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General Discussion => WHATEVER => Topic started by: SneakySecrets on October 18, 2021, 07:27:52 AM

Title: New Laptop Recommendations
Post by: SneakySecrets on October 18, 2021, 07:27:52 AM
Looking for a new laptop.  Doesn’t have to be the greatest thing in the universe, but relatively fast and not crazy expensive.  What do you computer nerds recommend?
Title: Re: New Laptop Recommendations
Post by: rocklobster on October 18, 2021, 08:23:18 AM
Important question is use case.

Pornhub?
Coding?
General browsing?
Slap shitposting?
Gaming?
Title: Re: New Laptop Recommendations
Post by: Alan on October 18, 2021, 08:26:56 AM
I've had good experiences with Asus laptops. Had various kinds over the years. Had one supposedly high end Dell laptop in between the Asuses, and it was shit.

But like @rocklobster said, your choice depends on what you're going to use it for.
Title: Re: New Laptop Recommendations
Post by: behavioralguide on October 18, 2021, 08:28:27 AM
adding to sneakys question; anyone have good/bad experience with "refurbished" laptops?
Title: Re: New Laptop Recommendations
Post by: beatifk on October 18, 2021, 08:34:56 AM
adding to sneakys question; anyone have good/bad experience with "refurbished" laptops?

I only buy refurbished computers directly from apple. I've bought 2 macbooks and 2 imacs over the last 10 years or so and never had a problem with any of them.
Title: Re: New Laptop Recommendations
Post by: SneakySecrets on October 18, 2021, 08:44:02 AM
Important question is use case.

Pornhub? No comment.  :-X
Coding?  No
General browsing? Yes
Slap shitposting? Of course
Gaming? Maybe some old ones
Title: Re: New Laptop Recommendations
Post by: Dante Bichette on October 18, 2021, 08:51:57 AM
https://techdiscounts.org/products/acer-aspire-e5-575-15-6-intel-core-i3-7100u-2-40ghz-8gb-ddr4-256gb-ssd?currency=USD&variant=41271778181284&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google%20Shopping&gclid=Cj0KCQjwtrSLBhCLARIsACh6RmiVlFaYHRYINDSKUYvLO0CSUnqOH-R5ZmDc1lQLdiy1UqZ05gzrNg0aAqw1EALw_wcB

I had this one a few years back before I built my PC, as long as you're not overloading it with malware from pirated games it's really good for the price.
Title: Re: New Laptop Recommendations
Post by: in love w/ fs shuvs on October 18, 2021, 08:52:19 AM
Craigslist/eBay Thinkpad.
Title: Re: New Laptop Recommendations
Post by: SaySo on October 18, 2021, 08:59:10 AM
Can also vouch for ASUS. Good value, reliable.
Title: Re: New Laptop Recommendations
Post by: Kanye Omari West on October 18, 2021, 02:41:22 PM
Don't get a fucking lenovo. I bought a really nice one and it cost a grip but you can't put it to sleep or standby without having to fully fucking restart it. Like it's a known issue on many of their models and I found this shit out after I bought it. It runs great aside from having to be completely shut down every time I use it.
Title: Re: New Laptop Recommendations
Post by: rawr1922 on October 18, 2021, 03:05:42 PM
Acer makes cheap legit laptops
Title: Re: New Laptop Recommendations
Post by: Silky Johnson on October 18, 2021, 03:35:10 PM
Bought this exact model with these specs for school, web surfing. So far no complaints for a $400 laptop
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/asus-vivobook-15-15-6-laptop-amd-ryzen-3-8gb-memory-256gb-ssd-slate-gray/6444335.p?skuId=6444335
Title: Re: New Laptop Recommendations
Post by: fuhkin_powahfood_kid on October 18, 2021, 03:36:04 PM
I wouldn't have bought it, but when my uncle died I got his 2014 MacBook Pro and it's hands down the best laptop I've owned. I've had acer, Asus, dell, Toshiba and this one has lasted the longest with fewest issues. It's 7 years old and running strong. Battery needs replacement soon, but otherwise I've had no issues. It's my grad school, work, and everything else computer. I even ran a VM on it to see how that went, and it was fine. I'm not a gamer or a coder or programmer so I can't speak to that- my friends who are and are security minded, run higher end Think Pads with Linux. Those machines are badass.

