Laptop Recommendation PLZ

[Tarun10]

9 hours ago, ono said:

Yeah, I was referring to the new XPS 15 so that's why I was thinking 1050ti. I wrote a little more of what I was looking for on the laptop side of things in a previous thread. My thoughts have shifted toward light weight over gaming though, so the G5/G7s are out and the new XPS 15 and SB2 is now what I'm considering. The laptop would mostly be at home, which is why I initially thought thick and bulky would be ok, save for occasionally bringing it to work (never tried iPad with keyboard for my job; need to investigate SSH and remote desktop capabilities of iPad for data analysis and programming... Not sure how touch friendly RStudio Server is) and travel. A big G5/7 along with an iPad is a heavier load than I do now and I already don't like my current load (15" MBP + iPad Air), so yeah, forget gaming laptops for me. Roughly away from home for 1-1.5 months total out of the year. Not a large amount so prioritizing GPU is probably a bad idea.

 

The new iPad that has pen support definitely reduces the value prop of iPad Pro. Is it just the screen size and refresh rate that's the difference now? I have an iPad Air prior to Pro and the Apple Pencil existing and ended up using it mostly for web browsing, media consumption, and PDF reading. I did buy some sort of pen for it but wasn't good enough for marking up PDFs or notes so I never use it for work stuff and instead have a ton of scientific papers printed out, scattered all over my desk to markup. The new/Pro iPad or SB2 would change that. Also opens the door to do creative stuff with the pen for fun. I'm considering the 13" screens (I tried the 15" SB2 yesterday and it's a bit unwieldy) since that's closer to letter and A4 sizes and therefore more comfortably readable and markable for me. I don't think the higher refresh rate is key to what I'd do.

 

I'm not completely opposed to two devices (been doing that with two iterations of MBP + iPad for like 10 years I guess), from what I've seen reviewers have been positive on the SB2, with the top criticism being the price. But I don't know, doesn't seem far off from my current 2 device plan.

 

So you don't need something too intense for your work so I think you can stay away from gaming laptops. I highly recommend the new Dell XPS 15 with the GTX 1050TI and the latest iPad. If you definitely need the iPad Pro then go for it. You will have two devices, so even if one dies you can use the other and it will be much better than a single SB2.

I don't think that the larger screen size and higher refresh rate is worth 600$, so think wisely, it depends on yours needs.

The G5 and G7 are okay, but only decent panels and moderate battery life, same with most gaming laptops, they are too bulky and have poor battery life so stay away from them.

[andy0842]

Ok so I went into a big big microsoft store in California today. I tried xps15 and it was so heavy for any kind of use. Well at least for me.  I mean for someone who's been using mbp 15, lg gram, and surface pro, 4.5lbs is just too damn heavy I hope u understand. So I picked up sb2 13.5 inch model with 16gb ram, 512gb storage. So let's see how this goes. I will update this topic as I use this as my main daily driver for my school and work from now on.

 

https://imgur.com/a/RHtFjkv

the link above is just an imgur link to show my new sb2 13 inch and mbp 15 next to each other at max brightness in a dark room.

[andy0842]

UPDATE: I actually made a separate post. So go follow that one if you want to know what I feel about these two laptops.

[ono]

On 5/11/2018 at 8:56 PM, Tarun10 said:

So you don't need something too intense for your work so I think you can stay away from gaming laptops. I highly recommend the new Dell XPS 15 with the GTX 1050TI and the latest iPad. If you definitely need the iPad Pro then go for it. You will have two devices, so even if one dies you can use the other and it will be much better than a single SB2.

I can't really convince myself to continue with iPad, pro or not. Still thinking going 2-in-1. There are SB2 alternatives. At my local BestBuy I can hopefully check out a display model later for (particularly if I think I can live with a 15.6" display; that sounds too huge for a tablet):

 

- Lenovo Yoga 720: 1300 USD. 15.6". 4K display. 1050 GPU. Looks like there are 8 gen Intel models out there but no 16 GB RAM option. Seems to be a good machine judging from comments/reviews I've seen on it so far.

 

- Asus Q535UD: 1400 USD. 15.6". 4K display. 1050 GPU. Vs the Yoga is has an SSD of half the size (256 GB) but also comes with a 2 TB HDD, which I'd make use of. Also has an HDMI port, but with the price difference with the Yoga, I can easily pick up an adapter. The strange thing on this one is that I can't find reviews on it! So I'd feel like a guinea pig trying this one out.

 

- Dell XPS 2-in-1: 2000 USD. 15.6". 4K display. RX Vega M. Raw numbers I suppose it is better than the 1050, but I hear driver support is wacky at the moment so usage may turn out bad in practice. Also much more expensive than the other two, but cheaper than SB2.

 

What are your thoughts on these? Particularly on the Asus if you even know of that one because, as I said, I can't find zip about it.

 

EDIT: The Asus Q535UD is probably the same product as the Asus ZenBook Flip 15 UX561UD. The Asus webpage for them is exactly the same, save for the name. Saw a Reddit thread point out they have the same specs and that Q535UD is just some BestBuy exclusive version.

