Laptop advice needed

Ruben40870 · August 3, 2023

I am looking at buying a new laptop, I had the following in mind:

HP Pavilion Plus Laptop 14-EH0080ND

Specs:

Intel Core i5 1240P (12th Generation)
16GB RAM
512GB SSD
14 Inch Screen, 2.2K resolution
Intel Iris Xe Graphics Card

I plan to use the Laptop mainly for studying an engineering degree so I would be using programs like AutoCAD and ETAP, though I suspect not heavily. (I have a desktop at work for heavier tasks). I will probably mostly be using it for Microsoft Office. I already work as an Electrical Design Engineer so I appreciate a capable PC. I don't expect this Laptop to be a rocket ship but to do most of the everyday things.

I want to build a custom PC about a year or two later when I have enough money saved up. I can find this laptop for 870 euros which is at the upper limit of my budget. But I do think the specs vs price for this specific model is quite good.

What do you think? Any advice will be appreciated!

PC HEROES · August 3, 2023

1 hour ago, Ruben40870 said:

I am looking at buying a new laptop, I had the following in mind:

HP Pavilion Plus Laptop 14-EH0080ND

Specs:

Intel Core i5 1240P (12th Generation)

16GB RAM

512GB SSD

14 Inch Screen, 2.2K resolution

Intel Iris Xe Graphics Card

I plan to use the Laptop mainly for studying an engineering degree so I would be using programs like AutoCAD and ETAP, though I suspect not heavily. (I have a desktop at work for heavier tasks). I will probably mostly be using it for Microsoft Office. I already work as an Electrical Design Engineer so I appreciate a capable PC. I don't expect this Laptop to be a rocket ship but to do most of the everyday things.

I want to build a custom PC about a year or two later when I have enough money saved up. I can find this laptop for 870 euros which is at the upper limit of my budget. But I do think the specs vs price for this specific model is quite good.

What do you think? Any advice will be appreciated!

If you are doing CAD work then I would suggest a Laptop with a dedicated Video Card even though you don't plan on gaming.

I have found 4 different options for you to look at and they are all within your budget. I don't recommend the first one though because it only has 8GB of RAM, 16GB is the standard now and 32GB will be the standard by next year.

I have been building PCs for 30 years so if you have any questions please ask.

1. ASUS Laptop TUF F15 15.6" 144Hz (Intel i5-11400H, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) £699.99

2. Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15.6 Inch (AMD Ryzen 5 6600H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4GB, 16 GB RAM, 1TB SSD) £730.75

4. Acer Nitro 5 15.6 Inch Laptop (AMD Ryzen 5 5600H, 16GB, 512GB SSD, RTX 3060, Full HD 144Hz, Black - 3 Year Warranty) £799.99

Catzzye · August 3, 2023

Even though CAD is much more CPU intensive than GPU, even if you don't plan on working with more complex 3D objects, you could use a dedicated GPU.

It doesn't have to be a high-end gaming one, just having even an -50 series should be enough for your needs.

Good luck!

Ruben40870 · August 3, 2023

2 hours ago, PC HEROES said:

If you are doing CAD work then I would suggest a Laptop with a dedicated Video Card even though you don't plan on gaming.

I have found 4 different options for you to look at and they are all within your budget. I don't recommend the first one though because it only has 8GB of RAM, 16GB is the standard now and 32GB will be the standard by next year.

I have been building PCs for 30 years so if you have any questions please ask.

1. ASUS Laptop TUF F15 15.6" 144Hz (Intel i5-11400H, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) £699.99

2. Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15.6 Inch (AMD Ryzen 5 6600H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4GB, 16 GB RAM, 1TB SSD) £730.75

3. HP Victus Laptop PC 16-e0071sa | AMD Ryzen™ 5-5600H | 16GB RAM | 512GB SSD | RTX™ 3050 Laptop GPU | White | £799.95

4. Acer Nitro 5 15.6 Inch Laptop (AMD Ryzen 5 5600H, 16GB, 512GB SSD, RTX 3060, Full HD 144Hz, Black - 3 Year Warranty) £799.99