Currently Looking for a new laptop for school

[Noobperson]

Current Laptop

HP Spectre x360

Intel i5-8250U

Memory - 8GB

Space - 256GB

Intel UHD Graphics 620

1080p Touch Screen

Great Battery Life even after 3 years of using it (still can squeeze 10 hours of work in it)

 

Problems that I have with this laptop

1. Run into memory constraints when doing work, (i.e Solidworks (It constantly bugs me for more RAM) and chrome (It gobbles up my ram like its fries))

2. Space Constraints (256 GB is not enough for my things I am using it for with the programs I want to install on it)

3. Processing files take a long time (Photoshop and Lightroom)

4. Keyboard get stuck occasionally

 

Current Budget ($2000, but I can go a little higher)

Things I am looking for:

Need:

Ample amount of space and memory to run workload (I am thinking 16GB RAM, at least 512 GB memory on SSD)

Laptop (I do not have enough space in my dorm to fit a PC, and I want to work in different settings)

Able to handle sustained workload

I plan to use this for the next 5 years, so a high end laptop

Runs on the Windows OS

 

Want (I can go without it)

Touch Screen with pen support

2 in 1

Moderately Light (I know that if it is thin, it will be hard to manage cooling, but I would like to carry it around)

Battery Life (At least 2 hours of normal load, but I will be near a charging port at most times, so it is not a major problem)

 

 

Current Laptops I am looking at:

1. Dell Precision 5530 with Quadro T1000

2. XPS 15 2 in 1

3. Razer Blade 15

4. HP Spectre x360 15 , 2in1

5. Maingear Element with 1660Ti

6. P53 Thinkpad (suggestion from nerdslayer1)

 

Note: I will still be using my x360 for classes, but I will use this new laptop for assignments and light gaming.

 

If there is any other suggestions I will be happy to accept it. Thank you for your help!

 

 

 

 

[The Sloth]

For 2k USD, you can get a beefy p53 with 32GB ram and NVIDIA® Quadro® T2000 4GB, get 5 years warranty if your planning on keeping it for that long. 

 

-https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/thinkpad/thinkpad-p/P53/p/20QNCTO1WWENUS0/customize?

 

 

 

[Noobperson]

Thanks for the suggestion @nerdslayer1. This looks very promising with expansion slots if I want to upgrade in the future. I will add that to the list.

[Lord Vile]

6 hours ago, Noobperson said:

Current Laptop

HP Spectre x360

Intel i5-8250U

Memory - 8GB

Space - 256GB

Intel UHD Graphics 620

1080p Touch Screen

Great Battery Life even after 3 years of using it (still can squeeze 10 hours of work in it)

 

Problems that I have with this laptop

1. Run into memory constraints when doing work, (i.e Solidworks (It constantly bugs me for more RAM) and chrome (It gobbles up my ram like its fries))

2. Space Constraints (256 GB is not enough for my things I am using it for with the programs I want to install on it)

3. Processing files take a long time (Photoshop and Lightroom)

4. Keyboard get stuck occasionally

 

Current Budget ($2000, but I can go a little higher)

Things I am looking for:

Need:

Ample amount of space and memory to run workload (I am thinking 16GB RAM, at least 512 GB memory on SSD)

Laptop (I do not have enough space in my dorm to fit a PC, and I want to work in different settings)

Able to handle sustained workload

I plan to use this for the next 5 years, so a high end laptop

Runs on the Windows OS

 

Want (I can go without it)

Touch Screen with pen support

2 in 1

Moderately Light (I know that if it is thin, it will be hard to manage cooling, but I would like to carry it around)

Battery Life (At least 2 hours of normal load, but I will be near a charging port at most times, so it is not a major problem)

 

 

Current Laptops I am looking at:

1. Dell Precision 5530 with Quadro T1000

2. XPS 15 2 in 1

3. Razer Blade 15

4. HP Spectre x360 15 , 2in1

5. Maingear Element with 1660Ti

6. P53 Thinkpad (suggestion from nerdslayer1)

 

Note: I will still be using my x360 for classes, but I will use this new laptop for assignments and light gaming.

 

If there is any other suggestions I will be happy to accept it. Thank you for your help!