If you're just fucking around, all the students in public schools use cheap chromebooks with minimal issues.

When the time comes, I'll be buying another Mac. Only computer I've had that hasn't succumbed to malware within 3 or 4 years.
Title: Re: New Laptop Recommendations
Post by: sometimeperhaps on October 18, 2021, 05:00:21 PM
adding to sneakys question; anyone have good/bad experience with "refurbished" laptops?

Purchased a MacBook Pro refurbished from Apple back in 2012. Still running well. It’s not fast by today’s standards but I can still do design work on it. Just replaced the battery and swapped the HD to a solid state.

If you have the extra cash I still think macs are worth it. They last longer than most PCs my friends have had. Especially now with the M1 chip the battery life and power are quite good. Not to mention the MacBook Air is super portable.

An interesting brand I came across recently is www.frame.work (http://www.frame.work). They’re a startup but seem to have some legit people behind it, and early reports have them sounding good. The best part is there as fully modular as they come and repairable, which is my biggest complaint about today’s tech. I will definitely consider them for my next laptop.
Title: Re: New Laptop Recommendations
Post by: Hinna on October 18, 2021, 06:49:42 PM
Acer makes cheap legit laptops
costco
Title: Re: New Laptop Recommendations
Post by: rocklobster on October 18, 2021, 07:48:23 PM
Don't get a fucking lenovo. I bought a really nice one and it cost a grip but you can't put it to sleep or standby without having to fully fucking restart it. Like it's a known issue on many of their models and I found this shit out after I bought it. It runs great aside from having to be completely shut down every time I use it.

I think it depends, their gaming series ain't bad but I'm not a fan of the Ideapads. But their Thinkpads stand the test of time IMO.

Recently pulled the trigger on an old Thinkpad T460s because I love the typing experience and the trackpoint (red nipple). I wanted something I could use at the dining table or sofa without a mouse and once you get used to the trackpoint life is so much better.

Refurbished laptops are worth checking out, Lenovo or Macs seem to be the most popular. With Macbooks do your research and avoid those with know issues (butterfly keyboards), their QC has gotten better in recent times but there was a batch in 2013-2017 (I think) that had shitty keyboards.

Important question is use case.

Pornhub? No comment.  :-X
Coding?  No
General browsing? Yes
Slap shitposting? Of course
Gaming? Maybe some old ones
[/quote]
Couple of other considerations - where would you be using your laptop? Sofa / bed with on your lap? Then go for something lower spec that runs cooler so you don't roast your thighs.

Are you hooking it up to an external monitor? If no, then more screen real estate is always welcome (especially as we get older), so look for 14 - 15.6", though anything bigger starts feeling monstrous. If yes, then you can get by with a smaller one that is portable and hook it up to a display when you want to take your Pornhub experience to the next level.

90% of modern processors will handle web browsing, MS office and general fuckery without any problems. Make sure your laptop has a solid state drive (SSD) and at least 16gb of RAM so it will feel snappy. Having a mechanical hard disk in 2021 feels like sin and will feel slow by comparison. And Google Chrome is a huge RAM hog, 8GB at a minimum so spend the extra $30 for more RAM.

Old games is a very broad term, don't expect to play the latest AAA games on a cheap laptop at the highest settings. If you play lots of emulators (SNES, Playstation) then a cheap laptop without a graphic card can handle all that with ease. Modern Ryzen laptops from AMD come with a powerful (for the price) internal GPU (APU) that handles modern games on LOW settings, and you'll be amazing what qualifies as low by today's standards.

I won't recommend specific brands since every brand has it's good and shitty laptops, but if you get a chance go down to a store and test out the keyboard and overall look and feel (build quality, flexing). I'm particular about how my keyboard feels and don't do any video editing / coding, hence I went with a Thinkpad.

