Laptop for college

[mdubbrin]

I am starting my undergraduate degree in IT and minoring in cyber security (planing on getting my masters later on) in the fall. I currently have a decent tower with an i7-11700k and a RTX 1660 TI. I don't plan on lugging my setup two hours away, especially when I won't have a car. I plan on doing some gaming to keep in touch with friends back home but also want a decent laptop that will help me with my studies. I was thinking about a gaming laptop mainly because of the decent screen, CPU and GPU, but I won't get very good battery life. While I have some budget to work with, I'd like to keep it under $1000. This hasn't left me much room for a decent gpu. My thought was to get a decent laptop (CPU and ram) and then get an e-gpu enclosure for my 1660 TI, which I would keep in my dorm for when I decide to game (obviously, it's not the best GPU out right now). I was also thinking of just getting a decent laptop for around $300/$400 (on sale at Costco or something) and then spending some more on a GPU that id leave in my dorm. 

 

I have orientation in July and I know that the normal person thing to do is wait until then and ask questions, but I'm inpatient and need a computer person (who isn't a professor or a rich college student) to give their opinion.

 

Let me know your thoughts on any of my ideas!!

[mdubbrin]

Just now, mdubbrin said:

I am starting my undergraduate degree in IT and minoring in cyber security (planing on getting my masters later on) in the fall. I currently have a decent tower with an i7-11700k and a RTX 1660 TI. I don't plan on lugging my setup two hours away, especially when I won't have a car. I plan on doing some gaming to keep in touch with friends back home but also want a decent laptop that will help me with my studies. I was thinking about a gaming laptop mainly because of the decent screen, CPU and GPU, but I won't get very good battery life. While I have some budget to work with, I'd like to keep it under $1000. This hasn't left me much room for a decent gpu. My thought was to get a decent laptop (CPU and ram) and then get an e-gpu enclosure for my 1660 TI, which I would keep in my dorm for when I decide to game (obviously, it's not the best GPU out right now). I was also thinking of just getting a decent laptop for around $300/$400 (on sale at Costco or something) and then spending some more on a GPU that id leave in my dorm. 

 

I have orientation in July and I know that the normal person thing to do is wait until then and ask questions, but I'm inpatient and need a computer person (who isn't a professor or a rich college student) to give their opinion.

 

Let me know your thoughts on any of my ideas!!

Prices are in USD

[DragonMaster436]

Got some questions! do you need a 10 key on the laptop? Also, what kind of games do you play? If they are light enough and you just wanna hang with friends, then I would go for a lighter laptop. (meaning not really a heavy gaming machine and more orientated for lighter and nicer work/study. Then it has the ability to game on the side.) For less than $1000 I know there are lots of options and good deals going both routes.

 

Also, are you wanting to throw the external gpu enclosure into your total cost? Sorry being all over the place.. haha

[mdubbrin]

I don't really care about the keyboard. I found a laptop with Intel Core Ultra 7 155H and 16gb of RAM. I have no idea but now we play games like Rust but I don't need AMAZING graphics for $700. I might be able to stretch my budget to get a good gpu if I could get an enclosure for relatively cheap ($150-$200)

[mdubbrin]

I found this dock https://www.newegg.com/p/3C6-06RU-000G4

[DragonMaster436]

was the laptop this?:

https://www.newegg.com/acer-swift-go-16-education-home-personal-mainstream-work-business-16-0-intel-core-ultra-7-155h-16gb-memory-1-tb-pcie-ssd-intel-arc-graphics-steel-gray/p/34-360-391?Item=34-360-391&cm_sp=product-_-from-price-options

 

 

I went looking and found its AMD brother.. Both look good. I also found:

https://www.newegg.com/lenovo-ideapad-slim-5-16irl8-home-personal-16-intel-core-i7-1355u-16gb-memory-1-tb-pcie-ssd-intel-iris-xe-graphics-abyss-blue/p/N82E16834840212

This one is another option, however I think the display won't be as nice as the one above..

 

 

Then of course there's more than you probably need haha:

https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16834156651

This one would merge the laptop and desktop together and probably out game your desktop system. You could probably find a gaming laptop that would fit your budget and still be crazy good. Again biggest problem with them is it's not the easiest thing to carry around especially for smaller weaker bodies.. (Don't know about you, but I don't know if my sorry body would want to carry around that thing on campus for classes. haha)

[DragonMaster436]

One thing to make note is the OLED display is not very bright.. 400 nit brightness. That's fine if your indoors, but if you are  one to go out and study (maybe at a friends house or coffee shop.) it might not be great even though its the prettier display.

 

Never researched external GPU Docks but that looks pretty nice!

[mdubbrin]

Thanks for your help. I decided to wait for orientation which is in a few weeks. Im sure ill find another good deal on a laptop then.