Suggest a Laptop for me? Description within.

[xtrotop]

LAPTOP QUESTIONNAIRE

• 
  Country of purchase: USA
  Budget range: Under 1500 after 3(preferably 4) year warranty+service
  Purpose: Student use, Computer Science Minor
  Screen size preference: none, though if those of you who have done the whole college thing disagree here, please let me know. I'm not exactly well-built (120 lbs), so hauling a 17 in. may not be as easy as I'm thinking.
  OS preference (Windows/Mac/Linux): Windows (any version) with enough HDD space for dual-boot to be convenient.
  Gaming requirements (example games and desired fps/settings): I probably won't have time to do much gaming, but FSX being runnable at above 5-FPS at minimum setting would be nice, but I think that's most laptops of today.
  Other performance requirements (video editing, CAD, etc.): Computer Science department says I need 16GB of RAM. I have a hard time believing that, but my sister (graduated through same program) said she ran into problems with 8, so I'd rather play it safe.
  Brand preferences and reasons (already owned accessories, familiarity, business compatibility): Dell, HP, Lenovo, Toshiba. 16% discount at all of the above. Other brands are great if they still meet the price requirement though.
  Any particular style that you like (examples are great): Fashion doesn't particularly matter to me, though a metal (or faux-metal) case would be much appreciated over the plastic-shelled laptops I've owned in the past.
  Which of the following qualities would you prefer? (Choose one, two, or balanced)
  Long battery life -vs- Low weight -vs- High performance: Battery Life
  Build quality -vs- Low price -vs- High performance: High Performance
  Low noise/heat -vs- High performance: High Performance
  Which features would you pay a premium for?
  High resolution screen: Would be nice, not really necessary. Don't need 4k for anything.
  A great keyboard: Numberpad would be nice, not necessary.
  A great touchpad/mouse buttons: I plan on packing a mouse for my dorm, as long as touchpad is usable, I'll be fine.
  Great audio: Headphone user, don't care.
  List any features that are critical:16 GB of RAM, 512 GB HDD, 4-Year warranty+service must be available.
  
  I've looked at the Dell 7737 and Lenovo Y50 so far. If you scanned the above form, I'll point out again that the budget constraint is after the warranty and the 16% discount at the listed brands. Many thanks for reading this whole thing and I look forward to the replies. If this isn't the right home for this, please let me know where I would have better luck.

 

[LookItsRain]

My first recommendation would be this
http/www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834232376

Im not sure how much raw cpu power you need for your programs, because this lacks an i7 but is way under budget, ram/hdd can be upgraded by yourself very easy.

 

[xtrotop]

I would love an ASUS, unfortunately the lack of an extended warranty is an issue. I'm hoping for a three year minimum on that seeing as this is going to have to last me all the way through undergrad. Thank you for the suggestion though!

 

[LookItsRain]

I would love an ASUS, unfortunately the lack of an extended warranty is an issue. I'm hoping for a three year minimum on that seeing as this is going to have to last me all the way through undergrad. Thank you for the suggestion though!

The warranties can be extended to your desired amount with any computer really, but i would say its a waste of money. Things that go wrong are easy to fix yourself and take no time.

Quality issues stem from crap pcs, like hp and acer were if you dont have a warranty you will be buying a new computer every 2 years or end up replacing all of the hardware.

 

[xtrotop]

The thing is, that isn't my requirement, that's my parents'. As much as I agree with you, I'd rather not bite the hand that feeds.

 

[LookItsRain]

Well, i really dont know of any computers that have a 3 year factory warranty and there is no way to search for that, you will have to discuss that issue with them.

 

[xtrotop]

Lenovo, Dell, Toshiba, and HP all have such a warranty available through their store. Is there any particular product you'd recommend from those manufacturers?

 

[LookItsRain]

Lenovo, Dell, Toshiba, and HP all have such a warranty available through their store. Is there any particular product you'd recommend from those manufacturers?

Newegg does the same thing, which i just mentioned, its an extended warranty.

But, out of those brands, lenevo is the only one i would buy from.
The y50 is a solid choice, but the screen is very bad. If you can get over the screen, the y50 would be the best that lenovo has to offer.

 

[velo3100]

You could have a look at this laptop: http/shop.lenovo.com/gb/en/laptops/thinkpad/t-series/t540p/
As this is in £, the conversion rate may make it higher than your budget but you could look for this laptop online as it should be enough for you.

 

[xtrotop]

The thinkpad above looks great! Before I go and order something, does anyone else have anything to throw at me?