Help with high-end laptop search.

[JettaGetUpandGo]

Mini backstory:  From 2011-December 2016 I had a 13" MacBook Pro for day to day productivity.  I loved the solid build quality, the trackpad, and how well it worked with my iPad and iPhone.  Due to its age the battery life wasn't great anymore and it felt painfully slow in comparison the new PC I built earlier in the year (i7 6700k, 980Ti).  With new responsibilities at work I needed something with a minimum of 4 hours of battery life and the ability to handle simple 2D AutoCad (2005 Architectural Desktop to be exact for home design).  After comparing a number of thin and light laptops I settled on the Lenovo Yoga 910 (i7 7500u, 16GB RAM, 512GB PCIe SSD 4K touch display) assuming the integrated graphics would be enough for the relatively light cad work.  Like the MacBook, the build quality was excellent and the trackpad was decent.  The tablet mode/touch screen was a bit gimmicky.  I could count on one hand the number of times I used it in tablet mode, but I did grow fond of the touch display.  Battery life was incredible.  My biggest issue with it is it could barely handle the 2D CAD work.  Perhaps it was the 4K display straining it, but I could only work on the smallest of projects without significant stuttering.  In the 8 months I've had it I've had constant issues with the backlight, charging, and oddly specific, but locking up while watching YouTube videos in Chrome.  It's in for repair again because the computer doesn't recognize the charger.  I am currently looking for a replacement and will sell the Lenovo when it comes back from service.

 

For the new laptop I am willing to sacrifice a little bit on the size and weight to get something a bit more powerful.  We are looking at transitioning to Softplan for 3D home design in the next year or two.  The developer recommends avoiding workstation graphics cards and states it is better tailored to "gaming" cards.  DX11 and 1GB minimum, but more is always better.  4+ CPU cores recommended.  I don't expect to be able to edit/work on the 3D models, but being able to open and view them would be nice even if it's a bit choppy.  The 2D CAD performance is critical though.  Budget isn't really a concern.  I am comfortable spending up to $2500 and could stretch that a little if needed, but don't want to spend $3000 on a laptop.  14"-15.6" is probably the sweet spot for display size.

 

Must haves:

• i7 7700HQ, 7820HQ, or equivalent (no dual core CPUs)
• 16 GB RAM
• 512 GB SSD minimum 
• Discrete graphics (1060, don't think a 1070 is necessary)
• 4+ hours of battery life
• Solid feeling, relatively thin and light
• Professional looking (not a "gaming" machine)

 

Nice to haves:

• Number pad
• 4K/Touch display
• Fingerprint sensor (gimmicky, but much easier unlocking/logging in)

 

What I've looked at:

• Razer blade 14 (2017)
  • Checks almost everything off the list.  Never seen one in person, but it seems to be a solid as a MacBook.  I can live without the number pad and finger print sensor and I can even handle the bright green USB ports, but I can't deal with the Razer logo on the front.  Covering it up with a skin isn't good enough since the outline is still clearly visible.  I am frequently in front of customers looking to build $600K-$1.2M homes.  Like many others, I wish Razer had a more professional looking option.
• Dell XPS 15 (9560)
  • No number pad again.  Thin, light, solid.  Excellent battery.  Great trackpad and display.  My only worry is that the 4GB 1050 graphics won't be enough with the 4K display even though it's still a big leap above the integrated graphics.  No touch option available with the 1080p display.  Significantly more expensive to buy direct from Dell, but it's the only way to get Windows 10 Pro and the fingerprint sensor.
• Lenovo Thinkpad (many models)
  • Nothing in the "thin and light" category with more than a 2GB Quadro card.  With my recent Lenovo experience I'd rather steer clear.
• MSI GS63/WS63
  • I handled this one in person.  Despite having the right hardware, it felt really cheap.  There was a lot of chassis flex and the thin aluminum bowed with just my palms resting to type.  I looked at Orion and some of the other "custom" laptops and a lot of them use the same chassis.
• Gigabyte Aero 15
  • I'd love to see one in person as I'm worried the full plastic chassis might feel cheap.  No one within 150 miles of me sells it.  It is a "gaming" laptop, but it still looks professional.  No 4K display which I can live with.  Reviews have said the trackpad isn't great.  I use a mouse for drafting, but use the trackpad for day to day tasks.  Unresolved issues with the keyboard that affect shortcuts I use frequently while drafting (http://forum.gigabyte.us/thread/1102/aero-15-keyboard-issues).
• Asus
  • Their site is difficult to navigate, but I didn't see anything matching the above criteria.