 

 

 

 

MacBook Pro 16, get both MacOS (For photoshop for example) and windows (For stuff you can’t get on MacOS) base model has 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage

[The Sloth]

7 hours ago, Lord Vile said:

MacBook Pro 16, get both MacOS (For photoshop for example) and windows (For stuff you can’t get on MacOS) base model has 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage

Only 16 gb ram( non expandable), windows runs like trash on bootcamp( i have nightmarish experience of running cad on a macbook pro 15) and only 512gb storage( non expandable, also not worth expanding due to proprietary storage), FYI the whole computer is sealed so data recovery is a no go. For CAD it would suck due to thermals. 

 

 

Also don't blindly recommend  macs for everything, be open minded when comes to needs of the user and use case. 

[Lord Vile]

5 hours ago, nerdslayer1 said:

Only 16 gb ram( non expandable), windows runs like trash on bootcamp( i have nightmarish experience of running cad on a macbook pro 15) and only 512gb storage( non expandable, also not worth expanding due to proprietary storage), FYI the whole computer is sealed so data recovery is a no go. For CAD it would suck due to thermals. 

 

 

Also don't blindly recommend  macs for everything, be open minded when comes to needs of the user and use case. 

The 16 has a better thermal solution so it's better at bootcamp (in MacOS it has a custom voltage etc set for the CPU that aren't there for windoiws), also has a more powerful GPU than the 15". 

 

In MacOS it has no issue maintaining speeds easily in excess of base under sustained load.

 

16GB and 512GB is fine. 32GB, 1TB SSD laptops are stupid expensive even on the widows side. Most thin and lights aren't user upgradable anymore. You can always get an external SSD too so you can work on more than one device.

 

The laptop you sent is a 4 core with 8GB of ram, no office and a 256GB SSD, only a 1080p screen and a GPU which is around the same performance for $2400. It is also chunky and the deal looks suspicious. Why would they sell a laptop for half price if it's any good? Thinking about it does that price include tax? 

[The Sloth]

3 hours ago, Lord Vile said:

 

 

The laptop you sent is a 4 core with 8GB of ram, no office and a 256GB SSD, only a 1080p screen and a GPU which is around the same performance for $2400. It is also chunky and the deal looks suspicious. Why would they sell a laptop for half price if it's any good? Thinking about it does that price include tax? 

Please read before commenting also 32gb ram is cheap to get for 225 from Lenevo 

3 hours ago, Lord Vile said:

The 16 has a better thermal solution so it's better at bootcamp (in MacOS it has a custom voltage etc set for the CPU that aren't there for windoiws), also has a more powerful GPU than the 15". 

 

FYI OP is using windows, Macs throttle really badly in windows. 

 

NVIDIA® Quadro® T2000 4GB will be better for CAD since it can do well in sustain performance 

 

3 hours ago, Lord Vile said:

In MacOS it has no issue maintaining speeds easily in excess of base under sustained load.

 

Not in windows running CAD, same can be said for windows, it can also maintain speed under load. 

 

3 hours ago, Lord Vile said:

 Most thin and lights aren't user upgradable anymore.

 

the p53 is upgradable, engineering company i work for uses them a lot.

 

Quote

You can always get an external SSD too so you can work on more than one device.

Why not buy computer with more storage when you can afford it? 

 

[Lord Vile]

1 hour ago, nerdslayer1 said:

Please read before commenting also 32gb ram is cheap to get for 225 from Lenevo 

FYI OP is using windows, Macs throttle really badly in windows. 

 

NVIDIA® Quadro® T2000 4GB will be better for CAD since it can do well in sustain performance 

 

Not in windows running CAD, same can be said for windows, it can also maintain speed under load. 

 

the p53 is upgradable, engineering company i work for uses them a lot.

 

Why not buy computer with more storage when you can afford it? 

 

The P53 isn’t a thin and light. It is also made out of plastic and weigh 2.5KG at base. It’s 1.5x thicker than the MacBook Pro and 0.5KG heavier at its lightest spec while being made out of plastic vs metal. 
 

Also why dint you read? Does that price include tax because here the price is a lot higher. I know American sites are great for not including VAT. Plus even with discount that’s a grand for a laptop with 4GB of ram. 

