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Ultrabook recommendation for student (programming / light gaming) (US)

CatoSicarius
By CatoSicarius
in Laptops and Pre-Built Systems
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Hello again, and sorry for writing another post, but I thought better and instead of a gaming notebook it would fit me better to get an ultrabook then to build a PC.

So, I need an ultrabook for college and work (programming field). I also need it to be portable and have decent battery life since i will carry it a lot for college.

The CPU should have at least 4 cores (I plan to run VMs on it and also have open multiple IDEs / Terminals for programming).

The GPU should be ok-ish, capable to run starcraft 2 and dota 2 at medium quality, 60 fps, 1080p, (mx150 would do the job I think, but if there is an ultrabook with a 1050 which doesnt sacrifice battery and doesnt throttle it would be perfect).

The screen should be good, not TN, and have good viewing angles (preferred 1080p, since 4k would drain the battery and will also be overkill) (touchscreen not needed, but its ok if its there :D ).

The battery should last me minimum 6 hours while doing very light programming / stuff (reading emails, writing docs, watching youtube videos), I preffer a high capacity battery tho.

The build quality should be solid, as little flex as possible and also to be light and preferably 14".

Since I will code a lot on this laptop, the keyboard should feel good and not exhausting to press it. Also it would be awesome if the laptop would have thunderbolt port, and also HDMI (I will connect a second monitor to it at work). Also an NVME ssd would be lovely to have.

 

Edit: Budget around 1300$ (USD), but can add 200$ if there is something really worth it.

 

Thank you, and sorry for making another post :)

 

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The ThinkPad E480 or E490 with an RX 550. Slightly more powerful than a MX150 (about 15%), extremely good quality internals and solid business class chassis with liquid/dirt/sand/shock resistance, able to withstand drops and has.the best laptop keyboard available on the market. Available with a solid IPS display option and has a battery that's good for 7-9 hours

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ASUS VIVObook is my recommendation with a ryzen 5 3500U

If someone has helped you out on the forum don't forget to give them a reaction to say thank you!

 

The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing. - Socrates
 

Please put as much effort into your question as you expect me to put into answering it. 

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4 minutes ago, GOTSpectrum said:

ASUS VIVObook is my recommendation with a ryzen 5 3500U

Severe power and thermal limits. No gaming possible unless the OP is okay with 720p30 over his stated 1080p60. If going Ryzen, go for the E495

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32 minutes ago, 5x5 said:

The ThinkPad E480 or E490 with an RX 550. Slightly more powerful than a MX150 (about 15%)

Didn't it get extremely nerfed with BIOS updates?

AFAIK it was good at first, but it got too hot, so Lenovo limited the power of the rx550 severely, now it is closer to intel HD than mx150.

I only see your reply if you @ me.

 

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Just now, Origami Cactus said:

Didn't it get extremely nerfed with BIOS updates?

AFAIK it was good at first, but it got too hot, so Lenovo limited the power of the rx550 severely, now it is closer to intel HD than mx150.

Only 480. And that can be reversed by just using the older BIOS. The temps are normal really, Lenovo just wanted silent fans

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Just now, 5x5 said:

Only 480. And that can be reversed by just using the older BIOS. The temps are normal really, Lenovo just wanted silent fans

Mhm. Because i was considering the e480 some time ago, and the limited performance of the rx550 really put me off.

I only see your reply if you @ me.

 

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Just now, Origami Cactus said:

Mhm. Because i was considering the e480 some time ago, and the limited performance of the rx550 really put me off.

Just flash the older BIOS and it's fine. The plastics and PCB can withstand the heat. The reason for the performance tweaking was people raving on forums cause they were trying to play games.on their lap while checking the air intakes

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  • Author

What do you think about zenbooks?

And is there any big difference between LPDDR3 and DDR4 RAM in terms of performance?

Also, forgot to specify the budget: 1300 USD, but can add 200$ if there is anything really worth it.

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Wow, it seems like thinkpads are either very good or there is some cult on this forum dedicated to them Kappa

Can you please provide me with links to the thinkpads that have some gpu and also explain a bit the bios version thing?

Meanwhile, I stumbled upon those 2 zenbooks:

https://www.amazon.com/ASUS-Ultra-Slim-Innovative-Screenpad-UX434FL-DB77/dp/B07T1DZGKQ
https://www.amazon.com/ASUS-Convertible-WideView-i7-8565U-UX461FN-DH74T/dp/B07KL34BZC

 

I really like the look of them both and I tested today a zenbook keyboard in a store and fell in love with it :)

What do you think about them and also can you please link me some good thinkpad configs in the price range? (also the gpu for light gaming pls if possible).

 

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59 minutes ago, CatoSicarius said:

Wow, it seems like thinkpads are either very good or there is some cult on this forum dedicated to them Kappa

Can you please provide me with links to the thinkpads that have some gpu and also explain a bit the bios version thing?

Meanwhile, I stumbled upon those 2 zenbooks:

https://www.amazon.com/ASUS-Ultra-Slim-Innovative-Screenpad-UX434FL-DB77/dp/B07T1DZGKQ
https://www.amazon.com/ASUS-Convertible-WideView-i7-8565U-UX461FN-DH74T/dp/B07KL34BZC

 

I really like the look of them both and I tested today a zenbook keyboard in a store and fell in love with it :)

What do you think about them and also can you please link me some good thinkpad configs in the price range? (also the gpu for light gaming pls if possible).

 

They're both pretty mediocre and have power limits and poor thermals. Build quality is far worse than a ThinkPad E490 or T490

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4 hours ago, CatoSicarius said:

What do you think about zenbooks?

And is there any big difference between LPDDR3 and DDR4 RAM in terms of performance?

Also, forgot to specify the budget: 1300 USD, but can add 200$ if there is anything really worth it.

LPDDR3 is much slower and will affect CPU performance. Avoid

 

https://www.lenovo.com/hk/en/laptops/thinkpad/thinkpad-e-series/E490/p/22TP2TEE490

Just configure it with an RX 550 and you're good to go

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4 hours ago, CatoSicarius said:

What do you think about zenbooks?

And is there any big difference between LPDDR3 and DDR4 RAM in terms of performance?

Also, forgot to specify the budget: 1300 USD, but can add 200$ if there is anything really worth it.

Also - if you're fine with 1500, just grab the X1 Extreme - it's by far the best mobile workstation on the market - comes with a full H-series CPU and 1050 Ti or 1650

https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/thinkpad/thinkpad-x/ThinkPad-X1-Extreme/p/22TP2TXX1E1

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