In the market for a new laptop

[Lathum]

The link is weird, I think Amazon is getting pounded right now

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by Lathum

Can someone in the know tell me if this laptop is good for some basic games and streaming video? Usually MLB games.

Sorry! Something went wrong!

What games?

It should easily handle streaming MLB.

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

What games?

It should easily handle streaming MLB.

Nothing fancy. Mostly text based sims, hearthstone, basic steam games.

[RainMaker]

1st laptop
- Better CPU
- Better video card


2nd laptop
- Slimmer and lighter weight
- Better monitor
- Has a SSD

If the monitor isn't a big deal to you, I'd go with the 1st one and add an SSD on your own. You can buy one here (I believe this works but check Crucial's website):

Sorry! Something went wrong!

An SSD is such a huge improvement to speed. And it's really easy to install. Put your operating system on it and it'll load up in seconds. Leave the bigger hard drive in and use it for storage and backups of files (or you can remove it and turn it into an external hard drive).

Either way, both laptops should easily be able to handle all those games and video.

[Lathum]

Thanks!

[RainMaker]

If you go with the first and add the SSD (I highly recommend this, it's the single best upgrade you can make on a laptop), here is a video of the machine being opened up.

ASUS TUF Gaming FX504 - disassembly and upgrade options - YouTube

The SSD slot is to the left of the hard drive. It just slides in and a screw holds it down. Takes like 5 minutes.

Then just load Windows 10 on to it and you're ready to go.

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

If you go with the first and add the SSD (I highly recommend this, it's the single best upgrade you can make on a laptop), here is a video of the machine being opened up.

ASUS TUF Gaming FX504 - disassembly and upgrade options - YouTube

The SSD slot is to the left of the hard drive. It just slides in and a screw holds it down. Takes like 5 minutes.

Then just load Windows 10 on to it and you're ready to go.

So I am pretty dumb with this stuff.

Doesn't the machine come with windows 10 already?

Would Windows reside on the SSD card instead of the hard drive making it quicker?

[RainMaker]

When you turn on the computer for the first time without the SSD, Windows will make a digital fingerprint of your computer. That means you can swap in and out hard drives and keep your copy of Windows active without having to do anything. It just knows that this Motherboard with this CPU belongs to this computer.

So after turning it on once, you'd turn it off and install the SSD card. You'd then boot up your computer with USB stick that has Windows on it . That link is how you get Windows 10 on to USB.

When booting up you'd tap F2 to get to the boot menu. This allows you to tell it to boot from the USB drive. Windows installation menu will come up and ask you where you want Windows installed to. You will pick the SSD. It'll take it from there.

You might have to go back in later and make sure it boots from the SSD first by setting it higher in the boot order. But once that's done, Windows 10 will boot from your SSD and you can format your other hard drive and use it as storage.

I know it's a bit complicated and there might be easier ways to do it now. You can probably find a million YouTube videos on how to install Windows 10 on a new SSD.

And yes, you want Windows to reside on the SSD. It will be so much faster. Like your computer will boot up in 3 seconds.

[Scoobz0202]

Agreed with the above points. SSD's are one of the greatest things in the consumer market for PCs since 3D graphics cards, imo. An SSD is non-negotiable for me in any PC/Laptop.


I find it similar to when HD TVs first became more mainstream. At the time I, as I am sure many others, thought "Why pay more for an HD TV? This TV is fine and I can see everything fine. Can it be that much better?" Then you got an HD TV and never went back. Neither, SSD or HD TV, are necessities but they are just such good improvements over the previous generation.

[Lathum]

So since #2 comes with SSD already, will windows automatically reside there or do I need to do something?

I like the idea of speed.

[Radii]

As Scoobz said, an SSD is one of those things that once you have it, you'll never be able to go back. Not as revolutionary as smartphones, HDTV, or DVR's, but it had that same "oh how did i ever go without this?" effect.

[Scoobz0202]

Yea, #2 will have the OS on the SSD. I think they are both good laptops as far as the needs for you. If you truly are just playing text sims games and maybe just FM then #2 will be fine. If you start to get into anything more graphically intensive then #1 will be better because if my light reading is correct the GPU in #1 is twice as good. BUT, the GPU in #2 is perfectly capable of handling the basic games you are discussing.


