Buying a Laptop: The current Generation

06-01-2021 02:27PM

Long Turn wrote: »

Hi Glasso,

I would appreciate your advice on a new laptop.
I currently have a Toshiba P75 A7200 . 17.3 screen, 1920 * 1080

I use excel, word and other programs that I have installed.
I carry it for work so it gets lugged around a good bit.

What would your suggestions be?

Thanks

what's your max budget?

do you really need a 17 inch screen (much less options in that size and heavier)

Long Turn · 06-01-2021 02:34PM

I don't need 17'' but I do a lot of work on screen.

I think I will end up paying € 1200 to € 1500 but the lower the better.

06-01-2021 02:43PM

Long Turn wrote: »

I don't need 17'' but I do a lot of work on screen.

I think I will end up paying € 1200 to € 1500 but the lower the better.

what's your acceptable smallest screen size?

would you have access to a monitor to use at locations?

your computing needs are modest - any other requirements / preferences e.g. metal build quality, lightness?

Long Turn · 06-01-2021 02:47PM

glasso wrote: »

what's your acceptable smallest screen size?

would you have access to a monitor to use at locations?

your computing needs are modest - any other requirements / preferences e.g. metal build quality, lightness?

I wouldn't have access to a monitor so I think 15"" minimum. Metal build would be preferable.

CoBo55 · 06-01-2021 02:50PM

glasso wrote: »

what's your acceptable smallest screen size?

would you have access to a monitor to use at locations?

your computing needs are modest - any other requirements / preferences e.g. metal build quality, lightness?

I'd say the honor magicbook pro I got would do him nicely, it would certainly be a lot lighter than a standard 17" laptop they usually weigh a ton.

06-01-2021 03:01PM

CoBo55 wrote: »

I'd say the honor magicbook pro I got would do him nicely, it would certainly be a lot lighter than a standard 17" laptop they usually weigh a ton.

he has no need for the more powerful cpu in that laptop really - overkill

pcworld actually have the 15.6 inch-screen matebook d 15 with the upgraded 4500u 6-core cpu - more than plenty for his needs

not priced badly at 699 euro

https://www.currys.ie/ieen/computing/laptops/laptops/huawei-matebook-d-15-6-laptop-amd-ryzen-5-256-gb-ssd-space-grey-10215076-pdt.html

metal build, light enough for the size, good cpu, ssd, 8gb ram plenty for his needs.

CoBo55 · 06-01-2021 03:04PM

glasso wrote: »

he has no need for the more powerful cpu in that laptop really - overkill

pcworld actually have the 15.6 inch-screen matebook d 15 with the upgraded 4500u 6-core cpu - more than plenty for his needs

not priced badly at 699 euro

https://www.currys.ie/ieen/computing/laptops/laptops/huawei-matebook-d-15-6-laptop-amd-ryzen-5-256-gb-ssd-space-grey-10215076-pdt.html

metal build, light enough for the size, good cpu, ssd, 8gb ram plenty for his needs.

That looks ideal.
Great fan of the aul overkill myself...

Long Turn · 06-01-2021 03:10PM

Thanks for that. Appreciate your help.

sdp · 06-01-2021 05:46PM

Thanks Glasso, Ordered the matebook D15 with the upgraded 4500u 6-core cpu

Many thank again for taking the time to help.

madma · 14-01-2021 09:01PM

Hey I'm looking to get a mid-range laptop as I'll be WFH and something with decent specs. so I've seen the Matebook D been recommended.

I'm in Canada and they have the D15 version in stock. (equals to 620 euro + tax )
https://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=710_1925_1912_1911&item_id=169908&language=en

saw this review although the specs are a bit different on this review from last year:
https://www.techradar.com/reviews/huawei-matebook-d-15-2020

The other laptop I've seen same price range which look like better specs but I cant find a review on the specific model
https://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/product/acer-aspire-5-15-6-laptop-silver-intel-core-i7-1065g7-512gb-ssd-16gb-ram-windows-10/14994499?icmp=Recos_3across_tp_sllng_prdcts&referrer=PLP_Reco

Any advice on these 2 would be great

Thanks

14-01-2021 10:04PM

review here https://laptopmedia.com/review/acer-aspire-5-a515-55-review-a-good-daily-driver-with-pwm-free-display-and-decent-battery-life/

(but for a model with HDD instead of ssd)

matebook full metal build but acer if has 16gb ram like the one you linked then has an advantage there

screen probably similar

matebook has the unusual webcam position of course

cpu a bit better in acer but matebook will run well for all common tasks

madma · 14-01-2021 10:25PM

glasso wrote: »

review here https://laptopmedia.com/review/acer-aspire-5-a515-55-review-a-good-daily-driver-with-pwm-free-display-and-decent-battery-life/

(but for a model with HDD instead of ssd)

matebook full metal build but acer if has 16gb ram like the one you linked then has an advantage there

screen probably similar

matebook has the unusual webcam position of course

cpu a bit better in acer but matebook will run well for all common tasks

Thanks for all that, Yeah both seem like decent options, leaning towards the Acer as has the 16gb ram.

