Looking for laptop options FAQ answered

[sunfinch]

1. What is your budget?
looking for something between $500 and $1,400. I'd prefer to have a few options in this price range and if possible I'd much prefer saving a little money by getting a laptop that only needs say, a RAM and/or Hard drive update.

2. What is the size of the notebook that you are considering?
A minimum of 11" but, larger is very welcome.

3. What screen resolution do you want?
I want decent resolution but it doesn't have to be top-notch

4. Do you need a portable or desktop replacement laptop?

Whatever you think would suit my listed needs.

5. How much battery life do you need?

For the most part, I'll be near a power outlet. So long as it can handle 2 hours off it's power cord I'm good to go.

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. (Low,Medium or High)?
Oh yeah....

World of Warcraft- med/high

Heroes of the storm- med/high

Pinball FX2-low/med

plants vs zombies- low/med

sword coast legends- med/high

Magic duels: origins- med

dungeons 2- med/high

torment: tides of numenera- med/high


7. What other tasks do you want to do with your laptop? (Photo/Video editing, Etc.)

Photo editing, music, web browsing, documents, and movie streaming would be the main other tasks.


8. How much storage (Hard Drive capacity) do you need?

something at least 500gb, unless it's up-gradable....


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

so long as it is a trusted place to buy from. I have slight tendency towards anything that might be found on walmart, as I receive a 10% employee discount but, if what I want can only be found elsewhere or at a better price even with the 10% off, that is fine.

10. How long do you want to keep your laptop?
4+ years at least.

11. What kind of Optical drive do you need? DVD ROM/Writer,Bluray ROM/Writer,Etc ?
DVD rom/writer should be sufficient for my needs.

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 am open to options.

13. What country do you live in?
USA

14. Please tell us any additional information if needed
Like I said, I'm fine with doing a few of my own upgrades if it saves money or winds up being a better unit that still fits into my budget.

 

[GreyCatz]

Greetings, sunfinch:

From your laptop FAQ I would say you're looking for something light-weight, with a nice touch-screen and capable of light gaming and general multi-tasking. At around $1,000 to $1,200. Here are three main-stream laptops for your consideration:

1. http/shop.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/lenovo/yoga-laptop-series/yoga-700-14/
I'm referring to the 80QD004PUS version priced at $1,049 after web discounts. With a 14-inch IPS touch-screen it is the largest of the three, and it has a very potent 2GB GT 940M graphics card. Its weak point is the battery life which, although much better than other Lenovos, still lags behind the competition at 7 hours. But if you're not too concerned with that, this Lenovo is difficult to beat.

2. http/www.dell.com/us/p/inspiron-13-7353-laptop/pd?oc=dncwz02h&model_id=inspiron-13-7353-laptop
Starting at $900, the 13.3-inch Dell Inspiron is the bargain of the lot and it will give you 9 hours of battery life. But it lacks a dedicated graphics card relying on its Intel HD Graphics unit. It should handle WoW and LoL but not anything more complex than that. It's available in a variety of colours and weighs about the same as the Lenovo (3.6 lbs).

3. http/store.hp.com/us/en/PDPStdView?catalogId=10051&urlLangId=-1&langId=-1&productId=983652&storeId=10151
Finally, you really should consider the 13.3-inch HP Spectre. With 12 hours of battery life and weighing in at 3.26 lbs, it combines generous specs with probably the best-looking chassis in the business. It is also the most expensive. I went through the customization process and managed a comparable setup at $1,120. It is a bit low on graphics performance using only the HD Graphics 520 unit onboard the Intel i5 CPU. Mind you, it will play most mid-range games quite decently.

None of these laptops features built-in DVD drives. They all offer 8GBs of RAM. Only the Dell offers a 1TB HDD while Lenovo and HP max out with a 256GB SSD (although HP will install a 512GB SSD for $200 extra). The Dell offers the fastest Intel CPU (i7 6500U) where the others make do with i5 6200U.

In conclusion: Given your stated budget, I would definitely recommend the HP Spectre. It may be smaller than the Lenovo and it may rely on a smaller-sized CPU than the Dell, but I guarantee you that this will not be an issue for your everyday needs. The SSD may be low on storage but it will load and react faster than a mechanical HDD. And if you need more storage, there are many affordable external USB-based HDDs available today.

Phew! I wish you the best of luck whatever you decision.
GreyCatz.

 

[sunfinch]

Hello GreyCatz,

Thank you for your quick and detailed response. I would have to agree that the HP Spectre sounds what I am looking for, although the lenovo also sounds good. It shall likely come down to a choice between the two.

 

[GreyCatz]

Hello GreyCatz,

Thank you for your quick and detailed response. I would have to agree that the HP Spectre sounds what I am looking for, although the lenovo also sounds good. It shall likely come down to a choice between the two.

Hello, sunfinch:

The irony is that I'm a heavy Lenovo user myself, so I really should be biased in favour of the Yoga. And I will maintain that if you're not too worried about battery life, then the Lenovo emerges as the clear winner. You would also have money left for a 1TB USB-based HDD and an external DVD drive.

But I have to admit that the HP Spectre almost takes my breath away - I've seen reviews on YouTube and it really is a great-looking laptop! It will offer better mobility due to its superior battery and handle most games at enjoyable settings - but don't expect it to play next-gen games like GTA V or Tomb Raider. For that the Lenovo has a far better graphics setup.

Cheers,
GreyCatz.