Personally, I like #2 better then #1 in almost all aspects minus the GPU difference. But I think a large part of that is the aesthetics. I really don't like the "GAMER" look of #1. I like the sleek body of #2, the almost edge to edge screen. Its much more portable while also being capable enough for your games. The keyboard on #1 is prolly more "desktop" then #2 which may be a pro to you, but meh.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by Lathum

So since #2 comes with SSD already, will windows automatically reside there or do I need to do something?

I like the idea of speed.

Yes. Windows isn't like the old days where you need a code or CD. It's basically embedded into the computer. That way you can put it on any hard drive you want.

[Lathum]

Just bought #2.

Don't really need a new laptop, but mine is about 3 years old and slowing down a bit and this seemed like a good deal. Plus my 8 year old can inherit my current one now.

[RainMaker]

Solid choice. And if you're using it to stream videos, the higher quality monitor will make a difference. If you've never had an IPS monitor before, you're in for a treat.

[tarcone]

Okay guys. I finally got the go ahead from the wife to get a new laptop.

I like the idea of a ssd. But I hate the idea of installing it myself.

I want to do some gaming. Nothing major. I mentioned earlier what I play, but Civ and CK2 and Niche and the ilk. Motorsport manager is also there.

Mostly turn based stuff.

I want a little bigger monitor if possible. 14" is not big enough.

I would love to stay in the $500 range. But would go a little higher.

i am an infant when it comes to this stuff, so nothing to taxing for my brain.

Want to buy it off Amazon

What should I get?

[Edward64]

FWIW, you do want a discrete GPU (not integrated graphics) and SSD (instead of mechanical HD), and 15 inch is a good idea. However, I don't have much experience with your price point for laptops so don't think I can recommend any for you.

Monitor Slickdeals: The Best Deals, Coupons, Promo Codes & Discounts for BF deals.

Assume a laptop is a must? If you can live with a desktop, it definitely increases your options.

[tarcone]

I want a lap top.

I could probably go a little higher, maybe 800. I would prefer not.

I dont do a lot on the lap top. I surf and play games. Thats about it.

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by tarcone

I want a lap top.

I could probably go a little higher, maybe 800. I would prefer not.

I dont do a lot on the lap top. I surf and play games. Thats about it.

The type of games you play makes a huge difference though in specs needed. What games?

[PilotMan]

Originally Posted by tarcone

I want a lap top.

I could probably go a little higher, maybe 800. I would prefer not.

I dont do a lot on the lap top. I surf and play games. Thats about it.

OK, you can actually get a pretty nice set up for around $750. Gimme a sec.

[tarcone]

I dont play any high end games. Civ 5 and such. I couldnt play OOTP 17 on my set up.
But I still have windows 7 on it. That should tell you how old it is.

Basically, text sims with the 2D games. Turn based startegy games. RTS games. But I can play most of that.

I watch netflix and sports on it as well.

[PilotMan]

Are you a human?


Are you a human?


Are you a human?


My opinion is that the SSD stand alone drive's aren't big enough for a laptop, so you probably want to look at a hybrid that uses a small ssd for cache swap. You certainly want to have a dedicated graphics card with as much ram as possible. All of these could stand to have the memory upgraded to 16 instead of the 8, but it's a good start. You'll get good performance regardless.

[tarcone]

Awesome thanks. Will check those out.

[CU Tiger]

Let me jump in here, please.

Need to pick up a laptop for the kids.

They don't play games. Watch movies and vids on their phones. This will be pretty much microsoft office for school projects and some web research.

One unusual feature request. The wider spaced the keys the better. My son has trouble hitting a single key on smaller form factors and separate keyboards while an option decrease portability

Anyone got a cheap recomendation?

[PilotMan]

CU for that, and I know the keyboard isn't big, but I'd just stick to a Chromebook. The Price is right, long battery, pretty much perfect for school work and research. Anyone can adjust to the key size. Just takes practice.

[CU Tiger]

Looked at chrome books, but unless I'm mistaken it requires an internet connection which isn't always available for us.

Regarding the keyboardd...kid has big hands. Like size 16 ring and an 11.5" hand measurement so it's a tougher adjustment than some.

