Buying a Laptop: The current Generation

glic83 · 28-04-2019 10:56PM

Price wise I don't think you can get it anywhere else for that kind of money, worth that price imo

Suckit · 28-04-2019 11:00PM

glic83 wrote: »

Price wise I don't think you can get it anywhere else for that kind of money, worth that price imo

Bought it. I only realised that the sale may end tonight when I checked at the earlier post, so I would be running out if time. Decided to go for it.

Suckit · 29-04-2019 01:12AM

I just realised that I bought it and used the mailboxde address, as i selected it to check the packing station message.
I'm too tired to try and figure out how to change it, but I think it will arrive as I have ordered a laptop before using mailboxde, obviously or the address wouldn't have still been there.
Anyway, I may consolidate so it could be handier.
Main reason I use my friends address is to make returns easier if I need to, but can still do it using mailboxde.

29-04-2019 05:00PM

glic83 wrote: »

Price wise I don't think you can get it anywhere else for that kind of money, worth that price imo

so you plan on using an external keyboard to get the right UK/Ire layout?

sort of defeats the point of a laptop?

Suckit · 29-04-2019 07:39PM

glasso wrote: »

so you plan on using an external keyboard to get the right UK/Ire layout?
sort of defeats the point of a laptop?

An external keyboard, no. Remove the German keyboard and install the UK keyboard.

29-04-2019 07:45PM

Suckit wrote: »

https://www.0815.eu/656566728 + mailboxde.com
UK/Irish Keyboard is on ebay for £10 - £15

I think that sale ends at midnight tonight. (11pm here)

presume that is what was meant here?

or is it getting the exact model laptop keyboard and replacing it in the laptop?

29-04-2019 07:52PM

same laptop here with uk keyboard as standard for £330

addresspal to get delivered

https://www.ebuyer.com/874549-hp-255-g7-ryzen-3-8gb-256gb-full-hd-15-6in-win10-laptop-6bn96ea-abu#

Suckit · 29-04-2019 07:56PM

glasso wrote: »

presume that is what was meant here?
or is it getting the exact model laptop keyboard and replacing it in the laptop?

Replacing the keyboard.

glasso wrote: »

same laptop here with uk keyboard as standard for £330
addresspal to get delivered
https://www.ebuyer.com/874549-hp-255-g7-ryzen-3-8gb-256gb-full-hd-15-6in-win10-laptop-6bn96ea-abu#

I thought the sale was ending last night, so I ordered it kinda quickly from the other site. The ebuyer one works out around €385 delivered. Not too bad either, and probably a lot less hasle if anything does go wrong.
I am also looking at some of the Lenovo, but they rarely have decent deals in Ireland.

29-04-2019 08:05PM

although there may be issues with that ebuyer sites on letting you get it to Ireland apparently.

just be sure that you get the right keyboard. that G7 model name has been used for years afaik but the design will have changed and so possibly the keyboard part.

the 530s 14 lenovo with the better 2500u (more powerful and better graphics power with the vega 8 over the 2200u integrated graphics) in an all-metal build and portable size and weight was going for 599 on lenovo.ie - not sure if still the case

pretty decent value imo

Suckit · 29-04-2019 08:56PM

glasso wrote: »

although there may be issues with that ebuyer sites on letting you get it to Ireland apparently.

just be sure that you get the right keyboard. that G7 model name has been used for years afaik but the design will have changed and so possibly the keyboard part.

the 530s 14 lenovo with the better 2500u (more powerful and better graphics power with the vega 8 over the 2200u integrated graphics) in an all-metal build and portable size and weight was going for 599 on lenovo.ie - not sure if still the case

pretty decent value imo

Yeah the 255 G7, keyboard is L50000-031.

I think €599 is way out of budget unfortunately.

Suckit · 02-05-2019 11:51AM

Just an update.
The laptop was delayed because it was a bank holiday in Germany this week but it is being delivered now, so mailboxde is not considered a packing station (handy to know for any future deliveries). Also it is possible to get cashback using shoop.de (eu version of topcashback), but, regrettably I don't use any of those so I can't verify how muc/what percent.

Turbulent Bill · 03-05-2019 12:01AM

Looking for laptop recommendations, will be for general home use, no gaming:

14" (or slightly bigger) screen, must be decent quality.
i3 or i5
128GB+ SSD
8GB RAM
Must have Win 10 Pro (want to use BitLocker)
Budget is about €600

Any suggestions?