 

Is there anything else that I haven't looked at and should?  Maybe I am being too picky, but I can't help but feel that these are the best options out there and they are all a bit disappointing.

[Guest]

I don't have much to add in the way of helping you pick since I hate laptops and have no use for one for more than 1 hour a month, but I have a client that uses that same exact software w/ an i5 Acer w/ a 940M. Hasn't so much as hiccuped once in the 3 years she's had it. She does kitchens. They'll be moving to 2020 Design soon, but only because they were acquired by another company. 

 

Personally, I'd avoid a 4k display for a laptop you're going to have in the field. Too many compromises, not enough reward.

[shrik450]

Have you considered a Dell Inspiron 7567? They come with 1050Tis, i7-7700HQ, look fairly nice, and has great battery. It doesn't have a 512 GB SSD, though, but you can always buy another one and fit it in yourself. If you do plan on buying it, switch to the IPS display in the Dell online store, as the TN panel is pretty bad.

[Jurrunio]

ASUS ZenBook Pro UX550VE

 

- Quad core 7700HQ

- 1050ti (ok it's not a 1060, but I cant find any 1060 model that fits other requirements)

- 15.6" 1080p screen (can upgrade to 4K, touch screen an optional for both)

- 16GB RAM

- Fingerprint sensor

- 1.89cm thick

- Professional looks

- Brushed Aluminium body

- 1TB / 512GB PCIe SSD

- 512GB / 256GB SATA3 SSD

[dmaes]

1 hour ago, JettaGetUpandGo said:

Covering it up with a skin isn't good enough since the outline is still clearly visible.

Even if you take a dark dbrand skin? (like black leather)

[xxdeadmanxx1]

Maybe you can consider custom building in sites like maingear or origin pc.. 

[Guest]

Have you considered the Aorus X3 plus, it costs $1999 and comes with a gtx 1060 6GB. It also features a 13.9" 3K QHD 3200x1800 resolution with Anti glare and a wide viewing angle of 170 degrees, intel core i7-7820HK 2.9-3.9GHz, 16GB ddr4-2400MHz, 512GB M.2 NVMe SSD and a white backlit keyboard.

It also has a decent amount of ports and a 3K display (not quite 4K but it still has a decent panel and the display isnt touchscreen). when it comes to the weight of the laptop, it is 3.97 lbs. (it also doesnt include a fingerprint scanner but booting into windows shouldnt be a problem with the NVMe SSD installed).

 

In terms of the aesthetics of the exterior of the laptop, it does feature some gaming acents (mainly on the trackpad and at the back of the display and where the vents are located), it also comes in a sort of gun metal grey colour that matches the theme of the laptop and the size of the laptop isnt quite 14" (13.9" if you dont mind).

 

Here is the link for more information: https://www.amazon.com/X3-V7-KL3K4-Notebooks-i7-7820HK-GeForce/dp/B06X9LSD53/ref=sr_1_20?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1503653376&sr=1-20&keywords=gigabyte+gaming+laptops

[sicily428]

1 hour ago, JettaGetUpandGo said:

Mini backstory:  From 2011-December 2016 I had a 13" MacBook Pro for day to day productivity.  I loved the solid build quality, the trackpad, and how well it worked with my iPad and iPhone.  Due to its age the battery life wasn't great anymore and it felt painfully slow in comparison the new PC I built earlier in the year (i7 6700k, 980Ti).  With new responsibilities at work I needed something with a minimum of 4 hours of battery life and the ability to handle simple 2D AutoCad (2005 Architectural Desktop to be exact for home design).  After comparing a number of thin and light laptops I settled on the Lenovo Yoga 910 (i7 7500u, 16GB RAM, 512GB PCIe SSD 4K touch display) assuming the integrated graphics would be enough for the relatively light cad work.  Like the MacBook, the build quality was excellent and the trackpad was decent.  The tablet mode/touch screen was a bit gimmicky.  I could count on one hand the number of times I used it in tablet mode, but I did grow fond of the touch display.  Battery life was incredible.  My biggest issue with it is it could barely handle the 2D CAD work.  Perhaps it was the 4K display straining it, but I could only work on the smallest of projects without significant stuttering.  In the 8 months I've had it I've had constant issues with the backlight, charging, and oddly specific, but locking up while watching YouTube videos in Chrome.  It's in for repair again because the computer doesn't recognize the charger.  I am currently looking for a replacement and will sell the Lenovo when it comes back from service.