[Scoobz0202]

What do you mean by requires an internet connection? I don't have a chromebook, but my GF does. She loves it. I know the newer Chromebooks even have the Google Play Store access so you can download Android apps to it. I think you can even use an Office 365 subscription on it since you can use that in Chrome.. I think? It might even have an offline mode for Office? Would need somebody with more experience then me with regards to the Office. There is also always Google Docs which I have used and find it works well enough


For her, we basically found at the price point chrome books were hard to beat. Does it compare to a Macbook in build quality and what not? No. Of course not. $1000 difference, right. But when it comes to comparing it window machines in the same price point to be honest it's crazy how much better the Chrome book was. My Sister-in-law is always buying the $200-400 windows laptops at best buy and I've used hers before. They are always slow as shit. Maybe she has it loaded with junk. My GF's chrome book is still really fast 2 1/2 years later because the Chrome OS is so light.

[PilotMan]

Originally Posted by CU Tiger

Looked at chrome books, but unless I'm mistaken it requires an internet connection which isn't always available for us.

Regarding the keyboardd...kid has big hands. Like size 16 ring and an 11.5" hand measurement so it's a tougher adjustment than some.

How much of a budget are you looking at?

I'm not a fan of cheaper dual core processors as they don't seem to age as well as quad cores. You'll want to toss it and replace it faster than something a little beefier.

I'm sure you can get an ok system out of the box right now for a 250-300, but a system closer to $500 will be better, longer.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by tarcone

Okay guys. I finally got the go ahead from the wife to get a new laptop.

I like the idea of a ssd. But I hate the idea of installing it myself.

I want to do some gaming. Nothing major. I mentioned earlier what I play, but Civ and CK2 and Niche and the ilk. Motorsport manager is also there.

Mostly turn based stuff.

I want a little bigger monitor if possible. 14" is not big enough.

I would love to stay in the $500 range. But would go a little higher.

i am an infant when it comes to this stuff, so nothing to taxing for my brain.

Want to buy it off Amazon

What should I get?

If you're looking around the $500 range, this is about as nice as you're going to get for a "gaming laptop". The GPU is good enough to play a game like Civ 6 on medium settings (which is more than enough). The CPU isn't special but it should handle what you're looking to do on it. Anything less is going to struggle with modern games.

Amazon.com: Acer Aspire 5, 15.6" Full HD, 8th Gen Intel Core i5-8250U, GeForce MX150, 8GB DDR4 Memory, 256GB SSD, A515-51G-515J: Computers & Accessories

I've always found 250GB is plenty for storage for me. Windows 10 takes up a small amount of space these days and it lets you put a dozen or so games on it along with your programs.

If space is an issue, it's really simple to add a secondary hard drive to a computer like this. There are dozens of videos online and Acer even offers up a tutorial that I guarantee you could pull off. Again, this is only if you think you need over 250GB of storage (remember Windows 10 uses much less space than your current Windows 7).

If you want to spend more, Acer has a similar model. It has a better processor, better GPU, and an IPS display if that matters to you.

Amazon.com: 2018 Flagship Premium Newest Acer Nitro 5 15.6 Inch FHD IPS Gaming Laptop (Intel Core i5-7300HQ, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB GDDR5, Backlit Keyboard, WiFi, Windows 10) Choose Your RAM and SSD: Computers & Accessories

[CU Tiger]

Many of their high school teachers require things submitted in word, excel, powerpoint etc.
We have a desktop the kids share and it has open office and of course Google docs. But that has had a few challenges with upconversion etc. Part of the plan is to get a laptop specifcally with office as a requirement.

My understanding with the chrome books was they were internet based and werentbset up to actually install office etc.

We have a loft in the barn where we lived while remodeling our house. It's the defcato kid hang out spot. That's where their desktop lives currently and they do most homework. There is no internet there as its waaaaay out of wifi range from the house and no cell signal.

[PilotMan]

Originally Posted by CU Tiger

Looked at chrome books, but unless I'm mistaken it requires an internet connection which isn't always available for us.

Regarding the keyboardd...kid has big hands. Like size 16 ring and an 11.5" hand measurement so it's a tougher adjustment than some.

The thing my son likes about his Chromebook is that if you have an android phone all your work is synch'd in the cloud and available on his phone and laptop. He starts to write something on the chromebook in google docs, then finishes it on the phone. I think it does need internet access to work on the WP though, but he the accounts all being together is a plus.

[CU Tiger]

Originally Posted by PilotMan

How much of a budget are you looking at?

I'm not a fan of cheaper dual core processors as they don't seem to age as well as quad cores. You'll want to toss it and replace it faster than something a little beefier.

I'm sure you can get an ok system out of the box right now for a 250-300, but a system closer to $500 will be better, longer.