03-05-2019 09:46PM

Turbulent Bill wrote: »

Looking for laptop recommendations, will be for general home use, no gaming:

14" (or slightly bigger) screen, must be decent quality.
i3 or i5
128GB+ SSD
8GB RAM
Must have Win 10 Pro (want to use BitLocker)
Budget is about €600

Any suggestions?

lenovo ryzen 2500u (broadly equivalent to an i5 but with better integrated graphics e.g. can even play demanding games at 720p if wanted)
8gb ram
256gb ssd
all-metal build
14 inch full hd ips
light enough
windows 10
battery life 8 hours

currently down to 599 - not sure how long this offer will last - was more last week.

https://www.lenovo.com/ie/en/laptops/ideapad/500-series/Ideapad-530S-14-AMD/p/88IP50S1048

best deal going imo at the moment for a decent laptop

see it here - guy is a bit hard to understand but you get to see the laptop

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBHRCJ1sx2A

03-05-2019 09:54PM

by the way you won't find win 10 pro for sale on consumer laptops.

you can buy a cheap win 10 pro key on ebay though and then install it yourself.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1311.R1.TR12.TRC2.A0.H0.Xwindows+10+pro.TRS0&_nkw=windows+10+pro+key&_sacat=0

Roy Rogers · 28-05-2019 03:06PM

I'm looking for a 14-15.6" laptop for general household use: light office work, streaming, VLC (casting to Chromecast). Doesn't need to be very portable, and battery life isn't really a concern.

I'm looking at a few options in the €500-700 range:

Lenovo Ideapad 530S 14"
€625 for next 21 hours.
I've read some reviews saying the speakers are muck. Could be bad for watching TV/movies in bed.

Lenovo Ideapad 330S (14", i5 8250u)
€616 for next 21 hours. Is it much of a step down from 530S, or are the differences largely in build/finish?

Lenovo Ideapad 330S (15", Ryzen 5 2500U)
€537 for next 21 hours. Bigger screen, but numpad and off-centre keyboard

Lenovo Yoga 530 14" (i3-8130 model)
€599 for next 21 hours.
Only 4GB RAM. Not too bothered about 2-in-1 functionality, but tablet mode with the body as a kickstand might have better sound than the 530S.

ASUS Vivobook S430 14"
€560ish (i3, 4GB RAM)
€760ish (i5, 8GB RAM)
On the i3 model, I'm wary that 4GB RAM could be a problem in a year or so. On the i5 model, I'm not sure if it's worth the price increase.

Asus Vivobook S530 15"
€609. Price and spec seem decent. However, it has a numpad and off-centre keyboard.

Anything that recommends any of these above the others?

28-05-2019 11:13PM

this posted by another poster in a recent thread is very good value

https://www.ebuyer.com/874549-hp-255-g7-ryzen-3-8gb-256gb-full-hd-15-6in-win10-laptop-6bn96ea-abu

8gb ram
i3 equivalent amd 2200u
8gb ram
256gb ssd
full hd screen

not a beauty but more than enough for your needs and superb value at £300

use parcelwizard / similar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3lgh7Ys2FU

28-05-2019 11:28PM

glasso wrote: »

lenovo ryzen 2500u (broadly equivalent to an i5 but with better integrated graphics e.g. can even play demanding games at 720p if wanted)
8gb ram
256gb ssd
all-metal build
14 inch full hd ips
light enough
windows 10
battery life 8 hours

currently down to 599 - not sure how long this offer will last - was more last week.

https://www.lenovo.com/ie/en/laptops/ideapad/500-series/Ideapad-530S-14-AMD/p/88IP50S1048

best deal going imo at the moment for a decent laptop

see it here - guy is a bit hard to understand but you get to see the laptop

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBHRCJ1sx2A

amazon de for 549 unless im missing something obvious. free delivery too

edit- keyboard layout different, right?

28-05-2019 11:30PM

Deleted User wrote: »

amazon de for 549 unless im missing something obvious. free delivery too

you'll get a German keyboard layout from there tho

29-05-2019 12:14PM

Roy Rogers wrote: »

I'm looking for a 14-15.6" laptop for general household use: light office work, streaming, VLC (casting to Chromecast). Doesn't need to be very portable, and battery life isn't really a concern.

I'm looking at a few options in the €500-700 range:

Anything that recommends any of these above the others?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Huawei-Matebook-14-Inch-Laptop-Processor/dp/B07KV9J1PG/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=matebook+d&qid=1559128319&s=gateway&sr=8-3

fact that it's Huawei shouldn't be an issue

nice laptop - build and screen. 8gb. 256gb ssd

Roy Rogers · 29-05-2019 01:31PM

Actually, I'm really leaning towards this at the moment: https://www.ebuyer.com/855754-lenovo-v330-14arr-ryzen-5-laptop-81b1001euk

Seems to be a bit of a step up from the HP you recommended, glasso. (Thanks, btw.) Side-firing speakers and a centred keyboard (which seems impossible to find on 15.6 models), so that's two big ticks for me.

The screen seems to be the weak point but realistically, it will probably be fine for my needs. Not ideal for watching TV/movies but acceptable.