 

For the new laptop I am willing to sacrifice a little bit on the size and weight to get something a bit more powerful.  We are looking at transitioning to Softplan for 3D home design in the next year or two.  The developer recommends avoiding workstation graphics cards and states it is better tailored to "gaming" cards.  DX11 and 1GB minimum, but more is always better.  4+ CPU cores recommended.  I don't expect to be able to edit/work on the 3D models, but being able to open and view them would be nice even if it's a bit choppy.  The 2D CAD performance is critical though.  Budget isn't really a concern.  I am comfortable spending up to $2500 and could stretch that a little if needed, but don't want to spend $3000 on a laptop.  14"-15.6" is probably the sweet spot for display size.

 

Must haves:

• i7 7700HQ, 7820HQ, or equivalent (no dual core CPUs)
• 16 GB RAM
• 512 GB SSD minimum 
• Discrete graphics (1060, don't think a 1070 is necessary)
• 4+ hours of battery life
• Solid feeling, relatively thin and light
• Professional looking (not a "gaming" machine)

 

Nice to haves:

• Number pad
• 4K/Touch display
• Fingerprint sensor (gimmicky, but much easier unlocking/logging in)

 

What I've looked at:

• Razer blade 14 (2017)
  • Checks almost everything off the list.  Never seen one in person, but it seems to be a solid as a MacBook.  I can live without the number pad and finger print sensor and I can even handle the bright green USB ports, but I can't deal with the Razer logo on the front.  Covering it up with a skin isn't good enough since the outline is still clearly visible.  I am frequently in front of customers looking to build $600K-$1.2M homes.  Like many others, I wish Razer had a more professional looking option.
• Dell XPS 15 (9560)
  • No number pad again.  Thin, light, solid.  Excellent battery.  Great trackpad and display.  My only worry is that the 4GB 1050 graphics won't be enough with the 4K display even though it's still a big leap above the integrated graphics.  No touch option available with the 1080p display.  Significantly more expensive to buy direct from Dell, but it's the only way to get Windows 10 Pro and the fingerprint sensor.
• Lenovo Thinkpad (many models)
  • Nothing in the "thin and light" category with more than a 2GB Quadro card.  With my recent Lenovo experience I'd rather steer clear.
• MSI GS63/WS63
  • I handled this one in person.  Despite having the right hardware, it felt really cheap.  There was a lot of chassis flex and the thin aluminum bowed with just my palms resting to type.  I looked at Orion and some of the other "custom" laptops and a lot of them use the same chassis.
• Gigabyte Aero 15
  • I'd love to see one in person as I'm worried the full plastic chassis might feel cheap.  No one within 150 miles of me sells it.  It is a "gaming" laptop, but it still looks professional.  No 4K display which I can live with.  Reviews have said the trackpad isn't great.  I use a mouse for drafting, but use the trackpad for day to day tasks.  Unresolved issues with the keyboard that affect shortcuts I use frequently while drafting (http://forum.gigabyte.us/thread/1102/aero-15-keyboard-issues).
• Asus
  • Their site is difficult to navigate, but I didn't see anything matching the above criteria.

 

Is there anything else that I haven't looked at and should?  Maybe I am being too picky, but I can't help but feel that these are the best options out there and they are all a bit disappointing.

there is also the clevo p950hp6

[ErrystioT]

I'd stay away from Razer's for a while. Their thermal performance is not so great, and due to this it thermal throttles, mostly on the GPU quite frequently on high GPU usage. I've had couple of friends with this laptop who got frustrated over this.

[JettaGetUpandGo]

9 hours ago, Legendarypoet said:

I don't have much to add in the way of helping you pick since I hate laptops and have no use for one for more than 1 hour a month, but I have a client that uses that same exact software w/ an i5 Acer w/ a 940M. Hasn't so much as hiccuped once in the 3 years she's had it. She does kitchens. They'll be moving to 2020 Design soon, but only because they were acquired by another company. 

 

Personally, I'd avoid a 4k display for a laptop you're going to have in the field. Too many compromises, not enough reward.

Good to know that the program may not be as demanding as I expect it will be although a kitchen will be a lot less demanding than a full home.

9 hours ago, shrik450 said:

Have you considered a Dell Inspiron 7567? They come with 1050Tis, i7-7700HQ, look fairly nice, and has great battery. It doesn't have a 512 GB SSD, though, but you can always buy another one and fit it in yourself. If you do plan on buying it, switch to the IPS display in the Dell online store, as the TN panel is pretty bad.

I did see this in person.  It was a bit bigger/heavier than I would have liked.  There is a 512GB SSD option that's paired with a matte 4K display (non-touch).