Some broad recommendation:
Dell XPS 13/15 - pricey but they cram a lot of screen and specs into a small package, great keyboard experience for the size, older models can run hot
Lenovo Thinkpad T460s / T470s - big fan of their keyboards and the trackpoint, a few years old and they were bought in bulk by corporates who have since retired these models, so lots of parts and 10000s of available stock. The T470s is an even better option IMO since it has USB-C charging which is a nice feature
AMD Ryzen Laptops - great value for money in terms of processing power and graphic abilities (gaming), modern processors so they run cooler and more battery efficient than older models
Title: Re: New Laptop Recommendations
Post by: Skibb on October 18, 2021, 09:51:26 PM
I got it for work, but the M1 MacBook Air is so fucking good for the money it costs. Half the price of a MacBook Pro, no fans making noise, easily use it for a whole day without charging and snappy as heck.
Title: Re: New Laptop Recommendations
Post by: davidwilley843 on October 19, 2021, 12:14:52 AM
If you are a programmer, I would strongly recommend going for a MacBook Air with 8GB/128GB base option. The MacBook you are talking about is MD101HNA mostly. and its pretty old with mechanical disc which is why you’re getting 500 GB of slow storage. Go for MacBook Air base version which would be around 60–65k. Also, note that MD101HNA(The one you chose to buy) lacks a great 9–12 hours of battery MacBook Air has.
Title: Re: New Laptop Recommendations
Post by: SneakySecrets on October 19, 2021, 05:22:05 AM
I can’t program my microwave clock, let alone computers, so that’s not a concern.

Rocklobster, I’ll be using a 20” external screen and will be mainly using it on a desk.

It’d be cool if it had the ability to play newer games, but only if it’s under $1,000.  It’s just not important enough for me to spend any more than that, if that makes sense.

Like how much RAM and memory should I be looking for?  What kind of processor?
Title: Re: New Laptop Recommendations
Post by: rocklobster on October 19, 2021, 07:19:44 AM
I can’t program my microwave clock, let alone computers, so that’s not a concern.

Rocklobster, I’ll be using a 20” external screen and will be mainly using it on a desk.

It’d be cool if it had the ability to play newer games, but only if it’s under $1,000.  It’s just not important enough for me to spend any more than that, if that makes sense.

Like how much RAM and memory should I be looking for?  What kind of processor?

Filtered out some selections for you to give you a ball park figure:
https://www.newegg.com/p/pl?N=100006740%204814%20600004344%20600136700%20601296065%20601296066%20601189733%20601285496%20601206491%20601329749%20601329747%20601327201%20601385737%20601296059&cm_sp=Cat_Laptops_2-_-VisNav-_-15.6-Inch&LeftPriceRange=0+1000&page=1

These are retail prices and you can find some solid deals if you stalk Reddit's r/buildapcsales and look out for some laptop deals, just watch out for local sales taxes.

RAM - 16GB
Storage - 256GB on SSD, you can add on more storage if needed on a regular Hard Disk (slower but cheaper) for your assorted videos or games
Processor - Intel i5 or Ryzen 5, middle of the road can't go wrong with either but Ryzen laptops are cheaper in general, an i7 laptop would be overkill for your use cases
Title: Re: New Laptop Recommendations
Post by: GardenSkater77 on October 19, 2021, 07:52:41 AM
If you are mostly using from home with an external screen why not just buy a pc? You could get a pc and hook it up to your audio and then have a cheep laptop for travel?

What sayeth thou?
Title: Re: New Laptop Recommendations
Post by: SneakySecrets on October 19, 2021, 07:59:03 AM
If you are mostly using from home with an external screen why not just buy a pc? You could get a pc and hook it up to your audio and then have a cheep laptop for travel?

What sayeth thou?