I'm fine spending 500 if the quality is considerably better than a 200 machine. Heck I'm fine spending $1,000 as ,ong as the price to qualoty value is there

[CU Tiger]

Originally Posted by PilotMan

The thing my son likes about his Chromebook is that if you have an android phone all your work is synch'd in the cloud and available on his phone and laptop. He starts to write something on the chromebook in google docs, then finishes it on the phone. I think it does need internet access to work on the WP though, but he the accounts all being together is a plus.

And my kids are iphone users

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by CU Tiger

Many of their high school teachers require things submitted in word, excel, powerpoint etc.
We have a desktop the kids share and it has open office and of course Google docs. But that has had a few challenges with upconversion etc. Part of the plan is to get a laptop specifcally with office as a requirement.

My understanding with the chrome books was they were internet based and werentbset up to actually install office etc.

We have a loft in the barn where we lived while remodeling our house. It's the defcato kid hang out spot. That's where their desktop lives currently and they do most homework. There is no internet there as its waaaaay out of wifi range from the house and no cell signal.

Microsoft now has Office apps that work specifically on Chromebooks. As long as the Chromebook you buy supports Android apps (almost all the newer ones do). They'll even work offline.

You can get them pretty cheap too.

Amazon.com: Acer 14" Full HD IPS anti-glare display 1920x1080 Chromebook , Intel Celeron N3160 processor 1.6GHz, 4GB RAM, 32GB SSD, 802.11ac, Bluetooth, HD webcam, HDMI, wireless mouse, Chrome OS: Computers & Accessories

With Office 365 (which I'm assuming your kids are using), it'll sync with anything that runs it. So they can pull up their documents on their iPhone if they have the app installed too.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by CU Tiger

One unusual feature request. The wider spaced the keys the better. My son has trouble hitting a single key on smaller form factors and separate keyboards while an option decrease portability

I'll look into it but I think this might be a tough one. Almost all keyboards are standard in size. They do make some of the ergonomic ones that split apart which may help.

The other option is a mechanical keyboard. Little pricey but they provide tactile feedback which can help with typing. I use one and recommend them to anyone who types a lot. They won't be wider but they help with the mishits.

[henry296]

Any opinions on Acer or asus chromebooks in terms of reliability? Thinking about a flip version for the kids.

[Scoobz0202]

On the lower end the Acer's and Asus's are probably very comparable and I don't think one has a large edge over the other.


Have read good things about this Flip for $320:


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This one is really nice but a heftier $475:


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Couple black friday deals I've seen to go a little cheaper:


This will be $179 on Black Friday


https://www.bestbuy.com/site/lenovo-...402324&cmp=RMX




Costco will have $100 off this to make it $289. Nice price on a 1080p convertible.



Acer R13 Touchscreen 2-in-1 Chromebook - 1080p

[GoldenEagle]

I am looking for a new laptop to my gambling hub.

It will primarily be used for playing online poker.

So here is my question - what is the difference in screen size? I have a Dell XPS13 right now. I can 4-table on it, but I can't quite fit all 4 tables comfortably on the screen. I would like to be able do that.

I notice that both a Dell XPS13 and Dell XPS15 both have the same max screen resolution. But I should be able to have bigger tables on the larger monitor - correct?

[Racer]

My current HP laptop is 5 years old and starting to run loud so I figure I should start shopping around.

I'm looking to get a computer that can run Cities:Skylines and Civilization 6 reasonably well.

This is one computer I'm looking at

Configure

and another

HP® Laptop - 17z Value

Looking at Can You RUN It | Can I Run It | Can My PC Run It

The first laptop meets the recommended requirements of those games while the 2nd one only meets the minimum requirements (due to solely the video card I think). Is the first one overkill or is it about what I need to spend on a lower end laptop to run these types of games well?

I'm also open to buying other brands (aside from Dell because the last laptop I bought from them was garbage after a couple of years) though I am looking to buy a '17 inch laptop.

[MrBug708]

Walmart has two on sale right now with their new brand, overpowered or something like that. Theybhave a 15 and 17 inch


https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...RqNaurmQ_jGhzk

[henry296]

Any current thoughts on the Acer Nitro laptops? Primarily text sims and Civ. Likely to go with one with 8 gb of ram and 4gb video ram.

[miked]

I'm confused and new to this chromebook game. I have a work laptop that I use at home, but with kids both doing digital learning we are having some issues. I have access to MS Office and all that stuff, but if I buy a chromebook it will only allow Word/Excel when in wireless?