Cheers, as wasn't sure which is the better CPU

I do have an external webcam if I think more about the Matebook.

I'll check out the review's again

14-01-2021 10:33PM

cpu in acer better from cpu point of view. integrated graphics better in matebook

madma · 14-01-2021 10:54PM

glasso wrote: »

cpu in acer better from cpu point of view. integrated graphics better in matebook

Cheers again, kinda stumped between them, Acer seems to have more Pros but there both decent looking

14-01-2021 11:00PM

consider your use cases for pros and cons

do I need the extra ram

which has better battery life

do I want full-metal build

etc

madma · 14-01-2021 11:38PM

Yeah for sure.

So I realised that the warranty is terrible on both and remembered that Costco over here do great warranty and return policy.

for slightly extra they have the same model in different specs, not sure if better or worse though than the other Acer originally posted:
https://www.costco.ca/acer-aspire-5-a515-56-7699-laptop%2c-i7-1165g7.product.100717369.html

another decent looking one but gaming:
https://www.costco.ca/msi-gf63-10scxr-221ca-gaming-laptop%2c-i5-10300h.product.100675946.html

14-01-2021 11:51PM

that costco acer has the newer 11th gen intel chip - good balance of cpu and integrated graphics

the msi is a gaming laptop - going to be heavier

madma · 14-01-2021 11:56PM

glasso wrote: »

that costco acer has the newer 11th gen intel chip - good balance of cpu and integrated graphics

the msi is a gaming laptop - going to be heavier

Cheers yeah the Acer looks best bet, I had that one in mind before but had forgotten that the warranty / return in Costco is miles above anywhere else here.

Thanks for the help with the specs

thegeezer · 22-01-2021 02:20PM

Late to the show here but from what I understand you are looking for a new laptop which will be used mainly for office work. I don't personally like ACER, but the specs on this one are really very good. I was only able to find one similar one to compare on Amazon Canada (albeit slightly inferior to yours), and the reviews are really good. I always read through these and especially any bad ones (quite often you find it was because it was delivered not working, or something unrelated to the actual laptop), and also read the Q and A. For example this one shows it has an HDMI slot which will allow you to plug the laptop into the TV, a separate monitor (this is the way to go if 15.6" is too small for display, get a decent 21 or even 24" monitor and plug it into it).

https://www.amazon.ca/Acer-A515-55-75NC-i7-1065G7-Fingerprint-Keyboard/dp/B087RT9LSF/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=Acer%2BAspire%2B5%2BA515-56-7699%2BLaptop%2C%2Bi7-1165G7&qid=1611319380&sr=8-1-spons&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyR0IzVlQwUVA0S0VZJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMzA5MTY3T1FRN05PWkJYSEdNJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA2MDQzNjkxNVEwMUxQNTYzNFdMJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ&th=1

I digress, the specs :-

Graphics - latest INTEL in-built - that means that the memory (RAM) will be used to provide the graphics, but in this case this is compensated for by having 12GB RAM in the first place. Unless you are gaming, this should be more than adequate.
CPU - 11th Gen is a real bonus (generally each generation includes higher computing power, bigger caches etc. when compared to previous version). Also the i7 is a bonus since this laptop normally comes with the i5. Without going ito too much detail, this is a big upgrade on its 10th gen predecessor. If you wish to read a good review, included below (bedtime reading at best). In short, this CPU will manage pretty much any multitasking office apps you want to throw at it (including Microsoft's ever burgeoning Office)

https://www.techspot.com/review/2158-intel-tiger-lake-core-i7-1165g7/

RAM - 12GB DDR4 should be more than adequate - again to allow for multitasking, and whilst DDR4 is not THE latest and greatest, it is pretty good.Upgradeable should you need to.

Communications - WiFi and LAN - excellent, so you can get a cat 6 cable and plug directly into your router device - something I highly recommend when working from home.

Ports - Has several of the fastest USB ports so, for example, you could plug an external drive, plug in a laptop cooler (look it up, highly recommended and will extend the life of your laptop considerably), and even an iphone at the same time ! Also has HDMI as mentioned above. Great selection of ports.