8 hours ago, Jurrunio said:

ASUS ZenBook Pro UX550VE

 

- Quad core 7700HQ

- 1050ti (ok it's not a 1060, but I cant find any 1060 model that fits other requirements)

- 15.6" 1080p screen (can upgrade to 4K, touch screen an optional for both)

- 16GB RAM

- Fingerprint sensor

- 1.89cm thick

- Professional looks

- Brushed Aluminium body

- 1TB / 512GB PCIe SSD

- 512GB / 256GB SATA3 SSD

I saw specs for this.  The 1050 Ti should be sufficient.  Sadly it doesn't seem to actually exist yet.

8 hours ago, 101dmrs said:

Even if you take a dark dbrand skin? (like black leather)

Yup.  It's bad.

 

 

8 hours ago, xxdeadmanxx1 said:

Maybe you can consider custom building in sites like maingear or origin pc.. 

Maingear and Origin PC both use the same chassis as the MSI GS/WS series that felt incredibly cheap.

8 hours ago, TheBeastPC said:

Have you considered the Aorus X3 plus, it costs $1999 and comes with a gtx 1060 6GB. It also features a 13.9" 3K QHD 3200x1800 resolution with Anti glare and a wide viewing angle of 170 degrees, intel core i7-7820HK 2.9-3.9GHz, 16GB ddr4-2400MHz, 512GB M.2 NVMe SSD and a white backlit keyboard.

It also has a decent amount of ports and a 3K display (not quite 4K but it still has a decent panel and the display isnt touchscreen). when it comes to the weight of the laptop, it is 3.97 lbs. (it also doesnt include a fingerprint scanner but booting into windows shouldnt be a problem with the NVMe SSD installed).

 

In terms of the aesthetics of the exterior of the laptop, it does feature some gaming acents (mainly on the trackpad and at the back of the display and where the vents are located), it also comes in a sort of gun metal grey colour that matches the theme of the laptop and the size of the laptop isnt quite 14" (13.9" if you dont mind).

 

Here is the link for more information: https://www.amazon.com/X3-V7-KL3K4-Notebooks-i7-7820HK-GeForce/dp/B06X9LSD53/ref=sr_1_20?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1503653376&sr=1-20&keywords=gigabyte+gaming+laptops

The Aorus is one I wasn't aware of.  The two reviews on Amazon seem pretty bad, but I'll dig into it a bit further.  The aesthetics are a bit gamery, but much mroe subtle than the others.

7 hours ago, sicily428 said:

there is also the clevo p950hp6

This is another one I wasn't aware of.  Not the best looker.  No mention of battery size, but it does say 2+ hours which likely would last the 4 hours I need.

 

Thanks everyone for the feedback.  While looking at the Aorus the Aero 14 popped up as a suggestion.  The 1440p display could be a good compromise and the smaller size might have less chassis flex even though it's all plastic.  Looking to see if there are any major problems like the keyboard issue the Aero 15 has.

[Jurrunio]

1 hour ago, JettaGetUpandGo said:

I saw specs for this.  The 1050 Ti should be sufficient.  Sadly it doesn't seem to actually exist yet.

Oh, I thought the US got this before us in Asia do?

[JettaGetUpandGo]

2 hours ago, Jurrunio said:

Oh, I thought the US got this before us in Asia do?

Unless you know something I don't...

 

I did a lot of searching and the general consensus seems to be October or November before we see it here. I can't actually find it for sale anywhere or even a mention of a US release date.

[Jurrunio]

27 minutes ago, JettaGetUpandGo said:

Unless you know something I don't...

 

I did a lot of searching and the general consensus seems to be October or November before we see it here. I can't actually find it for sale anywhere or even a mention of a US release date.

Well, it's released in Taiwan in mid-July, so that's why even dealer products are available here. I dont think it takes so long for Asus to make their laptops available in overseas market, so I have no idea why is the release date so late in the US. The only way to get this is to either settle down on parallel imports (likely no warranty) or wait for months.....

[maizenblue]

14 hours ago, shrik450 said:

Have you considered a Dell Inspiron 7567? They come with 1050Tis, i7-7700HQ, look fairly nice, and has great battery. It doesn't have a 512 GB SSD, though, but you can always buy another one and fit it in yourself. If you do plan on buying it, switch to the IPS display in the Dell online store, as the TN panel is pretty bad.

I would look at the ips panel in person before buying. Its not as atrociously bad as the TN version, but its still bad enough i had to ask someone in the store if they had the ips version since the ips version on display looked like a tn. 

Its possibly the worst looking ips display ive seen, although other relatively cheap gaming laptops typically come with a shit display, so its hardly unique.  

 

Its a shame since everything else about the laptop is great, but the display is a deal breaker in a laptop to me. 

 

Ill add there is something to be said for the macbooks superb build quality since ive yet to own a Windows laptop that didnt wind up being a POS that gave me constant trouble before dying an early death. 