Forbidden

Any of these good deals, some local parents bought some off of this website and report positive experiences. I'm so used to buying laptops for work (higher end) that I have no idea what to buy my kids who really need like 4 things.

[Scoobz0202]

Can't speak to those chromebooks on that site, but if i recall correctly:


Office 365 web version is the better version. Needs online to work. Still not a direct replacement for a Windows full featured version, but perfectly fine


If the chromebook has access to the Play Store where you can download android apps you can download the Microsoft Office apps. Those work offline, but i think are more limited in features than the web version, but still basic features.


A third option. Use Google Docs. It has compatibility with office files. Can save as office. There MAY be some formatting that needs fixed when going back and forth, but overall I have had good results. Those can be used offline.

[Edward64]

I've been toying with the idea of getting a laptop and just wanted to share.

The laptop CPU market is a little crazy right now. A "generational" leap has occurred with the AMD Ryzen 7 cpu performance and arguably still happening with Intel fighting back with a soon to be released Tiger Lake cpu (4Q).

Bottom-line, if you are looking for a new laptop and want performance, don't assume the older Intel cpu (anything that is not Tiger Lake) is a good deal because it will get leap-frogged as the Ryzen 7 and forthcoming Tiger Lake become more mainstream. On the other hand, if you are happy with a general-use cpu, the older Intel works fine and there are some pretty good sales as they are trying to get rid of older inventory.

[DeToxRox]

I’m hankering you get back into games like FM, but I need a new laptop. I’ll basically only use it for gaming though. I don’t want to say money is of no object, but I also don’t want to just go cheap. Any suggestions?

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by DeToxRox

I’m hankering you get back into games like FM, but I need a new laptop. I’ll basically only use it for gaming though. I don’t want to say money is of no object, but I also don’t want to just go cheap. Any suggestions?

I am a Lenovo Thinkpad fanboy. My kids picked Dell XPS 13 for school but I'll stick with the Thinkpad primarily because of the keyboard (typing) experience.

FM does not require a discrete dGPU to play. So get an 13 inch X13 or a 14 inch T14 with AMD Ryzen 7 4750u. The integrated iGPU is just a tad below the discrete MX350 in performance and that is pretty good for an iGPU. Get a SSD vs mechanical HD and at least 16GB ram (they are soldered on and you won't be able to add to it later). You can find them on the Lenovo site for < $1,000. One reason I won't get an X13 or T14 is because the top bezel is pretty large (e.g. archaic) but you may not care about that.

If you need a dGPU, then you should consider the 15 inch X1 Extreme Gen 3 (I'm looking at these). However, these laptops only have the Intel chips and not Ryzen. For an i7, you can get those for about $1,600.

Go through the Visa site, you get much better Lenovo discounts. Search on "Visa Lenovo" and it'll take you to the Visa site and then push a button to get into the Lenovo Visa site.

You may be able to get them cheaper during BF but with the Visa discount, they are pretty low priced already. I don't think you'll save more than $100 if you wait.

[Swaggs]

I have had Macs for about the last ten years (played FOF on an old laptop until it died a few years ago), but want to get something Windows-based to play OOTP and FOF. Maybe Minecraft, but not if it dramatically drives the price up a whole lot. Would 95% be the sports sims. Wanted some recommendations for a smaller laptop or maybe a Surface that would run them?

[Swaggs]

Budget would like to stick below $750, but if that’s unrealistic, more isn’t a deal breaker. And by small, smaller than 15.6 my son has.

[korme]

Here we are again. My laptop is running slow as molasses. Like people above, the only gaming I'll be doing on here is games like FM, and I'll be mostly using it for reading and writing that I'd prefer not to do on my phone.

Really just bumping this so I can refer to some of the very informative replies above

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by korme

Here we are again. My laptop is running slow as molasses. Like people above, the only gaming I'll be doing on here is games like FM, and I'll be mostly using it for reading and writing that I'd prefer not to do on my phone.

Really just bumping this so I can refer to some of the very informative replies above

If your laptop was doing okay and then now it is slow as molasses, it is probably something you downloaded, installed or running out of hard disk space.

It's also possible there are other "hardware" issues but the first step I would take check hard disk space and if that is okay, then reinstall Windows.

Share your specs - CPU, Type of Hard drive (mechanical or SSD) and amount space remaining, amount of RAM memory, Windows version

Questions - is it slow for a particular app (e.g. Chrome) or overall (e.g. with Windows file manager)?