Going from Two Systems to One

[MarkDRogersJr]

Hi everyone!

 

I'm currently in the market between now and six months to purchase a laptop that will replace my current two-system, desktop and laptop combo I have now. I understand the compromises I am facing when considering switching to a single system setup that has to be portable, so here is the exact scenario and requirements:

 

1. I am a cyber security professional who is looking to have some portability with traveling, but also can't give up the capacity to run one-two virtual machines at a time for things like Kali, REMnux, and a Win10 instance for FireEye FLARE. Cores/Threads and RAM are priority. 
2. I am looking for as thin and light as I can get, but know there are some heavy limitations to my prospects given rule 1. I prefer 13" but will wiggle for a 15" due to appreciating the extra monitor size. This is my second priority, given I will travel and don't want to lug around a full-size gaming machine. Bonus points to not actually looking like a gaming machine as well. 
3. I'm also looking for typing comfort as I am preparing to go back for my Doctorate next fall. While I have a keyboard and mouse at home I'm good with, on the go I need to be able to stand coding and writing for long periods of time, so the keyboard can't slack.
4. Finally, I'm a gamer in my personal life and while I don't expect heavy gaming on the go, I'm almost demanding eGPU compatibility for my plug-and-play office/battle station at home. A discrete GPU in the system is optional, though. 
5. A note on price: based on my ideas below, you can gauge I am looking at spending up to about $2,500 USD. This isn't as much of a concern as is the functionality of the system, to which I have been able to price one as low as $1,500 USD. 

So with the research I have done thus far, I'm at a bit of a crossroads, and I am looking for heavy input from first-hand buyer experience and those whom fall into a similar scenario as I do. Here's what I've narrowed down to thus far:

 

• The Dell XPS 13 7390 - This thing ticks a lot of boxes for me. Portability, hardware, and keyboard are all given praise by a multitude of sources. On top of it, it's a beautiful machine, honestly. The Standard version can get fitted with an i7-10710U 6C/12T processor that is the beefiest and only 6-core you can find in a 13". The downfall? A measly 16GB of RAM. In comparison, the 2-in-1 version has a lot more flexibility for being able to change into a tablet, which, while appealing to me doesn't really do much at all outside make it look cooler and maybe have some use on D&D nights. That version can climb all the way up to 32GB of RAM, but is stuck at the i7-1065G7 4C/8T processor. Both have two Thunderbolt 3 ports, with I/O advantage being given a little more to the standard version. Considering I am in the mood for gaming capabilities as well, the 6-core has the advantage of a higher clock, though, to what purpose if it throttles? 
• The MSI Prestige 15 - Another great contender, it also carries the i7-10710U like the Standard XPS 13. I/O is also great with two USB 3.(whatever it is now) type A's, two TB 3 ports, etcetc. It can carry up to 32GB of RAM and has a GTX 1650 Max-Q to boot, which is nice for some portable gaming on the go. However, it comes in at about one pound heavier than the XPS 13 and is two inches larger (when we are talking about Thin-and-Lights, I guess I'll be picky about this). I'm much less concerned about thermal throttling (though reviews show it still happens) due to its bigger cooling system, which makes me worry about what the XPS 13 is capable of given it is a more compact system. 
• The Razer Blade Stealth 13 - At least an honorable mention, the Stealth has a lot to offer but looking over the specs, it isn't overtly appealing as the more feature rich XPS 13's, given its price point. Depending on the model, you're either getting an 8th gen or 10th gen i7 4C/8T processor, and either an MX150 or 1650 Max-Q. All are stuck at 16GB of RAM and 512GB of Storage, where the other vendor models are more flexible with their configurations. The Blade 15 is a better contender with its 6C/12T 9th gen i7, but quickly loses it's appeal from the increase in size and the super low SSD storage at the low end models, which doesn't step up to 512GB until you're dropping $2,200 USD.
• The Alienware m15 - The biggest of the group and contending on most expensive with Razer, but also likely the most capable aside from being stuck at 16GB of RAM, the new M15 model can go clear to a massive i9-9980HK 8C/16T processor and go anywhere from a RTX 2060 to a 2080 Max-Q. The design they've put into the laptop itself is the most modern-professional gaming PC look out of any gaming laptop[/opinion]. Priced to compare with the other contenders, it doesn't stray too far from the ballpark; enough to keep it as a consideration as the most powerful option on the list. In addition, something that sets this apart is the Alienware proprietary eGPU link that connects directly to PCIe, compared to Thunderbolt which has added overhead due to the controller. 

For reference, btw, my current desktop is:

CPU: i7-5820k 6C/12T, OC'd to 4.2GHz

RAM: 32GB DDR4 2400MHz

GPU: MSI GTX 1080

OS Disk: Samsung Evo 860 512GB SATA SSD

Monitor: 3440x1440 UWQHD, 120Hz

 

The Laptop I have now isn't worth mentioning as anything I move toward would be an improvement. 

 

If you've gotten this far,

1. Thank you. I know its a lot to take in but I'm just super indecisive about this, and with me being a long-term system owner who doesn't buy new systems but every three-five years, I'm not looking to throw my money at something unless I know I will be the most satisfied with it.

2. I know many of you will think why I would contend with having so much in such a small package when I have an excellent platform for a VM Machine already. To that, I retort that I'm not expecting my aged hardware to continue to support reliability to the point I'm running analysis and research on safely, but a Plex server? Sure! For more extreme functions, I plan on building out my lab more with the proper equipment, but that isn't the purpose of this particular machine I'm wanting to buy. I'm specifically looking for the replacement of both my laptop and desktop. Something that is functional to my needs on the go for work but can still plug into an eGPU to play games at the end of the day. I like having all my files and data stored in a single place (to clarify I do securely backup stuff) and don't want to move VM's, snapshots, files, etc from machine to machine all the time like I do now, nor pay for the large cloud storage I would need otherwise. A NAS is also an option but my internet connection may not always be available in some places or too unreliable to fetch bigger files.

 

So now I turn it over to you guys. Any input, feedback, or recommendations? Is there a great contender I am missing? Let me know!

[Catsrules]

I would also take a look at mobile workstations. For example the ThinkPad P Series might be worth a look, or the Dell Precision line as well. Just know these are more towards business needs so and graphics cards will most likely be Quadro not the best for gaming. 

 

[MarkDRogersJr]

18 hours ago, Catsrules said:

I would also take a look at mobile workstations. For example the ThinkPad P Series might be worth a look, or the Dell Precision line as well. Just know these are more towards business needs so and graphics cards will most likely be Quadro not the best for gaming. 

 

Honestly, that didn't even cross my mind. Taking a look now, there are quite a few configurations of Dell and Lenovo that fit my criteria as well. Thank you! More options to consider now for sure!