 

Also looks like the 4K display of the Yoga 720 can be easily damaged, leading to a row of black pixels near the top of the display. Seems fairly common, so probably a skip on that. I see burn in referenced in the Asus Q535UD reviews, but not sure how widespread.

[andy0842]

20 hours ago, ono said:

I can't really convince myself to continue with iPad, pro or not. Still thinking going 2-in-1. There are SB2 alternatives. At my local BestBuy I can hopefully check out a display model later for (particularly if I think I can live with a 15.6" display; that sounds too huge for a tablet):

 

- Lenovo Yoga 720: 1300 USD. 15.6". 4K display. 1050 GPU. Looks like there are 8 gen Intel models out there but no 16 GB RAM option. Seems to be a good machine judging from comments/reviews I've seen on it so far.

 

- Asus Q535UD: 1400 USD. 15.6". 4K display. 1050 GPU. Vs the Yoga is has an SSD of half the size (256 GB) but also comes with a 2 TB HDD, which I'd make use of. Also has an HDMI port, but with the price difference with the Yoga, I can easily pick up an adapter. The strange thing on this one is that I can't find reviews on it! So I'd feel like a guinea pig trying this one out.

 

- Dell XPS 2-in-1: 2000 USD. 15.6". 4K display. RX Vega M. Raw numbers I suppose it is better than the 1050, but I hear driver support is wacky at the moment so usage may turn out bad in practice. Also much more expensive than the other two, but cheaper than SB2.

 

What are your thoughts on these? Particularly on the Asus if you even know of that one because, as I said, I can't find zip about it.

 

EDIT: The Asus Q535UD is probably the same product as the Asus ZenBook Flip 15 UX561UD. The Asus webpage for them is exactly the same, save for the name. Saw a Reddit thread point out they have the same specs and that Q535UD is just some BestBuy exclusive version.

 

Also looks like the 4K display of the Yoga 720 can be easily damaged, leading to a row of black pixels near the top of the display. Seems fairly common, so probably a skip on that. I see burn in referenced in the Asus Q535UD reviews, but not sure how widespread.

I was very interested in XPS 2in1 as it's got that new intel+AMD chpset. Was let down as its performance was only somewhere between 1050 & 1050 Ti in the best scenario and was disappointed even further when reviews said the batter life was around mere 5-6 hours. I obviously don't know your workload and usual preference and what not, but 5-6 hrs battery seems too short for such premium laptop imo. Other than that, Lenovo Yoga 720 seemed like a good alternative until you mentioned fragile display on it. I personally don't like Asus ever since i saw one of my friends using their product and its screen  and keyboard were so terrible. I could not possibly understand how and why they put a price tag of anywhere above $500 for that junk. They can prove me wrong since that was like 3-4 years ago, though.

[Tarun10]

On ‎5‎/‎13‎/‎2018 at 2:11 PM, andy0842 said:

Ok so I went into a big big microsoft store in California today. I tried xps15 and it was so heavy for any kind of use. Well at least for me.  I mean for someone who's been using mbp 15, lg gram, and surface pro, 4.5lbs is just too damn heavy I hope u understand. So I picked up sb2 13.5 inch model with 16gb ram, 512gb storage. So let's see how this goes. I will update this topic as I use this as my main daily driver for my school and work from now on.

 

https://imgur.com/a/RHtFjkv

the link above is just an imgur link to show my new sb2 13 inch and mbp 15 next to each other at max brightness in a dark room.

Good to know you made a decision. Tell us how it handles your use after a week.

[andy0842]

7 minutes ago, Tarun10 said:

Good to know you made a decision. Tell us how it handles your use after a week.

like i said right after that i made a separate post for that

so go follow that one as i wont be posting my reviews, impressions, and so on on there!

[Tarun10]

2 hours ago, andy0842 said:

like i said right after that i made a separate post for that

so go follow that one as i wont be posting my reviews, impressions, and so on on there!

Okay.

[Tarun10]

On ‎5‎/‎15‎/‎2018 at 4:53 AM, ono said:

I can't really convince myself to continue with iPad, pro or not. Still thinking going 2-in-1. There are SB2 alternatives. At my local BestBuy I can hopefully check out a display model later for (particularly if I think I can live with a 15.6" display; that sounds too huge for a tablet):

 

- Lenovo Yoga 720: 1300 USD. 15.6". 4K display. 1050 GPU. Looks like there are 8 gen Intel models out there but no 16 GB RAM option. Seems to be a good machine judging from comments/reviews I've seen on it so far.

 

- Asus Q535UD: 1400 USD. 15.6". 4K display. 1050 GPU. Vs the Yoga is has an SSD of half the size (256 GB) but also comes with a 2 TB HDD, which I'd make use of. Also has an HDMI port, but with the price difference with the Yoga, I can easily pick up an adapter. The strange thing on this one is that I can't find reviews on it! So I'd feel like a guinea pig trying this one out.

