEED, and then design to meet that need, throwing in things you only want when the constraints allow. Just follow the same principle in everything else. Once you know what you NEED, then comments on what fits that actual requirement will follow and you'll end up with something you enjoy using, even if it's not what you originally wanted.

(I've gone through BS->PHd in engineering, so I speak from experience)

 

[TheBlackWidower]

What about the surface pro 3?
Sorry I did not mention this before but I am ok at playing games at 720p. The only requirement is 60fps

 

[TheBlackWidower]

I am also willing to drop the SSD. I can always put it in for 50 bucks a couple o months later and reinstall windows. And I am also OK with a 940m tho I still require a i series proccesor because I want some longevity as I will keep this for 3.5 years+. Upgradability is a plus as I can always add ram later as well down the line. I also already have a desktop but I am only playing stategy games and CS GO on the 2 hour train ride back(please dont tell me to move over a laptop choice). I am not neccesarily looking for a "gaming" laptop but a laptop that can push the frames at 720p min settings. I am just looking for a laptop that dose not break the bank but can do light gaming.

 

[basroil]

I am also willing to drop the SSD. I can always put it in for 50 bucks a couple o months later and reinstall windows. And I am also OK with a 940m tho I still require a i series proccesor because I want some longevity as I will keep this for 3.5 years+. Upgradability is a plus as I can always add ram later as well down the line. I also already have a desktop but I am only playing stategy games and CS GO on the 2 hour train ride back(please dont tell me to move over a laptop choice). I am not neccesarily looking for a "gaming" laptop but a laptop that can push the frames at 720p min settings. I am just looking for a laptop that dose not break the bank but can do light gaming.

1) Most smaller laptops no longer have user upgradable RAM, or at least no open slots
2) Surface Pro 3 will not play games all that well, SP4 will be better but don't expect high quality settings even at 720p
3) Turn based strategy on a train might be possible for some, but cs:go? You got to be joking me...
4) What you describe gives you 4 results at newegg http/www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=Property&Subcategory=3365&N=100167748%204021%204022%204023%20600555766%20600555764%20600555758%20600568966%20600551625%20600003982%20600003988%20600494854%20600562218%20600500569%20601107736%20600514246%20601114864%20600551646%20601107075%20600528419%20600567948%20600464840%20600544980%20601107730%20600528707%20600536658%20601116146%20600453203%20600551522%20600439430%20600552374%20600453201%20600562217%20600440383%20600641622%20600004926%20600004927%201065489088%208000%201065528048&IsNodeId=1&IsPowerSearch=1&OEMMark=0,N

Any of them actually good for gaming on a train? no, because nobody games with a trackpad...
Just remember that you'll still have to shell out for Office and any other software you need.

 

[TheBlackWidower]

I am also willing to drop the SSD. I can always put it in for 50 bucks a couple o months later and reinstall windows. And I am also OK with a 940m tho I still require a i series proccesor because I want some longevity as I will keep this for 3.5 years+. Upgradability is a plus as I can always add ram later as well down the line. I also already have a desktop but I am only playing stategy games and CS GO on the 2 hour train ride back(please dont tell me to move over a laptop choice). I am not neccesarily looking for a "gaming" laptop but a laptop that can push the frames at 720p min settings. I am just looking for a laptop that dose not break the bank but can do light gaming.

1) Most smaller laptops no longer have user upgradable RAM, or at least no open slots
2) Surface Pro 3 will not play games all that well, SP4 will be better but don't expect high quality settings even at 720p
3) Turn based strategy on a train might be possible for some, but cs:go? You got to be joking me...
4) What you describe gives you 4 results at newegg http/www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=Property&Subcategory=3365&N=100167748%204021%204022%204023%20600555766%20600555764%20600555758%20600568966%20600551625%20600003982%20600003988%20600494854%20600562218%20600500569%20601107736%20600514246%20601114864%20600551646%20601107075%20600528419%20600567948%20600464840%20600544980%20601107730%20600528707%20600536658%20601116146%20600453203%20600551522%20600439430%20600552374%20600453201%20600562217%20600440383%20600641622%20600004926%20600004927%201065489088%208000%201065528048&IsNodeId=1&IsPowerSearch=1&OEMMark=0,N

Any of them actually good for gaming on a train? no, because nobody games with a trackpad...
Just remember that you'll still have to shell out for Office and any other software you need.

Fair enough.I'll drop csgo but games like Civ 5 and eu4 or still on the game list. I still want to play those. If I can get decent FPS and atleast 720p. I'm set for gaming. For school work, for engineering did u use a lot of formula like stuff or not? First year was basic things like can u build a PC, make simple coding etc. Next year I'm in the dark. Any help appreciated and thanks to all for narrowing down my needs

 

[basroil]

Fair enough.I'll drop csgo but games like Civ 5 and eu4 or still on the game list. I still want to play those. If I can get decent FPS and atleast 720p. I'm set for gaming. For school work, for engineering did u use a lot of formula like stuff or not? First year was basic things like can u build a PC, make simple coding etc. Next year I'm in the dark. Any help appreciated and thanks to all for narrowing down my needs

For those two games you don't need 60fps, 30 is more than enough (especially civ 5), so any skylake chip should work even without a dgpu (like surface pro 4 and a dozen laptops)

As for academic stuff, each school is different, and I'm in "real" engineering, i.e. mechanical+electrical, which is quite a bit more demanding in terms of computing needs (CAD is heavy in graphics, matlab needs single core, ansys/mcad stuff needs multicore, etc). That's why I recommended a proper desktop. If you're just comp-sci, don't worry about CPU performance too much, a core M or i3 is more than enough for your coursework, and an i3 is enough for gaming when you throw in a 940m or 950m