 

 

[JettaGetUpandGo]

1 hour ago, maizenblue said:

Ill add there is something to be said for the macbooks superb build quality since ive yet to own a Windows laptop that didnt wind up being a POS that gave me constant trouble before dying an early death. 

 

I agree. It's what lead to the MacBook purchase in the first place many years ago. I was replacing Windows based laptops at minimum every other year. I had been through two Toshibas, and HP, and one other that I can't remember at the moment. The difference in build quality was night and day. Windows laptops have come a long way, but most still fall a bit short.

 

Aside from the battery which is expected due to the age and the relative lack of speed compared to current hardware specs, it's still a great machine that served me well for 6 years. To be fair though, hardware performace over the last 6 years didn't increase nearly as much as it did between 2005 and 2011. Even my desktop which I would refresh every other year made it from 2009 (i7 920) to 2016 with just a video card and SSD upgrade.

 

The Insperon felt too chunky/heavy for me to consider it as an option. 

 

I'm leaning towards the XPS 15 as I think the 1050 will be enough and it's the closest I'll get to the build quality of the MacBook. The Aero 14 is still a possiblity too, but until I do some more research to either validate it or rule it out. 

[Pendragon]

Aero 15 from a good retailer. 

 

Also consider the Alienware 13 OLED

[Blenton]

I'd stick with AW 13R3 or XPS 15. Also consider HP ZBook Studio G4 with Xeon CPU & Quadra GPU.

[Fedack13]

Aorus has many models and apparently they are rather solid. There's always mixed reviews for laptops. (WAiting for mine, the Aorus X7 V7 version, I can give you an update once I got it)

 

Have you tried the MSI Stealth Pro? Apparently aside of the construction, it is a very good laptop.

[JettaGetUpandGo]

16 hours ago, Pendragon said:

Aero 15 from a good retailer. 

 

Also consider the Alienware 13 OLED

Aero 15 is out of the running until they fix the keyboard shortcut issue.  The OLED screen on the Alienware is a bit overkill for my needs.

5 hours ago, Blenton said:

I'd stick with AW 13R3 or XPS 15. Also consider HP ZBook Studio G4 with Xeon CPU & Quadra GPU.

XPS 15 is still in the top spot.  Amazon has the 16GB/512GB model for $1800 vs. $1935 direct from Dell.  Costco has the 32GB/1TB model for $2000 vs. $2400 direct from Dell.  Totally overkill, but tempting at that price.  Costco extends the 1-year warranty to 2 as well if you're a member.

4 hours ago, Fedack13 said:

Aorus has many models and apparently they are rather solid. There's always mixed reviews for laptops. (WAiting for mine, the Aorus X7 V7 version, I can give you an update once I got it)

 

Have you tried the MSI Stealth Pro? Apparently aside of the construction, it is a very good laptop.

Looking at some of the other Aorus options now.  Both of the X5 MD and X5 v7 seem like more than I need (1070/1080) and are priced a bit higher than other options on this list.

 

The MSI Stealth Pro felt like garbage.  Lots of hardware for a decent price, but the build quality isn't there.

[JettaGetUpandGo]

Pulled the trigger on the XPS 15.

 

Here were the options:

 

16GB RAM / 512 GB SSD

$1848 - Amazon (5% back in points)

$1900 - Costco

$1980 - Dell (After 10% promo code discount through today)

 

16GB RAM/1TB SSD

$2070 - Dell (After 10% promo code discount through today)

$2118 - Amazon (5% back in points)

 

32GB RAM/1TB SSD

$2000 - Costco ($300 off through today, while supplies last)

$2250 - Dell (After 10% promo code discount through today)

 

 

The only way to get Windows 10 Pro ($50) and the fingerprint sensor ($25) was to order through Dell.  They refused to price match Amazon on the 16GB/512GB model even though their policy states they will as long as it's shipped and sold from Amazon (it was) and not a Marketplace seller.  The sensor wasn't a deal breaker, but for more money than the 32GB/1TB model it didn't make sense.

 

Costco was the obvious winner since I assumed I would upgrade to a 1TB drive after a year or so if I picked the 512GB model.  Their site showed out of stock earlier in the evening, back in stock later, and after I ordered it was gone again.  Crossing my fingers that it goes through.  They also offered the 3-year Squaretrade warranty for $99 vs. 2-years from Amazon for $136/$156 depending on the model.  The protection from Dell was significantly higher.

 

Kinda stoked. Hoping it will arrive before the next weekend.  Who wants a Yoga 910 in excellent condition, soon to be freshly repaired?