GDRRiley

I don't see an issue with this. Just don't put that near your devices that keep you alive? Don't stand near the fridge doors as well then.

What are thoughts on Adblock? 
 
I personally find it even worse than piracy ( which I am actually not too strict about)

LOL.
Bandwidth is free. Shooting movies, coding apps or games for months or even years on end is not.

I am talking about personal use btw.
 
actually adblock is stealing because you are using resources like bandwith whereas piracy is not because you aren't actually hurting the revenue (it's the same as not buying)

wtf? blocking ads sure hurts the revenue but piracy hurts the revenue and in may cases you aren't crediting them while making money.

I run a bunch of stuff on FF to limit tracking and while I don't run ad block I've considered it.

Toshiba X300 is my pick

The amount of dust...

The spider inside. I don't know where it is, all I know is its existence.

Any RGB is too much RGB.

First major update - still awaiting receipt of RAM, around 48 hours of painting left for the design (paint, dry, coat, dry).  I have started unboxing everything and getting the fit tested for cable management and installation flow.  
 
First the basics - bought the CPU used, I can see TIM has been cleaned away from the previous owner but still some present on the edges of the CPU - Im covering it here soon so I didnt really care.

 
Next I get it in the box, to start working on the massive airflow these fans are going to provide (and to see how and where the cable lengths lay after install)
 



 
 
Time to install the CPU Cooler provided by ARESGAME - the River 5.  In size, fin stack, and weight it reminds me of 180w-200w CPU coolers I have at the house.  Pleasantly surprised it came with 2 sets of fan holders for push pull orientation (comes with 1 fan in packaging).  No offense to ARESGAME but I will be using my favored paste (pictured below) - though it includes paste, spreader and consistency looks great with what came with the Cooler.  
 
Lastly - the instructions were robust, very well done.

 

 
With robust instructions installation was a breeze - at first I was worried the metal (shiny) mounting kit was such a contrast to the black of the cooler that it wouldnt mesh well, but the cooler completely covers the shiny metal bracket so all is well. 
 

 

 
Aesthetically this is a perfect CPU cooler for the design I have in mind.  I cant wait to put it through some Prime95 torture tests.
 
Now it was time for the boot drive - This item was purchased by myself prior to TEAMGROUP reaching out to support with the RAM going in this build (still in transit).  I am a fan of TEAMGROUP products, I have their storage in nearly every personal PC I own.  This one was going to be no exception, as the value to cost to performance ratio is perfect for my needs.
 

 

 
And for the final fit that I had time for today - the most powerful GPU in my arsenal!  Those who know me, know I tend to stick into the performance per dollar ratio, and due to the last few years of GPU tumultuousness I am personally using, and have been using R9 Fury X's for some time (I have 3 at this point).  The third was originally going into this build but I decided that for my daughters first build, they needed something more modern, and budget conscience at the same time!
 
Meet the EVGA RTX 2060 KO - she's thicc.
 

 
Install was a breeze as it was picked for the size, and space available (and the performance per dollar of course!)
 

 
 
Id like to take this time to thank you for reading this post, following this build log, and enjoying the tech pr0n.  If you have any questions about the build feel free to ask, the only reveal Im keeping under wraps for the most part will be the final case design (if I can keep my mouth and camera shut lol)
 
Id also like to take the time to thank my sponsors - ARESGAME and TEAMGROUP - It is an absolute pleasure to work with their products!
 

 

Thank you. I appreciate the help. I looked it up and it looks like it comes with a single 8gb ram but does have 2 slots. So think i will pick up a second stick to get it to 16.

Personally I think the bigger question is presumably these devices were imaged and prepared to go out to students so how is it malware go on them in the first place, does the base image they are putting on to the devices contain the malware in it because that's a epic fail if it does.
 
My gut feeling is they got compromised when sent to the school and placed on to their network and the schools are the source of the infection, seems like the most likely scenario to me. Then the school issued the device to the intended student after they had done what was necessary to get it ready for that student for that school.

if you can wait a few more weeks new AMD powered laptops will be out.
If HP releases the probook on the earlier side the 445 G8 or 455 G8 would be a decent model starting at around that price. They have so far announced it
 
Right now there is a 445 G7 in stock from HP with a 4500U 8gb of ram and a 250gb SSD. I'd move the system to 16gb with a 2x8gb kit (assuming HP is actually shipping 2x4 and not 1x8) You could move to 32gb in the future
 
I've got their last gen 445R G6 and my 2 biggest complaints are I wish they dropped the 2.5in bay for a larger batter/ no HDD in 2020. Which it lokos like for the G8 they've dropped the HDD but still not a larger battery.

Imagine the kids doing their work and all of a sudden, through the speakers they hear:
 
 

Summary
The myth is that if you want a super secure password, you let your cat run over your keyboard. But, in a recent incident, a security flaw was discovered by two harmless kids by simply mashing the keyboard.
 
Quotes
 
My thoughts
Hilarious, but never fear, seems that it is now fixed
 
Sources
https://news.itsfoss.com/security-flaw-in-linux-mint-kids/

No, not really.
 
Is there a point to this thread?

There is no such thing as best and cheapest.
When you pay more you get something better.
You need to pick a budget and capacity and find the 'best' at that price point.

Why is it so hard for Intel, AMD, Nvidia and others... To have clear product brandings and stick to them... 

Not necessarily. The same CPU can be configured with a 15W or a 25W TDP for example, depending on the manufacturer. That's the case on both Intel and AMD CPU's.

ah yes 2 great sources /s. Until we know more and its not just they claim this. I've got nothing noteworthy to say

Well, uh, doesn't really matter where you are, disseminating "information" not based in fact, but presenting it as such is not great. Especially here, a forum generally designed to help people who are not informed and can't discern the BS from truth on their own. 
 
To answer OP's question, they're both expensive models, and generally will perform great. As others have mentioned, models like the Asus TUF are also great, and generally cheaper. However, they're potentially unavailable right now. 
 
If you're trying to buy now, I'd honestly just get whatever is cheapest and available. Do a quick google to make sure it's not fundamentally flawed, and if not, pull the trigger. If you want to buy in a few months, then you can more carefully consider your options (in which case you'd hopefully be able to consider more than just the 2 models you listed)

and what I'm saying is their claim is BS. we can't know that.

and what I'm saying is their claim is BS. we can't know that.

we don't know anything about long term reliability at this point.