 

The 15” does, the 16 has much better thermal performance. 

Also read the reviews. Might show you why it’s on sale, “backlight bleed”, “bad materials” “warped”, “poor QC”, “bloatware” etc etc

[The Sloth]

4 hours ago, Lord Vile said:

Also read the reviews. Might show you why it’s on sale, “backlight bleed”, “bad materials” “warped”, “poor QC”, “bloatware” etc etc

incorrect

 

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Lenovo-ThinkPad-P53-in-Review-Classic-workstation-with-a-lot-of-GPU-performance.442599.0.html

 

Quote

Also why dint you read? Does that price include tax because here the price is a lot higher. I know American sites are great for not including VAT. Plus even with discount that’s a grand for a laptop with 4GB of ram. 

still under 2400

 

Quote

while being made out of plastic vs metal. 

FYI metal is not always more durable than plastic, for example a plastic laptop will survive a fall much better than metal.

 

 

Love this myth.

 

Quote

The 15” does, the 16 has much better thermal performance. 

Not saying much considering it still  can't boost for long. 

Quote

The P53 isn’t a thin and light. It is also made out of plastic and weigh 2.5KG at base. It’s 1.5x thicker than the Ma

 

cBook Pro and 0.5KG

FYI the THICC design is better for long term, considering if it runs cooler.  FYI less heat is better for long term use.  

 

 

 

It was a fun debate but pointless

[Lord Vile]

1 hour ago, nerdslayer1 said:

incorrect

 

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Lenovo-ThinkPad-P53-in-Review-Classic-workstation-with-a-lot-of-GPU-performance.442599.0.html

 

still under 2400

 

FYI metal is not always more durable than plastic, for example a plastic laptop will survive a fall much better than metal.

 

 

Love this myth.

 

Not saying much considering it still  can't boost for long. 

FYI the THICC design is better for long term, considering if it runs cooler.  FYI less heat is better for long term use.  

 

 

 

It was a fun debate but pointless

I am literally quoting the most recent reviews left on Lenovo’s website. 
 

You’re still spending a bucketload, it’s still not a thin and light. 
 

A plastic laptop will also bend more, is more prone to scratching, warping, cracking, breaking due to repeated movement etc. Also it’s more likely to crack the shell from a fall rather than get a dent like a metal one. (Dropped my MacBook plenty and it’s still mark free). Dropped a plastic one (old HP back in the vista days) and it broke. 
 

 

It can hold over 0.5Ghz above base for at least half an hour... Remember intels “boost” clock is only meant for 30-40s then it ramps down, that’s desktop too. 
 

apart from the OP wants a THIN AND LIGHT. They’re more portable, generally don’t have a bulky charging brick and easier to work with. 
 

 

Pointless for what? You ti recommend a laptop that looks to be on sale due to poor QC control? And isn’t in the category wanted by the Op? 

[The Sloth]

2 hours ago, Lord Vile said:

I am literally quoting the most recent reviews left on Lenovo’s website. 

TIL random review of a defective unit = a proper full review with benchmark number and properly sourced data. 

 

2 hours ago, Lord Vile said:

You’re still spending a bucketload, it’s still not a thin and light. 

but powerful and will last longer with upgradability, it even has a option for 5 years of warranty. Thin and light by sacrificing thermals, features like touchscreen, upgradability and proper windows support( bootcamp has issues with temps). Its not a zephyrus which has a unique engineering solution by opening up the bottom of a laptop. 

 

2 hours ago, Lord Vile said:

A plastic laptop will also bend more, is more prone to scratching, warping, cracking, breaking due to repeated movement etc. Also it’s more likely to crack the shell from a fall rather than get a dent like a metal one. (Dropped my MacBook plenty and it’s still mark free). Dropped a plastic one (old HP back in the vista days) and it broke. 

 

Quote

Dropped my MacBook plenty and it’s still mark free)

Well with the sample size of one

 

Quote

Dropped a plastic one (old HP back in the vista days) and it broke. 

TIL shitty cheap HP laptop = every laptop ever existed. Its a thinkpad not a ipad pro, this thing is built to last. 

