New Laptop - Need Recommendations

[theereal]

So, ive had my Macbook Air 13" model 2015 for about 4 years now, and i think its time to upgrade, its been in some rough weather and both the USB ports are busted, so im thinking its time to look for a new one. Im looking for recommendations based on my needs listed below.

 

Portable - I will be using it exclusively for watching Netflix and browsing the web as well as school work, i will carry it almost daily around with me in a PC bag.

Durable - Ive been quite satisfied with the Macbooks build quality, most of my former laptops have snapped at the hinges long before this one, and i treat them quite roughly, so a premium build and a metal chassy is a must.

Fast and Reliable - I dont want a slow laptop, so a ok/decent processor, 8+GB of ram and fast SSD is a must, the SSD doesent need to have tons of storage, 128GB is quite enough, but i always have like 25 pages and 10+ word documents open at a time, so it being fast and responsive is a must.

 

I appriciate any advice Id like to spend as little as possible, but im aiming for my budget at around 1500USD. However if the laptop is a great deal, im ceirtainly willing to stretch that abit

[SeraphicWings]

If you are used to MacOS, then Macbook Pro 13 2019 Non Touchbar is good, 8GB of RAM, 256GB SSD for $1499, but the keyboard issue will still be there

 

But if you look to the Windows side, Dell just released the XPS 13 7390 (Late 2019 model) with the 10th gen Intel i7 ULV CPU with 6-cores that demolishes the 8th gen i5 in the Macbook Pro, but you get an Full HD with Touchscreen support only, price for the same 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD is $1229 according to Dell's website

 

Ultimately it's your decision, try both machines, find your best preference before buying

[theereal]

3 minutes ago, SeraphicWings said:

If you are used to MacOS, then Macbook Pro 13 2019 Non Touchbar is good, 8GB of RAM, 256GB SSD for $1499, but the keyboard issue will still be there

 

But if you look to the Windows side, Dell just released the XPS 13 7390 (Late 2019 model) with the 10th gen Intel i7 ULV CPU with 6-cores that demolishes the 8th gen i5 in the Macbook Pro, but you get an Full HD with Touchscreen support only, price for the same 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD is $1229 according to Dell's website

 

Ultimately it's your decision, but try both machines, find your best preference before buying

I have a gaming PC and im used to both OS's so that doesent really make a difference, how is the build quality of the Dell?

[SeraphicWings]

I'm not using an XPS but I've seen one in a store and they feel quite solid, the XPS 13 also doesn't have the problem that the XPS 15 has so you can be assured

[Super Spartan]

36 minutes ago, theereal said:

So, ive had my Macbook Air 13" model 2015 for about 4 years now, and i think its time to upgrade, its been in some rough weather and both the USB ports are busted, so im thinking its time to look for a new one. Im looking for recommendations based on my needs listed below.

 

Portable - I will be using it exclusively for watching Netflix and browsing the web as well as school work, i will carry it almost daily around with me in a PC bag.

Durable - Ive been quite satisfied with the Macbooks build quality, most of my former laptops have snapped at the hinges long before this one, and i treat them quite roughly, so a premium build and a metal chassy is a must.

Fast and Reliable - I dont want a slow laptop, so a ok/decent processor, 8+GB of ram and fast SSD is a must, the SSD doesent need to have tons of storage, 128GB is quite enough, but i always have like 25 pages and 10+ word documents open at a time, so it being fast and responsive is a must.

 

I appriciate any advice Id like to spend as little as possible, but im aiming for my budget at around 1500USD. However if the laptop is a great deal, im ceirtainly willing to stretch that abit

Here are my recommendations:

 

1) MSI Alpha 15, superb specs for the money, decent cooling and performance, will do exactly what you mentioned above.

 

 

2) MSI Prestige

 

3) Custom Built MSI GS65 8SE Stealth-1402 - 15.6" FHD 144Hz - i7-8750H - RTX 2060

 

When you're in the laptop customization page, I recommend that you choose "Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut + Fujipoly Extreme Thermal Pads." That reduces your CPU/GPU temps by as much as 15C which is a must in today's laptop which sport fast CPUs/GPUs to prevent over-heating and thermal throttling. 

 

If you email donald@hidevolution.com , you might be able to get a small discount. He's the salesman I dealt with when I ordered my laptops and what I like about him is that he never tries to over-sell you on anything just to make a bigger sale but treats you like a friend and gives genuine advice. He even saved me a few bucks sometimes when I chose upgrades that I didn't necessarily need. 

[theereal]

On 11/6/2019 at 7:14 PM, Super Spartan said:

Here are my recommendations:

 

1) MSI Alpha 15, superb specs for the money, decent cooling and performance, will do exactly what you mentioned above.

 

 

2) MSI Prestige

 

3) Custom Built MSI GS65 8SE Stealth-1402 - 15.6" FHD 144Hz - i7-8750H - RTX 2060

 

When you're in the laptop customization page, I recommend that you choose "Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut + Fujipoly Extreme Thermal Pads." That reduces your CPU/GPU temps by as much as 15C which is a must in today's laptop which sport fast CPUs/GPUs to prevent over-heating and thermal throttling. 

 

If you email donald@hidevolution.com , you might be able to get a small discount. He's the salesman I dealt with when I ordered my laptops and what I like about him is that he never tries to over-sell you on anything just to make a bigger sale but treats you like a friend and gives genuine advice. He even saved me a few bucks sometimes when I chose upgrades that I didn't necessarily need. 

Thanks for the great advice I especially like the second recommendation. When thats said however, they seem to be sold in the US, and warranty is a bitch when it comes to ordering things from overseas

[Super Spartan]

On 11/19/2019 at 3:46 AM, theereal said:

Thanks for the great advice I especially like the second recommendation. When thats said however, they seem to be sold in the US, and warranty is a bitch when it comes to ordering things from overseas

They have an international warranty option you can upgrade to, that would cover shipping costs both ways if you ever need to send the laptop back. They will even send you the courier guy to your house to pickup your laptop. If it's just a small part that you can replace yourself, they will send you that and they pay for shipping. See: http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/hidevolutions-warranty.784735/