 

- Dell XPS 2-in-1: 2000 USD. 15.6". 4K display. RX Vega M. Raw numbers I suppose it is better than the 1050, but I hear driver support is wacky at the moment so usage may turn out bad in practice. Also much more expensive than the other two, but cheaper than SB2.

 

What are your thoughts on these? Particularly on the Asus if you even know of that one because, as I said, I can't find zip about it.

 

EDIT: The Asus Q535UD is probably the same product as the Asus ZenBook Flip 15 UX561UD. The Asus webpage for them is exactly the same, save for the name. Saw a Reddit thread point out they have the same specs and that Q535UD is just some BestBuy exclusive version.

 

Also looks like the 4K display of the Yoga 720 can be easily damaged, leading to a row of black pixels near the top of the display. Seems fairly common, so probably a skip on that. I see burn in referenced in the Asus Q535UD reviews, but not sure how widespread.

ZenBook Flip is good performance but the screen isn't as good as others and its not going to be the best build quality or weight or even battery life.

The Yoga 720 is really good just make sure the panel has decent colors and brightness and check out the battery life of your particular model. With 4K it will drain a lot faster but otherwise its great.

The Dell XPS 15 is really good as a laptop but you can't easily use it in tablet mode and also do you really need 4K and 16GB RAM?? 1440p will be more than great on a 15 inch screen. The RX Vega M will perform better than the 1050 in mot cases but yeah driver support is a problem. With proper support it could probably do much better. Just look up on benchmarks before you buy. I don't think you will face any stability issues just stuttering and higher frame times.

Edited May 16, 2018 by Tarun10

[ono]

Asus wasn't on display, so I bought it to try it out. Used it for two days and its fine as a laptop. Weight is comparable to my MBP. Noise levels under load seems better too (just by ear; I don't have anything to measure with). Still would get people's attention in a quiet office though. Noise is overshadowed by my AC unit in my apartment though so I have to turn that off to notice at home. Testing this confirms that the GTX 1050 feels good for me. As a tablet it is fine on a desk (and probably better with a stand to tilt it in portrait mode) but trying to use it on my couch, holding it, not so much. Also the the chassis is a visible finger print magnet, which is a problem for a tablet that you'd be holding up. I'm returning it when I get the chance. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be any 13" 2-in-1 with a GTX 1050 other than the SB2 that I know of (though I'm not sure of the availability of 16 GB SB2s locally; my Best Buy doesn't have it and so my only other shop I got here is the MS Store).

 

14 hours ago, Tarun10 said:

4K and 16GB RAM

4K, no, 16 GB RAM is necessary. Those 2-in-1's are the only laptops locally with a GTX 1050 (or better) and 16 GB of RAM. The traditional laptop options are only the heavier gaming laptops that I don't want. So I'll have to expand my search to online retailers (ideally with free shipping since I live in Hawaii). The search continues. Would like to upgrade before my next trip, which isn't until several months since my work travel in June recently got canceled, so I got time to wait it out more.

[Tarun10]

On ‎5‎/‎17‎/‎2018 at 1:35 AM, ono said:

Asus wasn't on display, so I bought it to try it out. Used it for two days and its fine as a laptop. Weight is comparable to my MBP. Noise levels under load seems better too (just by ear; I don't have anything to measure with). Still would get people's attention in a quiet office though. Noise is overshadowed by my AC unit in my apartment though so I have to turn that off to notice at home. Testing this confirms that the GTX 1050 feels good for me. As a tablet it is fine on a desk (and probably better with a stand to tilt it in portrait mode) but trying to use it on my couch, holding it, not so much. Also the the chassis is a visible finger print magnet, which is a problem for a tablet that you'd be holding up. I'm returning it when I get the chance. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be any 13" 2-in-1 with a GTX 1050 other than the SB2 that I know of (though I'm not sure of the availability of 16 GB SB2s locally; my Best Buy doesn't have it and so my only other shop I got here is the MS Store).

 

4K, no, 16 GB RAM is necessary. Those 2-in-1's are the only laptops locally with a GTX 1050 (or better) and 16 GB of RAM. The traditional laptop options are only the heavier gaming laptops that I don't want. So I'll have to expand my search to online retailers (ideally with free shipping since I live in Hawaii). The search continues. Would like to upgrade before my next trip, which isn't until several months since my work travel in June recently got canceled, so I got time to wait it out more.

I see then look for non 4K displays. Thin and lights with GTX 1050s are limited and most of them have some problems poor build quality or bad thermals. Just get the Dell XPS 15 with the GTX 1050TI or get something like a Spectre or similar laptop with an MX150.

[TopHatProductions115]

Is this an option?

https://www.amazon.com/Gaming-FreeSync-Display-Editing-GL702ZC/dp/B077GBJCNC

 

or this?

 

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=2WC-000N-00068

[genexis_x]

16 minutes ago, TopHatProductions115 said:

Is this an option?

https://www.amazon.com/Gaming-FreeSync-Display-Editing-GL702ZC/dp/B077GBJCNC

 

or this?

 

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=2WC-000N-00068

Both models are crap