 

 

Here is a p50 with a very slimier chassis, this guy drops liquid on it

 

 

 

 

 

 

here thinkpads being torture tested 

 

2 hours ago, Lord Vile said:

It can hold over 0.5Ghz above base for at least half an hour

achievement reached 

 

2 hours ago, Lord Vile said:

clock is only meant for 30-40s then it ramps down, that’s desktop too. 
 

But thermals shouldn't go to 100c

2 hours ago, Lord Vile said:

apart from the OP wants a THIN AND LIGHT. They’re more portable, generally don’t have a bulky charging brick and easier to work with. 

p53 is not heavy as you think, OP wants to keep it for 5 years, so upgradability is important. 

 

 

 

Quote

Pointless for what? You ti recommend a laptop that looks to be on sale due to poor QC control? And isn’t in the category wanted by the Op? 

 

 

 

And you don't read reviews, just angry customers with defective units. 

[Lord Vile]

13 hours ago, nerdslayer1 said:

TIL random review of a defective unit = a proper full review with benchmark number and properly sourced data. 

 

but powerful and will last longer with upgradability, it even has a option for 5 years of warranty. Thin and light by sacrificing thermals, features like touchscreen, upgradability and proper windows support( bootcamp has issues with temps). Its not a zephyrus which has a unique engineering solution by opening up the bottom of a laptop. 

 

 

Well with the sample size of one

 

TIL shitty cheap HP laptop = every laptop ever existed. Its a thinkpad not a ipad pro, this thing is built to last. 

 

 

Here is a p50 with a very slimier chassis, this guy drops liquid on it

 

 

 

 

 

 

here thinkpads being torture tested 

 

achievement reached 

 

But thermals shouldn't go to 100c

p53 is not heavy as you think, OP wants to keep it for 5 years, so upgradability is important. 

 

 

 

 

And you don't read reviews, just angry customers with defective units. 

Several reviews from people with production units vs a review of a supplied unit.

 

It won't last longer. You can't upgrade the GPU or CPU, you can only upgrade RAM and storage and you can kit either out with as much RAM as you want to start with, external drives are the way to go if you need more than 500GB on a laptop because they'll be files to work on and being able to plug it into a desktop is a good thing.

 

Why are you bringing the ipad pro into this? Tablets bend, who knew!

 

Most laptops can survive water on them. it's not a massive deal...

 

Durability tests are BS, they aren't representative of the real world. Who the hell opens their laptop balances it on it's screen and slowly puts pressure on it? Noone! If you wanted to test a screen you'd have a weight drop on the screen to mimic someone standing on it suddenly, tests different properties. Also look at the"Drop test", it was at the perfect angle if you want it to survive, perfectly level on the largest area while the laptop is closed, see what happens when it falls off a desk on the screen edge while open.

 

Thermals on the MacBook don't hit 100 this is why the 16" MacBook is an option you can recommend now. The 15" was hot and only stayed like 100Mhz over base in extended workloads.

 

It's 4.5 pounds at the lightest config and you can literally only upgrade the RAM which is great if you already have enough but your CPU is struggling.

 

You should read both (which I have), if you read reviews on Razer you'd get glowing reviews not the god awful RMA process and just terrible QC control. If you read reviews on the first MacBook's with the butterfly keyboard you wouldn't know there's a 50/50 chance you'd be taking a trip to the genius bar before thee year is out.

[The Sloth]

4 hours ago, Lord Vile said:

Most laptops can survive water on them. it's not a massive deal...

 

I am sorry, what? most laptops don't have holes under to let water out.

 

 

 

 

 

[Lord Vile]

17 hours ago, nerdslayer1 said:

I am sorry, what? most laptops don't have holes under to let water out.

 

 

 

 

 

You can generally spill water on most laptops (mech switch keyboards won't survive but for a thin and light for school I don't get why you'd be yeeting it into pools) and they'll be fine or you could just get unlucky, just don't shake it around while its on, take the bottom of and let it dry naturally without a desiccant . I don't know why he was amazed a membrane keyboard was fine after water got spilled on it, they are waterproof after all. Issue is if you spill something like coke or juice because the keyboard gets sticky.