Um, just takes up less space and while I don’t do a whole lot of travel, I like just having one computer with all my shit on it that I can take with me if necessary.  Hadn’t put any other thought into it until now.  Show me an example and some numbers.  Would I get something substantially better for substantially less?
Title: Re: New Laptop Recommendations
Post by: PuffinMuffin on October 19, 2021, 08:22:48 AM
https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapcsales/?f=flair_name%3A%22Laptop%22 (https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapcsales/?f=flair_name%3A%22Laptop%22)

This is the best place to find deals. Sort by new and read the comments, these nerds are pretty knowledgeable. It's saved me a bunch of money.
Title: Re: New Laptop Recommendations
Post by: GardenSkater77 on October 19, 2021, 09:04:47 AM
https://www.amazon.com/Acer-TC-895-UA91-i3-10100-Processor-802-11ax/dp/B088X29HF6/ref=asc_df_B088X29HF6/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=459623382939&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8970273118493101862&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9052758&hvtargid=pla-944222993024&psc=1

This model rates higher for budget gaming:

https://www.amazon.com/Acer-TC-390-UA92-Quad-Core-Processor-Graphics/dp/B08Y62DY14/ref=asc_df_B08Y62DY14/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=507731305156&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=10475230285649963597&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9052758&hvtargid=pla-1213290447996&psc=1&th=1
Title: Re: New Laptop Recommendations
Post by: whale on October 20, 2021, 12:47:45 PM
I bought the base model m1 macbook last year, and I like it a lot. If you don’t mind the price, go for it.
Title: Re: New Laptop Recommendations
Post by: whale on October 21, 2021, 12:26:01 AM
Important question is use case.

Pornhub?
Coding?
General browsing?
Slap shitposting?
Gaming?
Out of curiosity, what is the PH connoiseurs choice for personal computing these days?
Title: Re: New Laptop Recommendations
Post by: matty_c on October 21, 2021, 01:12:07 AM
I realise they’re probably no good for people that full work off their computers doing hectic shit but I rate those apple laptops for just a personal computer

Everything just works ay and like others said, works for a long ass time

They look nice, too
Title: Re: New Laptop Recommendations
Post by: rocklobster on October 21, 2021, 01:27:10 AM
Expand Quote
Important question is use case.

Pornhub?
Coding?
General browsing?
Slap shitposting?
Gaming?
[close]
Out of curiosity, what is the PH connoiseurs choice for personal computing these days?

8k 240hz 17" display with a graphic card / CPU powerful enough to see the shame / guilt of the performer's ancestors, while running a full on VR rig.
Title: Re: New Laptop Recommendations
Post by: whale on October 21, 2021, 02:15:58 AM
Expand Quote
Expand Quote
Important question is use case.

Pornhub?
Coding?
General browsing?
Slap shitposting?
Gaming?
[close]
Out of curiosity, what is the PH connoiseurs choice for personal computing these days?
[close]

8k 240hz 17" display with a graphic card / CPU powerful enough to see the shame / guilt of the performer's ancestors, while running a full on VR rig.
I have seen the light, and it is glorious!
Title: Re: New Laptop Recommendations
Post by: Frank on October 21, 2021, 03:43:51 AM
if you don't want to spend over 1k, but you can or are willing to spend up to 1k, i'd probably get an a gigabyte laptop. it will easily run most games as well on your seperate screen as on its own. the gigabyte laptops also look pretty slick, a bit like lenovo thinkpads with gamerlights, which you can turn off. if i was you and had around 800 i'd look to buy one theirs around that price. like they seem like a great bang for buck option in the medium price range.

if you mainly want to browse the web and maybe do some work with emails and only play 2d retro games, then i'd get a refurbished lenovo thinkpad. just because they are rock solid, can be equipped with a new battery, upgraded with more memory, and so on.

if you hate interacting with hardware and installation programs and don't mind being overcharged for outdated hardware, then you probably need a mac. just know that that will force you to buy a lot of peripherals according to apple standards or at least purchase adapters to make some standard plugs work. also you might have a hard time finding a licensed partner who can service your mac if it is broken and if you let anyone else do anything on it, then that's it. i think some parts are exchangable nowadays, but with macs hardware death is more dangerous since you can replace a lot less parts than in most pc laptops and the whole ecosystem around it makes it also costly to repair. that said they usually run really solid for a good while, even though their hardware is often outdated at release. they still put that hardware well together so that everything interacts really smoothly and for its intended use cases there is little to no bottlenecking with macs.