Operating System - comes with a licensed version of Windows 10 home. I would strongly recommend you buy yourself an external drive, and take a SYSTEM IMAGE any time there is a major Microsoft update. Should the update have crippled your system, you simply overwrite it with the previous image and then log a case with Microsoft to say their upgrade broke your system ! Seriously, this has got me out of trouble quite a few times.

Weight - 1.6KG - extremely portable but make sure you get a good, robust laptop case.

Hard Disk - Now here is where your laptop excels - SSD drive. Ideally you should install as little as possible or fit an additional SATA drive and isntall your applications there. This SSD drive means this baby will fly. The boot up time is the first thing you will notice, boots before you know it. This kind of drive is NOT suitable for storing databases, but stuff like Office will work extremely well. If it were me, I would look into having a 1 or 2TB SATA disk if possible, but then I am a perfectionist. If you don't clog this drive up, you should be fine. 512GB will be taken up before you know it unfortunately. Your SSD drive should also be capable of an upgrade, and there is also probably a SATA drive slot.

Additional peripherals - WEBCAM and Microphone/Headphone Jack - for collaborative working.

Future Proof - Often overlooked this is one of the most important considerations when choosing a computer. With the size and computing requirements of software increasing all the time, your chosen machine should have at least an element of future proofing - you don't want to have to replace it in a year or two's time do you ? This laptop not only has high enough specs to manage this transition (with the exception possibly of the SSD drive size), but I have also indicated where you can upgrade certain components should you need to.

Additional considerations - BUY a decent Antivirus and install it. The advantage of buying is to provide support as well as upgrades. Yes you can get decent free AV, but if you are storing your office files as well as personal stuff, don't skimp on this. Many of the good providers are now offering very reasonable multi-year deals, and if they don't, demand t or go elsewhere.

Summary - a very decent laptop which should suit all of your needs, and provide some element of future proofing. You might want to ask the vendor if they can upgrade the SSD drive to 1 or 2 TB, and if so what would be the cost, or to install an additional 1 or 2TB SATA drive. That notwithstanding, I think you have found a very well priced laptop here.

Sorry for length of post !!

LLMMLL · 24-01-2021 01:28AM

Looking for a laptop recommendation for a friend. Just office and internet work. Nothing heavy. Based on this forum I recommended Huawei mate book D but they really didn't like the camera placement? Any alternatives in the sub 700 price range?

eh i dunno · 27-01-2021 04:39PM

https://www.currys.ie/ieen/computing/laptops/laptops/hp-15s-eq1510sa-15-6-laptop-amd-ryzen-5-256-gb-ssd-silver-10207935-pdt.html

Looking at this myself? Only for casual browsing and streaming Netflix.

brianregan09 · 28-01-2021 10:56PM

If your ordering from Currys.ie is it coming from inside the country or what's the deal there now ?

28-01-2021 11:23PM

there were some issues but sorted now afaik (currys)

28-01-2021 11:24PM

brianregan09 wrote: »

If your ordering from Currys.ie is it coming from inside the country or what's the deal there now ?

at the worst you'd have to claim back but wouldn't think that you would have to

brianregan09 · 28-01-2021 11:40PM

I rolled the dice we'll see , also thanks for your recommendation on my own thread

sdp · 29-01-2021 06:34AM

brianregan09 wrote: »

If your ordering from Currys.ie is it coming from inside the country or what's the deal there now ?

No Problem with Currys, Got Delivery of laptop. Nothing to pay.
Mine you delivery was slow.

Mwengwe · 01-02-2021 02:58PM

Probably not the usual query in here. But I was just wondering what 600 euro-bracket laptops have a very good reputation in terms of sound quality (headphone output, built-in DAC etc)?

01-02-2021 03:02PM

Mwengwe wrote: »

Probably not the usual query in here. But I was just wondering what 600 euro-bracket laptops have a very good reputation in terms of sound quality (headphone output, built-in DAC etc)?

all audio code and hardware built-in to the motherboard circuitry on laptops these days.

some people claim that can hear interference if listening on headphones but most don't

if it bothers you buy a usb DAC

to answer your question I've never seen any review talk about audio output in budget laptops

only the laptop speaker quality

Mr. CooL ICE · 18-02-2021 12:43PM

Looking at buying a Dell G series laptop. The selection on the .ie site has slim pickings compared to the .co.uk site. But AFAIK, they're manufactured in China and shipped to Ireland/UK, so I can't make sense as to why the choice is different between the two.

Anyone have any insights?

fugyvuhgvhbjb · 20-02-2021 01:10AM

Looking for recommendations for Laptop around 600 euro. Just using it for web browsing and programming and very light gaming like old PS1 games. Ideally it would be 15 inch screen and not too heavy.

Buying a Laptop: The current Generation

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