Need advice on choosing a laptop

[hi_im_new]

Hi guys!

So I'm at this dilemma between two laptops. Most likely I want a laptop that can last throughout college. I am planning to go into Computer Science major, probably more into Artificial Intelligence, and was wondering what laptop fit for that field. I am also looking for a laptop that is good for video and photo editing (Photoshop, Premiere Pro, After Effects, Maya) and I'm probably might play some games on it too, such as Rainbow Six Siege (I don't really care too much about playing it on a high or ultra settings). They are both the same price. I believe the HP Pavilion has an M.2 Slot but I'm unsure about the Lenovo Ideapad. I was thinking if I got the HP, I could replace the HDD with an SSD or add an SSD in the M.2 slot, but if I was to do that for Lenovo, then I feel like the Optane Memory would be useless. From the looks of it, HP has 16GB ram but with a lower graphics card(MX150) than Lenovo (GTX1050) but only has 12GB ram. I'm not sure if I need to invest a better graphics card for a higher ram for Computer Science (A.I.). I'm also open to considering any other laptops you guys might recommend.

 

Thank you in advance!

 

The first laptop: HP Pavilion 15-cs0025cl

https://www.costco.com/HP-Pavilion-Touchscreen-Laptop---Intel-Core-i7---GeForce-MX150---1080p.product.100431776.html 

Processor & Memory:
Intel Core i7-8550U Processor at 1.8GHz
16GB DDR4-2400 SDRAM (2 DIMM)

Drives:
1TB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive

Operating System:
Microsoft® Windows 10 Professional (64 bit)

Communications:
Wireless-AC WLAN + Bluetooth 4.2
HP WideVision HD Webcam with Integrated Dual Digital Microphone

Graphics & Video: 
15.6" Touchscreen WLED-backlit FHD IPS Brightview Micro-Edge (1920 x 1080)
4GB NVIDIA GeForce MX150 Graphics

Audio: 
B&O Play Audio with Dual Speakers

Keyboard: 
Full-size island-style backlit keyboard with numeric keypad

Ports: 
1x USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type C
2x USB 3.1 Gen 1
1x HDMI 1.4
1x RJ-45 (LAN)
1x Multi-Format Digital Media Card Reader
1x Headphone-out/microphone-in combo jack

Power Supply: 
3-cell 41WHr lithium-ion prismatic Battery

Additional Information:
Dimensions: 14.24"W x 9.51"D x 0.70"H
Weight (approximately): 4.25 lbs

Second Laptop: Lenovo IdeaPad 330 17 

https://www.costco.com/Lenovo-IdeaPad-330-17-Laptop---Intel-Core-i7---GeForce-GTX-1050---1080p.product.100454285.html

Processor & Memory: 
Intel® Core™ i7-8750H Processor at 2.2GHz
12GB DDR4 (1-DIMM) 2400MHz RAM + 16GB Intel® Optane™ Memory

Operating System:  
Microsoft® Windows 10 Home (64 bit)

Drives:   
1TB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
No Optical Drive

Graphics & Video:   
17.3" FHD IPS LED Backlit (1920 x 1080) Display
4GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Graphics

Communications:
Intel® Wireless-AC WLAN + Bluetooth 4.1
100/1000M Gigabit Ethernet (RJ-45 Connector)
Integrated (720p) Webcam

Audio:   
2x 1.5W speakers with Dolby® Audio Processing

Keyboard:
Standard Backlit Keyboard

Ports & Slots:
2x USB 3.0
1x USB 3.0 type C
1x HDMI
1x Media Card Reader
1x Combination Audio Jack

Battery:   
3 Cell 45WH Up to 5-hour Battery

Additional Information:
Dimensions: 16.46" x 11.52" x 0.98"
Approximate Weight: 6.16lbs

[r2724r16]

20 minutes ago, hi_im_new said:

https://www.costco.com/HP-Pavilion-Touchscreen-Laptop---Intel-Core-i7---GeForce-MX150---1080p.product.100431776.html 

So I've tried out this laptop in person, and there are some noteable problems with it. Firstly, the keyboard is really shallow and typing on it is pretty difficult. The battery is also very small, and the bulid quality is, IMO, pretty bad. It feels way cheaper than HP ENVY laptops that cost like $100 more. 

23 minutes ago, hi_im_new said:

https://www.costco.com/Lenovo-IdeaPad-330-17-Laptop---Intel-Core-i7---GeForce-GTX-1050---1080p.product.100454285.html

This laptop is nice, but you'll want to add a SSD (you can even remove the Intel Optane stick). It has a 6 core CPU and a GTX 1050, but it's like 2 lbs heavier than the laptop above (which kills the idea of a laptop). 

 

If I had to choose between one of these laptops, I'd definitely get the Lenovo one. 

[genexis_x]

Where are you from? Budget? Any preference on weight, display size, display quality and battery life? You can upgrade RAM/storage later on so no worries

8 hours ago, r2724r16 said:

snip

I tried both of them before, the 2018 Pavilions have decent build quality. Keyboard isn't the best of course but still acceptable. Battery capacity didn't get an upgrade, still stuck at 41/42Wh. Envy is different lineup so it's not a fair comparison

 

Ideapad 330 17 has worse build quality IMO. And also small battery