since your other screen is not exactly big either, i would say don't buy a big ass laptop. stick to 14-15max inch so your screen actually makes a difference. imo big laptop screens are a waste of money and space, but some people need big screens for the sake of their eyes health. if you buy a 17 inch laptop then your 20 inch screen will not look that much bigger in comparison and you will carry more weight with you and it's more expensive. you could have the same components and featureset for cheaper on a smaller rig.

don't go for cheap no name shovelware with questionable heritage. you don't want your place burnt down because the power brick.
Title: Re: New Laptop Recommendations
Post by: Molte on October 21, 2021, 05:24:19 AM
I've got a great impression of Lenovo's. They seem they sturdy and stable machines. I don't know that much about it though, but in case a lot of other people mention Lenovo's as well..
Title: Re: New Laptop Recommendations
Post by: rocklobster on October 21, 2021, 10:15:15 AM
if you don't want to spend over 1k, but you can or are willing to spend up to 1k, i'd probably get an a gigabyte laptop. it will easily run most games as well on your seperate screen as on its own. the gigabyte laptops also look pretty slick, a bit like lenovo thinkpads with gamerlights, which you can turn off. if i was you and had around 800 i'd look to buy one theirs around that price. like they seem like a great bang for buck option in the medium price range.

if you mainly want to browse the web and maybe do some work with emails and only play 2d retro games, then i'd get a refurbished lenovo thinkpad. just because they are rock solid, can be equipped with a new battery, upgraded with more memory, and so on.

if you hate interacting with hardware and installation programs and don't mind being overcharged for outdated hardware, then you probably need a mac. just know that that will force you to buy a lot of peripherals according to apple standards or at least purchase adapters to make some standard plugs work. also you might have a hard time finding a licensed partner who can service your mac if it is broken and if you let anyone else do anything on it, then that's it. i think some parts are exchangable nowadays, but with macs hardware death is more dangerous since you can replace a lot less parts than in most pc laptops and the whole ecosystem around it makes it also costly to repair. that said they usually run really solid for a good while, even though their hardware is often outdated at release. they still put that hardware well together so that everything interacts really smoothly and for its intended use cases there is little to no bottlenecking with macs.

since your other screen is not exactly big either, i would say don't buy a big ass laptop. stick to 14-15max inch so your screen actually makes a difference. imo big laptop screens are a waste of money and space, but some people need big screens for the sake of their eyes health. if you buy a 17 inch laptop then your 20 inch screen will not look that much bigger in comparison and you will carry more weight with you and it's more expensive. you could have the same components and featureset for cheaper on a smaller rig.

don't go for cheap no name shovelware with questionable heritage. you don't want your place burnt down because the power brick.

Just picked up an old Lenovo Thinkpad T460s and I'm loving it - 14" screen, great keyboard, trackpoint, (weak) GPU, SSD and enough RAM for now. Something to use while I'm chilling on the sofa for Reddit, Slap and some light gaming.

Can't go wrong with the big 3 (Lenovo, Dell, HP) but you may have to put up with garish design choices when venturing down the gaming line. I like what MSI did with their Prestige and Modern line up - mid-tier processor with an APU for some light gaming / graphical work, wrapped in a sleek package without flashing RGB.
Title: Re: New Laptop Recommendations
Post by: rawr1922 on May 13, 2022, 06:08:12 PM
I miss slap. School started up. I bought a new laptop. What kind of antivirus software do y’all use? 
Title: Re: New Laptop Recommendations
Post by: in love w/ fs shuvs on May 13, 2022, 06:20:28 PM
None. Just uBlock and common sense. Anti-virus software doesn't really do anything imo.
Title: Re: New Laptop Recommendations
Post by: RoaryMcTwang on May 16, 2022, 06:15:55 AM
I got a MacBook Air like 10 years ago after agonising over windows laptops forever. Best decision I’ve ever made in this department. It just works and even after all those years hasn’t slowed down one bit.