The price also seems good. The more I think about it, I'm really not going to need any sort of serious performance. Just need to get over my but what if I need to... tendencies.

29-05-2019 01:44PM

Roy Rogers wrote: »

Actually, I'm really leaning towards this at the moment: https://www.ebuyer.com/855754-lenovo-v330-14arr-ryzen-5-laptop-81b1001euk

Seems to be a bit of a step up from the HP you recommended, glasso. (Thanks, btw.) Side-firing speakers and a centred keyboard (which seems impossible to find on 15.6 models), so that's two big ticks for me.

The screen seems to be the weak point but realistically, it will probably be fine for my needs. Not ideal for watching TV/movies but acceptable.

The price also seems good. The more I think about it, I'm really not going to need any sort of serious performance. Just need to get over my but what if I need to... tendencies.

Seems very good value alright and worth the extra £50.

The Ryzen 2500u with Vega 8 graphics can actually run a fair few mainstream games as the integrated graphics are more powerful than the Intel equivalents.

Battery seems small at 30 watt hours but if that is not an issue for you as said then go for it.

29-05-2019 01:57PM

you should still get 4 to 5 hours video playback on a 30wh battery though.

Roy Rogers · 29-05-2019 04:06PM

Seems like a goer so. Thanks for the advice!

Trojan · 29-05-2019 05:58PM

Are there any Windows laptops that have the machined aluminium solid build quality of Macs? Looking for a ~ 14" for business use, doesn't need gamer levels of processing power, but i5/16GB/SSD kind of thing would be nice (12GB would be ok, 8 minimum).

29-05-2019 06:48PM

Trojan wrote: »

Are there any Windows laptops that have the machined aluminium solid build quality of Macs? Looking for a ~ 14" for business use, doesn't need gamer levels of processing power, but i5/16GB/SSD kind of thing would be nice (12GB would be ok, 8 minimum).

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Huawei-Matebook-14-Inch-Laptop-Processor/dp/B07KV9J1PG/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=matebook+d&qid=1559128319&s=gateway&sr=8-3

8gb ram but that is fine imo unless you are planning on 4k video editing.

16gb ram you still pay a premium for and usually only available on 1k+ laptops.

the matebook d is a nice metal build and pretty light at 1.47 kg so portable

for £511 sterling it's a nice 14 inch screen machine with ssd and a ryzen 4-core 2500u cpu (broadly equivalent to an i5 but better graphics horsepower and a bit less than the intel on cpu side)

Suckit · 29-05-2019 06:49PM

I think the Acer Swift 1 and Huawei Matebook are both alluminium. Big difference in price between the two too.

Also I think some of the Asus are Alluminium, but not sure what they're like.

29-05-2019 06:55PM

Suckit wrote: »

I think the Acer Swift 1 and Huawei Matebook are both alluminium. Big difference in price between the two too.

Also I think some of the Asus are Alluminium, but not sure what they're like.

I've quoted the matebook d above for £511. all-metal (aluminium)

the acer swift 1 is a nice little laptop but has only 4gb non-upgradable ram and is possibly a little underpowered for what the OP is looking for with the n5000 chip that it has.

Suckit · 29-05-2019 07:07PM

There are a few different version of both aren't there?

EDIT. I didn't mean to type 1. I had written the NX, but couldn't remember the model number, so edited it to swift 1.
There is also the swift 3, 5 and 7 (and versions of each) I think 3 is around OP's.

I'm on packed train so can't look it up.

DOUBLE EDITED (For versions only, and price. It may have a German Keyboard) https://www.amazon.de/gp/offer-listing/B07CKZH48P/

29-05-2019 07:12PM

Suckit wrote: »

There are a few different version of both aren't there?

EDIT. I didn't mean to type 1. I had written the NX, but couldn't remember the model number, so edited it to swift 1.
There is also the swift 3, 5 and 7 (and versions of each) I think 3 is around OP's.

I'm on packed train so can't look it up.

of the swift 1 I've only seen a 4gb model

there is the swift 3 that you're maybe thinking of? I'd rate the matebook d ahead of that and it's cheaper than the swift 3 for comparable specs.

Suckit · 29-05-2019 07:54PM

glasso wrote: »

of the swift 1 I've only seen a 4gb model

there is the swift 3 that you're maybe thinking of? I'd rate the matebook d ahead of that and it's cheaper than the swift 3 for comparable specs.

Swift 1 8GB/256GB

https://www.amazon.de/Acer-SF114-32-P0L3-Full-HD-Ultrabook-Pentium/dp/B07H11N426/

Yeah the Matebook may be better but like for like I think it's a lot more expensive, but I could be wrong, haven't looked at them in a long time and didn't look up the Huawei this evening.

Buying a Laptop: The current Generation

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